East wind=destruction. (Exodus 10 &14)Ephraim promises their lives away to Assyria. Olive oil is used as a bargaining chip for alliances. God has something to say against Judah and Jacob/Israel. Jacob and Israel are the same person. Ephraim is Jacob’s grandson and the largest tribe in Israel. Jacob/Israel was well-known for his trickiness in his early days—he grabbed the heel of his twin brother during birth, he struggled with God as he reached manhood. He literally wrestled with an angel, holding him until the angel blessed him. God spoke to Jacob at Beth-El, renewing the covenant first given to Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather.
Ephraim is swept away by every wind and actually pursued destruction brought by the east wind. Jacob has been tricky in some ways, but once he decides to follow God, he means it. His 2nd born grandson of his favorite son, Joseph, shows no such loyalty and desire for God. He has set himself up as rich and blameless. But God sees the truth and accuses Ephraim, offering repayment instead of forgiveness.
This chapter changes me in verse 6. “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” In Ephraim we see a rootless, baseless, drifting lack of faith and lack of loyalty. I want it to be said of me “she didn’t get everything exactly right; but she loved God, she waited for Him, and when He found her, she held on for dear life.”
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