He Will Come To Us Like the Rain

Hosea exhorts the people of Israel to return to the Lord, to repent! God has brought punishment upon Israel for the purpose of their redemption. He has torn and stricken them! But He has done all of this for His own redemptive purpose in Israel! His desire is to heal them and bind them up! But in order for this to happen they must return to the Lord. Because both Judah and Ephraim willingly walked in disobedience to the Lord He became to them like a moth, like rottenness. Both slowly and silently destroy from within. God responds to disobedience with mild chastisements to draw a sinner to Himself. He is longsuffering and leaves a long time for repentance. But Israel turned instead to Assyria for healing and God came with heavy chastisement. He became like a lion and like a young lion to them. He tore them and took them away until they acknowledged their offense, sought His face, and earnestly sought Him. Then and only then would He revive them and raise them up to live in His sight! God can undo all the damage that judgment has done in a moment. Hosea exhorts the people to pursue knowledge of the Lord. The ways of the Lord are established like the morning. He is firm, fixed, certain, and established. He is faithful to send the latter and the former rain! He provides all we need for salvation! And as we seek Him He will pour upon us all that we need! God provides all grace necessary for salvation, He looks to us to respond by faith. The prophet exhorts Israel to not have faithfulness like a morning cloud or early dew. God desires love and faithfulness and not sacrifice! He desires that we know Him more than any burnt offerings. Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord!

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