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Notes

2010-09-11 22:36:14

2014-07-25 14:34:47

Central Idea Be warned that judgment is coming Benjamin (and Judah)! The Lord himself will rot you away and tear you to pieces that in the end you will seek his face. Why Gibeah, Ramah, Beth-aven, and Benjamin? The first three names are cities that are found in the land possessed by the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:11-28). Thus, these verses are, at the very least, warning the tribe of Benjamin of the approaching judgment of God. (For occasions of when the shofar and trumpet are used in the Bible, see the end.) The question that remains is whether more is being said with the particular cities chosen here. Cross-referencing Gibeah in Hosea leads us to the phrase "days of Gibeah" in 9:9 and 10:9, a probable referent to Judg 19-20 where the rape and murder of a Levite's concubine leads to war of the rest of Israel against Benjamin. All these cities, in fact, converge in that story. The Levite intends to lodge in either Ramah or Gibeah and ends up choosing the latter. Then Bethel is where the remaining tribes gather and decide to fight Benjamin. But is there an intentional connection here? If so, what is the significance for how we understand the passage at hand? The Word Biblical Commentary also presents an possible explanation of the choice of cities listed. This verse describes an invasion of the territory of Benjamin from the south, ie, from Judah. The enemy is portrayed as advancing along the main mountain road from Jerusalem through Bethel and thereafter into the heart of Ephraim. Gibeah, only three miles north of Jerusalem, is the first to be attacked; then Ramah, five miles north of Jerusalem; and finally Bethel, eleven miles north of Jerusalem, on the northern border of Benjamin. (Beth-Awen is a derogatory substitute name for Bethel; see 4:15.) Along this route, in the opposite direction (Judg 20:18, 19) Israelite troops had once attacked Gibeah in response to a heinous crime committed in that city during the days of the judges (Judg 19–20). Judah's inclusion For the first time in the book of Hosea, Judah begins to be more significantly included. The southern kingdom has been mentioned prior to this, but just in a passing reference. Here, they are surprisingly addressed almost as much as the north (Ephraim). It appears that as time has progressed, Israel's guilt indeed has spread to Judah, something the words of 4:15 particularly sought to prevent. What are "those who move a landmark" like? If the WBC's interpretation quoted above is correct, then this phrase is likely speaking of Judah's presumptuous and evil act of taking land from the tribe of Benjamin. Be this the case or not, we ought to ask about the heart behind the crime. Prov 23:10-11 gives us a hint. Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. The ancient landmarks were the lines of inheritance that the Lord had determined (via lot) with the conquest of Canaan. We can also see here that the victim of the landmark move is weak, be it physically or socially/politically. We can observe this from the fact they are put in parallel with the fatherless and the fact their Redeemer is, by contrast, called strong. So the issue at hand is humble grace-orientation vs. presumptuous survival-of-the-fittest. The one who moves a landmark does not meekly receive with thanksgiving the boundary lines given to him by the Lord as a generous gift. Rather, he disregards God's design and takes up the attitude of "I am stronger, therefore I will take." Where do our hearts land? Who determines to go after filth? As we have already seen in Hosea and can see in almost all the prophets, idolatry is rightly portrayed as stupid. (Whether "filth" is the best translation here or something rather like "nothingness," the point remains.) This is repeated over and again in the Scriptures because it must be preached over and again to our hearts. We can connect it to the light of John 3:19-21. The child who sneaks to the kitchen in the middle of the night in order to steal cookies keeps the light off to conceal his transgression. But little does he know that not only would the light reveal his crime, but also the fact that the cookies he is enjoying are full of mold and maggots. Let us not go after filth. Let us come to the light which is Jesus. God--like mold and rot, like a ravenous lion! These words do not leave much room for those who claim that suffering only comes as a result of natural consequences to sin, and not the Lord's doing in judgment or discipline of sin. Let us follow the incredible, fear-inducing progression. It begins in vs12 with God's initial judgment of eating away at Israel and Judah. This is not a sudden downfall, but an inescapable corruptive force like mold or rot. What is the response? They see their sickness (a third slowly corruptive metaphor) and turn to the great king of Assyria for help. But this cannot work. Assyria cannot heal your wound because I have given the wound! says the Lord. More than that, Assyria cannot heal their wound because the Lord will now come as a lion! His judgment was rotting them slowly, but not shall consume them in terror as a lion jumps upon his victim. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (See Heb 10:26-30.) Ought we to seek the Lord because of distress? We mentioned in the notes on 5:1-7 that the Lord does not desire and does not accept the "seeking" which is wholly founded in the fact one is in trouble and it seems the Lord could help. Nonetheless, we can clearly see here and would be wise to point out that this does not mean a distressful situation can have no good effect. It can and is designed to do just that in the passage at hand. The difference is found in what is being sought in a person or nation's seeking--mere relief or the Lord's face. The latter includes the former, while the former is merely expedient. Perhaps a couple select verses on this subject will serve us. Notice the connections between seeking the Lord's face and desiring the Lord's justice and help. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (Is 26:8-9) O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Ps 63:1–8) Biblical Occasions for blowing the Shofar (with example verses) day of Atonement (Lev 25:9) rousing people to battle (Judges 3:27) warning of danger--ex: approaching army, day of the Lord (Jer 4:19) announcing victory in battle (1Sam 13:3) stopping an offensive (2Sam 2:28) worship (2Sam 6:15) announcing a new king (2Sam 15:10; 1Kings 1:34) Biblical Occasions for Blowing the trumpet (with example verses) summoning & breaking camp (Num 10:1-8) when going to war, to elicit the Lord's help (Num 10:9; 2Chr 13:14) on feast days and new moons, over the sacrifices to be a reminder of the people before the Lord (Num 10:10; 2Chron 29:26) announcing a new king (2Kings 11:14) worship (Ps 98:6; Ezra 3:10)

10000000049354 49354 Notes 2010-09-11 22:36:14 2014-07-25 14:34:47 Central Idea Be warned that judgment is coming Benjamin (and Judah)! The Lord himself will rot you away and tear you to pieces that in the end you will seek his face. Why Gibeah, Ramah, Beth-aven, and Benjamin? The first three names are cities that are found in the land possessed by the tribe of Benjamin (Josh 18:11-28). Thus, these verses are, at the very least, warning the tribe of Benjamin of the approaching judgment of God. (For occasions of when the shofar and trumpet are used in the Bible, see the end.) The question that remains is whether more is being said with the particular cities chosen here. Cross-referencing Gibeah in Hosea leads us to the phrase "days of Gibeah" in 9:9 and 10:9, a probable referent to Judg 19-20 where the rape and murder of a Levite's concubine leads to war of the rest of Israel against Benjamin. All these cities, in fact, converge in that story. The Levite intends to lodge in either Ramah or Gibeah and ends up choosing the latter. Then Bethel is where the remaining tribes gather and decide to fight Benjamin. But is there an intentional connection here? If so, what is the significance for how we understand the passage at hand? The Word Biblical Commentary also presents an possible explanation of the choice of cities listed. This verse describes an invasion of the territory of Benjamin from the south, ie, from Judah. The enemy is portrayed as advancing along the main mountain road from Jerusalem through Bethel and thereafter into the heart of Ephraim. Gibeah, only three miles north of Jerusalem, is the first to be attacked; then Ramah, five miles north of Jerusalem; and finally Bethel, eleven miles north of Jerusalem, on the northern border of Benjamin. (Beth-Awen is a derogatory substitute name for Bethel; see 4:15.) Along this route, in the opposite direction (Judg 20:18, 19) Israelite troops had once attacked Gibeah in response to a heinous crime committed in that city during the days of the judges (Judg 19–20). Judah's inclusion For the first time in the book of Hosea, Judah begins to be more significantly included. The southern kingdom has been mentioned prior to this, but just in a passing reference. Here, they are surprisingly addressed almost as much as the north (Ephraim). It appears that as time has progressed, Israel's guilt indeed has spread to Judah, something the words of 4:15 particularly sought to prevent. What are "those who move a landmark" like? If the WBC's interpretation quoted above is correct, then this phrase is likely speaking of Judah's presumptuous and evil act of taking land from the tribe of Benjamin. Be this the case or not, we ought to ask about the heart behind the crime. Prov 23:10-11 gives us a hint. Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you. The ancient landmarks were the lines of inheritance that the Lord had determined (via lot) with the conquest of Canaan. We can also see here that the victim of the landmark move is weak, be it physically or socially/politically. We can observe this from the fact they are put in parallel with the fatherless and the fact their Redeemer is, by contrast, called strong. So the issue at hand is humble grace-orientation vs. presumptuous survival-of-the-fittest. The one who moves a landmark does not meekly receive with thanksgiving the boundary lines given to him by the Lord as a generous gift. Rather, he disregards God's design and takes up the attitude of "I am stronger, therefore I will take." Where do our hearts land? Who determines to go after filth? As we have already seen in Hosea and can see in almost all the prophets, idolatry is rightly portrayed as stupid. (Whether "filth" is the best translation here or something rather like "nothingness," the point remains.) This is repeated over and again in the Scriptures because it must be preached over and again to our hearts. We can connect it to the light of John 3:19-21. The child who sneaks to the kitchen in the middle of the night in order to steal cookies keeps the light off to conceal his transgression. But little does he know that not only would the light reveal his crime, but also the fact that the cookies he is enjoying are full of mold and maggots. Let us not go after filth. Let us come to the light which is Jesus. God--like mold and rot, like a ravenous lion! These words do not leave much room for those who claim that suffering only comes as a result of natural consequences to sin, and not the Lord's doing in judgment or discipline of sin. Let us follow the incredible, fear-inducing progression. It begins in vs12 with God's initial judgment of eating away at Israel and Judah. This is not a sudden downfall, but an inescapable corruptive force like mold or rot. What is the response? They see their sickness (a third slowly corruptive metaphor) and turn to the great king of Assyria for help. But this cannot work. Assyria cannot heal your wound because I have given the wound! says the Lord. More than that, Assyria cannot heal their wound because the Lord will now come as a lion! His judgment was rotting them slowly, but not shall consume them in terror as a lion jumps upon his victim. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (See Heb 10:26-30.) Ought we to seek the Lord because of distress? We mentioned in the notes on 5:1-7 that the Lord does not desire and does not accept the "seeking" which is wholly founded in the fact one is in trouble and it seems the Lord could help. Nonetheless, we can clearly see here and would be wise to point out that this does not mean a distressful situation can have no good effect. It can and is designed to do just that in the passage at hand. The difference is found in what is being sought in a person or nation's seeking--mere relief or the Lord's face. The latter includes the former, while the former is merely expedient. Perhaps a couple select verses on this subject will serve us. Notice the connections between seeking the Lord's face and desiring the Lord's justice and help. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (Is 26:8-9) O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Ps 63:1–8) Biblical Occasions for blowing the Shofar (with example verses) day of Atonement (Lev 25:9) rousing people to battle (Judges 3:27) warning of danger--ex: approaching army, day of the Lord (Jer 4:19) announcing victory in battle (1Sam 13:3) stopping an offensive (2Sam 2:28) worship (2Sam 6:15) announcing a new king (2Sam 15:10; 1Kings 1:34) Biblical Occasions for Blowing the trumpet (with example verses) summoning & breaking camp (Num 10:1-8) when going to war, to elicit the Lord's help (Num 10:9; 2Chr 13:14) on feast days and new moons, over the sacrifices to be a reminder of the people before the Lord (Num 10:10; 2Chron 29:26) announcing a new king (2Kings 11:14) worship (Ps 98:6; Ezra 3:10) notes