Hosea 14:4

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I WILL HEAL THEIR BACKSLIDING, I WILL LOVE THEM FREELY - God's gracious reply to their self-condemning prayer. BACKSLIDING - apostasy; not merely occasional backslidings. God can heal the most desperate sinfulness (Calvin). FREELY - with a gratuitous, unmerited, and abundant love (Ezekiel 16:60-26). So as to the spiritual Israel (John 15:16; Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely (literally, gratuitously) by His grace;" Romans 5:8;...

God here confirms what we have observed respecting his gratuitous reconciliation, nor is the repetition useless; for as men are disposed to entertain vain and false hopes, so nothing is more difficult than to preserve them in dependence on the one God, and to pacify their minds, so that they disturb not nor fret themselves, as experience teaches us all. For when we embrace the promises of free pardon, our flesh ever leads us to distrust, and we become harassed by various fancies. “What! can you or dare you promise with certainty to yourself that God will be propitious to you, when you know that for many reasons he is justly angry with you?” Since, then, we are so inclined to harbour distrust, the Prophet again confirms the truth which we have before noticed, which is, that God is ready to be reconciled, and that he desires nothing more than to receive and embrace his people. Hence he say...

4-8 Israel seeks God's face, and they shall not seek it in vain. His anger is turned from them. Whom God loves, he loves freely; not because they deserve it, but of his own good pleasure. God will be to them all they need. The graces of the Spirit are the hidden manna, hidden in the dew; the grace thus freely bestowed on them shall not be in vain. They shall grow upward, and be more flourishing; shall grow as the lily. The lily, when come to its height, is a lovely flower, Matthew 6:28; Matthew 6:29. They shall grow downward, and be more firm. With the flower of the lily shall be the strong root of the cedar of Lebanon. Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root, which is out of sight. They shall also spread as the vine, whose branches extend very widely. When believers abound in good works, then thei...

Verse Hosea 14:4. _I WILL HEAL THEIR BACKSLIDING_] Here is the _answer_ of God to these prayers and resolutions. See its parts: - 1. Ye have backslidden and fallen, and are grievously and mortally wounded by that fall; but I, who am the Author of life, and who redeem from death, will _heal_ all these wounds and spiritual diseases. 2. _I will love them freely _- נדבה nedabah, after a _liberal,_ _princely_ manner. I will love them so as to do them incessant good. It shall not be a love of _affection_ merely, but shall be a _beneficial love_. A love that not only _feels delight in itself_, but fills them with _delight_ who are its objects, by making them unutterably and supremely happy. 3. _For mine anger is turned away from him _- Because he has turned back to me. Thus God and man become fr

I WILL HEAL THEIR BACKSLIDING - God, in answer, promises to “heal” that wound of their souls, from where every other evil came, their fickleness and unsteadfastness. Hitherto, this had been the characteristic of Israel. “Within a while they forgat His works, and would not abide His counsels” Psalms 106:13. “They forgat what He had done. Their heart was not whole with Him; neither continued they steadfast in His covenant. They turned back and tempted God. They kept not His testimonies, but turned back and fell way like their forefathers, starting aside like a broken bow” Psalms 78:12, Psalms 78:37, Psalms 78:42

EXPOSITION HOSEA 14:1 The foregoing part of this book abounds with denunciations of punishment; this closing chapter superabounds with promises of pardon. Wave after wave of threatened wrath had rolled over Israel and come in unto their soul; now offer after offer of grace is made to them. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God. The invitation to return implies previous departure, or distance, or wandering from God. The return to which they are invited is expressed, not by אֶל, to or towards, but by ער, quite up to, or as far as right home; the penitent, therefore, is not merely to turn his mind or his face toward God, but to turn his face and his feet home to God; he is not to go half the way and then turn aside, or part of the way and then turn back, but the whole way; in other words, his repentance is to be complete and entire, wanting nothing, according

I WILL HEAL THEIR BACKSLIDINGS,.... This and what follows is the Lord's answer to the above prayer; and this clause particularly is an answer to that petition, "take away all iniquity", Hosea 14:2; sins are diseases, natural and hereditary, nauseous and loathsome, mortal, and incurable but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ; backslidings are relapses, which are dangerous things; Christ is the only Physician, who heals all the diseases of sin, and these relapses also; he will do it, he has promised it, and never turns away any that apply to him for it; and which he does by a fresh application of his blood, whereby he takes away sin, heals the conscience wounded with it, and restores peace and comfort; which is a great encouragement to take words, and return unto him; see Hosea 6:1; I will love them

According to the heading of this chapter, we have here «an exhortation to repentance,» and «a promise of God's blessing.» Hosea 14:1. _O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity._ Fallen into sorrow, fallen into shame, fallen into spiritual poverty, fallen into weakness of faith, fallen almost to destruction, though thou art Israel, and God loves thee, yet «thou hast fallen by thine iniquity;» and the only possible way in which thou canst obtain restoration, is to «return unto the Lord thy God.» Seek once again thy Father's face; cry, with the prodigal «I will arise, and go to my Father.» «O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God.» Thou mayest do so, for he bids thee come back to him. Thou should do so, for it was ill of thee to wander from him; so end thy wandering, and return unto him. «Return unto the Lord thy God.» He is «thy God» stil

CHAPTER 14 The Return and the Glorious Redemption _ 1. The exhortation to return (Hosea 14:1) _ 2. The glorious redemption (Hosea 14:4) Hosea 14:1. This chapter is a wonderful finale to the messages of Hosea. What tender entreaties! What gracious assurance! What glorious promises of a future redemption! it is Jehovah beseeching His people, those who had forsaken Him, outraged His character of holiness and who had despised Him. First is the call to return. God's hands are tied as long as His people stay away from Him and do not return to Him in true repentance. No true salvation and deliverance for His people is possible without a true heart return unto Him. It is this for which He looks and waits....

HOSEA 14:1 (Heb. Hosea 14:2). ISRAEL'S REPENTANCE AND YAHWEH'S FORGIVENESS. The section begins with a passionate appeal to Israel to repent and confess his sin (Hosea 14:1 f.). A promise of amendment (spoken by Israel) follows he will no longer put his trust in foreign alliances and idols (Hosea 14:3). Yahweh now assures Israel of forgiveness; His anger is turned away, and the regenerated people shall blossom as the lily (Hosea 14:4). Ephraim repeats his renunciation of idols, and Yahweh answers graciously, the dialogue being continued ...