Tyndale Open Study NotesHosea 4

This collection of Hosea’s prophecies is mostly in the order in which he made them. The prophecies began early in his ministry when Jeroboam II's was king. They ended just before Israel's destruction in 722 BC.

Hosea shares God's accusations against Israel, warns them of severe consequences for their sins, and ends with a promise of future restoration.

the LORD has a case against the people of the land: Hosea delivered a divine accusation against Israel for breaking their agreement with the Lord (see also Isaiah 3:13; Micah 6:2).

The accusations first highlight sins of omission, the qualities that should define the people of Israel but were missing. In Israel, there is no faithfulness, no kindness, and no knowledge of God. These important words describe the inner trust and devotion from which godly lives should arise.

The prophet also accused the Israelites of committing sins. These crimes are all forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17; Deuteronomy 5:7–21), which are the basic covenant responsibilities. Since the Israelites did not know the Lord, they failed to follow even the simplest covenant standards.

God's judgment will always come to sinful people. Because the Israelites sinned, their land and nature would suffer.

• When accused of a crime, people often blame others. However, God made it clear that Israel’s apostasy was the fault of its religious leaders, priests, and false prophets.

• God’s judgment on the priests and prophets was that they would stumble and fall, both in their work and in their personal lives. (The same Hebrew word is used for both kinds of stumbling.)

• Since the priests refused to know the Lord, the people also did not know their God. As a result, the people were being destroyed.

• A main role of the priests of Israel was to know, practice, and teach the laws of God. Ironically, these guardians of the law had forgotten it.

The people copied the bad behavior of their religious leaders. As a result, God would punish both the priests and the people for their wrong actions.

God's judgment fits the punishment to the crime. The Israelites worshiped Canaanite fertility gods, hoping for abundant crops and herds. However, God's judgment was that they would remain hungry, and their religious practices would bring them no benefits.

My people consult their wooden idols: For thousands of years, people have worshiped natural objects like wood and stones, thinking they held spirits and gods (Jeremiah 2:27). Biblical religion completely rejects these practices and beliefs (Exodus 20:4–5; Isaiah 44:19).

• Many Canaanite religious rituals took place on mountaintops and hills. On these pagan "high places," sacred trees were often used in fertility worship (1 Kings 14:23; Jeremiah 2:20).

• Israelite daughters and brides also engaged in sexual acts during the worship of Baal; their fathers and husbands possibly forced them to participate.

• God stated that he would not target young women for their prostitution. This statement contrasts with the double standards common in ancient cultures.

• prostitutes: The Hebrew word refers to female prostitutes dedicated to serving Baal and Asherah in Baal's temples (Deuteronomy 23:18).

Beth-aven refers to the wicked acts happening at Bethel, the main worship center in northern Israel (see Amos 7:13; compare Hosea 5:8; 10:5).