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Summary

Hosea 5:1–7 – Exposed guilt and blocked worship

What happens: Priests, people, and the royal house are warned. Their deeds prevent them from returning, a spirit of prostitution rules, and even with sacrifices they cannot find the Lord because He has withdrawn.

What it means: Ritual cannot replace repentance. God is holy and will not be used; secret sin makes worship empty and distances us from His presence.


Hosea 5:8–14 – Failed politics, tearing judgment

What happens: Trumpets sound as war looms. God is like a moth and rot to Israel and Judah. Ephraim turns to Assyria and a great king for healing, but finds no cure. God becomes a lion who tears and goes away.

What it means: Human alliances cannot save from God’s discipline. The Lord alone heals; pride that looks horizontally and not to Him invites heavier judgment.


Hosea 5:15 – Waiting for confession

What happens: God withdraws to His place until Israel admits guilt and seeks His face. In distress they will earnestly seek Him.

What it means: God’s aim in judgment is humble return. He is just to withdraw and merciful to welcome the contrite who seek Him.


Application

  • Replace religious motions with honest confession and change.
  • Stop trusting in political fixes more than in God.
  • When God feels distant, search your heart and seek His face.

Bible

1Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

5And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

6They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

7They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.

9Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

11Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

15I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

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