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The Book of Hosea
Chapter Six
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[HOSEA 6:3] THEN SHALL WE KNOW, IF WE FOLLOW ON TO KNOW THE LORD: HIS GOING
FORTH IS PREPARED AS THE MORNING; AND HE SHALL COME UNTO US AS THE RAIN, AS THE
LATTER AND FORMER RAIN UNTO THE EARTH.
[HOSEA 6:4] O EPHRAIM, WHAT SHALL I DO UNTO THEE? O JUDAH, WHAT SHALL I DO UNTO
THEE?
[Hosea 6:5] THEREFORE HAVE I HEWED THEM BY THE PROPHETS; I HAVE SLAIN THEM BY
THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH: AND THY JUDGMENTS ARE AS THE LIGHT THAT GOETH FORTH.
I HAVE SLAIN THEM BY
THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH: The Malbim explains this to mean that the Israelites killed the Prophets because they spoke the word that the Almighty had commanded them to speak and thus it was as if the Almighty had killed them!
Iben Ezra says it means they will be killed by the Word of God because they did not speak the truth of the Almighty.
[Hosea 6:6] FOR I DESIRED MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE; AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
MORE THAN BURNT OFFERINGS.
Mercy and the Knowledge of God are prerequisites for sacrifices. It is not that sacrifices are not required rather that they should be a culmination of a change of attitude and reflect a true spiritual reform.
[Hosea 6:7] BUT THEY LIKE MEN HAVE TRANSGRESSED THE COVENANT: THERE HAVE THEY
DEALT TREACHEROUSLY AGAINST ME.
[Hosea 6:8] GILEAD IS A CITY OF THEM THAT WORK INIQUITY, AND IS POLLUTED WITH
BLOOD.
Gilead was east of the Jordan. It is identified with Ramoth Gilead which was a
city of refuge (Numbers chapter 35) for unintentional homicides. There were
three major cities of refuge east of the Jordan and three west of it.
[Numbers 35:14] YE SHALL GIVE THREE CITIES ON THIS SIDE JORDAN, AND THREE CITIES SHALL YE GIVE IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHICH SHALL BE CITIES OF REFUGE.
Even though only two and a half tribes dwelt east of the Jordan and nine and a half were on the west both sides were given an equal number of Cities of Refuge.
The Talmud comments that this was because these cities were situated in areas where homicide was the
more to be expected.
Gilead is also pronounced
Galaad.
Gilead was also the name of a large region (that included the city of Gilead) east of the Jordan and of a major clan in
Menasseh.
Descendants of Gilead now dominate those who dwell in the western USA.
In a recent work ("Albion's Seed, Four British Folkways in America," David Hackett Fischer, NY,
1989) it is described how people in the west of the USA are dominated by
elements from west and north Britain and northern Ireland. The book also describes how these people always
had a greater propensity to violence and wildness. [They were also a great
people, brave, enterprising, and innovative thinkers. The spread of Anglo-Saxon power was largely due to them.] In "The
Tribes" these people are traced to elements from "Gilead" of
Menasseh.
A very valuable article on this matter was also written by David Lewis in Craig
White's magazine "Origin of Nations." This whole subject is covered in some depth in our work,
"Joseph. The Israelite destiny of America" by Yair
Davidiy
(2001, 2004) in which a chapter is devoted to Gilead in the USA.
[Hosea 6:9] AND AS TROOPS OF ROBBERS WAIT FOR A MAN, SO THE COMPANY OF PRIESTS
MURDER IN THE WAY BY CONSENT: FOR THEY COMMIT LEWDNESS.
BY CONSENT: in Hebrew "Schechemah" which can also mean "By way of the city of Schechem".
Schechem like Ramoth Gilead also a city of refuge and therefore a place were committers of homicide would be forced to congregrate.
"FOR THEY GAVE THEM SHECHEM WITH HER SUBURBS IN MOUNT EPHRAIM, TO BE A CITY OF REFUGE FOR THE SLAYER" [Joshua 21:21].
[Hosea 6:10] I HAVE SEEN AN HORRIBLE THING IN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: THERE IS THE
WHOREDOM OF EPHRAIM, ISRAEL IS DEFILED.
The Malbim says that since Ephraim was the major Tribe in Northern Israel the transgressions of Ephraim polluted the whole of the Israelite Kingdom.
[HOSEA 6:11] ALSO, O JUDAH, HE HATH SET AN HARVEST FOR THEE, WHEN I RETURNED THE
CAPTIVITY OF MY PEOPLE.
Rabbi Zvi Kalischer:
And so the Prophet Hosea predicted,
Rashi
is referring to the "Building of the Third Temple". After that the Prophet
continues his exhortation and says, "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee?"
(Hosea 6;4) and continues in the same vein he had previously began [which was
connected with the "third day" and interpreted as applying to Building the Third
Temple]. The Prophet then says [the above quoted verse, Hosea 6;11], addressing
himself to Ephraim, "Also, Judah has set a harvest for you, when I returned the
captivity of my people" (i.e. of Ephraim). Prior to the coming of a great
community, Judah [i.e. the Jews] will prepare a harvest before you (Ephraim),
after that there will be a great ingathering, and afterwards indubitably will
come the [preliminary] Messiah, Son of Joseph, and rule in Jerusalem. Some time
later, will arrive Gog
[who will wage war against Israel and be defeated] and so the Name of the
Almighty will be sanctified:
"ALSO, JUDAH HAS SET A HARVEST FOR YOU, WHEN I RETURNED THE
CAPTIVITY OF MY PEOPLE" (HOSEA 6:11).
"[Commentators in the past found the above verse difficult to
explain] but in my view it is easily understandable according to the context
[since the preceding verses] speak of Ephraim who beyond doubt represents the
Lost Ten Tribes throughout the relevant chapter. Hosea [in this same chapter
six] also says "in the third day he will raise us up" (Hosea 6;2) which
according to
"IN THAT DAY SHALL THERE BE
ONE LORD, AND HIS NAME ONE" (ZECHARIAH 14;9).
"FOR THEN WILL I TURN TO THE
PEOPLE A PURE LANGUAGE, THAT THEY MAY ALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, TO
SERVE HIM WITH ONE CONSENT" (ZEPHANIAH 3;9).
(Source: "Am
Habonim Smaychah p.280 ff.
Remarks Concerning the Above Supplied by Israel
Feld:
Historically, it may be claimed that to a significant degree the initial arousal of the Jewish people to return and re-build the Jewish State of Israel was preceded by British thinkers. This is documented in such works as "The Vision Was There" by Franz Kobler, U.K., 1956. In this case part of the emotional arousal came from Ephraim and so fits the point made by Rabbi Dessler [see the Brit-Am Publication, "Ephraim. The Gentile Children of Israel"] concerning the quality of Ephraim. After the Six Days War the Jews may have been able to begin building the Temple and establishing a State based on Biblical principles. This did not happen partly because the tribes of Joseph (Britain and North America, etc.) did not have a movement of their own working in that direction. They did not provide the psychological and material support for such a step. Both authorities quoted above suggest that Judah needs participation of the Lost Ten Tribes in building the Third Temple.
Prequisites for re-building the Temple entail support for certain policies of the Israeli State that are connected with the country's survival and welfare as well as being Biblical injunctions. An example is Israel's control of the West Bank territories of Judah and Samaria. In practice, Israel is often limited in its possibility of action due to its dependence on overseas aid, its sensitivity to world opinion, and manipulation of the media inside and outside of Israel. Elements within Israel that America desires to strengthen receive direct and indirect material and other support. The groups and individuals that are encouraged in this way are not necessarily those that have the true interests of the Jewish people at heart.
If there would be stronger outside support and identification from Bible-believers in the Western World, the Israeli public may well be enabled to further their own uniqueness and destiny and thus come closer to realizing Biblical ideals.
Israel Feld
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