Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Hosea Chapter 14
Metaphysically Interpreting Hosea 14:1-3
14:1O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God;
for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
14:2Take with you words,
and return unto Jehovah:
say unto him,
Take away all iniquity,
and accept that which is good:
so will we render as bullocks
the offering of our lips.
14:3Assyria 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.
Metaphysically Interpreting Hosea 14:4-9
14:4I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely;
for mine anger is turned away from him.
14:5I will be as the dew unto Israel;
he shall blossom as the lily,
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
14:6His branches shall spread,
and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree,
and his smell as Lebanon.
14:7They that dwell under his shadow shall return;
they shall revive as the grain,
and blossom as the vine:
the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.14:8Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?
I have answered, and will regard him:
I am like a green fir-tree;
from me is thy fruit found.
14:9Who is wise, that he may understand these things?
prudent, that he may know them?
for the ways of Jehovah are right,
and the just shall walk in them;
but transgressors shall fall therein.
November 28, 1915: Hosea 14:1-9
This lesson is not clearly brought out in the common version, because its character as a dialogue is not revealed. The following arrangement is given by Professor Moulton:
The Prophet:
- O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
- Take with you words, end turn to the Lord: Repentant Israel: 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. The Lord:
- 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. The Prophet:
- 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. Repentant Israel:
- Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? The Lord: From me is thy fruit found. The Conclusion:
- 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.
Israel means “defender of God,” and typifies in Jewish literature that domain of the mind which recognizes the truth that man is the Son of God, however far he may fall short in carrying it out in practice.
The Prophet Hosea represents I Am identity. The religious nature has been worshiping the idols of sense; it has fallen short of the true idea and becomes conscious of its lack. Thousands of good people are in this state of consciousness and do not know how to again get in touch with the high spiritual, the Lord.
Here the way is pointed out: “Take with you words, and turn to the Lord.” This is the keynote of the lesson, of all lessons. All mental states open their doors to right words. Every organ in the body represents a bundle of ideas, and within calling distance is the waiting idea that will respond to the right word. So every faculty of the whole man is clothed upon with thoughts, and these respond to words. If your religious nature has been satiated with form and ritual, if you have been fed on the husks of agnosticism the “I don't know” doctrine, or if the things of sense are dominating you, take right words, true words, and return unto your Lord. You can spiritualize your materialized consciousness by the direct force of words that carry the idea of spiritual power. You can make the very substance of faith take the place of your wavering doubts by using enduring words, the “sayings” of Jesus: “I thank thee, Father, that thou hast heard me, and I know that thou hearest me always.”
Some people hold that it is a “parrot philosophy,” this repeating words; that understanding is the summum bonum of spirituality. “Who is wise” will take advantage of both. Understanding can always be expressed by words, and is frequently impotent through lack of expression. So when words are sent out that carry the right current of thought, the understanding is quickened. Who has not had that added perception of truth come into the consciousness at the moment of telling it to another? The consciousness gets murky with material thoughts, and it may be cleared up by swift words of Truth.
But we should not trust to the necromancy of words alone. Words have been used for ages by various peoples for healing. European peasants “speak away” disease and deformity, and the books of magic of the middle ages have secret words for every malady.
These have not given us a rational philosophy, because they did not uncover the Principle which is the source of the word. We are to discover and understand all “the ways of the Lord,” for “they are right, and the just shall walk in them.”
– UNITY magazine.
November 13, 1927: Hosea 14:4-8
Does wrath ever lead to right living and right doing? No, love leads to right living and right doing. No one can be forced, through fear of reaping evil, to love God and Truth to the extent that God and Truth become the all-vital element in his life. However, when the great love of God is quickened in the heart of any man, he can no longer feel himself apart from the all-pervading Spirit of God, of life, love, and perfection, in the universe. He realizes his eternal oneness with all that is.
What leads to true repentance? Love of God, not fear of evil, leads to true repentance. Fear of hell-fire has never made, and never can make, a real Christian, but love has made true Christians again and again. “And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.”
August 26, 1934: Hosea 14:4-9
Is divine love natural to man? To man, the sons of God, divine love is “as the dew unto Israel,” a natural distillation of his true nature. To the sense man divine love seems an impossible ideal.
Can Jesus’ commandment, “Love your enemies” be obeyed? In the Christ consciousness this is possible, for all things are united in those whose will is united with love.
April 14, 1940: Hosea 14:4-9
How is spiritual reality described in this lesson? Spiritual reality (Israel) is shown to be as divinely natural as the beauties of nature. Its refreshing quality is “as the dew,” its rare loveliness “as the lily,” its strength “as Lebanon.” The metaphor is carried through the whole range of man's primary qualities.
What does the name Ephraim represent, and why is it compared to a green fir tree? The name Ephraim, meaning “very fruitful,” represents the will. Ephraim is compared to a green fir tree because the will is in constant use in the God-awakened man or woman, and its vitality is always evident, as it is in an evergreen tree.
What are the things that only the wise and prudent can understand and know? The way in which divine love leads man to God is here meant. The wise and prudent see the hand of God in seeming trials and hardships. The same law that serves as a guide to the just proves a stumbling block to the transgressor.
May 14, 1950: Hosea 14:4-9
What is the constructive effect of divine love on the religious instincts? Divine love exerts a healing effect that lifts the religious instincts out of the realm of materialism and ceremonialism, and frees them to express only what is good, true, and uncontaminated by sense.
“I will be as the dew unto Israel.” What is the meaning of this statement? Our religious nature or divinely derived attributes will become so God-centered that they will express Truth as instinctively and as naturally as the dew distills on plant life overnight.
What aspect of love is human, and what divine? The subjective aspect, which leads a person to crave the love of others, is human; the objective, which leads him to love others and serve them, is divine. God is the love that gives, not the love that waits to receive.
What wisdom and prudence are required to know and understand Truth? The wisdom that comes from experiencing divine love in the heart, and the prudence that causes a person to reflect upon and consider the Truth that he has learned and apply it to the solution of his problems.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-05-2014
