8:1 Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the Lord! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law.

When the trumpet sounds in ancient nations, it usually means that the enemy is approaching the city walls. An eagle is very swift, so a swift enemy is moving towards the temple of the Lord. Israel has broken the Mosaic Covenant, so as promised, Jehovah is moving against Israel. He is going to remove them out of the land.

8:2 Israel cries out to me, “My God, we acknowledge you!”

Israel cries out to God, claiming that she acknowledges God. However, Israel is lying. Hosea has already pointed out that Israel did not have any knowledge, because they rejected the revelation which God had given them.

8:3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him.

Israel had rejected God. They rejected the Mosaic Law. They rejected the only two things in the satanic world system which is good. Therefore, God will punish them by sending a swift enemy against them.

8:4 They enthroned kings without my consent! They appointed princes without my approval! They made idols out of their silver and gold, but they will be destroyed!

All of the kings from Judah were to be from the Davidic line. All of the kings of Israel were to be anointed by prophets of God. God did not allow Israel to choose their own kings, because they were too totally depraved and evil to make a good choice. Israel chose their kings without the approval of God.

Not only did Israel appoint their own kings, but they also created idols out of silver and gold. For these two reasons, Israel will be destroyed.

8:5 O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol! My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being punished, even though they are Israelites!

Samaria was the capital of Israel. When Israel and Judah split into two different nations, Jehovah offered King Jeroboam of Israel an eternal dynasty similar to that of David. King Jeroboam rejected God’s offer and instead established calf worship in Samaria. This same calf worship had continued through 19 different Israelite kings, so God was going to punish Israel by destroying her nation.

8:6 That idol was made by a workman—it is not God! The calf idol of Samaria will be broken to bits.

Samaria was not worshiping a real god. They were worshiping a calf idol which would be broken to bits by the Assyrian army. The demonic calf god will not be able to deliver Israel from the Assyrians.

8:7 They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.

Since Israel decided to reject Jehovah and worship the demonic calf god, then their land will no longer produce. Even if it did produce, then the Assyrian soldiers would plunder it and eat it.

8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations; they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

Since Israel followed after the gods of other nations, they will be swallowed up by the other nations. They will be like broken pottery which cannot hold anything of value.

8:9 They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers.

The reason that Israel will be deported to Assyria like a wild donkey that had wandered off is because Ephraim (Israel) hired false prophets and committed spiritual adultery with demonic gods.

8:10 Even though they have hired lovers among the nations, I will soon gather them together for judgment. Then they will begin to waste away under the oppression of a mighty king.

Jehovah will reduce the northern population by 90%. Only 10% of the Israeli population will survive the Assyrian Captivity.

8:11 Although Ephraim has built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning!

Israel was only to worship at one alter in Jerusalem. Instead, they built many altars throughout the land and worshiped false demonic gods at these idols.

8:12 I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them!

The Law of Moses was taught to Israel in great detail, but it was discarded. They lost the light of revelation which was given to them. If America is not careful, then the next generation will lose the Word of God and never recover it.

8:13 They offer up sacrificial gifts to me, and eat the meat, but the Lord does not accept their sacrifices. Soon he will remember their wrongdoing, he will punish their sins, and they will return to Egypt.

According to the Mosaic Law, Israel could only offer sacrifices to Jehovah at the one designated place which Jehovah would choose. Some of the Israelites were making sacrifices to God at different altars through Israel, but God would not accept these offerings. Others were making offerings to pagan gods at scattered altars throughout Israel. These also were not accepted.

8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces, and Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will send fire on their cities; it will consume their royal citadels.

Israel had forgotten who created her and who appointed her as a royal nation. Judah had forgotten Jehovah as well. Judah was building fortified cities, because she did not trust in Jehovah to save her from her enemies. Jehovah will set fire to these cities.

After Assyria destroyed Israel, Assyria attacked and burned 46 fortified cities of Judah. Only the city of Jerusalem survived. At Jerusalem, one angel killed 185,000 Assyrians. After this genocide of Assyrian soldiers, all of Jerusalem would know that Jehovah was God and they no longer needed to trust in fortified cities.