Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 9

 The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. Hos. 13:9

hast destroyed thyself... They destroyed themselves because they would not follow God or obey Him. In God was their help and preservation from destruction if they had only realized it. After these menaces it might seem I had destroyed thee, but thou thyself hast done it by thy sins. It is the rebel that destroys himself, though he falls by the sword of his provoked sovereign: thou art the cause and author of thine own ruin.

but in me... Or, for I was always ready and able to help thee and would certainly have saved thee; but thy sins, thy wickedness carried thee toward other helps, which were lies, and have disappointed thee. And now thou dost perish under thine own choice, whereas hadst thou chosen me I would have helped and saved thee. Or else thus the whole verse: This hath destroyed thee, O Israel, for thou hast rebelled against me, against thy help.

This is a cry for them to stop and consider all of this, before it is too late. Their only help is in the Lord.

When He hath destroyed thee, O Israel-who then may help thee? Where is thy king now? That he may save thee, or all thy princes? that they may rule thee.

Ironically the Helper of Israel would become her Destroyer because she was against Him (Hos. 13:9).

Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 Vs. 27

 Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

Mark 1:27 “And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”

They questioned among themselves (συνζητεῖν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς)

Stronger than Luke, who has they spake together. Tynd., They demanded one of another among themselves.

What thing is... Questions 3-4. Next, Mark 2:7.

for with authority... (see verse 22). Jesus had absolute authority in His actions as well as His words (Mat. 28:18).

You must remember that in the synagogue there was much formality and tradition. Really these scribes had been trained to go through a certain ritual, and they knew technically what was required of them; but they had no power within themselves.

You might say that I am being judgmental, but we have just seen that these evil spirits had no fear of the scribes. They just came right into the synagogue with the man. The amazing thing to them was the power and authority of Jesus’ message.

they do obey... They always obey those that have power over them. When men claim this power and it does not work it is proof that they do not have power (Acts 19:13-18). This case is also proof that it is not necessary for unbelievers to be absent in order for God’s power to work. When men claim that opposition present hinders God’s power it is an excuse for their powerlessness.

Was it not a mournful association of ideas which then led Jesus to reply, Have I not chosen you the Twelve, and one of you is a devil?* (*The connection would be almost certain if the word devil were alike in both. But in all these narratives it is demon, there being in Scripture but one devil.)

But although the phrase is beautiful, and possibly wild with all regret, there is no relenting, no better desire than to be let alone. And so Jesus, so gentle with sinful men, yet sometime to be their judge also, is stern and cold. Hold thy peace -- be muzzled, He answers, as to a wild beast, and come out of him. Whereupon the evil spirit exhibits at once his ferocity and his defeat. Tearing and screaming, he came out, but we read in St. Luke that he did the man no harm.

All the people were greatly amazed ethambēthēsan, surprised, astonished; cf. Mark 10:24, 10:32). Their question, What is this? referred both to the nature of Jesus’ teaching and His expulsion of a demon with only a word of command. His teaching was qualitatively new kainē and came with authority (cf. Mark 1:22) that extended even to demonic forces who were forced to obey submit to Him (cf. Mark 4:41).

Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 8

 The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. Hos. 13:8

meet them as... The Syrian bear is fiercer than the brown bears to which we are accustomed. It attacks flocks (1Sam. 17:34), and even oxen. The fierceness of the she-bear, bereaved of her whelps, became a proverb (2Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; and here). They who have written on the nature of wild beasts, say that none is more savage than the she-bear, when she has lost her whelps or lacks food.

and will rend... They had closed their hearts against God. Their punishment is pictured by the rending open of the closed heart, by the lion which is said to go instinctively straight to the heart, tears it out, and sucks the blood. Fearful will it be in the Day of Judgment, when the sinner's heart is laid open, with all the foul, cruel, malicious, defiled, thoughts which it harbored and concealed, against the will of God. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).

there will I... Where I find them and seize them, like the hungry and fearless lion, which feasts on his prey where he caught it, draws it not into his den, but devours it immediately.

like a lion... An old lion that hath his great teeth, his grinders, and hath still whelps (Gen. 49:9); fierce and terrible, that will either call in his whelps to divide the prey, or drag the prey to his den for them: and what hope of anything to be spared, when you fall into such hands?

The wild beast shall tear them: it is said of the lion, that he calls by his roaring the wild beasts together to the prey when he hath taken it; so you shall be devoured by the whole troop of wild beasts. Or it may be a general threat added to those particular ones before; every wild beast shall prey upon them. All this God executed on them by the Assyrians, who in their fierceness, cruelty, greediness, and courage answered the character here given to them.

A mother bear that has lost her whelps is a ferocious animal. She will destroy everything that gets in her way. This is speaking of this ferocious animal grabbing at the heart area, and tearing an opening to the heart to kill it.

Ironically the Helper of Israel would become her Destroyer because she was against Him (Hos. 13:9).

Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 Vs. 26

 Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

Mark 1:26 “And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”

This unclean spirit did not want to give up this body.

This unclean spirit tore him and cried with a loud voice, because the spirit was vacating a place, he thought he had secured.

Had torn (σπαράξαν)

Rev., tearing, convulsions in margin. Luke has had thrown him down in the midst. Mark adds the crying out with a loud voice.

The devil will not give up without a struggle but is subject to Jesus. Our Bible says resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We are no match for the devil ourselves, but the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus are more powerful than the devil. Just as in the verse above when the unclean spirit obeyed the command of Jesus, we can also, fight unclean spirits with the name of Jesus and the power of His blood.

But men also are wont to forget their wrongdoing when they come to suffer, and it is recorded that even Nero had abundance of compassion for himself. Weird also and terrible is it, that this unclean spirit should choose for his confession that pure and exquisite epithet, the Holy One of God.

Submitting to Jesus’ authority, the evil spirit convulsed (cf. Mark 9:26) the possessed man, and with a loud shriek, left him.

Jesus did not accept the demon’s defensive utterance (Mark 1:24) because doing so would have undermined His task of confronting and defeating Satan and his forces. His authority over evil spirits was evidence that God’s rule had come in Jesus (cf. Mark 1:15). This initial exorcism set the pattern for the sustained conflict Jesus had with demons - an important element in Mark’s account. (See the list of Jesus’ miracles at John 2:1-11.)

Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 7

The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel 

Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: Hos. 13:7

Therefore I will... The 20th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 13:7-8, fulfilled). Next, Hos. 13:10.

Six Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. I will be unto them as a lion (Hos. 13:7).

2. I will observe them as a leopard in the way.

3. I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her whelps (Hos. 13:8).

4. I will rend the caul of their heart.

5. I will devour them like a lion.

6. The wild beasts will tear them (Hos. 13:9).

be unto them... They had waxen fat, were full; yet it was, to become themselves a prey. Their wealth which they were proud of, which they abused, allured their enemies. To cut off all hopes of God's mercy, He says that he will be to them, as those creatures of His, which never spare. The fierceness of the lion, and the swiftness of the leopard, together portrays a speedy inexorable chastisement.

as a leopard... A very fierce, swift, sly, and watchful creature (Jer. 5:6; Hab. 1:8).

I observe them... Watch for them, that I may be sure to take them.

The end of all their sin is destruction. The lion or leopard stalks its prey, and then at a convenient time, pounces on them. The destruction that comes on them for their unfaithfulness to God will be sudden.

So that I must be to them like a lion, like a leopard in the way I must leap. I will fall on them like a bear robbed of its young, and will tear the caul of their hearts, and will devour them like a lion-wild beasts shall rend them.

Like a vicious and powerful wild beast lion… leopard, or bear the Lord would attack His people still viewed here as a helpless flock or herd, Hos. 13:7-8; cf. Hos. 5:14)

The moth (Hos. 5:12) is transformed into a raging lion which violently kills its prey. The use of six first-person forms (I) in the Hebrew emphasizes God’s role in this judgment. In the final analysis the Lord Himself would be the attacker and destroyer, even though He would use foreign armies as His instruments.

Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 Vs. 25

 Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

Mark 1:25 “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”

Hold thy peace... Jesus wanted no testimony to the truth from the demonic realm to fuel charges that He was in league with Satan (3:22; Acts 16:16-18).

Hold thy peace (φιμώθητι)

Lit., be muzzled or gagged See on Mat. 22:12.

He was speechless (ἐφιμώθη)

Lit., he was muzzled or gagged. It is used of muzzling the ox (1TiM. 5:18) and is addressed by Christ to the demon (Mark 1:25), and to the raging sea (Mark 4:39). Peter uses it of putting the ignorant and foolish to silence (1Pet. 2:15).

Jesus commands the spirit to come out of the victim. He does not rebuke the man, but his oppressor. Jesus issues the same command, Hold thy peace, to the storm (in 4:39).

We will see that Jesus was speaking to this evil spirit in the man and not to the man. Jesus is the Lord overall. Jesus is even the Lord over this evil spirit, and this evil spirit had to obey the voice of Jesus. When Jesus told this evil spirit, to hush it hushed. When Jesus told the evil spirit to come out of him, it had to obey Jesus, as we see in the next verse.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Again, in a few direct words no incantations Jesus sternly rebuked epetimēsen cf. Mark 4:39) the evil spirit and ordered the demon to come out of the man. The words be quiet translate the forceful phimōthēti be muzzled or silenced (cf. Mark 4:39).

Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 6

 The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Hos. 13:6

According to their... The thought here is that the more God blessed them, the more they rebelled against Him as they experienced the goodness of God, and their bodies were supplied their hearts became exalted and they forgot Him.

so were they... As I was their shepherd, and provided pasture for them, so they were fully fed; they had an abundant plenty of all things.

and their heart... The consequence of their having this plenty was, that from thence they grew proud and high-minded.

therefore have they... Who found them in slavery, poverty, reproach, and tears in Egypt, out of which I saved them. And they have most scandalously made them gods, worshipped them, and with sacrilegious UN-thankfulness given the praise of all I did for them to dumb idols, though I warned them of it beforehand (Deut. 6:11-12; 8:13-14).

God had led them to green pastures. He had provided for their every need. The most difficult time to stay in good fellowship with the Lord is when everything is going great. We have a tendency to be like them, when things are running smooth. We take God for granted, and the first thing you know, we are backsliding. A believer in God never stands still. They are either pressing closer to God (usually in time of great trials), or they are drifting away from God. They had become comfortable and wandered away from God.

In return for such blessings, they should have acknowledged the Lord as their God and Savior (Hos. 13:4). Instead, they became proud and forgot Him (Hos. 13:6; cf. Hos. 2:13).

But once they came hither, the more pasture they had, the more they ate themselves full, and the more they ate themselves full, the more was their heart uplifted, so they forgat Me.

Again, when God fed them is literally, when they pastured. It describes sheep or cattle grazing peacefully. In return for such blessings, they should have acknowledged the Lord as their God and Savior (Hos. 13:4). Instead they became proud and forgot Him (Hos. 13:6; cf. comments on Hos. 2:13).

The final statement in this section (Hos. 2:2-13) summarizes Israel’s basic sin and the reason for the coming judgment: she had forgotten šāḵaḥ the Lord. The verb here does not refer to a mental lapse or loss of knowledge; it describes a refusal to acknowledge the Lord’s goodness and authority (cf. Hos. 8:14; 13:6). Moses had repeatedly urged the nation not to forget the Lord’s gracious deeds (Deut. 4:9; 8:11) and His demand for exclusive worship (Deut. 4:23; 6:12; 8:19; cf. 2Kgs. 17:38). However, in fulfillment of Moses’ prediction (cf. Deut. 31:27-29 with Deut. 32:18) Israel throughout her history forgot the Lord and worshiped false gods (cf. Jdg. 3:7; 1Sam. 12:9-10; Psm. 78:9-11; Jer. 23:27).