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| Photo by Jim Tracy |
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.
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.
Israel is choosing to believe that God won’t really remember or notice all the horrible things they have done. In other words, they don’t really believe He is there.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
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.
The people were flattering the king. They were having sex with anything and everyone which was just as pointless as kneading bread and leaving it to rise without going back to bake it.
5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
Even the king, who is supposed to be an example of godliness, is sinning. Note, it is not the drinking the wine that is condemned but the drunkenness.
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.
The ovens of this day were fueled by wood fire. They had to be prepared a good deal ahead of time in order to use them. Israel had prepared their hearts to sin.
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.
No one, not even the elite, have chosen to prepare their hearts to serve God.
8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
If you don’t turn your bread in a wood fired oven, it will burn and be ruined. If you don’t pay attention to your walk with God, it will ruin.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
Israel is decaying and doesn’t realize it.
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.
11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
Israel sent to both Egypt and Assyria for help against each other. She hoped they would fight each other and leave Israel alone, a rather dumb philosophy when you live in the middle of the most direct route between the two nations. Where else would they hold their battles?
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.
God so wants them to repent, but He knows they won’t and He will punish them for their sins.
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.
Israel was not just neglectful or ignorant; they were down-right rebellious. They went out of their way to avoid God.
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.
15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against Me.
Whether God brings prosperity or famine, Israel denies Him.
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.