Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me. But I am the LORD your GodThis phrase emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The Hebrew word for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, which signifies His eternal, self-existent nature. The use of "your God" underscores a personal and exclusive relationship, reminding Israel of their unique identity as God's chosen people. This declaration serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and faithfulness, calling Israel back to their foundational understanding of who God is. from the land of Egypt
This phrase recalls the historical event of the Exodus, where God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It serves as a powerful reminder of God's saving acts and His role as a deliverer. The mention of Egypt is significant as it symbolizes bondage and oppression, contrasting with the freedom and covenant relationship God offers. This historical context reinforces God's identity as a Savior and His ongoing commitment to His people. you know no God but Me
Here, the exclusivity of worship is highlighted. The Hebrew word for "know" (yada) implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. This phrase calls Israel to remember their unique relationship with God, who has revealed Himself to them in a personal and profound way. It is a call to fidelity, urging them to reject idolatry and acknowledge the one true God who has consistently been their guide and protector. and there is no Savior besides Me
This statement affirms the monotheistic belief central to Israel's faith. The term "Savior" (Hebrew: "moshia") denotes one who delivers or rescues. In the ancient Near Eastern context, many nations had multiple deities, each with specific roles. However, God declares that He alone is the Savior, emphasizing His unique ability to save and His unparalleled power. This assertion is both a comfort and a challenge, reminding Israel of God's unmatched ability to deliver and their need to rely solely on Him. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who delivered them from Egypt and demands exclusive worship. 2. IsraelThe Northern Kingdom, often rebuked by prophets for idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. 3. EgyptThe land from which God delivered the Israelites, symbolizing bondage and God's redemptive power. 4. HoseaA prophet called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to Israel. 5. IdolatryThe worship of other gods, which was a persistent issue for Israel and a central theme in Hosea's prophecies. Teaching Points God's Exclusive ClaimGod asserts His exclusive right to Israel's worship and loyalty. This calls believers to examine their own lives for any form of idolatry or divided allegiance. Historical ReminderThe reference to Egypt serves as a reminder of God's past faithfulness and deliverance. Reflecting on God's past actions can strengthen our faith in His present and future promises. The Uniqueness of God as SaviorThe declaration that there is no savior besides God points to the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Believers are encouraged to trust in Christ alone for salvation. Covenant RelationshipThe verse underscores the covenant relationship between God and His people, reminding us of the importance of faithfulness and obedience in our walk with God. Call to Knowledge and Recognition"You know no God but Me" challenges believers to deepen their knowledge of God through Scripture and personal relationship, ensuring He is the sole focus of their worship. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the historical context of Israel's deliverance from Egypt enhance our understanding of God's claim in Hosea 13:4? 2. In what ways can modern believers fall into the trap of idolatry, and how can Hosea 13:4 guide us in avoiding it? 3. How does the theme of God as the only Savior in Hosea 13:4 connect to the New Testament understanding of Jesus as Savior? 4. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's deliverance. How does remembering this strengthen your faith and commitment to Him? 5. How can we practically ensure that we "know no God but" the LORD in our daily lives, according to the teachings of Hosea and other Scriptures? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:2-3The first commandment, where God declares Himself as the one who brought Israel out of Egypt and commands exclusive worship. Isaiah 43:11God declares that besides Him, there is no savior, reinforcing His unique role as deliverer. Deuteronomy 6:4-5The Shema, emphasizing the oneness of God and the call to love Him with all one's heart. Acts 4:12The New Testament affirmation that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus, connecting to the theme of God as the only Savior. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6Paul’s teaching on the existence of one God and one Lord, Jesus Christ, echoing the exclusivity of God in Hosea. People HoseaPlaces Egypt, SamariaTopics Acknowledge, Beside, Besides, Egypt, Except, Hast, None, Save, Savior, Saviour, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Hosea 13:4 1315 God, as redeemer
1320 God, as Saviour
1513 Trinity, mission of
6659 freedom, acts in OT Hosea 13:4-6 8763 forgetting Library Destruction and Help
'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help.'--HOSEA xiii. 9 (A.V.). 'It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou art against Me, against thy Help' (R.V.). These words are obscure by reason of their brevity. Literally they might be rendered, 'Thy destruction for, in, or against Me; in, or against thy Help.' Obviously, some words must be supplied to bring out any sense. Our Authorised Version has chosen the supplement 'is,' which fails to observe the second occurrence with 'thy …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureLetter xxxvi (Circa A. D. 1131) to the Same Hildebert, who had not yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope.
To the Same Hildebert, Who Had Not Yet Acknowledged the Lord Innocent as Pope. He exhorts him to recognise Innocent, now an exile in France, owing to the schism of Peter Leonis, as the rightful Pontiff. To the great prelate, most exalted in renown, Hildebert, by the grace of God Archbishop of Tours, Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, sends greeting, and prays that he may walk in the Spirit, and spiritually discern all things. 1. To address you in the words of the prophet, Consolation is hid from …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux The Joyous Return
"When God's right arm is bared for war, And thunders clothe his cloudy car." e'en then he stays his uplifted hand, reins in the steeds of vengeance, and holds communion with grace; "for his mercy endureth for ever," and "judgment is his strange work." To use another figure: the whole book of Hosea is like a great trial wherein witnesses have appeared against the accused, and the arguments and excuses of the guilty have been answered and baffled. All has been heard for them, and much, very much against …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891 "For if Ye Live after the Flesh, Ye Shall Die; but if Ye through the Spirit do Mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ye Shall Live.
Rom. viii. s 13, 14.--"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The life and being of many things consists in union,--separate them, and they remain not the same, or they lose their virtue. It is much more thus in Christianity, the power and life of it consists in the union of these things that God hath conjoined, so that if any man pretend to …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning How a Private Man must Begin the Morning with Piety.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, keep the door of thy heart fast shut, that no earthly thought may enter, before that God come in first; and let him, before all others, have the first place there. So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in, or shall the easier be kept out; and the heart will more savour of piety and godliness all the day after; but if thy heart be not, at thy first waking, filled with some meditations of God and his word, and dressed, like the lamp in the tabernacle …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety What the Scriptures Principally Teach: the Ruin and Recovery of Man. Faith and Love Towards Christ.
2 Tim. i. 13.--"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Here is the sum of religion. Here you have a compend of the doctrine of the Scriptures. All divine truths may be reduced to these two heads,--faith and love; what we ought to believe, and what we ought to do. This is all the Scriptures teach, and this is all we have to learn. What have we to know, but what God hath revealed of himself to us? And what have we to do, but what …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Thoughts Upon Striving to Enter at the Strait Gate.
AS certainly as we are here now, it is not long but we shall all be in another World, either in a World of Happiness, or else in a World of Misery, or if you will, either in Heaven or in Hell. For these are the two only places which all Mankind from the beginning of the World to the end of it, must live in for evermore, some in the one, some in the other, according to their carriage and behaviour here; and therefore it is worth the while to take a view and prospect now and then of both these places, …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity 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 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 Links Hosea 13:4 NIVHosea 13:4 NLTHosea 13:4 ESVHosea 13:4 NASBHosea 13:4 KJV
Hosea 13:4 Commentaries
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