The Loyal Love of the Lord #8

 Read Hosea 8

Background: Having recorded the repeated spiritual adultery and idolatry of both Israel and Judah - especially the former - the Lord announces with the trumpet blast that judgment day has come.  With a special emphasis on the Northern Kingdom's sins: breaking covenant, "spurning" good, choosing kings He has not approved, setting up a golden calf as their "god" and all kings of other altars to other idols, He announces that He will no longer accept their insincere sacrifices to Him. They went through the motions, but their hearts were far from Him.  

Key Verses: 7 For they sow the wind,
    and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
    it shall yield no flour;
if it were to yield,
    strangers would devour it.
8 Israel is swallowed up;
    already they are among the nations
    as a useless vessel.

Thoughts: God had promised that there would be famine and exile.  Even if they had food, there would be no one left there to eat it.  Their seed was going to be take and scattered among the nations conquered by the Assyrian Empire.  The same fate would follow for the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well, if they did not change from their path:

14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker

    and built palaces,

and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;

    so I will send a fire upon his cities,

    and it shall devour her strongholds.