Hosea 13: Crime And Punishment

God's anger at Israel is palpable in Hosea 13.  But what triggered His righteous judgment and the heavy punishment that He threatens to inflict?

First, the prophet says that, although Ephraim [Israel] was strong and respected in the land, "he incurred guilt through Baal and died" (vs. 1).  The root and fruit of Israel's sin was idolatry.  The sinning continued: "And now they keep on sinning and make a cast image for themselves, idols of silver made according to their understanding, all of them the work of artisans.  'Sacrifice to these,' they say.  People are kissing calves!" (vs. 2).  In the words of Paul, they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for mere images (Romans 1:23).

Because of the rejection of the Lord as their rightful God and their adoption of idols as false gods, there will be heavy consequences for the people.  Hosea alludes to this when he writes, "Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes away early, like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window" (vs. 3).  All of these images evoke very temporary or transitory objects.  It is as if the prophet is saying, "Here today, gone tomorrow!"

Now, instead of being a God to them, the Lord vows that He will be as a lion, leopard or bear, ripping the people open and mangling them (vs. 7-8).  This is not just talk or metaphor.  At the conclusion of this chapter, Hosea warns, "Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she rebelled against her God; they shall fall by the sword, their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open" (vs. 16).

What could possibly justify such horrendous things?  Is this really God talking to His people?  These words may make us gasp, wondering what kind of brutal God we have.  As a human being, I cannot justify the punishment, but neither should we attempt to justify the crime.

Israel has lost God's protection, throwing it away for the lure of the Baals.  They have made God their enemy rather than their friend, so now God promises to "destroy" them (vs. 9).  "Compassion is hidden from my eyes," the prophet writes on God's behalf (vs. 14).  Sin has consequences.  And Israel's sin has piled up in God's sight to the point that justice is demanded.  Sadly, their crimes are about to be punished.