Oh Love that Will Not Let Me Go! Hosea 11

Some people find it very difficult to accept that our God is loving and just at the same time. As I have been studying Hosea, I see both sides of God as He pursues the nation of Israel. He loves them greatly and has brought them out of Egyptian bondage. He has pursued them as they called out to other gods and committed spiritual adultery. He ultimately does bring some punishment and judgment upon them by allowing Assyria to take the northern kingdom and Babylon to take the southern kingdom.

Here is the real question though: Why did He allow for the captivity and the punishments? He did it to call them back to Him. Hosea 11:5 says that Assyria will be Ephraim’s king because they refused to return to Me.  When His gentle wooing wouldn’t get their attention, He came down a little stronger on them. Compare it to disciplining your own child. You start out with a gentle reprimand, but eventually, you may have to be more stern to capture the attention of the wayward child. The goal is to correct the behavior. God’s goal is not only to correct the behavior, but bring us (and Israel) back to Him.

Hosea 11:8 is extremely touching. God is revealing His heart. “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel?…My heart is turned over within Me.” I can remember my parents’ hearts being “turned over” concerning one of my brothers as he battled drug addiction. They would be so tore up over his life style, but yet it was difficult to not bail him out of his trouble because they loved him so much. Our God loves us much more than a parent loves their children. But God knows that at times, He must chasten us to bring us back to Him. But He doesn’t enjoy it – verse 8 says His heart is turned within Him. But it wasn’t because God didn’t know WHAT to do – He knew correction was needed to bring about repentance, but He didn’t take pleasure in it. As earthly parents, sometimes we cannot perfectly balance our love with the need to discipline. Some parents take it the opposite way and overdo the discipline and run short on love.

Israel would be released from bondage eventually and they would return to their land. Verse 11 says they will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. But when they got home, God settled them in their houses! Praise God – when we come back to Him, He is always happy to see us and He will be a loving Father (or in this case, a loving husband) and settle us right next to Him. Remember child, the discipline is always for our good to bring us back home. God’s mercy is always what He wants to extend, tempering it with discipline as needed to keep us close to Him! His love will not let us go!