Hosea 8-14

One verse in particular stands out from these chapters of Hosea, Hosea 11:1. The reason it stands our for me, and it might sound familiar to you, is that it sounds a lot like a reference in the Christmas story (Matthew 2:15). But if we read the words of Hosea, it isn’t readily apparent that this is a prophecy about the early life of Jesus. In fact, it seems much more likely that Hosea is referring back to the events of the Exodus, where God brought Israel out of Egypt.

But these two interpretations aren’t nearly as far removed from one another as we might think. A cool theological concept is the idea that Jesus is Israel reduced to one man. That Jesus accepts the entirety of the covenant God makes with Israel and fulfills it perfectly on behalf of all who believe in Him. For my fellow Lord of the Rings fans out there, it’s reminiscent of Gandalf coming back as Gandalf the White and saying “Indeed, I am Saruman, one might almost say, Saruman as he should have been.” (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002) With that idea in mind, many of the events of the Old Testament find expression in the life and ministry of Christ. So this verse in Hosea 11 that says “out of Egypt I called my son,” can certainly refer back to the Exodus and forward to God’s delivery of Jesus out of the hands of Herod.

Today’s B.I.B.L.E. Takeaways:

Blessings from God

God has been working throughout history to bring salvation into the world.

Instructions for Us

I don’t know if there are any real action steps for us to take from these verses.

Biblical Connections

Hosea 11:1 is quoted in Matthew 2:15, showing some of the depth of the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

Laborious Understandings

Nothing in these verses strikes me as particularly difficult to deal with.

Enjoyable Passages

None of these verses stand out to me as particular favorites and putting any of them on a wall would probably require thinking of them out of context.

Topics to Pray About:

• Thank God for His plan for salvation
• Confess to God the times that you haven’t looked deeper into His Word
• Ask for God to open your eyes to the lessons He’s trying to teach you

In His Service,

J. LeBorious