7:1 whenever I want to heal Israel, the sin of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed. For they do what is wrong; thieves break into houses, and gangs rob people out in the streets.

Ephraim (Israel) is desperately sick with sin and needs to be healed. God is the Great Physician. He wants to heal Israel. Whenever God attempts to heal Israel, Israel recovers and then sins even more.

Samaria was the capital city of Israel and the center of Israeli idolatry. Samaria was a city without law and order. Gangs patrolled the streets and robbed the people. Thieves broke into houses at night and robbed the people while they were sleeping. A city that does not honor Bible doctrine will become corrupt and godless.

7:2 They do not realize that I remember all of their wicked deeds. Their evil deeds have now surrounded them; their sinful deeds are always before me.

God takes note of every sin. Their seeds of sin will eventually destroy them.

7:3 The royal advisers delight the king with their evil schemes; the princes make him glad with their lies.

Israel is a land filled with conspiracies against the government.

7:4 They are all like bakers, they are like a smoldering oven; they are like a baker who does not stoke the fire until the kneaded dough is ready for baking.

The conspiracies against the government are put into the oven like bread. Just as the oven heats up and the bread rises, so are the governmental conspiracies heating up and arising.

7:5 At the celebration of their king, his princes become inflamed with wine; they conspire with evildoers.

The celebration of the king can be his birthday, anniversary, or coronation. This was a day of national drunkenness.

7:6 They approach him, all the while plotting against him. Their hearts are like an oven; their anger smolders all night long, but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire.

The conspiracy is in full bloom. Their anger towards the king is like placing coals in the oven. The coals burn all night, but in the morning, their anger bursts into flames.

7:7 All of them are blazing like an oven; they devour their rulers. All of their kings fall— and none of them call on me!

When the anger of the conspirators burst into flames, they assassinate their kings. The last four of Israel’s six kings were assassinated.

It is important to note that the kings of Judah came from the line of David. The kings of Israel were to be divinely anointed by prophets. Notice that God did not allow men to choose their own political leaders. Man is too totally depraved and evil to make good choices. Man will always choose the leader who is tall, dark, handsome, and good with deceptive words. Satan rises up these men and then the electorate foolishly votes for them. God chose the kings of Israel, but the conspirators did not like God’s choice. Therefore, the conspirators assassinated these kings and placed their man on the throne. The northern dynasties changed nine times. The Davidic dynasty of Judah never changed.

7:8 Ephraim has mixed itself like flour among the nations; Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side.

Israel’s foreign policy was so bad that it is was compared to a badly mixed cake. It was burnt on one side.

7:9 Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it!

Israel was to be separated from the Gentiles. They were not to mix with Gentiles. The bad mixing of the cake was mixing with the idolatry of these Gentiles. This bad mixing caused Israel to work their fields, but they were taken and eaten by foreigners. This idolatry caused Israeli people to age faster. However, their idolatry caused them to become blind to these judgments from God.

7:10 The arrogance of Israel testifies against him, yet they refuse to return to the Lord their God! In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!

The mixing with Gentiles had caused Israel to become so arrogant, that they refused to return to Jehovah. They refused to seek Jehovah. They were so interested in Gentile idols, that they were not interested in the one true God.

7:11 Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection.

Ephraim (Israel) has become like a silly dove. She fluttered between Egypt and Assyria, asking them both for help. Israel was basically telling God that she did not need Jehovah to protect her from the Gentiles. Instead, she would rely on her lovers (Assyria and Egypt) to help her.

7:12 I will throw my bird net over them while they are flying, I will bring them down like birds in the sky; I will discipline them when I hear them flocking together.

Since Israel was nothing more than a foolish fluttering bird, then she would be caught in a net. Once she was caught in the net, then God will execute punishment for her foolishness.

7:13 Woe to them! For they have fled from me! Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me! I want to deliver them, but they have lied to me.

A woe is a terrible divine judgment. God tried to save Israel, but she ran from him. Therefore, she will run into destruction. God wanted to deliver Israel, but Israel lied to God. Her lie was in not keeping the Mosaic Law.

7:14 They do not pray to me, but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from me.

Instead of praying to God, Israel cried in her bed about how terrible things were getting. Instead of praying to God, Israel slashed herself, hoping that demonic gods would notice and help deliver her from her problems. Instead of returning to God, Israel turned to alcohol.

7:15 Although I trained and strengthened them, they plot evil against me!

Jehovah trained Israel and made her strong. Israel repaid God by plotting evil against Him.

7:16 They turn to Baal; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because their prayers to Baal have made me angry. So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt.

Instead of turning to God, Israel turned to Baal. Israel was like a bow which breaks. The leaders of Israel will be killed by the sword of the Assyrians. The reason was that they prayed to Baal, which made God angry at them. Some of the people will escape the sword of the Assyrians, but they will be enslaved in Egypt. God once delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Now, apostate Israel will return to slavery in Egypt.