The Loss of Joy

 

Hosea 9:1 Rejoice not, O Israel!
    Exult not like the peoples;
for you have played the whore, forsaking your God.
    You have loved a prostitute's wages
    on all threshing floors.
2 Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them,
    and the new wine shall fail them.
3 They shall not remain in the land of the Lord,
    but Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
    and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

After love, joy is the second fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.  It is one of the spiritual blessings Jesus promised to give in its fullness to those who trust in Him.  It is one of the first and most precious things to go when we turn or backs on God and walk away from Him.  This chapter uses several different word pictures to describe the loss of Joy for Israel. Since many threshing floors and wine presses served as worship centers for the false gods, with their immoral ceremonies, they would become empty, providing no food or wine to rejoice the heart. Some would be sent the Egypt and Memphis(vs. 6) to be buried in the land of the pyramid tombs. Their land would be viewed like Gibeah (vs.9), the place of a horrible crime scene. They would also be unable to have children(v.11-14), a biblical sign of joy and blessing.  Ultimately, they would wander aimlessly, with no place to call home.