Ephraim Are To Prepare For An Invasion Which Will Lead To Their Desolation Whilst Judah Will Be Punished For Taking Advantage Of The Situation To Seize Land. Both Will Suffer As A Consequence. Meanwhile A Plea From Ephraim To Assyria Will Not Solve Her Problems, Whilst YHWH Will Be Waiting For Their Repentance (Hosea 5:8-15).
This is the first indication of invasion actually taking place against Israel. The secure (even though sinful) days of Jeroboam II are now clearly over. The question is as to whether this is describing a retaliatory attack by Judah when seeking to seize land after Israel had been sorely weakened by Assyrian invasion, or whether it actually has the Assyrian invasion in mind as a result of Ahaz's appeal to Assyria for help, or possibly an earlier one. If Assyria had first attacked Philistia they would then approach Israel from the south, and Judah could do nothing to prevent it. The order in Hosea 5:8 might suggest the former, and that might be seen as supported by Hosea 5:11 where the removal of the landmark might indicate annexation of territory. On the other hand it may be that in mind is the earlier Assyrian invasion that caused Ephraim (Israel) to seek to make peace with Assyria (Hosea 5:13) in the first place, something supported by the mention of the ‘day of rebuke' in Hosea 5:9. Whichever way it is both Ephraim and Judah would suffer under the Assyrian response to the situation for it was YHWH's purpose to chasten them by means of that invasion, and after that to wait until they truly repented and sought His face. This was because He knew that eventually such affliction would turn their thoughts towards Him in earnest, a hope which will be expressed by Hosea in Hosea 6:1-3.
Analysis of Hosea 5:8-15.
a Blow you the ram's horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah, sound an alarm at Beth-aven. Behind you, O Benjamin (Hosea 5:8).
b Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke, among the tribes of Israel have I made known what will surely be (Hosea 5:9).
c The princes of Judah are like those who remove the landmark, I will pour out my wrath on them like water. Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment, because he was content to walk after man's command (Hosea 5:10-11).
d Therefore am I to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness (Hosea 5:12).
c When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king, but he is not able to heal you, nor will he cure you of your wound (Hosea 5:13).
b For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away, I will carry off, and there will be none to deliver (Hosea 5:14).
a I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly (Hosea 5:15).
Note than in ‘a' the call to face an invasion is made, and in the parallel they will seek YHWH in their affliction. In ‘b' Ephraim's desolation is described, and the same in the parallel. In ‘c' both Judah and Ephraim face God's anger and are to suffer, and in the parallel both recognise that they have been wounded and we have the response of Ephraim to the situation. Centrally in ‘d' YHWH reveals what He will do to both.