Hosea 8:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He defines evil as calamity, as He orchestrates certain events by His divine will while permitting others as consequences meant for the punishment of some, even if they unfold as if against His desire. Since He has the power to avert these occurrences but often allows them akin to the process of building, He is thus regarded as the fundamental orchestrator of these outcomes.

Turning once again to Solomon, God allowed him to construct a temple of stone in Jerusalem, endowing him with remarkable wisdom and glory through his unparalleled insight. This was indeed the result of His will. Conversely, He also permitted the fragmentation of his kingdom not through His direct intention, but as if He turned a blind eye to actions taken against His desire, in a response to His displeasure with Solomon. Consequently, though Jeroboam and his heirs reigned, this was not fully sanctioned by God, since the events arising from divine wrath, intended as punishment, hold a distinct nature and should not be interpreted as truly aligned with His will. Thus, they ruled independently, and not under My authority. Because they governed as if unaware of God's oversight (for events that diverge from His will seem to escape His knowledge), their strength was feeble and lacking the ability to defend against adversaries or protect their people. ‘By me kings reign ... and the rulers ... hold the earth’ (Proverbs 8:15-16). Furthermore, their descent into madness and the misuse of God's gifts led to their own ruin, as He indicated: ‘Of their silver and of their gold they made idols for themselves, that they might be consumed. By what they could gain a good name for themselves by showing compassion for their brothers, they offend God, and madly turn the means of salvation into an instrument of their own destruction.

Israel has indeed forsaken what is good; they have been pursued by their enemies; they ruled by their own means, not acknowledged by Me; they were leaders who did not recognize My authority; they fashioned idols from their wealth, leading themselves to destruction. What we interpret as: "let there be a trumpet in your throat," is paralleled by the Hebrew: alechchac sophar, which was similarly rendered by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. The LXX uniquely states: "in their bowels as it were the earth," although its meaning remains uncertain. Some conjecture that "bowels" (sinum) may refer to the lower part of the garment extending downward or to a cove or bay of the sea—such as the Adriatic, Ionian, or Marmara—suggesting that false teachers, influenced by the blasphemy of the Egyptians, harbor their lustful and earthly desires, or seek not costly belongings but only terrestrial treasures. In adherence to the original Hebrew text, we will thoughtfully explore the explanation we began. The prophet receives a command, and it is instructed unto him: Let your voice sound like a trumpet, so that many may hear, for numerous have sinned. When you lift your voice, declare loudly: as an eagle darts toward the house of the Lord. The implication is as follows: Nebuchadnezzar and all his army will come with such ferocity and speed, akin to an eagle pursuing its prey, not directed elsewhere but toward Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God, to destroy it. Ezekiel elaborates on this eagle in more detail (ch. 17), describing it as possessing great wings, feathers, and claws, tasked with entering Lebanon, that is, the temple of God, as declared by the prophet Zechariah, stating, "Thou shalt open thy doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume thy cedars" (Zechariah 11:1). Therefore, I command you, O prophet, to raise your voice like a trumpet, and proclaim how like an eagle the king of the Chaldeans shall strike the house of the Lord; I give you this command because they have forsaken My covenant and abandoned My service. Thus, in dire times of affliction, when captivity descends upon them, they will cry to Me, saying, My God, we, Israel, have known You; those of us called Israel recognize and honor You, retaining the ancient name of Jacob which is precious in Your sight. Yet the Lord replies, How can you call yourselves Israel, when you have rejected the source of all goodness—your Lord, the God from whom you derived your name? Because Israel has turned away from what is good, the enemy, namely the Assyrian, will pursue them and take them captive, due to their abandonment of Me, their true King, seeking a king for themselves like the other nations, acting contrary to My will. For this reason, Samuel warned them of the burdens of kingship, saying their sons and daughters would become servants to kings (1 Samuel 8); that they should turn back to the Lord as their loving king. However, they established kings against the divine will. Their offense did not stop there; they further compounded it by transforming their wealth into idols, which were in fact for their enrichment and sanctification. Therefore, Saul was made king, not by God's decision but by the folly of the people, who, devoid of a godly foundation, quickly succumbed to wickedness as he began to reign. The phrases: They reigned, but not through Me; they had princes but I did not recognize them, can also be attributed to Jeroboam son of Nebat and those leaders who followed him. And despite God’s anger with Solomon leading to the division of his kingdom, it does not justify Israel’s choice for a king. The law necessitated seeking God's approval to ascertain if it was His will. Hence it is said concerning the Savior, it is destined for the Son of Man to be betrayed, yet woe to the one by whom this betrayal comes (Luke 22:22). In Scripture, the devil is frequently likened to an eagle desiring to ascend above the stars of heaven: if you ascend like an eagle, I will bring you down, declares the Lord (Obadiah 1:4). Additionally, there are references to disparaging the elderly, with the eagle consuming its own, implying the loss of discernment through the devil and his demons (Proverbs 30:17). Consequently, the law forbids eating the eagle (Leviticus 11). This eagle shall attack those heretical gatherings, previously the house of the Lord, because they have violated God's covenant and abandoned His law, yet erroneously call to Him, asserting: You are our God, we know You, we who bear the name of Israel and acknowledge Christ. But this is in vain, for they have crowned kings for themselves, acting outside of My purpose; their leaders are my adversaries, unknown to Me, as they do not merit recognition. Thus, they have converted their silver and gold, and all that they could possess through origin, words, and thoughts, into idols birthed from their hearts, not realizing that this transformation has led them not to their demise by intention but has indeed resulted in their ruin as a consequence.

Therefore, when a position of authority is presented, it is crucial for each individual to reflect inwardly to determine if their life aligns with the responsibilities of such a role and if their conduct corresponds with the dignity of the office. This reflection is vital so that the just Lord of all does not turn a deaf ear to prayers offered in distress, for neglecting this introspection can lead to the very burden of the office that causes such anguish.

Job 34:30.