SILLY DOVES by Raphael ben Levi
“Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart or understanding; they call to Egypt; they go to Assyria.” (Hos 7:11)
Three Yeshiva youths hid behind a barn on Shabbat to smoke but they were discovered and brought before the rabbi to determine their punishment. One youth exclaimed:
‘I deserve no punishment, for I forgot that today is Shabbat.’
The second youth said:
‘I forgot that smoking on Shabbat is forbidden.’
The third youth raised his voice and cried out:
‘I, too, forgot.’
‘What did you forget?’ the rabbi asked.
The youth replied:
‘I forgot to lock the door of the barn.’
The Jewish people are frequently in Jewish literature compared to a dove. Doves are very special. For example, when a female meets her mate, she never leaves him for another, and even when her offspring are taken she will never abandon her nest. What an amazing contrast to the spiritual infidelity of Israel in history regarding their covenant relationship with God and yet, incredibly, He still views His chosen people as ‘My beautiful dove!’ It is no different with every true believer in Yeshua.
But, in the Book of Hosea we encounter an isolated occasion where Israel is described as a ‘silly dove,’ hopelessly misled into depending upon other nations for support and protection instead of the Lord God of Hosts.
God’s desire for Israel was to cover them with wings of silver (redemption) and pinions excessively green (ripe and fruit-bearing) clustered with the gold of kingly royalty (Ps. 68:13) yet somehow along the way they turned aside in exchange for a poor substitute.
What things as believers characterise our lives and how well do we represent the King of Kings? God forbid that we should ever be reduced to “silly doves.”
