"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"

                         Hosea – Part IV of IV

                         God’s Redeeming Love

                          (Hosea 11:1-14:9)
INTRODUCTION
1. In our survey of the book of Hosea we have proposed the theme as

   "God’s Redeeming Love"; this may have seemed strange…

   a. As we considered "God’s Indictment of Israel" in chapters 4-7

   b. As we considered "God’s Punishment for Israel" in chapters 8-10
2. But as we saw in the first three chapters, Hosea’s experience with

   Gomer serves as an analogy of God’s experience with Israel…

   a. Following the adultery there was a period of separation

   b. Following the separation there was the ultimate restoration

   — Therefore Israel would be restored, but only after a period of

      separation
3. Here is another way to summarize chapters 4 thru 14…

   a. God is holy (which is why He must indict Israel for her sins)

      – Hosea 4-7

   b. God is just (which is why Israel must be punished for her sins)

      – Hosea 8-10

   c. God is love (which is why He will restore Israel) – Hosea 11-14

   — So having declared the holiness and justice of God, Hosea now

      proclaims His great love for Israel
[In this lesson we shall complete our study of Hosea by first looking

at…]
I. GOD’S PROMISE OF A FUTURE RESTORATION (Hosea 11:1 to 14:9)
   A. GOD’S LOVE DESPITE ISRAEL’S REBELLION (Hosea 11:1-11)

      1. God brought Israel out of Egypt, yet they worshipped Baal –

         Hosea 11:1-2   [Originally Baal was a Phoenician deity

         but later embraced by the Egyptians who taught the captive Jews

         to worship him.]

      2. God nurtured Israel though they knew it not – Hosea 11:3-4 

      3. God will send them to Assyria because of their backsliding

         – Hosea 11:5-7 

      4. Yet God will return them to their homes – Hosea 11:8-11 
   B. ISRAEL’S REBELLION AND GOD’S CHASTISEMENT (Hosea 11:12 to 13:16)

      1. Ephraim (Israel) is full of sin, and while Judah still walks

         with God to a degree, God has a complaint against Judah as

         well – Hosea 11:12-12:6 

      2. Ephraim is cunning and boastful, and so God will bring his

         reproach upon him – Hosea 12:7-14 

      3. Ephraim and Samaria (both representative of Israel), shall be

         held guilty and punished accordingly – Hosea 13:1-16 
   C. ISRAEL’S FUTURE RESTORATION (Hosea 14:1-9)

      1. A call to return to the Lord, for Assyria will not save –

         Hosea 14:1-3

      2. God promises to heal their backsliding and return them to the

         land – Hosea 14:4-7 

      3. Ephraim (Israel) will finally be cured of her idolatry –

         Hosea 14:8 

      4. A concluding call to wisely consider these things – Hosea 14:9 
[God fulfilled His promise to restore Israel (and Judah) starting with

the decree of Cyrus and under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and

Nehemiah (cf. the books of Ezra and Nehemiah). As indicated in Hosea 14:8,

Israel was once and for all cured of her idolatry. Her faith in God

may have weakened later on, but idolatry never had the appeal it once

had.
In the spirit of Hosea 14:9, which calls upon us to understand and know

what is revealed in this book, here are some…]
II. CONCLUDING LESSONS TO BE DRAWN FROM HOSEA
   A. GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE…

      1. He loves His people

         a. Like a man loves his wife (cf. Hosea and Gomer)

         b. Like a father loves his child – Hosea 11:1 

      2. Because He loves His people…

         a. He blesses them abundantly

         b. He nurtures them patiently – Hosea 11:3-4 
   B. GOD IS A GOD OF HOLINESS…

      1. He expects His people to know His will – Hosea 4:1-2;

         Hosea 4:6; Hosea 8:12

      2. He expects His people to avoid harmful influences – Hosea 7:8-9 

      3. He expects His people to sow righteousness, not wickedness

         – Hosea 10:12-13 
   C. GOD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE…

      1. He cannot let sin go unpunished – Hosea 9:9 

      2. Those who remain in sin He will devour – Hosea 13:7-8 
   D. GOD IS A GOD OF MERCY…

      1. He call upon His people to repent – Hosea 14:1 

      2. He will gladly heal those who do so – Hosea 14:4 
CONCLUSION
1. Hosea presents a picture of God who is certainly desirous of

   redeeming those He loves

   a. Sadly, not many took Hosea’s message seriously

   b. I.e., only a remnant of Israel returned after the restoration
2. Today, God’s redeeming love is offered through His Son Jesus Christ

   – cf. Ep 1:3-7 

   a. Sadly, not many take the gospel message seriously either

   b. Even as Jesus warned – cf. Mt 7:13-14; Mt 7:21-23
What many need to heed is the call of Hosea at the end of his book…
   Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent?

   Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; The

   righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.

                                        Hosea 14:9
Are we growing in our knowledge and walking in the ways of the LORD?

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