Hosea 8: Judgments and Warnings to a Religious People

Hosea attacks five major categories of Israel's sin in Chapter 8: Israel's broken covenant with God; her independence from God in civil matters; her idolatry; her dependence on foreign allies for defense; and her false worship of the true and living God. She has cast off (as something that stinks) the good (law of God) in V3. The law of God seems a strange thing to her In V12. Yet she still in V2 presumes to "know" God!

The consequences for the sins above include: the pursuit of an enemy; she will be cut off (separated) from her land and from God; the anger of God; destruction of idols; excessive taxation to gather tribute for allies and enemies; the burning of their fortified cities; and the worst of all: Israel will return to Egypt, that is, she will be in bondage again to a foreign power.