(The previous post covered God's warning that while it was too late for Israel, it was not too late for Judah.)
Hosea 7
1 When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers ravageth without.
(God would have healed/repaired Israel but she continued in her iniquity and wickedness.)
2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now have their own doings beset them about; they are before my face.
(The Israelites did not consider in their hearts that God knew everything they did. Their own actions were the cause of the coming judgment.)
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers; they are as an oven heated by the baker; he ceaseth to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it be leavened.
(The Israelites were compared to an oven becoming hot and getting out of control.)
5 On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers.
6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
(Verses 6 and 7 compared the Israelites to an oven again. Their wickedness was so bad they did not even call on God in their trouble.)
8 Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not.
(The "gray hairs" represented the nation breaking.)
10 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: yet they have not returned unto Jehovah their God, nor sought him, for all this.
(The pride of Israel was the cause of them not turning to God. They felt they were in need of nothing.)
11 And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.
(The "silly dove" was a bird known for its simplicity. Because Israel was without understanding, they were easily deceived.)
(Verses 12-16: the captivity to Assyria covered in 2 Kings 17.)
12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have trespassed against me: though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, but they howl upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain and new wine; they rebel against me.
15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise mischief against me.
(God strengthened them and gave them understanding but they were still against Him.)
16 They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
(The Israelites would continue to turn to their idols, not God. The Israelites trusted in Egypt for help against the Assyrians but they would not be helped.)
Hosea 8
1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle he cometh against the house of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
(The Israelites were given a warning of the forthcoming Assyrian advance against Israel.)
2 They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee.
3 Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
(Israel would cry out but it would be too late, the Assyrians were coming.)
4 They have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
(The people were doing things without any counsel from God. They were doing things in their own strength.)
5 He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?
(God's anger was kindled against the Israelites because…)
6 For from Israel is even this; the workman made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
(…they were committing idolatry.)
7 For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: he hath no standing grain; the blade shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up.
8 Israel is swallowed up: now are they among the nations as a vessel wherein none delighteth.
9 For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
10 Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them; and they begin to be diminished by reason of the burden of the king of princes.
11 Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been unto him for sinning.
12 I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing.
(Ephraim (Israel) was given the "great things" of God's Law but Ephraim counted them as something they wanted nothing to do with.)
13 As for the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but Jehovah accepteth them not: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
(God remembered their iniquity and would "visit their sins." God would bring judgment.)
14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces; and Judah hath multiplied fortified cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the castles thereof.
(Israel built temples and Judah built cities. All of this would be destroyed because of sin.)
Hosea 9
1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast played the harlot, departing from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor.
(A warning against Israel's joy because Israel had been adulterous against God.)
2 The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.
3 They shall not dwell in Jehovah's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.
(The Israelites would be among heathens eating unclean food.)
4 They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
5 What will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?
6 For, lo, they are gone away from destruction; yet Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tents.
7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.
(The days of visitation (judgment) were upon them.)
8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, and enmity in the house of his God.
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.
(Israel was "deeply corrupted" because of their own actions.)
11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.
12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
14 Give them, O Jehovah-what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.
16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.
17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
(Ephraim would be dispersed among the nations.)
Hosea 10
1 Israel is a luxuriant vine, that putteth forth his fruit: according to the abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied his altars; according to the goodness of their land they have made goodly pillars.
(The fruit (effects) Israel had she brought to herself. She did not bring her fruit to God.)
2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will smite their altars, he will destroy their pillars.
3 Surely now shall they say, We have no king; for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?
(The people would get to the point where they would know that any king would not be able to help them out of their judgment.)
4 They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
6 It also shall be carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.
8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
(The Israelites would call out to the mountains in their fear. They would tell the mountains to protect them. What about God?)
9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood; the battle against the children of iniquity doth not overtake them in Gibeah.
10 When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are bound to their two transgressions.
11 And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out the grain; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
(The Israelites were charged with sinfulness since the days of Gibeah: Judges 19-20.)
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
(They were still given the chance to avert the coming judgment. The Israelites were told to sow (plant) in righteousness and reap in kindness (mercy). Breaking up your "fallow ground" meant to soften your heart, to consider you could be wrong. God also told the men of Judah and Jerusalem to break up their "fallow ground" in Jeremiah 4:3.)
13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
(Israel sowed wickedness and reaped iniquity. Israel trusted in herself and not God.)
14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces with her children.
15 So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness: at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.
(Shalman was a king well known during that time but one whose identity is in dispute today.)
(This post covered God's explanation for the coming judgment on Israel.)
Day 264
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