28/12/2022  Wednesday
Hosea
God yearns for His people, Yet they show ingratitude
Chapter 11
OUTLINE OF HOSEA The Ryrie Study Bible
1. The Prodigal Wife, 1:1-3:5
A. Her Unfaithfulness, 1:1-11
B. Her Punishment, 2:1-13
C. Her Restoration and Israel’s, 2:14-23
D. Her Redemption, 3:1-5
2. The Prodigal People, 4:1-14:9
A. The Message of Judgment, 4:1-10:15
1. The indictment, 4:1-19
2. The verdict, 5:1-15
3. The plea of Israel, 6:1-3
4. The reply of the Lord, 6:4-11
5. The crimes of Israel, 7:1-16
6. The prophecy of judgment, 8:1-10:15
B. The Message of Restoration, 11:1-14:9
1. God’s love for the prodigal people, 11:1-11
2. God’s chastisement of the prodigal people, 11:12-13:16
3. God’s restoration of the prodigal people, 14:1-9
God’s Love for His Prodigal People
• Hosea 11:1, Here we see God’s reflection on Israel’s foundation.
• He loved Israel.
• He called Israel, His son, out of Egypt. (Exodus 4:22-23) “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel
is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”
• Hosea 11:2, God sent others to call them (Moses, priests, judges, and prophets), yet Israel turned from
them unto idols.
•
God’s Love for His Prodigal People
• Hosea 11:3-4, God helped Israel in many overlooked ways.
• He taught Israel to walk as a father holding their arms.
• He healed them or gave them health, when they did not know it.
• He drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. Both of these indicating tender actions as He led them along.
• He removed the yoke on their jaws and gave them food to eat. This yoke may have been a bit or muzzle or a strap the
held the yoke in place.
• Each of these acts of divine grace expressed God’s tender love for Israel, yet they were ungrateful.
• Take time to count your blessings from God and then take time to express your gratefulness to God.
God’s Love for His Prodigal People
• Hosea 11:5-6, God pronounced judgment on Israel because of their idolatry and ungratefulness.
• They would serve Assyria.
• The sword (war) would remain against them and consume them.
• We need to ask the Lord to help us be more grateful for all that he has given us.
• We have a good church to attend.
• We live in a free land.
• We have an abundance compared to those in other lands.
• Most of all, Christ propitiated our sin. He then redeemed us. We are justified, regenerated, reconciled, sanctified and
adopted into God’s family.
God’s Love for His Prodigal People
• Hosea 11:7-9, God grieves when His people continually backslide.
• They (the prophets, etc., v.2) called them to the most High (i.e., God), but none would exalt or magnify Him.
• This greatly troubled the Lord (v.8). He did not want to give up on Ephraim nor to deliver Israel to destruction. He did not
want to annihilate them like Admah and Zeboim cities near Sodom.
• His heart turned around and His compassions kindled towards them (v.8).
• God determined not to execute His fierce anger nor to destroy them (v.9). Highlight God’s next words, “for I am God, and
not man, the Holy One in the midst of thee.” We serve an amazingly kind and loving God!
• When a spouse is unfaithful, many counsel > divorce. If we are hurt, we want revenge. It is far better to
act like God and forgive.
God’s Love for His Prodigal People
• Hosea 11:10-11, The day will come when Israel will return to the Lord and walk after Him.
• He will roar like a lion calling His family to the prey. Israel will answer His call and come.
• Israel will tremble as a bird out of Egypt and like a dove out of Assyria. That is, they will swiftly fly and return to their own
land. God will then place them in their houses.
• God’s discipline always focusses on restoration.
• Hosea 11:12, fits best with the next chapter as God rebukes Ephraim for their lies and deceit.
Note similes and metaphors in this chapter
• As they that take off the yoke on their jaws (v.4) – As a compassionate farmer
• As Admah … as Zeboim (v.8) – cities that were destroyed
• Roar like a lion (v.10) – calling his family to a feed
• Tremble as a bird … as a dove (v.11) – fly quickly like a bird
• God calls Israel a child (v.1) – shows tenderness and love
• He used family and farm metaphors (v.3-4) – express kindness
Applications for Us Today
• God’s harsh dealings with Israel were clearly not His heart’s desire but His righteous duty to bring her to
repentance. God has the same feeling towards us today when we stray.
• As Israel was “bent to backsliding” so are we. What is backsliding? __
• It literally means, turning back or turning away.
• “Turn” is the key not the distance turned. Every turn begins small.
• If we are not as close to the Lord as we have been in the past, we are backsliding and need to repent.
• We must learn from Israel and flee backsliding.