Hosea 11:2

As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Hosea 11:2 (KJV)

Context

The book of Hosea is one of the prophetic books in the Old Testament. Hosea prophesied during a time when the northern kingdom of Israel was engulfed in idolatry and disobedience to God. In this verse, Hosea expresses God’s lament over the rebellion and unfaithfulness of His people.

Meaning

The verse begins by describing the people’s response when they were called. The “they” refers to the Israelites. Despite God’s call to follow Him and be obedient to His commandments, the people turned away from Him. They willfully rejected God’s guidance and pursued other gods. “Baalim” refers to the various idols and false gods worshipped by the Israelites. They sacrificed to these idols and burned incense before them, engaging in practices that were contrary to the worship of the true God.

The callers were the prophets of the Lord, sent to teach Israel and call them back to the worship and service of God. Yet the more the prophets called, the further Israel went away, turning a deaf ear and a back to them. This is a vivid picture of willful rebellion: Israel rejected God’s guidance and pursued other gods. The Targum paraphrases, “I sent the prophets to teach them, but they wandered from them.” Even Moses and Aaron were sent to call them out of Egypt, but the people were prone to turn away even then.

The Israelites’ idolatry had severe consequences. By turning away from God and embracing false gods, they broke their covenant relationship with Him. God had warned them of the consequences of idolatry, stating that He is a jealous God who will not tolerate the worship of other gods. The people’s rebellion led to their spiritual downfall and eventual exile.

Despite the people’s unfaithfulness, this verse also reveals God’s deep love for His people. In the preceding verse (Hosea 11:1), God declares His love for Israel, recounting how He called His son out of Egypt. However, the response of the people was one of rebellion and idolatry. God’s lament is expressed in the fact that He called them to Himself, but they chose to go away from Him and worship false gods.

Application

The message of Hosea 11:2 is not limited to the historical context of ancient Israel. It serves as a reminder to us today of the danger of idolatry and the consequences of turning away from God. As believers, we are called to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly, avoiding any form of idolatry or worship of false gods. We must examine our hearts and ensure that God has the rightful place of priority and authority in our lives.

This verse also warns against resisting God’s call. Repeated rejection leads to deeper bondage to sin and idolatry. True worship is directed to God alone, and any substitute is idolatry. Let us heed God’s call promptly and not harden our hearts, for He continues to call us in love and patience.