by
Rev. Mark Perkins, Pastor
Denver Bible Church
326 E. Colorado Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80210
To: Hosea
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"Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle the enemy comes
against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed
My covenant, and rebelled against My Law. They cry out to Me,
'My God, we of Israel know Thee!"
1. Here the trumpet is a symbol of warning - the enemy is on
the way. But God warns Israel to alert itself about His eminent
discipline.
2. The enemy comes like an eagle. The enemy swoops down from
above, swift and silent, surprising the victim.
3. The house of the Lord means Israel - and it is an interesting
appellation. They are the house of the Lord, and yet also the
target of His wrath. How did one become the other?
4. The last part of the verse tells us. They transgressed the
covenant and rebelled against the Divine Law.
A. The point of comparison is `ABHERU BHERITH "have transgressed a covenant."
1. The word for transgress is `ABHERU. It depicts a stream passing through a pasture, cutting a deep course, or an army cutting through a nation, leaving a well worn path behind (or even a passage of destruction, like Sherman's march through Georgia.
2. The covenant is one of the least understood of Biblical phenomena; too many theologians have failed to understand the grace aspect of all the covenants to man.a. In any covenant, God agrees to apply His grace to a person or group of persons.
b. The basis for the covenants to all but Adam is belief in Jesus Christ. Adam did not have this requirement because before the fall he did not require a savior.1. To illustrate one from our civilization, Abraham's covenant will suffice.
2. Abraham believed in God, and thus could enjoy the covenants that God gave to him. His belief made him eligible.
3. Abraham's circumcision was a post-covenant command, designed to remind him of the relationship that he had with God, and how it had brought him to the point of maturity.c. The word BERITH itself comes from the word "to eat", BARATH. It harkened to the time when those who were making a covenant would eat a meal together to show outwardly that they were at peace over the matter, Psalm 23:5, "You prepare a table bedfore me in the presence of my enemies." Gen 31:54-55. Indeed, today most weddings have a rehearsal dinner, which is a throwback to the wedding feast of Biblical times. That feast represented the covenant between the two families.
d. Furthermore it was customary to sacrifice an animal when making a covenant, so that it was considered an agreement in the sight of God. Thus the phrase came about, "to cut a covenant".
e. Any covenant with God had one requirement: relationship with Him, the maker of the covenant. But all covenants are gracious - they are offered freely and their blessings are truly free. The personal rejection of God results in the rejection of the person by God, Deut 29:10-28.
f. The covenants did not require obedience - see Hosea 6:6. The grace disposition always preceded anything that Israel had done. The blessings were not given as rewards for past obedience, nor as bribes for future. They were given in love and grace.3. Israel has trampled the grace blessings which they had from God.
a. They had the land, and they were God's chosen nation on that land.
b. They were the recipients of the Davidic king.
c. They received the Law, God's statutes for their client nation.
d. And in spite of all of this grace, they rejected a personal relationship with God for one with idols.
e. Our verb 'ABHERU is in the perfect tense, showing a state of completed action. The trampling is finished - the dust has settled - it is almost too late. The Five Cycles of Discipline
"Israel has rejected good; the enemy will pursue him. They
have set up kings, but not by Me; they have appointed princes,
but I did not know. With their silver and gold they have made
idols for themselves, for the sake of being sacrificed."
1. Verse three is a brief and simple summary of divine discipline.
A. Israel has rejected good. The verb is ZANAH, which is very straightforward in meaning. It is in the qal perfect, which shows a completed state of action. What they have done is now complete.
B. The object of the rejection is TOBH, which is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek AGATHOS. It is good of intrinsic value. It comes to summarize every good thing that comes from God.1. James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, descending from the Father of lights [heavenly bodies] in whom there is no movement [as the sun in the sky] or revolutionary shadow [due to the seasons]."
a. The astronomical language that James uses defines two types of painfully slow movement:
1. The movement of heavenly bodies in the sky, such as the sun or moon. Movement that is too slow to detect with the human eye, but can be detected by waiting.
2. The movement of shadows due to the revolution of the earth around the sun (James knew this in spite of the dispute between the pope and Galileo).b. In other words, there is slow movement, even really slow movement, yet God does not change, even this slowly. In fact, He does not change at all. He is immutable. So what is good is always good, regardless of the time or season or century or even dispensation.
2. Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovable, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."
C. Because of Israel's rejection of good, God has appointed an enemy to pursue them. The verb pursue is YIREDEPHO. It is the basic verb for pursuit, but it is significant in that it is in the imperfect tense, which reveals a relentless kind of pursuit. This pursuit will continue until Israel repents or iscaught and destroyed.
2. Verse four divides into two halves: one about politics and
one about idolatry.
A. The first half comments on the way in which their leadership gets their power. They ascend by illicit means.
1. There are really two factors involved here: the character of the potential ruler, and the way in which he ascends to the throne.
2. In order for a leader to be set up by God, he must be someone of good character.
3. In order for a leader to be set up by God, he must come to his post by good means.
4. God says two things: the king became king outside of His approved means; and when the princes were appointed, He did not know. The word 'it' does not occur in the original. What God is saying here is that He was not made aware - the people did not consult Him in the selection of the prince.
5. Regardless of the means of bringing a ruler to the throne, whether by election, appointment, or even genetics, the main point is that the individual is prayerfully chosen.B. The second half indicts Israel for their idolatry.
1. Hosea here uses some interesting language. They make idols with their silver and gold, so that they might be cut off.
2. What God says through Isaiah is that He knows the outcome of their idolatry. They make idols, and though they do not know it, their purpose is so that they will be sacrificed.
3. The word BERITH means to cut something. In the frame of reference of idolatry, it meant to make a sacrifice by cutting the neck of the animal. In idolatry, you cut your own neck.
Grace Notes
Warren Doud, Editor
1705 Aggie Lane, Austin, Texas 78757
Phone: 512-458-8923