Hosea 8

Order a Free Bible Here from - Bibles4Free.com - a - USBibleSociety.com - Ministry

Dave Burnette's Commentary

Hosea Chapter 8

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Hosea

Date Penned: BC 715 (Covering Events BC 753-715)

Overview: God's Wayward People (c 4-14)

Theme: Israel's Punishment (c 6-14)

Message: Israel will Reap the Whirlwind (v 1-14)

Hosea: Chapter 8 Commentary

(8:1-4) "He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord" refers to Assyria coming to attack Israel and take the people into captivity (2 Kings 15). The people will call to God, but it will be too late because they stubbornly refused to give up their idols. We, like Israel, often call upon the Lord to ease our pain without wanting him to change our behavior. And we , like Israel, may repent after it is too late to avoid the painful consequences of sin.

(8:5) Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom and sometimes it stands for the whole kingdom , Jeroboam had set up worship of calf idols at Bethel and Dan and had encouraged the people to worship them (1 Kings 12) Thus the people were worshiping the image of a created animal rather than the creator.

(8:7) Crop yield is the result of good seed planted in good soil and given the proper proportions of sunlight , moisture, and fertilizer. A single seed can produce multiple fruits in good conditions. Israel however, had sown its spiritual seed to the wind. They had invested themselves in activities without substance. Like the wind that comes and goes, its idolatry and foreign alliances offered no protection. In seeking self-preservation apart from God, it brought about its own destruction. Like a forceful whirlwind, God's judgement would come upon Israel by means of the Assyrians. When we seek security in anything besides God, we expose ourselves to great danger. Without the Lord there is no lasting security.

(8:12) The Israelites applied God's Laws to others and not to themselves. Jesus will later make an illustration in Matthew chapter 7 about removing the beam from your own eye to see the speck in your brother's eye to show us the importance of self examination of one's sin.

(8:13) The people's sacrifices became a mere ritual and God refused to accept them. Today, we too, can make our service to the Lord a ritual that can lead to self righteousness instead of a true expression of worship. True worship will always put the Lord first instead of our self gratification. Back in Egypt, the Israelites had been slaves (Exodus 1) The people would not literally return to Egypt, but they would return to slavery, this time scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire.

(8:14) Israel put its confidence in military strength, strong defenses, and economic stability, just as nations do today. But because of the people's inner moral decay, their apparent sources of strength were inadequate. There is a tendency in may nations toward removing all traces of God from daily life. But if a nation forgets its Maker, its strengths may prove worthless when put to the test.

Dave Burnette's Life Application

The Whirlwind

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Hosea with Chapter 8 In our text today we see Israel reaping the whirlwind as they worship the creation instead of the Creator. In making application we see a picture of the world today as people worship the creation of the Lord and its riches instead of the one who Created it all. How about you? Is your focus on the Creator or what He Created? Let us learn from our text today and example from Israel to see that we need to Worship our Lord as the Creator verses the mistake of worshiping the objects that he has created.

Hosea 8

Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter

Hosea 8

¹Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.

²Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.

³Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

⁴They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

⁵Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

⁶For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

⁷For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

⁸Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

⁹For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

¹⁰Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

¹¹Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.

¹²I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

¹³They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

¹⁴For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Language Translator (Click on Tab to Translate Page)

Scripture Application (Click on Box to View Application)

Bible Search (Search Bible By Word or Verse)

Take Notes on Your Bible Studies (Using our Padlet)

Listen to the Bible (By Talking Bibles)

Try Our Free Daily Devotion Email

For Email Newsletters you can trust