REMEMBERING COMPASSION

DECEMBER 30, 2012

·         Up to this point the emphasis has been on the disobedience of God's people, but now the emphasis changes to the love of God.

Chapters 11-13 are for the most part the speech of Jehovah himself. He sums up, and in so doing declares his sense of the awfulness of their sin, pronouncing his righteous judgment thereupon. Yet throughout the movement the dominant notes are those of pity and love, and the ultimate victory of that love over sin, and consequently over judgment.

B. H. Carroll—An Interpretation of the English Bible

1.     COMPASSION THOUGH UNRECOGNIZED (HOSEA 11:1-4)

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

·         Israel is pictured as a youth at the time of the call in Egypt and the wilderness years. 

·         The call came because of the Lord's great love for Israel. 

·         It should be noted that the term for "human" love is used throughout the book - it is often referred to as "election love" when it relates to the relationship between the Lord and Israel.

When they were weak and helpless as children, foolish and froward as children, when they were outcasts, and children exposed, then God loved them; he pitied them, and testified his goodwill to them; he bore them as the nurse does the sucking child, nourished them, and suffered their manners.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Hosea

 2 The more they called them, The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense to idols.

·         That the more God appealed to Israel through the prophets, the more they committed the great sin of idolatry and apostasy!

 3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them.

·         God blessed Israel in many different ways, and His blessing was the gentle way in which He led them.

·         God repeatedly charged Israel of losing their knowledge of Him.

 4 I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them.

NASB

·         God says, "I did not force them to serve Me."

·         He is not going to push Himself in.

·         We will have to respond to His love. 

·         That is the strongest appeal that He can possible make.

·         The Bible teaches that no one, of their own accord will turn to God unless He draws them to Himself.

·         For this drawing to God, as all Christians should, Israel should have been continuously and eternally grateful.

Concerning “bonds”

This word signifies stronger cords than the former. He did not drive them by force into his service, whether they would or no, nor rule them with rigour, nor detain them by violence, but his attractives were all loving and endearing, all sweet and gentle, that he might overcome them with kindness.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Hosea

2.     COMPASSION AMID JUDGMENT (HOSEA 11:5-7)

5 They will not return to the land of Egypt; But Assyria —  he will be their king, Because they refused to return to Me.

·         Israel had rejected the kindness and love of the Lord because of their stubbornness; therefore they were to relearn the lessons of hardship, slavery, of the yoke of Egypt, but this time Assyria will be her Egypt.

6 And the sword will whirl against their cities, And will demolish their gate bars And consume them because of their counsels. 7 So My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, None at all exalts Him.

NASB

·         The people were bent on following their practices of idol worship, and although they gave lip service to the Lord, their hearts were far from Him.

They are bent to backslide; they are ready to sin; there is in their natures a propensity to that which is evil; at the best they hang in suspense between God and the world, so that a little thing serves to draw them the wrong way; they are forward to close with every temptation. It also intimates that they are resolute in sin; their hearts are fully set in them to do evil the bias is strong that way; and they persist in their backslidings, whatever is said or done to stop them;…

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Hosea

3.     COMPASSION OVER ANGER (HOSEA 11:8-9)

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled. 9 I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath.

NASB

In this first movement, Jehovah reminded the people of his past love for them in words full of tenderness, setting out their present condition in its light, and crying, "How shall I give thee up?" Which inquiry was answered by the determined declaration of the ultimate triumph of love, and the restoration of the people.

B. H. Carroll—An Interpretation of the English Bible

·         We have an example of anthropomorphism in this verse; that is, accommodating our understanding of God's actions by describing Him in human terms.

·         Here the heart of the Eternal is laid bare.

·         In human terms, this expresses the inner conflict between love and justice of the Divine Mind.

·         God had brought Israel up as a parent nurtures, protects, provide for, and instructs a child. (See verse 3)

·         That child, Israel, had cut the apron strings of the parental relationship and had gone on its own.

·         This expresses the undying love of a parent for their child.

·         No matter what happens, they will never abandon their child. 

·         God is like that; bearing and forbearing with us; His sinful children. 

·         God did not want to give them up.

·         God loved them; but because of their sin God must judge them.

Not that there are any such struggles in God as there are in us, or that he is ever fluctuating or unresolved; no, he is in one mind, and knows it; but they are expressions after the manner of men, designed to show what severity the sin of Israel had deserved, and yet how divine grace would be glorified in sparing them notwithstanding.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Hosea

4.     COMPASSION WITH PURPOSE (HOSE 11:10-11)

10 They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar, And His sons will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, And like doves from the land of Assyria; And I will settle them in their houses, declares the LORD.

NASB

·         After a period of slavery in Assyria, Israel will come trembling from all places to which they have been scattered to the Lord.

“…through the first impressions of Christ's voice or word upon them, shall startle, and be set a trembling, and be astonished, as Saul was, when called and converted; as it is reported of the lion, that, when it roars, other beasts are so terrified that they are quite stunned and amazed, and are not able to stir; but though the first sound of the voice of Christ may have some effect upon the Jews, yet this will not cause them to tremble at him so as to flee from him, but to cause them to flee to him…”

John Gill’s Commentary on Hosea