Hosea Chapter 7 Breakdown

1 “When I would have healed Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, And the wickedness of Samaria. For they have committed fraud; A thief comes in; A band of robbers takes spoil outside.

YHWH wanted to repair the relationship with Israel, but the sin of Ephraim and Samaria were great. They were deceitful. A thief enters and an army invades the streets.

2 They do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face.

Israel does not even take into consideration that YHWH does not forget all the wicked things He has seen them do. All their evil deeds have turned them away from the presence of YHWH.

3 They make a king glad with their wickedness, And princes with their lies.

Israel is pleasing Kings and other people of high places, because they perform wicked acts and tell lies. Basically, they are doing things which break the Law of YHWH and that means they are giving in to the desires of the flesh.

4 “They are all adulterers. Like an oven heated by a baker— He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough, Until it is leavened.

All Israel have been worshipping other gods. Israel started out on fire for YHWH, then they stopped feeding the fire when they began sinning. Leaven is a reference to sin in many instances throughout the Bible.

5 In the day of our king Princes have made him sick, inflamed with wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

Israel has become sin, drunk with wine. Israel has continued with the arrogant.

6 They prepare their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait; Their baker sleeps all night; In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

All Israel desire to do sin and endulge in the fleshly yearnings.

7 They are all hot, like an oven, And have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen. None among them calls upon Me.

Israel has killed off those who sit in the position of judging. Their kings have fallen, and no one left calls out for YHWH.

8 “Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned.

Israel has intermarried with the nations and has taken on their pagan traditions. Israel is a like a cake not turned, meaning he is half baked. He has went astray and did not turn back.

9 Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it.

Strangers have taken the strength of Israel, and he doesn’t even know it. Israel has given up his power, that power came from knowing YHWH. Israel has become old and grown grey.

10 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the Lord their God, Nor seek Him for all this. “Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.

Israel’s pride works against him as witness. Still they do not return to YHWH. They do not seek after YHWH either. Israel looks for help everywhere, except from YHWH.

12 Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard.

No matter where Israel ends up, YHWH will bring them down, and discipline them according to the prophecy they have heard.

13 “Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me.

YHWH says, woe to them for fleeing from me. They will suffer destruction because they have broken His law. He will redeem them even though they have spoken lies against Him.

14 They did not cry out to Me with their heart When they wailed upon their beds. “They assemble together for grain and new wine, They rebel against Me;

1 Kings 18:28

So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

Here we can see what YHWH is saying as well as what Israel was doing. This is simply breaking the Law of YHWH.

15 Though I disciplined and strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me; They return, but not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

YHWH had disciplined them, showing how He loved them, and made them a strong nation, they still chose to rebel against Him. They do not return to YHWH, and are unfaithful. Their leaders will be killed for resentment of YHWH with their speech.