Hosea 13 THE WIND OF THE LORD Greatness in the past is no guarantee of a pleasant or profitable future. It is God working for us, and our relationship with Him each day that preserves us from failure and a lost testimony. In the past, nations in the Middle East feared Israel because it was like a mighty prince among them. But Israel died as a leader among the nations when the worship of idols was introduced and golden calves were made to represent the gods. Baal worship was vile in its immorality and vicious in its demands of human sacrifices along with other form of outright evil. There is no way to change that which is fundamental evil into something with which a compromise can be made.
The variety of themes in this chapter begins with the contrast of the past and the present. To be unfaithful to the Lord results in a death sentence that comes. Self-sufficiency is as destructive today as it was in the day in which Hosea lived. It is God alone who has made possible the good life we have, and He can take it away when we no longer trust Him alone to meet our needs and supply that which is necessary for us to survive. The fullness of the earth can be cut off in a very short time if "the wind of the Lord" blows and dries up all that is needed to produce even life itself.
It is hard to imagine watching people who had once bowed in humility and thankfulness to the Lord God of Israel, now bowing and "kissing calves" which they had made themselves. The disobedience of God's people seemed to know no bounds when they melted metal into a mold of their own making and then said, "Sacrifice to these." That would have had as much sense as kissing the slimy nose of a living calf and saying, "This is your savior." Yet people today worship at the shrine of pleasure, money and popularity and think this is what life is all about. The wind of the Lord can dry all of that which people today think is important in the same way He did in the past. Obedience to the Lord is the only hope of stability in any person, family, assembly and nation.
God was the Lord of Israel, not some idol. He was their Deliverer from bondage and the One who was their Provider when they had no hope. But this generation of people had ignored Him and had forgotten their heritage, where they came from, and how they got to the place they were. His commandments remain unchanged. No other gods can deliver or help in times of need. When we remember and obey Him, He is faithful to us. When we ignore Him and forget Him like the Israelites did, He who has preserved us from all the evil around that threatens us constantly, will remove Himself from us and destruction will inevitably come.
Hosea's message told Israel of their future. it would be like a morning cloud that promises needed rain but passes on leaving them high and dry. It would be like the early morning dew that as soon as some heat strikes it evaporates. It is like chaff that blows away from the threshed grain. All their future held was dry chaff that has no nutrients to preserve life. The future of those Israelites was like smoke coming out of a chimney. There is no substance and it is totally of no worth or use. There is no savior in false religions, in the cults of Christendom, in good works, humanism, communism or materialism. It is all of no value and is even the cause of coming judgment. Because of apostasy there was no future for them even though they had been favored by God. That principle remains the same today. We have been favored because in our past there were those who led us who had at least a respect and acknowledgement of God. But now as a people, in government, churches, families and personally by a majority of people, God is ignored. The wind of the Lord will come.
God's love and His wrath were illustrated in His care for His people in the wilderness and His anger at their rejection of Him. In their early days there was the fellowship of love and grace as God blessed His people who followed and trust Him. But that was soon gone. They wanted a king like other ungodly nations so He reluctantly gave them Saul, but took him away because of his disobedience to God's word. David, Solomon and a few other kings of Judah had their strengths, but when the division came there was not one good king over the ten northern tribes. Man imposed leadership is bound to fail. The kings they wanted, led them into sin and idolatry. They ignored the first and greatest commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Their sin was measured and the consequences was stored up in view of coming punishment.
Israel was offered new birth, but resisted, refusing to be born again but like a child in the womb, they wanted to remain in darkness and refused the ransoming power of God's grace. Instead of birth pangs that bring life into the light, Israel was in the throes of death pangs that would claim the life of the nation. Judgments had been held back, but "the iniquity of Ephraim" had stored up wrath that was inevitable and unavoidable. God was willing to remove the sting of death and the victory of the grave, but Israel would not repent and return to God in faith. Death, the grave and hell will destroy the most fruitful of the sons of Jacob, and "the wind of the Lord" will dry up everything about them completely.
The sins and guilt of Ephraim are on record against them, and we do well to remember that ourselves. For those individuals who trust Christ alone for salvation from sin, there is no fear of being lost forever. On the other hand, those who reject what they know to be true, or were taught the truth and deliberately turned away from it, will find the results of apostasy may not come immediately but judgment will come. There will be no more ransom paid, and no redemption offered when there is no repentance.
The destruction and desolation of Israel was certain. All they had gained and produced was going to be taken from them and the brutality of their enemies would be released against men, women and children. The vicious invading army of the Assyrians brought terrible death and judgment because of the guilt of Israel that knew better than to follow the course they chose, but did it anyway. The description of the coming judgment showed that it would be complete, final and terrible.