Hosea 10:7

The Message

Samaria is history. Its king is a dead branch floating down the river. Israel’s favorite sin centers will all be torn down. Thistles and crabgrass will decorate their ruined altars. Then they’ll say to the mountains, “Bury us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

Cross References

Hosea 10:3

They go around saying, “Who needs a king? We couldn’t care less about God, so why bother with a king? What difference would he make?” They talk big, lie through their teeth, make deals. But their high-sounding words turn out to be empty words, litter in the gutters.

2 Kings 15:30

But then Hoshea son of Elah mounted a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. He assassinated him and took over as king. This was in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 1:3

God’s angel spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: “Up on your feet! Go out and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria with this word, ‘Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you’re running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?’ Here’s a message from the God you’ve tried to bypass: ‘You’re not going to get out of that bed you’re in—you’re as good as dead already.’” Elijah delivered the message and was gone.

1 Kings 21:1

And then, to top it off, came this: Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel that bordered the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. One day Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a kitchen garden; it’s right next to my house—so convenient. In exchange I’ll give you a far better vineyard, or if you’d prefer I’ll pay you money for it.”