Hosea 11New Living Translation
The Lord’s Love for Israel11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.2 But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me,[a]offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.3 I myself taught Israel[b] how to walk, leading him along by the hand.But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him.4 I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love.I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.5 “But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria.6 War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates.They will destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans.7 For my people are determined to desert me.They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me.8 “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go?How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim?My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.9 No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel,for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy.10 For someday the people will follow me. I, the Lord, will roar like a lion.And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west.11 Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria.And I will bring them home again,” says the Lord.Charges against Israel and Judah12 [c]Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit, but Judah still obeys God and is faithful to the Holy One
I am on a pathway each day of discovering more and more the height and depth of God's love.
As I turned to these verses this morning, this was my conclusion. Though his people deserved judgement and God's wrath. He showed them undeserved grace, mercy and forgiveness again and again.
Look at these verses again ...verses 3 & 4 shows how God tends for his children as a Father:
"I taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up by their arms, but they did not know I healed them.
I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them"
And yet they still yearned after other idols.
Yet God continued in love and forgave them time and time again.
I found this in the exegesis on the chapter:
What passes for forgiveness among men is nothing like the amazing forgiveness of God. “Suppose that someone had grievously offended any one of you, and that he asked your forgiveness, do you not think that you would probably say to him, ‘Well, yes, I forgive you; but I – I – I – cannot forget it’? Ah! dear friends, that is a sort of forgiveness with one leg chopped off, it is a lame forgiveness, and is not worth much” (Spurgeon)
As God transforms us and fills us with his love, may he give us the grace to love and forgive as he does
Amen
Walk good in Christ
Till we meet again
Pastor J
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