(Hosea) Reaping the Whirlwind — David Guzik

Hosea 7: Israel’s Corruption and Coming Judgment

We should remember as we come to Hosea chapter 7 that Hosea the prophet spoke Mainly to the northern kingdom of Israel and he spoke to that northern kingdom. Basically in a time where they had great prosperity and success and peace.

They were morally and culturally corrupt. And Hosea warns them about the coming judgment of God. Let's begin here now. Hosea chapter 7 verse 1. When I would have healed Israel. Then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered and the wickedness of Samaria.

For they have committed fraud. The thief comes in a band of robbers takes spoil outside. They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have surrounded them.

They are before my face. They make a king glad with their wickedness and princes with their lives. You see if you notice there's three Locations or groups mentioned in verse 1 he says when I would have healed Israel.

That's the name of the northern kingdom. We remind ourselves again at this point in Israel's history. The people of God are divided into two different nations because of a civil war. You have the northern kingdom of Israel.

And you have the southern kingdom of Judah. So he's speaking to the northern kingdom when I would have healed Israel. Then the iniquity of Ephraim was Uncovered. Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe of the ten tribes that made up the northern kingdom of Israel.

And so often God will refer to this northern kingdom in shorthand or just in another way as Ephraim. And then if you notice the next line says. And the wickedness of Samaria. Well Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel.

The capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah Was Jerusalem. And so you had Jerusalem in the south and Samaria in the north and so obviously this is focused Against the northern kingdom. And what does God have against them.

If you notice in verse 2 he says it very plainly. They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. The problem among the people and the leaders of Israel was they forgot and might I say they will fully forgot That the Lord saw and remembered their sin.

We often deliberately forget that the Lord sees and remembers when we sin. It amazing how we have the ability to do that To sort of walk into a let's pretend the sort of reality and act as if God doesn't even see.

There's a book that I used to read stories to my children out of out of Bedtime and they enjoyed it a great deal although now they they sometimes talk about it and say oh wasn't it terrible when daddy used To tell us those stories from a very thick book done compiled by William Bennett called the book of virtues and it has Wonderful stories in it that reinforced different values and and one of them was the value of honesty and so it related a story that my children remember very vividly about a man who was going to steal some watermelon and He was going to go under the cover of night.

And so he went out and he took his daughter with him. And he told his daughter that he wanted her to stand guard and say please alert me if somebody comes along while I'm in looking For some good watermelons here among the field and so he starts walking out in the field and before he gets very far at all His his daughter cries out father father someone is watching and so he crouches down low, and he sort of crawls back.

He's nobody figures they must have gone and so he goes out again to walk out in the field. And she says it again father father someone's watching and she does this three times and each time He can't see anybody and so now he's getting very annoyed with the little girl of course.

And then he speaks to her very sternly you've said three times that someone's watching and there's nobody out there. And she says but father God sees from heaven. Well in that case the girl was wiser than the parent wasn't she?

See we often forget. Deliberately forget that the Lord sees and he remembers when we sin it may be secret before men. But not before God he says they are before my face. We should ask ourselves have we forgotten.

Do we think that God doesn't see. Do we think that God doesn't see that he's blind to our adultery that he's blind to our premarital sex. That our pornography habit goes unnoticed before the Lord. Do you think God's eyes are closed when you're getting drunk or or when you're off on drugs?

How many church-going people today think that God forgets or never sees such things? Because they do them and yet they'll come and they'll come to church and make a profession of godliness. Pretending that those things are never really part of their life.

The New Covenant and God’s Forgiveness of Sin

I think when I see then verse 2 where it says they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. I Can't help but think one of one of the precious promises under the new covenant.

It'd be terrible for for somebody to remember something bad about you. You know the first impression impressions mean a lot don't they. And if you've ever had the unfortunate experience Of getting off on a wrong foot with somebody and or or making a bad impression on somebody you wonder how many years it's going To be until you have to undo that initial bad impression.

You wonder when will they forget about that terrible thing that I said or the foolish thing that I did. And we wonder what will make God forget our sin. What makes God forget our sin. Some people think time makes God forget our sin.

Yeah, well, I did that when I was a boy. I did that when I was a young man, everybody shows their wild oats when they're young. It's different now. You know time does not make God forget sin. He remembers it today just as vividly as the day you committed it.

Good works. Don't make God forget sin. Well, I've done so many other good things since look at all the times I've obeyed surely God forgets it. Well, you know try that the next time you get pulled over on the traffic stop.

Tell the policeman how many times you stopped at that red light and how many times you stopped at that stop sign? Well sure that stopped it at a hundred times. I'm entitled to run at once. He'll say no, I don't care about the hundred times you did it.

I'm here to write you a ticket for the time that you did it right in front of me. And you did not stop at the stop sign. What will make God forget our sin? It's the New Covenant. It's the work of Jesus Christ in our behalf.

Do you remember that precious promise Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 34 for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin? I will remember no more. Well, what makes God forget this is what you to talk about God forgetting to God choosing not to remember something how glorious it is.

So now you say well God, what about that sin? I committed as a young man as a young woman I was sowing my wild oats. I said God says I don't remember that sin. It's been covered in the blood of Jesus.

Well God, what about that thing that I did just just last week and I'm troubled about it. I'm so sorry Lord, and he says if you confess your sin I am faithful and just to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

You know, it's easy to preach the part about the guilt and the conviction of sin, isn't it? I don't have to lay that on very thick at all and your own conscience convicts you and maybe even Satan wants to whisper the Condemnation into your ear.

I wish I could preach just as strongly and justice view powerfully the beautiful and complete forgiveness. There is when we turn our lives and turn our sin over to Jesus Christ. The cleansing and the forgiveness is complete before him.

He remembers it no more. It's as if you never even did it. What would God would have done look at it there in verse 1. He says when I would have healed Israel. God was willing to heal Israel from their sin and from this effects.

But not as long as they acted as if God did not see their sin. They had to act as if God was really there a God who really did see their sin and that he remembered unrepentant uncovered sin. Interesting also in this passage it speaks in verse 3.

They make a king glad with their wickedness and princes with their lies. And then in the following verses. There are certain lines in there that probably refer to one of the successful Assassination plots against one of the kings of Israel during the days of Hosea's ministry and you say well, which king was that?

It's very difficult to tell. Because in a period of 12 years there were four kings violently overthrown or assassinated. So which one is who knows which one it was. There were so many it's hard to narrow it down to one.

Israel’s Idolatry as an Overheated Oven

If you see verse 4 God continues on he says they are all adulterers. Like an oven heated by a baker. He ceases stirring the fire after kneading the dough until it is leavened in the day of our King princes have made him sick.

Inflamed with wine. He stretches out his hand with scoffers. They prepare their heart like an oven while they lie and wait. Their Baker sleeps all night in the morning. It burns like a flaming fire. They're all hot like an oven and have devoured their judges.

All their kings have fallen. There is none among them who calls upon me. Interesting the picture God paints of Israel in there in their immorality and in their idolatry. He says they're like an oven heated like a baker or by a baker.

Israel was inflamed with desire and passion after idols. That's how passionately they love the bales and the asterisks. It was like the coals of a freshly stoked fire ready to bake bread. You know Paul used the same picture of burning lust in first Corinthians 7, didn't he?

He said but if they cannot exercise self-control let them marry for it's better to marry than to burn with passion. He said yeah, they're burning with lust. You're like a Overheated oven. Well, what does God say to do?

He says well. Seek God's remedy in marriage instead of burning with lust in that. And then he says none of them calls upon me. Did you notice it at the end of verse 7? Israel could be hot like an oven after idols and and they would also call upon the Lord.

They were continuing to sacrifice to the Lord. But it was an empty ceremony. It was not a true calling upon the Lord. Look, he reflects on this even more in verse 8. He says Ephraim has mixed himself among the people's.

Ephraim is a cake unturned. Aliens have devoured his strength yet. He does not know it. Yes gray hairs are here and there on him yet He does not know it and the pride of Israel testifies to his face. But they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek him for all of this.

Israel as a Half-Baked Cake

All this describes the pride and the stubbornness of Israel. What a vivid picture there we saw in the previous verses that Israel was like an overheated oven right and they're Passionate Inflamed state after the idols and after immorality.

Well, God says that they're not just like the oven. They're also like the cake. They're like a cake unturned the ideas of a half-baked cake. You know in that day bread was often prepared as a cake that was cooked on both sides something like a pancake.

Then thinking they could serve both the Lord and idols. What was Israel like? They were like an unturned pancake they were burned on one side and uncooked on the other. It's no good on either side. Is it isn't that a beautiful picture of the worldly believer?

You're burned on one side from the world and you're you're you're not ripe. You're not done. You're not cooked towards God on the other and what's it you good for? That's good for nothing. You can't eat that.

It's not a suitable thing to eat at all. You throw it away, don't you? You know what it's like you're making pancakes and Something bothers you and you you off on the side all of a sudden you come back to the griddle and it's all burned on One side and it's all sort of just uncooked on the other and it's just gunky and it's gross.

What do you do you scrape it off with the spatula and you don't say well I'll give it to the littlest child. They won't mind. No, they won't eat it. Will they? They won't have anything to do with it you have to throw it away you throw it in the trash.

This is what Israel was like. Useless good for nothing. Towards the world they were burned towards the other side. They were uncooked towards God. Good for nothing in that terrible place. If you notice as well, it says in verse 9 aliens have devoured his strength.

But he does not know it. This makes the tragedy of Israel's ruin even worse. The nation was being ravaged by sin, but they did not know it. They should have know it. I mean look how they should have known it.

It says there in verse 10 and the pride of Israel testifies to his face. But they do not return to the Lord their God. Nor seek him for all of this. They should know it their own pride. Testifies to his face yet in their blind ignorance.

They do not return to the Lord. You know. Mankind has an amazing ability to deceive himself when he's in sin. It's absolutely amazing. To be honest with yourself. It's horrifying, isn't it? Horrifying how we can lie to ourselves when we're in sin.

Well did Jeremiah the prophet say the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Well, I'm just following my heart. It's right in my heart. My heart tells me it's okay.

That's a dangerous signal my friends. Because the Bible tells us that our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Look at the repetition of the phrase here in verses 8 through 10.

It says In verse 9 that aliens have devoured his strength, but he did not know it. Great hairs are here and there on him yet He does not know it and the pride of Israel testifies to his face, but they did not return to the Lord.

They're God there. They were burned and ruined, but he did not know it. That their strength was devoured, but they did not know it. They were aging and weakening, but they did not know it. Pride was testifying against them, but he did not know it.

Samson and Spiritual Blindness

You have to think of Samson when you think of a situation like that, don't you? It's a staggering passage in Justice 1620. After Delilah finally cut his hair. It says but he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

It's not terrible. The Lord had departed from him, but he did not know it and so he stood up. He thought he was strong as before. No, what a terrible fall of Samson. And this is where the people of Israel and some followers of God today are.

They're far from God. And they're already suffering the effects of it, but they can't see it. By the way, too. They were having their strength diminished like an old man. It says there in verse 9. Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, but he does not know it.

It's as if Israel is foolish as an old man who thinks and acts like he's still young. There's nothing more foolish than that. Isn't there you see some 60 year old man, you know dressed up in big baggy clothes.

You know with the baseball cap turn around on the other side. And you know, he's got the skateboard or something with him and you say you foolish old man. You're old your hair's gray. You don't even notice you don't even see.

Act your age for heaven's sakes. By the way, I took a look at one commentator named John Trapp, he's a favorite commentator of mine. And when it says the gray hair and the old age, we kind of wonder what age is he talking about?

Well, John Trapp sets it out for us. He said he began but the decline and decay as a man doth when he grows toward 50. Well, I guess that was old age in John Trapp's day. Of course, he wrote in the year 1654 so I guess age was a little bit different than we don't consider that to be that old now.

Maybe we're just thinking wishfully these days. But anyway back to Israel if you notice he continues on with the pictures here verse 11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without sense. They call to Egypt.

They go to Assyria wherever they go. I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them according to what the congregation has heard. You see Jose is piling image upon image now.

Israel is like a bird fluttering about it's confused. It's without direction. They think they can escape God by running to the other nations, but the Lord says no. I'll spread my net on them. And they'll say if you know, it's very staggering what he says here in verse 12.

I will chastise them according to what their congregation has heard an amazing. In other words the chastisement against Israel will be in proportion and given out accordingly To what they have heard. Friends, let's not forget that greater knowledge means greater Accountability as Jesus said to whom much is given from him much will be required and to whom much has been committed of him.

They will ask the more Might I say and I I hope I don't say this to discourage any of you from coming. I'd be terrible feel terrible if any of you didn't come next week because of what I'm about. I'm gonna say right now.

But you're here tonight increasing your accountability before the Lord. You've heard more God holds you more to account. It can be a dangerous thing to listen to the Word of God. Of course, it's even more dangerous to close your ears to it.

Israel’s False Return and the Treacherous Bow

But then he goes and he speaks about this running to the nations here verse 13. Woe to them for they have fled from me. Destruction to them because they've transgressed against me though. I redeemed them yet.

They have spoken lies against me. They did not cry out to me with their heart when they wailed upon their beds. They assembled together for grain and new wine. They rebel against me though I discipline and Strengthen their arms yet.

They devise evil against me. They return but not to the Most High. They're like a deceitful bow. The princes shall fall by the sword for the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

They return but not to the Most High. Israel saw their problem. Then we've got a problem here. We got a return to something. Maybe it was back to basics. Maybe it was back to the right kind of economic plan.

Maybe it was political reform. Maybe it was back to bail movement or back to asterisk. I don't know. They saw that they had to return they returned but not to the Lord. And see they saw their problem, but they didn't see their sin when man Notices that God's hand is against him.

It's very easy to discern that you have a problem, right? Well, we're having six. You've got a problem. Your world's crashing down around you. You can only play. Let's pretend for so long. Of course, you've got a problem.

But what you don't see is that you have sin. So often in counseling it comes and and it's pastor fix my problem. I have a problem pastor. Can't you fix it? Well, you see your problem, but do you see your sin?

Israel didn't see it. They wailed upon their beds, but not unto the Lord. They sought remedies, but not from the Most High. It was a matter of fact. They were like it's a beautiful picture here in verse 16.

This chapter is filled with vivid images. He says they're like a deceitful or a treacherous bow. Hosea adds another image of a faulty bow that won't shoot an arrow straight. Well there you draw the arrow back and you aim your very best and you line it up and who you let it go.

But there's a flaw. There's a defect the bows bent or twisted or tweaked in some way. And so when you let the arrow fly, does it fly straight? No, not at all. The sights are off that the markings are off and everything that comes from Israel's like everything that comes from a faulty or a treacherous Bow, it misses the mark.

They're like a useless and dangerous weapon. There you are. I've got the faulty bow. It's in my hand. I'm going to shoot an apple off of your head. Well, you better watch out. Because even if I line the sights up precisely it's not going to hit the apple.

It might hit you right between the eyes. It's dangerous. It's treacherous. This is where Israel is the pointed in the wrong direction. It's reflected more in chapter 8 as Hosea cries out in verse 1. Set the trumpet to your mouth.

He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord because they have transgressed my covenant and rebelled against my law. Israel will cry to me my god. We know you Israelists cast off the good the enemy will pursue him.

They said of kings, but not by me. They made princes and I did not acknowledge it. From their silver and gold they made idols for themselves. They might be cut off. Your calf is rejected. Oh Samaria. My anger is aroused against them.

How long will it be until they attain to innocence for from Israel is even this? The workmen made it and it is not God, but the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces. You know trumpets were used to assemble God's people.

And they called the troops to battle and here God commands the trumpet to sound. To gather the mightiest Syrians against Israel for judgment. Why. Because they transgressed against the Covenant. Did you see that in verse 2?

It's very vivid. Says Israel will cry to me. My god, we know you. But you see their cry is not Sincere because Israel has rejected the good that they set up their rulers and their princes against the Lord who and they were all steeped in idolatry.

It's not a vivid phrase. My god, we know you. But it was empty. They didn't really know God. It would be the same for many churchgoers today. We remember the words of Jesus, don't we? Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in your name cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name.

And I will declare to them. I Never knew you depart from me. You who practice lawlessness? That's from Matthew chapter 7. And so they're established in their sin against and look at there in verse 4. They set up kings but not by me.

Oh, it was a long time ago in Israel at this time. That they sought the Lord's direction or the Lord's will than the choosing of their national leaders. No, that's a distant memory. Now they choose leaders that will please them and will further them in their idolatry, but God will cut off that idolatry.

Did you notice it there in verse 5? It says that the calf of Samaria will be broken in pieces. Your calf is rejected. Oh Samaria. Israel made beautiful idols out of silver and gold, but they weren't going to stand.

God rejected them. You know it literally one commentator says that that phrase in verse 5 your calf is rejected. Oh Samaria. That sounds yeah, it sounds kind of you know, majestic your calf is rejected.

One commentator says a much more accurate translation of that is your calf stinks. That's what God thinks of idols anything we set up against him. Oh, we might think of flowery language. God putting a very noble.

Well, sometimes God doesn't put it very nobly. What's it right? Is your your idol stinks? It stinks to me. They go on here verse 7 they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stock has no bud it shall never produce meal.

If it would should produce aliens would swallow it up. Aliens, it's not speaking about the little men from Mars here, please. They aliens it's speaking about people from other countries conquerors. You know.

Reaping the Whirlwind

That was one of the worst judgments that would come upon Israel when they had disobeyed the Lord and when God was using his rod of chastisement against them He would raise up Other nations against them and in many passages He both predicted and then we find it recounted in the book of Judges and in the book of other place the book of other Places you understand what I mean?

The book of other places like a new book of the Bible. I'll write that the book of other places sometimes. Well, but beyond all that in many places. It's described this idea where Israel would work very hard and they would plant the heart the plant the grain and they would Nurture it and see it grow.

Having plowed the fields and prepared the ground and the seed is sown and it grows up and they harvest and they bring it into The front threshing point they get it all done and then their enemies come in and steal it.

Well, you think why couldn't you be stealth it was stolen it when it was on the stock for heaven's sakes. Then it could have been more work for you. No, well, we'll let you get through all the work and then we'll steal it.

We'll take it away. And that's what God says here. You notice there in verse 7 it says it shall never produce meal. If it should produce aliens would swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up. Now they are among the Gentiles like a vessel in which there is no pleasure.

But they have gone up to Assyria. Like a wild donkey alone to itself. Ephraim has hired lovers. Yes, though they've hired among the nations. Now I will gather them and they shall sorrow a little because of the burden of the king of princes.

I See, it says they're very vividly in verse 7. I think I'm repeating that word over and over again tonight vividly, but that's exactly what this prophecy is. It's very vivid. In verse 7, he says you sow the wind and we we reap the whirlwind.

Will seem to Israel that the judgment that they received from the Lord is Is worse than the sin they committed. Well, look we sowed the wind and we reap the whirlwind. That's not fair. God I Mean shouldn't be that we sow the wind and we reap the wind if you want to answer back judgment.

God I for I tooth for tooth just according to what our sin deserves. That's fine. You know God is entirely fair. Although this is how judgment feels. This is very true as to how the judgment the Lord feels because you know how it works.

We so our sin over a long period of time. We reap it in a contracted period of judgment. Think of sowing the wind for years and years. That's a lot of wind, isn't it? What God does is he kind of lets that wind get all contracted and then he gives it back to us in one Little compartment and then you got a whirlwind don't you you got a tornado?

It's just the same breeze. It's been blowing for years and years, but you sow the way that you reap the whirlwind. You notice God won't accept their offerings. Verse 11. Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin.

They have become for him altars for sinning. I've written for him the great things of my law, but they were considered a strange thing. But the sacrifices of my offerings the sacrifice of flesh and eat it.

But the Lord does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt. Amazing there in verse 11. Says Ephraim again, that's another term for this northern kingdom of Israel.

Ephraim has made many altars for sin. They have become for him altars for sinning. Isn't that interesting? Then see how that connection goes. Israel foolishly built many altars for sin, and you know what they did on those altars for sin they sinned.

Wasn't it funny? You make a mechanism you allow an occurrence you you build the platform in your life, and and then you find yourself sinning. Say a person you know has a problem with alcohol in their life.

Well, don't go to the bar. Don't buy the liquor. Yeah, you build an altar for sin, and whoa, I don't know. I fell into this all the sudden. I'm sinning. We'll never build the altar for sin if there's a place or a temptation or something that's that's getting you and Casting you down then don't build an altar for that sin when you give yourself opportunity and occasion for sin.

Well. Then I suppose it's not surprising when we end up in sin is it? If you see the real problem, they've also rejected the Word of the Lord there in verse 12. Did you see that I? Have written for him the great things of my law but they were considered a strange thing and Their sin and idolatry.

Israel also rejected the Word of God. God had great things for Israel. But they seem like a strange thing to them because their hearts were far for God. You see that I love how he puts it there so simply it's such a simple line.

But it speaks so much there in verse 12. It's a good little memory verse isn't it? I have written for him the great things of my law. Well first of all that tells us where the Bible comes from doesn't it who wrote it.

I have written for him. It's not Hosea. That's the Lord God speaking. God is the author of the Bible. This book is the work of the finger of the Living God. Each letter was penned with God's almighty finger.

Each word in it came from his own everlasting lips each sentence dictated by the Holy Spirit. I Could treat you to some words of Charles Spurgeon on this exact verse. He says if this be the Word of God.

What will become of some of you who have not read it for the last month? Most people treat the Bible very politely. When they get home, they lay it up in a drawer till next Sunday morning. Then it comes out down a little for a little treat and it goes to chapel.

That's all their Bible gets in the way of an airing. That is your style of Entertaining this heavenly messenger there is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write damnation with your fingers. If you notice it also tells us what the content of the scriptures is.

Verse 12. I have written for him the great things of my law. Great things. That's what's in the Bible. Great things from beginning to end. Great things. We were talking about it a little bit right before service.

I am basically a very boring Unanimated person. I I like to just you know be satisfied with the most basic repetitive things. I Bear the brunt of it just a bit in my family. I'm the person who can go to the ice cream place and get the same flavor every time.

It doesn't bother me one bit. You know, I just like the same repetitive things over and over again. I'm really basically a very boring not very animated person, but I get so excited about the Word of God.

So excited about the Bible. There are great things in this book. It's filled with great things. There's a great thing on every page. I mean I would just defy you to Pull out a page of the Bible that does not have a great thing on it.

And that's something to get excited about that's something to be animated about. So there I've written for him the great things of my law, but verse 12. But they were considered a strange thing. That's how the Bible is received by the natural man.

Paul tells us the same idea in 1st Corinthians chapter 2. He says but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

The Word of God and things of the Spirit. Well, they're great things. But they seem like a strange thing when a man is in sin. It seemed like a strange thing when the man is in idolatry. Some people pick up the Bible and seems so strange.

It seems so foreign. It seems so Unreceivable to them. Well, that's a bad indicator of their spiritual life, isn't it? If you notice here, it says towards the end there verse 13. For the sacrifices of my offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but the Lord does not accept them.

Oh, yes, they still brought the sacrifices. Here God, here's a bull. Here's a ram. Here's a lamb sacrificed unto you. But it was all just an outward ceremony. Because they were still steeped in sin and idolatry.

Therefore their sin remained uncovered and God would remember their iniquity and punish their sins. Look at it there in verse 14. For Israel has forgotten his maker and has built temples. Judah Also has multiplied fortified cities, but I will send fire upon his cities and it shall devour his palaces.

Judah’s Fortified Cities and Trust in Human Strength

What. Israel forgot his maker, yes, they built temples but not unto the Lord who made them. Well, look at the great temple we built. Yes, but it's under bail. Well, look at what an achievement. Look at the beautiful building.

It's not unto the Lord. But then there's Judah. Remember now there's a little line here at the end of verse 14 referring to the southern kingdom. Judah also has multiplied fortified cities. Now Israel practiced outright idolatry.

But Judah was guilty of a far more subtle sin. They trusted in the fortified cities that they built against the Assyrians. And those cities would be of no help. Look at what God says there I will send fire upon his cities.

Those cities would be of no help and Only the Lord would preserve Judah from total destruction and that's how it worked out. You know in the history of all when mighty Assyrian army came down from the north and It totally conquered the northern kingdom of Israel.

They sent him into exile in the most brutal fashion imaginable. When they laid waste to the northern kingdom they swept down in the southern kingdom. They certainly planned on conquering the southern kingdom of Judah as well.