Read Hosea 5:1–6:3
Questions from the Scripture text: What three groups are addressed in Hosea 5:1a–c? What are they urged to do? Why—what is theirs (verse 1d)? Why—what have they done/been (verse 1e–f)? What have they been involved in (Hosea 5:2a)? What will YHWH do (verse 2b)? What does He know about whom (Hosea 5:3)? What do they not direct toward what (Hosea 5:4a–b)? What is in their midst (verse 4c)? Whom do they not know (verse 4d)? Who stumble, in/due to what (Hosea 5:5)? What will they “do” in Hosea 5:6a–b (cf. Hosea 5:4a–b; Exodus 10:9)? With what success (Hosea 5:6c)? Why (verse 6d)? What have they done (Hosea 5:7a)? In what manner (verse 7b)? So, what will their worship do to them (verse 7c)? Where will the alarms be sounded (Hosea 5:8)? Who else will be devastated (Hosea 5:9)? Whose princes were doing what (Hosea 5:10a)? How will YHWH respond (verse 10b)? To what extent (cf. Hosea 5:12)? What is one form this wrath will take (Hosea 5:11a)? Why is the Lord doing this (verse 11b)? To whom will Ephraim and Judah first turn in their distress (Hosea 5:13a–d)? With what effect (verse 13e–f)? Why won’t these be able to help them (Hosea 5:14)? What will this force them into (Hosea 5:15)? What will the logic of their seeking Him be (Hosea 6:1)? What will He do (Hosea 6:2)? Unto what end (verse 2c)? What do they urge one another to do (Hosea 6:3a–b)? Why—how strong and faithful is He (verse 3c–e)?
How severe is the Lord’s chastening of His people? Hosea 5:1–6:3 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eighteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord chastens His people as severely as necessary for forcing them to turn to Him Himself for healing.
Complete judgment, Hosea 5:1-12. Most of our passage is concerned with the massive scope of the judgment.
The judgment will be upon all classes of people (Hosea 5:1-4). The clergy and bureaucrats are named specifically. With leadership comes increased responsibility and guilt. However, sandwiched between the two we find the entire house of Israel, the general population. The “you” is plural. The reason all these classes of people are to pay attention to what is coming is because the judgment is for all of them. God’s justice is equal-opportunity.
The judgment will be upon both kingdoms (Hosea 5:5). That Judah is specifically included is important because of the seeming protection of Judah as the covenant people toward the end of chapter 4. The unity of north and south in their punishment should not surprise us, however, because the first few chapters had already introduced the idea of their having both been guilty—and that God’s plan for their restoration included a plan for reconciling them to one another.
The judgment will be complete and certain (Hosea 5:6-12). They won’t be able to find Him anywhere (Hosea 5:6). Their devastation will be the very picture of certainty (Hosea 5:9). Note here that judgment is described in terms of an inability to find YHWH in their seeking. There is no greater chastening, discipline, or trial for a covenant people than being cut of from fellowship with the covenant God—even when they have not properly desired that fellowship! Though we disregard Him (Hosea 5:12), He is what we must have.
Where help cannot be found, Hosea 5:13. This is just one, small verse, but it really stands on its own in the passage. The people recognize their infirmities, and seek out the aid of various secular sources, but there is no help to be found in any of them. When we as believers find ourselves hurting, where do we turn? Do we examine ourselves and turn to YHWH as sinners, or do we seek first another solution that seems as if it could rationally offer us some help?
Why none else can help: the Lion Who tears, Hosea 5:14-15a. The image is strong. It is of a lion (two different words for lion are used here) tearing its prey limb from limb and carrying it off to enjoy it. This has at least two primary implications: the death is gory and final, and the carcass is irrecoverable. The image of the exile comes with fearful violence and finality!
Who alone can help: the Lion Who heals, Hosea 5:15-16:3.
The purpose of the tearing (Hosea 5:15b). Though there is great finality of judgment through verse 15a, verse 15b clues us in that this finality is not permanent. This brutal attack has a purpose: to cause YHWH’s people to seek Him. Indeed, we find that His discipline in our daily lives has the same purpose (cf. Hebrews 12). On a grander scale, the most brutal of deaths was endured to ensure the reconciliation of covenant God to covenant people. The final statement of the chapter is plain vanilla indicative in the Hebrew, just a matter of fact. Yahweh declares that His people will seek Him.
The certainty of the tearing’s success (Hosea 5:15-16:1). As soon as YHWH speaks it (Hosea 5:15b), we have the very “seeking” (Hosea 6:1) of which He speaks. The response itself will take years, even generations. But it is reported immediately as an indication of how certain it is to come.
The description of the tearing’s success (Hosea 6:1–3). Note their twofold reasoning as they repent: YHWH is the only one who can help, and that it is certain that He will. If it is YHWH who has torn, then it must be YHWH who heals. The language of Hosea 6:2 implies that only One Who has resurrection power will be able to heal them from such death as has come upon them. This is how every believer feels as he comes to the Lord.
Finally, there is a theme of certainty in this passage. It began with Yahweh’s judgment as the very definition of certainty, but it ends with His grace as certain as the dawn. “His going forth is established as the morning (Hosea 6:3c). Through the One Whose violent death and third-day-resurrection are hinted at in this very passage, God’s grace is certain for His people.
What are some situations from which it was painfully evident that you needed divine power and mercy to rescue you? Who brough you into those circumstances? Why? From what ultimate/great trouble, inflicted by the Lord, is He the only true hope of rescue/healing? Is He YOUR hope in this?
Sample prayer: Lord, like Israel and Judah, our guilt has been complete, and we deserve complete wrath. How much of our life has been lived apart from knowing You, and even rejecting to know You. At times, even when we have made effort and appearance to seek You, yet we did not direct our deeds toward turning to our God. So we thank You for that severe kindness in which You have afflicted us so that we might know that only You can heal us. Forgive us, however, when we have turned to other things for that healing. How grievous our sin can be! And thank You that You made us to find healing only in You Yourself. Truly, You have given that healing in Christ. So, we praise You and thank You and look to You for all forgiveness and cleansing in Jesus Christ, through Whom we also now pray, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP51AB “God, Be Merciful to Me” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace”