Hosea 7

 

Hosea 7

This is a difficult chapter, it is not pretty and offers very little hope. Here God removes the covers, turns on the light, and opens the door so we can see their hearts. They were truly obstinate, stubborn, persistent, and determined to reject the LORD their God.

7:1 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.
7:2 And 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.

They consider not in their hearts that I remember – sin makes us stupid.

7:3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
7:4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
7:5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
7:6 For 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.
7:7 They 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.
7:8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

As an oven heated by the baker - "Calmet's* paraphrase on this and the following verses expresses pretty nearly the sense: 'Hosea makes a twofold comparison of the Israelites; to an oven, and to dough. Jeroboam set fire to his own oven - his kingdom - and put the leaven in his dough; and afterwards went to rest, that the fire might have time to heat his oven, and the leaven to raise his dough, that the false principles which he introduced might infect the whole population. This prince, purposing to make his subjects relinquish their ancient religion, at first he used no violence, but was satisfied with exhorting them, and proclaiming a feast. This fire spread very rapidly, and the dough was very soon impregnated by the leaven. All Israel was seen running to this feast, and partaking in these innovations. But what shall become of the oven - the kingdom; and the bread - the people? The oven shall be consumed by these flames; the king, the princes, and the people shall be enveloped in the burning. Israel was put under the ashes, as a loaf well kneaded and leavened; but not being carefully turned, it was burnt on one side before those who prepared it could eat of it; and enemies and strangers came and carried off the loaf.  Their captivity was the consequence of their wickedness and their apostasy from the religion of their fathers.' By this explanation Hos 7:4-9 may be easily understood." (Adam Clarke)

7:10  And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

The pride of Israel – their own obstinacy testifies against them: they do not return to the LORD their God, and refuse to seek him.

7:11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
7:12 When 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.

They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria, they will try anything but turning to the LORD, but it will not work. God is now against them.

7:13 Woe 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.
7:14 And 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.

Behold their hearts, they fled from God, they transgressed against him, they lied about him.

They have not cried unto me with their heart – “There was no sincerity in their hearts, no change in their doings. Their cry was a mere howling. Their heart was set wholly on their earthly wants.” (E.B. Pusey)

7:15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
7:16 They 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.

They return, but not to the most High - it’s all for show, not from the heart. What is it that God wants from us? What does he look for? What will he respond to? The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

As I said, this is a hard chapter, but in this very hardness we can see the cause and cure for their judgment and ours.

Joel 2:12-13  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 

 

* Antoine Augustin Calmet (1672–1757);  a French Benedictine monk - He was a celebrated exegete and produced a commentary he named, A literal Commentary on all the Books of the Old and New Testaments. The work inaugurated a new method of Biblical exegesis, inasmuch as its author very sensibly departed from the general custom of giving an allegorical (mystical) and tropological (moral) interpretation besides the literal, and confined himself to the literal.