Journal Through the Bible: Week 55 Wednesday

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Hosea 13:1-14:9

God, the heartbroken, forgotten spouse cries unto Israel, pleading for their return:

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. (13:9)

O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou has fallen by thine iniquity.Take with you words, and turn to the LORD; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.  (14:1-2,4)

Does God issue any commands?

• God reminded them of the First Commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Does God make any promises?

• Since Israel was guilty of sacrificing to the golden calves and kissing them in their worship God promised that they would pass away as a morning cloud, the dew, and chimney smoke.
• God promised that He would be their king.
• God promised that He would ransom Israel from the grave and redeem them from death.
• God promised to forgive and heal them.

Does this passage teach anything about Jesus?

• God tells them again that He is their only savior. That would be Jesus, their Messiah.
• When God promised to be their king it is as Jesus, the King on the throne of David.
• Jesus is the One who fought death, hell, and the grave and won the victory for His people: those who are believers from both physical and spiritual Israel.
• When Jesus stood over Jerusalem and cried  as He said that He would have taken them under His wing as a hen would her chicks but they would not have Him (Matthew 23 and Luke 13) it is God once more crying to Israel and her capital city that He loves her in spite of her unfaithfulness just as He did in the book of Hosea.

Does this passage teach anything about yet-future events?

• One day 13:10 will be completely and eternally fulfilled as Jesus, God in the flesh, will be Israel's King.
• Because of the ransom from the grave and redemption from death believers will be resurrected and the grave will be destroyed forever. (There will be no graves in Heaven or on the new Earth!)