Chapter 2

Chesed

Enduring Love

Hope Burns Eternal...

Speaking of the day of reconciliation, Yahuweh makes these promises to those who have just broken His heart: " And in that day will I make a beriyth for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky, and creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the earth, making them to lie down safely." (Hosea 2:18) Redemption is about peace, about ending death’s sting. The Prince of Peace, the Messiah, will end man’s propensity for war. This will occur in the Millennium - the seventh day, the one thousand year Sabbath that follows the Tribulation and the restoration of Israel. Therefore, this prophecy is Messianic, complementing the opening of Isaiah 11 where we are told that as the result of a Nazarene from Jesse’s lineage with the Spirit of Yahuweh resting on Him, all on earth will live in peace.

The word translated "beasts" is chayah. It actually means: "to revive and make alive again, to give the promise of renewed life, to nourish, preserve, repair, and restore." Field is sadeh, more correctly rendered: "pasture, or cultivated land where things grow." Birds are depicted as angels, owph, "creatures with wings that can fly." And the sky is as you would expect, shamayim, or "heaven." The "creeping things of the ground" are really remes adamah, which means "animals that move about on earth." It is a picture of God’s ultimate renewal. 

With the intermission over, Yahuweh confirms that He is remarrying Israel. And the wedding is replete with all of the New Covenant trimmings. " And I will betroth you unto Me forever; yes, I will marry you to Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in unfailing kindness, devotion (chesed - loyal love, enduring kindness, steadfast affection, glory and favor), and in compassion (rachamin - mercy, implying relationship). I will even betroth you unto Me in trustworthy security (emunah - faithfulness, steadfastness, and truth). And you shall understand (yada - know as the result of information, wisdom and skill in judgment, with a focus on relationship) the LORD." (Hosea 2:19-20) After all of this it’s hard to believe that the clerics and scholars, the pastors and priests, could be so cold and heartless, so callous. The verse actually ends with, "And you shall know Yahuweh," and yet in most every translation I own scholars etched out God’s name and replaced it with Baal’s. I can only assume they knew one but not the other.

During the wedding celebration great songs will be sung.." Come I Am’s (ehayah) day or age (yom), I will hear a melody (lanwt), Yahuweh declares prophetically (neum), a melody of the heavens and a melody the earth. And the earth’s melody sings to the grain, the new wine, and the oil. And they shall hear the melody of Jezreel." (Hosea 2:21-22) This is a peek into our eternity. When we are with Yahuweh we will sing songs in heaven and on earth, we’ll sing songs of thankfulness for the harvest of souls, for the saving grace of the new wine of the New Covenant, shed for us, and to the oil, His Spirit that envelops in light so that we can soar with the angels. Our moans of anguish at Jezreel/Vietnam/Iraq will be forgotten in this new chorus of hope.

The etymological meaning of Jezreel is "God shall sow." Yahuweh is promising a day in which: "I will plant her for Myself in the land; and I will have abiding love for Not-Pitied; and I will say to them who were Not-My-People, You are my people; and they shall say, You are my God." (Hosea 2:23) Halleluyah!

Returning to the tangible metaphor of marriage, divorce and reconciliation, Hosea gets personal again and reveals the nature of God’s relationship with Israel: "Then Yahuweh said to me, Go out again (owd - repetitiously and without ceasing) and love a woman who loves someone else (rea - another person, an enemy), who is an unfaithful adulteress, and love her unconditionally (ahabah) according to the love of Yahuweh toward the children of Israel, who approached other gods, and loved compressed raisin cakes." (Hosea 3:1) Yahuweh is asking Hosea to unconditionally love his unfaithful harlot of a wife, who is sleeping with his enemy, so that He can demonstrate the nature of His affection for the undeserving and idolatrous people of Israel. The cakes of dried wine were used in the ritual rites of Baal worship.

Gomer, however, was now owned by the temple priests of Baal. " So I bartered (karah - traded, exchanged money and bought) her for me for fifteen pieces of silver and fifteen bushels of barley. I said unto her, ‘You shall live (yasab -dwell, endure, stay) with me many days (rab yom - an exceedingly long time). You shall no longer be an unfaithful prostitute, and you shall have no other man; for I am indeed tying old and new together and expressing a relational agreement (gam) with regard to and concerning (el) you. " (Hosea 3:2-3) According to historians, this bartered fee was the going rate at the time to buy someone out of slavery so as to offer them their freedom. It is a lovely picture of our salvation as we are "bought," literally redeemed, from the marketplace of sin. And it’s interesting that the thirty cumulative units of silver and barley is equivalent to the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas betrayed Yahushua.

And while I’m not wise enough to properly convey the full import of the last sentence, I can tell you that preceding, "for I am indeed tying old and new together and expressing a relational agreement with you," is lo ehayah ish. We know that ehayah means "I Am." It’s the definition of Yahuweh’s name, the name God gave to Moses. And we know that ish can mean "one who exists," and thus be a confirmation of His name. It can mean "human male," as in Yahuweh’s Messianic manifestation. And ish can mean "husband" a definition that would be consistent with this marriage metaphor and with the nature of the Covenant relationship. Since lo is an adverb meaning "no or not," Yahuweh could be saying: "Have no other Gods, Messiahs, or Husbands because I am forming a new covenant with you." It is the power of love over law.

Whether ish designates God as Yahuweh, Yahushua, Husband, or all of the above, the paragraph summarizes the magnanimous nature of His love as it painfully transitions from the Old to the New Covenant. After creating us, and providing for us, we went our own way. We not only rejected God, but we aligned ourselves with evil. So Yahuweh, by way of example, provided a way back home. He called it Beriyth. He formed a Covenant with Abraham and set him apart as a paradigm for us to emulate. Failing at that, Yahweh reached out again and redeemed Abraham’s descendants from slavery. Yet now, after centuries of revelation, prophecy and pleading, His people remained aloof. Righteous and just, God did the only thing He could do. He divorced Himself from us. Yet this didn’t stop Him from loving us, even in spite of what we had become - what we had done. So Yahweh manifest Himself as Yahushua to tangibly demonstrate His love. The Messiah was and is the Groom. His wedding gift is salvation. He bought it Himself. Once again we had been purchased and paid for - redeemed. All would be forgiven if we would just forsake relations with Lord-Baal and return home. But alas, Yahuweh knew that we would remain whores - slaves to our fleshy desires and pride. And yet He stood, and still stands, at the door to our wedding festival, speaking loving words to our hearts, hoping that we will hear Him and return.

Yes, God knew what we would do. He told us so.." For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim. Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days." (Hosea 3:4-5)

Before we can seek Him we need to know His name. The problem lies in the translation. We have been seeking the LORD, making Baal/Satan/Halal our God. And in keeping with the LORD’s nature and desire, the translators want us to fear him. That way they can be assured that there will be no marriage - for no bride chooses to marry a tyrant.

So that the Groom might be known and so that the wedding might take place, let’s correct the record and return Yahuweh’s prophetic announcement to its intended state. "Children of Yisrael, you will remain captive and in wait for a very, very long period of time (yasab sidown rabah yom) without a king (melek - a social, spiritual, military or governmental ruler), or Prince (sarar - the same word Isaiah uses in 9:6 to describe the Messiah), without sacrifice (zebah - without atonement because the Temple would soon be destroyed) and the memorial stone (masebah - representing the memorial of Yahuweh’s name and the memorial etched in stone, the Ten Commandments, both presented in Exodus), without linen vestment (ephod - the garment worn by the priests which in Judges 8:27 was corrupted when "all Israel played the harlot" with Baal symbolized by "crescent moon ornaments") and false gods (terapim - common household idols). Afterwards (achar - in another time), children of Yisrael, you shall return and believe (sub - turn around, change, and be restored) and seek (baqas - learn about and diligently procure information regarding) Yahuweh, the Mighty One (elohim - God) of King David, and shall stand in awe before (pahad - tremble in respect) Yahuweh’s goodness (tub - beneficial qualities, abundance, beauty, fairness, and joy) in the last days (acharit yom - end times, final period)." (Hosea 3:4-5)

Now that we’ve analyzed every nuance, let’s refine Yahuweh’s prophetic announcement back down to its core: "Children of Israel, you will remain captives for a very long time without king or Messiah, without atoning sacrifice or the memorial of My name or Commandments, without your corrupt religious symbols or false gods. Afterwards, children of Israel, you shall return, change your attitude, and be restored, believing, seeking, and diligently learning about Yahuweh, the God of King David, and shall stand in awe before Yahuweh’s goodness, abundance, beauty, fairness, and joy in the last days." That’s the whole story; it’s what did happen and what will happen. It’s the what, why, and when of Yahuweh’s plan.

In the opening stanza of the fourth chapter, Yahuweh explains why He was required to file for divorce. "Heed (shama - listen to, perceive, process, obey, report and proclaim) the word (dabar - message, communication, account, treatise, record, formal and systematic rendering) of Yahuweh, children of Israel, for Yahuweh has a dispute (rib - quarrel, plea, accusation, legal case) against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no trustworthiness (emet - truth, faithfulness, righteousness, or loyalty) no devotion (chesed - love, kindness, mercy, or steadfastness in relationship), no understanding (daat - wisdom or knowledge) of God in the land. " (Hosea 4:1) This accounting of accusations hits pretty close to home. Is America or the Church any better?

By providing us with a copy of His case against Israel, Yahuweh is telling us what He finds objectionable. And by introducing the list with an admonition, God is telling us how to avoid prosecution.

There are three things listed among the annoyances: one is of the mind, one of the heart, and the third is a marriage of both. But ultimately, the grievances are derivatives of "not knowing or understanding God." He is the source of wisdom. When we know Him, He helps us understand Him better. That is the purpose of His Spirit and His Word. When we know and understand Him we will exude His qualities: truth, faithfulness, righteousness, trustworthiness, loyalty, love, kindness, devotion, mercy, and steadfastness in relationships. It’s pretty simple, really.

But when the relationship with God is severed, when we are oblivious, willfully ignorant of His teachings, chaos results: " By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood." (Hosea 4:2) This list of grievances is important as they formed the basis of the legal proceeding. It shouldn’t be a surprise then, that they are directly related to the Ten Commandments.

’Alah, the Hebrew word translated "swearing," is considerably more telling - especially in this context of Scriptural ignorance, religious deception, and preferring Baal to Yahuweh. Beyond its obvious similarity to the Islamic god, ’alah means "to utter a curse" and "to speak words harmful to God." ’Alah literally defines Satan, because the Hebrew word means "accursed - that which has been damned." Further, ’Alah "binds by way of an oath;" troublesome in this setting because Gomer and Israel tied themselves to Lord-Baal. In keeping with the terror that awaited the unfaithful Jews, ’alah means: "to mourn, to lament, to wail, howl, and shriek," for which there would be No-Pity. ’Alah is "a curse." The word is consistent with Lord-Hayal-Baal’s inadequacies because it means: "unable and unfit." As a false god, no matter how loudly or often one swore, ’Alah was "not capable of properly performing any worthy task." To say ’alah was to "invoke spiritual harm by way of retribution." As such, the word was prophetic.

Kahash, the Hebrew word translated "lying," is also revealing, especially in a religious discussion. It means: "to deceive by telling lies rather than the truth and to act deceptively." To kahash is to: "distort reality, to create a delusion, to promote an errant opinion." Keeping within the religious context, kahash means: "to bow down in submission." It means "to cower in fear rather than out of respect," and "to having been beguiled into an unworthy relationship as a direct result of having been deceived." Kahash means: "to fail and to disown, to no longer be in association with someone so as to be unfaithful." A kahash person is: "deceitful, unreliable, and untruthful in rebellion and stubbornness."

Ratsach, the Hebrew word translated "killing," more correctly means "murdering." Ganab, the Hebrew word translated "stealing," means just that. To ganab is to be a thief, to take without permission by stealth or force." It can also mean "to kidnap and ransom." Sadly, to ganab also means "to enslave." The word is a perfect match for Muhammad’s proclamation: "War is deception," for it means to "secretly sneak around so as to purposely mislead and surprise a foe." Ganab also means: "to steal the heart of a victim who has demonstrated a certain willingness to be deceived."

Naaph, means to "commit adultery." But it can also mean "to be unfaithful spiritually."

Parats is the Hebrew word translated "they break out" above. Parats is actually much more sinister. It means: "to violently break down and to destroy." A parats is a terrorist: "being hostile, operating in opposition, harming and killing others while destroying property." These terrorists "spread out and invade other regions." They "speak in a way that encourages destructive and harmful behavior from others." To parats is to "rebel against authority" as in to rebel against Yahuweh.

The final phrase, translated "blood touches blood," is dam naga dam. Dam is "blood," but it also denotes the "violent shedding of blood." Dam is used to convey "killing and murder, the slaughter of innocents, and bloodguilt for having done something wrong." Naga, the Hebrew word connecting this bloodshed, means "to make contact in order to damage, to strike violently. Nagas means "to inflict pain and to afflict with a disease." It means "to be plagued so as to level and destroy."    

It’s interesting, although not comforting, that this list of horrific grievances directed at the attitudes and behaviors inspired by the religion of Baal is a perfect match for Islamic attitudes and behaviors today. That strongly suggests that the religions, gods, and prophets are the same. There is nothing new under the sun. Only the names have changed: Yahuweh vs. Lord-Baal is now Yahuweh vs. Allah-Halal.

The problem is, and always has been - religion. Religions are manmade constructs designed to elevate and enrich clerics at the expense of the masses. Yahuweh hates them as much as he despises those who preach and promote such deceptions. In Leviticus 19 we read: "You shall be qodesh (set apart) for I, Yahuweh your God, am set apart." To be set apart is to be removed from the poison of false teachings. "Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods."

In Leviticus 20, Yahuweh continues with this theme: "Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Any Israeli or Gentile sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Moloch [another name for Baal-like sun god], shall surely be put to death.’ The people of the land shall stone him. I will also remove My presence from that man and will cut him off from among his people because he has given some of his offspring to Moloch, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My set apart name." This is what the world is doing everyday - turning children over to false teachings and false gods.

Yahuweh is warning us against tolerance and appeasement: "If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death, then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family. I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who follow him, by serving false gods, turning to mediums and to spiritualists. You should keep yourselves separate therefore."

Continuing to denounce the religion of Baal in Leviticus, and preach intolerance, Yahuweh says: "Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them." "I am Yahuweh your God, who has separated you from these peoples." "Thus you are to be set apart to Me, for I Am Yahuweh, Set Apart, and I have set you apart from the people to be Mine. As for a man or a woman, if there is a medium or a spiritist among them, they shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned because their blood guilt is upon them." It’s safe to say, it’s unsafe to be religious. The one thing Yahuweh can’t tolerate is tolerance.

According to Yahuweh, the congregation’s fate and that of their priests is linked. This is what God had to say following his listing of Baalism/Islamic atrocities: " Therefore as a result, the land shall dry up, and every one that dwells therein shall languish (amal - be weak-willed, indecisive, pine away in sorrow, be faint and wither) with their livestock..and harvest taken away. Yet do not blame other men, because the people are to blame just as much as the insulting priests (kahan - cleric, one who dresses in religious garb and performs religious rites and rituals). Therefore you shall fall (kashal - stumble, falter, stagger, be brought down, be overthrown, and fail) in the day, and the preacher (nabi - prophet, one who proclaims the message of a god or God) shall also fall with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother." (Hosea 4:3-5) Since the people were as corrupt as their pastors, God told the Israelis, and us through them, that no one was in a position to point fingers. The destiny of the deceived would be the same as that of those who deceived them.

This linkage between cleric and congregation is at the root of the church’s problem today. The religious establishment knows better. Clerics realize that it is Yahuweh not Lord, Yahushua not Jesus, Messiah not Christ, Tabernacles not Christmas, Passover not Easter, Atonement not Thanksgiving, Trumpets not Halloween, the Sabbath not Sunday, Scripture not the Bible, Covenants not Testaments, a calling out, not church and a relationship not religion. But to say so would make their congregations uncomfortable, sparse and stingy so they promote these deceptions as if they were true. They tell their flock what they want to hear because they know people flock toward those who do. So everyone is equally complicit, equally guilty, and equally damned.

Yahuweh’s next line summarizes Israel’s situation and the predicament of the church. " My people are destroyed (damah - are no loner engaged in the mission, are silenced, are ruined, wiped out, they will perish and cease to be effective) for lack of knowledge (da’at - understanding, wisdom, awareness, and information about our relationship); because you have rejected (maas - avoided association, despised, spurned, disdained, and been adverse to) understanding (da-at - knowledge), I will also reject (maas - avoid association with, despise, spurn, disdain, and be adverse to) you, so you shall not be My ministers (min kahan - shall be moved away from serving as My officials and priests). Seeing that you have become oblivious of (kasach - become crippled and lame with regard to, mislaid and forgotten) the Torah (towrah - prescriptions of what should be done, the law, instructions, information, and written code of conduct) of your God, I will also forget (kasach - mislay and become oblivious to) your children. As they became more numerous and influential, they sinned against Me. Therefore I will substitute (mur - exchange that which they possessed) glory (kabowd - splendor, honor, respect, status, wealth, value, abundance, power, reward, the special gift) for disgrace (qalown - shame, ignominy, confusion, reproach, dishonor, insult, and scorn). " (Hosea 4:6-7)

There are few passages as important as this one. "My people" refers to the Yahuwdym and to the Ekklesia - the Jews and the Church. We are no longer engaged in the mission of exemplifying, of witnessing to, or proclaiming the word of God because we don’t know it. Having separated ourselves from Yahuweh, from the source of life, revelation, and truth, we have been silenced. Our lack of knowledge has diminished our understanding, which in turn has destroyed our relationship and thereby ruined our effectiveness.

So here’s something to ponder: since God’s people are destroyed for a lack of understanding and relationship, the corollary must be true. God’s people are saved through relationship and understanding. That being the case, your decision to study His Scriptures, your desire to draw closer to Him, will prepare you to become an effective example and a truthful witness engaged in the mission of saving souls. Since those who are ignorant and independent cease to be worthy, those who are prepared and betrothed become Yahuweh’s instruments of enlightenment and salvation. That means we work directly for and with God.    

The justification for and the net effect of this divine pronouncement is the same for the Jews as it is for the Church, only the time of implementation differs. Abraham’s descendants, the Yahudim, had served as Yahuweh’s official spokespeople for 1400 years. For Israel, representing ten of the twelve tribes, that was now over. Jews would endure an unpleasant 2700 year cessation of duties. Judea, however, would remain engaged another 700 years, delivering prophets and Messiah. But they too would falter for lack of knowledge, prompting an intermission Hosea predicted would last two thousand years. That timing coincides perfectly with the ministry of the Gentile Ekklesia. Yet, if Hosea’s timeline is accurate, over the next two decades the Gentile Ekklesia will be replaced by returning Yahudim because today’s church is " destroyed , no loner engaged in the mission. My people have been silenced. They cease to be effective because they lack knowledge and understanding, wisdom and morality. They are ignorant about our relationship. Because you have rejected and spurned Me, because you have avoided association with Me, and have been adverse to understanding, I will be adverse to you, rejecting association with you, spurning you, so you shall not be My ministers and shall be moved out of the way, no longer serving as My official witnesses."  

This quid pro quo is a killer. Because Jews and Gentiles have disassociated ourselves from Yahuweh, either by ignoring Him or by replacing Him with a god conceived by men, we have been spurned by our Maker and crippled spiritually. Oblivious, we have been forgotten. Despicable, we have been rejected. It is Divine justice, but it is also death. And we have no one to blame but ourselves. The truth was available; we chose to ignore it. Yahuweh stood at the door and called us home, but we did not listen, we did not even bother to ask our suitor His name; we did not open the door. We told Him to go away, spurning relationship, separating ourselves from God. So, He left us to flounder about with our lords and our religions.  

That means that the religious clerics draped in robes, the rabbis, the priests, and the pastors, the imams and monks, must be serving another spirit - the Lord’s, perhaps. It is then little wonder that they revel in Satan’s Sun-day, the Devil’s conception and birthday, his rites and rituals. It is little wonder then that Lord has replaced Yahuweh, Jesus has replaced Yahushua, Christ has replaced Anointed/Messiah, and Church has replaced the Calling Out in the written and spoken word of the religion that has replaced relationship.

Speaking of the Devil’s advocates, the Lord’s representatives, the disenfranchised ministers, Yahuweh revealed: "They feed upon the sin (chataah - wickedness, offensiveness, and immorality) of My people, and they lift up (nasa - promote, exalt) their animalistic nature (nephesh - emotions, feelings, desires) directing it toward (‘el - in the direction of, with the goal of, relative to) wickedness (aown - sin, iniquity, wrongdoing, injustice which leads to guilt and punishment, a state contrary to the will of Yahuweh toward another)."

Most religions prosper using this strategy. Islam, because it’s so similar to Baalism, is the most overt. If a man becomes an animalistic jihadist, according to the cleric, the terrorist’s injustice leads to the sexual indulgence of the flesh in Allah’s brothel. Imams, placating fleshy desires, preach the Qur’anic perversion: lying, stealing, enslaving, raping, and killing are good. Communists promote and exalt men, lifting up man to the status of god. Taught Darwinism instead of the Scriptures, men become animals. And this new animal becomes wicked. Their ministers named Stalin, Hitler, and Mao, move their societies toward hell on earth. The Church has been more subtle, more hypocritical. The Roman Catholic Church fed upon man’s animalistic nature, the desires of the masses, because they prospered as a result. The Church sold indulgences. They consumed the sins of the people because people paid to have their sins forgiven. And lest we forget, the Protestant Church was born in adultery. Today, pastors play to their congregation’s emotions, hoping that they feel good enough about the watered down and ignorant sermon to come back again and fill their coffers.

Here is the result: "It shall be: like people, like priest. I will record their ways and reward them for what they have done. They shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit prostitution, and shall not increase, because they have separated themselves, no longer heeding Yahuweh. Unfaithful and intoxicated, the new wine is taken away from the soul. " (Hosea 4:8-11)

Relationship makes us more like God. Religion makes us more like men. Priests and pastors commit acts of pedophilia and prostitution and so do the people. The people promote ignorant deceptions and so do the priests and pastors. The priests and pastors preach in the Lord’s name and so the people act as if Satan owned them.

Through amplification we discover that, "It shall be," is hayah, the root and meaning of Yahuweh’s name. This introduction gives this passage added credibility and significance. It’s like saying "I Am, but they are not." It’s a positioning thing: Yahweh is on one side of the colon, the people and their priests are on the other.

The Hebrew word used for "people" is ‘am, meaning "family, kin, and relatives" in addition to "nation, people, assembly, followers or congregation." It is a very inclusive word and that’s not good in this context. Kohen, the word translated "priest," is an official cleric or minister. A kohen "performs religious rites and rituals." Kohen, like ‘am, is agnostic. The people and their priests can serve Yahuweh or Baal. They can be good or bad, in relationship or religious.

In this prophetic verse, God is making it clear that the fate of cleric and congregation are linked: "like people, like priest." Yahuweh says of us collectively that He will paqad - "count, inventory, take stock of, record, and summon" our derek - "ways, paths, routes, way of life, conduct, and habits" and shub - "repay them, reward them, turn us away based upon" or maalil - "that which we have done, or evil deeds and conduct." 

Yahuweh explains that neither pastor nor people will ever be nourished - no matter how much garbage they consume. They will ’akal - "eat and consume things, they will taste sensations and spend valuables" but they will never saba - "be satisfied, be content, have enough, or be confident." Saba also infers "a state of disorientation and confusion over events past, present and future." Then God says that His people and their priests will engage in zanah - "prostitution, exchanging sexual favors for money, be unfaithful, unprincipled, unreliable, and promiscuous, abandoning their covenants." Yet in spite of this union and love fest with Satan, false gods, false partners, and false teachings, the people and their priests will parats - "break down, be destroyed, break away and be released in their hostility, opposition, and murder." 

Then Yahuweh explains why: Ken - "Indeed, surely, truly, by way of emphasis to bring your attention to and thereby strengthen this statement, as a result of this case there is a causal link, because" they azab - "abandoned, rejected, deserted, separated themselves from, forsook, neglected, departed from and stayed away from" shamar - "being kept by, remaining with, being secured by, heeding and observing the instructions of, caring for and revering" Yahuweh." It was all about azab. The clerics and their congregations, the priests and their people abandoned God so therefore, and as a direct result, God forsook them.

Yahuweh has but three potential responses to azab - two of which run contrary to His nature. God can be aloof and unconcerned, but as such He could not be loving. God could be capricious, but that would make Him unjust. Or God could be as He has depicted Himself here: He could make us aware of what He is like and what He wants. He could know what we are doing and saying, and warn us about the consequences. He could give us what we deserve.

Zenut - ‘unfaithful, immoral, prostitutes" yayin - "intoxicated, drunk to the point of being poisoned and sick," the yaras tiyros - "new wine, the best and blessed wine, the wine that is symbolically used in the Miqra sacrifices to designate blood atonement, the New Covenant," is yaqah - "taken away, grasped and seized, carrying away" leb - "the heart, soul, spirit, mind, source of life, feelings, thoughts, understanding, and hope."

Still speaking to the Jewish environmentalists of the day, those who worshiped nature as if the created were the Creator, and who as libertines were promoting their perverted sexual preferences, Yahuweh says: "My people consult with the trees and their branches speak to them. The spirit of prostitution, idolatry and illegitimacy have caused them to err (taah - "to wanted, to go astray, to stagger and deceive oneself, to mislead, to hold an erroneous view and false belief which needs to be corrected, to be in rebellion, living in sin and engaged in deception, to exchange opinions for truth) and they have gone into pimping, soliciting bribes and favors for their gods." (Hosea 4:12) Three of my favorite Divine attributes are displayed in this sentence. God understands human nature. Nothing we do surprises Him. Unimpaired by time, He knows our past and sees how it relates to our present and future. And He is bold and blunt when it comes to exposing deceptions.

Satanic sun god cults worshiped nature the same way liberal, socialist, secular humanist environmentalists do today. They are in touch with nature, listening to and caring for the trees. The earth reveals its concerns to them as opposed to revealing God’s nature. Such idolatry is illegitimate, elevating the created over the Creator. These zealots err. And as secular professors, liberal pastors, politically correct media spokespeople, and compassionate politicians, they deceive themselves and mislead others. These humanists would have you believe that opinions are entitlements, that truth is relative, that perceptions are reality, that tolerance is a virtue, and that morality is situational. Having elevated themselves and their elitist ideals, having become religious in their fanaticism, they have become little more than pimps, soliciting on behalf of their rebellion. They want to establish the moral standards, they want control over life and death, and they want absolute power - the right to impose their will and judgment on others. They covet that which is God’s.

"They worship and make sacrifices on the summits of mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because their shadow (tsel - "their interposing blocks the source of light) is deemed good." (Hosea 4:13) Those who promote evil and who are evil always hide from the light. No false prophet can endure scrutiny and no false religion can survive exposure. We can protect our children from these things by shining Yahuweh’s Scriptural light on them.

"I will not visit or care for your daughters or wives when they are unfaithful and immoral for they are separated (parad - divided, severed, in a different relationship, broken, and dispersed) with unfaithful, immoral, and unreliable prostitutes, offering sacrifices to temple priests. People (‘am - families, kin, relatives, nations, groups, associations, congregations, and followers) without comprehension (bin - hearing, apprehension, and consideration; teaching, instruction, information, and discernment; knowledge and wisdom imparted; perception, understanding and realization of truth, thinking and distinguishing, pondering and processing evidence so as to respond appropriately) come to ruin (labat - live their personal lives in chaos and are destroyed)." (Hosea 4:14)

This verse is an explanation of Hosea’s message, and in truth, a summation of the Scriptural message. God does not associate Himself with those who separate themselves from Him. If you choose the company of immoral, unfaithful, and unreliable people and participate in their religious rites, you will spend your eternity with them and not with God. And "But I didn’t know any better" won’t work as an excuse. Ignorance is the cause of separation, not the remedy. As such, Hosea’s message needs to be nailed to every church door and to the entrance of every public building.

It bears repeating: "People, families, nations, congregations, and followers without comprehension and consideration, without teaching, instruction, information, and discernment, without knowledge and wisdom being imparted to them, without perception and understanding, who do not think and distinguish between truth and deception, pondering and processing the evidence so as to respond appropriately, come to ruin, living their personal lives in chaos so that they are ultimately destroyed."  

This is why God said: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge and understanding." It is why He revealed: " And I will not love, show affection, have mercy on, demonstrate compassion or pity for her children; for they are the children of fornication, prostitution, adultery, idolatry, and illicit relationships with false deities." Ignorance is a choice, not an excuse. Infidelity is the result. Eternal separation from God is the consequence. 

The Hebrew word qadesh, translated "temple priests" in the first half of the passage above, contains the key to understanding Satan’s schemes. It is a slight variation of qodesh, meaning set apart - the word Yahuweh uses to describe His Spirit, His people and His plan. A qadesh is "a quasi-sacred person, a male devotee to licentious idolatry, an unclean sodomite." A qadesh man is often a false teacher, prophet, politician, or preacher, set apart working clandestinely for Satan. They present themselves as "holy" and their rituals "sacred," but the object of their worship is as unworthy, as immoral, as unreliable, and as unfaithful as they are. Many were prostitutes and pimps pandering for their religious dogmas, political doctrines and lascivious agendas. Most were either homosexual or bisexual.

This is the way Satan battles Yahuweh for men’s souls. He focuses on the flesh as opposed to the spirit and corrupts through counterfeiting and sanctification. Qadesh is a corrupted counterfeit of qodesh that men "sanctified" for religious purposes. It’s like the Roman Catholic Church sanctifying the Satanic sun god festivals of Sun-day, the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and calling them "Christian." It’s like incorporating the Devil’s night, "all hollow’s eve," into a religious celebration in which children dress as witches and recite "trick or treat" - bribe me with candy or I’ll deceptively attack you.

For a religion or doctrine to be believable, it has to incorporate a nugget of truth which can then be twisted to serve the deceiver. Hitler and Stalin called it "propaganda." It’s the art of deceiving using half truths. 

This twisting lies at the core of Islam. Muhammad began with biblical characters and bastardized their message to serve his agenda - one perfectly compatible with Baal. The Roman Catholic Church was conceived on the concepts of counterfeit and sanctification. The resulting religion became an ideal platform for clerics and kings to subject the masses to their indoctrination and tyranny. Secular humanists twist reality and truth using revisionist history and relativism. Each doctrine, coveting control, indoctrinates the ignorant with a whitewashing and plastering over of the truth.

"Though you, Israel, are immoral, unfaithful, and unreliable, let not Judah (Yahudah) be declared guilty (asham - become liable for wrongdoing, offend, violate the standard, sin). Do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Bethaven, nor make sworn promises to do something (shaba - swear oaths, take an oath, adjure, threaten penalties or sanctions, bind or command anyone). Yahuweh lives. " (Hosea 4:15)

While the Northern Kingdom, called Israel or Ephraim, is a lost cause, Judah isn’t - at least not yet. So Yahuweh is pleading with them not to violate the Covenant so as to become liable and declared guilty. He doesn’t want Yahudah making the same kind of false promises their unfaithful brethren had made. He didn’t want them to be religious. In fact the word "religion" means to "re-bind" - the very thing Yahweh didn’t want done. Religions are the sworn oaths of men, commandments which bind men by threatening penalties and sanctions. That is why Yahweh ends His plea with such utter and profound simplicity: "Yahuweh lives." Once we come to know this, understand this, respond appropriately to this, we are saved and religions are doomed. 

By referencing the towns of Gilgal and Bethaven, Yahuweh underscored His anti-religious message: "Gilgal" means "circle" - the word which shares the same root as "church." Both are derived from "Circe," the daughter of the sun god Helios. Circles, like halos, represent the sun and sun worship. Gilgal had a circle of stones - a meager version of Stonehenge - where elitists engaged in cult worship not unlike America’s Skull and Bone crypt at Yale. A quarter of a mile from Jericho, it became the religious and political center of the tribe of Benjamin - the smallish clan associated with Judah. The Israelites confirmed kingship on Saul there and it was at Gilgal that his authority was taken away as a result of his separation from Yahuweh.

"Bethaven" is from beth, meaning house, and aven, meaning "trouble, sorrow, wickedness, affliction, distress, evil, falsehood, harm, idols, iniquity, misfortune, vanity, and sorrow." It literally defines Satan’s agenda, his methods and nature.

"Indeed (kiy - surely, truly) Israel is as stubborn (sarar - defiant, obstinate, rebellious, unwilling to change) as an obstinate bull. So, as a result, (atah - at a point in time, so then, in the sequential relationship of the narrative, what comes next is the focus of and the logical consequence of the speaker) Yahuweh will be their companion (raah - be a friend, build a harmonious relationship based upon common interests, be an attendant of the groom at a wedding) as a male lamb (kebes - a ceremonially clean and perfect sacrificial lamb) in limitless space, comfort, safety and freedom. " (Hosea 4:16)

Yahuweh had done everything imaginable for His people. He had formed a personal relationship with them, loved them, lavished gifts on them, freed them, given them their nation, their land, and their mission. Yet in rebellion they choose to offer his bounty to Baal. No quantity of prophets, no amount of warnings, no measure of pleadings were sufficient to change their thinking or their behavior. They did not respond to the soft touch of their Husband’s caress or the tough love of their Father’s correction. They weren’t just obstinate, they were as rebellious as Halal - represented by the bull. 

So, in the ultimate contrast, Yahuweh tells the bull that He will become a lamb. On one side of the equation you have rebellion; on the other side relationship. This is azab and beriyth. It is good vs. evil. It is light triumphing over darkness, judgment turned to salvation, death redeemed to life. From God’s perspective it’s the prefect response. He is telling Israel that as a result of them separating themselves from Him and linking their spirit to Satan, He is going to do the logical thing: save them. And so, in the relative sequence of events as outlined by His prophets, Yahweh became the perfect sacrificial lamb so as to rebuild a harmonious relationship, rescue, free and comfort His people. The Messiah would serve as the ultimate attendant of the Groom at the wedding ceremony.

"Ephraim [the Northern Kingdom] is allied (hitchabrut - joined to, in union with) idols (atsab - religious images, false gods, objects of worship). Let him rest (munach - have an intermission, a time out, a period to settle down at the edge of the ark). Their wine and spirits are unacceptable (sur - rejected, turned away, cause them to be forsaken and cut off). They have been continually unfaithful, immoral, and unreliable. Their rulers love (ahab - have an affection for, like and desire, focus on and prefer) shame (qalown - insults, verbal scorn and slander, dishonor, scandals, infamy, personal notoriety, their own reputation and fame). The Spirit/wind has wrapped/bound Ephraim up in His/his wings. And they shall feel ashamed (bowsh - have a feeling of emotional distress over the loss of hope, despair as a result of having committed a serious sin), because of their sacrifices." (Hosea 4:17-19)

The word for rulers, magen, carries some interesting baggage with it. The world means "puny shield" - a relatively worthless protector. A magen is "insolent (presumptuous, ill-mannered, rude, audacious, disrespectful), acting with hubris (excessive pride) and haughtiness." This sounds like today’s politicians, especially when one connects magen with qalown - "the insulting, scornful slanderers who prefer scandals and personal notoriety." 

The reason that I have left "Spirit/wind," "wrapped/bound" and "His/his" undetermined is because the Hebrew root of spirit and wind is the same - rucha. A wind, especially a circular whirlwind from the desert, is symbolic of Satan’s spirit. In this case, Halal would have bound Ephraim in his grasp trying to deceive and destroy him. But rucha is often used in reference to Yahuweh, signifying His Spirit and the Breathe of Life. In this case His Spirit would have wrapped Ephraim in His wings trying to enlighten and save him. These concepts represent azab and beriyth. This is Baal verses Yahuweh. So the question is, in whose grasp are we?