“An eagle is over the house of the Lord.”
Sounds like a good thing. In many of our more patriotic TV commercials, a soaring eagle is often depicted flying over the land.
But remember: an eagle is a bird of prey. A soaring eagle is looking for food, and when Hosea writes about this one flying over the land, God’s people are the prey.
This begins the third of four speeches comprising Hosea 4:1 – 11:11 and this speech is two chapters long. God’s complaint is that His people have broken his covenant and rebelled against Him. They reply that they have not been unfaithful. Israel’s deep religious nature is emphasized by their building of many places of worship. And yet, they have forgotten that God prescribed only one place of worship: Jerusalem. Their attempt to be more religious has resulted simply in more sin, highlighted by their continual trust in political alliances (Assyria) when the times get tough rather than turning to God.
Just because you are religious, does not mean you are faithful. Faithfulness means trusting in God alone, and following His revealed will rather than what you think He might be happy with.