NOTES for Hos 14:1-9

The prophet calls God’s people to turn to the Lord with a prayer for forgiveness and healing. And God’s forgiveness is boundless. It is not merely, “All right, I will not punish you anymore”; it is true healing. The people who receive this forgiveness blossom like a lily. The Lord grants peace and joy beyond anything we could have hoped for. His light illumines everything and brings healing. And so, after turning back, Ephraim will understand how empty his heart was when he tried to serve idols. What the Lord gives cannot even be compared with anything human.