9 “Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel, and there you have remained. Will not war again overtake the evildoers in Gibeah? 10 When I please, I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin. 11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground. 12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. 13 But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, 14 the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated—as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children. 15 So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed.
This passage also seems to have been written at a time when Israel was still prosperous since the nation, on the surface at least, appears strong with a large army and fortifications. Gibeah is notorious in the book of Judges as the site of a horrible crime that caused a war. It also was Saul’s capital and he, of course, was rejected by God. By mentioning Gibeah here, the prophecy implies that Israel will meet the same fate: a terrible war, defeat, a king deposed and killed. The nations (that is the Gentiles) will come together and defeat Israel.
Hosea loves to paint images in order to express his points. Earlier he portrayed Israel as an adulterer, a badly behaved child, unfruitful grape vines and fig trees. Now the people are represented by a heifer. Verse 11 refers to the practice of putting a cow to work at a very young age. Being young and fragile, they could not do much and so they were sent to walk over the grain on the threshing floor. They did this until the grain separated from the ear. This was an easy job and, since the young cows could eat some of the grain, very pleasant. But as the cow got older and stronger her job became more difficult for she was yoked and made to plough fields. The heifer Israel, however, has rebelled against this and wants to return to the easier life.
In other words, Israel has refused to mature into an adult relationship with God but wants to stay as children. This is by no means unique to ancient Israel for Paul complained that the Corinthians were behaving the same way. The same is true of many Christians today, and we may resist the harder jobs that God gives us. As Paula Gooder puts it: “Ploughing may not be as enjoyable as threshing, but without it new seeds cannot be planted for harvesting.”
In verse 12, Hosea continues the agricultural metaphor with God calling on the people to sow righteousness and reap kindness, and then he will send the rain of righteousness upon them. He will refresh them and give them all they need for life. However, the people refuse this and, Hosea tells us in verse 13, they have ploughed wickedness instead of love and so they reap iniquity. They eat the fruit of lies since they trusted only in themselves and their strength. They have done the opposite of everything they were asked to do. They will reap destruction from this.
The theme of war is also introduced here with the mention of the Israelite military which the people and their leaders trust over God. Certainly, Israel had a huge number of chariots at the time of Ahab – more than any of its neighbors. They thought that having a strong army would protect them but sadly their confidence was misplaced. God longed to rain down gifts on his people but they rejected him and indulged in self-destructive behavior instead. The chapter ends on the reckoning that will come for this. As the nation trusted in its army and war machine, so it will be destroyed in war and the monarchy overturned.
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