“Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers.” (Hosea 9:10a, ESV)

At one time the LORD saw the children of Israel as being like sweet, ripe fruit. He chose them and entered a marriage covenant with them. They would be His special treasure, and He would be their God. The main sticking point of this union would be that they would have no other gods before Him.

“But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.” (Hosea 9:10b, ESV)

Even before they entered the Promised Land, they prostituted themselves with Baal of Peor. They succumbed to their lust for pleasure and forsook the God that delivered them from bondage.

Ephraim was the youngest son of Joseph, who was born to him in Egypt. Joseph had endured much hardship, being sold as a slave by his brothers and being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. But when the LORD raised him up to be prime minister over all Egypt, he named his first son Manasseh (making forgetful) and his second son Ephraim (fruitfulness). Joseph’s father saw what would become of these two boys. Therefore, he adopted them as his own and gave the greater blessing to Ephraim who would become the larger, more fruitful tribe. History confirmed that Ephraim overshadowed the other nine tribes of the northern kingdom, so that the name Ephraim became synonymous with this kingdom. But Ephraim had not lived up to their name. Rather than bringing forth good fruit for the LORD, they had been unfaithful, giving their best to serve other gods and really to serve themselves.

“Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them!” (Hosea 9:11–12, ESV)

Because of their willful and habitual sin, Ephraim would no longer be fruitful but would be deprived of her children. How tragic!

God continues to look for good fruit in His people. There is only one way for us to be the fruitful people whom God seeks. Jesus told His disciples:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4, NKJV)

What fruit has the Lord called us to bear for Him? We will only be fruitful as we remain in Christ and give our best to Him alone.