(7:4) They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened
(7:8) Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
( 7:11) Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
(7:16) They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow;
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?
In Hosea chapter 7, there are four charges made against Israel and their wrong direction in the areas of their morals, their politics, and their religion.
- The Untended Oven (7:1-7) Their Faulty Ungodly Religious Morals
- The Half-Baked Honey Cakes (7:8-10) Their Faulty Ungodly Politics
- The Silly Dove (7:11-15) Their Faulty Ungodly Leadership
- The Deceitful Bow (7:16) Their Faulty Ungodly Defense and Security
SOUND FAMILIAR? Welcome to the "present" past