Hosea 14

Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Hosea14:1

This last chapter is astounding in several ways. God has just told them through his prophet that all was lost for the northern kingdom. The shocking truth that only God knew at the time was that their dispersion would last for at least 2,700 years. That news is about as bad as it gets.

In the midst of the bad news of chapter 13, we saw a flash of revelation and glory that Israel would be ransomed from the power of the grave (13:14). Despite all Israel’s sin and rebellion, the kind offer of return to the Lord is made. They simply had to repent and turn away from their sins, which had been their downfall. This flash of glory from chapter 13 is now developed.

Boice says, “In a sense, it is God’s last word – a word that is to sustain the people during the coming days of captivity. On that day, they will undoubtedly wonder if God has cast them off utterly. They will feel forsaken.” [1]

Most people, even religious people and some Bible scholars, probably feel that the Ten Lost Tribes are lost for good. Many Christians feel that the church has replaced the tribes and that they will never return to their land. Paul disputes that saying, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). Paul says, “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!…God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew…” (Rom. 11:1-2).

In Romans 11:11-24, Paul deals with the mystery of the church being grafted in where Israel was broken from the old olive tree. In verse 17, we see that only “some” of the natural branches were broken off, not all of them. God has never done away with all his people, and the church has not replaced Israel. This is very obvious today, as about 7.5 million Jewish people now live in the land. They have returned from most of the lands of the earth. Also, as we mentioned in chapter 1, thousands of folks from the Lost Tribes are now back home in Israel.

Barnes comments, “But while the kingdom was past and gone, the children still remained heirs of the promises made to their fathers …Every word is full of mercy. God calls them by the name of acceptance, which he had given to their forefather, Jacob; ‘O Israel.’ …They had cast off their God; God had ‘not cast off his people whom he foreknew’” (Rom. 11:2). [2] It is amazing that the promise of forgiveness holds for some 2,700 years.

God’s people are called upon to return to him. Pett says, “The need for Israel to ‘return’ has been consistently made clear throughout the prophecy (Hosea 2:7; Hosea 2:9; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 5:4; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 7:10; Hosea 7:16; Hosea 11:5; Hosea 12:6), and is mentioned four times in this chapter (Hosea 14:1-2; Hosea 14:4; Hosea 14:7).” [3]

“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’” (14:2). Here, he speaks to us like we were little children. Having ideas and feelings is good, but they will not replace words. We need to speak these words from our lips. We need to say, “Father, I have sinned…I am so sorry…Father, please forgive me and help me to live a sinless life.” Sometimes it is good to use the words of Scripture: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psa. 51:1-2). Guzik says, “When we communicate to God in the words and ideas of Scripture, we find an articulate and effective voice before God.” [4]

It is important to really talk to God in our prayers. We need to be bold and ask him if we have some sin that we do not know about. One day, I was praying, and I asked God if I had some hidden sin. God assured me that I did. He told me that I sometimes exaggerated. I would say things like “I have a ton of work to do.” That day, I learned to watch my tongue about little things that hindered our fellowship. Boice, citing Miller, says “When we are truly contrite, the smallest sin becomes an offense which is mountainous in the sight of God, and dreadful in the view of our own hearts…” [5]

It wouldn’t hurt for us to chat with God about our idols. We could ask, “God, do I have idols in my life? Do I shout louder at the football game than I do in praise at church?” We just need to talk sincerely with God about our lives and make sure we have things in order.

Verse 2 is unusual. In this verse, we are told to offer up the “calves” (Heb. pa-rim ) of our lips. Some translations drop the “m” and render it “fruit” of the lips. We should not lose the idea and picture of our prayers being lifted as a burnt offering for sin.

Do we need God to restore to us the joy of our salvation? Boice says, “One thing is certain. Restoration will not be apart from a genuine repentance, involving both a frank confession of sin and a radical return to God…True repentance begins with an acknowledgement that sin is sin and that it is ugly and terribly offensive in God’s sight.” [6]

“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” (14:3). Israel had three besetting sins. They were trusting in Assyria and its strength, in Egypt with its war horses, and in idolatry. [7] How tragic that even the great Solomon, a favorite person of God, insisted on collecting great numbers of war horses from Egypt. He also collected a bride from there, all this in disobedience to the Lord. Long ago, we used to sing this old Scripture song: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Ps. 20:7 KJV). It was sung to the rhythm of horses running, and it was a lot of fun to sing.

In this verse, we learn something very important about God. Psalm 68:5 sums it up well. He is, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Much later, James will summarize it saying, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (Jas. 1:27).

Healing, Blessing, And Beauty

I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. Hosea 14:4

Boice says, “Sin not only makes us ugly, it also weakens us …those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” [8] There is hardly any bad thing that sin does not do to us. Just a little, insignificant sin can mess up our lives. One problem is that sin attracts other sins. The Bible says that demons invite their friends to come in (Matt. 12:43-45). Wiersbe says, “When sin gets into the inner person and isn’t dealt with, it acts like an insidious infection: it grows quietly; it brings loss of spiritual appetite; it creates weariness and weakness; then comes the collapse.” [9]

“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; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon” (14:5-6). Meyer says, “The prophet here ransacks the world of nature for phrases sufficiently expressive of his transports of joy. The whole world seems laid under contribution to set forth the love of God.” [10] Boice adds, “This last promise is couched in a series of images that may well be the most beautiful and poetic section of the book.” [11]

Let us look at some of these symbols. The dew of Israel is a lifesaver for plants since there is no rain from about May until September each year. God’s dew can be like a drink of cold water for us in a dry and thirsty land. Next, we see the lily blossom. Feinberg comments: “Israel shall then blossom as the lily, known both for its purity and productivity. A lily is one of the most productive plants, for it is said that one root can produce as many as fifty bulbs…” [12]

The prophet then mentions the cedars of Lebanon. “Lebanon had the fresh smell of its cedars and of the shrubs which grew on its slopes.” [13] The trees of Lebanon were famous in the ancient world. Lebanon’s cedars were brought to Jerusalem and were used to build the Holy Temple. King Solomon used Lebanon’s famous wood for his carriage, and he used the fragrances of Lebanon to describe his lover’s garments. The prophet used the olive tree to describe the Lord’s splendor. The olive tree loaded with fruit is a beautiful picture and a symbol of Israel. The olive with its precious oil was almost the source of life for the Middle East.

“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” (14:7). What a promise! Israel will live again. Barnes says, “The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon – The grapes of Lebanon have been of the size of plums; its wine has been spoken of as the best in the East or even in the world.” [14] God’s people are to be beautiful and fruitful.

“Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me” (14:8). Other versions may have the best translations with “Ephraim shall say, what have I…” (ASV, NKJV). Chuck Smith says, “I’ve heard God; I’ve seen God. I’ll have nothing more to do with idols because I’ve seen the true and the living God.” [15] Boice adds, “If we would have God, we must renounce our idols entirely (Hos. 14:8).” [16]

WHO IS WISE?

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. Hosea 14:9.

Wood comments, “In beauty of expression these final words of Hosea rank with the memorable chapters of the Old Testament. Like the rainbow after a storm, they promise Israel’s final restoration. Here is the full flowering of God’s unfailing love for his faithless people, the triumph of his grace, the assurance of his healing – all described in imagery that reveals the loving heart of God.” [17]

“We know from prophecy, especially later prophecy, that one day the remnant of Israel will return, repent, be regenerated, and ‘Live happily ever after.’ But what about Hosea himself: Did Gomer emerge from her period of discipline a sadder, but wiser woman? Did she at last return Hosea’s love? …We can certainly hope that she did, so that Hosea too could ‘live happily ever after.’” [18]

Footnotes

1. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 110.)

2. Barnes, Barnes’ Notes, v. 14:1.

3. Pett, Pett’s Commentary, v. Pet 14:1.

4. Guzik, The Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Hosea, vs. 14:1-3.

5. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, citing Miller, p. 111.

6. Ibid., pp. 110-111.

7. Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Hosea, v. 14:3.

8. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 113.

9. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1405.

10. Meyer, Meyer’ Commentary, Hosea, vs. 14:1-9.

11. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 113.

12. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 67.

13. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 817.

14. Barnes, Barnes’ Notes, v. 14:7.

15. Charles (Chuck) Smith, Smith’s Commentary, vs. 14:1-9.

16. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 115.

17. Wood quoted in Guzik, The Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Hosea, v. 14:9.

18. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 65.