10:1 Israel was a fertile vine that yielded fruit. As his fruit multiplied, he multiplied altars to Baal. As his land prospered, they adorned the fertility pillars.
Instead of Ephraim (Israel) producing double fruit, she produced double demonic altars.
10:2 Their heart is slipping; soon they will be punished for their guilt. The Lord will break their altars; he will completely destroy their fertility pillars.
Israel is losing her heart for not worshiping Jehovah. She will be punished for worshiping false demonic gods. Since Israel will not smash the altars in her land, Jehovah will raise up the Assyrians to break all of these false demonic altars. Since Israel will not destroy the fertility totem poles, then the Assyrians will destroy them.
10:3 Very soon they will say, “We have no king since we did not fear the Lord. But what can a king do for us anyway?”
The kings of Israel who usurped authority without God’s anointing will not be able to protect Israel.
10:4 They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field.
The kings of Israel were speaking empty words. They were making false oaths. Their arguments were full of emptiness. These kings made false covenants with other nations. The covenants with the other Gentile nations were poisonous weeds in a plowed field. These covenants would lead to the poisoning of Israel.
10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria will lament over the calf idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it; its idolatrous priests will wail over it, because its splendor will be taken from them into exile.
Samaria was the capital of Israel. It was the center of calf worship. The city will fall. People will mourn over the city. The false priests of the calf worship will wail over the fall of the city, because they will lose their position of splendor and be taken into captivity.
10:6 Even the calf idol will be carried to Assyria, as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be put to shame because of its wooden idol.
The calf idol in Samaria will not be able to protect Israel from Assyria. In fact, the calf idol will be carried to Assyria as plunder. Ephraim (Israel) will be disgraced when she finds out that her calf god cannot deliver her. Israel will be disgraced when they find out that she was worshiping a piece of wood.
10:7 Samaria and its king will be carried off like a twig on the surface of the waters.
The King of Samaria will be carried off to Assyria just as a twig is carried off by flooding waters of a river.
10:8 The high places of the “House of Wickedness” will be destroyed; it is the place where Israel sins. Thorns and thistles will grow up over its altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
Since Israel did not destroy all of the false demonic worship centers in the land, the Assyrians will do it for them. The Assyrian Captivity will be so terrible, that many of the Israelites will call for suicide. This is the same cry that will be made by unbelievers during the Great Tribulation.
10:9 O Israel, you have sinned since the time of Gibeah, and there you have remained. Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah?
Gibeah was the place of the homosexual rape gangs of the tribes of Benjamin. Their population was reduced from 26,700 males to 600 males. Israel’s population was to be reduced by 90%.
10:10 When I please, I will discipline them; I will gather nations together to attack them, to bind them in chains for their two sins.
Assyria will decimate Israel. In the distant future of the Great Tribulation, the Gentile armies of the Antichrist will reduce the population of Israel by two thirds.
10:11 Ephraim was a well-trained heifer who loved to thresh grain; I myself put a fine yoke on her neck. I will harness Ephraim. Let Judah plow! Let Jacob break up the unplowed ground for himself!
Israel was an unmuzzled heifer who was free to roam and eat all that she wanted. Because of her idolatry with Gentile pagan demonic false gods, God will have to put a yoke around her neck and make her work as a slave in the land of Assyria.
10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap unfailing love. Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers deliverance on you.
Israel and Judah will both be joined together and judged during the Great Tribulation. During this future time period, God calls Israel to sow righteousness, reap love, break unplowed land, and seek Jehovah until He returns. When Israel seeks Jehovah, it is then the Messiah will return and save Israel from the Antichrist.
10:13 But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your chariots; you have relied on your many warriors.
During the last 2,000 years, Israel has plowed wickedness, reaped injustice, and eaten the fruits of deception. Israel depended upon their military instead of upon God.
10:14 The roar of battle will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be devastated, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
King Shalman of Assyria entered the city of Bethel and threw all of the Jews (including mothers and children) off of a 1000 foot cliff. When Assyria returns, she will do the same thing once again. When the Antichrist arrives, he will do the same.
10:15 So will it happen to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness! When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be destroyed.
Bethel will offer no help to Israel. Jehovah is Israel’s only hope.