Judgement on the Community
We are in the Law Courts. Yahweh’s case against Israel is clear and straightforward. What is lacking is a knowledge of God. The evidence is mixed. There is direct disobedience — the commandments are being broken. There are side-effects — violence is one sign of an unhappy society. And the effects are far-reaching — the desolation of the land and the failure of animals and fish make it clear that we are not just talking about minor, incidental or personal peccadilloes. We have a problem of community. All nature is groaning under the strain and the people know it. They feel it every day.
Who then is responsible? The prime responsibility has to be carried by the priests and prophets, partly because it is part of their duty to create and maintain a fair and healthy society and partly because if they are lacking in a knowledge of God what hope is there for the rest? So, ‘whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth’ and just as Jesus reserved his severest strictures for the Pharisees who in all Judaism were nearest to him in approach and attitude but whose prime motivation was also self-interest, so Hosea’s word is directed initially against those from whom most might reasonably have been expected.
Their offence? To say that it is immorality or idolatry may be too easy, though there is no lack of evidence (v 14). Closer reading of the text suggests it is putting their own interests before the needs of others — feeding on the people (v 8) — and resorting either to the popular cults of the day (v 12) or to the worship patterns of yesterday (v 13) whilst at the same time forgetting the true meaning of yesterday — their deliverance from Egypt by Yahweh. (v 14).
And the result? People go through the motions — good as well as bad — but find no meaning or satisfaction in them (v 10) as the community falls apart (v 14). Nor must they blame ‘the others’. The leaders may be irresponsible but the judgement is on all the people and all must accept some responsibility.