Hosea Chapter 14
A. Israel’s repentance and God’s response.
1. Hosea 14:1–3
“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD, say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips.
Asshur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods, for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.”
a. O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God.
The final chapter opens not with judgment, but with an invitation. After exposing Israel’s sin, rebellion, idolatry, and coming chastening, God still calls His people to return. The command assumes that restoration is possible. Israel’s fall was not accidental, but the result of iniquity. Yet in spite of their guilt, the door to repentance remains open. This reveals the heart of God, judgment is never His final desire, repentance and restoration are.
b. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD.
God does not call Israel to return with ritual, sacrifice, or political reform, but with words. Repentance must be expressed, confessed, and articulated. True repentance involves the mind and the will, not merely emotion. God desires intelligent worship and thoughtful confession. Silence before God is not enough. He commands His people to speak, to name their sin, and to appeal to His mercy.
This principle is reinforced throughout Scripture.
Romans 10:8–10
“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
God has always required that faith and repentance be confessed, not merely felt.
c. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.
Repentance begins with humility. Israel is taught to ask for total forgiveness, not partial relief. They appeal to grace, not merit. There is no bargaining here, no promise to improve first, only a plea for mercy. This is genuine repentance, recognizing that acceptance by God must be gracious or not at all.
d. So will we render the calves of our lips.
Literally, the phrase refers to offering calves, that is sacrificial animals, but with the lips. God teaches Israel that verbal worship, confession, praise, and thanksgiving are true sacrifices when offered from a repentant heart. This anticipates later biblical teaching.
Hebrews 13:15
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
Words spoken sincerely before God are not empty. They are offerings.
e. Asshur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses.
True repentance includes renunciation. Israel confesses that foreign alliances, military power, and human strength cannot save them. Assyria represents political solutions, horses represent military might. Both are explicitly rejected. Repentance is incomplete if we confess sin but continue trusting the same false saviors.
f. Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods.
Here Israel renounces idolatry directly. They confess the foolishness of worshiping what they themselves have made. This is a complete turning away from false worship, not merely a reduction of it.
g. For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
Repentance ends with a declaration of God’s character. Israel appeals to the compassion of God. The fatherless represent the most helpless members of society. Israel acknowledges that God is merciful to those who have no other refuge. In doing so, they place themselves among the helpless, casting themselves entirely upon God’s mercy.
2. Hosea 14:4–7
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.”
a. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.
God’s response to repentance is immediate and gracious. He does not say He will tolerate them, test them, or place them on probation. He promises healing and love. Backsliding is treated as a sickness, not merely a crime. God presents Himself as a physician, not merely a judge.
This language emphasizes several truths.
God’s compassion is certain. He says I will heal, not I may heal.
God’s compassion is free. He loves them freely, not because they deserve it.
God’s compassion is personal. He heals their backsliding, not backsliding in general.
God does not shame repentant sinners, He restores them.
b. For mine anger is turned away from him.
God’s wrath is not eternal toward His people. When repentance occurs, anger gives way to reconciliation. Discipline has achieved its purpose. Judgment does not have the final word.
c. I will be as the dew unto Israel.
Dew in the ancient Near East was essential for life. It came quietly, regularly, and without human effort. God promises to sustain Israel with continual grace. Restoration will not be dramatic only, but daily and sustaining.
d. He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
God promises both beauty and strength. The lily represents visible beauty and vitality, while Lebanon’s roots represent depth, stability, and endurance. God’s restoration affects both outward testimony and inward strength.
e. His branches shall spread.
Restored Israel will not exist only for itself. God’s blessing will overflow to others. This reflects the original covenant promise that Israel would be a blessing to the nations.
f. His beauty shall be as the olive tree.
The olive tree was valued for longevity, usefulness, and productivity. God’s restored people will have lasting value, not superficial appearance. Their restoration will endure.
g. They that dwell under his shadow shall return.
Others will find shelter, safety, and life among God’s restored people. Restoration leads to witness. A healed people become a refuge to others.
h. They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.
Life, fruitfulness, and abundance are restored. Grain represents sustenance, the vine represents joy. God restores both survival and delight.
i. The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
The imagery closes with fragrance, joy, and celebration. What began with judgment ends with abundance. The final note of Hosea is not destruction, but life overflowing from grace.
B. A new Israel.
1. Hosea 14:8
“Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him. I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.”
a. What have I to do any more with idols?
This is the voice of true restoration. Repentance has reached completion when idolatry is not merely abandoned out of fear, but rejected as irrelevant and offensive. Ephraim does not negotiate with idols, reform them, or reduce their influence. He renounces them entirely. The question itself shows clarity and resolve. He now sees idols for what they truly are, empty, useless, and destructive distractions from the living God. When God heals backsliding, He changes desire, not merely behavior.
b. I have heard him, and observed him.
God responds immediately. He hears Ephraim’s confession and watches over him with attentive care. This is covenant language. The Lord does not ignore repentance, nor does He doubt it. He acknowledges it, receives it, and responds with sustaining grace. Restoration is not fragile or tentative. God Himself oversees it.
c. I am like a green fir tree.
God presents Himself as a source of life, stability, and continual vitality. The evergreen tree does not wither with the seasons. It remains living and fruitful when other vegetation fades. In contrast to idols made of dead metal or carved wood, the Lord is living, active, and sustaining. Ephraim no longer needs to search elsewhere for strength or provision.
d. From Me is thy fruit found.
This is the central truth of the new Israel. Fruit does not originate in the people themselves, nor in their systems, nor in their former idols. All true fruit flows from God alone. At one time Israel believed fruit came from Baal, from prosperity, from alliances, or from self effort. Now they confess that every good outcome, spiritual life, obedience, blessing, and productivity comes from the Lord.
This statement carries two complementary truths. First, the nourishment that sustains God’s people is found in Him alone. Second, the fruit they bear to the world also comes from Him alone. God is both the source and the sustainer of all spiritual life.
Psalm 1:3
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
2. Hosea 14:9
“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein.”
a. Who is wise?
The book closes with a challenge rather than a command. Wisdom is not measured by knowledge alone, but by response. The wise person understands the message of Hosea and acts accordingly. He sees the seriousness of sin, the certainty of judgment, and the greatness of God’s mercy. He does not delay, dismiss, or rationalize. Wisdom receives the invitation to repent and returns to the Lord.
b. Who is prudent?
Prudence applies understanding to life. The prudent person does not merely admire God’s mercy, he walks in it. He orders his life according to God’s revealed truth. Hosea’s message demands discernment, because the same word that restores the righteous causes the transgressor to stumble.
c. The ways of the LORD are right.
This affirms God’s moral perfection. Even the hard words of Hosea, the warnings, judgments, and chastisements, are right. God never overreacts, never misjudges, and never wrongs His people. Every act of discipline is just, and every offer of mercy is sincere. Judgment and grace are not contradictions in God, but expressions of His righteousness and love.
d. The just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein.
God’s ways do not change, but people’s responses to them differ. The righteous walk safely in God’s paths, finding life, stability, and restoration. The transgressor stumbles over the very same truths, not because God’s ways are unclear, but because rebellion refuses to submit. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay. The difference lies not in God’s ways, but in the human heart.
The book of Hosea ends not in despair, but in wisdom. Restoration is available, mercy is abundant, and life is offered freely. Yet the responsibility to respond rightly remains. The final call is clear, return to the Lord, walk in His ways, and live.
