Hosea
Chapter 7
The sin of Ephraim is obvious; the wickedness of Samaria is flagrant. They deceive one another; they break into houses while bandits raid outside.
They do not realize that I am aware of their evil deeds. They are engulfed by their sins, which are always before me.
Palace Conspiracies
They entertain the king with their wickedness and the officials with their deception.
They are, and remain, adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker; he does not have to stir the fire from the time the dough is kneaded until it rises.
On the day of the king, his officials get drunk, and the king joins hands with the revelers.
In their plotting, they burn like an oven; all night, their anger smolders; and in the morning, it blazes like a fire.
They are all heated like an oven, and they devour their rulers; all their kings fall, but none of them calls on me for help.
Fateful Alliances
Ephraim mingles with other nations. He is like a half-baked loaf;
the surrounding nations drain his strength without him realizing it. He has grown old and is unaware of it.
Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but still, they will not turn back to the Lord, their God, or seek Him.
Ephraim is like a foolish pigeon, now calling on Egypt and turning to Assyria.
But wherever they turn, I will cast my net over them, for they have rebelled against me; and they will fall like birds.
Insincere and Ungrateful
Woe to those who fled far from me; disgrace will fall on those who deceived me. I wanted to redeem them, but they spoke evil of me.
They did not call on me sincerely when they groaned in their beds because of their wheat and wine Moreover, turned away from me.
When I made them successful and strong, they conspired evil against me.
Now they have become nothing. They are as deceptive as a twisted bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their arrogance;in Egypt, people will mock them.
Commentaries
Title.
The Lord’s case against Israel. This section provides a progressively detailed explanation of Hosea’s interpretation of the people’s behavior, using his wife’s actions as a reference point.
Palace Conspiracies.
The king’s court leads a secular and festive life without regard for God (3:5). In this environment, intrigue and violence are brewing (4:6). Unlike the kingdom of Judah, where the Davidic dynasty remained until the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., in Israel, ten dynasties succeeded one another in 206 years until the fall of Samaria in 721 B.C.
Fateful Alliances.
A naive pattern of shifting alliances between Assyria and Egypt continues to develop. The lack of political stability and consistency has a significant impact on foreign relations. Everything is done outside of God’s will.
Insincere and Ungrateful.
God is willing to “redeem” his people as he did when he freed them from Egypt (cf. Dt 7:8; 9:26; 13:5), but because of the lies told about God, there will be no “exodus” for the northern tribes who are devoted to the gods of bread (Ceres) and wine (Bacchus). God “redeemed” his people at the price of the blood of his only Son (cf. 1 Pt 1:18-19).