Hosea 9:10-17

ISRAEL, APOSTATE AND REBELLIOUS FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IS DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION, Hosea 9:10-17.

Three times in chapters 9-11 (Hosea 9:10; Hosea 10:9; Hosea 11:1) Hosea reverts to the early history of Israel to show how loving had been the divine care and how persistent Israel’s apostasy and rebellion. In the beginning Israel appeared to Jehovah like a desirable fruit; but ere long contact with the Canaanitish religion caused contamination and Israel became an abomination in the sight of Jehovah (Hosea 9:10). In consequence, awful judgments will come (Hosea 9:11-17). The form which the punishment will take is not quite clear, as the description is highly poetic. For the greater part Jehovah himself speaks; in Hosea 9:14; Hosea 9:17 the prophet appears as speaker.