Mexico Missouri message., 1915-12-16
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 12
JEHOVAH YEARNs OVER ISRAEL.
LESSON TEXT-Hosea Hill.

/ SOLDEN lEAI-l Grew them with
cords of man, with bands OF love-
Hosea 11:4.
A contemporary Of Isaiah and Amos,
Hosea continued to prophesy after
the first captivity of the northern
kingdom. His style is abrupt and fig
urative. Israel is Jehovah's adulter-
Gus wife, repudiated, but finally to be
purified and restored. This lesson is
a part Of the second section of the
book (4:1-13:S), which is a descrip.
tion of the sinful people.
!. "The Perverse chlld,D w. ~.
The remnant" (ch. 6:1-3) had cried
out for relief. (See lisa. 1:9; Rom.
2:6). Jehovah's reply (begins 6:4) is
a severe arraignment of Israel's back
sliding as contrasted with his grace.
| To understand this lesson read the
entire book repeatedly. In verse of
the lesson Jehovah recalls to the ma
tion the days of its childhood. Be
cause Of his great love (Deut. 7:T
he called them out of Egypt, the land
OF bondage, into Canaan, the land of
blessing and liberty. Yet Israel sensed
not its duty nor its obligation of graft
tude. We are living under a greater
obligation because Of the greater re-
demption God has provided for us in
the person of his Son. God here calls
Israel my son" (Ex. 4:22); we have
the right to call ourselves sons (John
1:12; l. John 3:1-2). Matthew's gos-
pei applies these words to him who
alone was fully and in the true sense
Gods son. Jesus is the summary of
the whole nation in that he alone fully
realized Gods purpose in Israel (Matt
2:15).
AS contrasted with what son is
or should be verse 2 gives a picture
of IsraePs wandering. The whole his
tory of the nation is one of going after
false gods. Il. Sam: S:7-9 and many
other references.) In those childhood
days ". 81 Jehovah taught them how
to walk, and healed their hurts, "but
they knew not"-God, as a tender Fa-
ther, had watched over, taught, guild
ed and healed (Ex. 1914; lisa. 46:3;
63:9). Even so, in this present age
God is a God of mercy and long suf-
fering (Rom. 2:D, yet the mass Of
men know not" what God is doing
for them. In verse the child has
grown older and as mothers often
tether a child lest it run away, so Je-
hovah endeavors to draw Israel to
him with cords of love-" His cord
of love now is the mighty power of
Calvary (John 1899. Jehovah not
only drew but even sought to entice,
for he laid meat unto them"-Jesus
will deliver us, for he bore our yoke
Matt. 1128-30) and is for us the
Bread of Life John 6:35, 58). Love
does not mean that the backslider
shall be free from punishment. BE
cause they refused to return
the sword shall abide" ". Sc and Heb.
1850. Even so God did not permit
! them to go back to Egyptian bond
age ". 81. Israel was bent to back
sliding" In spite of the constant call
to worship and serve him none would
exalt him"
II. The Pleading Parent, w. 8-12.
None can fathom the depths of the
cry, How shall give thee up, How
shall deliver thee" ". 81. Israel
would persist and still Jehovah pleads
that perchance they would heed his
cry (Jer. 9:7; Lam. 3:33). Admah
and Zeboim Swere irretrievably over
thrown with Sodom and Gomorrah
(Deut. 29:93), shall Israel likewise
perish? No! ". 81 for 81 am God, not
man." God does not, like man,
change-his covenants are not scraps
Of paper" his love is everlasting (Nu.
23:19). It is not God but man who is
responsible for his destruction The
Holy One in the midst of thee" is
there to save, not as an avenger. God
has not come into our midst in wrath
Gods passionate desire is to save
not to destroy. His purposes are
those of love and redemption and as
with Israel of old, so in this age, he
will carry out these purposes in spite
of our backsliding (Rom. 11;28-29)
Verses 10 and IL are prophetic of the
ultimate repentance and restoration OF
acknowledgement shall pass upon their
foes (Joel 3:16) and those of the dis
persion (see parallel lisa. 11:11-16)
shall gather, as "doves to their win
b NS"Ss phh 10 OA4NN III InSlA
houses" l. g., set up as nation in
their God-given land Ephraim ". 12)
sought to rule without or by casting
off Jehovah Il. Cor. 4:8).
In Judah was the legal priesthood
and the legitimate king. but the apos.
tasy of Israel was moro culpable be-
cause of the example of Judah which
he had set at nought
I'll. Promised DeIiVerance. In a
most striking way Hosea flashes
note OF hope and love through the
cloud of gloom which hung over the
nation as it drew closer to its doom.
because the people refused to repent
Amos delivered his warning and re-
turned to Judah.
Hosea was part Of the nation
which emphasizes such verses OF his
prophecy as the following; 6:1, as.
liza, 11;6. GA, 6,6. 2:l5 and 1912.
4 which sound the message OF hope like
I