2.3 The Interpretation of the Symbolism (4-5)
ד כִּי יָמִים רַבִּים, יֵשְׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--אֵין מֶלֶךְ וְאֵין שָׂר, וְאֵין זֶבַח וְאֵין מַצֵּבָה; וְאֵין אֵפוֹד, וּתְרָפִים.
ה אַחַר, יָשֻׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִקְשׁוּ אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, וְאֵת דָּוִיד מַלְכָּם; וּפָחֲדוּ אֶל-יְהוָה וְאֶל-טוּבוֹ, בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. {פ}
4 For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.
Verses 4-5 provide the explanation for the actions that take place in verses 1-3. Therefore, omitting verses …show more content…
The physical journey back to the land from exile and their spiritual journey back to God corresponds to Gomer’s own journey as chronicled in Hosea 2:7 {She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return (HebShuv) to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now’} wherethe wife seeks lovers but fails to find them along the way. In a similar way, the children of Israel will seek the Lord their God and return (shuv) on their physical and spiritual …show more content…
All these notwithstanding, this verse follows the general pattern of Hosea’s kerygma, but the preaching is never precisely the same. Each variation on the great theme brings its unique contribution, deepening the emboss here, adding shadow or a new turn there.
This verse is very pertinent to the theme of this thesis for it adds the following: God waits, and the waiting is rewarded. God loves, and the love is not in vain. God is satisfied with nothing but a full response in conversion. Secondly, this verse adds the fact that there is a place in the grace of God for both punishment and deprivation. People are not necessarily demeaned by intended suffering and discipline. Sometimes they are lifted out of the trough of human bitterness and vindictiveness when mercy and love are used to reform the lost and save the
ד כִּי יָמִים רַבִּים, יֵשְׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--אֵין מֶלֶךְ וְאֵין שָׂר, וְאֵין זֶבַח וְאֵין מַצֵּבָה; וְאֵין אֵפוֹד, וּתְרָפִים.
ה אַחַר, יָשֻׁבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִקְשׁוּ אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, וְאֵת דָּוִיד מַלְכָּם; וּפָחֲדוּ אֶל-יְהוָה וְאֶל-טוּבוֹ, בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים. {פ}
4 For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.
Verses 4-5 provide the explanation for the actions that take place in verses 1-3. Therefore, omitting verses …show more content…
The physical journey back to the land from exile and their spiritual journey back to God corresponds to Gomer’s own journey as chronicled in Hosea 2:7 {She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return (HebShuv) to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now’} wherethe wife seeks lovers but fails to find them along the way. In a similar way, the children of Israel will seek the Lord their God and return (shuv) on their physical and spiritual …show more content…
All these notwithstanding, this verse follows the general pattern of Hosea’s kerygma, but the preaching is never precisely the same. Each variation on the great theme brings its unique contribution, deepening the emboss here, adding shadow or a new turn there.
This verse is very pertinent to the theme of this thesis for it adds the following: God waits, and the waiting is rewarded. God loves, and the love is not in vain. God is satisfied with nothing but a full response in conversion. Secondly, this verse adds the fact that there is a place in the grace of God for both punishment and deprivation. People are not necessarily demeaned by intended suffering and discipline. Sometimes they are lifted out of the trough of human bitterness and vindictiveness when mercy and love are used to reform the lost and save the