Hosea 5:7

"They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their fields."

The ultimate treachery against God is exhibited here in the charge that Israel had "borne strange children," that is, a generation of offspring who were totally unaware of God, had no knowledge whatever of him, and who were automatically swallowed up by the licentious culture where they lived. Israel had been commanded to rear their children in the fear and honor of the true God, but in this they had defaulted completely; and there was, therefore, no justification whatever for the continuation of them any further upon the face of the earth. Israel had, at this juncture, fallen into exactly the same status as that of the kingdoms of Canaan whom God dispossessed in order to give the land to Israel.

"The new moon devour them ..." Biblical scholars are uncertain as to whether this means "in the time of the new moon," meaning in a very short period of time their judgment will fall, or if it means the licentious worship associated with their "feasts of the new moon" would be the cancer that would devour them. The translators of the KJV rendered the passage, "Now shall a month devour them with their portions," stressing the time element and indicating that the hour of judgment was already upon them. Of course, it is true and applicable no matter which view is taken. The New English Bible renders it, "Now an invader shall devour their fields," but this is exactly the same meaning stated literally instead of metaphorically.

Regardless of the minor uncertainties in the meaning (of the text in this place) there is no question about its major thesis. Israel's leaders (and the whole people) are no longer the servants of God.[19]

The priests, the king's house, the people, the total population are at this point in time thoroughly devoted to the service of alien gods of their own choice; and the nation is enslaved in wickedness. God is announcing through Hosea the impending judgment and punishment of such high treason against himself.

Keil and many others have pointed out that the background of this whole prophecy is the covenant relationship that existed between God and Israel. The "strange children," or "bastards" as in New English Bible, are one with the "children of whoredom" mentioned earlier in the prophecy, which Gomer bore to Hosea, violating a marriage contract. That contract, in the larger theater of God's relationship with Israel, was the covenant outlined in the Pentateuch, the Decalogue, etc. Israel had violated their covenant with God in their failure to rear believing children in the fear and knowledge of the true God. Instead, they were being reared as children of the old Canaanite bull-god, answering to the "spiritual adultery" which is the principal theme of Hosea's prophecy.

We cannot pass this by without pointing out that many so-called Christian parents today are guilty of the same faithlessness in this matter of teaching their children to know God, that marked the ultimate and final apostasy of northern Israel. It would appear to be a rare home indeed where the knowledge and service of God are effectively taught and demonstrated.