Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. Hos. 8:9
For they are... This pictures Israel making alliances with other nations and committing other sins, for which she was finally destroyed; later she was to be gathered again to her own land (Hos. 8:9-14). As the context notes, this is not a reference to the captivity, but to the alliance she made with Assyria.
a wild ass... Is of a very independent nature. They have gone up on their own to Assyria, God did not send them. They were doing what was right in their own sight. God did not want them seeking help from the worldly nations around them. That is just what they did and found themselves alienated from God because of it. Like a wild donkey, Israel has stubbornly pursued foreign assistance rather than depending on the Lord.
Hath hired lovers... The hiring of lovers shows that God looks on this as if they have committed spiritual adultery. They are His wife, and yet they have left Him and played the harlot with these heathen nations.
They have gone up to Assyria like a runaway wild ass. Ephraim hath hired lovers. It is again the note of their mad dissipation among the foreigners.
Israel’s attempt to ally with Assyria could be compared to the wandering of a wild donkey, an animal well known for its desire to be independent of all restrictions (cf. Job 39:5-8). Israel’s alliances were also compared to prostitution; like a harlot she had sold herself to lovers (i.e., foreign powers).
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