February 14, 2011

Minor Prophets VIIa: A Theological Reprise of Chapter 5

Hosea Chapter 5:
BOOM!!!

What does this chapter tell us in terms of theology? Theology meaning the study and understanding of God Himself. To determine this type of question for any passage in the Bible we have to determine the answer to at least two questions when reviewing Scripture.

What do these passages say about God's character or attributes?
What is reaction or action by God to sin(s)?

In rough outline Hosea 5 breaks out like this:

(v.1a) Priests are not holy: A holy God that hates unholiness and will not look upon it without judging it
(v.1d) God's Justice: A just God that cannot have injustice or allow it without passing judgment
(v.2c) God's Justice: Discipline is coming, we begin to see the outcropping of wrath
(v.3a,b) Israel is not hidden: God's omniscience, omnipresence
(v.4a) Israel's unholy actions-In contrast to God who is holy
(v.5) God is just, man is not
(v.6) A sovereign king, wrath
(v.7) Judgment, Wrath (The wages if Israel's sins: Death & Destruction
(v.9) Judgment, Wrath
(v.10) Wrath
(v.11) Judgment
(v.12) Judgment
(v.14) Judgment, Judgment
(v.15) Expectation of holiness or sanctification after punishment, repentance or "to seek God's face"

Through all of this chapter we see a gradual erosion of God's patience and as we get to verses6-8 the entire tone of Hosea 5 starts to turn a corner towards judgement. God's patience wears thin and His extremely long fuse burns down due to Israel's repeated sins. By verse 10 it disappears totally. When God's patience evaporates so does His restraint of His wrath. God then unloads His wrath like a bomb detonation and He expends His wrath in intensity and measure of sin that He judges.

So man sins...
...and his sin is dropped back on his head in equal measure.

1 comment:

ArtWerx said...

the question to me is, what were their Excuses? i encounter my own excuse-making mechanism every day, & i see people falling all around me (& tempting me!) because of their inability to pull free from the selfish outlook & the Big Excuse that covers it. God Forgive Me Indeed!

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