Hosea 14
I think this is the best chapter in Hosea, and one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament. After so many words of judgment, the book ends on God’s amazing grace. The entire chapter is devoted to God’s grace.
14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
O Israel, return
unto the LORD thy God - Come back. Come home.
Take with you words – There are those who say it is wrong or unspiritual to pray a printed prayer (you know, read a prayer), that every prayer should be extemporaneous (or made up on the spot). Yet here God gives them 51 words to pray (48 if you don’t count the ones in italics!). They could copy them down, take them home, and read them, out loud, as a prayer to God. And if they prayed the prayer he gave them, he would accept it. It's not whether you read a prayer, or make it up yourself, it's your heart. Genuine prayer begins in the heart. You can make up a beautiful sounding prayer, but if it didn't come from the heart it's a sham. You can read a written prayer, or recite it from memory, if it is coming from your heart it is accepted by the Lord. For example:
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will to men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.*
Now, back to the prayer in Hosea 14. It includes
confession of sin –
take away all iniquity
plea for acceptance –
receive us graciously
commitment –
we will render (offer) the calves of our lips
repentance –
we turn from Asshur and horses, and from our idols
This is a complete prayer, a complete turning to the LORD!
But, is there hope? Is there a chance God will hear? Yes!
14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
14:6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
14:7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
O how God will
respond!
I will heal their backsliding
I will love them freely
I will be as the dew unto Israel
Turn unto me and I
will turn unto you. Next, we read the results of His work of grace:
he shall grow as the lily
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon
His branches shall spread
his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon
They that dwell under his shadow shall return
they shall revive as the corn
and grow as the vine (whose aroma will be as the wine of Lebanon)
When God saves the
lost or restores the backslider, it is a complete work, from death to life.
Hallelujah!
14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
Ephraim’s repentance will be a genuine turning away from the idols that have plagued him.
The Jewish Tanakh translate this, “Ephraim shall say: ‘What more have I to do with idols? When I respond and look to Him, I become like a verdant cypress.’ Your fruit is provided by Me.”
This is repentance and restoration!
14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
Do we understand these things? There is a day of judgment coming, and all who die separated from God and His Christ face an eternity separated from him. But whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you’ve done, turn to Jesus Christ, believe he is the Son of God who died for you and rose again, trust him to save you; and He will!
Perhaps you believed in Christ and were baptized some time ago, but you have backslidden, slipped back into your old ways, fallen back into sin. O return unto the Lord. He will accept you, heal you, restore you. Come home!
This is the end of Hosea. We have seen the holiness and righteousness of God, the mercy and love of God. We've seen the awfulness of sin and the judgment of God. We've also seen the heart of God; the many promises of restoration; the faithfulness of God. The LORD God of Israel is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our God.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
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