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Hosea

Hosea 
Day 
Day 23

"But Me she forgot"

Text: Hosea 2:13

THE WORSHIP OF GOLDEN CALVES

King Jeroboam the son of Nebat introduced the worship of golden calves (1 Kings 12:28). He presented the golden calves as the expression of the LORD God! He had broken the 2nd Commandment concerning the making of idolatrous images. He promoted a different religious system from which Israel never fully recovered!

THE WORSHIP OF BAAL

The worship of Baal was introduced by King Ahab the son of Omri. He was even worse than the first king, Jeroboam I. Ahab was murderous. He introduced the worship of Baal (1 Kings 16:31-33). He had broken the 1st Commandment. He had substituted the LORD with Baal. He was instigated by Jezebel who was a Sidonian princess. Together they provoked the LORD to wrath.

“‘I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,’ says the LORD.”
Hosea 2:13

1. “I will punish her”

a) Baal worship was worse than the worship of golden calves.
b) Whereas Calf worship was meant to be an idol representing God, Baal worship was to replace God altogether with another deity.
c) The first two Commandments were broken wantonly for which Israel would be punished.

2. “For the days of the Baals”

a) Baal worship involved feast days.
b) Special worship activities were planned for the devotees.

3. Israel dressing up

a) She decked herself with her earrings.
b) And other types of jewelry.
c) All devotees were supposed to dress in their fineries on those Baal feast days.

4. “She burned incense”

a) Incense were supposed to represent prayers offered to Baal.
b) Good incense was costly.

5. “And went after her lovers”

Baal was not the only deity worshipped. The Sidonians worshipped Ashtoreth (1 Kings 11:5).
Jezebel was a Sidonian. There were hundreds of false prophets who attended to “the royal family”.

6. “‘But Me she forgot,’ says the LORD”

a) Israel had conveniently forgotten the LORD God.
b) The LORD had been set aside and forsaken by Israel!