Read Hosea 13
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
13 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;
he was exalted in Israel.
But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.
2 Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of these people,
“They offer human sacrifices!
They kiss calf-idols!”
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears,
like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
like smoke escaping through a window.
4 “But I have been the Lord your God
ever since you came out of Egypt.
You shall acknowledge no God but me,
no Savior except me.
5 I cared for you in the wilderness,
in the land of burning heat.
6 When I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud;
then they forgot me.
7 So I will be like a lion to them,
like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs,
I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion I will devour them—
a wild animal will tear them apart.
9 “You are destroyed, Israel,
because you are against me, against your helper.
10 Where is your king, that he may save you?
Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
‘Give me a king and princes’?
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,
and in my wrath I took him away.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
his sins are kept on record.
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth come to him,
but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time arrives,
he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.
14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?
“I will have no compassion,
15 even though he thrives among his brothers.
An east wind from the Lord will come,
blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
and his well dry up.
His storehouse will be plundered
of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria must bear their guilt,
because they have rebelled against their God.
They will fall by the sword;
their little ones will be dashed to the ground,
their pregnant women ripped open.”
Go Deeper
In Hosea 13, we see that the Lord graciously reminds His people of His chronic provisions for them. He reminds them of their lack of solace or survival apart from Him. In His kindness, He filled their stomachs and lifted their spirits. When no longer feeling a need for Him, content in their satiation, they quickly forgot Him. Oh, how often we do this! Read what God says in Hosea 13:4-6 again:
“But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, and besides Me there is no savior. It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot Me.”
We often cry out in the face of that which is uncomfortable. We feel entitled to our own comfort, which ultimately becomes our priority. We build gods (“little g”) out of all of the earthly things we think will solve our problems, ignoring God in the process. He provides richly just what we need, and we respond with momentary praise followed by selfish fleeing and distraction.
If we pause and take a moment to review His track of faithfulness in our lives, we will see that God consistently provides exactly what we need, when we need it.
There is not one moment where He has left us lacking (Luke 22:35). He has never left us without. We have always been provided just what we need to continue on, even if it hasn’t matched the way we envisioned it (and it often doesn’t). He is so worthy of praise! He never, even for a moment, loses sight of what will bring Him most glory in our lives. May we never lose our desperate dependence, even if our flesh feels it is no longer needed!
Read this second reminder given to us in Hosea 13:14a:
“I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting?”
This is just another piece of evidence pointing to the Father’s greatest provision for us. Removing death’s power over us in the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, Jesus (1 John 3:16). Let us never become complacent in this truth! We must maintain a renewed desire to follow Jesus each and every morning. Remind yourself today to always hold this Treasure dearly, responding with all praise and devotion to Him. His tender care and provision for us are daily reminders that God loves and cares for us.
Questions
- Where have you taken His provision for granted?
- Do your selfish expectations get in the way of finding joy in what He gives?
- Do you live daily as if He is your only lifeline?
Pray This
“Father, remind me of all of Your provision and love for me. Humble me to know that You are the only source of life, that I would be nothing without You. Reveal to me how to best praise You. Reveal to me what you want my next step to be. Let my life be a song of Your love. Grow me in my knowledge of You and my ability to share it with others. I love you. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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3 thoughts on “Hosea 13”
Even in chastisement, God leaves us with hope. We are sons and daughters of Holy God. Hebrews 12:6 points out “ My son, do not take the Lords’s discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son He receives.” God promises to judge, but He also promises mercy. Authenticity is key as we come clean with our sin and allow the redemptive process to heal us. I’m thankful for the tool HC has provided for this:
INPUT—How are you feeding your soul?
OUTPUT—How are you feeding others?
CONFESSION—How are you feeding your flesh?
The questions were just what I needed this morning to redirect my thoughts. Joy eludes me when I focus on my unrealized expectations rather than look with gratitude at the ways God has provided. I need to look closely at my life and acknowledge that God is my ONLY lifeline; clinging to any other lifeline is my attempt to live in my own strength, which is pretty weak.
Wow what a reminder. God, you truly know exactly what we need. I was just talking yesterday with a dear mentor of mine be he was saying these exact things…to keep nurturing the belief.