Trinity 7 2025

Hosea’s context: Prophet to Northern Kingdom. Calling out Idolatry and Baal Worship that included the worst of the worst practices. God is sending Assyria as his hand of punishment.

We are reading the redemptive final chapter.

So what is in the readings today?

Hosea 14:1 “Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.”

Invitation to repent, the reason repentance is needed.

Hosea 14:2 “Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our iniquity and accept what is good, so that we may repay you with praise from our lips.”

A turn of Phrase that invited the hearer to cary his words in case he forget how to repent in the moment.

The speaker, in this case God through the prophet gives them the words needed for repentance.

Hosea 14:3 “Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in you.””

Assyria is the enemy conquering violently, turning to them for respite is absurd. And imagining that Israel will have the military strength to stand up, also absurd.

Turning to gods they have made or Idols even more absurd.

GOD is the bringing of calamity for the idolatry of Israel, there is no escape other than repentance.

Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for my anger will have turned from him.”

What God will do if we bring repentance and turn towards God.

Hosea 14:5 “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.”

God will also be the savior os Israel. Like the dew comes and waters all the flowers that bring beauty, God will respond in replacing calamity with beauty. And he will do so with a longevity like a well rooted cedar of Lebanon.

Hosea 14:6 “His new branches will spread, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.”

The tree of God’s care and blessing will multiply and bring beauty like the olive branch, and fragrant wood.

Hosea 14:7 “The people will return and live beneath his shade. They will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.”

The people of God experience the calamity if exile, being removed. God will reverse the exile. Not only will they inhabit the land but the land will be productive, so much so it will be known in places far away.

Hosea 14:8 “Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit comes from me.”

Nickname, asking why would they stay with the absurd Idols. Especially when it is Yahweh who protects them.

The God of their protection is a fruitful God.

Hosea 14:9 “Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”

Apocalyptic ending inviting the wise to understand and take head of the warnings. And the outcomes of walking the different paths.

Applications of the text.

Repent to God in the way he asks of us to repent. “Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, “Forgive all our iniquity and accept what is good, so that we may repay you with praise (Bulls [ESV]) from our lips.”

Mercy, Obedience, Sacrifice (Jesus brings us these)

Dont trust in the absurdities of the world. Assyria (the enemy), Horses (The military), Work of our hands (Idol worship). These will do nothing against the power of God.

If we trust God he will heal. “I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for my anger will have turned from him.” God will cure that part of us that is sick, and make us lovely to himself. Jesus accomplishes this.

DO NOT MISS THIS WARNING. Pray that the Power of the HS give you eyes and ears to understand these words of God. For the ways of the Lord are up rights but the transgressors stumble in them.

God talks in this chapter about a land that is healed and produces food. A huge part of salvation for ancient people was being in a land that produces for them. and allows them to feed their families. Instead of las that keeps us alive we have Jesus that gives us eternal life. Instead of land that produces food we get the bread of heaven. We get the better salvation. but it means we need to rightly turn to God. That is why the warning at the end is so crucial. Be obedient to the call, so that we might come forward and take of the bread of heaven.