Smoldering Fire

When I lived in Pa. we had a wood stove in our basement to help keep the house warm on those cold winter days. There was one thing about that wood stove, it needed constant care. Several times each day it required someone to go down and put another log on the fire. If you didn’t "shake out" the ashes to restore the hot fire it just smolder away.

I remember my grandmother’s kitchen stove when they lived on the farm. It was a wood burning stove. All day long she would keep a fire burning so that she could cook at a moments notice. Just a quick log on the fire and the heat was back a full impact.
God is calling Israel to consider the condition of their heart. He tells them it is like an unkept fire. We all know what happens to those fires, smoldering all day long waiting to be taken to "full force" in a moments notice. He is telling them they we "explode" at a moments notice and they consume those who should be leading them.

Being consumed by anger will be so destructive in your life just as it was to Israel.

Hos 7:1-16
1 When I would heal Israel, The iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, And the evil deeds of Samaria, For they deal falsely; The thief enters in, Bandits raid outside, 2 And they do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds are all around them; They are before My face. 3 With their wickedness they make the king glad, And the princes with their lies. 4 They are all adulterers, Like an oven heated by the baker Who ceases to stir up the fire From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. 5 On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers, 6 For their hearts are like an oven As they approach their plotting; Their anger smolders all night, In the morning it burns like a flaming fire. 7 All of them are hot like an oven, And they consume their rulers; All their kings have fallen. None of them calls on Me. 8 Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. 9 Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know it. 10 Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet they have not returned to the Lord their God, Nor have they sought Him, for all this. 11 So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12 When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly. 13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me. 14 And they do not cry to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn away from Me. 15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, Yet they devise evil against Me. 16 They turn, but not upward, They are like a deceitful bow; Their princes will fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt. NASU

God desires to bring healing and restoration into your life. Don’t be like Israel and "resist" the benefits that God desires to bring to your life.

Explore for yourself.

1. What must we accept if healing is to take place?
2. When there is an "infection" in our lives....what must happen in order for healing to occur?
3. What did God remember? What is around? Why did they do their "wickedness"?
4. What does heat do to yeast? How does this relate to sin?
5. What effect is the wine having on the king/prices? What interaction is he having with scoffers?
6. How would a "open oven" work? What would this example be telling us?
7. What warning is there for becoming involved with scoffers?
8. What did they fail to do? What has Ephraim done? What is Ephraim become?
9. What is the result? Why would they notice this? What warning is there for us?
10. What didn’t they do? Why? What animal is Ephraim like?
11. What will God do? What is the "woe" statement? Why? What is their lie?
12. Does this make God "selfish"?
13. What did God want to do? From where must the cry for help come? What do they do?
14. Who gave them everything? What are they like? How will their princes fail? Why?
15. What will be their derision? What does Egypt have to do with their fall?


Do you want healing in your life?

God desires to bring that healing. Click on 2 Ways to live.