Hosea 7:8

Hosea 7:8 says, Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.  God here refers again to Ephraim, one of the families, or tribes, of Israel.  Though not all of the tribes are singled out, they had all turned away from acknowledging God and following His leadership.  There is another analogy to baking.  Ephraim was like a cake that had not been turned, burning on one side and still doughy on the other.  They tried to follow God at times while still chasing after false gods.  They had allowed the world to guide them as they mixed with the people of the world.  They did not set themselves apart for God.  We have a commission to go into the world, but we can never allow the sinful nature of those we witness to become more important than remaining true to God.  Verse nine adds, Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.  I believe God was telling the people of Ephraim that the world had stolen their strength, which came from God, and they didn't even realize it.  They had gotten so far away from God and so committed to the world that they did not even realize that they had lost the source of their strength.  Today, we must always remember that as followers of Christ, God alone is the source of our strength. We need not look to the powers of the world for security, because our security rests in God alone.  Verse ten continues, And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.  Israel had been pulled away from God by their own self pride.  They no longer looked to God for their strength, even as they were about to fall captive to another nation.  We must always look to God for our strength in the world today.  Verse eleven states, Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.  We equate a dove with peace, but Ephraim was called a dove without a heart.  They may have wanted peace, but they had no heart for God where peace could be found.  Instead of staying under the protection of God, they looked to Assyria for protection.  Verse twelve adds, When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.  God does not allow His people to wander away without warning.  God calls to His people with His mercy, but if they do not return, He will come to them in judgment.  As His people, when we do not follow God in our lives we should expect to be chastised.  Sin separates us from God, and when we allow sin back into our lives, looking anywhere other than to God for our safety and security, we need to have God correct, or to chastise us.  Verse thirteen continues, Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.  God's people had fled from Him, and destruction awaited them.  No power in the world could save them.  God had redeemed them, but they rejected Him. I believe this warning applies to us today.  If we claim to be God's people but look anywhere else for peace and security, we are headed for woe or disappointment.  Verse fourteen says, And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. We have to wonder why God's people did not call to Him for deliverance, but we today as followers of Christ can be guilty of the same thing.  We look to the world for security and do not call on God.  We need to remain committed to God no matter what the situation of the world may be. Verse fifteen adds, Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.  God had given the people of Israel their strength as a nation, but they looked on Him without respect.  They had more faith in the power of other nations than they did in the power of God. As followers of Christ, we need to look to God alone for strength and deliverance.  Verse sixteen continues, They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.  When God's people began to look to other nations for deliverance, instead of looking to God, they found themselves captives once again.  We must look to God in all that we do to avoid being taken captive by sin once again.  Though if we are truly followers of Christ, we will not lose our salvation, we can certainly lose the joy and peace that it should bring if we do not always put our faith in God.  No power in this world can bring true peace and security.  That can be found in God alone.