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"My sympathy is stirred"

Text: Hosea 11:8

DIVINE SYMPATHY

The LORD had every right to disregard Israel. The nation had broken the sacred Covenant again and again. Yet, God continued to feel a deep sense of sympathy towards His people.

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I set you like Zeboiim?
My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.”
Hosea 11:8

1. Ephraim and Israel

a) Though they are mentioned separately.

b) Ephraim stands for Israel.

c) One represents the other.

2. Two expressions

a) Give you up.

b) Hand you over.

c) They mean the same thing.

d) God is reluctant to hand Israel over to utter destruction.

3. Admah and Zeboiim

a) These two cities were mentioned, as cities near Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 10:19).

b) The kings of these two cities were allies of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:8-9).

c) They were likely destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:28-29).

i) Cities of the plain were destroyed.

ii) Sodom and Gomorrah were certainly destroyed.

iii) Admah and Zeboiim being closely allied were destroyed by implications contextually.

4. “My heart churns within Me”

a) God expresses Himself in human terms.

b) He did not wish to see Israel destroyed in the same way as the cities of the plain in the past.

5. “My sympathy is stirred”

a) This describes the deep compassion of the LORD.

b) The words “heart” and “sympathy” are closely intertwined.

c) God continued to feel deeply for Israel despite the fact that it was bent on backsliding.