Hosea 7
When God, who is rich in mercy, would stretch forth His hand to heal, the iniquity. of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria are discovered. Samaria was the seat of government; front it the kings who led the people in God’s dishonor ruled the country.
Hosea was the last prophet among the ten tribes, and his long-period of testimony—evidently exceeding 60 years (see chapter 1:1) must have ended not far from the time when they were made captives of the Assyrian conqueror, in B.C. 721 (2 Kings 18:9-12).
Chapter 7 thus unfolds the true moral character of that people at the end of their possession of the land bestowed on them by God’s favor—no more to return there until they shall have been recalled by divine power at the Lord’s appearing.
They practiced falsehood, and thieves within and robbers without carried on their doings apparently unchecked. These evidences of Satan’s service were early introduced into the world; are increasingly common in our day and will continue until God interferes in judgment.
It is significant that a lie was the means whereby Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44) deceived Eve in the garden of Eden, thereby robbing God of the confiding trust of His creatures, and indeed robbing Him of the world, the fair creation of His own hands, Satan is still a thief, robbing men (did they but realize it!) of all he can, as witnessed by Mark 4:15 and Luke 10:30; and all false leaders among God’s sheep are thieves and robbers, like their master (John 10:1, 8, 10).
“They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness” (verse 2)—how true of the present age! Today few are concerned when they are told that God, who offers salvation to all, will ere long become the Judge of the world; then “the books” will be opened, and the dead will be judged out of those things which are written in them according to their works (Rev. 20:12-13), even to “every idle word” (Matthew 12:30).
The whole nation is shown to be devoted to wickedness (verse 8). Immorality —fruit of the nation’s turning away from the true God, and in those clays associated with the worship of idols—abounded. It appears to be gaining ground rapidly nowadays. (Verse 8): Ephraim mixed himself among the peoples—the nations of those who knew not God, from whom Israel was designed to be separate (Exodus 19:6; 34:12-16).
The latter part of verse 13 should be read, “And I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.” The time came when they cried out because of the distress in which they found themselves (by reason of sin), but it was not a cry addressed in sincerity to God, when they howled upon their beds. Trouble did not turn their heart to Him any more than His mercy, and though they had called (in vain) on Egypt for help, they would be overwhelmed by the Assyrians, and in the day of their dire calamity the Egyptians would deride them (verse 10).
ML 11/01/1936