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June 6, 2026 |
| I Healed Them | ||
700 years before the Christ would be born, Hosea, the prophet, slapped Christians for what they would become. He did it in some verses given to him by God that most Christians don't recognize as being about them.
In this study, we'll dissect those verses to know if they are really about Christians and to see what God has to say about Christianity.
The verses we'll study are in chapter 11. Like other Old Testament prophecies, they are written in Hebrew in a poetic form. The translation I'm working from preserves that form by breaking the English text lines where the Hebrew poetic lines break. In this study, retaining that form doesn't help us understand anything; it only increases the number of lines in the study, which matters if you are trying to see as much of it as possible on the screen or are printing it. So I haven't preserved that form.
This is a Messianic prophecy, meaning it is about the Messiah and what he would do. The Jews also recognize this as Messianic, though it means something different to them. The last half of the first verse establishes this with a well-known prophetic statement.
When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.
A reader could easily think that this verse is only talking about Moses being sent to Egypt to bring Israel out. I don't know how, but the Jews did not make that mistake. They are aware of two prophecies regarding the origin of the Messiah. This one says that he will come out of Egypt, the other says he will be born in Bethlehem. There is much debate in Judaism about whether there is one Messiah or two.
For Christians, we know the answer is one. He was born in Bethlehem and then taken to Egypt. Later they returned to Israel.
Another thing we need to know is that this passage will use the word "healed" in a way that we've heard it used before in the Bible, but you've probably never thought about what it means.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Peter quotes from this prophecy and adds some explanation that we need to hear.
And he took all of our sins and lifted them in his body to the cross, for as we are dead to sin, we shall live in his righteousness, for by his scars you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
What is meant by healed? In what way are we healed?
Peter is saying that "healed" means that we are now dead to sin and are therefore able to live in the righteousness of God. It doesn't only mean that we are forgiven of our past sins. It means that we can be dead to sin - like a dead man responds to an offer of Apple Pie. When sin comes knocking at our door, we don't answer.
You might think that it can't mean that because every Christian has had their failures. We don't seem to be healed. It's something we grow into, or at least, should grow into.
The kind of "healing" that I want is one where I will always do what is right, and I won't feel the tug of desire. That will come, but not in this body.
For now, given enough time, we would get there. Until then though, we learn to walk in the Spirit, and when we slip, the sacrifice of Jesus covers the sins we confess. Therefore the sign to look for is that we are doing better. Even though it might not be all that we would want, this healing was not available in the Old Covenant.
Most biblical scholars and translations (such as the NIV and ESV) emphasize that the context of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 focuses on spiritual wholeness. In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter explicitly links the healing to dying to sin and living for righteousness, indicating that the primary healing is from the power and penalty of sin, resulting in salvation and reconciliation with God. (Some AI)
Those aren't the only verses that express that idea.
For the heart of this people has become dense, and they have hardly heard with their ears and their eyes they have shut, lest they would see with their eyes and they would hear with their ears and they would understand in their hearts and they would be converted and I would heal them. (Matthew 13:15)
This is another New Testament quote of an Old Testament prophecy.
There is one last piece of background that we need. The passage is going to use "Israel", "Ephraim", and "Judah." The word "Israel" is used two ways in the Bible: as a reference to all the tribes of Israel, or as a reference to only the northern tribes. When you see Israel and Ephraim used together, it doesn't make sense because Israel always includes Ephraim. Therefore Ephraim refers to something else. It turns out, Ephraim is often used in Old Testament prophecy as a name for Christianity, before it had a name or someone to name it after.
The meaning of the names also seems to be in play there. "Israel" means wrestles with God, "Ephraim" means "fruitful," and Judah means "to praise" or "to give thanks."
When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. (Hosea 11:1)
We've already covered the important part of this verse. This isn't the only place where we will see Messianic references, though the rest will be more subtle.
The more they called them, the more they went from them; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to graven images. (Hosea 11:2)
Most Christians see the reference to Ba'als and to burning incense, and they think this verse must be referring to the Jews. Surely no Christian has ever done that. But God is speaking about spiritual Ba'als and spiritual burning of incense, which is prayer.
Christians have definitely made sacrifices for their "masters," the meaning of Ba'al, and they have prayed to idols. The Catholic Church started doing that early on and still does, though they deny it.
The "sacrifices for their masters" is a little harder to understand. Churches were never meant to be the way they are now. Because of the buildings that Churches love, their pastors insist that their congregations should tithe and give offerings. Those are sacrifices for their masters.
The verses use "they" and "them." Who are they? The translation I'm using says they refer to the Old Testament prophets. They think that because they think this prophecy is about literal Ephraim. This “they” are the Apostles and other true Christians calling them back.
The verse says that the more these people called out to them, the more they avoided the people who called them. History shows that prophecy to be fulfilled.
Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them in My arms; but they did not know that I healed them. (Hosea 11:3)
In the Background section, we already covered what is meant by healed here. If physical healing were in view here, a person or people would be able to see the effect of that healing and know it had happened, but the verse says they do not know it. That is because it is a spiritual healing.
In the Old Testament, when God talked about healing his people in that time, as opposed to a prophesied future time, as we see here, a physical healing was always in view (Exodus 15:26, promising not to bring upon them the diseases He sent to Egypt; Jeremiah 30:17 and 33:6, promising to "bring health and healing" to His people; Psalm 103:3, the one who heals all your diseases.)
Taught Ephraim to walk - God never did anything for Ephraim, the person or the people, that he did not do for the other sons of Israel. So why mention it here? The answer is that he is referring to a spiritual walk, as Christians say, "walk in the spirit." So again we see an indication that Ephraim represents Christians.
I taught Ephraim to walk - Who taught Christians to walk in the Spirit? It was the Messiah, Jesus. So we see that the speaker is not God the Father or the Godhead.
In my arms - in Christianity, Jesus is a person who understands and cares for his people. In the Old Covenant, after the sin of the golden calf, Israel agreed that God would punish them for their sins, and God purified them by slaughter. This is another indication that Ephraim represents Christianity.
They did not know - Christians do not realize that they have been healed. They have been healed of sin (unintentional), as described in the background, and healed of uncleanliness, and these healings are ongoing.
I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, and I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; and I bent down and fed them. (Hosea 11:4)
As we saw immediately above, these verses are contrasting Jesus with the God the Israelites experienced in the wilderness.
Cords - refers to soft, woven strings as opposed to hard, leather straps.
A man - a hinted reference to the Messiah being a man.
Bonds of love - It was love that drew people to Jesus and to God, not fear of punishment.
As one who lifts the yoke from their jaws - when an ox is in a yoke, if he lowers his head to eat grass, the yoke slides forward and the side bars of the yoke lean against his jaw, making it difficult to eat. The message here is that even though you are yoked, I will lift up that yoke so it is easier for you to eat. This agrees with what Jesus said about "my load is light."
I bent down - this speaks to humbling, both in the way that he humbled himself in front of the people and also in humbling himself to be in the form of a man.
Fed them - of course this is talking about the spiritual food that Jesus fed the people of his time and feeds us through his word.
All of these clauses make it clear that Ephraim represents Christianity.
They will not return to the land of Egypt; but Assyria - he will be their king because they refused to return to Me. 6 And the sword will whirl against their cities and will consume their gate bars and devour them because of their counsels. (Hosea 11:5-6)
The order of the clauses in verse 7 can be a bit confusing. If we read the last clause first, we understand the context is of Christianity having turned away from God. The other clauses talk about the consequences of that.
We need to understand the meaning of some words:
So verse 7 is saying that Christianity will not return to the land of idols and false gods, but they will be led by power, that is, by war, conquest, and divine authority. This is a true statement. Coming from its Catholic roots, power led the church with its own army of knights. Even now, the church is too close to non-Christian conservatives, which feeds that "led by strength" view.
The sword - represents war, but could also represent the word of God, as judgment.
Whirl against, consume - because Christians are led by the sword, they die by the sword, and the things they think protect them are destroyed by the sword.
Counsels - whomever they seek counsel from, but not God.
So My people are hung up on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, none at all exalts Him. (Hosea 11:7)
Hung up - this translation uses this very modern phrase, but I think the meaning isn't clear. Other translations use "bent" or "determined," which I think are better. It's a truism that God's people always turn away from God. The Old Testament shows that this statement is also true in the Old Covenant.
Why then has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in continual faithlessness? They hold fast to deceit; They refuse to return. (Jeremiah 8:5)
Your own evil will chastise you, and your acts of faithlessness will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter, for you to forsake Yahweh your God, and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares Lord Yahweh of hosts. (Jeremiah 2:19)
The NIV translation of Jeremiah 8:5 has the wording "Why does Jerusalem always turn away?" It isn't only Jerusalem. This is the story of God and mankind.
This verse also has the undefined "they." I stated before that these verses are Messianic, and thus the "they" would be Apostles (now through the written word), elders, and righteous people. Since then I've shown that the verses are indeed Messianic.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I give you over to be like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me; All My compassions are stirred. (Hosea 11:8)
Now Jesus, the speaker, as we saw, considers what is to be done with these "my people."
Admah, Zeboiim - If you are like me, when you read this verse, you wondered who these names are. We all know Sodom and Gomorrah. Admah and Zeboiim are two other cities that were in that area. Whenever the Bible mentions Admah and Zeboiim, it also mentions Sodom and Gomorrah. They were all alike. This next verse makes the point clear.
Israel - It's interesting that Israel would be placed in parallel with Ephraim. I believe the intent is to say, "What would all-Israel be without Christianity?" This thought continues in the next verse.
All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and nothing sprouting, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in His anger and in His wrath. (Deuteronomy 29:23)
What's interesting here is the question: Why not name Sodom and Gomorrah, who are better known? I think the reason is that this is another Messianic hint. Admah and Zeboiim represent the Sodom and Gomorrah of Christianity.
God asks how he can destroy Christianity like he destroyed Admah and Zeboiim. Teaching them to walk, loving them as a father, and helping them as he has has made it difficult for him to destroy them.
I will not execute My burning anger; I will not make Ephraim a ruin again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. (Hosea 11:9)
Ruin again - This translation is making a mistake that makes the verses sound like Ephraim had previously been a ruin. A direct translation of the Hebrew says: I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. This translation interprets "back" as "again," but the correct meaning is that God had turned his back to them, turned away from them, and he would need to turn back to them in order to bring his wrath to destroy them. There are many translations that do not use "again."
Ruin again - The literal Ephraim was made a ruin by the literal Assyrians. The people were taken somewhere, and no one is certain what became of them. The Assyrians brought a different people into that land. They are the people that we know of as the Samarians from Jesus' time. So, the only time it was possible to make Ephraim into a ruin, God did make them into a ruin. Therefore the Ephraim spoken of here is a symbolic Ephraim, and we've already seen that it symbolizes Christianity.
I am God and not man - this is a phrase that appears in other places in a more complete way, like "I am God and not man, and I do not change or break my promises." The meaning is that promises were made, and thus God will not wipe out Christianity. Whew! That was a close one!
They will walk after Yahweh; He will roar like a lion; Indeed, He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria; And I will settle them in their houses, declares Yahweh. (Hosea 11:10-11)
Jesus now speaks of a future time, when God's people will come back to him, as we would say, with their tails between their legs. They are as humble as birds.
I've mentioned the undefined "they," and now we have an undefined "He" and "him." This is Jesus, but in a 3rd person usage. Because Jesus was the 1st person "I" before, it appears that the speaker has changed. We get confirmation of that at the end of verse 11, where it says, "declares Yahweh." Yahweh is used for the unity of the Godhead, or individually as the Father and the Son, but here it is only used to indicate a change of speaker.
He will roar - this is another Messianic reference because Jesus is identified as the Lion of Judah elsewhere in the Bible. We'll see Judah mentioned in the next verse.
He will roar - when does Jesus roar like a lion? That has to be a Second Coming reference. We see then that Christianity will get worse and worse until the end. Only then will they come scurrying back. This lines up with what Paul says about the future of Christianity, and with what Revelation means by, "Come out of her, my people."
From the west - The Bible sometimes uses the directions east and west in prophecy. When both are used together, it appears the intent is abstract - from the east and from the west would mean all over the world. Very rarely is west used without another direction, for example, north. When it is, it appears to be intended literally. For example, Daniel 8:5 is talking about Greece. In this case, I think the ideal is literally all of Europe and North America. In our time, that makes sense because this area has been called the post-Christian countries.
Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit; and Judah is also unruly against God, even against the Holy One who is faithful. (Hosea 11:12)
Jesus takes one last shot at Ephraim (Christianity) and also at some others.
Surrounds Me with lies - This doesn't mean surrounded by bad guys like in a western shootout. This is like Jesus on the shore with people pressing so close to him that the people in the back couldn't see or hear him. Jesus means that there are so many lies about him and about Christianity that people can't see him or hear him.
House of Israel - notice that earlier it was just "Israel" and now it is "house of Israel," which refers to Judaism. Modern Judaism is deceitful in the sense that it is not the Judaism of the Bible, but it claims to be. Without a priesthood, temple, and sacrifices, true Judaism becomes nothing. Modern Judaism is the rescued version, modified to work without those pieces and to contradict Christianity. They surround Jesus with deceit because of the false claims they have made about him, about Christianity, and about what Judaism believed at that time.
Judah - comes out of the blue. The first and only mention of Judah comes in the last verse, making it difficult to interpret. Knowing that Jesus is the Lion of Judah, I believe this name refers to Jesus's people, his true people. If that is correct it is sad to see the verse say that even they are going outside the rules.
The Holy One who is faithful - this is another Messianic reference. We began this chapter with "the son called out of Egypt" and ended with "the Holy One who is faithful." Nice.
It's horrible to hear such terrible descriptions of Christianity. Christianity is not yet as bad as it will be, but we can already see that these descriptions are true.
It's frightening to know that Christianity has become so bad that wiping it from existence was considered.
Christians do not recognize that this prophecy is about them. They live their lives as they have, thinking that Christianity has never been better, just as the Jews did when Jesus came the first time.