1 When Ephraim spoke in the fear of the Lord, he became great, but when he began worshiping Baal, he died.
When Israel followed God she became a great nation, and Ephraim especially prospered. But when she followed Ahab into Baal worship, she died spiritually.
2 And now they sin more and more, and have made themselves beautiful, molten images out of silver, then say, “Let anyone who offers sacrifices kiss the calves.”
Kissing was a sign of submission. Where we might salute someone or something we honor, they would blow kisses to them.
3 And so they will be like a morning cloud that blows away, and like the early morning dew that evaporates, like the chaff that the whirlwind blows off the threshing floor, and like the smoke that rises out of the chimney.
Those who chose to worship idols would be as hard to find as smoke that has left the chimney or the dew at noon.
4 Yet I am the I AM thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou will not know any god but Me, because there is no savior but Me.
5 I knew thee in the wilderness, in the great desert.
God is making it clear that He is the God they should have been serving since the beginning of their nation, not Baal. He is the One that sustained them during the wandering in the wilderness.
6 But when you entered the Promised Land, you became full and satisfied, and then you grew proud and forgot Me.
Just like America forgot about serving God as soon as she began to prosper, Israel forgot all about God once she got settled in a prosperous land.
7 So I will be to them like a lion. Just like a leopard hiding by the side of the road, I will watch them.
8 I will meet them like a bear whose cubs have been taken away from her. I will rip their hearts out of their chests and eat them like a lion. I will send wild beasts to eat them.
Because of their forgetfulness of God, He will treat them as badly as a predator treats its dinner. This is not just the removing of His protection, but the outright punishment by God’s direct Hand.
9 O Israel, thou have destroyed thyself, but I am the source of thine help.
“You have brought this on yourself. It’s your own fault, but if you turn to Me, I will help you.”
10 I want to be thy King. Who else could save you in all of your cities? And where are the judges and kings who you asked for?
11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in My wrath.
God did not want Israel to have a king. Or to put it more accurately, He wanted to be their King. But they insisted on a human king, so He gave one to them knowing full well that king would oppress them. Then He promises to remove the king so they can no longer take pride in their monarchy.
12 Ephraim's guilt is recorded. His sin is remembered.
13 He will hurt like a woman in labor, but is like a child too stupid to find his way out of the womb.
14 Should I rescue them from the power of the grave? Should I rescue them from death? O death, bring thy diseases! O grave, come destroy! I won't change My mind!
15 Even though he is the richest of his brothers, an east wind shall come, the wind of the I AM will come up from the wilderness, and all his springs will dry up, and his wells go dry. All his wealth will be carried away.
16 Samaria will become desolate, because she has rebelled against her God. They will be killed with the sword. Their babies will be torn in pieces, and their pregnant women will be torn open.
God is warning Israel that a time of drought and deprivation is fixing to come. They are a rich, prosperous people and probably have as little experience with poverty as the modern American. But that is fixing to change.
This East Wind may have been a literal, hot, dry wind bringing a lack of water, though most scholars believe it to be figuratively speaking of the Assyrian army which will march into Israel from the north-east and devastate the land.