Hosea 8:7

Sown the wind. The reaping is ever the sure result of the sowing (Gal. 6:7, 8). Israel’s idolatry can have only one issue, divine punishment. The wind pictures the emptiness and vanity of Israel’s idolatrous course; the whirlwind, consequent destruction. Whatever becomes our idol, whatever robs God of His rightful place in the heart, will assuredly return to us a harvest of regret and distress. We shall be paid back in the hard coin of our own moral and spiritual mintage (see Isa. 2:17-21; Eze. 14:1-5). It hath no stalk. Literally, “It has no standing grain.” Still carrying on the figure of the wind, when the seed sown is wind, the prophet indicates that the harvest reaped is failure, futility, even destruction; for the seed sown brings forth no standing grain, the bud yields no “meal.” If so be it yield. If by any chance any grain is harvested, the invasion of rapacious foreigners will be sure to swallow it up. Thus in striking fashion does the prophet show that the divine blight falls inescapably on all wicked deeds (see Prov. 14:11, 12).