Bible Commentaries
Hosea 10

Verses 1-15

1. CHAPTER 10
   1. HALF HEARTED! (1-11)
   2. (1) Israel empties his vine – or, a vine emptying the fruit which it gives.
      1. NIV “Israel was a spreading vine;”…but now she is w/o fruit! (again, agriculturally & spiritually “we reap what we sow!)
   3. What was wrong w/Israel? (4 things!)
      1. [1] She tried to serve 2 masters! (2)
         1. [lit.]Their heart was divided in loyalty!
      2. [2] She lied to God! (3,4)
         1. (4a) Swearing falsely in making covenants.
         2. (4b) NIV “therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.”
         3. People couldn’t trust one another & few kept their promises; therefore, they had to sue one another to get what they deserved.
         4. “The multiplying of laws & lawsuits is one evidence that integrity & credibility are vanishing from society.” (www)
            1. “Sound familiar?”
      3. [3] She worshiped idols! (5,6)
      4. [2] Their hearts were hard & needed plowing up! (11)
      5. Q: Haven’t we been guilty of the same 4?
   4. (9) The days of Gibeah – Judges 19-21.
      1. A reference to the awful sins of the men of Gibeah & the tragic civil war that followed.
      2. Gibeah(a town occupied by tribe of Benjamin); in the days of the Judges; a Levite on a trip w/his concubine; stopped in Gibeah for a night; A man took them in; a band of depraved youth came to the door demanding the Levite man(to have him sexually); In the end the concubine was sent out to the men to use her all night; she stumbles back to the door…& is found dead in the door step in the morning; the man took her home w/him & the chopped her up& sent a piece of her to the 12 tribes(obviously for shock value); it worked the 11 tribes came together against Benjamin & a Civil War ensued, almost to the demise of the tribe of Benj.
         1. It was a dark day in Israel!
   5. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​(11) Israel was like a heifer that enjoys treading out the grain because she can eat & work at the same time.
      1. But now God would make her “yoke hard her burden heavy”, as He fitted her for the Assyrian yoke!
   6. SOW & REAP PRINCIPLE! (12-15)
   7. (12) Sow, reap, fallow ground, rain!
   8. Fallow ground – is land that has lain idle & become hard & full of weeds.
      1. The plow of conviction must 1^st break up our hard hearts.
      2. Then the seed of the Word can be planted.
      3. Next, the gracious rain will be sent from heaven.
      4. Is He not the “Lord of the compost heap”? - Who can take our garbage & turn it onto good soil & ultimately bring forth fruit & beauty in full measure!!!
   9. (13) Job 4:8 “Those who plow iniquity & sow trouble reap the same.”
      1. We go out looking for the pleasures of sin, & always end up in someone’s backyard feeding swine!
      2. We know the outcome of the story of the prodigal, yet we venture there anyway???
      3. Q: Like the goose, have you settled back again into the mud of the barnyard?
         1. The reward to those who “wait on the Lord” is that they will mount up with wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint!
         2. Who are these “waiters”? – They are those who fully believe in Gods power to deliver, & manifest their confidence in Him by patiently waiting for Him to bring His promise to fulfillment!
   10. End:
       1. Prov.14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”
       2. Ps.33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”