THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From the Captivity to the Return
Message Eleven—The Minor Prophets (2)
Scripture Reading: Hosea 14:4-8; 11:1
I. Hosea 14:4-8 portrays Israel in the restoration (Matt. 19:28), as revealed in Hosea 2:15-23; 3:5; 6:1-3; and 10:12:
A. “I will be like the dew to Israel”—14:5a:
1. Dew signifies the fresh and refreshing grace of God, which comes to us through God’s fresh compassions (Lam. 3:22-23; cf. Prov. 19:12); this grace—the Triune God processed and consummated to be our life supply for our enjoyment (John 1:14, 16-17; 2 Cor. 13:14)—waters us.
2. Dew signifies daily grace, the grace we receive each day; morning by morning the Lord’s grace descends upon us as the fresh dew—Psa. 133:3.
3. Manna came with the dew—the morning dew, which is the foundation for the giving of the manna—Exo. 16:13-14; Num. 11:9:
a. If we would gather manna during our time with the Lord in the morning, we need to experience the freshness of dew, the freshness of God’s grace—Lam. 3:22-23; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 12:9.
b. Whenever we have dew as we read the Word in the morning, the Word truly is food to us; our experience testifies that where the dew is, there manna is also—Exo. 16:13-14; Num. 11:9.
4. In the oneness of brothers dwelling together, the dew descends, and we enjoy the divine life—Psa. 133:3.
B. “He will bud like the lily”—Hosea 14:5b:
1. A lily signifies a life of faith in God, a pure life that trusts in God, and lilies signify those who live under the care of God—Matt. 6:28:
a. The lover of Christ realizes that she is but a small person, living a trusting life in the low place—S. S. 2:1.
b. Christ appreciates such a trusting one, who lives a pure and trusting life among the filthy and unbelieving people—v. 2.
2. A believer who is a pillar as a sign of God’s building must bear the testimony of living by faith to bear responsibility and express the riches of life through the process of resurrection—1 Kings 7:15-22:
a. We need to realize that God is and we are not, that Christ is everything and we are nothing—Heb. 11:6; John 15:5; 21:3.
b. We need to experience the Christ who was judged by God and who became the supporting strength of God’s dwelling place; if we experience Christ in this way, we will judge ourselves as those who are fallen, incapable, and unqualified and who are nothing—1 Kings 7:15-16; Rev. 1:15; 2 Cor. 12:11.
c. We must live by faith in God, not by what we are or by what we can do—Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 1:24; 5:7; 4:13:
(1) We must be a lily existing by what God is to us, not by what we are—Matt. 6:28, 30.
(2) It is not I, but Christ who lives in me—this is the lily—Gal. 2:20.
C. “He…will send forth his roots like the trees of Lebanon”—Hosea 14:5c:
1. To send forth roots like the trees of Lebanon signifies standing steadily in the resurrected, uplifted, and noble humanity—cf. S. S. 3:9; 5:15.
2. In Hosea 14:5 the budding of the lily is coupled with the roots of the cedars of Lebanon:
a. The lily speaks of a simple, unsophisticated life, a frail life of faith and trust—S. S. 2:1-2.
b. The cedar has roots that are deep and hidden, typifying our need to have deep spiritual roots and to be deeply buried—Mark 4:6; Luke 8:13; Jer. 17:7-8; Rom. 6:4.
D. “His shoots will go forth; / And his splendor will be like that of the olive tree, / And his fragrance, like that of the trees of Lebanon”—Hosea 14:6:
1. His shoots going forth signifies flourishing and spreading.
2. His splendor being like that of the olive tree signifies glory in fruitfulness:
a. The olive tree bears oil-yielding fruit; its splendor is in its fruit; likewise, the splendor of the Christian life is in the bearing of the fruit of the Spirit—Gal. 5:22-23.
b. The oil of the olive tree was used to honor God and man, signifying that those who walk by the Spirit honor God and that those who minister the Spirit honor man—Judg. 9:9; Gal. 5:16, 25; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8.
3. His fragrance being like that of the trees of Lebanon signifies the sweet odor of a life in the uplifted humanity—Hosea 14:6:
a. Fragrance is a smell, and smelling is the most delicate sense, which gives an impression without sign or touch.
b. The olive tree typifies Christ as the One who is full of the Holy Spirit and anointed with the Spirit; when we carry His splendor with us, others will smell the fragrance—Judg. 9:9; Heb. 1:9.
E. “Those who sit under his shade will return; / They will revive like grain / And will bud like the vine; / His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon”—Hosea 14:7:
1. Sitting under his shade signifies being overshadowed by the sufficient grace enjoyed by us—S. S. 2:3b; Isa. 4:5-6; 2 Cor. 12:9.
2. To revive like grain signifies being full of life for producing satisfying food.
3. To bud like the vine signifies blossoming for producing cheering drink.
4. His renown being like the wine of Lebanon signifies a good name spreading like tasteful wine.
F. “I am like a green fir tree; / From Me your fruit is found”—Hosea 14:8b:
1. A green fir tree is a symbol of God, who is living, unchanging, ever new, and evergreen—Exo. 3:14; John 8:58; Rev. 1:8.
2. Ephraim’s bearing fruit from Jehovah indicates Israel’s oneness with Jehovah; this is more than an organic union—it is the oneness of two in one life, in one nature, and in one living—John 6:57b; Gal. 2:20.
G. Hosea 14:4-8 is a picture of what we hope will be the situation with all the local churches in the Lord’s recovery—Acts 2:46-47; 4:33; 11:23; 2 Cor. 8:1.
II. Israel’s transformation as described in Hosea 14:4-7 is based on the factor of love in life:
A. Love in life, like the love of a father toward a son, transforms people through the growth in life—11:1, footnote 1; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Pet. 1:5-7.
B. Our relationship with God is of the divine, eternal life—1 John 5:11:
1. This life enlivens us, regenerates us, sanctifies us positionally and dispositionally, renews us, transforms us, conforms us, matures us, and glorifies us, making us the same as God in life, nature, appearance, and glory—John 3:5-6, 15; Eph. 5:26; Rom. 12:2; 8:29; Rev. 21:10-11.
2. At the beginning of the book of Hosea, Israel was a harlot, but at the end of Hosea, Israel has become a son; thus, the outcome of this book is transformation in life by God’s love—11:1; cf. Rom. 8:28-29.
Ministry Excerpts:
JEHOVAH’S UNCHANGING LOVE
Jehovah Loving Israel When Israel Was a Child,
and out of Egypt Jehovah Calling His Son
Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him,/And out of Egypt I called My son.” Israel is depicted as the wife of Jehovah throughout the book of Hosea. But when God’s everlasting love is touched, Israel is called God’s son (Exo. 4:22-23), indicating that Israel has the Father’s life. Only real sons, not adopted sons, have their father’s life. Hosea 11:1 also indicates that Christ joined Israel to be the Son of God and that He was called out of Egypt by God (Matt. 2:13-15).
God’s everlasting love is not a love in affection, like the love of a husband toward a wife, but a love in life, like the love of a father toward a son. Love toward a wife is love in affection, but love toward a son is love in life. On the one hand, God loves us as His wife, and the Lord Jesus is our Husband. On the other hand, God is our Father, and we are sons of the Father.
Hosea 11:2a says that Jehovah called Israel by His prophets.
Verse 3 goes on to say that Jehovah taught Ephraim (Israel) to walk, taking them in His arms and healing them.
Jehovah Drawing the Children of Israel with Cords of a Man, with Bands of Love
Verse 4a says, “I drew them with cords of a man,/With bands of love.” The phrase “with cords of a man, with bands of love” indicates that God loves us with His divine love, not on the level of His divinity but on the level of His humanity. God’s love in teaching Ephraim to walk and in taking Ephraim in His arms shows us that God’s love is divine but on a human level. If He loved us on the divine level, we could not touch His love. His divine love reaches us on a human level. He has come down to the human level in order to reach us. This is what it means to say that He drew Israel with the cords of a man, with bands of love.
The remainder of verse 4 says, “I was to them like those /Who lift off the yoke on their jaws;/And I gently caused them to eat.” This yoke was Pharaoh’s yoke, and this eating was the eating of the manna in the wilderness. Pharaoh had put a strong yoke on Israel, but God took off that yoke and gently caused them to eat by bringing them into the wilderness, where God fed them with manna in a gentle way morning by morning (Exo. 16:14-18).
Jehovah Not Giving Ephraim Up
Hosea 11:8 and 9 reveal that Jehovah could not give Ephraim up. “How shall I give you up, O Ephraim?/How shall I deliver you up, O Israel?/How can I make you like Admah?/How can I treat you like Zeboim?/My heart is turned within Me;/All My compassions have warmed./I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;/I will not return to destroy Ephraim;/For I am God and not man,/The Holy One in the midst of you,/And I will not come in wrath.” Admah and Zeboim were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 14:8; Deut. 29:23). Ephraim had become so evil, even more evil than Sodom and Gomorrah. However, because of His everlasting love, God would not destroy Ephraim.
The Children of Israel Walking after Jehovah,
and Jehovah Causing Them to Dwell in Their Houses
According to Hosea 11:10 and 11, the children of Israel will walk after Jehovah. He will roar like a lion, and the children of Israel will come trembling from the west like a bird from Egypt and like a dove from the land of Assyria. Jehovah will cause them to dwell in their houses.
At Bethel Jacob Finding Jehovah,
and There Jehovah Speaking with the Children of Israel
At Bethel Jacob found Jehovah, and there Jehovah spoke with the children of Israel, even Jehovah, the God of hosts. Jehovah is his memorial. The children of Israel should return there to their God, keep lovingkindness and justice, and wait on their God continually (12:4b-6).
Since the Land of Egypt,
Jehovah Having Been the God of the Children of Israel
Since the land of Egypt Jehovah has been the God of the children of Israel. He will again cause them to dwell in tents as in the days of the appointed feast. He has also spoken unto the prophets. He has multiplied vision, and through the prophets He has used similitudes (vv. 9-10).
Israel Knowing That There is No God except Jehovah
Israel was to know that there was no god except Jehovah, for there is no savior besides Him. He knew Israel in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasturage (given by Jehovah) they became full (13:4-6a).
Jehovah Ransoming Them from the Power of Sheol
Jehovah will ransom them from the power of Sheol; He will redeem them from death (v. 14a). Hence, the next part of the verse says, “Where are your plagues, O death?/Where is your destruction, O Sheol?” Repentance will be hidden from His eyes (v. 14c). God’s love for Israel is everlasting, and He will never repent of this love.
Jehovah through His Prophet Calling Israel to Return to Him Their God
Israel had fallen by their iniquity, and Jehovah through His prophet called them to return to Him their God (14:1). They should take words with them, return to Jehovah, and say to Him, “Forgive all iniquity,/And take us graciously;/Thus we will render our lips as bullocks./Assyria will not save us;/We will not ride upon horses./Neither will we say again to the work of our hands, Our God!/Because in You the orphan finds compassion” (vv. 2-3). With their lips they would offer sacrifices and offerings to God.
Israel in the Restoration
In verses 4 through 8 we have a picture of Israel in the restoration (Matt. 19:28), as revealed in Hosea 2:15-23; 3:5; 6:1-3; 10:12. Jehovah will heal their apostasy; He will love them freely, for His anger will have turned away from them. He will be like the dew to Israel. Israel will bud like the lily (signifying a pure life trusting in God) and will send forth his roots like the trees of Lebanon (signifying standing steadily in the uplifted humanity). His shoots will go forth (signifying flourishing and spreading); his splendor will be like that of the olive tree (signifying glory in faithfulness); and his fragrance will be like that of the trees of Lebanon (signifying the sweet odor of a life in the uplifted humanity). Those who sit under his shade (signifying being overshadowed by the sufficient grace enjoyed by them—2 Cor. 12:9) will return. They will revive like grain (signifying being full of life for producing the satisfying food) and will bud like the vine (signifying blossoming for producing the cheering drink). Israel’s renown will be like the wine of Lebanon (signifying a good name spreading like tasteful wine).
I hope that this will be the situation with all the local churches in the Lord’s recovery. Then instead of being an unturned cake or a silly dove or a deceitful bow, we will be like lilies, trees of Lebanon, olive trees, and budding vines.
Glorifies Us, Making Us the Same as God in Life,
Nature, Appearance and Glory
Israel’s transformation as described in Hosea 14:4-7 is based on the factor of love in life. Love in affection does not transform, but love in life transforms people. A husband who loves his wife in affection may spoil her, but a father who loves his son in life never spoils his son. As a son grows, he is transformed. Our relationship with God is of the divine, eternal life of God. This life enlivens us, regenerates us, sanctifies us positionally and dispositionally, renews us, transforms us, conforms us, matures us, and glorifies us, making us the same as God in life, nature, appearance, and glory.
At the beginning of Hosea, Israel was a harlot, but at the end of this book, Israel has become a son. Eventually, Ephraim declares that he has no more idols. “Ephraim says, What have I yet to do with idols?” (v. 8a). God answers by saying, “(I respond and look on him.)/I am like a green fir tree;/From Me your fruit is found” (v. 8b). Jehovah’s being like a green fir tree (symbolizing God’s being living and evergreen) and Ephraim’s bearing fruit from Him indicates Ephraim’s oneness with Jehovah. It also indicates that a wonderful transformation has taken place, based on the factor of love in life. Today God is the evergreen tree, and we, the believers in Christ, are the branches of the tree, bearing fruit out of Him. This is more than an organic union; it is the oneness of two in one life, in one nature, and in one living. The outcome of this book is transformation in life by God’s love. This is the revelation in chapter fourteen of Hosea, and we all need to see it.
The Prophet’s Word Being Wise
Verse 9 says that the prophet’s word is wise, showing us that the ways of Jehovah are right. The righteous will walk in them, but the transgressors will stumble in them. (Life-Study of Hosea, msg. 8)