TAKE WITH YOU WORDS

Under the powerful imagery of taking to himself ‘a wife of whoredoms’, 1. 2, Hosea has dramatized the wickedness of Israel in their departure from God.

Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was a covenant in which he had shown her loyal love, but she failed to show the same faithfulness in return. Thus had God betrothed Israel to Himself by covenant, and shown them love, but they had prostituted and rejected His love. God had pleaded with them in mercy, ‘How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?’, 11. 8. But with God’s pleadings came His threatening; if sin is not repented of, then judgement must follow, ‘For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind’, 8. 7.

Our reading today brings us to the pinnacle revelation of God’s love for His sinful people. In light of the fearful judgements of Jehovah, the prophet pleads, ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity’. Using Israel as an example, 1 Cor. 10. 6, we can discern abiding principles for every age of God’s dealings with His people. Here is the way back from spiritual backsliding, and the assurance that God, in His pitying love toward us today, is the same as ever He was toward Israel in the days of Hosea.

‘Take with you words’.

1. A confession of sin. The words to take are words of contrition as did David, ‘a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise’, Ps. 51. 17.
2. A desire for holiness. ‘Take away all iniquity’. The way back into the divine favour is to have all iniquity confessed and forsaken.
3. A sincere consecration. ‘Receive us graciously’ (lit. ‘receive good’). The very ‘good’ received in God’s pardoning grace is devoted now in willing service back to Him. A pardoning God is willing to receive the backslider into useful service once more.
4. A renewed worship. ‘So will we render the calves of our lips’. As formerly the offeror came with sacrificial calves, our lips should now present the sacrifice of praise to God, Heb. 13. 15. ‘Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, Who like thee His praise should sing?’, H. F. LYTE. Then the response of Jehovah falls like balm on the backslider’s heart, ‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away’, v. 4.