God's Continuing Love

Hosea 11:1-12 

1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

2 As they called them,
So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.

3 "I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms;
But they did not know that I healed them.
4 I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them.

5 "He shall not return to the land of Egypt;
But the Assyrian shall be his king,
Because they refused to repent.

6 And the sword shall slash in his cities,
Devour his districts,
And consume them,
Because of their own counsels.

7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me.
Though they call to the Most High,
None at all exalt Him.

8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.

9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim.
For I am God, and not man,
The Holy One in your midst;
And I will not come with terror.

10 "They shall walk after the LORD.
He will roar like a lion.
When He roars,
Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;
11 They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt,
Like a dove from the land of Assyria.
And I will let them dwell in their houses,"
Says the LORD.

12 "Ephraim has encircled Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;
But Judah still walks with God,
Even with the Holy One who is faithful.

Israel Learned of God’s continuing love for them as His chosen nation, individually cared for and called out of the bondage of Egypt which is also representative of sin.  The very first line here was to be applied to Jesus Christ to come as the one setting all His children free at last as we see in Matthew 2:15.  God had called His people, but they ran away to worship idols of lifeless gods in His place and so were enslaved.  Even then the LORD drew them to Himself with love as He freed them, met their needs, and cared for them that they might not perish but have life in Him as we see the foreshadowing of later in John 3:15.  As they continued to reject and rebel, God met their unrepentant hearts with a different master of a worldly kingdom, Assyria, as they seemed bent on backsliding from Him, calling to the Most High but not exalting and lifting Him high in obedience of true worship.  Even then the Almighty refused to give up on them because He had called them and loved them from the beginning (Ephesians 1:5, 11, Romans 8:30, John 13:1) as He does all His called and chosen in Christ even now.  His promise for His elect then is mercy instead of the justice of judgment because He is not a mere man with a nature like ours, but is God who is sovereign and eternal in the heavens made by His word uttered according to His will (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16).  His promise was grace to His own whom He loves and retribution of justice on His and their enemies as we see in secular literature as a recurring theme because our souls long for God’s justice (Revelation 6:10) on those who enslave us and yearn for His mercy to show He loves us (Zechariah 1:15-16).  We ache in our hearts to see the Holy One come among us without terror of the fear of death and judgment.  Like Israel before us, we then walk after Him who is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) who speaks and gathers all His own from every tribe, language, and nation (Revelation 5:9, 14:6-7) and who will dwell with us forever (Revelation 21:3-4)!  We are then as Judah who walk with God in Christ in truth because He is faithful.  We know God’s continuous love in grace and mercy.  Praise Him!