Return Policy

As Stuart Briscoe states in his short commentary on Hosea, “I’m so glad that Hosea didn’t end at chapter 13, because the following chapter shows that God still love them despite their sin.”

Remember when we first began this series, how we saw Hosea unswervingly love his unfaithful wife. He had to deal with her firmly while leading her toward repentance. This was because he had decided to keep on loving her., in obedience to God’s commands. This is the same way in which God deals with Israel. God even cut them off in order that Israel might come to repentance and return to Him.

We are able to realize that the sovereignty, holiness, justice and love of God all work together to bring to completion the final triumph of God’s grace.

True Repentance Finally Happens. - 14:1-3

Hosea 14:1–3 NASB95

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity And receive us graciously, That we may present the fruit of our lips. “Assyria will not save us, We will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ To the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.”

Throughout Hosea’s prophetic ministry, he’s constantly been sharing God’s heart and plea. If you reread the whole book, you will discover that Hosea repeats a profound word throughout:

RETURN!

In the wording of this, the Hebrew meaning is more than simply returning, as in going home. It carries with it the concept of a need for a complete conversion. Just as in today, a person cannot experience true salvation, unless there is repentance from where we were and what we have done.

As we look specifically at verse 2, we see that repentance must include a confession of sin, as well as a request for God’s grace. We recall that Israel, throughout their history, had offered sacrifices in a mechanical, meaningless manner. They were not really thinking about the meaning of what they were doing. The fact of the matter, is that God wasn’t interested in more livestock being offered. As Wiersbe remarked, He asks for sacrifices from their lips—words of confession . . . What God wanted was to know that the calves offered would be in the form of prayer for forgiveness.

Psalm 51:17 NASB95

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Also, God desired to see praise for His grace.

Psalm 69:30–31 NASB95

I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.

Going on to verse 3, we see that the words shared in verse 2 regarding repentance ought to be backed up by genuine actions. There is an old theory that parents, psychologists, counselors and others use that is being echoed here;

nothing is truly learned until it results in changed behavior. Here we see that Israel repents specifically of three sins; relying on Assyria for salvation, depending on Egypt for military aid, and finally trusting in their own man-made idols for spiritual blessing. You will notice it was not just a general statement like, “I’m sorry for the wrong I’ve done.” Not at all! It was specific, which showed that genuine repentance was beginning to take place.

We see that Israel was finally understanding that she had been running away from her only true friend, the Lord who took care of her.

True Repentance Brings Complete Restoration. - 14:4-5

Hosea 14:4–5 NASB95

I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

The beauty about going through the book of Hosea is to be able to see that God’s love stands ready to restore and reconcile the sinner who repents. This is true even in our day. We see that God will do this when the nation of Israel returns to the Lord, as we read in Romans 11. We observe the glorious grace of the Lord as He promises to bring healing to the wounds which Israel’s backsliding caused.

We see that restoration involves several areas in this passage. First, restoration involves healing of the apostasy that had separated the nation from the Lord. Claiming to belong to the Lord, claiming to love the Lord did not make it so. Repentance was needed to bring about restoration.

Secondly, restoration involves a gracious gift of love which comes from the Lord that freely forgives all sin. This is a picture of a spontaneity which is absolutely perfect in God’s unconditional love.

Thirdly, restoration involves a renewal of the blessings on the land that will be poured out like the dew. God’s anger will no longer be directed at them, if they would simply and genuinely repent.

Fourth, God will provide for Israel as only He can do. Normally, dew is seen as temporary and fleeting. In this context, it is a unique blessing which provides life-saving and life-giving moisture to protect against the scorching hot winds during a time of drought. I can even remember my grandfather alluding to this during some extremely dry times; a good dew is as good as a gentle rain.

Fifth, there comes a picture of how God’s grace provides beauty and stability. Hosea shows this beauty by using the lily, symbolizing the newfound purity. Now a lily is not very strong or stable, so Hosea moves on to something that is much stronger.

That is, the firm, deeply rooted cedars of Lebanon. For Israel, who had been uprooted, because of their wickedness, this was indeed a pleasant thought.

True Repentance Bears Fruit. - 14:6-7

Hosea 14:6–7 NASB95

His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. Those who live in his shadow Will again raise grain, And they will blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Adultery, whether it be spiritual or physical, produces bitter fruit. However, when repentance occurs, there are beautiful fruits. In these verses, God pictures Israel as a tree or vine which bears fruit. However, this can only happen when Israel turns away from the idols and returns to the Lord. Let’s look at some of these fruits.

New life is shown where there are sprouts on the shoots. In other words, God is going to once again enable their population to increase.

Then the new life is shown where the olive tree becomes useful once again. When genuine repentance occurs, usefulness becomes part of the fruit. Israel would be respected and appreciated by other nations. There would be a sense of lasting beauty and glory. No longer would Israel be a stench in the nostrils of others, but would be a pleasing aroma and fragrance.

People within the nation of Israel would prosper. Israel would be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.

True Repentance Brings God’s Care. - 14:8

Hosea 14:8 NASB95

O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; From Me comes your fruit.

All of the disciplinary action listed in chapters 2-13 was absolutely necessary because of Israel’s unfaithfulness. God is stating that since He will have nothing to do with idols, then Israel should have nothing more to do with idols. Now that true repentance has taken place, God promises to protect and listen to His people. God reminds Israel that every blessing they receive comes from Him.

Reflections - 14:9

Hosea 14:9 NASB95

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them.

Hosea appeals to all who are listening to not only understand the intellectual facts about His prophecy, but also to understand how that knowledge can apply to daily living.

Quite simply, God’s ways are perfectly right and straight. Israel and all who practice evil were and are following crooked ways. This is to be no longer for a repentant people; whether it be Israel, or you and I. How do we know God’s ways? By reading and obeying the Word of God, the Bible. We are to walk in God’s ways.

Sadly, those who refuse to repent and follow after the Lord choose to go down the path where they stumble and fall. As a result, they will not experience God’s grace and mercy.

Folks, I am so thankful that God doesn’t treat us as we deserve. His love which surpasses all my understanding continues on towards me in spite of my many failures and shortcomings. God’s love endures.

In terms of success by looking at results, Hosea had a failure of a ministry. Those all around Hosea did not walk in paths of righteousness as he preached, but chose, on their own, to go into captivity. I’m thankful that God’s standard is not success, but rather faithfulness. Let’s take a bit of time to look at just a few passages that remind us of this.

Numbers 12:7 NASB95

“Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household;

1 Samuel 2:35 NASB95

‘But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.

Nehemiah 9:8 NASB95

“You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give him the land of the Canaanite, Of the Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite— To give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, For You are righteous.

Jeremiah 23:28 NASB95

“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord.

On this basis, there was none who lived more according to God’s standard than Hosea. Hosea went through torture within his own family, as well as the people to whom he was sent to minister. I am so grateful to Hosea for revealing to us God’s character.

I am so encouraged that when a person or a people have wandered away from the Lord, or have backslidden, there is always the opportunity to return to the Lord. What a blessing to experience God’s forgiveness and to be able to be used by the Lord for His glory.

We are able to realize that the sovereignty, holiness, justice and love of God all work together to bring to completion the final triumph of God’s grace.

May all of this motivate us to diligently seek to understand and apply the message of the Lord to our hearts.