The tribes of Ephraim and Judah noticed their bad condition, but they did not turn to the only One who could cure them. Instead they turned to another source,

“When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
I will return again to My place
Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
(Hosea 5.13–15)

Why is it that people do not think of the Lord first when they need a cure? History has shown repeatedly that turning to the world to find a cure for the soul, does not work.

Also, this text shows that the Lord will actually fight people who refuse to go to Him for spiritual health. Truly, we should turn to Him first for all of life’s ills, yet, we tend to see Him as a last resort. Why do we treat the Creator of the universe in this manner? What or whom do you think of first when you need a cure?

The last few lines of the text show that people often finally turn to the Lord when He fights them, and they lose. Why does it have to come down to suffering that makes us turn around?