Book of Hosea Chapter 11 Vs. 5

 The Lord's Love for Israel

He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. Hos. 11:5

He shall not... The 14th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 11:5-6, fulfilled). Next, Hos. 11:9. Return in the sense of making alliances with, trusting in, and submitting to the Egyptians. They never did go back to Egypt as a nation; only a very small group went back after the fall of Jerusalem, and these were cursed for doing so (Jeremiah 43-44). (See 8:13).

Three Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. He will not return to the land of Egypt (Hos. 11:5).

2. The Assyrian will be his king.

3. The sword will abide on his cities, and consume his branches (Hos. 11:6)

but the Assyrian... The Assyrians did defeat and take Ephraim into captivity (2Kgs. 17:1-41).

We see that God has finally had enough of their unfaithfulness. God has stopped protecting them. They will not go back into Egypt where He found them, but their captivity will be even worse in Assyria. They refused to repent and return to God, so God has given them over to be punished but by the Assyrians.

But we cannot be loved by God and left where we are. Beyond the grace there lie the long discipline and destiny. We are called from servitude to freedom, from the world of God-each of us to run a course, and do a work, which can be done by no one else. That Israel did not perceive this was God’s sore sorrow with them.

The more I called to them the farther they went from Me.

Astonishingly Israel had responded to the Lord’s kindness with ingratitude (cf. Hos. 11:2, 11:3). Even when the Lord called her to repentance through His prophets they refused to repent (cf. Hos. 11:7). Therefore inescapable judgment would fall in the form of military defeat and exile (Hos. 11:5, 11:6). Once again Egypt is named as a symbol of slavery and exile (cf. Hos. 8:13; 9:3, 9:6).