What is the meaning of Hosea 13:6? When they had pasture Hosea pictures Israel as sheep led into choice grazing. The LORD Himself provided that “pasture”—every need supplied, every threat held back. • Psalm 23:1-2: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” • Ezekiel 34:14-15 shows God pledging, “I will tend them in a good pasture… I Myself will shepherd My flock.” • John 10:9—Jesus says, “If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” The scene is pure grace: abundant care flowing from a faithful Shepherd. They became satisfied Provision led to a full belly and a settled heart. Satisfaction itself is not sinful; it is God’s gift (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Yet it can dull spiritual hunger when not guarded. • Deuteronomy 8:10-11 warns, “When you have eaten and are satisfied… be careful that you do not forget the LORD.” • Proverbs 30:8-9 prays, “Give me neither poverty nor riches… lest I be satisfied and deny You.” Comfort is safest when it fuels gratitude; dangerous when it feeds complacency. When they were satisfied The phrase repeats to underline duration: Israel lived in a state of ongoing plenty. A moment of ease became a lifestyle of entitlement. • Deuteronomy 32:15: “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked.” • Jeremiah 5:7 notes the people “had their fill” and then “committed adultery.” Long-term indulgence erodes dependence on the Giver. Their hearts became proud Pride surfaces when dependence fades. What began as God’s blessing is rebranded as personal achievement. • Deuteronomy 8:14: “Then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God.” • Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction.” • Daniel 5:20 shows Nebuchadnezzar’s heart lifted up until God humbled him. Pride is internal, often invisible at first, but it reorients affections away from God. Therefore they forgot Me Forgetting is more than mental lapse; it is relational abandonment. Memory loss about God always follows spiritual self-sufficiency. • Judges 3:7: “The Israelites did evil… they forgot the LORD their God.” • Psalm 106:21: “They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.” • Revelation 2:4: “You have forsaken your first love.” The progression is sobering: gift → satisfaction → pride → neglect of the Giver. summary Hosea 13:6 traces a tragic arc: God generously provides, His people enjoy the plenty, ease breeds pride, and pride births forgetfulness of God. The verse calls each believer to celebrate provision while vigilantly guarding a humble, grateful heart, lest abundance become the very thing that lures us away from the Shepherd who gave it. |
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