Hosea 5:6

Hosea 5:6 says, They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.  After worshipping other gods, God's people would finally start seeking Him.  Matthew Henry points out this was most likely directed at Judah, who did still worship God, but they did not worship Him exclusively.  We never find God of our own ability, but He finds us through His mercy and grace.  Verse seven adds, They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions. God was telling His people that they were not dealing with Him honestly.  They were to be children of God through their faith in Him, but they were leading their children to be strangers to God.  We as followers of Christ have a responsibility to God to teach our children about Him.  They may not always listen, but that does not relieve us of the responsibility to tell them.  If we fail to do so, they may end up as the children of Israel in Hosea's day, being strangers to God.  Verse eight continues, Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.  Through two cities, one in Judah and one in Israel, God was sounding the warning to both kingdoms. It was too late to sound the trumpet in Bethaven, or Bethel, since it had already fallen, but the people could still cry a warning. The entire kingdom, divided or not, was going to fall.  If we begin to stray from God, someone needs to sound the alarm.  Israel and Judah, God's chosen people, had turned to other gods, and they fell captive to other nations.  We should never feel that we are above the same thing.  Verse nine states, Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.  God had made known to His people what was going to happen, and there could be no doubt what would occur.  They, divided kingdom or not, were all turning to false gods, and God was removing His protective hand.  Verse ten adds, The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.  Judah was following Israel in rebelling against God, so they to were going to lose His protection.  We need to be careful that when we see a fellow Christian fall into sin that we do not start feeling superior to them.  We are all sinners saved by grace. Verse eleven continues, Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.  Ephraim, one of the tribes of Israel, willing followed the commandment of the king to worship the false idols.  God pronounced the result of this idolatry.  They would be oppressed and broken.  Verse twelve says, Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.  A moth destroys silently, and rottenness destroys by infecting everything it stays in contact with.  God was not going to loudly destroy Ephraim and Judah, who were mentioned here, but was going to let them be eaten up or rotted away from their own sins.  Verse thirteen adds, When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.  When God's people saw what was happening, they didn't turn to God, but to other worldly leaders.  If we find ourselves overcome due to sin we can look to God alone for restoration.  Verse fourteen continues, For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.  God's judgment would be like a lion, and no one could rescue His people until they repented and returned to Him.  We must rely on God alone to deliver us from the power and consequences of sin.  Verse fifteen concludes, I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.  God was removing His protection until His people acknowledged their sins and sought Him again.  He would stand ready to come to them again as their God.  If we allow sin into our lives, until we repent and ask God's forgiveness, we cannot enjoy all the blessings He awaits to pour out on us.