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Foolish Ephraim found feeding on the wind, the very lightest of food which can never assuage hunger. Furthermore they deliberately followed after the east wind, a wind heated by the desert and bringing destruction to vegetation and discomfort to man. Hos. 12:1 Wrongful worship, burning incense to idols, forgetting the Lord is certain to bring destruction like the east wind. The Lord would cause them to stumble and forsake the ancient and tried ways. He would cause the land to be so desolate that those passing by would be astonished. The east wind was that which was to scatter them abroad. At which time the Lord would turn His back on them. Jer. 18:17 The mouth of the foolish feed on the light, the entertaining, the frivolous, the frothy things of Christianity. But the understanding of heart will seek after understanding and knowledge of the Lord. Prov. 15:14 The wind to consume the shepherds and their lovers to be captured and exiled. Jer. 22:22.
Once headed down the pathway of lies and deceit it is difficult to change the course and cease from lying. A lie demands another lie to cover the first and so on, ad infinitum. In forsaking the Lord and substituting false gods for Him, they promoted a lie. They lived and practiced a lie, deceiving themselves, their families and the whole nation. Their persistent stubbornness amply demonstrates the fact that they were under the domination of a lying spirit from the father of lies. John 8:44 Such an attitude can only result in tragedy.
Israel’s problems all originated from their having forsaken the Lord. The king of Assyria came to attack the land of Israel but the king of Israel, Menahem bought him off and formed an alliance with him by paying a thousand talents of silver. The money which was raised by imposing a tax of fifty talents of silver on each of the rich in Israel. (You can guarantee that made him popular). 2 Kings 15:19-20 Ephraim’s alliances were not beneficial to them. Hos. 5:13 Israel’s land, under the blessing and care of the Lord, was to be most productive. One of the overflowing crops promised them was the oil of the olive tree. Deut. 8:8 This commodity was used in the breaking of their covenant with Assyria and the seeking of an alliance with Egypt by sending the oil to them. Hos. 12:1 Assyria at that time was the more powerful nation of the two. Their actions only increased the enmity of the Assyrians. When out of step with the Lord every move is a bad one, the wrong one. Harmony and peace of mind and heart are found in fully serving the Lord. There is only one place of a certain and fulfilling peace and that is in the Lord Jesus. His peace is that which exceeds all other sources of pseudo peace. Phil. 4:7.