Hosea 7:13

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. WOE UNTO THEM! FOR THEY HAVE FLED FROM ME - as birds from their nest (; ). FROM ME - who both could and would have healed them (), had they applied to me. THOUGH I HAVE REDEEMED THEM - from Egypt and their other enemies (). YET THEY HAVE SPOKEN LIES AGAINST ME - (;...

Here the Prophet takes away from the Israelites the hope of pardon, and declares that it was all over with them, for God had now resolved to destroy them. For as God everywhere declares himself to be ready and inclined to pardon, hypocrites hope that God will be propitious to them; and entertaining this vain confidence, they despise his threatening and boldly rise up against him. Hence the Prophet here shows, that God would hereafter be inexorable to them, because they had too long pertinaciously abused his patience. _Woe to them! _he says, _for they have withdrawn from me: desolation to them! for they have acted perfidiously towards me _There is then no reason, says the Prophet, for them to delude themselves in future with vain confidence, as they have hitherto done; for this has been once for all determined by God — to indict on them his extreme vengeance, for their defection deserves...

8-16 Israel was as a cake not turned, half burnt and half dough, none of it fit for use; a mixture of idolatry and of the worship of Jehovah. There were tokens of approaching ruin, as grey hairs are of old age, but they noticed them not. The pride which leads to break the law of God leads to self-flattery. The mercy and grace of God are the only refuge to which obstinate sinners never think of fleeing. Though they may howl forth their terrors in the form of prayers, they seldom cry to God with their hearts. Even their prayers for earthly mercies only seek fuel for their lusts. Their turning from one sect, sentiment, form, or vice, to another, still leaves them far short of Christ and holiness. Such are we by nature. And such shall we prove if left to ourselves. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us....

Verse Hosea 7:13. _WO UNTO THEM!_] They shall have _wo_, because they _have_ _fled from me_. They shall have _destruction_, because they _have_ _transgressed against me_. _THOUGH I HAVE REDEEMED THEM_] Out of Egypt; and given them the fullest proof of my love and power. _YET THEY HAVE SPOKEN LIES AGAINST ME._] They have represented me as rigorous and cruel; and my service as painful and unprofitable....

WOE UNTO THEM, FOR THEY HAVE FLED FROM ME - The threatening rises in severity, as did the measure of their sin. Whereas “Salvation belonged to God” Psalms 3:8 alone, and they only “abide under His shadow” Psalms 91:1, who make Him their “refuge, woe” must needs come on them, who leave Him. “They forsake their own mercy” Jonah 2:8. “Woe” they draw upon themselves, who forget God; how much more then they, who willfully and with a high hand transgress against Him! “Destruction unto them, for they have transgressed against Me.” To be separated from God is the source of all evils; it is the “pain of loss” of God’s presence, in hell; but “destruction” is more than this; it is everlasting death....

EXPOSITION This chapter may be divided into three sections. In the first section, including Hosea 7:1, the prophet reproves with much but deserved severity the depraved morals of king and princes. In the second section, consisting of Hosea 7:8, he rebukes their sinfulness, silliness, pride, and stupid obstinacy, notwithstanding the many manifest tokens of decay. Otherwise the first section deals with the internal corruption of the northern kingdom, and the second exposes their sinful and harmful foreign policy. The third section, continuing from the twelfth verse to the end of the chapter, that is, Hosea 7:12, threatens the infliction of punishment incurred by their gross wicked. Hess and base ingratitude to God....

WOE UNTO THEM, FOR THEY HAVE FLED FROM ME,.... From the Lord, from his worship, and the place of it; from obedience to him, and the service of him; as birds fly from their nests, and leave their young, and wander about; so they had deserted the temple at Jerusalem, and forsaken the service of the sanctuary, and set up calves at Dan and Bethel, and worshipped them; and, instead of fleeing to God for help in time of distress, fled further off still, even out of their own land to Egypt or Assyria: the consequence of which was, nothing but ruin; and so lamentation and woes: DESTRUCTION UNTO THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TRANSGRESSED AGAINST ME; against the laws which God gave them; setting up idols, and worshipping them, and so broke the first table of the law; committing murder, adultery, thefts and robberies, with which they are charged the preceding part of this chapter, and so transgressed th...

REDEEMED (_ See Scofield) - (Isaiah 59:20). _ (_ See Scofield) - (Exodus 14:30). _...

CHAPTER 7 The Moral Depravity of Israel _ 1. Their moral depravity (Hosea 7:1) _ 2. Mingling with heathen nations (Hosea 7:8) Hosea 7:1. All the gracious efforts of the Lord to heal Israel resulted in a greater manifestation of the iniquity of Ephraim. Instead of turning to Him in true repentance and self-judgment their evil heart turned away from Jehovah, and they continued in their downward course. They did not consider that the Lord would remember all their evil deeds and punish them for it. The king and the princes, the political heads were as corrupt as the priests, they were pleased with the impenitence and wickedness of their subjects. Then follows a graphic description of their moral depravity. They w

HOSEA 7:8 TO HOSEA 8:3. POLITICAL DECAY THE OUTWARD SIGN OF ISRAEL'S MORAL DECAY. The attempts to cure national ills and secure safety by foreign aid, instead of by turning to Yahweh, are foredoomed to failure; Yahweh Himself frustrates them and will bring the misguided people to punishment and ruin (Hosea 7:8). Their doom is sealed, for they have been disloyal to Yahweh; they do not turn to Him with a true heart, but use heathen devices (cut themselves, Hosea 7:14 _mg._, see p. 110) when they appeal to Him. Their shallow hearts are incapable of real and acceptable repentance; therefore their princes shall fall by the sword, and this shall be their derision i