(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 7:1-16)

This is how today’s Scripture begins:

1 “When I would heal Israel…”

These words speak of the Lord’s mercy, compassion, and grace towards the northern kingdom of Israel. They reveal the Lord’s faithfulness, His unfailing love, and His desire to remain in relationship with His chosen people.

However, we continue to read:

1 When I would heal Israel,
The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,
And the evil deeds of Samaria,
For they deal falsely;
The thief enters in,
Bandits raid outside.
2 And they do not consider in their hearts
That I remember all their wickedness.

When God desired to heal Israel, they did not consider in their hearts all that they had done to bring upon themselves His judgment and wrath. They did not reflect on their unfaithfulness, but rather plotted against the kingdom the Lord had established and tried to seize power and control for themselves.

When God desired to heal Israel, they were too busy making plans for themselves to consider that the Lord saw and remembered all their wickedness. Even though He had warned them through His prophets, they refused to humble themselves and repent. If they had turned from their evil ways and bowed before Him in repentance, the faithful God would have healed them.

During the time of Hosea the prophet, we see so many references to conspiracies. No one knew whom they could trust or who could be trusted. The inner turmoil eventually reached a boiling point. The imagery of a hot oven in today’s Scripture speaks of the fire burning within Israel.

Their hearts were like an oven, heating up and filled with passionate fire, not for the worship of God, but for the pursuit of power and influence. No one called upon the Lord. Instead, they planned their own futures. None of them returned to the Lord, even though the prophets repeatedly warned them to turn from their wicked ways.

Not only was there conflict within the nation, but Israel also looked to Egypt and Assyria for help rather than to the God who had called them to be His own people. They turned to other nations instead of looking upward to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, God desires to heal us, our churches, our families, and our land. But are we willing to turn to Him, call upon Him, and trust in Him? Are we willing to turn away from our own desires, selfish motives, and unfaithfulness, and return to the God who is willing and waiting to heal us?

The Lord is saying to us today as well, “When I would heal…“ May we humble ourselves before Him, return to Him, and receive the healing that only He can give.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Hosea 7