God Loves and Forgives

MEMORY SELECTION: “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them.” —Hosea 14:9

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Hosea 14:1-9

THE Prophet Hosea wrote during one of Israel’s greatest periods of debauchery and corruption. He lived in the separated ten-tribe nation at about the same time that the Prophet Isaiah was prophesying in the two-tribe nation of Judah. The Israelites had been greatly blessed by God in many ways, such as through bountiful harvests, but these favors were soon forgotten as the people allowed themselves to be led away from God by false religions. Their conduct led to their utter rejection by God, who permitted them to be delivered to their enemies, the Assyrians, who ultimately took the entire nation captive.

God used his servant Hosea to point out to the Israelites that they had received richly from his bountiful hand. Indeed, their prosperities were in full accord with God’s part of the covenant which had been made with them at Sinai as outlined by Moses who said, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.”—Deut. 28:1

But they did not hearken to the voice of the Lord their God. Although God’s tender love and care had been over the children of Israel, they were not faithful in keeping their part of the covenant. Their lessons, because of disobedience to the divine law, were to be bitter ones.

One of the main problems arose because of idolatry. When Israel was governed by judges the people stayed closer to God’s laws. When they demanded a king to rule over them they became involved with other kingdoms through inter-marriage. Mixed marriages with the so-called royalty of heathen nations led to further corruption in connection with their worship of Jehovah.

In the opening verses of Hosea’s prophecy we catch a glimpse of the disruption caused by immorality within his own household. For as the record indicates, his own wife, Gomer, was an adulteress. When she proved unfaithful, only her first child was recognized by the prophet. Although Hosea showed compassion toward her, she eventually left him and her children, sold herself, and drifted aimlessly. Later he took her back under his roof, but not as his wife.

The Lord evidently allowed these bitter experiences to come upon his servant Hosea to impress upon his mind the Heavenly Father’s view of the children of Israel. The Israelites’ unfaithfulness toward God and the covenant he had made with them is represented in the false wife unequally yoked to a merciful and loving husband. Thus was Hosea able to voice the tender sentiments of God toward the children of Israel, his espoused one, who so frequently went whoring after other gods.—Hos. 4:12

Note Hosea’s appeal to the children of Israel. He says: “O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast 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 [so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips].”—14:1,2 (See ASV.)

Then we note what seems to be the Lord’s answer. “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.”—vss. 4-6

Next follows a picture of the millennial blessings under spiritual Israel: “They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.”—vs. 7

These promises are not learned by worldly wisdom. They are understood only by those who are taught of God, for “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?”—vs. 9

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