And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
God's own people, Israel, are bent and set on backsliding and turning away from Him, persisting in settled apostasy. Though they are called to the Most High, to Him who is on high, none at all will exalt Him and they refuse to exalt Him. They persisted despite repeated prophetic warnings and appeals, and the more the prophets called them the more they went away from them.
Their backsliding meant not keeping God's covenant and refusing to walk in His law, and instead following their own counsels. This turning away came in spite of tender divine care for Ephraim as a loved child brought out of Egypt, with God calling His son out of Egypt. He taught Ephraim to walk and to go, taking them by the arms and holding them, healing them without their knowing it, drawing them with cords of a man and bands of love, removing and lifting the yoke from their jaws and feeding them, which were advantages they failed to recognize.
Because they followed their own counsels, the sword abides and remains in their cities, consuming their branches and devouring them. In response to that backsliding, God's heart is turned within Him and His compassions are kindled, so He is unwilling to give up Ephraim and deliver Israel over to destruction like Admah and Zeboim. The warning and appeal written in times past holds a present-day application, holding out blessing to Israel on condition of repentance as promised in Hosea 14.
God's own people, Israel, are bent and set on backsliding and turning away from Him, persisting in settled apostasy. Though they are called to the Most High, to Him who is on high, none at all will exalt Him and they refuse to exalt Him. They persisted despite repeated prophetic warnings and appeals, and the more the prophets called them the more they went away from them.
Their backsliding meant not keeping God's covenant and refusing to walk in His law, and instead following their own counsels. This turning away came in spite of tender divine care for Ephraim as a loved child brought out of Egypt, with God calling His son out of Egypt. He taught Ephraim to walk and to go, taking them by the arms and holding them, healing them without their knowing it, drawing them with cords of a man and bands of love, removing and lifting the yoke from their jaws and feeding them, which were advantages they failed to recognize.
Because they followed their own counsels, the sword abides and remains in their cities, consuming their branches and devouring them. In response to that backsliding, God's heart is turned within Him and His compassions are kindled, so He is unwilling to give up Ephraim and deliver Israel over to destruction like Admah and Zeboim. The warning and appeal written in times past holds a present-day application, holding out blessing to Israel on condition of repentance as promised in Hosea 14.