But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him. But IsraelThe name "Israel" refers to the northern kingdom, which had split from Judah after the reign of Solomon. Historically, Israel was chosen by God to be His people, a nation set apart to reflect His glory and righteousness. The use of "Israel" here is significant as it reminds the reader of the covenant relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew root for Israel, "Yisra'el," means "God contends" or "one who struggles with God," which is fitting given the nation's history of wrestling with faithfulness to God. has rejected
The Hebrew word for "rejected" is "zanach," which conveys a strong sense of casting aside or spurning. This rejection is not passive but an active decision to turn away from what is good. In the context of Hosea, this rejection is a spiritual and moral failing, as Israel has turned away from God's commandments and His covenant. This act of rejection is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, where the people of Israel are often depicted as turning away from God despite His continuous call to repentance. good
The term "good" in Hebrew is "tov," which encompasses not only moral goodness but also what is beneficial, pleasing, and in alignment with God's will. In rejecting "good," Israel is not merely turning away from ethical behavior but is rejecting the very essence of what God desires for them—a life of blessing, peace, and righteousness. This rejection of "good" is a rejection of God Himself, who is the ultimate source of all that is good. an enemy
The "enemy" here is both literal and metaphorical. Historically, this refers to the Assyrian empire, which would eventually conquer Israel and lead its people into exile. Theologically, the "enemy" represents the consequences of sin and disobedience. In the broader biblical narrative, enemies often symbolize the forces that oppose God's will and the well-being of His people. This serves as a warning that turning away from God invites opposition and turmoil. will pursue him
The phrase "will pursue" comes from the Hebrew "radaph," which means to chase or follow after with intent. This pursuit is relentless, indicating that the consequences of Israel's rejection of good are inevitable and inescapable. The imagery of pursuit suggests a sense of urgency and impending judgment. In a spiritual sense, this pursuit can be seen as God's discipline, intended to bring Israel back to repentance and restoration. The relentless nature of this pursuit underscores the seriousness of turning away from God and the inevitable consequences that follow. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelThe northern kingdom, often referred to as Ephraim in Hosea, representing the ten tribes that split from Judah. Israel is depicted as having turned away from God, leading to their spiritual and eventual physical downfall. 2. HoseaA prophet in the 8th century BC, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to Israel. His life and marriage serve as a metaphor for God's relationship with Israel. 3. EnemyRepresents the Assyrian empire, which God used as an instrument of judgment against Israel due to their disobedience and idolatry. Teaching Points Rejection of Good Leads to ConsequencesIsrael's rejection of what is good—God's commandments and His covenant—leads to their downfall. This serves as a reminder that turning away from God's ways invites negative consequences. The Pursuit of EnemiesWhen we reject God, we open ourselves to spiritual and sometimes physical adversaries. This is a call to remain steadfast in faith and obedience. God's Faithfulness Despite RejectionEven when Israel rejects God, He remains faithful, using prophets like Hosea to call them back. This demonstrates God's enduring love and patience. Self-ExaminationBelievers are encouraged to examine their own lives for areas where they may be rejecting God's good and to seek repentance and restoration. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "goods" that we might be rejecting in our personal lives, and what are the potential consequences? 2. How does the concept of an "enemy pursuing" manifest in our spiritual lives today, and how can we guard against it? 3. In what ways does Hosea's message to Israel parallel the warnings given in Deuteronomy 28? 4. How can we apply the lessons from Israel's rejection of God to strengthen our own relationship with Him? 5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's faithfulness despite your own shortcomings. How can this encourage you to remain faithful to Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 28This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, which Israel is experiencing as a result of rejecting God. Isaiah 1Isaiah also speaks to the rebellion of Israel and Judah, highlighting the consequences of turning away from God. Jeremiah 2Jeremiah echoes the theme of Israel forsaking God, likening it to a broken cistern that cannot hold water. People Hosea, ZechariahPlaces Assyria, Egypt, SamariaTopics Cast, Enemy, Haters, Pursue, Pursueth, Rejected, SpurnedDictionary of Bible Themes 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: 1855And 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 8:3 NIVHosea 8:3 NLTHosea 8:3 ESVHosea 8:3 NASBHosea 8:3 KJV
Hosea 8:3 Commentaries
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