The Father of the Fatherless

“When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended through Baal worship, he died. Now they sin more and more, and have made for themselves molded images, idols of their silver, according to their skill; all of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, ‘Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!’ Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes away, like chaff blown off from a threshing floor and like smoke from a chimney.” Hosea 13:1-3

Ephraim was the most powerful tribe among the twelve tribes in Israel’s early history. When they spoke, there was trembling. This position of influence waned as they turned from God.

1 Kings 16:31 says, “And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him [Ahab] to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.”

Israel’s first king, Jeroboam, set up calve idols and a false priesthood. Ahab promoted Baal worship and persecuted God’s faithful prophets. Ahab’s idolatry yielded death for him, and now, his nation, many years later, was about to be defeated and deported to serve the whims of the Assyrians. [JFBC]

Paul wrote in Romans 7:9, “Sin revived, and I died.”

Ephraim’s life as a nation was cut short like a morning cloud, early dew, chaff in the wind and like smoke from a chimney. They appeared strong for a season but disappeared from existence soon afterwards due to their bad choices.

“Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt. You shall know no God but Me. For there is no savior besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.” Hosea 13:4-5

The Lord is a jealous God. He was invested in Ephraim. He did amazing miracles for Ephraim like none other had done for them. He brought ten plagues against Egypt. Egypt was determined to keep Ephraim as his servant, but God forced their hand. The Lord did miracles to keep Ephraim alive in a dry wilderness for forty years. Psalm 78:5 says that “Men ate angels’ food. He sent them food to the full.” He helped them to defeat 31 kings, and to settle in the Promised Land. Here, He tells them, “You shall know no God but Me. For there is no savior besides Me.”

“When they had pasture, they were filled. They were filled and their heart was exalted. Therefore, they forgot Me. So I will be to them like a lion. Like a leopard by the road I will lurk. I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs. I will tear open their rib cage, and there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them.” Hosea 13:6-8

It is evil to betray God. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. 30 pieces of silver was the going price for a slave in those days. In John 6:70-71, Jesus identified Judas as a “devil” to the disciples. In Matthew 26:24, Jesus said of Judas, “Woe to that man.” In John 17:12, Jesus said, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

According to Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:2-17, the devil, originally named Lucifer, was a created angel who was perfect and beautiful. He was musical. In Revelation 12:4, 7, 9, 17, the devil is described as a dragon that leads a third of the stars of heaven (angels) to rebel against God. He was cast out of heaven and down to earth by God. He is against those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Ephraim’s heart became lifted up against God. Thus, the Lord said that He would be as a lion, leopard, bear and beast toward them. The word lion is used over 150 times, leopard about eight times, bear twelve times, and beast many times in the Old Testament. In Daniel 7:2-8 and Revelation 13:2, these creatures symbolize human empires that God allows to rule the earth. In Daniel’s vision, lion, bear, leopard and beast are used to symbolize four successive empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome). [GS]

“O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. I will be your King. Where is any other, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? I gave you a king in My anger and took him away in My wrath. Hosea 13:9-11

In 2 Kings 15:28, in Hosea’s day, Pekah did evil in God’s sight. Then, in 2 Kings 15:29, the king of Assyria took over nine communities of Israel plus the land of Naphtali. He carried the Israelites in those region captive to Assyria. 2 Kings 15:30 says, “Hoshea... led a conspiracy against [King] Pekah... and killed him.” Thus, God gave a king in His anger to Ephraim and took him away in His wrath. Poor national leadership and tumultuous regime changes are signs that nation is in need of spiritual renewal. They needed to turn to God lest something worse happened.

“The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is stored up.” Hosea 13:12

The worship of idols multiplied their guilt before God rather than remove it.

God prescribed the blood of bulls and sheep to remove guilt as symbolic of the sacrifice His Son would make later. Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:28 says, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” 1 John 2:2 says that “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Propitiation means the Mercy Seat or place where sin is forgiven by God. As we place our trust in Christ, God forgives our sins. We are graciously saved by His merits not our own.

“The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for he should not stay long where children are born.” Hosea 13:13

The Bible uses childbirth to represent the intense suffering that precedes a new era, new life, or the coming of God’s kingdom. In Matthew 24:8, Jesus described end-time events as the “beginning of birth pains.” In Isaiah and Jeremiah, the imagery of childbirth is used to depict national calamities and divine judgment on a sinful nation. Isaiah 66 connects the pain of labor with the joy of a new birth for Israel. Suffering is not random but serves a purpose in God’s plan, much like labor pains lead to new life. [GS]

In 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Paul wrote, “For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Hosea compares Ephraim to an unwise baby who wants to remain in the birth canal. [JFBC]

Spiritually speaking, Jesus said in John 3:3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes.” Hosea 13:14

Paul referenced this passage in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55. He wrote, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

“’Repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes’ that is, I will not change My purpose of fulfilling My promise by delivering Israel.” [JFBC]

“Though he is fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come; the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize. Samaria is held guilty, for she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child ripped open.” Hosea 13:15-16

In Genesis 41:52, Joseph named his second son Ephraim, “For, [said he] God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” In Genesis 48:19, Jacob told Joseph that Ephraim would be greater than his older brother. “His seed shall become a multitude of nations.” In Genesis 49:22, Jacob blessed Joseph saying, “He is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall.” God’s purpose for Ephraim was temporarily setback due to the tribe of Ephraim’s turning from the living God to idols. The east wind symbolizes destruction. Turning from God thwarted new births. The death of newborns in the physical realm mirrored what was happening in the spiritual realm, namely, people did not want to be born again.

“O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity. Receive us graciously for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” Hosea 14:1-3

You have sinned. Return to the Lord! The Lord even fed the lines to them that they needed to pray to return to Him. “Take away all iniquity!” “Receive us graciously!” “Save us by Your grace because we don’t deserve to be saved.” “We forsake other gods.” “Father in heaven, please be our father because until now we have been fatherless.”

“I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel. He shall grow like the lily and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread. His beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall be revived like grain and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree. Your fruit is found in Me.” Hosea 14:4-8

Ephraim did not need to do something great to gain God’s attention. They needed to do something humble. After they asked God to forgive them... He did. Then, He watered them and caused them to flourish like lilies, olive trees and green cypress trees. They became like grain [bread] and wine. They had nothing more to do with idols. God’s fruit abounded in them.

“Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9

At the beginning of this prophecy, God compared Ephraim to a harlot due to her relationships with many false gods. However, the Lord had mercy on her. He redeemed her after other lovers failed her. He purchased her back to Himself. He helped her to repent of her former lifestyle. He forgave her sins. He helped her to become a new creation.

In conclusion, the Lord turns to each of us and asks, “Are you wise, understanding, prudent?” He tells us that His ways are right. If we want to be right, we should walk in them. Then, we too, can share in the blessings that all the redeemed of the Lord experience. Praise the Lord!


[JFBC] = Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
[GS] = Google Search