Hosea 8:1
Put the ram's horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
Put the trumpet to your lips!
This phrase is a call to action, a divine imperative. The trumpet, or "shofar" in Hebrew, was used in ancient Israel for various purposes, including calling people to worship, signaling the start of a battle, or warning of impending danger. The shofar's sound was a powerful symbol of God's presence and authority. In this context, it serves as a warning to the people of Israel about the imminent judgment due to their unfaithfulness. The urgency of the command reflects the seriousness of the situation, urging the prophet to alert the nation to the consequences of their actions.

An eagle is over the house of the LORD
The "eagle" here is often interpreted as a metaphor for a swift and powerful enemy, likely Assyria, which was known for its military might and speed in conquest. The imagery of an eagle conveys a sense of impending doom and unavoidable judgment. The "house of the LORD" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, symbolizing the center of religious life and the presence of God among His people. The presence of the eagle over the house of the LORD indicates that the judgment is not just a political or military event but a spiritual crisis, highlighting the nation's departure from their covenant with God.

because they have transgressed My covenant
The term "transgressed" implies a deliberate violation or breach of an agreement. In the Hebrew context, a covenant was a sacred and binding agreement, often sealed with solemn oaths and rituals. God's covenant with Israel was foundational, involving promises and obligations on both sides. By transgressing this covenant, the Israelites were not merely breaking rules but were betraying a relationship, showing disloyalty to the God who had chosen and delivered them. This breach is the root cause of the impending judgment, emphasizing the seriousness of their spiritual infidelity.

and rebelled against My law
To "rebel" suggests a willful and defiant rejection of authority. The "law" refers to the Torah, the divine instructions given to Israel through Moses. This rebellion is not just a failure to comply with legal requirements but a rejection of God's guidance and wisdom. It reflects a deeper spiritual apostasy, where the people have turned away from the path of righteousness and chosen their own way. This rebellion against God's law is symptomatic of a broader spiritual decay, highlighting the need for repentance and return to the covenant relationship with God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Hosea
A prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the Israelites.

2. Israel
The Northern Kingdom, often referred to as Ephraim in Hosea, which had turned away from God and was facing impending judgment.

3. The House of the LORD
Refers to the temple or the place where God's presence was acknowledged, symbolizing the spiritual center of Israel.

4. The Eagle
A symbol of impending judgment and destruction, often associated with swiftness and power, possibly representing an invading army.

5. Covenant and Law
The divine agreements and commandments given by God to Israel, which they had broken, leading to their downfall.
Teaching Points
The Urgency of Repentance
The trumpet symbolizes an urgent call to repentance. Believers are reminded to heed God's warnings and turn back to Him without delay.

Consequences of Disobedience
Israel's rebellion against God's covenant serves as a cautionary tale about the serious consequences of turning away from God's laws.

God's Faithfulness to His Word
Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God's actions are consistent with His covenant promises, both in blessings and in judgment.

The Role of Prophets
Hosea's role as a prophet underscores the importance of listening to God's messengers who call us back to righteousness.

Spiritual Vigilance
Just as the eagle represents a swift and unexpected judgment, believers are encouraged to remain spiritually vigilant and prepared.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of the trumpet and the eagle in Hosea 8:1 help us understand the urgency of God's message to Israel?

2. In what ways can we see parallels between Israel's transgressions and the challenges faced by the modern church?

3. How do the blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 relate to the situation described in Hosea 8:1?

4. What role do prophets play in calling God's people back to faithfulness, and how can we apply this in our own lives today?

5. How can we ensure that we remain vigilant and responsive to God's warnings in our personal spiritual journeys?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience to God's covenant, providing a backdrop for understanding Israel's transgressions.

Jeremiah 4:13
Describes an enemy coming swiftly like an eagle, similar to the imagery in Hosea, emphasizing the theme of impending judgment.

Isaiah 58:1
Calls for a loud proclamation of transgression, paralleling the trumpet call in Hosea 8:1, highlighting the need for repentance.

Amos 3:6
Discusses the sounding of a trumpet as a warning, reinforcing the urgency of Hosea's message.
God Coming in JudgmentJoseph Parker, D. D.Hosea 8:1
The Conventional ChurchHomilistHosea 8:1
The Gospel TrumpetA. H. Moment.Hosea 8:1
The Conventional ChurchD. Thomas Hosea 8:1, 2
A Trumpet-Blast of JudgmentC. Jerdan Hosea 8:1-4
DoomsdayJ. Orr Hosea 8:1-4
People
Hosea, Zechariah
Places
Assyria, Egypt, Samaria
Topics
Agreement, Broken, Covenant, Eagle, Enemy, Horn, Kept, Law, Lips, Mouth, Rebelled, Transgressed, Trespassed, Trumpet, Vulture
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Hosea 8:1

     4612   birds
     4690   wings
     5595   trumpet
     6231   rejection of God
     8703   antinomianism

Hosea 8:1-10

     7216   exile, in Assyria

Library
The Bible
Oh! how ten-thousand-fold merciful is God, that, looking down upon the race of man, he does not smite it our of existence. We see from our text that God looks upon man; for he says of Ephraim, "I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing." But see how, when he observes the sin of man, he does not dash him away and spurn him with his foot; he does not shake him by the neck over the gulf of hell, until his brain doth reel and then drop him forever; but
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

And First, Can it be Said that Mammmon is Less Served by Christians...
And first, can it be said that Mammmon is less served by Christians, than by Jews and infidels? Or can there be a fuller proof that Christians, Jews, and infidels, are equally fallen from God and all divine worship, since truth itself has told us, that we cannot serve God and Mammon? Is not this as unalterable a truth, and of as great moment, as if it had been said, Ye cannot serve God and Baal? Or can it with any truth or sense be affirmed, that the Mammonist has more of Christ in him than the Baalist,
William Law—An Humble, Affectionate, and Earnest Address to the Clergy

That the Unskilful Venture not to Approach an Office of Authority.
No one presumes to teach an art till he has first, with intent meditation, learnt it. What rashness is it, then, for the unskilful to assume pastoral authority, since the government of souls is the art of arts! For who can be ignorant that the sores of the thoughts of men are more occult than the sores of the bowels? And yet how often do men who have no knowledge whatever of spiritual precepts fearlessly profess themselves physicians of the heart, though those who are ignorant of the effect of
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

That Whereas the City of Jerusalem had Been Five Times Taken Formerly, this was the Second Time of Its Desolation. A Brief Account of Its History.
1. And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eighth day of the month Gorpeius [Elul]. It had been taken five [34] times before, though this was the second time of its desolation; for Shishak, the king of Egypt, and after him Antiochus, and after him Pompey, and after them Sosius and Herod, took the city, but still preserved it; but before all these, the king of Babylon conquered it, and made it desolate, one thousand four hundred and sixty-eight years and
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint.
1. The carnal mind the source of the objections which are raised against the Providence of God. A primary objection, making a distinction between the permission and the will of God, refuted. Angels and men, good and bad, do nought but what has been decreed by God. This proved by examples. 2. All hidden movements directed to their end by the unseen but righteous instigation of God. Examples, with answers to objections. 3. These objections originate in a spirit of pride and blasphemy. Objection, that
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

A Few Sighs from Hell;
or, The Groans of the Damned Soul: or, An Exposition of those Words in the Sixteenth of Luke, Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED THE LAMENTABLE STATE OF THE DAMNED; THEIR CRIES, THEIR DESIRES IN THEIR DISTRESSES, WITH THE DETERMINATION OF GOD UPON THEM. A GOOD WARNING WORD TO SINNERS, BOTH OLD AND YOUNG, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BETIMES, AND TO SEEK, BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, TO AVOID, LEST THEY COME INTO THE SAME PLACE OF TORMENT. Also, a Brief Discourse touching the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Hosea 8:1 NIV
Hosea 8:1 NLT
Hosea 8:1 ESV
Hosea 8:1 NASB
Hosea 8:1 KJV

Hosea 8:1 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Hosea 7:16
Top of Page
Top of Page