"THEY DID NOT CRY OUT TO ME WITH THEIR HEART WHEN THEY WAILED UPON THEIR BEDS. “They assemble together for grain and new wine, They rebel against Me."
Hosea 7:14 (NKJV)
Comment: This passage shows us that someone might be sorrowful for the evil he or she did but it may not to be to repentance: "FOR GODLY SORROW PRODUCES REPENTANCE LEADING TO SALVATION, NOT TO BE REGRETTED; BUT THE SORROW OF THE WORLD PRODUCES DEATH" (2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV).
The Israelites got to know that they were wrong, but they were insolent; remorseless and impenitent, even though they wailed in their closets—lament or express sorrow audibly on their beds—but not with a remorseful heart and not to repentance.
The looked somewhere else for help but not to God—they did not cry out to God with their hearts, that is, with a repentant heart for help. Instead, they rebelled against God.
This shows us that a believer might realize that he or she has missed it, but instead of looking up to God for help; he or she might go other way round. It takes humility to admit that you are wrong or you have done wrong and do need God's help.
God was angry with the Israelites because they were insolent, remorseless and impenitent, about what they had done wrong. In fact, their leaders were still boastful, which made God tell them that they would be humiliated or ridiculed in Egypt: "I AM THE MOST HIGH GOD. BUT THEY DO NOT TURN TO ME. THEY ARE LIKE A BOW THAT DOES NOT SHOOT STRAIGHT. THEIR LEADERS WILL BE KILLED BY SWORDS. THEY WILL DIE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SPOKEN TOO PROUDLY. THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT WILL MAKE FUN OF THEM" " (Hosea 7:16 New International Reader's Version).
A number of things can be learnt here by the believers:
a. God should be the One you turn to when you realized that you have missed it.
b. Contrition or remorsefulness is very important to God. In other words, the heart with which you received the reproof or rebuke of God is very important to Him: “THESE ARE THE PEOPLE I AM PLEASED WITH [upon whom I look]: THOSE WHO ARE NOT PROUD OR STUBBORN [humble and contrite in spirit] AND WHO FEAR [tremble at] MY WORD" (Isaiah 66:2 Expanded Bible).
c. One of the signs that you are not remorseful of what you did wrong is, when you are confronted or told of what you did wrong, you become defensive and put up a fight—you wanted to quarrel with whoever pointed out your wrongs.
The state of your heart when you got to know you had done wrong matters to God. This would determine the severity of God's chastisement or discipline, and the mercy that would be shown to you—when a believer misses it.
Peace .