The Book of Hosea – Part 11, Hos 11:1-12

[Study Aired June 22, 2024]

The Lord’s Love for Israel

In the previous Study, Part 10, our Lord blessed us to see that His endless hammering us to powder, particularly in the Old Covenant, for being a troupe of self-styled ‘shady ladies’, most bitingly termed “whores”, is to jolt us into not contesting that innate nature, but rather, acknowledge the condition. Revelation 18:7, in particular, is one of many prominent cases of denying that we are a lineage of harlots:

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 
Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon [WITHIN] the great is fallen, is fallen [Falling], and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Babylon within does figuratively fall in one hour when we receive the mighty earthquake of understanding that all we have learned in Babylonian Christianity was perverted with lies by our ‘first father, the Devil’ and his ‘pimping’ us as harlots sold into his service! However, from that earth-shattering spiritual realisation, it takes a Christ-designated timeframe unique to the individual He chooses and tells to “come out of her, my people”, be it an indeterminate six minutes or sixty years before spiritual eyesight is given.

Rev 18:3  For all nations [nations within the individual] have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies [1. excessive strength which longs to break forth, over strength 2. luxury 3. eager desire. 1. strong, firm, immovable, solid, hard, rigid a. in a bad sense, cruel, stiff, stubborn, hard b. in a good sense, firm, steadfast. Meat ~ that all signifies incredibly stubborn pride and confidence in man’s works.]

There it is! In knowing that a woman represents a church, and since all nations past and present have drunk her mixed wine of infidelity, we individually are a harlot within the harlotry of one woman ~ in fact, 40,000 plus harlot churches of the world collectively called ‘the Great Whore’ (Rev 17:1-18). All men and women are intrigued by women’s natural seductiveness. If we dwell lustfully upon the enchantress spiritually, we become spiritual fornicators and adulterers. Early teen women quickly get the idea that if they flaunt their highly seductive “delicacies”, they will receive a flood of social likes that stroke their vanity; so, too, do the harlot churches of the world bewitch the laity with lies.  

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people[yes, greater Israel “come out”, but most eminently the Lord’s very “little flock”, his embryonic Bride to go before her sisters who go back to Babylon], that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

The “her” in verse six has subtly shifted to meaning the incipient Bride of Christ, first to be chastised for her harlotries, compared to Babylonian Christianity’s and the world’s time for judgment in the Resurrection to Judgment. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

The name “Second Resurrection” doesn’t exist in scripture. With impenitent harlots not being included in the First Resurrection, the second group’s time for judgment is too late for them to understand and is indirectly referred to as the ‘Second Resurrection.’ The fact that there is a “second death” denotes a Second Resurrection. The “second death” is the spiritual death of the old man of every person since Adam, not in the First Resurrection, and his process of becoming alive in Christ through the Lake of Fire. Christ’s Elect are being spiritually resurrected now, today, through fiery trials to test their faith, but it is not the Lake of Fire reserved for Satan and his ‘angels’ of inveterate harlots!

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

If we continue to follow His truth, we will take part in the First Resurrection. Gentile Christians erroneously believe that they are currently saved and will go straight to “heaven” when Christ returns. However, they do not understand that there are two resurrections and that they, now in unfinished spirit bodies, must confront the utterly misunderstood Lake of Fire, which consumes all their spiritual falsehoods (Rev 20:12-14).

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Rev 18:7  How much she [the Lord’s very Elect; all in the Aorist tense] hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously [G4763 1. to be wanton, to live luxuriously. From G4764 – 1. excessive strength which longs to break forth, over strength 2. luxury 3. Eager (unrighteous) desire], so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one [her day of judgment and stark realisation] day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

However, according to Hosea’s prophecies, our Lord is not done physically judging Old Israel, even though He is beginning to infer the realities of love and not oblivion since we shall shortly see that He covertly had “healed them”. Paradoxically, when life is good and the wrath of God seems distant, they revert to luxuriating in the fornication delicacies and haughty pride of being the ‘chosen’ ones. Hence, her judgment will come “in one day.”

The Significations:

The Lord’s Love for Israel

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. 
Hos 11:3  I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. 
Hos 11:4  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. 

As parents, we take joy in our children and teach them to be respectful and honour us, even as they are spiritually transforming from a figurative Egypt, becoming more and more like Christ, mirroring the example we set for them.

The Lord’s grand plan in “the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev 3:14) via carnal corruptible flesh is for us to be His “children.” Even as young adults, Adam and Eve were His children. So, Israel, foreshadowing us, all began as children learning the commandments first physically and subsequently spiritually in the progression to maturity. We all, as children, as was physical Israel, had bits and reins in our jaws to guide us (“drew them with cords” verse 4) where we didn’t want to go and leave the milk and honey doctrines behind and eventually mature as doctrinal meat eaters of Christ’s spirit.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans [We, as “children”!] write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Joh 10:34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? [God in the making; His beginning of creating us as He is – God, under his order of headship, the Father, Christ, Christ’s Bride and the world of ‘children’]

Ephraim, depicted as our children today inclusive of the world without Christ’s commands, are sacrificing to false gods and indulging in sexual passions as harlots, which blinds their relationship with their parents and with Christ.

Since creation, the entire world without knowledge of the King of Kings is “without excuse”(see verse below) in knowing from personal experience and historically that a highly stable society and nation stems from its foundation of heterosexual monogamy and good conscience for every adulterous thought and action. Just as Joseph Daniel (J.D.) Unwin (1995-1936), an Oxford University social anthropologist, discovered in his research on 80 primitive tribes and six civilisations that societies that practised heterosexual monogamy were far more successful. (“Sex and Culture”). Unwin’s research, quite likely unconsciously, is backed up by these verses:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness [meaning upon ALL nations regardless of them knowing THE God]; 
Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened [How? By knowing in their hearts what was foundationally family, tribe and nation building!].
Rom 1:22  [Thus, and for this study’s cause, Israel and we as children forming our own ideologies outside of God’s word…] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man [IN MAN’S IMAGE, sitting on the throne of God in the Temple of God that we are, effectively stating that WE ARE GOD], and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies [Sexually representing the fornicating spiritual] between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature [Himself; the Beast sitting in the Temple of God] more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 
Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections [Sexual perversions that directly portray a spiritual element]: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature [bestiality – fornicating spiritually with the 40,000 + beasts in gentile Christian churches. Polygamy is not against nature in the wild, but a calculated union with the same gender is against nature. However, all fornication is utterly against the ‘natural’ order of God’s innate spiritual “nature”]: 
Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men [The alleged leaders of the home], leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 
Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [Why? Because they are carnal, corruptible flesh not finding it convenient without the holy spirit to be subject to God];
Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 
Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors [manipulating the truth] of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 
Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Israel, and most outstandingly, we in our time, ‘Knew not that Christ was healing us’ (Hos 11:3) through endless trials and bewildering tribulations before He dragged us out of Babylon. 

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 
Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? 
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 
Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh [Isreal and earthly fathers] which corrected us [And directly for this study and Hosea’s theme of whoredoms, Israel’s resisting of chastisements for our intent reflection], and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Hos 11:5  He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. 

In verse 3, Israel was vaguely aware that their Lord was in the process of healing them through chastisements. Even though Egypt, Sodom, Old Jerusalem, and Assyria collectively represent the epitomised filth of Babylon, they are collectively represented as Babylon. Israel’s not returning to the land of Egypt subtly represents the Elect of God’s progression of spiritually going geographically northward to Assyria to come into Babylon and eventually exiting her, spiritually following the cross (Rev 18:4).

Israel’s ‘refusing to return’ to Egypt is her rejection of her Lord’s chastisements to do her first works of repentance, just as it spiritually is for us. Verse 5 of Hosea 11 reflects back to verse 2 and Israel’s unrepentant heart for continuing to sacrifice to Baalim. If you look up the Net for images of Baal, he classically has his right arm raised, even holding a hammer and chisel to hammer, depicting for us our self-styled image of god, sitting on the King of King’s throne, announcing that we are god by our design! (Rev 13:11-18)

Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 
Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 
Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 
Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Of course, God’s very small little flock is delighted to receive the fiery sword of Christ’s spiritual mouth representing His every commandment.

Hos 11:6  And the sword shall abide on his cities [man’s self-styled Baalim-like ideologies and doctrines within] and shall consume his branches [Again, self-styled off-shoots twisting God’s truth], and devour them, because of their own counsels.
Hos 11:7  And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
Hos 11:8  How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

Admah means ‘red earth’, the dust of the ground of which we are made and Zeboim ‘gazelles’ and cities of the plains around Sodom. The association of the two names can portray God’s frustration with our gazelle-like speediness to return to our foundation of dust and decay rather than move forward to the spiritual glory Christ has in store for His Bride and mankind.

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

God certainly strives with mankind all the way to salvation, yet Genesis 6:3 illustrates the Lord’s deliberate delay in creating God in man as He works with Israel in the flesh for us to understand spiritually. Hence, the term of his “repentings are kindled together” features a designed delay in striving with man and for us, as Jesus on the cross expressed, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

What we do in our walk in and with Christ is what counts and backs up with our mouths what we say and profess as belief.

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. [Why? Because they are designed to reject Christ utterly and do not have his spirit to perform righteously]
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 

Hos 11:9  I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. 
Hos 11:10  They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. 

Since the cross, the only people given to genuinely “tremble” are Christ’s Elect. They immutably know that their sins will be utterly destroyed as Christ, the “rock”, falls on their city within. For the time being, outwardly with Ephraim, their time and order for salvation is in the Lake of Fire. Their intense ‘trembling’ in the Lake of Fire, meaning the Resurrection to Judgment, will finally lead to a glorious end.

Hos 11:11  They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? [Nobody, of course]

The two women representing the Great Whore and the Bride are the two “houses” in Hosea 8:11, just as they represent the ‘old man’ earthy Adam and the ‘new man’ Christ within and typified by the “two armies” seen in Son 6:13 meaning the Old and New Covenants.

Gen 25:21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 
Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 
Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. 

Rom 9:9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 
Rom 9:10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 
Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

Hos 11:12  Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints. 

No wonder today the ongoing Zionists believe that Jews in the flesh are the Lord’s “chosen people” and easily backed up by scripture ~ so it seems when they read that “Judah yet rules with God and is faithful with the saints”, meaning mainstream Christianity and later, the Elect of God. However, strong delusion pervades the non-spiritual mind since the sum of God’s word is truth with this verse that will eventually stop the roars from the counterfeit lion of Judah at Christ’s outward coming.

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

May the Lord hasten His coming ~ Amen.