Hosea 11 and 12
How great had been the moral decline in Israel since “he was a child”—since the days of Moses, and Joshua, and David! The latter part of verse 1 is in Matthew 2:1515And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:15) applied to the Lord in connection with His being brought out of Egypt like the nation of Israel. As we have seen in many of the Psalms, and in Isaiah, notably, He identifies Himself in grace with that nation which has altogether lost its title to be considered the earthly people of God, but will yet be blessed in a marvelous way through. Him whom they despised and put to death.
Verse 2: Though loved by God, and the objects of His favor, they sacrificed to idols.
Verses 3, 4: He led them through the desert, cared for them all through that forty-year journey, but they did not know, nor understand what He did for them.
Verses 5-7: Now at the close of Ephraim’s history as a kingdom they had incurred the anger of their master, the ruler of Assyria, and were looking to Egypt for a refuge, but God had determined otherwise; they would not return to Himself, therefore the Assyrian should be their king, and the sword would visit their land.
Verses 8, 9: Such is the marvelous grace of God to the utterly unworthy, that He loves His people with an unchanging affection.
“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?”, He says to this nation which had long since given Him up, choosing rather the worship of idols and the moral corruption of the heathen. Admah and Zeboim were cities near to, and destroyed with. Sodom and Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 29:2323And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: (Deuteronomy 29:23).).
Verses 10, 11 await for their fulfillment, —Israel’s day of blessing.
The last verse of chapter 11 and the first of chapter 12 go together, the chapter division being faulty. If Ephraim is to be blessed, as promised in the sure word of God, it will not be because of anything in themselves that might be thought to win for them His favor (Ezekiel 36:22, 3222Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. (Ezekiel 36:22)
32Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. (Ezekiel 36:32)).
In verse 2, Judah is brought in, and thus “Jacob” (i.e., the whole of the twelve tribes springing from the patriarch) was to be punished according to his ways. Jacob had been exceedingly self-seeking in his course; there was much of the energy of nature about him, though he was a child of God by faith.
Genesis 82:24-31 is referred to in verses 3,4 and 35:1-15 in verse 5. These passages tell of the faithfulness of God, His interest in His people and His purpose to bless them, though trials must beset them on the way.
Ephraim’s character is further dwelt upon in verses 7 and 8, yet blessing will be his in the end (verse 9). Verse 11 speaks of idolatry in Gilgal, the place connected so intimately with Israel’s first arrival in the land of their inheritance. In verses 12 and 13 the wayward people are reminded that God had protected both their patriarchal head and their forefathers, when enemies would have done them ill.
ML 11/29/1936