Bible Commentaries
Hosea 11

Verses 1-12

1. THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD! (11:1-4)
   1. THE ADOPTIVE PARENT! (1,2)
   2. Out of Egypt I called my Son – Mt.2:14,15 “When he(Joseph) arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son.".”
      1. But here it is speaking about Israel.
      2. 1^st God frees us from bondage!
      3. Pre-Christ we are like Alexander the Great, who conquered the world around him but couldn’t conquered himself.
      4. Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.”
         1. “Praise is the language of sinners set free!”
   3. THE TENDER FATHER! (3-4)
      1. In love He delivered a child from Egypt, carried him, fed him, & taught him to walk & work;…& that child abandoned Him for idols. What ingratitude! (www)
      2. (NIV) “But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.”
      3. Show picture: Ceramic incense burners found in the Philistine city of Qasile, Is.
   4. (4) A considerate master lifts the yoke from the neck of the beast that he might eat more comfortably.
   5. If we obey not the gentile drawings of His love, he will send affliction to drive us into closer intimacy w/Himself! (see next section)
      1. What foolish children we are to refuse those bands of love, & so bring upon our backs that scourge of small cords,…which Jesus knows how to use! (Spurgeon)
   6. Also See the Motherhood of God! (Is.66:12,13)
   7. THE REBELLIOUS SON! (5-9)
   8. (7) Billy Graham's daughter Gigi said, “The only thing that parents can take to heaven is their children.”
      1. But this was quoted by John Maxwell in "What Children Owe Their Parents”. - Truly Israel owed God…big time!
   9. (8) Admah & Zeboiim were cities destroyed w/Sodom & Gomorrah. They may have been located under what is now the southern part of the Dead Sea.
      1. According to Jewish law, a rebellious son was supposed to be turned over to the elders of the city to be stoned! (Deut.21:18-21)
      2. Deut.29:23 “The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.”
      3. God could not stand to treat Israel, the people He loved, like He had treated Admah & Zeboiim, even though Israel’s behavior resembled theirs.
      4. Here we have God’s Holy Dilemma!
         1. A struggle between what Yahweh ought to do because of his righteousness; & what He cannot do because of His love!
      5. Hear Gods heart for the backslidden! (8b)
         1. Churned/overturned is the same word used in Gen.19:25 “So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities,”.
   10. (9) The Holy One in your midst – They were sinning against a flood of light!
       1. Q: When you & I sin today…how much “light” are we sinning against? (compare to people groups w/o the word of God)
       2. Q: What light source would you compare it to?
   11. FUTURE RESTORATION! (10,11)
       1. This roar was a good roar!
       2. Play Track 4 & 6 in “The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe”.
          1. Explain – 4 children step into another time & place, thru a wardrobe closet, to Narnia. [Tract 4] The white witch reminds Aslan of the price that must be paid. [Tract 5] Aslan sets out to pay the price. The 2 girls follow. Explain the killing(tied, mocked “shave him”, placed on the stone) [Tract 6]