This is Spoken Gospel.

We are dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

In Hosea’s final prophecies, the prophet compares 
Israel’s exodus from Egypt to their current situation.

Hosea reminds Israel that it was God’s great 
love that moved him to rescue her out of Egypt.

Like a loving husband, God wrapped Israel up in 
his arms and led her with kindness and affection.

But the more he loved his people, 
the more they went away from him.

Like Israel in the wilderness, Israel in 
Hosea’s day built idols and golden calves.

But Hosea says that Israel has not just sacrificed 
animals to their idols, but their own children.

So, while Israel was made to wander in the
wilderness for 40 years for their disobedience,   

God will make them wander in
Assyrian exile for their own rebellion.

In the Exodus, the plagues attacked Israel’s 
enemies and paved the way for their escape.

But this time, the plagues will drive God’s people out
of their homeland and come against Israel herself.

God has had enough.

He removes all compassion from his eyes and 
calls upon death, the plagues, and the grave to  

do their worst, saying, “Where, O death, are your 
plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?”.

But God will not wipe Israel out for good.

The very thought makes God’s 
own heart recoil within himself.

So, after Israel has been exiled,
God will call those who remain to return.

Hosea ends his book by pleading with 
Israel to repent and return to the Lord.

They are to ask God for forgiveness 
and to trust him alone for salvation.

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In his account of Jesus, Matthew shows 
Jesus repeating the Exodus story as well.

He even quotes from today’s 
passage in Hosea to make the point.

But instead of disobeying and building idols, Jesus
perfectly obeyed God when he came out of Egypt.

Jesus is the nation of Israel she was supposed
to be—the Son of God who pleases his father. 

But when the plagues came, they did not come for God’s
enemies or God’s people. They came for God himself.

Jesus bore the plagues of 
our punishment on the cross.

The terrifying curse God speaks 
to Hosea is flipped on its head.

The apostle Paul quotes Hosea and says death, the plagues,
and the grave have no power over those who trust in Jesus.

He writes, “Where, O death, is your 
victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”.

What was a curse against us, is now 
a taunt against the grave itself.

In Jesus, “Death has been 
swallowed up in victory”.

Now, we who repent and trust Jesus 
alone are saved from our coming death.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the
God who won’t let our punishment have the final word.

And may you see Jesus as the one who bore our
punishment and allows life to be his final word over us.