CHAPTER 7

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.

God says He "would have healed Israel." He sent prophets to reprove them and tried to get them to repent. But they continued in "iniquity" and "wickedness."

It must be noted that we bring our own destruction when we refuse God. He says in verse 2 their "own doings" have caused the problem. When a people sin by leaving God out of their individual lives and/or their country, then they leave sound reasoning. Soon that person or country will degenerate in himself or nation and become unable to defend against consuming evil.

The "king" (political element) made profit from the sins of the people through bribery and graft.

I see a similarity here between the Israel of that day and the USA of today. The leaders of our nation delight in the "sins" of the people such as gambling because they profit from it!

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.

The import of verse 4 is that the people delight in going from one lustful act to another. They only take a break between so they can dream up another act.

Perhaps verse 5 refers to the inauguration parties of the king, or political parties of those promoted to leadership positions. By throwing drunken parties, the leaders actually "scorned" the people for lack of insight.

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.

The people burned with lustful attitudes and did not realize that it would consume them like a "flaming fire."

Because of their desires, they were actually causing the death of their leaders. At this time, positions of power were coveted because of the ability to gain riches. 2Kings 5:10-14 tells part of the story. Shallum killed Zachariah, and then Shallum was killed by Menahem.

Being in the political leadership area of a corrupt nation is a hazardous occupation! Corruption breeds "assassins".

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.

The nation had made some half-baked decisions concerning foreign affairs. They had tried to align themselves with Assyria; but that nation would eventually consume them!

They were like older people who did not know they had lost their strength ("gray hairs are here and there upon him" - verse 9).

The STRENGTH of Israel had always been the LORD. Yet they lived a witness of not returning to God, nor seeking His will in their lives and national affairs.

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.

A "silly dove" is distracted by every shining object. The nation was attracted to Egypt and Assyria for strength through alliances.

But God would "spread" a NET over them like one catches birds.

Friends, we do NEED the strength of armies and arms. However, REAL strength is found on our KNEES!

When a person or nation will not willingly come to the knees to seek God, He will bring them to their knees through failure and humiliation.

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.

Because of their worldliness, their lust toward the things of the world, they had "fled from" God. Real depth in a person or nation is found with God, not with worldliness.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:16-17)

Only temporal things are found in the lust of worldliness. ETERNITY with REAL LIFE is found only in God.

Look at verse 14.

They would "howl upon their beds" because of the grief their own sins brought. But they would NOT repent and turn to God.

They would gather for drinking parties, but they would not gather to worship God.

No wonder that they brought destruction upon themselves!

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.

The nation would "return" (or turn for help), but they wouldn't turn to GOD. They were like a "deceitful bow." They could not hit the target! They could not accomplish the purpose for their creation -- to glorify God.

Therefore, God would cause them to "fall by the sword." This once powerful nation would be destroyed by another nation. And that failure to be powerful would be the source of "derision" by other nations.

Friends, this chapter can be applied to either a person or a nation today. The strength for eternal life is in God alone. The temporary pleasures of the world accomplish nothing to bring us to heaven. People NEED the LORD!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.