We read at the beginning of chapter 9 that there were times when God did not want His people to rejoice. Israel's worship of Baal meant that they were ″two-timing″ Him. Their songs of praise to Him were empty. But God was sickened not only by their compromised worship; verses 7-9 show us another reason why God insists they should not rejoice.

God was appalled by the way the people treated His prophet and His Word. Hosea's marriage to Gomer the prostitute was meant to be a sermon to the nation. Just as Hosea continued to love his unfaithful wife, so God continued to love His unfaithful people. But the nation didn't like it. They considered Hosea a fool, and sought to trip him up. And it was the religious leaders who gave him the hardest time of all (Hosea 9:7-8).

This shouldn't surprise us, of course. We far prefer to hear words that pat us on the back than those that sting. The problem with Hosea is that he keeps reminding the people of their numerous sins (v. 7). He even goes so far as to compare their present corruption with one of their most shameful past episodes: ″They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah″ (v. 9).

In Judges 19, a Levite's concubine was brutally raped and murdered by some bisexual men of Gibeah. ″Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt″ (Judges 19:30). But Hosea now says that Israel's sin is far worse! As if that isn't enough, the prophet speaks of their ultimate doom: ″the days of reckoning are at hand″ (Hosea 9:7).

God had sent Hosea to be a watchman (v. 8). The watchman's job was to stand on the walls, and to sound the alarm to warn the nation when he saw disaster approaching. That's what Hosea was doing, but the people would rather have someone sing them a soothing lullaby. Tragically, they didn't want to hear the Word that could have saved them.

So, God insists that as long as they refuse to listen to His words of warning, they should not rejoice.

Lord God, thank you for loving me enough to warn me. Help me to humble myself and to take your Word to heart, even when it stings, because you meant for it not to harm me but to make me more like Jesus. In His Name, amen.