Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 1

 

The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. Hos. 13:1

When Ephraim spake... The idea here is that at one time, when Ephraim spoke, he carried weight and was greatly respected; but when he exalted himself and served Baal, he lost this respect and was cut off (Jos. 24:14). The people now sinned more and more by making and worshiping golden calves and gold and silver images of many kinds (Hos. 12:2).

trembling, he exalted... When Ephraim, the most powerful tribe, spoke early in Israel’s history, it was with authority and produced fear.

he died... Because of his sins and in spite of being feared, Ephraim died, spiritually and now nationally.

As long as Ephraim kept great fear and reverence for God, He did just fine. It was when he got too proud, and started worshipping Baal, that God was offended. It does not mean to imply that all the other worship of false gods was unimportant. It just means it grew to its worst stage, when they worshipped Baal.

The worship of the golden calf in the wilderness had been terrible, and many died in punishment for it, but this is speaking of the whole land being involved in the worship of Baal. Jeroboam instituted the worship of the calf as God. The death of the nation was sounded, when this last offence against God came.

Ephraim’s prominent (exalted) place among the tribes of Israel was well known (cf. Gen. 48:13-20). Jeroboam I, who had led the Northern Kingdom’s secession, was an Ephraimite (1Kgs. 11:26; 12:25). However, this prominent tribe had also taken the lead in Baal worship and was as good as dead. As the Ephraimites (and the other Israelites they represent here) multiplied their idols and images, they added to their guilt.

THE FINAL ARGUMENT

The impassioned call with which the last chapter closed was by no means an assurance of salvation: How am I to give thee, up, Ephraim? how am I to let thee go, Israel? On the contrary, it was the anguish of Love, when it hovers over its own on the brink of the destruction to which their willfulness has led them, and before relinquishing them would seek, if possible, some last way to redeem. Surely that fatal morrow and the people’s mad leap into it are not inevitable! At least, before they take the leap, let the prophet go back once more upon the moral situation of today, go back once more upon the past of the people, and see if he can find anything else to explain that bias to apostasy (Hos. 11:7) which has brought them to this fatal brink-anything else which may move them to repentance even there. So, in chapters 12 and 13 Hosea turns upon the now familiar trail of his argument, full of the Divine jealousy, determined to give the people one other chance to turn; but if they will not, he at least will justify God’s relinquishment of them. The chapters throw even a brighter light upon the temper and habits of that generation. They again explore Israel’s ancient history for causes of the present decline; and, in especial, they cite the spiritual experience of the Father of the Nation, as if to show that what of repentance was possible for him is possible for his posterity also. But once more all hope is seen to be in vain; and Hosea’s last travail with his obstinate people closes in a doom even more awful than its predecessors.

The division into chapters is probably correct; but while chapter 13 is well ordered and clear, the arrangement, and, in parts, the meaning of chapter 12 is very obscure.

Whenever Ephraim spake there was trembling. Prince was he in Israel; but he fell into guilt through the Ba’al, and so died.

Impending doom

Ephraim’s prominent exalted place among the tribes of Israel was well known (cf. Gen. 48:13-20). Jeroboam I, who had led the Northern Kingdom’s secession, was an Ephraimite (1Kgs. 11:26; 12:25). However, this prominent tribe had also taken the lead in Baal worship and was as good as dead.