HOSEA LESSON 9


     We will begin this lesson in Hosea 9:1 "Rejoice not, O Israel,
for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God,
thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor."

     There is no rejoicing in sin. Sin brings great sorrow. The
instant the sin is committed, guilt sets in and sorrow from that
guilt begins. This is almost as if God is saying, The least you could
do is be sorrowful for your sin. This could have taken place at
harvest time, which was generally a time of rejoicing, because the
cornfloor was mentioned. They wanted all the blessings of God, but
they were not willing to be faithful to God. God promised to bless
them, if they kept His commandments. Since they had not kept His
commandments, they did not deserve a blessing.

     Hosea 9:2 "The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and
the new wine shall fail in her."

     This is just saying, that their sin has brought judgement from
God, and their vineyards and their crops will fail.

     Hosea 9:3 "They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim
shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things] in
Assyria."

     We know from past lessons, that Egypt symbolizes the world.
Notice, in the verse above, the LORD has taken the promised land back
from Israel, since they did not keep their covenant with God. It
really did not matter anymore about the eating of unclean things,
because they had broken fellowship with God. God would not accept the
fact they were keeping the dietary laws, anymore than He would accept
them sacrificing to Him. They will actually be captive in Assyria.

     Hosea 9:4 "They shall not offer wine [offerings] to the LORD,
neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices [shall be]
unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be
polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house
of the LORD."

     In Assyria, they would not be able to keep any of the offerings
and sacrifices. As we said, even if they did keep them, God would not
accept these offerings of obligation. God has turned His back on them
and their offerings. Worship, that is done out of obligation only, is
unacceptable to God. Even the thought of sacrificing will just bring
sadness for their lost fellowship.

     Hosea 9:5 "What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of
the feast of the LORD?"

     There will be nothing for them to do on these special days, but
mourn for the things that could have been. They would be away in a
foreign land, away from their temple and their God.
     Hosea 9:6 "For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt
shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places]
for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in
their tabernacles."

     The world is not interested in continuing the worship in the
temple. The temple and the temple grounds will grow up with weeds.
The captors have no special desire to keep the temple grounds nice and
pretty. They did not regard the God of the Israelites. Those of
Israel, themselves, would be carried captive into a foreign land, far
away from their temple.

     Hosea 9:7 "The days of visitation are come, the days of
recompence are come; Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool,
the spiritual man [is] mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and
the great hatred."

     This "visitation" is speaking of the day of judgement which came
upon them. God has judged them, and found them guilty of spiritual
adultery. The prophet will not have to warn them any further. The
prophet, spoken of here, is the false prophet who was still promising
good times. The spiritual man and the false prophet had been bringing
flattering messages to the people, and the people had accepted it for
the truth. They were not only full of sin {idolatry}, but they were
lacking in love, as well. They were an angry, unloving society. It
sounds all too familar, doesn't it? Preachers preaching to itching
ears are not warning their people even now.

     Hosea 9:8 "The watchman of Ephraim [was] with my God: [but] the
prophet [is] a snare of a fowler in all his ways, [and] hatred in the
house of his God."

     We went into great depth on the watchman in the 33rd chapter of
Ezekiel. This is speaking of the very same thing. Ephraim should have
been the watchman, because he had received the right hand {spiritual}
blessing from God. A good watchman informs the people of impending
danger. A bad watchman sees no danger coming. The true prophet is
always with God. His message is God's message. Those involved in sin
hate the true watchman, or true prophet. They do not want to hear of
the coming judgement.

     Hosea 9:9 "They have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the
days of Gibeah: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will
visit their sins."

     This is speaking of their corruption being as bad, as it had been
in the days of Gibeah. There is an account of the terrible thing that
happened at Gibeah in the 19th chapter of the book of Judges. It is a
very foul blot on Israel's character. Read from verse 10 on, to get
the full account. This is terrible that Israel has fallen to this low
life-style. God must punish them for this evil.

     Hosea 9:10 "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw
your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but]
they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame;
and [their] abominations were according as they loved."

     When God heard the cry of the family of Jacob in Egypt and
rescued them, they were like this wild grape. They were untamed. They
lived as captives in a strange land. They had not received God's law
at that time. The "fig tree" symbolizes Israel. God was pleased with
them in the beginning. He had chosen them as His family. They did not
stay faithful to God, but wandered away. Long before their sin in
Gibeah, they sinned against God at Baal-peor. They chose to worship
this false god, instead of the One True God. This Baal was a Moabite
false god. It seemed the sins connected with this worship were sensual
sex sins.

     Hosea 9:11 "[As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a
bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception."

     God has given them many reasons why they should have this
terrible thing happen to them. Epraim had received the right hand
blessing from God, and yet, they turned from God into terrible sin.
They have grown into something horrible in the sight of God.

     Hosea 9:12 "Though they bring up their children, yet will I
bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yea, woe also
to them when I depart from them!"

     The name Ephraim means double fruit. They were a very fruitful
nation. They were blessed with children from God. It appears, that
their vast numbers would diminish greatly, because the Lord would take
away their fruitfulness. The blessings of God were removed from them,
because of their worship of false gods. When God departs from them,
their blessings are replaced by curses.

     Hosea 9:13 "Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, [is] planted in a pleasant
place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer."

     The children of Ephraim will no longer be protected by God, and
they will fall prey to the murderer. The land God had given them was
beautiful, as the city of Tyre had been. God took His blessings away,
and the young males in the land were killed.

     Hosea 9:14 "Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a
miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

     When God removes from the people, the blessing of the womb
removes, as well. One of the blessings God had promised, if they
followed after Him, was to bless the fruit of their womb. When God
removed His blessing, the womb was cursed. The mothers did not carry
healthy children to full term, but lost the children to miscarriage.

     Hosea 9:15 "All their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I
hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out
of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes [are]
revolters."

     God first began to know of their evil ways at Gilgal. It seems,
they were evil, even in their spirit. This had been the place Abraham
made covenant with God. It had been the place of the renewal of that
covenant by the people on the way to the promised land. The 12
memorial stones had been set up here, also. This place, where God had
met with His people, had become a place of much sorrow to Him. They
had developed the worship of the calf at this very place. Gilgal
became the center for their sin. Suddenly, God's great love for Israel
is turned to hate.

     Hosea 9:16 "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they
shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay
[even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb."

     God is so angry with them, that even the children they bear will
not live. The wrath of God has come forth upon them. God even smote
the root.

     Hosea 9:17 "My God will cast them away, because they did not
hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations."

     They are scattered throughout many nations, because of God's
great anger toward them.






























                          Hosea 9 Questions


1.  Why was Israel forbidden to rejoice?
2.  Sin brings great __________.
3.  What makes the author believe this might have been at harvest
    time?
4.  Why did they not deserve a blessing?
5.  What is verse 2 saying?
6.  Egypt symbolizes the __________.
7.  Why was it not important, if they ate unclean things at this time?
8.  They will be held captive in __________.
9.  God has turned His back on _________ and their ___________.
10. Worship that is done out of ____________only, is unacceptable to
    God.
11. Answer the question asked in verse 5.
12. What will happen to their temple of worship?
13. What is the "visitation", of verse 7, speaking of?
14. What prophet is spoken of in verse 7?
15. What was wrong with their message?
16. Where do we find a good lesson on the watchman?
17. What does the right hand blessing symbolize?
18. Why do those in sin hate the true prophet or watchman?
19. Where do you find the story of Gibeah?
20. What is Israel spoken of, as being like, in verse 10?
21. When had Israel been like the wild grape?
22. The fig tree symbolizes __________.
23. The name Ephraim means _________ ________.
24. Why were the blessings of God removed from them?
25. What happened to the young males of Ephraim?
26. What curse is spoken upon them in verse 14?
27. Why was Gilgal remembered?
28. When was God's love for them turned to hate?
29. Ephraim is smitten, their _______ is dried up.
30. Why will God cast them away?