--- title: "Hosea 7 - Study King James Bible with the biblical illustrator" description: "Read Hosea 7 with the biblical illustrator commentary. 1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief co" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/the-biblical-illustrator/hosea/7" --- [ Read](/kjv/hosea/7)[ Commentary](/study/hosea/7)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/hosea/7) Audio 1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, *and* the troop of robbers spoileth without.** 2 And they consider not in their hearts *that* I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.* 3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. 4 They *are* all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, *who* ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.** 5 In the day of our king the princes have made *him* sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.* 6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.* 7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: *there is* none among them that calleth unto me. 8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth *it* not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.* 10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this. 11 ¶ Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard. 13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.* 14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, *and* they rebel against me. 15 Though I have bound *and* strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.* 16 They return, *but* not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this *shall be* their derision in the land of Egypt. [Hosea 6](/study/hosea/6) [Hosea 8](/study/hosea/8) ## Commentary To verse 1 [Hosea 7:1](/kjv/hosea/7/1) *When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria.* **The great deceiver and spoiler of the nation** We**identify the deceiver as strong drink. ** I.**The dangerous and insinuating character of intoxicating drinks. “The thief cometh in.” Compare the movements of thieves with the manner in which these drinks operate upon different classes of our fellow-men. **1.**The thief will often seize the property of others under false pretences. So the strong drinks pretend to give strength to the weak, and to preserve the strong from becoming weak. Those drinks pretend to act favourably upon the sympathies of our nature, and to promote good fellowship among neighbours and friends. But when and where did strong drink perform such wonderful things? **2.**The thief commits his depredations under the guise of friendship. ** II.**you are known to have money, many will offer friendship, and when they have gained your confidence, they will strip you of everything you possess. And it is thus with the friendly glass. **3.**The thief pounces upon his prey at unawares. And the thief, strong drink, acts very much in the same way. To be forewarned is in many cases to be forearmed, but too many refuse to take warning, and hence the thief pounces upon them at unawares, and they become an easy prey. **4.**The thief pays no respect either to age or sex. The thief is known to seize upon male or female, old or young, any party, or under any circumstance, if he can but meet with a victim. And the thief, strong drink, acts precisely in the same way. In every walk of life, in every condition of society, and under every variety of circumstance this thief commits his depredations. **5.**The thief, in the accomplishment of his object, often takes away the life of his victim. Here is another most painful characteristic of strong drink. By this thief multitudes of men die and go to their long home. ** II.**The evils inflicted upon our country by the traffic in strong drinks. “The troop of robbers spoileth without.” **1.**The vast-extent of this source of evil. Thousands are engaged in the manufacture of strong drink. **2.**The traffic fails to give an equivalent for what it costs. **3.**The traffic in strong drink spoils the morals of our country. **4.**The traffic is spoiling the efforts of the Church. ** III.**The means by which these evils may be removed. **1.******The real cause of these evils must be kept distinctly in view. Individual example is the matter requiring supreme attention. **2.**The manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks, except for scientific and medicinal purposes, must be condemned. **3.**The practical rather than the doubtful should be steadily pursued. There is always a danger of our having our minds diverted from the real to the visionary. It is a delusion to trust to acts of parliament. Personal and individual abstinence is the one thing to urge. (*D. 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