Because you are human, you find this hard to understand. So I am using an everyday example to help you understand. You used to give yourselves to be slaves to unclean living. You were becoming more and more evil. Now give yourselves to be slaves to right living. Then you will become holy.Once you were slaves of sin. At that time right living did not control you.What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death!
He said,“ When I was in trouble, I called out to the Lord. And he answered me. When I was deep in the place of the dead, I called out for help. And you listened to my cry.You threw me deep into the Mediterranean Sea. I was deep down in its waters. They were all around me. All your rolling waves were sweeping over me.I said,‘ I have been driven away from you. But I will look again toward your holy temple in Jerusalem.’I had almost drowned in the waves. The deep waters were all around me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head.I sank down to the bottom of the mountains. I thought I had died and gone down into the grave forever. But you are the Lord my God. You brought my life up from the very edge of the pit of death.“ When my life was nearly over, I remembered you, Lord. My prayer rose up to you. It reached you in your holy temple in heaven.“ Some people worship the worthless statues of their gods. They turn away from God’s love for them.
That’s as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him astray. He can’t save himself. He can’t bring himself to say,“ This thing I’m holding in my right hand isn’t really a god at all.”
Why spend money on what is not food? Why work for what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me. Then you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the richest food there is.
The people of Ephraim look to others for help. It’s like chasing the wind. The wind they keep chasing is hot and dry. They tell more and more lies. They are always hurting others. They make a peace treaty with Assyria. They send olive oil to Egypt to get help.