Hosea 4:12-19 - A whirlwind will sweep them away

4:12

The Bible is often completely mocking of idolatry, and here is an example. “My people inquire of a piece of wood and their walking staff gives them oracles”. We can see the utter stupidity of such notions, but Israel couldn’t. Today we have different idols. One example is the utter nonsense of transgender ideology. “The spirit of whoredom”. It was not just a matter of committing a sin, it never is. Something else takes place as well, we get led astray, we become captivated. So Israel played the whore, offering herself to all and sundry. Once she was a precious nation, belonging to her God who cared for her. Now she was anybody’s, and they would use and abuse her. So it is with all sin. Lord save us from our sinfulness.

4:13,14

Hills and mountain tops were places associated with idol worship and pagan religions. This idol worship also led to prostitution and adultery, indeed it was sometimes a part of the idol worship. When men abandon God sexual immorality soon follows.

However, we see in verse 14 that the men are held to be primarily responsible. As men we are supposed to act with responsibility and showing respect to others, especially valuing women. When sexual immorality takes hold we fail to do this. It is a very serious matter when this happens. Society tends to belittle sexual sins, at least general sexual immorality, but it demonstrates a lack of understanding, and leads to ruin.

4:15-19

Israel was already too far gone, but Judah is warned not to follow in her footsteps. The places mentioned are those associated with Israel’s false religion. Note that Jesus warned against swearing by the Lord. When there is a need to swear in order to demonstrate the veracity of a statement, it is a sign that truth is on the way out.

Israel’s sins are then outlined. They were stubborn. The Lord wanted to pasture them like lambs, but they were so stubborn that He could not do so. The truth is that if we are trusting and obedient then we will find that the Lord does indeed look after us like a shepherd.

Instead of trusting God they worshipped idols. Drunkenness and sexual sin abounded. So disaster would come upon the land.