Hosea 7

1 When I heal Israel, Israel's sin will go away, and so will Samaria's evil. "They cheat a lot! Thieves break into houses, and robbers are in the streets.

2 It never enters their minds that I remember all their evil deeds. The bad things they do are all around them; they are right in front of me.

3 "They make the king happy with their wickedness; their rulers are glad with their lies.

4 But all of them are traitors. They are like an oven heated by a baker. While he mixes the dough, he does not need to stir up the fire.

5 The kings get so drunk they get sick every day. The rulers become crazy with wine; they make agreements with those who do not know the true God.

6 They burn like an oven; their hearts burn inside them. All night long their anger is low, but when morning comes, it becomes a roaring fire.

7 All these people are as hot as an oven; they burn up their rulers. All their kings fall, and no one calls on me.

8 "Israel mixes with other nations; he is like a pancake cooked only on one side.

9 Foreign nations have eaten up his strength, but he doesn't know it. Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man, but he doesn't know it.

10 Israel's pride will cause their defeat; they will not turn back to the Lord their God or look to him for help in all this.

11 Israel has become like a pigeon -- easy to fool and stupid. First they call to Egypt for help. Then they run to Assyria.

12 When they go, I will catch them in a net, I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will punish them countless times for their evil.

13 How terrible for them because they left me! They will be destroyed, because they turned against me. I want to save them, but they have spoken lies against me.

14 They do not call to me from their hearts. They just lie on their beds and cry. They come together to ask for grain and new wine, but they really turn away from me.

15 Though I trained them and gave them strength, they have made evil plans against me.

16 They did not turn to the Most High God. They are like a loose bow that can't shoot. Because their leaders brag about their strength, they will be killed with swords, and the people in Egypt will laugh at them.

Hosea 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

The manifold sins of Israel. (1-7) Their senselessness and hypocrisy. (8-16)

Verses 1-7 A practical disbelief of God's government was at the bottom of all israel's wickedness; as if God could not see it or did not heed it. Their sins appear on every side of them. Their hearts were inflamed by evil desires, like a heated oven. In the midst of their troubles as a nation, the people never thought of seeking help from God. The actual wickedness of men's lives bears a very small proportion to what is in their hearts. But when lust is inwardly cherished, it will break forth into outward sin. Those who tempt others to drunkenness never can be their real friends, and often design their ruin. Thus men execute the Divine vengeance on each other. Those are not only heated with sin, but hardened in sin, who continue to live without prayer, even when in trouble and distress.

Verses 8-16 Israel was as a cake not turned, half burnt and half dough, none of it fit for use; a mixture of idolatry and of the worship of Jehovah. There were tokens of approaching ruin, as grey hairs are of old age, but they noticed them not. The pride which leads to break the law of God leads to self-flattery. The mercy and grace of God are the only refuge to which obstinate sinners never think of fleeing. Though they may howl forth their terrors in the form of prayers, they seldom cry to God with their hearts. Even their prayers for earthly mercies only seek fuel for their lusts. Their turning from one sect, sentiment, form, or vice, to another, still leaves them far short of Christ and holiness. Such are we by nature. And such shall we prove if left to ourselves. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 7

This chapter either begins a new sermon, discourse, or prophecy, or it is a continuation of the former; at least it seems to be of the same argument with the latter part of it, only it is directed to Israel alone; and consists of complaints against them because of their manifold sins, and of denunciations of punishment for them. They are charged with ingratitude to God, sinning in a daring manner against mercy, and with falsehood, thefts, and robberies, Ho 7:1; with want of consideration of the omniscience of God, and his notice of their sins, which surrounded them, Ho 7:2; with flattery to their king and princes, Ho 7:3; with adultery, which lust raged in them like a heated oven, Ho 7:4; with drunkenness, aggravated by drawing their king into it, Ho 7:5; with raging lusts, which devoured their judges, made their kings to fall, and brought on such a general corruption, that there were none that called upon the Lord, Ho 7:6,7; with mixing themselves with the nations of the earth, and so learning their ways, and bringing their superstition and idolatry into the worship of God, so that they were nothing in religion, like a half baked cake, Ho 7:8; with stupidity and insensibility of their declining state, Ho 7:9; with pride, impenitence, and stubbornness, Ho 7:10; with folly, in seeking to Egypt and Assyria for help, and not to the Lord; for which they would be taken as birds in a net, and sorely chastised, Ho 7:11,12; with ingratitude, hypocrisy, and deceitfulness; for all which they are threatened with destruction, Ho 7:13-16.