It was an online purchase. The smart phone looked good. With great enthusiasm the new phone was made operational, by transferring data from the old phone. However, the new phone touch screen had problem. Certain points were hyper-sensitive, and others were nil sensitive. When touching a contact for making a call, it goes to someone else. It was defective piece and seems to be treacherous, had to be replaced. Prophet Hosea said the Nation of Israel was like as ‘Treacherous bow.’ (Hosea 7:16)
1) Defective: A treacherous bow is defective piece of an armour. It cannot be used neither for offense nor for defence, for it lacks precision and power.
2) Deceptive: The bow looks normal, even good, but is deceptive. The user would be disappointed as its performance totally unexpected.
3) Dangerous: Twisted and warped bow is dangerous. (Psalms 78:57) Arrows from such bow could hit fellow soldiers and kill them. It is self-defeating for any army.
4) Directionless: Arrows from treacherous bow lacks direction and focus. The person could be skilled, arrow could be the best, but bow derails the direction that arrow does not hit the target.
5) Doomed: Those who depend on a treacherous bow will be destroyed and doomed. Destruction is waiting to happen.
6) Defeat: Treacherous bow means defeat for the army. Enemies will have upper hand and will be defeated as if they were fighting without any arms.
The Nation of Israel was like a treacherous bow, unusable and unstable. The Nation failed to do God’s purpose in the world and ceased to be his Holy instrument of transformation of the world. Today, the Church many times malfunctions like a treacherous bow failing to fulfil God’s purpose and intentions. Many believers are also are ‘treacherous bow,’ instead of being ‘instrument of righteousness’ when they do not seek and do the will of God in their lives. (Romans 6:13)
Am I a treacherous bow or instrument of righteousness?