 When I restore the fortunes of my people, when I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria, for they deal falsely; the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside. 2 But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face. 3 By their evil they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery. 4 They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. 6 For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. 7 All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me. 8 Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not. 10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him, for all this. 11 Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria. 12 As they go, I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation. 13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. 14 They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me. 15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me. 16 They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue! This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt Meditation The love of God opens the door for us to return to wholehearted relationship with God. Our heart’s affection hinders us from returning. Revelation 3:15-20 refers to half-hearted returning to God as “lukewarm” faith. Hosea describes it in several ways that highlight a faith ignored and not cultivated (8-11). The desire of God’s heart is for us to return with our whole hearts, rich affection for Him alone. God is a groom waiting for His bride, ready for His people to come to Him. Thieves and bandits have stolen Israel’s affection (1-2) and the parable of the oven (3-14) reveals internal and external symptoms of lukewarm faith. Internally there is wickedness. Externally they trust Egypt as much as God. The heart problem (14) is an issue of affection. God loved His people as a parent loves their child, training and strengthening them (15; 11:1). Israel rejected God’s love for the love of idols and put their trust in other nations. When they returned it was “not upward,” not to the love of the Most High God (16). How can affections grow for God with hearts sick with idolatry and trust issues? Grace alone grows our affections for God. We want to return to Him, to love Him with all of our heart, but we can’t. Our hearts are sinful. And we need a Savior! Only trusting the unconditional love of Jesus will heat our hearts, fully transforming our faith, and removing the lukewarm tendencies of our souls. Richly Dwelling -Who or what holds the affection of your heart? What do you spend most time thinking about, worrying about, or dreaming about? What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you think about before going to bed at night? -Are you intimidated that God rejects lukewarm faith? Jesus says we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) but we sure try! -Grace alone is the ground where affections for God can grow. Honesty with the distractions of our hearts and the sin of our lives is the first step to knowing the depth of God’s love for us. While we were His enemies Christ died for us! And this grace alone will grow affection for God. Take time to focus on God’s grace and allow His love to form your heart. Key Verse 8 Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned…. 16 They return, but not upward… READ THE WEEK'S LINKS HERE Comments are closed.
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