Thy Strong Word — Hosea 12: “Ah, But I Am Rich”

The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hosea 12.

Israel boasts of its wealth and prosperity, while YHWH reminds the people that he could easily take it all away. Prosperity does not equate to faithfulness or blessings. This chapter recalls the history of the Israelites, focusing on their ancestors Jacob and Moses. Hosea emphasizes the faithfulness of God throughout this history, despite the unfaithfulness of the people.

The book of Hosea is a love story with a twist. It tells how God commanded Hosea, a prophet, to marry Gomer, a wife who would be unfaithful to him. God wanted Hosea to feel firsthand the pain of betrayal as he sent him out to prophesy to the people of Israel how they had been unfaithful to God. Hosea still loved Gomer and pursued her and restored her as his wife. This was a picture of how God pursued Israel despite their sin and rebellion and offered them grace and mercy if they would return to Him.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Hosea 12

12 Ephraim feeds on the wind
    and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence;
    they make a covenant with Assyria,
    and oil is carried to Egypt.

The Lord‘s Indictment of Israel and Judah

²The Lord has an indictment against Judah
    and will punish Jacob according to his ways;
    he will repay him according to his deeds.
³In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
    and in his manhood he strove with God.
⁴He strove with the angel and prevailed;
    he wept and sought his favor.
He met God^[a] at Bethel,
    and there God spoke with us—
⁵the Lord, the God of hosts,
    the Lord is his memorial name:
⁶“So you, by the help of your God, return,
    hold fast to love and justice,
    and wait continually for your God.”

⁷A merchant, in whose hands are false balances,
    he loves to oppress.
⁸Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich;
    I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”
⁹I am the Lord your God
    from the land of Egypt;
I will again make you dwell in tents,
    as in the days of the appointed feast.

¹⁰I spoke to the prophets;
    it was I who multiplied visions,
    and through the prophets gave parables.
¹¹If there is iniquity in Gilead,
    they shall surely come to nothing:
in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;
    their altars also are like stone heaps
    on the furrows of the field.
¹²Jacob fled to the land of Aram;
    there Israel served for a wife,
    and for a wife he guarded sheep.
¹³By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt,
    and by a prophet he was guarded.
¹⁴Ephraim has given bitter provocation;
    so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him
    and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.

Footnotes

Hosea 12:4 Hebrew him

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.