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We read Hosea chapter 6 during my previous message. The theme was returning to the Lord. Hosea 6:1-3 says, “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Failing in life can make us feel empty and useless. But if we return to the Lord, there is a kind of life that bears abundant fruit. The words we read from Hosea show clearly that, even if the people of Israel are torn apart, God has prepared a time of restoration for them.
Today we will read Hosea 14:4. It says, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.” The northern kingdom of Israel strayed from God, but they will return one day. They will become a people who worship the true God again instead of idols. God promises this in Hosea. “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely,” it says. Hosea shows that the Jewish people will be healed and return to the love of God.
Like our previous reading of Hosea, today God speaks to us with a beautiful invitation. Let us read and compare these two verses: Hosea 6:1 and Hosea 14:4. Hosea 6:1 says, “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” Hosea 14:4 says, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.” Comparing these two verses, we can see God’s invitation and God’s response. The northern kingdom of Israel is called to respond to God’s invitation and return to Him. God’s invitation in chapter 6 is continued in chapter 14. There are a few teachings to take note of between chapter 6 and the end of chapter 14. We can find these revelations expressed again in a new way in the New Testament. Let us look at a few.
Firstly, Hosea 6:6 said, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Jesus referenced these words of Hosea when he answered the Pharisees’ criticism in Matthew 9:13. Jesus invited sinners to come to him. Rather than animal sacrifices to atone for sins, God is more pleased to have people repent and live in fellowship with him. God desires a people who walk with him in humility. Jesus referenced the book of Hosea to teach about the great love of a God who invites sinners back to him. Unfortunately, northern kingdom of Israel did not heed this call. Therefore, the nation would be destroyed by Assyria, Hosea prophesied. Even so, God says this . . . Hosea 11:8: “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” And later in the verse, God says, “My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.” The love of God is unconditional. It’s true that Israel would be judged, conquered, and exiled, but because of the love of God, it was also possible for them to have a new beginning.
Next, chapter 13 verse 1 says, “But Ephraim became guilty of Baal worship and died.” This “death” refers to God’s judgment through the invasion of Assyria. And 13:6 says, “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.” As nations grow wealthy, they may lose faith in the true God—it can happen anywhere and to anyone. Prosperity, even temporary, causes faith to weaken. How we should live if we become wealthy or successful is a question for each of us. May we keep our eyes on God and continue to be a people who worship him, even if our lives become more comfortable. Chapter 13 verse 14 says, “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” Even if Israel was destroyed, God’s deliverance and redemption will come to them. Paul references this verse in Hosea in 1 Corinthians 15:55 (“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”), teaching that those who believe in Jesus have the promise of resurrection and victory. As believers we have the hope of resurrection.
Moving on, Hosea challenges the people of Israel in chapter 14 to repent and return to God. 14:1 says, “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!” To return to God, the people of Israel need to acknowledge their sins. In verse 2, “Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: ‘Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.’” After receiving forgiveness and being healed spiritually, they can worship God sincerely from the heart. Verse 2 is a confession of faith, showing a desire to offer everything to God, especially sincere worship. Verse 3 says, “Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” Israel needed to look to God for help, not to Assyria or Egypt. And to stop looking to idols for help. And to be able to say, “God, we are loved by You,” even if they lost everything.
Verse 4 says, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” They will be healed, return to the love of God, and start a new life. It is like each of our journeys. We too have been forgiven, received the love of God, and are able to worship Him sincerely.
Verse 5 says, “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots”. Imagine the dew. During the dry season when rain rarely falls, sea breezes blow in from the west, and dew covers the land, nourishing the crops. At the appointed time, this dew prepared by God moistens the earth, causing lilies to bloom and poplar trees to take firm root. This scene reflects how the people of Israel will receive God’s blessing, take deep root in the land, and blossom. Next, verse 6 says, “his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.” When there is a bountiful harvest, the aroma of it will spread throughout Israel. The fragrance will be like Lebanon, a land known for the strong fragrance of its plants. Verse 7: “People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine—Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.” Israel will return from exile to live under the protection of God; they will blossom and come back to life.
Next, verse 8 says, “Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him.” God desires to restore Israel, who has strayed away from the true God towards idols. God himself will care for his people and answer their prayers. There will be a bountiful harvest. That time will surely come. Verse 9 says, “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand.”
In the time of Hosea’s prophecy, they must have been in a miserable state. Hearing Hosea’s words, did anyone among the people of northern Israel cling to these promises of God and trust Him? While the book of Hosea does not tell us that, I am glad to say it ends with a promise of God’s healing and restoration. I believe there were people who turned their eyes to God and sought to live in right response to Hosea’s message. And I know that God abundantly blesses those who respond to his invitation.
How about us in our lives as Christians today? No matter how huge our failures, God’s love never changes. May we be able to say, “I am coming back to you. Please forgive my sins. I want to be a person who worships you.” Let us live with eyes of faith and receive His promise of restoration.
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