The Lord's Love for Israel
They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. Hos. 11:10
They shall walk... In the day of national restoration Israel will follow the Lord, who will lead the people back to their homes. His lion-like roar, often associated with judgment and destruction (cf. Hos. 5:14; 13:7; Amos 1:2; 3:8), will become a summons to return from exile.
he shall roar... Though the Lord would, as a lion, roar against Israel in judgment (Amos 1:2), He would also roar for the purpose of calling, protecting, and blessing (Joel 3:16).
from the west... Returnees from Assyrian and Babylonian captivities were from the east. This undoubtedly has reference to His return at the Second Advent to set up the millennial kingdom (Isa. 11:11-12), when He calls Israel from their worldwide dispersion and reverses the judgment (of 9:17).
then the children... The lion is a mighty powerful animal that sounds fearful when it roars. The fear of the LORD causes them to tremble. Ephraim will return to the LORD and walk in His ways. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
The people will again demonstrate a healthy respect for the Lord; they will come trembling (cf. Hos. 3:5 for a similar idea), as an earlier generation did when God appeared in theophanic might at Mount Sinai (cf. Exo. 19:16, where the same Heb. word is used).
0 comments:
Post a Comment