God’s Love for Israel “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. ~Hosea 11:1
We see this type of word usage in the New Testament? Does this verse mean the same thing or have the same application here in the context of Hosea 11:1-4?
In verse 1 we see the precursor to the striking parallel in the New Testament. The infancy narrative in Matthew. We see Jesus her...and there.
"So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:14-15
In the context of 11:1-4 this passage it appears that God loved Israel but they rebelled against Him. Israel is being ungrateful to God for all the love He has shown them and all the things He has done to their benefit. It is a love that is like a Father’s love for His children. In sympathetic human language we see God described as closely as possible in anthropomorphistic terms to a human parent. When they are called to task by the prophets to come back to covenant obedience…the people reject Him and turn to Baal and burn incense to images. Recalling Israel’s past history, He brought them out of bondage in Egypt and made them His people among all the others. We see a paternal type of relationship here like a father to a son or a Father to a Son. Again we see a paternal “waiting for Ephraim to walk”, and the protective, “I who healed them” showing them affection akin to a loving human relationship, yet they apostatized and fell away from the One True God
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