Hosea 12

CHAPTER 12

Israel’s Sin (12:1–14)

1 Hosea continues in this chapter with a further account of Israel’s sins. Ephraim (Israel) pursues the . . . wind—that is, all his efforts come to nothing. This was especially true of Israel’s relations with its neighbors Assyria and Egypt: in the end, Egypt did no good and Assyria did great harm.

2–6 Hosea states that God will punish Jacob (both northern and southern kingdoms) and punish him according to his ways (verse 2); Jacob’s ways were characterized by deceit (Hosea11:12). Then Hosea looks back to the historical Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and points out that he, too, was deceitful and was always struggling and scheming to gain some advantage. He started in the womb by grasping his twin brother’s heel (verse 3); the name Jacob means “he grasps the heel,” which is a figure of speech meaning “he deceives” (see Genesis 25:24–26). Thus Jacob the nation was living up to its founder’s name!

When Jacob became a man, he struggled with God—that is, with an ANGEL of God (verse 4); he struggled so that he might gain God’s blessing (see Genesis 32:22–30). Jacob first encountered God at Bethel,³⁰ where he received from God an amazing and totally undeserved promise (Genesis 28:10–22). Later, Jacob returned to Bethel, where God confirmed His promise (Genesis 35:1–15). Hosea’s point is this: just as Jacob the patriarch returned to God at Bethel, so must Jacob the nation now return to God to receive a renewed promise of blessing (verse 6).

7–8 Here Hosea resumes his account of Israel’s sins. Israel loves to defraud; he is boastful and arrogant; he says his wealth will hide his sin (verse 8). True, he may hide his sin from man, but he cannot hide it from God.

9–10 Now God speaks to Israel: He says He will make Israel live in tents again (verse 9), as they formerly did when they came to Jerusalem for their appointed feasts—specifically, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:41–43). What God is really indicating here is that the Israelites are soon to leave their homes and go into exile, where they will “live in tents.”

11 Hosea charges the people of Gilead and Gilgal with being worthless and idolatrous—in spite of their sacrifices. Gilead (east of the Jordan) and Gilgal (west of the Jordan) represent all of Israel. To sacrifice bulls at a place other than God’s temple in Jerusalem was against God’s law.

12 Hosea reminds the people about their forefather Jacob. Jacob had to flee to Aram (Syria), where he served for seven years to get a wife (see Genesis 28:1–5; 29:15–30).

13 The Lord used a prophet (Moses) to bring Israel up from Egypt; likewise, the Lord continues to use prophets like Hosea to keep the people from having to go “back to Egypt,” back to bondage.

14 The Lord has done all these things for the nation of Israel; the people ought to have turned to Him in repentance and in gratitude. But instead, Ephraim (Israel) has bitterly provoked the Lord to anger, and the Lord will repay him for his contempt.