1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
10And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
11Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
16They return, but not to the most 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.
COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette
Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Hosea
Date Penned: BC 715 (Covering Events BC 753-715)
Overview: God's Wayward People (c 4-14)
Theme: Israel's Punishment (c 6-14)
Message: Israel is like a Crooked Bow (v 1-16)
Hosea 7 Commentary
(7:1) God sees and knows everything. Like Israel, we often forget His Omnipotence. Thoughts like " Now one will ever know" or "No one is watching," may tempt us to try to get away with sin. If you are facing difficult temptations, you will be less likely to give in if you remind yourself that God is watching. When faced with the opportunity to sin, remember that God sees everything.
(7:7) "Hot as an Oven" refers to the lust for power and intrigue burning in these leaders' hearts. Three Israelite kings were assassinated during Hosea's lifetime: Zachariah, Shallum, and Pekahian found in 2 Kings chapter 15. Their foreign relations and domestic lives were ruined because they ignored God and His Word.
(7:8) Israel had intermarried with heathen people and had picked up their evil ways. When we spend a lot of time with people, we can easily pick up their attitudes and begin to imitate their actions. When you work, live, or play with unbelievers, beware of the influence they may have on you. Instead of drifting into bad habits, see if you can have a positive influence and point them to God.
(7:10) Pride keeps a person from turning to God because pride acknowledges no need of help from anyone, human or divine. Pride intensifies all our sins, because we cannot repent of any of them without first giving up our pride.
(7:11) Israel's King Menahem had paid Assyria to support him in power found in 2 Kings chapter 15. King Hoshea turned against Assyria and went to Egypt for help (2 Kings 17) and Israel's kings went back and forth allying themselves with different nations when they should have allied themselves with the Lord.
(7:15) A warped bow is unreliable, Its arrows miss the target. Life without God is and unreliable as a warped bow. Without God's direction, our thoughts are filled with lust, cheating, selfishness, and deceit. As long as we are warped by sin, we will never reach our true potential.
(7:16) People look everywhere except to God for happiness and fulfillment, pursuing possessions, activities, and relationships. In reality, only God can truly satisfy the deep longings of the soul. Lood first to heaven, to our Lord and Savior, Jesus-Christ. He will meet your spiritual needs.
LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette
Each day, we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, applying our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Hosea with Chapter 7 In our text today we see Israel reaping the consequences of their sin with as Assyria conquest of people of God. Israel's repentance was too late to escape these unfortunate consequences. In making application we see that we too want to see how far we can go in our sin before we face our consequences. Unfortunately we too will face the path of Israel if we fail to repent when convicted by the holy spirit. How about you? Do you see how far you can go in your sin before judgment comes your way? Let us learn from our text today and the example of Israel to see that we should repent when the Holy Spirit convicts unless we too wait too long to see God's judgment in our lives.
