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Notes

2010-09-18 22:44:22

2014-07-25 12:30:13

Central Idea O Israel (and Judah), let us turn back to the Lord and seek to know him, for he is faithful and has gracious purposes behind his discipline! Words to treasure OR the speech of hypocrites? Commentators and students of Scripture are split on exactly how to read these three verses. Are they a sweet call coming from the lips of Hosea to his people toward repentance? Or are they the recorded sentiment of a presumptuous people who are merely playing the repentance card to get help? Let us examine the evidence for each. Those who argue for the latter would point out at least two things. (1) The talk of "after two days...on the third day" expresses an unrepentant overconfidence that the discipline of God will be short. (2) The continuation of the passage in vs4 speaks of the transient nature of the "love" of Israel and Judah, presumedly referring to the verses at hand. On the other hand, the position I am convinced by is that these are good words spoken (or sung) by Hosea as a plea to call the people to return to God. Evidence for this includes: (1) They are immediately proceeded by a promise that Israel will one day seek the Lord's face and thus function as a follow-up call toward that reality. (2) If we look a bit further down in the continuation of the passage, we notice that in light of God's criticism of Israel's transient "love" he says that he desires "knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Our passage speaks of seeking to know God, and says nothing of sacrifice. Thus, I conclude that these are in fact model words and a sweet call to Israel in Hosea's day (as well as to us) toward repentance, remembering nonetheless that any words--even the best words--can be used by a hypocritical heart and become an anathema to God. Confidence based in the character of God. One of the factors, as we have mentioned, that cause many to interpret these verses as hypocritical words is their confidence. Surely confidence of any sort in the hearts of a sinful people before a holy God must be presumption and sin?! Or perhaps not. The difference lies in the basis of the confidence. The speaker of these words places his confidence in three things. The Lord's ability to restore (that he is the one who has wounded them, but also the one who can heal). Cf. Deut 32:39 The faithfulness of the Lord to fulfill his promises (that he will one day bring great restoration after turning the people's hearts to seek his face). The eager mercy of the Lord (something found throughout Scripture behind all the calls to repentance and promises of restoration). Another example of faith-filled confidence like this is found in Luke 7:1-10 where a centurion sends people to Jesus to request the healing of his servant. It is striking to notice how great is the centurion's sense of unworthiness and yet how confident he is in Jesus' ability and likely willingness to fulfill his request. Where was his confidence founded? Like here, it is not founded completely in the greatness and mercy of God. This is a plea that pleases the Lord--the cry, "Help! According to your love, mercy and righteousness!" (Ps 25:7; 35:24; 51:1; 69:16; 109:26; 119:149). So let us too, because of God's mercy, because of Jesus, "draw near to the throne of grace with confidence , that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16) Raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. It is clear from 1Cor 15:3-5 and Luke 24:7 that the resurrection of Messiah on the third day fulfills Old Testament Scripture that said it must be so. What is not clear from those verses is which Old Testament passage or passages are being referred to. I believe our passage is one of at least three. The first (and most clear as it is used in this way in Matt 12:40) is the book of Jonah which tells of the prophet being thrown overboard at sea to his death as an appeasement of sin, only to be "buried" in a large fish that swallows him for three days and nights. Finally, the fish spits Jonah out on the beach and he is alive again. This story points to similar realities in Jesus. Hezekiah also acts as a type of Jesus. After becoming gravely sick and being given a sentence of imminent death by the Lord, he prays and the Lord answers that he needs to go to the house of God on the third day to receive a 15-year restoration of life. Thus, he is in a sense raised from the dead on the third day. (2Kings 20:1-7) In our passage, the people of Israel act as the type of Messiah. The Gospel of Matthew uses 11:1 to speak of Jesus fulfilling the reality of exodus from Egypt in similar fashion to the nation whom the Lord calls "my son." Likewise, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of these words as he is first "torn" and "struck " and even killed by the Lord (Is 53:10) because of sin (ours, not his), only to be "revived" (literally: "made alive" ) and "raised" on the third day. We first saw this reality of resurrection with regard to the people of Israel in 1:11 and we find it again here, looking on ahead most literally to the raising up from dead of the eternal head and firstborn of the nation. To where is the Lord going and coming? In vs3c-e we read an expression of certainty. As sure as the dawn and seasonal rains, so shall the Lord go out and come to us. Great! Go out and come from where? For what purpose? The first and simple answer from the immediate context is that he is returning to care for and shepherd his people after, like a lion, having torn them and gone away to his place (5:15). Thus, on one hand, this is simply an expression of restoration. Yet it also seems to hint at a little more. Particularly, it has the flavor of Micah 5:2 which speaks of the the future Ruler who will come forth from the Lord and whose coming forth is from of old. And surely this is the ultimate manner of restoration that the Lord will bring to his people--the sending forth of Messiah to save them and be their eternal Leader. Calling our hearts via song. A thoughtful look at the text of this passage will quickly reveal to the reader that it is poetic and likely even a song. Let that fact act as an encouragement to us. As Hosea sings to his people in calling for their return to the Lord, so let us too use song to stir up one another's hearts toward repentance and devotion to God founded upon his great mercy .

10000000050031 50031 Notes 2010-09-18 22:44:22 2014-07-25 12:30:13 Central Idea O Israel (and Judah), let us turn back to the Lord and seek to know him, for he is faithful and has gracious purposes behind his discipline! Words to treasure OR the speech of hypocrites? Commentators and students of Scripture are split on exactly how to read these three verses. Are they a sweet call coming from the lips of Hosea to his people toward repentance? Or are they the recorded sentiment of a presumptuous people who are merely playing the repentance card to get help? Let us examine the evidence for each. Those who argue for the latter would point out at least two things. (1) The talk of "after two days...on the third day" expresses an unrepentant overconfidence that the discipline of God will be short. (2) The continuation of the passage in vs4 speaks of the transient nature of the "love" of Israel and Judah, presumedly referring to the verses at hand. On the other hand, the position I am convinced by is that these are good words spoken (or sung) by Hosea as a plea to call the people to return to God. Evidence for this includes: (1) They are immediately proceeded by a promise that Israel will one day seek the Lord's face and thus function as a follow-up call toward that reality. (2) If we look a bit further down in the continuation of the passage, we notice that in light of God's criticism of Israel's transient "love" he says that he desires "knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Our passage speaks of seeking to know God, and says nothing of sacrifice. Thus, I conclude that these are in fact model words and a sweet call to Israel in Hosea's day (as well as to us) toward repentance, remembering nonetheless that any words--even the best words--can be used by a hypocritical heart and become an anathema to God. Confidence based in the character of God. One of the factors, as we have mentioned, that cause many to interpret these verses as hypocritical words is their confidence. Surely confidence of any sort in the hearts of a sinful people before a holy God must be presumption and sin?! Or perhaps not. The difference lies in the basis of the confidence. The speaker of these words places his confidence in three things. The Lord's ability to restore (that he is the one who has wounded them, but also the one who can heal). Cf. Deut 32:39 The faithfulness of the Lord to fulfill his promises (that he will one day bring great restoration after turning the people's hearts to seek his face). The eager mercy of the Lord (something found throughout Scripture behind all the calls to repentance and promises of restoration). Another example of faith-filled confidence like this is found in Luke 7:1-10 where a centurion sends people to Jesus to request the healing of his servant. It is striking to notice how great is the centurion's sense of unworthiness and yet how confident he is in Jesus' ability and likely willingness to fulfill his request. Where was his confidence founded? Like here, it is not founded completely in the greatness and mercy of God. This is a plea that pleases the Lord--the cry, "Help! According to your love, mercy and righteousness!" (Ps 25:7; 35:24; 51:1; 69:16; 109:26; 119:149). So let us too, because of God's mercy, because of Jesus, "draw near to the throne of grace with confidence , that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16) Raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. It is clear from 1Cor 15:3-5 and Luke 24:7 that the resurrection of Messiah on the third day fulfills Old Testament Scripture that said it must be so. What is not clear from those verses is which Old Testament passage or passages are being referred to. I believe our passage is one of at least three. The first (and most clear as it is used in this way in Matt 12:40) is the book of Jonah which tells of the prophet being thrown overboard at sea to his death as an appeasement of sin, only to be "buried" in a large fish that swallows him for three days and nights. Finally, the fish spits Jonah out on the beach and he is alive again. This story points to similar realities in Jesus. Hezekiah also acts as a type of Jesus. After becoming gravely sick and being given a sentence of imminent death by the Lord, he prays and the Lord answers that he needs to go to the house of God on the third day to receive a 15-year restoration of life. Thus, he is in a sense raised from the dead on the third day. (2Kings 20:1-7) In our passage, the people of Israel act as the type of Messiah. The Gospel of Matthew uses 11:1 to speak of Jesus fulfilling the reality of exodus from Egypt in similar fashion to the nation whom the Lord calls "my son." Likewise, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of these words as he is first "torn" and "struck " and even killed by the Lord (Is 53:10) because of sin (ours, not his), only to be "revived" (literally: "made alive" ) and "raised" on the third day. We first saw this reality of resurrection with regard to the people of Israel in 1:11 and we find it again here, looking on ahead most literally to the raising up from dead of the eternal head and firstborn of the nation. To where is the Lord going and coming? In vs3c-e we read an expression of certainty. As sure as the dawn and seasonal rains, so shall the Lord go out and come to us. Great! Go out and come from where? For what purpose? The first and simple answer from the immediate context is that he is returning to care for and shepherd his people after, like a lion, having torn them and gone away to his place (5:15). Thus, on one hand, this is simply an expression of restoration. Yet it also seems to hint at a little more. Particularly, it has the flavor of Micah 5:2 which speaks of the the future Ruler who will come forth from the Lord and whose coming forth is from of old. And surely this is the ultimate manner of restoration that the Lord will bring to his people--the sending forth of Messiah to save them and be their eternal Leader. Calling our hearts via song. A thoughtful look at the text of this passage will quickly reveal to the reader that it is poetic and likely even a song. Let that fact act as an encouragement to us. As Hosea sings to his people in calling for their return to the Lord, so let us too use song to stir up one another's hearts toward repentance and devotion to God founded upon his great mercy . notes