1 “Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O royal house!
For this judgment is against you
because you have been a snare at Mizpah,
a net spread out on Tabor.
2 The rebels are deep in slaughter;
but I will chastise them all.
3 I know all about Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from Me.
For now, O Ephraim,
you have turned to prostitution;
Israel is defiled.

4 Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God,
for a spirit of prostitution is within them,
and they do not know the LORD.
5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them;
Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
even Judah stumbles with them.
6 They go with their flocks and herds
to seek the LORD,
but they do not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have been unfaithful to the LORD;
for they have borne illegitimate children.
Now the New Moon will devour them
along with their land.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

As I read today’s passage, two things about Israel’s sin stood out to me: everyone was involved, and God saw everything.

Everyone.
The passage begins with a threefold call to pay attention—but it’s addressed to three different groups. First, to the religious leaders who should have known better (“you priests”). Then, to the everyday people (“you Israelites”). And finally, to those in positions of power and authority (“you royal house”). In other words, no one was exempt.

God saw everything.
We’re told that God knows “all about Ephraim,” and that “Israel is not hidden from Him.” There are no secret sins in God’s sight. His eyes are not blind to what happens—whether in our actions or in the hidden places of our hearts (v. 4).

This same truth is reflected whenever we say a public confession at church. Each of us is invited to join in, because we recognise that we have gone our own way. Sin affects everyone. And we confess that we have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed—because sin affects everything.

But most wonderfully, our confession always ends with the words of assurance. These are Bible verses that point towards God’s forgiveness in Christ. This is because the mercy and forgiveness that Hosea hints at, we now know fully in our Lord Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is one of our Assistant Ministers.