'Ephraim is a cake not turned' (1)

‘Ephraim is a cake not turned’ (1)

For some time now I have been critical of Paisleyism; my criticism is not due to some personal bitterness, neither am I alone in protesting against what has happened to evangelical Protestantism here in Ulster. With others in the Reformed Faith, I cannot accept how Paisleyism could turn from former separatist principles and enter into power sharing government with unrepentant terrorists; this has soiled the testimony of evangelical Protestantism, here and across the world.

However, when Paisleyism published proposals on integrated education recently, then the full extent of the situation has been revealed; evidently there has been a throwing off of separatist principles, but this is coupled to a conversion to Secularism. In a Christian democracy, it would be utterly impossible to integrate Protestant and Catholic education systems; it would necessitate the integration of both theologies and this could never be done. On the other hand, if this were a Secular democracy, then with God’s Word removed, it would be easy to integrate both education traditions; it appears that Paisleyism is couching their integrated education proposals in a totally Secular context.

With this SITUATION in mind, I want to turn to God’s Word in Hosea7:8-10
‘Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.’ This passage is found in the first of the Minor Prophets; Hosea was sent of God with a message that revealed God’s judgement was being poured out on spiritual whoredom among God’s redeemed people.

Hosea’s message was sharp and to the point; God was exposing the sin of His people; that sin was going to be visited with righteous judgement; judgement was to begin in the house of the Lord; and in Hosea’s message there was a call to repentance before the chastening stroke of God would fall. So in the verses before us, Hosea singles out Ephraim, from among all the tribes of Israel. Ephraim means ‘double fruitfulness’ so here are some of God’s people that have been fruitful, that are being highlighted here. Ephraim was Joseph’s second son; it is written of Joseph, ‘Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:’ so the message on the lips of Hosea was being directed at a particular tribe in Israel that had been associated with fruit bearing; a tribe that had fallen away backwards.

In Hosea’s day the SITUATION in Israel was very bad indeed; God’s people had lost their testimony before the world; some in their number had turned away from the ‘old paths’; some had turned away from the ‘fountain head’ and were hewing out themselves, cisterns that could hold no water. Hosea cries, he criticises, he protests against Ephraim.
‘Ephraim is a cake not turned’