Wine and new wine take away the understanding. My people consult a piece of wood, and their divining-rod gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their God. They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with whores, and sacrifice with temple prostitutes; thus a people without understanding comes to ruin. (Hosea 4: 11-14)

I am inclined to distraction, superstition, and illusions.

A few minutes after I have completed this study and meditation I will consult my horoscope.

Later today I will attend church. There I will participate in rituals that are pleasant to me. I will enjoy the company of friends and neighbors. I will not necessarily open my heart and mind to God.

This week most of my time and energy will be spent seeking to seduce others to some action. The action could, perhaps, be beneficial to them. I am more certain it will be beneficial to me.

The spirit of zanuwn - harlotry, self-indulgence, and whore-mongering - has led me astray.

My life is ta'ah. I am wandering. I am staggering like a drunk. I lack direction.

Prophets show the way. Teachers explain how. God provides. But I must choose.

The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; they changed their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds. They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply;because they have forsaken the Lord to devote themselves to whoredom. (Hosea 4: 7-11)

I will punish them.

The Hebrew verb is paqad. Punish is a possible translation. Other translations are even more common.

The verb can also mean to be appointed, visited, attended to, or gathered. The most common translation is numbered.

Repay them for their deeds.

The Hebrew verb is shuwb. The verb is used 625 times in the Bible. In the New American Standard translation repay is used only five times.

Much more common is to understand shuwb as meaning bring back, or return, or recover, or restore, or bring.

What is God's intention?

When they were young my children sometimes felt they were being punished when my intention was only to be very seriously engaged with them.

Above is The Punishment of the Thieves by William Blake.

Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Hosea 4: 4-6)

God's people are destroyed by lack of knowledge. The Hebrew can also be translated as "God's people are cut-off by lack of discernment."

The Hebrew da'ath is much more than what we usually mean by knowledge. When we say someone is smart, we do not automatically mean someone is wise.

To have da'ath is to be perceptive, skilled, knowledgable, discerning, and wise. It is not just to know the parts, but to understand the whole.

The priests are accused of having rejected da'ath. The priests have misled the people. Both priests and people are in need of redemption.

Historical and archeological evidence suggests priests of the Northern Kingdom were receptive to external cultural and religious influence.

Any close reading of scripture acknowledges a diverse religious heritage. Much of what we think we know of God has its origins outside scripture.

What is essential to our understanding of God? How do we discern God's intention? How do we distinguish God's preference from our own preferences?

Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel; for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land. Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing. (Hosea 4: 1-3)

The Lord has a riyb 'im. The Lord has an indictment against, a quarrel with, or a pleading among the inhabitants of the land. The meaning depends on context.

In this context evidence is cited. There is an absence of 'emeth (stablity, reliability, or faithfulness), an absence of checed (goodness, love, or kindness), and an absence of da'ath (discernment, wisdom, or knowledge) of God.

The pleading suggests that due to the absense of the preceding characteristics specific problems have emerged. These include 'alah (swearing or cursing), kachash (lies or deception), ratsach (assasination or murder), ganab (stealthy behavior or stealing), and na'aph (adultery or idolatry).

The context suggests a cause and effect relationship. The absence of certain qualities has resulted in specific outcomes.

The problems are not presented as a form of external punishment, but rather as the natural outcome of behavior and choice.

The Lord said to me again, ‘Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.’ So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine. And I said to her, ‘You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.’ For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterwards the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3: 1-5)

Hosea is instructed to love Gomer. But he will not have sexual relations with her. This is a love - 'ahab - that is especially restrained.

It is an analogy for the relationship between the Israelites and God.

God does and will continue to love the Israelites. But certain gifts of love will be withdrawn until an authentic love for God has been renewed.

Love without sex is complicated, even more complicated than sex without love.

Sex can be a celebration - even a consecration - of human love. But the Israelites have been unfaithful and indiscriminate in their intimacy.

Rather than consecration they chose variation. Instead of love they chose self-indulgence.

Sensuality differs from loving intimacy. The Israelites have developed a fetish for raisin cakes. God seeks to replace the fetish with the wholeness of reciprocal affection and relationship.

Above is Intimacy by Vlad Gansovsky

On that day I will answer, says the Lord, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth; and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel; and I will sow him for myself in the land. And I will have pity on Lo-ruhamah, and I will say to Lo-ammi, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ (Hosea 2: 21-23)

The heavens ask God. The earth asks the heavens. What is the question?

The grain, new wine, and oil ask the earth. They answer the first born son of the prophet.

What was his question?

What is the question that you fear to ask? What is the question that you burn to ask?

Only by asking can there be a response. In asking we acknowledge our needs.

In opening to God's response we fulfill a critical role in the reconciliation of creation with the Creator.

Ask and listen.

For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will take you for my wife for ever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord. (Hosea 2: 17-20)

Israel has pursued the wrong purposes. Gomer has chosen the wrong masters. Each has exchanged ultimate value for ephemeral value.

These choices will not produce happy results. Sooner or later these choices will bring trouble. But God is working to seduce Israel and Gomer away from these poor choices.

God will convert the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope. God will even use the troubles as part of the seduction.

When the ephemeral is put away and the ultimate is embraced then God's intention will be realized: a harmonious relationship with the natural world and no war between men.

In accepting God's intention as our purpose we will experience the fruits of righteousness, justice, love, mercy and faith.