Impact

Punishment Coming

Hos 5:1-2 Hear this, O priests! Pay attention, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor. And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter, but I will discipline all of them.

 

Hos 5:1-2 Hear this, O priests! Pay attention, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor. And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter, but I will discipline all of them.

 

Religious, social, and political aspects of Israel are being judged. The people and its leaders share the same fate.

 

There are two towns of Mizpah – one in the region of Gilead east of Galilee and the other in the region of Benjamin. The more likely reference is to Benjamin which lies just north of Judah. Tabor is a mountain at the northeast edge of the Jezreel Valley, not far from Samaria.

 

The leaders of Israel led their people into the snare of pagan worship from one end of Israel to the other. These leaders were rebelling God and leading the people to what would be slaughter at the hands of Assyria. All of them, meaning from the highest to the lowest of rebellious Israel would face God’s judgment. It was certainly nothing new for Jesus to say it is better for a millstone to be tied to your neck and be thrown into the sea than to lead someone innocent into sin.