UNTIL THEY ADMIT THEIR GUILT

Passage: Hosea 5:1-15

Key verse: 15

NIV

Judgment Against Israel

5 “Hear this, you priests!
    Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
    This judgment(A) is against you:
You have been a snare(B) at Mizpah,
    a net(C) spread out on Tabor.
2 The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.(D)
    I will discipline all of them.(E)
3 I know all about Ephraim;
    Israel is not hidden(F) from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
    Israel is corrupt.(G)

4 “Their deeds do not permit them
    to return(H) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution(I) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge(J) the Lord.
5 Israel’s arrogance testifies(K) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble(L) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.(M)
6 When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,(N)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn(O) himself from them.
7 They are unfaithful(P) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate(Q) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,(R)
    he will devour[a](S) their fields.

8 “Sound the trumpet(T) in Gibeah,(U)
    the horn in Ramah.(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven[b];(W)
    lead on, Benjamin.
9 Ephraim will be laid waste(X)
    on the day of reckoning.(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.(Z)
10 Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.(AA)
I will pour out my wrath(AB) on them
    like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.[c](AC)
12 I am like a moth(AD) to Ephraim,
    like rot(AE) to the people of Judah.

13 “When Ephraim(AF) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,(AG)
    and sent to the great king for help.(AH)
But he is not able to cure(AI) you,
    not able to heal your sores.(AJ)
14 For I will be like a lion(AK) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces(AL) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.(AM)
15 Then I will return to my lair(AN)
    until they have borne their guilt(AO)
    and seek my face(AP)—
in their misery(AQ)
    they will earnestly seek me.(AR)”

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
  2. Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
  3. Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah

5 (A)Hear this, O priests!
    Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
    For the judgment is for you;
for (B)you have been a snare at Mizpah
    and a net spread upon (C)Tabor.
2 And (D)the revolters (E)have gone deep into slaughter,
    but (F)I will discipline all of them.

3 (G)I know Ephraim,
    and Israel is not hidden from me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;
    Israel is defiled.
4 (H)Their deeds do not permit them
    to return to their God.
For (I)the spirit of whoredom is within them,
    and they know not the Lord.

5 (J)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[a]
    Israel and (K)Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
    (L)Judah also shall stumble with them.
6 (M)With their flocks and herds they shall go
    to seek the Lord,
(N)but they will not find him;
    (O)he has withdrawn from them.
7 (P)They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord;
    for they have borne alien children.
    Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.

8 (Q)Blow the horn in (R)Gibeah,
    the trumpet in (S)Ramah.
Sound the alarm at (T)Beth-aven;
    we follow you,[b] O Benjamin!
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation
    in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
    I make known what is sure.
10 The princes of Judah have become
    like (U)those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
    my wrath like water.
11 Ephraim is (V)oppressed, crushed in judgment,
    because he was determined to go after filth.[c]
12 But I am (W)like a moth to Ephraim,
    and (X)like dry rot to the house of Judah.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
    and Judah (Y)his wound,
then Ephraim went (Z)to Assyria,
    and sent to the great king.[d]
(AA)But he is not able to cure you
    or heal (AB)your wound.
14 For I will be (AC)like a lion to (AD)Ephraim,
    and like a young lion to the house of (AE)Judah.
(AF)I, even I, will tear and go away;
    I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.

15 (AG)I will return again to my place,
    until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
    and (AH)in their distress earnestly seek me.

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 5:5 Or in his presence
  2. Hosea 5:8 Or after you
  3. Hosea 5:11 Or to follow human precepts
  4. Hosea 5:13 Or to King Jareb
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. A people unfaithful in their hearts (1-7) Hosea accused Ephraim of having a "spirit of prostitution" in their hearts. It means they were ready to forsake God's word at any moment for some earthly benefit; they did not really see their sin as sin. As long as this spirit remained, God would not let himself be found by them. When our heart is crooked with unrepented sin, we cannot be made right with God through empty words or superficial religious expressions. We need a change in our inner selves. 2. Only God can heal (8-15) Hosea made an announcement of judgment against Ephraim, because they were intent on pursuing idols. When Ephraim realized they were in trouble, they turned to the king of Assyria instead of the Lord for help. Hosea proclaimed that this earthly power could not heal them. In his judgment God would be like a devouring lion to Ephraim. The nation was so far gone that only misery would help them earnestly turn to the Lord.

Prayer: Father, please remove the spirit of prostitution from my heart, so that I may seek you earnestly.

One Word: Repent of idolatry and seek God earnestly