Israel Loved as a Child - Hosea 11:1

In the book of Hosea, Hosea said to Israel, “You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped iniquity; you have eaten the fruit of lies: because you did trust in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off”, and in chapter eleven and verse one of Hosea, Hosea shared how Jehovah God said,“when Israel was a child, then I loved him” where we read,

When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

The verse begins, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, ...” Hosea began with the words, “when Israel” or “at the time and moment Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “was a child” which means “existed as a youth, lad or boy”, “then I loved him” or “at that time I, Jehovah God, had a strong affection and appetite for him, Israel”. Hosea shared how Jehovah God was strongly affectionate for the nation of “Israel” at the time they were young. 

The verse goes on to say, “... and called my son out of Egypt.” Hosea continued with the words, “and called my son” or “and proclaimed, uttered with a loud sound and cried for my, Jehovah God's, male offspring and progeny” “out of Egypt”which means “from Egypt whose name means land of the Copts and is a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”. Hosea shared how Jehovah God cried out for His male offspring from “Egypt”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Hosea not only how Jehovah God had a strong affection toward the nation of “Israel”, and He cried out for His “Son” from “Egypt”. God called His Son Jesus “out of Egypt”(See Exodus 4:22; Matthew 2:15) when He was a small child. God knew in advance that He would send His Son Jesus into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when His death was threatened by Herod, God sent His earthly parents and Him to “Egypt”. Jesus was preserved by God for our salvation, and when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and show us over and over again how His preparation for our salvation was prophesied well in advance of implementing His plan. 

Next time Hosea shares how Jehovah God says, “as they called them, so they went from them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".