Ephraim as a Lion - Hosea 5:14

In the book of Hosea, Hosea said, “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound”, and in chapter five and verse fourteen of Hosea, Hosea shared how Jehovah God said, “I will be unto Ephraim as a lion” where we read,

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah:

I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

The verse begins, “For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah:” Hosea began with the words, “for I will be unto Ephraim” or “because, since and on account that I, Jehovah God, shall exist unto Ephraim whose name means double ash-heap or I shall be doubly fruitful and was the name sometimes used for the northern kingdom” “as a lion” which means “similar and in likeness to a fierce and roaring lion”, “and as a young lion” or “and similar and in likeness to a youthful lion covered with a mane”“to the house of Judah” which means “toward the dwelling place, habitation and abode belonging to Judah whose name means praised and the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon”. Hosea shared how Jehovah God said He would exist similar to a fierce roaring lion to “Ephraim” and a youthful mane filled lion to the dwelling place of “Judah”.

The verse continues, “I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.” Hosea added the words, “I, even I” or “I, Jehovah God, also and indeed, I, Jehovah God”, “will tear and go away” which means “shall rend, pluck off and pull to pieces and proceed, depart, leave and be lead away”; “I will take away” or “I, Jehovah God, shall carry them off”, “and none shall rescue him” which means “and not one person will be able to save, liberate and deliver him, Ephraim and Judah”. Hosea shared how Jehovah God said He would pull Ephraim and Judah into pieces and carry them off, and not one person will be capable of saving them.

When we consider Hosea's words in this verse, we learn how Jehovah God was going to bring judgment upon the people of “Ephraim and Judah”. Like a roaring “lion” to “Ephraim” and a young “lion” to “Judah”, Jehovah God would come down upon them. He was to rip them into pieces and carry them off without anyone able to deliver them. This is not a side of God we want to experience. God loves people, and His invitation is for everyone to yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we believe and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a humility that never experiences His “wrath” in the form of a “roaring lion or young lion” that destroys those who refuse and reject them. 

Next time Hosea shares how Jehovah God says, “I will go and return to my place”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".