Hosea 6:8-11
by
Rev. Mark Perkins, Pastor
Denver Bible Church
326 E. Colorado Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80210
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Hosea 6:8,9
"Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with bloody footprints.
And as a gang member waiting, so a band of priests murders on
the way to Shechem; surely they have committed an act of premeditation."
A. Gilead was a region and not a city. This is a figure of speech
that has to do with collection. Hosea calls this region a city
because the criminal element had concentrated there and made
a headquarters out of it.
B. The region is the narrow strip of land immediately east of
the Jordan river, running north-south from the sea of Galilee
to the Dead Sea. It extends into the Transjordan just ten or
fifteen miles. The area is marked by rough terrain, with rocky
defiles and steep ravines covered by thick thorny vegetation.
In other words, the perfect outlaw hideaway. There was an important
land route through here that went from Damascus to Jerusalem,
and the outlaws took advantage of many travellers.
C. The participle PO'ALE and the noun 'AWEN combine together
to make "evildoers". 'AWEN means "trouble"
"wickedness" or "evil". In Hosea, it even
has a connection with idolatry, and that connection is also with
Gilead. Hosea 12:11, "Is there idolatry in Gilead? Surely
they are worthless." In other words these criminals are
also idolaters, and in fact the idolatry is the source of their
criminal behavior.
D. The region of Gilead is "tracked with bloody footprints."
The roads and trails throughout the region are blood-soaked.
This is a way to make clear the sheer volume of crime there.
Murder and violence are commonplace events. We say it in the
same way - "the bloody streets of Denver".
E. The terror of violent crime is not confined to Gilead, nor
to the hoodlums who headquarter there. It is happening near Shechem,
just a few miles from the capital town. Shechem is a big town
about ten miles from the capital of Samaria. The road in between
has been menaced by a gang of priests, who are murdering for
the sake of murder.
1. The priests definitely commit murder. It is the Hebrew word RATSAH, which describes the act of premeditated murder, and nothing else.
2. They wait intensely for someone to come along; they can hardly wait to murder. The piel stem of the verb to wait is KHEH.AKE. This is in the infinitive construct, so it reveals the action as it takes place. This is a dramatic portrayal of the waiting period before the crime, and it reveals premeditation and lust motivation for murder. They do not murder for money, but for murder itself.
F. Hosea makes an issue out of premeditation. First in the waiting,
and second in the word zimmah. zimmah normally describes planning
and deliberation of any kind. Here it definitely refers to premeditation.
G. Premeditation is absolutely necessary to prove that a murder
has taken place.
1. "Homicide is a person's killing of another person, and murder is a homicide done unlawfully and with malice aforethought."
2. Numbers Chapter 35 is the important chapter on murder. It defines murder and manslaughter; and procedures for conviction.
3. In that chapter, there is a clear and repetitive description of malice aforethought. Did the killer intend to kill? If there is intent, then it is murder.
H. The description in Hosea 6:9 shows a gang of priests waiting
eagerly for someone to come along the road. Their killing is
done for the sake of killing; for the thrill and adrenalin rush
of killing. He ironically points out that these men are certainly
wrong according to the Mosaic Law, and yet knows that no one
cares anymore.
I. So in these two verses Hosea has made it clear that crime,
and violent crime is rampant in the land, and that it is the
result of idolatry, both general and specific.
J. This serves to contrast with verse six, which concentrates
on virtue. These verses describe the treacherous dealings of
verse seven, and show how very far the people of the Northern
kingdom are separated from virtue.
Hosea 6:10,11
"In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
Ephraim's harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself. Also,
O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you in my returning
the captivity of My people."
A. Differing fates are now revealed for the Northern and Southern
kingdoms.
B. Verse ten reveals the fate of the Northern kingdom.
1. There were two categories of defilement for Israel.
a. First was the defilement of a person, place, or thing for health reasons. Defilement required quarantine and separation.
b. Second was the spiritual defilement of a person, place, or thing, so they were of no use to God.2. The nation of Israel is the latter. It has defiled itself, and so is of no further use to God.
3. The reason for their defilement is fornication. Not fornication among men, but specifically fornication from God in the form of idolatry.
4. This idolatry is found in the house of Israel. This may be a reference to the royal house of the Northern Kingdom, but at least it means the people of the kingdom.
5. God finds this a horrible thing, from SHA`AR. This describes something that is inedible or unpalatable. It is something like refrigerator surprise. "I wonder what is in this tupperware - BLECCH!" But here it is more. It is something so gross that you do not even desire to look at it. It is truly horrid.
C. Verse eleven goes on to the Southern Kingdom.
1. Here there is something to startle. The discipline extends to Judah, and the harvest is a bloody one.
2. Notice that God returns His people to captivity. The old captivity was in Egypt. The new one will be in Babylon.
3. God returns Judah to captivity for much the same reasons. The harvest is one of slavery.
4. There is a subtle play on words here that is worth bringing out. It is SHUBHI SHEBHUTH.a. The infinitive construct of SHUBH, "to return" is the first part. It reveals an action in the act, and is much similar to the English gerund. It is "returning".
b. The noun construct of SHABBAH is surprisingly unrelated, but it makes a nice play on words - SHUBHI SHEBHUTH
End of Lesson 21
Grace Notes
Warren Doud, Editor
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