Ephraim, What Shall I Do Unto You? - Hosea 6:4

In the book of Hosea, Hosea said, “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth”, and in chapter six and verse four of Hosea, Hosea shared how Jehovah God asked, “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto you?” where we read,

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto you? O Judah, what shall I do unto you?

for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.

The verse begins, “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto you? O Judah, what shall I do unto you?” Hosea began with the words, “O Ephraim” or “O Ephraim whose name means double ash-heap or I shall be doubly fruitful”, “what shall I do unto you” which means “whatsoever will I, Jehovah God, act, deal and bring about toward you, Ephraim”? “O Judah” or “O Judah whose name means praised and was 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”, “what shall I do unto you” which means “whatsoever will I, Jehovah God, act, deal and bring about toward you, Judah”? Hosea shared how Jehovah God questioned what He should “do” with “Ephraim and Judah”.

The verse goes on to say, “for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.” Hosea continued with the words, “for your goodness” or “because, since and on account that your, Ephraim and Judah's, love, kindness, faithfulness, beauty, mercy and pity” “is as a morning cloud” which means “exists similar and in likeness to a cloudy mass at dawn or early in the morning”, “and as the early dew” or “and similar and in likeness to the start of the night mist” “it goes away” which means “it, the goodness and mercy of Ephraim and Judah, proceeds, leaves and departs”. Hosea shared how “Ephraim and Judah's” love vanishes similar to an early “morning cloud” or “dew” that disappears. 

When we think through Hosea's words in this verse, we learn how Jehovah God questioned what He was supposed to “do” with “Ephraim and Judah”. Although they appeared to “love” Him for a time, it was short-lived like a “morning cloud” or “dew” that disappears quickly. God wants us to know that He loves us, and He wants us to love Him. He proved His love to us when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for our sins, and when we surrender to Him and our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us to love Him more and more every day. 

Next time Hosea says, “therefore have I hewed them by the prophets”, 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".