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1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their 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 take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, and the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
Hos.11 (Old Testament)
7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings 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 enter into the city.
10 They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord.
12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.
Hos.11 (Old Testament)
Hosea 11: Outgrowing the Father-to-child relationship is bad.
Memory verse: Hosea 11:1-2 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals And burned incense to carved images.
When we mingle with the world we end up behaving like the world, and what should be reckoned of us as veritable believers is that we do His (God’s) will on earth as it is in Heaven [Matt. 6:10]. God was saying here that He loved Israel when they were a child, that was referring to the time when they were still in slavery in Egypt. God loved them because they were still naïve and oblivious to many things, then they haven’t intermingled with other people of strange cultures and beliefs.
God doesn’t want us to mingle with the world, because God knows how susceptible our hearts could be and how rapidly they could follow suit with the world’s beguiling pattern of life. The Israelites were loved by God, and God chose them to be His favorite out of His sovereign love – just the way He chooses us in this dispensation too [1 Pet. 2:9] – but, unfortunately, Israelites, after they grew up as a nation couldn’t reciprocate God's love on them back to Him, because they enamored other gods and committed spiritual adultery.
Outgrowing God's Father-to-child relationships can lead to a huge break between us and God. We’d seemingly experience something tantamount to that of the Israelites when we’re outgrowing God's Fatherto-child relationship – we’ll begin to chase after things that are not in line with God's precepts.
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