Hosea 14:5

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL - "the dew," which falls copiously in the East, supplying the place of the more frequent rains in other regions. God will not be "as the early dew that goeth away," but constant (Hosea 6:3; ; ). HE SHALL GROW AS THE LILY. No plant is more productive than the lily, one root often producing 50 bulbs (Pliny, 'Natural History,' 21: 5). The common lily is white, consisting of six leaves, opening like bells. The royal lily grows to the height of three or four feet; alludes to the beauty...

The Prophet now again repeats what he had said, that God, after restoring the people to favour, would be so beneficent, as to render apparent the fruit of reconciliation. Seeing that the Israelites had been afflicted, they ought to have imputed this to their own sins, they ought to have perceived by such proofs, the wrath of God. They had been so stupid as to have on the contrary imagined, that their adversities happened to them by chance. The Prophet had been much engaged in teaching this truth, that the Israelites would be ever miserable until they turned to God, and also, that all their affairs would be unhappy until they obtained pardon. He now speaks of a change, that God would not only by words show himself propitious to them, but would also give a proof by which the Israelites might know that they were now blessed, because they had been reconciled to God; for his blessing would be...

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 14:5. _I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL_] On these metaphors I gladly avail myself of the elegant and just observations of Bp. _Lowth_. "These verses (Hosea 14:5) contain gracious promises of God's favour and blessings upon Israel's conversion. In the _fifth_ verse, it is described by that refreshment which copious _dews_ give to the grass in summer. If we consider the nature of the climate, and the necessity of _dews_ in so hot a country, not only to refresh, but likewise to preserve life; if we consider also the beauty of the oriental _lilies_, the fragrance of the _cedars_ which grow upon Lebanon, the beauteous appearance which the spreading _olive trees_ afforded, the exhilarating coolness caused by the shade of such trees, and the _aromatic smell_ exha...

I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL - Before, He had said, “his spring shall become dry and his fountain shall be dried up” Hosea 13:15. Now again He enlarges the blessing; their supply shall be unfailing, for it shall be from God; yea, God Himself shall be that blessing; “I will be the dew; descending on the mown grass” Psalms 72:6, to quicken and refresh it; descending, Himself, into the dried and parched and sere hearts of men, as He saith, “We will come unto him and make Our abode in him” John 14:23. The grace of God, like the dew, is not given once for all, but is, day by day, waited for, and, day by day, renewed. Yet doth it not pass away, like the fitful goodness...

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 BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL,.... To spiritual Israel, to those that return to the Lord, take with them words, and pray unto him, whose backslidings are healed, and they are freely loved; otherwise it is said of apostate Israel or Ephraim, that they were "smitten, [and] their root dried up, [and bore] no fruit", Hosea 9:16. These words, and the whole, context, respect future times, as Kimchi observes; even the conversion of Israel in the latter day, when they shall partake of all the blessings of grace, signified by the metaphors used in this and the following verses. These words are a continuation of the answer to the petitions put into the mouths of converted ones, promising them many favours, expressed in figurative terms; and first by "the dew", which comes from heaven, is a great blessing of God, and is quickening, very refreshing and fruitful to the earth: and the Lord is that...

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 ...