God’s Love for Isra’el

This post explores Hosea 11:1–13, emphasizing God’s deep love and broken heart for Isra’el despite their persistent sin and idolatry. It describes how God cared for Isra’el like a father, guiding and healing them, yet they continually turned away. Although God’s anger is provoked by their refusal to repent, His compassion and holiness prevail, promising eventual restoration. The narrative transitions to a detailed recitation of Isra’el’s sins and God’s response, underscoring both judgment and hope for reconciliation as the people are called to return to Him.

Hosea 11 is one of the most poignant passages in the entire prophecy of Hosea, possibly even the whole Bible. It reveals the heart of God. It contains an oracle from God on Isra’el’s apostasy, drawing heavily on two Tanakh history components. The first component is the Exodus. Hosea 11:1–5 focuses on this and threatens that God will undo the Exodus. The second component is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Hosea 11:6–12 contains the possibility that Isra’el will become like the cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah; that is, eternally annihilated. However, God recoils from this and promises a new Exodus. The first thing to say about the heart of God is that it is a tender heart.

11 ¹ “When Isra’el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. ² But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba‘alim and offered incense to idols.

The second thing to note about God’s heart is that it is broken. Isra’el’s early promise after they left Egypt faded quickly, and their sin and perversity kept coming to the fore.

³ “Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them, ⁴ who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them, I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.

In verses 3 and 4, we are given a glimpse into the family photo album: Isra’el walking out of Egypt, God helping them to get ‘steady on their feet’ and picking them up every time they fall. God looks back with fondness in a similar way that a father remembers his child’s first steps, patching up the grazed knee, and lifting their child up for a kiss. At that point, the album showed the bright promises of Isra’el’s youth.

⁵ He will not return to the land of Egypt, but Ashur will be his king, because they refused to repent. ⁶ The sword will fall on his cities, destroying the bars of his gates, because they follow their own advice. ⁷ My people are hanging in suspense about returning to me, and though they call them upwards, nobody makes a move.

While God’s heart is tender and broken, His heart is angry with them because they are determined to turn away from Him (vv. 5, 7). They will not repent but are ‘bent on turning’ from Him.

⁸ Efrayim, how can I give you up, or surrender you, Isra’el? How could I treat you like Admah or make you like Tzvoyim? My heart recoils at the idea, as compassion warms within me. ⁹ I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage, I will not return to destroy Efrayim; for I am God, not a human being, the Holy One among you; so I will not come in fury.

The fourth thing to say about God’s heart is that it is unlike our hearts. His heart is holy (v. 9). Sin does not fade from His memory. God is not in a bad mood at sin and needs to cool down. When we sin, we feel guilty and do not feel able to pray right away because we think God must be furious. We leave it a few days, or even longer, and as the shame fades from our memories, we feel it fades from God’s memory too. After some time, the sense of shame gradually diminishes from our recollection, and we may assume that it recedes from God’s awareness.

¹⁰ They will go after Adonai, who will roar like a lion; for He will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west. ¹¹ They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt, like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur; and I will resettle them in their own houses, says Adonai.

This can be accomplished because God’s heart is strong. He is ‘lion-hearted’ (Hosea 11:10–11). Hosea sees a time when the lion will roar and, while it will make the people tremble, they will return to Him instead of fleeing from God. It is a roar that will bring them home. In contrast to Hosea 7:11, Isra’el is no longer like a silly dove wandering to and fro; it will fly directly to God. As He roars, birds will come to Him rather than flee. It looks forward to a day when God’s people, the true Isra’el, will turn to God with their hearts, as without a change of heart, they will repeat the past. Here they are pictured as no longer wanderers among the nations (9:17) but ‘trembling’ they go after the Lord who will return them home.[1]

You may often face challenges in your professional life that test your patience and integrity. Hosea 11:1-11 encourages us to remember that God never abandons us. Instead of reacting negatively when pressures mount, take a moment to pause and pray. Create a simple ‘reminder’ note that you can keep at your desk, containing a verse that reassures you of God’s presence. When you read it, allow it to guide your reactions, fostering an environment of peace and integrity, thereby living out the love God shows us.

Next, we will continue to explore Hosea.

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[1]Hosea 11:1-11