TRUE COMPASSION

THE COMPASSION OF GOD

"How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I cast thee off, Israel? How shall 1 make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me, My compassions are kindled together."—Hosea 11:8

            Here begins the last movement in the prophecy of Hosea. In these last four chapters the emphasis is upon one note, that of the love of God. Hosea, prophesying in the dark days of the declension and backsliding of the northern kingdom of Israel, had been brought into fellowship with God through tragedy in his own home, through which tragedy, the tragedy of wounded love; there had come to him an under­standing of the Divine heart. This has been realized throughout, but in this last movement it comes into special prominence. Modern marriages fail to understand love on the Agape level. This is the picture of what God meant when He says He hates divorce. He departs only to take back. Travail with true repentance is a part of the process.

            So far we have been considering different points in the process of that ministry of stern denunciation, and have heard the prophet's constant call to these people to return to God. Now in the last four chapters the dominant note is that of the love of God. Men and women on this earth do not know how true His love is and how shallow their definition comes to God’s definition. As I have said, it has not been absent from any part of the prophesying; but as it comes to climacteric con­clusion, the great and wonderful emphasis of the message is laid upon that love.

            The literary method of these chapters is arresting. A remarkable alternation runs through them. The prophet speaks as God, that is, as the mouthpiece of God, Jehovah speaks through him; and then he speaks for himself. Of course what he says himself is under guidance for Hosea was learning God’s definition, but there is a distinct swing. We hear the voice of Jehovah, and then the voice of the prophet.

            Let us observe the movement through. There are four speeches of Hosea as the mouthpiece of Jehovah; and three times the prophet breaks in with his own comments. The utterances of the prophet are all in the minor key; and those he speaks for Jehovah are all in the major key, declaring the triumph of love (true). There is no disagreement between Jehovah and the prophet; but the mental mood of Hosea is revealed. He is still delivering the message of Jehovah; but evidently amazed that any such message could be delivered, for in his three interpolations he confesses the sin of the people. God is telling of His love, and the prophet amazed at it, breaks in, and describes the sin of the people.

            To indicate the swing. The speech of Jehovah begins in chapter eleven, and runs through to the end of the first verse in chapter twelve. Then suddenly the prophet speaks for himself, beginning at the second verse of chapter twelve, and running to the end of verse six. Again, from verse seven in chapter twelve to verse eleven Jehovah speaks. Once more, at the twelfth verse, and running through to the first verse of the next chapter, thirteen, Hosea is the speaker.

            At the second verse of chapter thirteen Jehovah resumes, and His words continue to the end of verse fourteen. Then at the fifteenth verse of chapter thirteen, and as far as the third verse of chapter fourteen, the prophet is again heard. Everything ends, beginning at the fourth verse of chapter four­teen, and running to the end, with the voice of Jehovah.

            Thus the swinging notes. Jehovah speaks, and the prophet speaks; Jehovah continues, the prophet continues; Jehovah speaks, and the prophet speaks; and all ends with the speech of Jehovah. Throughout, the speech of Jehovah is burdened with love; and the messages of the prophet are burdened with a sense of the unworthiness of the people. Does Hosea think God doesn’t have all the knowledge of the sin? We are conscious of the major music of the Divine love, and the minor melody of Hosea's sense of sin.

            The message beginning with chapter eleven, and ending with the first verse of chapter twelve, is vibrant with love. Jehovah, speaking of these people, re­bellious, renegade, tells of His love for them; goes back and speaks of the love that was His at the very beginning of their history, traces the course and activity of that love through that history; and in our text breaks out into this cry, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I cast thee off, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me, My compassions are kindled together."

            In these words we have four questions. There is, however, a little difference in the Hebrew form. We read, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I cast thee off, Israel?"

The second "how" is not there in the Hebrew. Again, "How shall I make thee as Admah? How shah I set thee as Zeboiim?" and the second "how" in that couplet is not here in the Hebrew. They have been supplied by translators for the sake of euphony; and again I am not quite sure that the change is helpful. This is how it runs in the Hebrew: "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? Shall I surrender thee, O Israel?"

            That is the first couplet.

"How shall I make thee as Admah? Shall I set thee as Zeboiim?"

            That is the second couplet.

            Admah and Zeboiim were the cities of the plain that were destroyed when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The prophet does not name the major cities, for reasons not now to be discussed. "How shall I make thee as Admah?" as that blackened city of the plain that was destroyed. "Shall I set thee as Zeboiim?" another of the cities swept out because of its iniquities.        Then comes the great answer: "My heart is turned within Me, My compassions are kindled together."

            So much for the technical setting of the text. Let us ponder, first, the surprising nature of these questions; secondly, the explanation of them; and thirdly, the answer as declared.

            The surprising nature of the questions is at once seen if we remember the Speaker, and those of whom He was speaking. Throughout, Jehovah is heard emphasizing Himself. In my Bible I have put a little red ring round every capital "I" Let me read the brief sentences introduced by that repeated "I."

            First the affirmations: "I loved him . . . I taught Ephraim to walk . . . I nursed them . . . I healed them. I drew them with the cords of love . . . I lifted the yoke . . . I fed them. . . ."

            Then the questions: "How shall I give thee up?" . . . Finally the declarations.

"I will not .      . I will not .      . I am God . . .the Holy One . . . I will not . . . I will not . . . I will make them dwell."

            That is very mechanical, but it gives us a vision of God. Notice the amazing merging of the figures of speech which are found in those words which God spoke about that people. First we find the Father: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My Son out of Egypt." "I taught Ephraim to walk." " I took them on My arms."

            That is, I was a Nurse to them. "I healed them."

            Fatherhood and Motherhood are there. Loving, teaching to walk, nursing, healing.

            Then we find another figure of speech. No longer the Father, but the husband.

"I drew them with the cords of a man, and bands of love."

            That can only be understood as we remember the first part of the prophecy. Hosea knew what that meant. He had been commanded to go and love a woman who had broken his heart, and take her back home again. Jehovah thus spoke under the figure of a husband: "I drew them with the cords of a man." "I drew them with bands of love."

            Then perhaps the most startling figure emerges. "I was to them as they that lift up the yoke on their jaws; and I laid food before them."

            In these words Jehovah describes Himself as a Herds­man. It is a picture of the cattle coming home at night, after the toil of the wearisome day: I lifted the yoke, and freed their jaws, and fed them! Thus Jehovah reveals Himself all the way through; the Father, the Husband, and the Herdsman.

            Now look again at the people as described. Four little sentences cover the ground. They went from Me; they did not know that I was healing them; they refused to return; they are bent on back­sliding.

            Thus the contrast of persons and actions is vivid. Jehovah is seen as the persistent Lover, and the people as condemning His love. What is to be done? There is only one thing to do, by all the laws of human conduct, and all the laws that are only laws of righteousness and equity and justice. Give them up, abandon them, divorce them as the lawyer would encourage. If in some hearts there is a protest against that statement, I ask where was that protest born? What is the inspiration of the feeling that it is not necessary to abandon them? I declare that when I see the Lover, teaching to walk, nursing with a tender care, healing; Father, Husband, Herdsman; and then watch these people definitely, persistently, positively rebellious; I say there is only one thing to do with them: give them up, divorce them. And yet there is a protest against that view. I repeat my question —why should there be such a protest? We never would protest if we did not know something about this God. Some of the by-products of Christianity are the most marvelous things in human life. Go anywhere else than to the lands in which the light of this God has streamed upon men, and wrought results far wider than any of our statistics can show; go to any civilization in the past or the present, and tell this story, and apart from the revelation of God that has come to us, and changed our whole outlook on life, we shall say, There is nothing to do with people like that, but to give them up.

            Here, then, we are face to face with something surprising. Jehovah says, "How can I give thee up?" They have left Me. They do not know Me, and this in spite of all I am doing for them. I have sent the prophets to them, but they refused to return. They are bent on backsliding. It is all true, but "how can I give them up?"

            There was something holding Jehovah back from judgment; and whatever it was, it was something that won, for we hear words three times repeated, "I will not . . . I will not . . . I will not." I loved from childhood, and taught to walk, took them on My arms, healed them, drew them back, fed them; and they turned their back upon Me, and they are going on turning their back upon Me; they are bent on backsliding; but "how can I give thee up? I will not . . . I will not . . . I will not."

            What, then, was it holding Him back? The answer is in the text: "My heart is turned within Me, My corn-passions are kindled together."

            Was it something in Israel that made God SP V, "How can I give thee up?" As I look at Israel I should say, Surely not. It was not something in Israel, but something in God. And yet, the something in God saw in Israel possibilities that I cannot see, that seem to have faded, seem to have been obliterated. He saw them. He always does. God always sees the possi­bility of human life. That is the meaning of the Cross. Whatever we may think about human nature, God thought it worth dying for. He saw the possi­bility. He saw what Israel might be, what the boy He loved and called out of Egypt and nursed and fed might be. I cannot see it as I look at them, can you?           As God is my witness, I cannot see it when I look at myself. That is the amazing thing. Because of what God is, He sees me, and sees my possibility; and in spite of all my backsliding, in spite of all my dis­obedience, in spite of the fact that I have contemned His love, He is saying:

"I cannot give you up. I will not, I will not, I will not!"

            The secret of it is found in the words, "My heart is turned within Me." That is a very expressive word. Turned about, or turned over, literally; but in use it is the word that describes upheaval, turmoil. Listen. God says My heart is in turmoil; My heart is moved to its depths, My heart! Again, "My compassions are kindled together," and the word "com­passion" there does not mean sorrow, it does not mean pity. I think sometimes in our own language there is only one word that accurately can carry over its meaning. It means solace; and that means more than power to solace, but solace in activity. It is more than pity and sorrow. It is pity and sorrow in action. "My compassions are kindled." Strange word that. If we go back to the eighth chapter, and the fifth verse, we read, "He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; Mine anger is kindled against them."

            Now He says, "My compassion is kindled." It is not the same word, though. "My compassions are kindled," that is, are deeply affected; "Mine anger is kindled," that is, caused to glow. The word "kindled" used concerning His compassions means quite literally "contracted." "My compassions are contracted." This, however, not in the sense of narrowed; but rather My compassions are in spasm, deeply affected. Somebody says that is all anthropomorphic, speaking of God under human figures. I am not denying it; He is always coming to our level in our need, it is so, but there is no other presentation possible. How are you to grasp God except as you think of Him as He tells you to think of Him, as a Man. The Incarnation is God's final Self-interpretation, the Speech of Himself to man in the terms of humanity, that man may grasp the truth concerning Deity. Here, then, employing the human, Jehovah declares that He is in turmoil. "My compassions are kindled." That is why He cannot give them up. Here we are in the presence of Love, love that is not the mere sentimental outgoing of an emotional nature, evanes­cent and passing; but love that becomes an agony; love that becomes a tragedy. Faber was right: "There is no place where earth's sorrows Are more felt than up in heaven."

            John Watson, better known as Ian Maclaren, the author of The Bonnie Brier Bush, once said, "God is the chief Sufferer in the universe." He was right. This is the suffering God, and it is God suffering because of His love; and it is love in agony not be­cause those He loves are wronging Him, but wronging themselves, and blighting themselves, and blasting themselves. Can you think of someone? How, being what I am, says God, can I give you up?

            And yet do not forget that the "how" suggests the difficulty. How can I give thee up? Justice alone says it is the right thing that the rebellious shall be punished; but how can I do it? And that com­passion led to the decision, "I will not."

            Now quietly for a moment or two. How came it that God could say "I will not"? Let us listen. "I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man, The Holy One in the midst of thee."

            Here, all mere intellectuality breaks down; here is something very strange. I have been talking about His love. He has spoken of a heart in turmoil, of compassions that are moved to the very depths, and He says I will not give you up; what is the reason? Because of His heart and His compassions? Yes, but go on. "I am God, and not man," and I am "the Holy One in the midst of thee." There is no lowering of the standard of moral requirement. The Holy One can be compassionate and remain holy because He is God, and not man. Things are possible to Him that are not possible to man.

            That is as far as we get in Hosea. It is a long way, but it leaves us asking questions; and filled with wonder, we do not understand it. It is as though, on this page, and through all the Old Testament, the glory is breaking through, but never coming into clear manifestation. A wonder and a mystery of righteousness and compassion are seen working together. Wonderful seeing was the seeing of the prophet who could write a thing like that. That must have come by inspiration, or else it is the fairest mirage that ever deceived the heart of humanity. When God, in spite of sin, says, how can I give you up? My heart is stirred, My compassions are stirred, but I am holy; how can I give you up? And yet says, I will not give you up, I will not, I will not, we are in the presence of some possibility wholly of God. It must have been a great word for trembling and troubled hearts even then.

            But our Bible does not end in Hosea. The name Hosea meant salvation. I do not know who named him. The father or mother, or both, in all probability; but they called that boy Hosea, a sob and sigh and song merging in a name. There came One in the fullness of time, whose Name was Jehovah and Hosea: Jesus. So in the fullness of time the gleams and glints of glory broke out into full manifestation; and we find out at last in Jesus, how God can be just, and the Justifier of the sinning soul.

            This way of accomplishment Hosea did not see. In communion with God he had learned facts about the Divine Nature which seemed to be conflicting, and he delivered his message and uttered the words; but at last He came, Who is the Brightness of the Father's glory and the express Image of His Person, and in Him I see how righteousness and peace meet together, and God can be just and the Justifier.

            Through Him the claims of justice which are against my soul are all met. Through Him the glory of holiness is maintained; for His redemption of the human soul is not a pity that agrees to ignore sin; but a power that cancels it and sets free from its dominion. Through Him the loved one is regained, restored, renewed, and all the lights that flash and gleam upon the prophetic page, astonishing my soul, come into focused unity in Jesus. God says of you, of me, "How can I give thee up? I will not . . . I will not . . . I will not."

            But how? "I am God and not man, I am the Holy One." Through Christ He has made the way by which sinning souls can be conformed to His image, His likeness, His will. The Gospel is gleaming in Hosea. It is shining in full radiance in Christ. Those that have despitefully used us can be regained, restored, and renewed. Separation should only be long enough for God to execute His love on those who fall far short of His glory. Might we gain His patience,

            We can leave the historic and come to the immediate. That is God. But in order to provide ransom, and redemption, and renewal, what? The answer is found fully in the words :

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Might God bring healing to those in need of a true definition of love that He has supplied.