Hosea 9

Hosea prayed this prayer when he forsaw the tremendous suffering, pain, and destruction that Israel's sin would bring.

"v. 7 The days of punishment are coming,
the days of reckoning are at hand.
Let Israel know this.
Because your sins are so many
and your hostility so great,
the prophet is considered a fool,
the inspired maniac.

v.10 When I found Israel,
it was like finding grapes in the desert;
when I saw your fathers,
it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,
they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol
and became as vile as the thing they loved.
Even if they rear children,
I will bereave them of every one.
Woe to them
when I turn away from them!"

Woe to us!

Whenever I see the word WOE, I believe it means

listen-up, take heed, and don't do this again!

My commentary says:

"By the time Israel began to experience the consequences of its sins,

it was no longer listening to God's messengers.

The Prophets spoke clearly about what was to happen.

We all listen and read selectively -

focusing on what seems to support our present life-style.

By doing this we are likely to miss

the warning we need most.

LISTEN carefully to opposite viewpoints,

question yourself often,

ask yourself "is there something I need to change?"