Hosea 11:10
They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.
They will walk after the LORD
This phrase signifies a return to faithfulness and obedience. The Hebrew word for "walk" is "halak," which implies a continuous action or lifestyle. In the context of Hosea, this is a prophetic promise of Israel's future repentance and restoration. Historically, Israel often strayed from God, but this verse assures that a time will come when they will follow Him wholeheartedly. Walking after the LORD suggests a journey of faith, where believers align their steps with God's will, reflecting a life transformed by His guidance.

He will roar like a lion
The imagery of God roaring like a lion is powerful and evocative. The Hebrew word for "roar" is "sha'ag," which conveys a sense of majesty and authority. In the ancient Near East, the lion was a symbol of strength and kingship. This metaphor illustrates God's sovereign power and His ability to command attention and obedience. The roar signifies both a call to His people and a warning to His enemies. It is a reminder of God's protective nature over His covenant people, as well as His ultimate authority over all creation.

When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west
The phrase "His children" refers to the Israelites, God's chosen people. The Hebrew term "ben" is used here, emphasizing a familial relationship between God and Israel. The act of coming "trembling" indicates a reverent fear and awe in response to God's call. Historically, the west could symbolize the lands of exile, suggesting a return from dispersion. This imagery of trembling also reflects a deep respect and recognition of God's holiness and power. It is a prophetic vision of restoration, where God's people respond to His call with humility and reverence, acknowledging His sovereignty and their dependence on Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD
The central figure in this verse, representing God as a powerful and authoritative presence, akin to a lion.

2. The Children of Israel
The people of Israel, who are depicted as responding to God's call with reverence and awe.

3. The Lion
Symbolic of God's strength and majesty, often used in Scripture to convey His power and authority.

4. The West
Represents the direction from which the Israelites will come, symbolizing their return to God from a place of dispersion or exile.

5. The Roar
A metaphor for God's call to His people, indicating both a warning and an invitation to return to Him.
Teaching Points
God's Authority and Power
The imagery of God as a lion emphasizes His supreme authority and power. Believers are reminded to approach Him with reverence and awe, recognizing His sovereignty over all creation.

The Call to Return
God's roar is both a call to repentance and an invitation to return to Him. This highlights His desire for reconciliation with His people, encouraging believers to respond to His call with humility and obedience.

The Assurance of God's Presence
The promise that His children will come trembling from the west assures believers of God's faithfulness to gather and restore His people, no matter how far they have strayed.

The Fear of the Lord
The trembling response of the children of Israel underscores the importance of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom and leads to a deeper relationship with Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of God as a lion in Hosea 11:10 influence your understanding of His character and authority?

2. In what ways can you respond to God's "roar" or call in your own life, especially when you feel distant from Him?

3. How does the concept of returning from the "west" apply to modern believers who may feel spiritually exiled or far from God?

4. What other biblical passages use the imagery of a lion to describe God or Jesus, and how do these enhance your understanding of His nature?

5. How can the fear of the Lord, as depicted in this verse, lead to practical changes in your daily walk with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Amos 3:8
This verse also uses the imagery of a lion's roar to describe the fear and awe that God's voice inspires, emphasizing the power and authority of His word.

Isaiah 31:4
Here, the lion imagery is used to depict God's protection over Jerusalem, highlighting His strength and determination.

Joel 3:16
The Lord's roar from Zion is mentioned, signifying His judgment and the gathering of His people.

Revelation 5:5
Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, connecting the imagery of the lion to Christ's authority and kingship.
Divine RelentingsJ. Orr Hosea 11:8-11
Mercy Seasons JusticeC. Jerdan Hosea 11:8-11
People
Hosea
Places
Admah, Assyria, Egypt, Zeboiim
Topics
Cry, Fear, Hasten, Indeed, Lion, Loud, Roar, Roareth, Roars, Shaking, Sons, Tremble, Trembling, Walk, West, Yea
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Hosea 11:10

     4857   west

Hosea 11:10-11

     6629   conversion, examples
     6730   reinstatement

Library
Heaven's Nurse Children
The next sweet word in the chapter is sonship; "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." We are, according to the inspired apostle, "predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Ephesians 1:5. Adoption follows hard upon the heels of election, and is another messenger of good tidings. Innumerable blessings come to us by this door. "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers.
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children.
(Bethlehem and Road Thence to Egypt, b.c. 4.) ^A Matt. II. 13-18. ^a 13 Now when they were departed [The text favors the idea that the arrival and departure of the magi and the departure of Joseph for Egypt, all occurred in one night. If so, the people of Bethlehem knew nothing of these matters], behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise [this command calls for immediate departure] and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt [This land was ever the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Eleventh Day. The Holy one of Israel.
I am the Lord that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. I the Lord which make you holy, am holy.'--Lev. xi. 45, xxi. 8. 'I am the Lord Thy God, the Holy One of Israel, Thy Saviour. Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.'--Isa. xliii. 3, 14, 15. In the book of Exodus we found God making provision for the Holiness of His people. In the holy
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Quotations from the Old Testament in the New.
1. As it respects inspiration, and consequent infallible authority, the quotations of the New Testament stand on a level with the rest of the apostolic writings. The Saviour's promise was: "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth;" literally, "into all the truth," that is, as immediately explained, all the truth pertaining to the Redeemer's person and work. When, therefore, after the fulfilment of this promise, Peter and the other apostles expounded to their brethren
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Perseverance Proved.
2. I REMARK, that God is able to preserve and keep the true saints from apostacy, in consistency with their liberty: 2 Tim. i. 12: "For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Here the apostle expresses the fullest confidence in the ability of Christ to keep him: and indeed, as has been said, it is most manifest that the apostles expected
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Spiritual Hunger Shall be Satisfied
They shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 I proceed now to the second part of the text. A promise annexed. They shall be filled'. A Christian fighting with sin is not like one that beats the air' (1 Corinthians 9:26), and his hungering after righteousness is not like one that sucks in only air, Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be filled.' Those that hunger after righteousness shall be filled. God never bids us seek him in vain' (Isaiah 45:19). Here is an honeycomb dropping into the mouths of
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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