Hosea 6:4-7:16 | Food for Thought
Notes
6:7-9 | This passage talking about Adam, Gilead, and Shechem is a tough one for scholars and interpreters. Adam could refer to the person in Genesis, or to the city in Gilead, the region referenced in the next verse. For a host of reasons (which I won’t go into here!), it’s probably the latter. If that’s the case, Hosea is likely alluding to the conspiracy, uprising, and treachery of the people in those lands. This actually becomes a focus later (7:7). Even priests are in on the [evil] action.
Adam and Gilead: folks from there supporting Pekah’s insurrection against the king in 2 Kings 15.
Shechem: Abimelek was made king after killing his brothers there, and it was the city center of Jeroboam’s rebellion, which led to the division of the kingdom in 1 Kings 12.
7:4-8 | The baker / oven metaphor is another tough one for commentators. In a nutshell, the people of God are a burning hot, unattended fire, and it’s consuming their rulers (7:7). Their culture makes kings happy with evil and princes happy with treachery. Instead of making (baking?) a healthy nation, it’s in a constant state of chaos. Mere curiousity leads them; anger isn’t dealt with; mocking and a lack of sober thought are common. And rulers simply fall, one by one, by the hands of one another, “up-and-coming” leaders, and others. Israel (Ephraim) is described as a cake that’s been left to burn on one side without the attentive care that keeps it even and good.
Questions
“Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. …I desire love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
What does this mean?
Does anyone feel like they’re simply “going through the motions” without being driven by genuine love for God? Why is it so easy to find ourselves there?
How can we stoke our love for God… in a way that’s not fake, surface-level, or all about hype? How can we genuinely cultivate our love for God?
"In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing.” God’s people have done a great job of making a mess of their nation all by themselves. They trick, lie, scheme, and kill.
If they’re doing these things to one another, why does God say they’re dealing faithlessly with HIM? How is the way they’ve treated one another and their leaders an issue of obedience to the Lord?
Think about politics, church leadership, work culture, etc. Does it seem like the ends justify the means of getting “the right person” into power? What’s God say about this in Hosea?
How did God secure your future ends when he justified you, so that you might live faithfully according to his means in the present?
“When I restore the fortunes of my people, when I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim (Israel) is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria (city in Israel). …I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.” (6:11, 7:13)
Is God unwilling to help?
What gets in his way?
In light of the gospel, does this principle still apply in any way to our discipleship today? Can we get in God’s way of restoration and healing? Why or why not?
“All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me.” This should be a wake up sign for them that they’ve strayed from the Lord, but they carry on in their own strength, assuming it’s a problem they (or in this case, other nations [7:8, 11-12]!) can solve. They’re unaware of how bad it really is.
They don’t know that their strength was being devoured, their weakness was growing, and their pride was showing. (7:8-10) How is this possible?
Have you ever suddenly realized that you were in a WAY worse spot than you thought you were in? How did you find out? Why didn’t you notice it before?
Are you aware of your own blind spots? If you had them (and you do!), what would they be? How can we help you be mindful of them?
They wail; they gash themselves; they’ve received training and strength; they return… but not upward (7:14-16). God hears the cries of our heart. God knows we need grain. God gives us what we need, even when we turn around use it against him. While God is disciplining them fairly for their sin, there’s also much to lament as they reject the God of their provision and protection in the midst of their greatest need.
We’ve all likely heard of “sinning in your anger.” (It’s not a sin to be angry. We simply shouldn’t sinin our anger.) Is this an example of “sinning in your sadness / suffering?” Why or why not?
What does God want them to do in their need? What would that require of them to change, give up, or put down? How is this true for you, too?