Overview: (NET) v.1-7, v.5 Reversal of the Exodus: Return to Egypt and Exile in Assyria; v.8-9 The Divine Dilemma: Judgment or Mercy? I have had a change of heart, I cannot totally destroy Ephraim; v.10-11 God Will Restore the Exiles to Israel. They will return from Assyria and I will settle them in their homes.
Ob and In:
1. Repeated words:
a. to describe the rebellion son, Israel
But the more I summoned them, the farther they departed from me v.2, sacrificed to idols and burned incense to images, did not acknowledge that I had healed them v.3, refused to repent v.5, obsessed with turning away from me v.7a, call to Baal v.7b
b. to describe God's as a loving Father
I loved him like a son, I summoned my son out of Egypt v.1, I summoned him v.2, (ZIBBC) Regarding the other connotation (which is not independent of the messianic one), the calling of “my son” likely harks back to the legal language of adoption in the ancient Near East, much the same way as “you are not my wife” was suggested earlier to have a legal background in the language of divorce (see comment on 2:2).
Yet it was I who I led Ephraim, I took them by arm, I had healed them v.3, (EBC) Here the tender figure of a parent teaching an infant to walk shows the Lord’s compassion in disciplining Israel (Ephraim).
4 I drew them with leather cords,
with straps of hide;
I lifted the yoke from their neck,
and gently fed them. lit=I bent down and I fed to them (EBC) presents a beautiful picture of God’s gracious condescension in his loving provision for his undeserving people.
(BKC) In Hosea 11:4 Israel is compared to a work animal (cf. 10:11). The Lord is likened to a master who gently (in kindness and love; cf. 11:1) leads his animal and removes (or perhaps repositions) its yoke so that it might eat with greater ease the food he kindly provides. The Lord treated Israel with compassion and love.
Reflection: Anyone will treat their animal with gentleness when providing them food to eat? Israel was the adopted son that God called out from Egypt. I am like the animal and the adopted son, who are undeserved. God does not need to love me. He did not owe me anything.
Israel's reaction to God was unreasonable. They repaid kindness with stubbornness. They did not acknowledged Who had really healed them, and refused to repent when being punished. Why worshipping idols who did not treat us with love and had nothing to do about healing us? Why not repent when being punished? If we make up our minds to be rebellion there is no one to blame but ourselves.
2. God's unexplainable love: He determined to love
a. Repeated words in v.8: (How) can I... x4?
(BKC) They indicate that He would never completely desert His people. Admah and Zeboiim, which were annihilated along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Deut. 29:23; cf. Gen. 10:19; 14:2, 8), were symbols of complete divine destruction.
The reason why God cannot give up Israel or totally destroyed them was because of His tender compassions v.8.
The verb form of the word, "tender compassion,"= (TWOT) The second primary meaning of nāḥam is “to comfort” (Piel) or “to be comforted” (Niphal, Pual, and Hithpael). This Hebrew word was well known to every pious Jew living in exile as he recalled the opening words of Isaiah’s “Book of Consolation,” ...“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people” (Isa 40:1). The same word occurs in Ps 23:4, where David says of his heavenly Shepherd, “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”
b. He is determined and will not change v.9
(EBC) He is “God, and not man”—that is to say, he is one whose ways transcend those of sinful humanity. Because he is holy... He promised wondrous blessing on the people, if they would follow him (cf. Deut 28:1–14). But in that future day of restoration, he would not come against any city or land “in wrath,” as he was about to do in Hosea’s day.
Reflection: What made God determined to love was unexplainable, other than His own amazing love. He determined to bring comfort and have compassion to His people, which was extremely difficult to do and difficult to believe. Therefore, He made up His made and promised to do that. Pray that I will be like God and determined to love.
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