1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called My son.
2 But the more I called Israel,
the farther they departed from Me.
They sacrificed to the Baals
and burned incense to carved images.
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them in My arms,
but they never realized
that it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of kindness,
with ropes of love;
I lifted the yoke from their necks
and bent down to feed them.
5 Will they not return to the land of Egypt
and be ruled by Assyria
because they refused to repent?
6 A sword will flash through their cities;
it will destroy the bars of their gates
and consume them in their own plans.
7 My people are bent on turning from Me.
Though they call to the Most High,
He will by no means exalt them.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

This passage is about the tragedy of Israel. God loved them as a father loves his only son. He chose them to belong to him. He called them out of slavery in Egypt. But the tragedy was that, from then on, the more he called them, the more they went away from him (v2). The more he sent them saviours and prophets, the more they turned away from him and worshiped other gods. This will inevitably lead to further tragedy, Hosea says. God will punish them. Israel will return to Egypt (v5) – that is, they will return to slavery, this time under the Assyrians.

But this passage also contains the solution to this tragedy. According to chapter 2 of Matthew’s gospel, God has sent a new Israel into the world, his eternal Son. He too was forced to take refuge in Egypt – because of King Herod’s murderous intent. But God also called him out of Egypt back to the land of Israel. But unlike the old Israel, this new Israel would always obey God’s call, even to death on a cross. And so he would win an eternal salvation for all who trust in him. How blessed we are to live in the days of this new Israel, Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.