How Shall I Give Thee Up ... My Heart Is Turned Within Me

1. Introductory

Hosea 11 is probably one of the most touching

melodious descriptions of this kind of love in the Bible,

but not of any love,

Divine love,

love that God has for you and me

Hosea 11 is a declaration of love;

such as a parent for his child,

as a betrohed for his intended,

as a husband for his wife,

love,

Biblical love,

true love,

and how wonderful isn’t it to hear about love

and about God’s love,

in a world that is suffering from a lack of love,

a loveless world,

2. Man rejects God’s love

2.1 It starts with rejection

But when we talk about God’s love, it is impossible not to start

with the opposite of love,

namely rejection,

without an understanding of what rejection is, one will never understand

love,

in any case not God’s love,

“Rejection”!!!

You know what it is,

you know it,

it is throwing away,

it is shoving aside,

it is not having anything to do with someone,

you turn your back,

you distance yourself,

rejection!!!

Is probably the essential sin of man, is that he rejects,

man rejects his children,

man rejects his parents,

man rejects his husband,

man rejects his wife, then, certainly the worst of all, man rejects God!!!

2.2 God’s people reject Him

this is what the first four verses of Hosea 11 tell us,

Israel rejected God,

we read in verse 2 that it is written:

“As they called them, so they went, went from them; they sacrificed

unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.”

reject,

the people of Israel “rejected” God, it reads,

it is actually what rejection is, to leave,

to leave,

it is throwing away

it is pushing aside,

it is having nothing to do with someone,

you turn your back,

you ignore,

in verse 3 God says that they did not want to “recognise” Him

any more,

recognise means that they no longer wanted to “know” Him,

rejection!!.

2.3 Go and seek love with the god of love

It is so ironical,

that in the rejection of God,

in the rejection of the true God

it is reached out to a god,

another god,

the false god Baal is mentioned in verse 2,

and do you know who is the god of Baal?

it was the false god of love,

touching, that man rejects the true God of love,

to reach out to the false god of love,

and they bring him sacrifices,

and they bow before Baal, and plead for his love,

you are then the god of love Baal,

give it to us,

we need your love so much,

and the sacrifices to the god of love emerge

one after the other,

we love you, Baal,

and God who truly loves them,

the God, who taught them to walk,

the God who carried them in his arms (v.3): they reject Him,

the God of love who led then with care and love,

the God of love who lifted the yoke off their jaws (v.4): they reject

Him,

and they go and seek their god of love, Baal,

how does man understand this?

How can man understand this,

to exchange true love for false love,

what is wrong with Israel?,

you are then God’s beloved son?,

come back!

convert yourselves!,

Abandom Baal,

it’s false,

but God’s people did not want to (v.5),

3. God rejects those who reject Him

3.1 What does God do?

What now?

what is God’s reaction to this rejection?

simple: rejection!

Man’s rejection of God leads to God’s rejection of man,

when we read in Hosea 9:17 that it is written:

and God’s rejection leads to nothing but death,

God is a jealous God (Ex 20)

you know that love is a strong emotion,

but definitely far more

is the anger that develops because love is being rejected,

in verses 5 to 6 we read about this anger,

God’s anger!,

We read that the people are immersed in war,

they are “devastated”,

“exterminated”,

“consumed”,

they are being “hanged”????????? ?????????????? ??? ???? ?????????????? ??? ???????????????? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ??????????? ?????????????? ? ?????? ?? ????? ????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ??????????????? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????????????? ??? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???????????????????????????? ? ???????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ??????????????? ???? ?? ??? ??????????????? ??????? ?? ???????????? ?? ????? ?? ??????????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??????????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?????????????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ??????????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???????????????? ??? ????? ??? ?????????????? ????????? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???????????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ????? ?? ???????????? ??????????? ?? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ???????????? ????????? ????? ? ?????????????? ???? ????? ? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ? ??????? ?????????????? ??? ????? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ????????????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??????????????????????????????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???????????????? ???????????? ??? ??? ? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ?????????????? ????? ??? ?????????????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ??????????? ??????????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ???? ?? ????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????????? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??????????? ????? ???? ???????????? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?????????????? ???? ????? ? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ? ??????? ?????????????? ??? ????? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ????????????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ??????? ?????????????????? ????? ??????? ?? ? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ?????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????? ????????????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????????????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ??????????? ???? ?? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?????????????????????????????? ??? ????? ????? ??????????? ??????????? ?? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???????????????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???????????????????????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ????????? ???? ???????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????????????????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ???????????? ??? ?? ????????????? ???? ?? ? ????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ??????????? ??????????? ???? ????????????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????????????????????????? ???? ???????????? ????????? ?? ??????????????????? ?? ??????????????? ?? ????????????? ?? ???????????? ??? ?? ????????????? ??????????? ?????? ?? Hosea were in the Assyrian exile,