HOSEA LESSON 4


     We will begin this lesson in Hosea 4:1 "Hear the word of the
LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the
inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor
knowledge of God in the land."

     We have stressed so much in these lessons, that wisdom is a gift
from God, but knowledge takes an effort upon our part. Knowledge is
accumulated learning. Notice, first they must hear the Word of God.
The Word is spoken through the prophet Hosea, but he is like an
"ambassador", who brings someone else's message to the people. In this
case, it is God's message. The purpose of this very Bible study is so
that we can accumulate more learning and understanding of God's Word.
The land spoken of, in verse 1 above, is a perfect description of our
land today. They are at odds with God. They are disobedient to His
Word.  Truth and mercy are both God's gift to mankind. The knowledge
of the will of God for their lives was far from them, because they did
not diligently seek the truth and knowledge.

     Hosea 4:2 "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and
committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood."

     Again, we see so much of this in our society today, that there
are not enough jail cells to hold the criminals. It is interesting to
me, that this begins with swearing. In the loose society we live in,
this has become so commonplace, it is not even considered a crime
anymore. There was a time, when swearing got a person tied to a
whipping post for 10 or 15 lashes of a whip. When people are out of
the will of God, they commit all of these things and many more. Drugs
and alcohol add to the immense number of crimes committed. Even drugs
and alcohol are a sign of a society out of fellowship with God.

     Hosea 4:3 "Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that
dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and
with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be
taken away."

     The civil authorities may allow these things to happen and go
unpunished, but God will not. "Languish" implies sickness, and is
another way of saying mourn. There is a sickness, and it is called
sin.  When these things happen in any land, God removes His blessings
from them. Zephaniah 1:3 "I will consume man and beast; I will consume
the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the
stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the
land, saith the LORD."

     Hosea 4:4 "Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy
people [are] as they that strive with the priest."

     It appears, that no one was above sin, so no one was not in a
position to judge, or reprove another. Even the people were trying to
tell the priest what was wrong.

     Hosea 4:5 "Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet
also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy
mother."

     It appears, from this, the prophet suffered with his people. The
first part of the above sentence seems to be speaking of individuals
who will not be spared. It will not matter whether it is day or night,
the outcome is the same. The nation Israel is spoken of as "mother".

     Hosea 4:6  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that
thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of
thy God, I will also forget thy children."

     This is almost like saying, they did not study the Word of God
and hide it away in their hearts. When God says "my people", he is
speaking of each individual in the nation of Israel. To reject the
knowledge of the Word of God, is to reject God. We can see from the
following Scriptures, that God speaks of all of His followers as
priests. I Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."  I Peter 2:9 "But ye [are] a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" I Peter 2:10 "Which in
time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Those who do not
remember God will be forgotten of God, as well.

     Hosea 4:7 "As they were increased, so they sinned against me:
[therefore] will I change their glory into shame."

     God had blessed them, and they had increased, but they could not
handle prosperity. The minute they were out of trouble, they sought
false gods. He turned the blessings into cursings. Deuteronomy 30:19
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose
life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"  Just as it was their
choice, it is our choice to receive blessings, or cursings. God will
not bless those who are unfaithful to Him.

     Hosea 4:8 "They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their
heart on their iniquity."

     There was an offering for sin. Perhaps, this is speaking of the
evil priest being pleased with their sin.  He would receive more
offerings to eat, instead of correcting their iniquity.

     Hosea 4:9 "And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I
will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings."

     God punishes the priests, the same as He does the people, when
they sin. He, also, blesses the priests, as the people when they keep
His commandments.

     Hosea 4:10 "For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall
commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to
take heed to the LORD."

     When they eat and do not have enough, it means their food does
not satisfy them. One of the ways God would punish those who followed
false gods, was to cut off their food with a famine.

     Hosea 4:11 "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart."

     Drunkenness and whoredom go together. Those who drink too much
lose control of their own will.

     Hosea 4:12  "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their
staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused
[them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God."

     The "whoredom", spoken of here, is of a spiritual nature. This is
speaking of the worship of false gods. They have left the One True God
for the false gods.

     Hosea 4:13 "They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and
burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because
the shadow thereof [is] good: therefore your daughters shall commit
whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery."

     This is a description of the various types of false worship that
went on in the country. God caused their wives to be unfaithful to
them, as they had been to Him.

     Hosea 4:14 "I will not punish your daughters when they commit
whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves
are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore
the people [that] doth not understand shall fall."

     Sin feeds upon itself. God was the husband of Israel in the
spirit. They, who worshipped false gods, committed spiritual adultery
against God. That sin was so terrible, that physical adultery paled in
comparison. It had been the law to stone to death someone caught in
the act of physical adultery, but why punish that individually, when
the majority of the nation was guilty of spiritual adultery?

     Hosea 4:15  "Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, [yet] let not
Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-
aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth."

     Israel got into this type of sin long before Judah did. In fact,
Israel went into Assyrian captivity more than a hundred years, before
Judah was taken captive by Babylon. Jereboam had set up a calf to
worship in Beth-haven. Gilgal had become a place of worship of false
gods. God did not want them mingling with those of Judah, for fear
Judah would pick up their idolatry.
     Hosea 4:16 "For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now
the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place."

     This gives a reason for the warning in the other verse. This
shows that Israel is falling further into idolatry. She is slipping
further and further in. When people, or nations slip further into sin,
they go further and further from God.

     Hosea 4:17 "Ephraim [is] joined to idols: let him alone."

     Ephraim was the predominant tribe in Israel. They should have
been the leaders. They are seemingly the deepest in sin. Idol worship
was a rebellion against God, as well as being spiritual adultery.

     Hosea 4:18 "Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom
continually: her rulers [with] shame do love, Give ye."

     It appears, that the leaders, as well as the people, were
continually sinning. It had become a way of life for the whole nation.

     Hosea 4:19 "The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they
shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices."

     The most ridiculous thing of all was the fact that they were
still going through the formality of worshipping God. The wind, spoken
of here, has to do with the wind of God's wrath. This type of sin
leads no where, but to shame and disgrace.



























                          Hosea 4 Questions


1.  Why does God have a controversy with the people in the land?
2.  How does knowledge differ from wisdom?
3.  What is an "ambassador"?
4.  What is the purpose of this very Bible study?
5.  Truth and mercy are God's _______ to ___________.
6.  What are the sins mentioned in verse 2?
7.  What is interesting to the author about swearing being listed
    first?
8.  What are drugs and alcohol a sign of?
9.  What does "languish" imply?
10. Quote Zephaniah chapter 1 verse 3.
11. Who suffers along with the people?
12. Who is "mother", in verse 5, speaking of?
13. My people are destroyed for ________ of _________.
14. Who is God speaking of, when He says, "my people"?
15. To reject the knowledge of the Word of God is to reject _____.
16. Quote 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5.
17. Ye are a __________ generation.
18. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 19.
19. Whose choice is it, whether you will be blessed, or cursed?
20. When they eat and it is not enough means what?
21. Those who drink too much lose control of their _______.
22. What kind of "whoredom" is verse 12 speaking of?
23. Describe some of the false worship?
24. What was worse than physical adultery?
25. Jereboam had set up a ________ to worship in Beth-haven.
26. Why did God not want Israel mingling with Judah?
27. How was Israel described in verse 16?
28. ____________ is joined unto idols.
29. What was the most ridiculous thing of all about their worship?