HOSEA 11 THOUGHTS
Hosea 11 is one of the high points in the book of Hosea. After many chapters of mainly indictment and judgment (4-10), we see a chapter that speaks of God’s love, mercy, and redemption for a wayward people.
Here we get a glimpse at the beautiful, astonishing, wonderful love of God for His people—a love that won’t give up, but shows mercy and acts in loving redemption.
This passage shows us the tender fatherly love of God for His people. God loved Israel like his own son (11:1); he cared for Israel lovingly and tenderly (11:3-4). The care spoken of here is seen in God’s provision and protection of Israel through deliverance from Egypt, 40 years wandering in the dessert, and entrance into the promised land. God gave them food from heaven, His law and His presence (tabernacle). He taught Israel the basics of how to live and follow Him. The love of God for OT Israel finds an interesting correlation in the NT: God in a very real and true sense loves and cares for all of us. God “gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” with the hope that they “should seek God, and perhaps feel their ways toward him and find him” (Acts 17:25, 27). God loves us even in our fallen state: “he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:36).
In light of the tremendous and touching love of God we see the awful travesty of betrayal. Instead loving and being faithful to God—a God who is kind and provided for all one’s needs—Israel has gone after other gods (Hosea 11:2). Israel has gone after the Baals (11:2), lifeless idols made by human hands. She has ‘refused to return’ to God and is bent on ‘turning away’ from him (Hosea 11:5, 6). This is a great betrayal that is deserving of punishment.
We too, though not OT Israel, are culpable and guilty of betraying our Maker who loved us. We have no excuse; we have said NO to God and YES to our idols. Romans 1:18-23:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal”
God is holy and punishes the sin of Israel by sending them into exile (11:5-7). In the year 722, Assyria came and invaded the northern Kingdom and brought them out of the land. Around 150 years later, he did the same with Judah, the southern Kingdom.
We too are all in a kind of exile from God. Since being banished from the Garden of Eden, we are wandering far away from God. The wages of our sin is death (Rom 6:23), a spiritual death that has estranged us from God (Col 1:21). In our lost state, humans are far from God and far from God’s true people (Eph 2:11-13).
Yet the astonishing truth this chapter shows us that God has not given up on His people. God has a love that overcomes our sins! “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?” (Hosea 11:8a). God has a compassionate love and kindness for his people: “My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender” (Hosea 11:8). God shows mercy: “I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim” (11:9). Amazingly, God has love for His wayward people.
The love of God is shown in the redemption of God. God promises to bring his people back from exile (Hosea 11:10-11). Though exile will take place, it will not be the end of Isarel. God will send hunters/fishers and bring his people back (Jere 16:16; Matt 4:19). An end to exile to will take place, and did in part with the return of Israel/Judah in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra. But fulfilment of return from exile did take place until the coming of Christ. He brings back a people—made up of Jews and Gentiles—back to God. Now all of us who are far from God, might be brought near through the blood of Jesus (Eph 2:11-13).
MOVEMENT IN THE CHAPTER:
God’s Fatherly Love (1, 3-4)
God’s Love Rejected (2, 5a, 7b)
God’s Judgment on faithless Israel through EXILE (5b-7)
God’s Mercy on a faithless people (8-9)
God’s Redemption of His people [return from EXILE] (10-11)
GOSPEL CORRELATION:
God’s love for all of Creation [through providence and provision]: Acts 17:15-27
God’s Love Rejected by all: Romans 1:18-23
God’s Judgment on Sin [death and estrangement]: Rom 6:23; Eph 2:11-12
God’s Mercy for Sinners: Matt 9:36
God’s Redemption of Sinners: Eph 2:13
Another enlightening parallel passage into Hosea 11: PRODIGAL SON (Luke 15:11-32)
A Father’s Love (15:11)
A Love Rejected (15:12-13)
Exile (15:14-19)
God’s love and mercy for sinners (15:20-21)
God’s Redemption of Sinners (15:22-24)
MAIN IDEA:
God’s love overcomes our faithlessness and sins, so we can have hope.
APPLICATION:
We see our faithlessness, but we must also see God’s tenderly, overcoming, redeeming love. It is this love that comforts us and propels us forward to repent.
