Again we have a sudden change of mood. After the great section on "unto us a son is given" we are back to judgement upon Israel. This happens because the book reflects the real situation. It reflects the awfulness of Israel's sin and its consequences, and it reflects the unswerving love of God and His determination to do something about it.
We sometimes talk admiringly of the indomitableness of the human spirit, but here God criticises Ephraim. She suffered greatly at the hands of Assyria, but reacted by declaring proudly that she would rebuild an even better land. What she should have done is to repent and turn back to God. So she will find all her efforts are futile. Indeed God's anger against Israel remained.
The whole nation was guilty. Verse 17 declares that God is even against the widow and the fatherless. Now these are two groups that the Bible consistently says God supports. So why the change? It is because they too were guilty. Just because you are in need does not mean that you do not still have moral responsibility. We always have responsibility.
In the final section of this chapter we read of how evil consumes. The wrath of the Lord is to let man take the full consequences of his actions and decisions. For the people turn on each other.
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