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"Ephraim is stricken"

Text: Hosea 9:16

THE SAD FATE OF EPHRAIM

Hosea had to spell out clearly the sad fate of Ephraim, that is Israel. The end was inevitable.

“Ephraim is stricken,
Their root is dried up;
They shall bear no fruit.
Yes, were they to bear children,
I would kill the darlings of their womb.
My God will cast them away,
Because they did not obey Him;
And they shall be wanderers among the nations.”
Hosea 9:16-17

1. “Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up”

a) The imagery of a plant was employed.

b) If the root is dried up, the plant has already begun to die.

c) Ephraim would be stricken badly indeed.

2. “They shall bear no fruit”

a) This is the logical and expected result.

b) The root system plays a major part.

c) If the root is dried up, it would never bear fruit.

3. “Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb”

a) Children are dearly loved and thus called “darlings of the womb”.

b) But without the Lord’s blessings, the children would not survive.

4. “My God will cast them away”

a) This is a punitive act of God.

b) Hosea understood this clearly.

c) God will cast away Ephraim.

5. “Because they did not obey Him”

a) Ephraim was arrogant.

b) It refused to obey the LORD and His commandments.

6. “And they shall be wanderers among the nations”

a) Israel would be conquered by the Assyrians.

b) They would be exiled from their homeland.

c) They would be wanderers among many nations! What a price to pay for disobedience!