Hosea Chapter 13
“I Will Be Your King”
A. Two pictures of judgment.
1. Hosea 13:1–3
“When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen, they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.”
a. When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel.
There was a time when Ephraim spoke with humility and reverence, trembling before God. In those days, the tribe held influence and honor in Israel because it recognized the authority of the Lord. Their exaltation was not self made but granted by God. This reflects a foundational biblical principle, that God exalts the humble and resists the proud.
b. But when he offended in Baal, he died.
Spiritual death followed idolatry. Though Ephraim remained politically active and economically prosperous for a season, their offense against God severed the source of true life. Idolatry always leads to death, even if that death is delayed or masked by outward success. Hosea emphasizes that Baal worship was not a minor error but a fatal rebellion.
c. Now they sin more and more.
Rather than learning from the consequences of earlier idolatry, Israel doubled down. Sin multiplied because rebellion was no longer restrained by conscience or repentance. Once a nation crosses the threshold of rejecting God, sin does not remain static, it escalates. Each act of rebellion demands a deeper one to justify the last.
d. Molten images of their silver, all of it the work of the craftsmen.
The absurdity of idolatry is highlighted. Objects created by human hands are elevated to divine status. Israel worshipped what they themselves produced. This is a complete inversion of reality, where the Creator is rejected and the creation is exalted.
e. Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
This phrase reflects ritual devotion and reverence toward idols. The act of kissing an idol symbolized submission, allegiance, and worship. Many scholars note that the phrase may also imply human sacrifice, particularly child sacrifice, a practice Hosea has already condemned.
Hosea 9:13
“Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.”
Idolatry dehumanizes worshippers, leading them to sacrifice what is most precious to what is utterly lifeless.
f. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud.
Because Israel trusted idols and self made religion, they would become unstable and transient. Morning clouds and early dew appear briefly and vanish quickly. Chaff is weightless and driven away. Smoke dissipates without leaving substance behind. These images emphasize fragility, impermanence, and inevitable disappearance. A nation detached from God cannot endure.
2. Hosea 13:4–8
“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me, for there is no saviour beside me.
I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
According to their pasture, so were they filled, they were filled, and their heart was exalted, therefore have they forgotten me.
Therefore I will be unto them as a lion, as a leopard by the way will I observe them.
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion, the wild beast shall tear them.”
a. Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt.
God declares His unchanging identity. Israel changed, but the Lord did not. He was still their Redeemer, their covenant God, and their only Savior. Their rejection of Him did not diminish His authority. The problem was never ignorance, but willful disobedience.
b. There is no saviour beside Me.
This is a clear declaration of exclusive divine sovereignty. Political alliances, idols, and wealth could not save Israel. Salvation belongs to the Lord alone.
Isaiah 43:11
“I, even I, am the LORD, and beside me there is no saviour.”
Israel’s tragedy was that they sought deliverance everywhere except from the only One who could provide it.
c. I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
God reminds Israel of their origins. He cared for them when they were helpless, vulnerable, and entirely dependent upon Him. In the wilderness, they had no resources except God Himself. His knowledge of them is relational and covenantal, marked by provision and protection.
d. According to their pasture, so were they filled.
When God blessed Israel with abundance, security, and prosperity, they responded with pride rather than gratitude. Full stomachs produced exalted hearts. Prosperity dulled spiritual sensitivity and replaced dependence with self confidence.
e. Therefore have they forgotten Me.
Forgetting God does not mean losing awareness of His existence, it means living as though He no longer matters. Israel maintained religious forms while abandoning covenant loyalty. This pattern recurs throughout Scripture and history, prosperity often breeds complacency, and complacency leads to apostasy.
f. Therefore I will be unto them as a lion.
Because gentle correction was ignored, God would come in judgment. The imagery intensifies progressively. A lion represents overpowering force, a leopard sudden attack, and a bear deprived of her cubs uncontrollable fury. These are not random metaphors but deliberate portrayals of unstoppable judgment.
g. The wild beast shall tear them.
The judgment would be violent, unavoidable, and devastating. God is not cruel, but He is just. When blessing is despised and mercy rejected, judgment becomes the only remaining means of correction. Israel would learn what they refused to acknowledge, that their survival depended entirely upon the Lord.
B. God, the only hope of Israel.
1. Hosea 13:9–11
“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help.
I will be thy king, where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.”
a. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help.
The Lord places responsibility squarely where it belongs. Israel’s ruin was self inflicted. Their idolatry, pride, and rejection of God led directly to their destruction. Yet even in this indictment, mercy shines through. Though Israel destroyed itself, help was still found in the Lord. God had not ceased to be their Savior. Judgment did not cancel grace. If Israel would only turn back, the same God who disciplined them stood ready to help and restore.
b. I will be thy king, where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities?
God reasserts His rightful role as Israel’s King. No human ruler, judge, or political structure could save them. Their cities, fortifications, and institutions offered no protection apart from God. This exposes the emptiness of human authority when divorced from divine rule. The Lord alone possessed the power to deliver, defend, and preserve Israel.
c. I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
Israel’s demand for a king was ultimately a rejection of God’s kingship.
1 Samuel 8:7
“And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
God granted Israel what they insisted upon, not as a blessing but as a judgment. The kings they received reflected their own desires and character. When those kings failed and were removed, it served as further discipline. God sometimes judges by giving people exactly what they ask for, allowing them to experience the consequences of their misplaced trust.
2. Hosea 13:12–16
“The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hid.
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him, he is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, O death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction, repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up, he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God, they shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.”
a. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hid.
Israel’s sin was carefully stored, not forgotten. Bound up and hid indicates that judgment had been delayed, not canceled. God had patiently restrained punishment, but the record of guilt remained intact. This underscores the biblical truth that delayed judgment is not denied judgment.
b. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him.
Judgment is pictured as labor pains, sudden, unavoidable, and increasingly intense. Israel is described as an unwise son who lingers at the point of birth, refusing to emerge. This illustrates their refusal to repent. They remained stuck in rebellion, resisting the very moment that could lead to new life.
c. I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death.
In the midst of severe judgment language, God suddenly declares His power to redeem. Sin and death are not beyond His authority. Though Israel faces devastation in the near term, God’s redemptive purposes extend beyond death itself. This statement reaches far beyond Hosea’s immediate context and points to ultimate resurrection victory.
d. O death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction.
God speaks as the conqueror of death and the grave. These forces, which appear invincible, are powerless before Him. This verse anticipates the resurrection hope fulfilled in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
Paul draws on this passage to proclaim the believer’s triumph over death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is promised to Israel nationally finds its fullest expression in Christ personally and universally for all who are in Him.
e. Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come.
Ephraim’s name means fruitful, yet fruitfulness without faith cannot save. The east wind, a symbol of devastating judgment, comes from the Lord Himself. Prosperity will be stripped away. Springs and fountains, symbols of life and blessing, will dry up. Everything Israel trusted in materially will be plundered.
f. Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God.
The chapter closes with sobering realism. Samaria, the capital of Israel, represents the nation’s rebellion. The judgment described is horrific, reflecting the brutal realities of ancient warfare. These consequences are not exaggerated, nor are they unjust. They are the result of persistent rebellion against God.
Yet even here, judgment does not nullify God’s earlier declaration of redemption. Hosea holds both truths together, severe chastening in history, and ultimate hope in God alone. Israel’s only hope, in life, in judgment, and beyond death, is the Lord Himself.
