The Holy One, Hosea 11:1-11
Introduction
The story is told of a man and his boy who was with him, when a little fellow, in Scotland, and for the first time he possessed what in that country is known as a top-coat. They were walking out one cold day, and the way was slippery. The little fellow’s hands were deep down in his pockets. His father said to him: “My son, you had better let me take your hand,” but he said you never could persuade a boy with a new top-coat to take his hands from his pockets. They reached a slippery place and the boy had a hard fall. Then his pride began to depart and he said: “I will take your hand.” and he reached up and clasped his father’s hand the best he could. When a second slippery place was reached, the clasp was broken and the second fall was harder than the first. Then all his pride was gone, and raising his little hand he said: “You may take it now”; and his father said: “I clasped it roundabout with my great hand and we continued our walk; and when we reached the slippery places,” said he, “the little feet would start to go and I would hold him up.” This is a picture for the Christian. I am saved not so much because I have hold of God as because God has hold of me, and He not only gives me shoes with which I may walk and which never wear out, but Christ holds my hand in His and I shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck me out of His hand. (J. Wilbur Chapman, Heartwarming Illustrations, accessed: QuickVerse)
Background Note
This story is of particular interest to me, as the father of sometimes stubborn, and always strong-willed, able, little boys. My feeling of intimacy with this story is made even greater by the content of my text today.
Right at the center of this text is the illustration of God’s love for His “son,” the nation of Israel, often, and here, referred to in the Bible as Ephraim, after the largest of the 12 tribes of Israel, that tribe whose name is taken from their patriarch Ephraim, who was one of two sons of Joseph (Ephraim / Manasseh).
Interestingly, Just before Jacob died, he pronounced benedictions and maledictions with predictions on the future to each of his sons. Judah was assigned the role of leader. Jacob predicted Zebulon would live by the coast. Three of the sons, Reuben (the first-born), Simeon and Levi were scolded; the last two for their massacre of the people of Shechem.
Their sister Dinah had been assaulted by a man of Shechem and Simeon and Levi had exacted what they considered appropriate revenge. Reuben was criticized for carousing with one of his father's concubines.
As punishment, Levi was not assigned a territory, (rather the Levites would serve as priests) but each of the other brothers was. This should mean 11 tribes, but Joseph received two portions (which should have been the right of the eldest legitimate son), one in the name of each of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Later, when the Nation of Israel divided into two Kingdoms the Northern Kingdom was most often called Israel, after its patriarch Jacob who, God had renamed Israel or Ephraim, after his son, and the largest tribe of Israel.
The Southern Kingdom was referred to as Judah, after its chief (leader) tribe.
Transition
Moving from this brief background into the “meat” of our text, looking squarely at this passage, we see primarily a message of God’s love for His son, Ephraim, that is the Nation of Israel. This is the account of God’s love for Israel.
While in most of the writing of the prophet Hosea the imagery of Israel as the unfaithful bride of God is used to describe God’s relationship to His chosen people, National Israel and in a fuller Spiritual Israel (The Church), here the prophet’s writing diverges into the imagery of God as father and Israel as son.
Exposition
In verse 1 the prophet records the word of the Lord saying, “When Israel was a child, I love him…” In verse 3 God says, “It was I who taught Ephraim (remember the relative interchangeability of Israel and Ephraim) to walk, taking him by the arms…”
Then in verse 4 the imagery changes a bit to that of gentle herdsmen when God says, “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.”
Unlike the cruel taskmaster who abuses a beast of burden, the Lord, though mighty, though all powerful, though controlling every aspect of our present and future life, here is said to lead Israel with love, not with force; grace not anger.
In spite of the Fatherly love, the gentle manner with which God dealt with Israel, time and again they rejected Him. Even in our time, as God has preserved them as a nation and a people, still so many reject Christ.
Do not be mistaken, there are not two covenants in affect. The orthodox Jew who worships God, though sincerely, does so in a way that is not consistent with the revelation of his Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The Muslim who worships God, though in earnest, does so erroneously, in this case with obviously spoiled spiritual fruit, because He has relegated Jesus to a mere prophet. It is illogical to assume that all paths lead to the same destination.
I remember Christina’s great aggravation with my insistence that a certain desert road near Yuma, Arizona was a short cut from Yuma to Phoenix, Tucson, Sedona, and San Diego. They are all in different directions! How can this one short cut save time on one’s journey to different places?
So it is with the Covenant of God’s grace. His chosen path is through Christ. The destination which comes through Christ is communion with God in this life and in eternity. In John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)
There is one covenant in affect. Only those who are in Christ are part of the current outworking, the present dispensation, of God’s grace.
In His day the prophet Hosea prayed for the redemption of Israel, Messiah came, and now, dear saints of God, all and only those who are found, by faith, alive in Christ are saved. This is the fulness of the biblical revelation!
Christ came to offer redemption according to the sovereign grace of God. In verse 2 of our text God declares that “… the more I called Israel, the further they went from me.”
Just as the good deeds, the sacrifices, the election as a people the people of God was not enough to draw them near to their Heavenly Father, so too, our good deeds, our pedigree as a nation with great Christian heritage and roots, is not enough to fasten our love to the Father.
It was God who taught them to walk but they forsook Him time and again.
In verse 7 the Lord says “My people are determined to turn from me.” How stubborn is the heart of the child of God who, though God pours out grace through His word, through His servants, through the lives of others, and even through the direct contact of His love tugging at our hearts, remain stiff-necked.
Looking into the fullness of the biblical narrative we also see a prophetic parallel between two sons of God: Ephraim (Israel, God’s chosen people) and, looking further into the plan of God’s redemption New Testament; Jesus.
Both loved by the father. One taken out of Egypt and became disobedient, one day to be redeemed perfectly (national Israel) currently redeemed by Christ (spiritual Israel, the Church, those found by faith alive in Christ).
The one son was taken out of Egypt to suffer for the redemption of the other. This passage is filled with layers of the Father’s love.
Throughout the Bible the escape from Egypt, from Pharaoh as God led His people out of Egypt through the prophet Moses, is a metaphor of escape from sin.
In the birth narrative of Jesus the account is given of King Herod the Great who desired to kill the Messiah after hearing news of his birth from the Magi. Herod was fearful of the possible disruption of his reign by the birth of a king.
Upon hearing of Herod’s desire to kill Jesus from an angel, Joseph took his family into Egypt until Herod’s death in order to protect Jesus. where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.” (Matthew 2:15-16 NIV)
Redemption in both cases was born of suffering. The nation of Israel, the disobedient son, was redeemed out of Egypt and continued a cycle of obedience and disobedience to God the Father.
Christ Jesus, on the other hand, is the obedient Son who was brought out of Egypt and was obedient, even unto the horrible redemptive death of the Cross!
Sin is a cruel taskmaster. In our passage God says that He is the gentle shepherd who leads with cords, ropes, of human kindness, and with ties of love. Sin always leads with a harsh bridle and a whip.
Here is yet another parallel with Christ to be found in the text. Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Glory, the God-Man, our Lord, our Savior, is likewise a gentle shepherd, who leads us according to His great love for us; love not force; grace not anger.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:27-30 NIV)
Conclusion
My son Ephram is a willful little boy. He, like the child in the story I opened this message with, is often reluctant to take my hand when he should. Just the other day, after he had fallen earlier in the day on rocky ground, he said, “hold my hand daddy…” If we are to learn to experience God in our lives, if we are to grow in our faith, we must learn to truly see God as our Heavenly Father.
Of His love for His covenant people, God declares, “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.” (Hosea 11:8-9 NIV)
He is the “holy one among us.” He is unlike us. He does not exact repayment, vengeance in the same manner as we do. He judged the sin of His elect, us, the Church, Spiritual Israel, in the broken body of Christ.
He forgoes His just wrath toward our sin in the free offer of sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who knew no sin. This is the paradox of grace; salvation from the consequence of destruction and enslavement to sin that was brought about by willful disobedience, born of willful sacrifice.
In John 10:18 Jesus says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (NIV)
Communion
As we celebrate communion this morning, dear friends, this is what we celebrate: Our Heavenly Father, the Holy One Among us, has forgone His just wrath toward our sin and toward us as sinners, perfectly saving the elect, His chosen people, those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ.
He has saved us perfectly in Christ and the only burden that He places upon us is to rightly respond through the gift of faith which He has given to us.
The great English statement and man of God William Wilberforce once wrote that “Christianity can be condensed into four words: admit, [Christ as Lord] submit, [To Christ as Lord] commit, [Our lives to doing His will] and transmit [The Love of God to a dying world].” (Draper’s Quotes, Accessed QuickVerse Platinum 2010) Samuel Wilberforce (1805–1873)
Dear Christian, our Heavenly Father, the Holy One Among us, has not come in wrath, but in Christ; forgiving sin and much more than what He has taken away – bringing us into communion with Himself.
Today we celebrate Christ brokenness which brings us wholeness, even as the Holy One among us gives us new life here, today, now. All present who profess faith in Jesus Christ are welcome to partake of the celebration of the Lord’s Table. Amen.
