NOTES for Hos 14:1-9
The prophet calls the people of God to turn to the Lord with a prayer for forgiveness and healing. And God's forgiveness is boundless. It is not only, "well, all right, I will not punish you anymore"; it is truly healing. The people to whom this forgiveness is granted blossoms like a lily. The Lord gives peace and joy for which we did not even dare to hope. His light illumines everything - and heals. And therefore Ephraim, having turned back, will understand how empty his heart was when he tried to serve idols. What the Lord gives cannot even be compared with anything human.