At Dawn the King of Israel Shall be Cut Off Utterly

God's people were living in a broken society. They have corrupted their religious practice, ruining their altars and temple pillars. Their civil practice was also broken and they have no king. They continue with their idolatry and alliance with pagan nations steeped in idolatry.

The metaphor with farming is quite clear. It uses concepts of plowing wickedness and reaping iniquity, to describe the consequences of their rebelliousness. Wickedness and iniquity are not physical objects of farming so the verses are clearly allegorical. Whereas when it describes the breaking down of civil order, it is quite literal. For example when it describes that the king of Israel will be cut off literally, we know that the kingdom was conquered and the king removed.




Hosea 10
Israel’s Sin and Captivity

1 Israel empties his vine;
He brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit
He has increased the altars;
According to the bounty of his land
They have embellished his sacred pillars.
2 Their heart is divided;
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.
3 For now they say,
“We have no king,
Because we did not fear the Lord.
And as for a king, what would he do for us?”
4 They have spoken words,
Swearing falsely in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria fear
Because of the calf[a] of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
And its priests shriek for it—
Because its glory has departed from it.
6 The idol also shall be carried to Assyria
As a present for King Jareb.
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.
8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
They shall say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
9 “O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah;
There they stood.
The battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity[b]
Did not overtake them.
10 When it is My desire, I will chasten them.
Peoples shall be gathered against them
When I bind them for their two transgressions.[c]
11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
That loves to thresh grain;
But I harnessed her fair neck,
I will make Ephraim pull a plow.
Judah shall plow;
Jacob shall break his clods.”
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.
14 Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,
And all your fortresses shall be plundered
As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—
A mother dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
Because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
Shall be cut off utterly.

The Burden Against Moab

Following the proclamation of the destruction of Assyria and Babylon, this chapter proclaims the destruction of Moab. It appears to list the cities of Moab that will be destroyed including Ar, Kir, Dibon, Nebo, Heshbon and Elealeh. There will be lots of weeping, even the armed soldiers of Moab will cry out. Other places mentioned are Hononaim, Nimrim, Eglaim, Dimon. Although Moab had not conquered Judah and Israel, it had been a thorn to them on various occasions.



Isaiah 15
Proclamation Against Moab

1 The burden against Moab.
Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste
And destroyed,
Because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste
And destroyed,
2 He has gone up to the temple[a] and Dibon,
To the high places to weep.
Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba;
On all their heads will be baldness,
And every beard cut off.
3 In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth;
On the tops of their houses
And in their streets
Everyone will wail, weeping bitterly.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out,
Their voice shall be heard as far as Jahaz;
Therefore the armed soldiers[b] of Moab will cry out;
His life will be burdensome to him.
5 “My heart will cry out for Moab;
His fugitives shall flee to Zoar,
Like a three-year-old heifer.[c]
For by the Ascent of Luhith
They will go up with weeping;
For in the way of Horonaim
They will raise up a cry of destruction,
6 For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate,
For the green grass has withered away;
The grass fails, there is nothing green.
7 Therefore the abundance they have gained,
And what they have laid up,
They will carry away to the Brook of the Willows.
8 For the cry has gone all around the borders of Moab,
Its wailing to Eglaim
And its wailing to Beer Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon[d] will be full of blood;
Because I will bring more upon Dimon,[e]
Lions upon him who escapes from Moab,
And on the remnant of the land.”

For the Lord of Hosts has Purposed, And who will Annul it?

The opening paragraph makes it clear that God's original plan for Israel / Jacob has not changed and that they will prevail, despite the judgment they had to endure. This is followed by a declaration of the downfall of the oppressor whom God used as an instrument against His people. This instrument appears to be the King of Babylon. He is described as "Scepter of the rulers" and "He who ruled the nations in danger".

The next section described the Enemy, the one who has "fallen from heaven", who said of himself "‘I will ascend into heaven" and "I will be like the Most High". Following this, it also named the city to be destroyed as Babylon,  "I will sweep it with the broom of destruction".

Another nation that will also be destroyed is Assyria. It also challenges and says of Assyria that "For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it?" The final paragraph seems to describe the destruction of Philistia. It appears that they were oppressed by King Ahaz, but the next kings will be the ones who bring destruction to them.



Isaiah 14
Mercy on Jacob

1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. 2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.


Fall of the King of Babylon

3 It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:

“How the oppressor has ceased,
The golden[a] city ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers;
6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger,
Is persecuted and no one hinders.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
They break forth into singing.
8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
And the cedars of Lebanon,
Saying, ‘Since you were cut down,
No woodsman has come up against us.’
9 “Hell from beneath is excited about you,
To meet you at your coming;
It stirs up the dead for you,
All the chief ones of the earth;
It has raised up from their thrones
All the kings of the nations.
10 They all shall speak and say to you:
‘Have you also become as weak as we?
Have you become like us?
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
And the sound of your stringed instruments;
The maggot is spread under you,
And worms cover you.’


The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer,[b] son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
18 “All the kings of the nations,
All of them, sleep in glory,
Everyone in his own house;
19 But you are cast out of your grave
Like an abominable branch,
Like the garment of those who are slain,
Thrust through with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit,
Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
Because you have destroyed your land
And slain your people.
The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children
Because of the iniquity of their fathers,
Lest they rise up and possess the land,
And fill the face of the world with cities.”


Babylon Destroyed

22 “For I will rise up against them,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant,
And offspring and posterity,” says the Lord.
23 “I will also make it a possession for the porcupine,
And marshes of muddy water;
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.


Assyria Destroyed

24 The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:
25 That I will break the Assyrian in My land,
And on My mountains tread him underfoot.
Then his yoke shall be removed from them,
And his burden removed from their shoulders.
26 This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
And who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
And who will turn it back?”


Philistia Destroyed

28 This is the burden which came in the year that King Ahaz died.

29 “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia,
Because the rod that struck you is broken;
For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper,
And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.
30 The firstborn of the poor will feed,
And the needy will lie down in safety;
I will kill your roots with famine,
And it will slay your remnant.
31 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city!
All you of Philistia are dissolved;
For smoke will come from the north,
And no one will be alone in his appointed times.”
32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation?
That the Lord has founded Zion,
And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.

It Is Good To Give Thanks To The LORD

Following from the previous psalm of recognizing those who dwell in the LORD will be protected, this psalm encourages thanksgiving and praise to God. It even lists the musical instruments for music for praise such as strings, lute and harp.

It reminds us that God ultimately triumphs. It even suggests that wicked ones spring up just so that they can be finally destroyed by God. In contrast, the righteous will flourish and be fruitful even till old age.


Psalm 92
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

 1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
         And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
         And Your faithfulness every night,
 3 On an instrument of ten strings,
         On the lute,
         And on the harp,
         With harmonious sound.
 4 For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
         I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
        
 5 O LORD, how great are Your works!
         Your thoughts are very deep.
 6 A senseless man does not know,
         Nor does a fool understand this.
 7 When the wicked spring up like grass,
         And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
         It is that they may be destroyed forever.
        
 8 But You, LORD, are on high forevermore.
 9 For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
         For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
         All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
        
 10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
         I have been anointed with fresh oil.
 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
         My ears hear my desire on the wicked
         Who rise up against me.
        
 12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
         He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
 13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
         Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
         They shall be fresh and flourishing,
 15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
         He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.