Hosea 7–10

Israel Reaps What She Planted

Hosea 7–10 records that the Lord spoke to Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom of Israel) about their sins. He used many objects as comparisons for their condition, such as “a cake not turned” (Hosea 7:8), “a silly dove” (Hosea 7:11), “a wild ass alone by himself” (Hosea 8:9), “grapes in the wilderness” (desert; Hosea 9:10), and “an empty vine” (Hosea 10:1).

The Lord’s main message was that the people of Ephraim (Northern Kingdom of Israel) made gods and worshiped them, even though they could not save them. Realizing the gods’ powerlessness, Ephraim turned to the true God and expected Him to save them, and when He was slow to help, they said He was not a powerful God, even though they had brought sorrow and destruction upon themselves by forsaking Him. See Hosea 10:13 for a good summary of the Lord’s message.