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"Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah"

Text: Hosea 5:8

WAR ON THE HORIZON

There were many reasons why Israel made special effort to seek God with flocks and herds. War was on the horizon. The fearful must have felt that they must make special efforts to see if they could secure blessings from God through offering their flocks and herds.

“Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
Cry aloud at Beth Aven,
‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!'”
Hosea 5:8

1. “Blow the ram’s horn”

a) This was sounded to alert people of enemies approaching.

b) And war was coming to Gibeah, a city in Benjamin.

2. “The trumpet in Ramah”

a) The trumpet was sounded too.

b) This is another term for the “ram’s horn”.

c) It was used to emphasize the sound of alarm that had to be sounded for war was going to erupt.

d) Ramah was another city in Benjamin.

3. “Cry aloud at Beth Aven”

a) This term was used as an alternative name for “Bethel”.

b) But where “Bethel” meant “House of God”.

c) Beth Aven means “House of Vanity”.

d) Bethel had become a popular shrine for many.

e) Israel had sought both God and the shrine at Beth Aven.

f) This approach to the worship of God was totally unacceptable.

4. “Look behind you, O Benjamin”

a) Benjamin was actually quite a large tribe.

b) It split into two parts when the Kingdom of Israel was divided.

i) One part sided with Israel.

ii) The other part sided with Judah (1 Kings 12:23-24).

c) This was an alert sent to Benjamin.

i) War would come to Israel.

ii) Benjamin would be engulfed and it would be destroyed for its many sins and idolatry.