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Hosea 13:1-3

 With the start of this penultimate chapter comes the darkest part of Hosea's prophecy.
In just a few verses, the prophet sketches out Israel's demise...


How do you see Israel's past being described in verse 1?
As Hosea looks back at Israel's past, what does he remember?
How does the prophet choose to describe what had happened to them?


How do you see Israel's present being described in verse 2?
What is the present result?

Idolatry has been a big theme of the entire book, but how does it get played out here?

How does sin trap us and spiral out of control?


How do you see Israel's future being described in verse 3?
What will God do now (verse 3 and jump ahead to verses 15-16)?

What does this tell us about God?


Israel fell not because she was poor, nor because Assyria was stronger, but because she had abandoned the Lord and chased after Baal.

Walking away from God only brings our own demise.

How have you seen this in your own life?

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