1When I would heal Israel,
then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered,
also the wickedness of Samaria;
for they commit falsehood,
and the thief enters in,
and the gang of robbers ravages outside.
2They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness.
Now their own deeds have engulfed them.
They are before my face.
3They make the king glad with their wickedness,
and the princes with their lies.
4They are all adulterers.
They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring,
from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
5On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine.
He joined his hand with mockers.
6For they have prepared their heart like an oven,
while they lie in wait.
Their anger smolders all night.
In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.
7They are all hot as an oven,
and devour their judges.
All their kings have fallen.
There is no one among them who calls to me.
8Ephraim mixes himself among the nations.
Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.
9Strangers have devoured his strength,
and he doesn’t realize it.
Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him,
and he doesn’t realize it.
10The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
yet they haven’t returned to Yahweh their God,
nor sought him, for all this.
11“Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding.
They call to Egypt.
They go to Assyria.
12When they go, I will spread my net on them.
I will bring them down like the birds of the sky.
I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
13Woe to them!
For they have wandered from me.
Destruction to them!
For they have trespassed against me.
Though I would redeem them,
yet they have spoken lies against me.
14They haven’t cried to me with their heart,
but they howl on their beds.
They assemble themselves for grain and new wine.
They turn away from me.
15Though I have taught and strengthened their arms,
yet they plot evil against me.
16They return, but not to the Most High.
They are like a faulty bow.
Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue.
This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
In chapter 7 God refers to the blind stubbornness of his people as they refuse to back down from their sinful pride. Verses 7-10 in particular highlight the futility of their pretence. In those days bread was made into a cake like form and cooked over a fire. It was cooked like how we would cook a pancake today first on one said and then the other. God is saying to the people why can’t you just admit you need to turn to me. It is as ridiculous as refusing to cook both sides of bread, so it is burnt on one side and raw on the other. You think you are strong because you have made alliances with surrounding nations but they have drained your resources and strength. You refuse to see that you are aging and weak yet we can all see your hair is grey and you are becoming feeble. You have so much pride but have nothing to back it up.
Have you ever seen one of those video clips where a child has chocolate all over their face, but denies that they ate the cake? That’s the ridiculous image I have in my head as I read verse 7-10. What is obvious to everyone else is completely denied by them. God is telling them that they are acting like a half-baked pancake, you are not strong and everyone knows it. God just wants them to be honest so he can sort it out. However, they choose to shake their heads like a child with chocolate on their face and say it wasn’t me!
We can smile and laugh at these comparisons, but we can do the same thing. Deny our need of God, as we want to appear stronger than we are or try to ignore our own wrong doing. We forget that God knows everything about us and he just wants us to be honest with him, rather than acting like a half-baked pancake.