9:1 O Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly like the nations, for you are unfaithful to your God. You love to receive a prostitute’s wages on all the floors where you thresh your grain.
The Hebrew word for “nations” is goy, meaning Gentiles. Israel was supposed to separate herself from the Gentiles. Instead, she joined them in worshiping false demonic gods.
9:2 Threshing floors and wine vats will not feed the people, and new wine only deceives them.
Like Gomer, Israel was guilty of committing spiritual adultery. She will be stripped like an adulteress.
9:3 They will not remain in the Lord’s land. Ephraim will return to Egypt; they will eat ritually unclean food in Assyria.
Notice that the land of Israel does not belong to the United Nations, America, England, or the Arabs. The land belongs to God. God gave the land to Israel as “an everlasting possession.” However, Israel could only live in the land if they were obedient to God.
Since Israel has been an unfaithful adulteress, she will be stripped of her possessions temporarily. Jehovah, the husband, will not allow Israel the wife to live in his house as an adulteress. She will be deported to the lands of her lovers. She will live with Egypt and Assyria for a while and see how she likes living as an adulteress in another man’s house. Her new lover will force her to eat unclean food in a foreign land.
9:4 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord; they will not please him with their sacrifices. Their sacrifices will be like bread eaten while in mourning; all those who eat them will make themselves ritually unclean. For their bread will be only to satisfy their appetite; it will not come into the temple of the Lord.
While Israel is living in Egypt and Assyria, she will no longer perform rituals to Jehovah which point to the Messiah. She will have to offer sacrifices to foreign demonic idols.
9:5 So what will you do on the festival day, on the festival days of the Lord?
Israel will no longer celebrate the seven feasts of Israel. There will be no Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, or Tabernacles feasts. All of these feasts pointed to the Messiah.
9:6 Look! Even if they flee from the destruction, Egypt will take hold of them, and Memphis will bury them. The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure— thorn bushes will occupy their homes.
90% of the Israelites will be killed by the Assyrians. The others who escape will flee to Egypt and be buried outside of the Promised Land. Israel was very wealthy, but all of her treasure will be covered with weeds and thorn bushes.
9:7 The time of judgment is about to arrive! The time of retribution is imminent! Let Israel know! The prophet is considered a fool— the inspired man is viewed as a madman— because of the multitude of your sins and your intense animosity.
The “time of judgment” is the time of Jehovah’s visitation. He is about to visit Israel to judge and destroy them. When Jehovah arrives, all of the false prophets will be shown to be fools. Israel has lost her capacity for spiritual discernment.
9:8 The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God, yet traps are laid for him along all of his paths; animosity rages against him in the land of his God.
Watchman sat on the walls and warned the city about the coming enemy. The prophets were sent by God to be the watchmen of Israel. However, the watchmen were ignored, ridiculed, persecuted, and killed. Amos was told to go back home to Judah and not to prophesy anymore in Israel.
9:9 They have sunk deep into corruption as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their wrongdoing. He will repay them for their sins.
During the days of the Judges, the Levites were no longer supported by the people. Many of the Levites had to find other jobs. Israel was no longer gaining instruction from the Levites. Levites began to take concubines instead of wives.
A Levite took his concubine to Gibeah, which was a city in territory of the tribe of Benjamin. A homosexual rape gang wanted to have intimate relations with the Levite. Instead, they raped his concubine and killed her. The Benjaminites had become just as evil as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
9:10 When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. I viewed your ancestors like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season. Then they came to Baal‑Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame— they became as detestable as what they loved.
At Mount Sinai, Israel was fruitful as a vineyard of grapes. She was just as fruitful as an early fig tree in its first season. Then, she fell into idolatry at Baal‑Peor. Ephraim meant double-fruitfulness, but she had become double-fruitfulness for false demonic gods.
9:11 Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value will fly away. They will not bear children—they will not enjoy pregnancy—they will not even conceive!
Instead of Ephraim (Israel) becoming double-fruitful, she will become barren.
9:12 Even if they raise their children, I will take away every last one of them. Woe to them! For I will turn away from them.
Instead of Ephraim becoming double-fruitful, all of their children will die at a young age.
9:13 Just as lion cubs are born predators, so Ephraim will bear his sons for slaughter.
Instead of Ephraim becoming double-fruitful, she will raise up children who will become slaughtered in battle.
9:14 Give them, O Lord— what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry, and breasts that cannot nurse!
Instead of Ephraim becoming double-fruitful, she will produce wives who miscarry and breasts that cannot nurse children.
9:15 Because of all their evil in Gilgal, I hate them there. On account of their evil deeds, I will drive them out of my land. I will no longer love them; all their rulers are rebels.
Gilgal was an Israelite city which was the center of idolatry. Since Israel violated the Mosaic Covenant, she would experience the curses of the Mosaic Law. She would be stripped of her possessions and driven out of the land like a prostitute.
9:16 Ephraim will be struck down— their root will be dried up; they will not yield any fruit. Even if they do bear children, I will kill their precious offspring.
Instead of producing fruit, Ephraim will become all dried up. She will not produce any fruit. Even if she does produce children, they will die in infancy. God will not allow Israel to raise His children as idol-worshippers. He will bring them home to Himself. It is important to note that since many modern nations are no longer teaching the gospel, God may be bringing His elect home through abortions and early childhood deaths. Infant mortality is a sign of God’s judgment upon a nation. If parents do not raise their children in the Lord, then God may bring them home.
9:17 My God will reject them, for they have not obeyed him; so they will be fugitives among the nations.
Since Israel refused to keep the Mosaic Law, God will make them wanderers and fugitives among the Gentiles.