The Bible

 

Hosea 11

Study

   

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

2 The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them: they sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

3 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk; I took them on my arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as they that lift up the yoke on their jaws; and I laid food before them.

5 They shall not return into the land of Egypt; but the Assyrian shall be their king, because they refused to return [to me].

6 And the sword shall fall upon their cities, and shall consume their bars, and devour [them], because of their own counsels.

7 And my people are bent on backsliding from me: though they call them to [him that is] on high, none at all will exalt [him].

8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? [how] shall I cast thee off, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? [how] shall I set thee as Zeboiim? my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.

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 come in wrath.

10 They shall walk after Jehovah, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children shall come trembling from the west.

11 They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will make them to dwell in their houses, saith Jehovah.

12 Ephraim compasseth me about with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Holy One.

   

Commentary

 

Heart

  
by Caleb Kerr

The heart means love. A good heart means love to the Lord and to the neighbor, while a hard or stony heart means the love of self or the world -- riches and things. When the psalmist asks the Lord to search his heart, he wants the Lord to see what it is that he loves. And we are what we love. What we eat may form our earthly body, but it's only temporary, what we love forms our spiritual body, beautiful or ugly as we have chosen. It's interesting to note that the first multi-cellular motion of our embryo is the pulsating that starts in a twist of blood vessel that is to become our heart, and the last motion of our natural body is our heartbeat. It is there for all of our natural life. And of course there is a beating heart in our spiritual bodies when we come to put them on.