They made kings but not my authority Bishop Bernard F. Popp

The prophet Hosea, in this Chapter 8, is warning the people against false worship — the worship of Baal, not Yahweh. “The men of Israel have thrown away what is good; the enemy still pursues them.” (verse 13) Now that they have rejected the good, the enemy shall pursue them and overtake them.

The prophet Hosea is trying to bring Yahweh back to them and put him into their daily life, into their worship of the true God. “They made kings, but not by my authority; they established princes, but without my approval. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction.” (verse 4)

The year is 752 BC (the northern kingdom). In the next few years, it finally fell in 721 BC.

The message of Hosea is the love of Yahweh may be stirred up in the true covenant and the restoration of the people of Yahweh. They would not listen.

Refer to verses 4-8. Reread these over again. Keep in mind that Israel’s monarchy and separate sanctuaries are here associated, as in 1 Kings 12:20-33; both were the result of rebellion against the divinely approved Davidic dynasty and the Jerusalem temple with the ark of the covenant.

The calf image set up by Jeroboam I in the royal shrines prevented Israel from attaining innocence. (verse 5)

The very multiplicity of sanctuaries throughout the land was a danger to the purity of worship of the one true God, Yahweh. (verses 8, 11)

The local shrines were speedily assimilated to the cult places used by the Canaanites, and the Lord was identified with the god, Baal, who was worshipped there.

At Mass may we worship the one true God. Amen.

Retired Auxiliary Bishop Bernard F. Popp has an interest in Old Testament scholarship.