#DailyDevotion Are You Like A Bow With A Loose String?
Hos. 7 11Ephraim acts like a silly dove, without sense. They call to Egypt and run to Assyria. 12As soon as they run, I spread My net over them and bring them down like birds in the air. I will punish them as I promised when they met with Me. 13Woe to them because they have strayed from Me; they are destroyed because they’ve rebelled against Me. I wanted to redeem them, but they tell lies about Me. 14They don’t cry to Me from their hearts as they wail on their beds. They cut themselves for grain and wine as they turn against Me. 15I train them and strengthen their arms, but they plan evil against Me.” 16They return but not to the Most High. They are like a bow with a slack string. The sword will strike down their leaders for the raging of their tongues; for this they will be mocked in Egypt.
You know, God, in both the Old and New Testaments isn’t very nice. He’s loving for sure, but He isn’t what you and I in 21st century America would call nice. The LORD tells Ephraim he acts like a silly dove. He’s not trying to be endearing here. He’s insulting them.
Why does He say this? Because they are vacillating between looking to Egypt to help them against Assyria and they look to Assyria to help them against Egypt. Because they are doing this the LORD is going to trap them in the net they made for themselves. For this, He is going to punish them as He promised when He met them in the wilderness. Now, I currently cannot find in the Torah (Gen-Deut) where the LORD told them not to make alliances with other nations (besides the people they were to drive out of the land). But the Israelites are messing things up so bad by worshiping idols and foreign gods along with massive immorality, I’m thinking the LORD is referring to all the other ways the Israelites have broken the covenant and the LORD is going to fulfill what He promised to do to them if they did what He forbade in the Torah.
The Israelites strayed and rebelled against the LORD by 1. setting up golden calves at Dan and Bethel to worship as the LORD 2. started worshiping the gods of their neighbors which included temple prostitutes and 3. breaking most of the other commandments of the LORD in daily practice calling good evil and evil good. The LORD did want to redeem them. His default mode is always mercy, kindness, steadfast love, forgiveness and discipline when we err. However, the Israelites instead of turning to the LORD in repentance told lies about Him (breaking no doubt the 2nd commandment teaching false doctrine).
The Israelites, instead of turning to the LORD for help against their enemies, with repentant hearts, did not cry out to the LORD. Instead they cut themselves (possibly a reference to tattoos for the purpose of gaining the pagan gods’ favor—like the prophets of Baal with Elijah). Tattoos for them would be like casting spells. I’m not condemning all tattoos here, just those with non-Christian, spiritual significance. The LORD had given them strength and trained their arms for war to defeat their enemies, but they trusted in their enemies instead. So they did not turn the LORD Most High for strength, help and victory. They became like a bow with a loose string.
Do we turn to the LORD Jesus Christ who promises to give us the strength to do all things? Do we look to Him to the Father through Him for every good. Do we rely on God or politicians or split the difference between the two being more faithful to the politicians than the LORD?
Merciful, Gracious, Kind, Steadfast and Forgiving Father, give us Your Holy Spirit so we turn to You for all good things, in every trial for deliverance, and for daily strength to live our lives trusting in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.