Hosea 11 is a great chapter for me. It is a favorite from my days growing up in "revival" meetings...because it speaks of those who have been away from God... coming back to Him. I seemed to find myself in that position more often than I would have wanted...or care to admit.
In vv.1-4 God is seen as the tender One that He is. Much has been said of judgment due to His righteous response to their sin. Sometimes, we can see God as One who sits high and takes note of our actions so he can "slam" us for all of our bad deeds. We think (at times and incorrectly) that God simply wants to be dispassionate and judgmental. The fact is...God's righteousness is not a "DISPASSIONATE" response to our sin; rather, it is His very PASSIONATE response to our sin. In these verses, God sees us in our young/youthful days. He sees us when we simply followed by faith. He also sees how we are drawn away from him by our lusts and desires. A dispassionate God could make a perfect case at that point to "smoke" us. We would have it coming.
vv.5-7 state that they will not go back to Egypt, but they will be oppressed by Assyria. Why? In v. 1 God made a point of noting that they were called "out of Egypt." Though judgement is coming due to their sin (Assyrian Captivity), God has not abandoned them (sent them back to Egypt). Take heart friend...though we may "backslide" or slip away from God at times...once He has led us out of our Egypt (lostness), we will never go back there. We will receive consequences for our bad actions...but not as a vengeful response to our sin; rather, as a means by which God gets us back into fellowship. (Luke 15 is a good follow-up to that if you want it).
vv.8-9, display God as a tender parent who cannot simply walk away. He also cannot utterly destroy in execution of His judgment. He loves them too much.
v.10-11, God's actions are effective. They turn and walk after the Lord. Notice that they walk after Him as the roaring lion. Some see this as a Messianic prophesy pertaining to the Millenial Kingdom. I am not certain it "has to" mean this...but it certainly could. Here is what it does mean. Ultimately, the strength and power of the Lord, though it executed judgment against all unrighteousness (even theirs), drew His people back to Him.
What draws you? Isn't it both God's righteousness lived out before you- even in judgment...tempered with your knowledge that He is compassionate toward you, desiring you to be free from oppression and free in Christ?
Proverbs 16: 23 is my takeaway today. "The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips."
A person's speech comes from the very meditations of his heart. A wise man's mouth reveals the wise man's heart. What he chooses to say is wisdom. His wisdom is not only in content (what He says) but in the context (how he says it). On top of his wisdom, is persuasiveness in how he communicates. Oh that God would make us both wise and persuasive in all we say today.
Grace,
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I was placed at rest tonight as I started my study in Hosea, that the God of love was in verse 1... ahhhh:) That the further Isreal went away from God he still loved them enough to go after them. That he loved me enough to come after me, this is so refreshing to me! God was slow to anger and wrath, I agree with you that God doesn't want to 'get us' instead He would rather know that he 'Has us' so that he doesn't have to get upset with us, that we are walking in Him and following His commands for our lives. I know sometimes God must think... Gosh, if she would have just listened to me from the beginning she wouldn't be in such a mess and boy is He right... I pray that I have the willpower to always listen when I know He is calling.
Good Word Pastor!
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