A Study on the book of Hosea Chapters 4-5

HOSEA 4 – 5

Bible Study Notes                                                                                                        Rev. Betsy Perkins

God Takes Israel to Court

• From what you know about prophets, does being a prophet seem like a glamorous job to you?
• What are ways that a couple might try to resolve a broken marriage relationship? What happens if one of the partners is not ready to return?

Tim Mackie, The Bible Project – How to Read Hosea (RightNowMedia), 0:00 – 7:35

God Convenes the Court   (4:1):  

• The collapse of a marriage often ends up being mediated by the court. What does God do in the collapse of the covenant relationship with Israel?

“God wanted to forgive the sins of His people and restore their fellowship with Him, but they weren’t ready. They not only would not repent, but they also wouldn’t even admit that they had sinned! So God conducted a trial and brought them to the bar of justice. It’s a basic principle that until people experience the guilt of conviction, they can’t enjoy the glory of conversion.” ~ Warren Wiersbe

• What are some reasons the Israelites wouldn’t admit they had sinned?
• What makes a person, a community or a nation ready to return to the Lord?

The Charges Against Israel   (4:1-19):  

• What vow did Israel make when they entered into a covenant with God at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:7-8? How have they broken their vow?

“Just as Gomer didn’t take her marriage vows seriously but went to live with another man, so Israel reneged on her promises to God and turned to pagan idols. There was no faithfulness (truth) in the land, no loyal love to the Lord. When people reject God’s covenant they begin to exploit each other, for the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with our neighbor as well as with the Lord.”  ~ Warren Wiersbe

• How was the broken relationship with God reflected in the broken relationships with one another?
• In Deuteronomy, Moses warned Israel that a failure to keep their vows would result in consequences both to them and to creation. What evidence from creation does God present to the court?
• What is the result of a lack of knowledge of God and of God’s ways (vs. 1, 6)?

“The basic sin was ignorance; there was ‘no knowledge of God in the land.’ ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.’ This means much more than knowledge about God; it refers to a personal knowledge of God. The Hebrew word describes a husband’s most intimate relationship with his wife (Gen.4:1, 19:8). To know God is to have an intimate relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ (Jn.17:3).   ~ Warren Wiersbe

• The priests were intended to be the spiritual leaders. What has gone wrong with the spiritual leadership in Israel?
• Do you agree with this statement by Warren Wiersbe?

“As goes spiritual leadership, so goes the church; as goes the church, so goes morality; and as goes morality, so goes the nation. God’s people are both salt and light in society (Mt.5:13-16); when they are corrupt, society becomes corrupt.”

• What is the warning to Judah in verses 15-19, as they observe these court proceedings against their brothers and sisters?
• Reread verses 1-9 slowly and listen for the charges that hold true in this nation and in the church right now. (Remember that in the Baptist tradition we believe that through Christ and his gift of the Holy Spirit we now experience “the priesthood of all believers.”) Is there a particular charge that the Spirit is laying on your heart today?

The Judge Makes the Ruling   (5:1-15):  

• What prevents Israel from recognizing her error and returning to God (vs.4-5)?
• What would happen if they tried to seek the Lord in their current state (vs.6)?
• As a result of their unfaithfulness, they give birth to “illegitimate children” (vs.7). What might these “children” be? Do we see “illegitimate children” of unfaithfulness to God today?
• The tribes of Israel went to war against the tribes of Judah around 734 BC because they wouldn’t join them in fighting the larger enemy of Assyria. What will happen as a result of this war?

“Israel and Judah were weak, sick nations, but instead of turning to the Lord for healing, both of them turned to the king of Assyria for help. They needed prayer and true repentance, but instead, they trusted politics and useless treaties. All the Lord could do was withdraw and wait for them to seek His face in truth and humility.”  ~ Warren Wiersbe

• Why do you think the people of Israel turned to political maneuvering instead of repentance when they were in trouble? How do we do something similar today?
• What does God hope will be the ultimate result of the Israel and Judah’s ruin (vs.15)?

In light of this passage and our discussion, what one truth about God and about yourself stand out as something to “take to heart” this week? 

Are there steps you will take, by God’s grace, to more fully apply it to your life?

Resources: NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2015

J. Gordon McConville, Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, Volume 4, 2002

Warren W. Wiersbe, BE Amazed: Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship, 2010

Tim Mackie, The Bible Project, How to Read Hosea (RightNowMedia)