A Vine That Worships Idols
Study note
God compares Israel to a spreading grapevine that produces plenty of fruit. But the more fruit the vine produced, the more altars the people built to false gods. The more the land prospered, the more they decorated their idols. Their hearts are divided between God and idols, and now they will be found guilty. God will tear down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.
1 Israel was like a lush grapevine loaded with fruit. But the more fruit it produced, the more altars the people built. The more prosperous the land became, the fancier they made their pagan pillars. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
2 Their hearts are split in two — pulled between God and idols. Now their guilt will catch up with them. God will tear down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
3 Soon they will be saying, "We have no king anymore, because we never truly respected the LORD. And what good would a king do us now anyway?" For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?
4 They toss around empty words and make promises they never intend to keep. Injustice sprouts up everywhere like poisonous weeds in a freshly plowed field. They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
The Calf Idol Taken Away
Study note
The people of Samaria will tremble with fear over the golden calf idol at Beth-aven. The idol that once made them proud will be carried off to Assyria as a gift to the great king. Samaria's king will be swept away like a twig on the water. The hilltop shrines where Israel sinned will be destroyed, with thorns and weeds growing over their altars. The people will be so terrified that they will beg the mountains and hills to fall on them and hide them.
5 The people of Samaria are terrified about their precious calf idol at Beth-aven. They will cry over it, and the pagan priests who once danced around it will wail because its glory has been hauled away. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
6 The idol itself will be shipped off to Assyria as a gift for the great king. Ephraim will be humiliated, and Israel will be embarrassed by the foolish plans they made. It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
7 Samaria's king will be carried off like a small twig floating on the surface of a stream. As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.
8 The hilltop shrines where Israel sinned will be demolished. Thorns and weeds will swallow up their altars. People will be so desperate they will beg the mountains, "Fall on us!" and the hills, "Bury us!" The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
Plant Righteousness, Not Wickedness
Study note
God reminds Israel that they have been sinning since the days of Gibeah. He wants to discipline them and will gather nations against them. Ephraim was like a trained young cow that loved the easy work of threshing grain. But God will put a yoke on her strong neck and make her do the hard work of plowing. Judah and Jacob will also have to plow and break up the hard ground.
9 Israel, you have been doing wrong ever since the days of Gibeah, and you never stopped. Should war not catch up with the sinners there? O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
10 When I decide the time is right, I will discipline them. Other nations will join together against them to punish them for their double dose of sin. It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
11 Ephraim was once like a well-trained young cow that loved the easy job of threshing grain. But now I will put a heavy yoke on her beautiful neck. Ephraim will pull the plow, Judah will work the soil, and Jacob will break up the hard ground. And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
A Harvest of Destruction
Study note
God urges the people to plant seeds of righteousness and harvest faithful love. He tells them to break up their hard, unplowed ground, because it is time to seek the LORD. Instead, they have planted wickedness and harvested evil, eating the fruit of their own lies. Because they trusted in their own strength and warriors, the roar of battle will rise against them, and their fortresses will be destroyed.
12 Plant the seeds of doing right, and you will harvest a crop of faithful love. Break open the hard, untouched soil of your hearts. Now is the time to go looking for the LORD, and keep at it until he comes and pours his goodness all over you. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
13 But instead, you planted wickedness, and a harvest of evil is what you got. You feasted on the fruit of your own lies because you put all your confidence in your own strength and your big armies. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
14 The thunder of war will crash down on your people. Every fortress you built will be flattened — as brutal as when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel, when mothers and children were crushed together. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
15 That is exactly what is coming for you, Bethel, because your wickedness is so extreme. When that day dawns, Israel's king will be wiped out completely. So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.