God’s Continuing Love For Israel
October 13, 2019
Commentary
Up to this point in the book the emphasis has been primarily upon Israel’s disobedience for which judgement must fall. However, from this point on the emphasis is on God’s love for Israel, despite her disobedience for which judgement must fall. In the sovereignty of God everything that befell Israel was intended to instruct her and bring her back to God. To illustrate the Lord’s relentless love, Hosea delves into the past, present and future history of redemption:
1. The past: the love of the Father met by ingratitude (vv. 1-4). This eleventh chapter begins with another brief probe into Israel’s past to discover the defects in response to God’s love that had led her into apostasy. Israel turned a deaf ear to God’s prophets, choosing rather to sacrifice to Baal and burn incense to idols (v. 2). A comparison is made of the Lord’s love for Israel to the farmer who adjusts the yoke of the oxen so they can be feed (v. 4).
2. The present: the ingratitude of Israel met by punishment (vv. 5-7). A warning that the fatherly care exhibited to them in the past could not be counted on in the present because of the people’s disobedience to the Lord. Israel by rejection of the father had chosen the kingship of Assyria, a cruel tyrant (v. 5).
3. The future: The compassion of the Father brings restoration (vv. 8-11). To a nation that is as deserving of annihilation as were the wicked cities of Admah and Zeboliim God says, “I will not execute My fierce anger” (v. 9).
Application
It is easy to define God in terms of my own expectations and in so doing make Him slightly larger than myself. I should seek to become like Him rather than attempting to make Him fit my image. I need to make Him big and my situations small.
Hosea 11:1– 12 (NET)
1 “When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son, and I summoned my son out of Egypt.
2 But the more I summoned them, the farther they departed from me. They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images.
3 Yet it was I who led Ephraim; I took them by the arm, but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them.
4 I drew them with leather cords, with straps of hide; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them.
5 They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent!
6 A sword will flash in their cities, it will destroy the bars of their city gates, and will devour them in their fortresses.
7 My people are obsessed with turning away from me; they call to Baal, but he will never exalt them!
8 “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? I have had a change of heart. All my tender compassions are aroused.
9 I cannot carry out my fierce anger! I cannot totally destroy Ephraim! Because I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you— I will not come in wrath!
10 “He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.
11 They will return in fear and trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria, and I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.
12 (12:1) Ephraim has surrounded me with lies; the house of Israel has surrounded me with deceit. But Judah still roams about with God; he remains faithful to the Holy One.
Illustration: The Monk Who Demonstrated God’s Love With a Candle
To demonstrate God’s love a certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say. (Source unknown, Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author)