ISRAEL’S REBELLION

Passage: Hosea 7:1-16

Key verse: 12

NIV

7 1 whenever I would heal Israel,
the sins of Ephraim are exposed
    and the crimes of Samaria revealed.(A)
They practice deceit,(B)
    thieves break into houses,(C)
    bandits rob in the streets;(D)
2 but they do not realize
    that I remember(E) all their evil deeds.(F)
Their sins engulf them;(G)
    they are always before me.

3 “They delight the king with their wickedness,
    the princes with their lies.(H)
4 They are all adulterers,(I)
    burning like an oven
whose fire the baker need not stir
    from the kneading of the dough till it rises.
5 On the day of the festival of our king
    the princes become inflamed with wine,(J)
    and he joins hands with the mockers.(K)
6 Their hearts are like an oven;(L)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,(M)
    and none of them calls(N) on me.

8 “Ephraim mixes(O) with the nations;
    Ephraim is a flat loaf not turned over.
9 Foreigners sap his strength,(P)
    but he does not realize it.
His hair is sprinkled with gray,
    but he does not notice.
10 Israel’s arrogance testifies against him,(Q)
    but despite all this
he does not return(R) to the Lord his God
    or search(S) for him.

11 “Ephraim is like a dove,(T)
    easily deceived and senseless—
now calling to Egypt,(U)
    now turning to Assyria.(V)
12 When they go, I will throw my net(W) over them;
    I will pull them down like the birds in the sky.
When I hear them flocking together,
    I will catch them.
13 Woe(X) to them,
    because they have strayed(Y) from me!
Destruction to them,
    because they have rebelled against me!
I long to redeem them
    but they speak about me(Z) falsely.(AA)
14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts(AB)
    but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
    for grain and new wine,(AC)
    but they turn away from me.(AD)
15 I trained(AE) them and strengthened their arms,
    but they plot evil(AF) against me.
16 They do not turn to the Most High;(AG)
    they are like a faulty bow.(AH)
Their leaders will fall by the sword
    because of their insolent(AI) words.
For this they will be ridiculed(AJ)
    in the land of Egypt.(AK)

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 7:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts They gather together
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

7 (A)when I would heal Israel,
    the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,
    and the evil deeds of (B)Samaria,
for (C)they deal falsely;
    the thief breaks in,
    and the bandits raid outside.
2 But they do not consider
    that (D)I remember all their evil.
Now (E)their deeds surround them;
    (F)they are before my face.
3 By their evil (G)they make (H)the king glad,
    and the princes by their treachery.
4 (I)They are all adulterers;
    they are like a heated oven
whose baker ceases to stir the fire,
    from the kneading of the dough
    until it is leavened.
5 On the day of (J)our king, the princes
    became sick with the heat of wine;
    he stretched out his hand with mockers.
6 For with hearts like an oven (K)they approach their intrigue;
    all night their anger smolders;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot as an oven,
    and they devour their rulers.
All (L)their kings (M)have fallen,
    and none of them calls upon me.

8 Ephraim (N)mixes himself with the peoples;
    Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 (O)Strangers devour his strength,
    and (P)he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,
    and (Q)he knows it not.
10 (R)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[a]
    (S)yet they do not return to the Lord their God,
    nor seek him, for all this.

11 Ephraim is like a dove,
    (T)silly and without sense,
    calling to (U)Egypt, going to (V)Assyria.
12 As they go, (W)I will spread over them my net;
    I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
    (X)I will discipline them (Y)according to the report made to their congregation.
13 (Z)Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
    Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
(AA)I would redeem them,
    but (AB)they speak lies against me.

14 (AC)They do not cry to me from the heart,
    but (AD)they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
    they rebel against me.
15 Although (AE)I trained and strengthened their arms,
    yet they devise evil against me.
16 They (AF)return, but not upward;[b]
    they are (AG)like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
    because of (AH)the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision (AI)in the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 7:10 Or in his presence
  2. Hosea 7:16 Or to the Most High
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The Word of God through Hosea reveals the rebellion of Israel precisely in four parts here.

Firstly, they sinned regardless of God’s Holiness. Ignoring that God is always watching, they did not hesitate to steal, rob, and lie to get little benefits of the world (3). Secondly, they embraced the passions of their flesh. They gave themselves to eat, drink, and indulge in sin, forgetting to worship the Lord, their God (7). Thirdly, they sought rescue from other men rather than living before God. Despite all the suffering under the foreign power, Israel was too proud to return to God. Instead, they now wanted to turn to Egypt and Assyria for rescue, nations that were waiting for a chance to prey on them (13). Fourthly, they became enemies of God as they turned to idols (14). Their ridiculous way of hurting themselves to appeal to the idols instead of crying out to their Lord God for rescue deeply hurt God’s heart.

However, God does not easily give up on them. He says he will throw a net over them as they fly away like doves. We may not like his grip on us sometimes, but the good news is that he does not give up on us.

Prayer: Father, thank you for holding onto me with your strong hands when I was so rebellious toward you. Help me to give up my pride and turn to you each day for your love and mercy.

One Word: I give up my rebellion and pride.