Hosea 13

CHAPTER 13

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel (13:1–16)

1–3 In the book of Hosea, the name “Ephraim” usually stands for Israel, the northern kingdom; but here in verse 1, Ephraim refers only to the tribe of that name—a tribe that was exalted in Israel. Ephraim was indeed Israel’s leading tribe; but because of the Ephraimites’ idolatry, the tribe (and all Israel with it) would soon disappear like mist, dew, chaff and smoke (verses 2–3).

4–8 In verse 4, the Lord again reminds the unfaithful Israelites that He is their Lord (see Exodus 20:2–3). He reminds them that He cared for them in the desert (verse 5). But when He fed them, they became satisfied and proud (verse 6); then they forgot the Lord (see Deuteronomy 6:10–12; 8:10–20). This has been true of mankind throughout history: when we are satisfied and prosperous, we all tend to forget God—the very One responsible for our prosperity!

Because the Israelites forgot their Lord and followed other gods, He will punish them like a wild animal attacking its prey (verses 7–8).

9–11 The Israelites had wanted a king to rule over them, so God gave them a king (see 1 Samuel 8:19–22); their first king was Saul, whom God eventually took . . . away (verses 10–11). But the Lord is also referring here to the Israelites of the northern kingdom who desired to have their own king after rebelling against the house of David (see 1 Kings 12:16–20). So the Lord allowed them to have their own kings—and He kept taking them away. (Just in Hosea’s lifetime, seven kings of Israel came and went.) The Israelites should never have put their faith in kings: God alone was their King, their true helper (verse 9).

12 The Lord says that Ephraim’s sins are kept on record. All of our deeds—both good and bad—are “kept on record” (Revelation 20:12). But when our sins are forgiven through the death of Christ, they are no longer held against us; they are, in effect, erased and forgotten.

13 Here the Lord compares Ephraim (Israel) to a woman in labor, helpless and in pain; the baby won’t come out, and so the woman dies. But within this same analogy, Israel is also compared to the baby; the baby is without wisdom and won’t take the opportunity to be born into a new life with God.

14 Here God interrupts His words of judgment and expresses His desire—indeed, His intention—that the Israelites be saved from permanent destruction. God is stating this intention primarily in reference to the northern kingdom of Israel: Israel will one day be revived and restored. This national restoration will take place in the Messianic age, as predicted by many of the Old Testament prophets³¹ (see Isaiah 32:14–18; 35:1–4; 60:1–3 and comments). But the generation of Israel ites alive in Hosea’s time will have to suffer punishment; because of their persistent sin and their hardened hearts, God will have no compassion on them.

15–16 God ends with these final words of judgment: An east wind from the LORD will come (verse 15). The “east wind” was Assyria, whose armies crushed Israel in 722 B.C. and carried the surviving Israelites into captivity. Hosea managed to escape to Judah before the end, and so he lived to see his prophecies come true.