Our Daily Scripture – 12/28/24 (Saturday)

SCRIPTURE:  HOSEA 7

SINS OF EPHRAIM AND CRIMES OF SAMARIA:

  1. They practices deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets. (v. 1)
  2.  They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies. (v. 2)
  3.  They are all adulterers. (v. 4)
  4.  The princes become inflamed with wine and join hands with the mockers. (v. 5)
  5.  Their hearts are like an oven; they approached God with intrigue smoldering passion all night and blazing a flaming fire in the morning. (v. 6)
  6.  All of them are hot as an oven devouring their rulers and kings. (v. 7)
  7.  Ephraim is calling to Egypt and turning to Assyria. (v. 11)
  8.  They have strayed from God and rebelled against Him. (v. 13a)
  9.  They speak lies against Him. (v. 13b)
  10.  They do not cry out to the Lord from their hearts but wail upon their beds. (v. 14a)
  11.  They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from God (v. 14b)
  12.  They plot evil against God. (v. 15)
  13.  They do not turn to the Most High. (v. 16)

DESCRIPTION OF EPHRAIM AND SAMARIA:

  1. Like an oven (vs. 1-7) – They had the burning desire for sin like a fire in an oven.
  2.  Like a cake not turned (vs. 8-10) – They did not realize that if the fire is not watched, it can burn the cake and the cake must be thrown away.  The people were “half baked” .  There was not depth to their religious experiences.  So national death would come without people realizing it.
  3. Like a silly dove (vs. 11-12) – The foreign policy of the officials flitted between Egypt and Assyria.  They did not realize that their strength were being sap by foreigners.  Eventually, the nation was trapped.
  4. Like a deceitful bow (vs. 13-16) – They did not cry out to the Lord or turn to the Most High.  So, their leaders will fall by the sword and will be ridiculed.

THOUGHTS:

God knows and sees everything we do and say.  The thought that “No one will ever know or see” will tempt us to get away with sin.  Remind yourself that God is watching and He knows everything.

Their hearts “blazed like furnace” refers to the lust for power by their leaders.  They turned to foreign nations for help instead of trusting in God.  As a consequence, the king’s lives were ruined.

Israel king Manahem paid the Assyrians to support him in power.  King Hoshea turned against Assyria and went to Egypt for help.  Israel’s kings went back and forth allying themselves with different nations instead of allying themselves with God.

Life without God is like a crooked bow which is unreliable.  A crooked arrow will miss the target and its owner is vulnerable in battle.  Without God’s direction, our thoughts will be filled with lust, cheating, selfishness and deceit.