He says, "My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner's rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant." (Hosea 4:12-13a)
The Lord refers to Israel's unfaithfulness to Him as "prostitution". She has forsaken the living God for a wooden idol. She has eschewed His holy laws and commandments in favor of vain superstitions. She refuses to attend His authorized altar at Jerusalem and makes offerings to heathen gods (and sometimes to Him as well) on mountaintops and in shady arbors. These shady arbors were also used for immoral sexual practices in pagan fertility rituals.
The text above paints a picture of people who are living lives of sad futility. The God who actually speaks to them has been pushed aside while they call out in vain to carved blocks of wood. The author of Psalm 115 described these useless idols like this: "They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." (Psalm 115:5-8) Idols can't help anyone because the gods they represent don't exist. The psalmist says that those who put their trust in idols will be as useless as the idols. Idolaters can't be of spiritual help to anyone.
The Lord doesn't judge sin based on who a person is (their status or wealth) and He doesn't judge based on the sex of the person who is committing the sins. In ancient patriarchal cultures it was typical to hold women to stricter standards of morality than men but the Lord expects both men and women to obey Him and He doesn't discipline women more harshly than men. He warns the men of Israel not to think they will get a pass for their sexual and spiritual immorality. The idolatrous women are sinners, to be sure, but their sin is no worse just because they are women. "Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes---a people without understanding will come to ruin!" (Hosea 4:13b-14)
He says something like, "You men need not point your fingers in accusation at the women among you, for you are no better than they are. You think they should be punished but that I should turn a blind eye to your own sins. You are hypocrites! You are committing the same sins your women are committing but you think their sins are worse because they are women. If I punish one for adultery, I will punish all for adultery, no matter whether you are a man or a woman."
The Lord now issues a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah not to fall into idolatry as Israel has. "Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty." (Hosea 4:15a) This verse means something like, "Judah, I will not hold you guiltless if you are unfaithful to Me, anymore than I intend to hold Israel guiltless for being unfaithful to Me. I will not punish her sins while turning a blind eye to your sins." We can see how verse 15a is closely connected to verses 13b and 14. The Lord is no respecter of persons, as the Bible says time and time again, and He doesn't judge only the sins of women or the sins of the poor; He judges the sins of men and the sins of the rich and influential as well.
The Lord next commands the people of Judah (both literally and figuratively) not to go to pagan altars. He mentions two sinful religious locations that lie within the borders of the northern kingdom and He literally means not to go to these actual locations but the mention of these locations is figurative as well because He does not want them visiting any sinful religious site. "Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives!'" (Hosea 4:15b) Beth Aven is a reference to the golden calf site at Bethel. This is a play on words, for Bethel means "House of God" but it has not truly been used as a house of God. It has been used as a substitute for God and for His temple, so He refers to it as Beth Aven which means "House of Deceit".
The Lord concludes Hosea 4 by mourning the fact that Israel has been so difficult to lead. He longs to be a shepherd to the people---to lovingly lead them to green pastures and still waters---but they are unwilling to be gentle and obedient lambs. Instead they are like bold and wandering cows who won't follow a shepherd. Cows must be driven; they are not natural followers. Cows love to roam to other pastures instead of remaining on their master's land. "The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow? Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways. A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame." (Hosea 4:16-19)
The name of the tribe of Ephraim, which was the largest tribe of the northern kingdom, is sometimes used interchangeably with the name of Israel. Israel has broken her vows with the Lord and has been unfaithful to Him; therefore, He will leave her alone for now. We learned earlier in the book of Hosea that a reconciliation will eventually occur but that time is not now. The Lord is going to take His protective hand off the nation and "a whirlwind" (Assyria) will "sweep them away" (conquer and deport them). In time the people will yearn for the God who protected them when they were still faithful to Him. In time they will repent of their infidelity. But in between now in the book of Hosea and the day of reconciliation is a terrible time of trouble.
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