PM Dec 11th Hosea 7

December 11^th               Hosea 7            Israel turns from the Lord

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. 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 kneeded the dough, until it be leavened. 5: In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners. 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: 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. 8: Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9: Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Hosea 8            Israel’s Idolatry

1: Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. 2: Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. 3: Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. 4: They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. 5: Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? 6: For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. 7: For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. 8: Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. 9: For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. 10: Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes. 11: Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. 12: I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. 13: They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. 14: For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

The Lord continues to speak to Israel about the wickedness of their sins. They think that God has forgotten all their sins. They commit robbery they lie and the king is glad by their horrendous sinning and the prices love their lives. They are full of adultery like bread full of yeast when it is puffed up. They are like a baker who sleeps in and finds the bread is burnt instead baked. In the entire nation there are none that call on the name of the Lord. Even the heathen will be amazed at the ungodliness of the Lords people. They have sown the wing they will reap a whirlwind. The Lord has given them the word of the Law but they look on it as a strange thing. Its not wonder that they are far from the Lord.