11/21/2025 – Our tendency is to brush this OT passage aside, despite speaking to us today so clearly and resolutely. / Hosea 12: 12-14
“Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.”
Hosea 12:12
Jacob, while expostulating with Laban, thus describes his own toil, “This twenty years have I been with thee. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee: I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.” Even more toilsome than this was the life of our Saviour here below. He watched over all his sheep till he gave in as his last account, “Of all those whom thou hast given me I have lost none.” His hair was wet with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night. Sleep departed from his eyes, for all night he was in prayer wrestling for his people. One night Peter must be pleaded for; anon, another claims his tearful intercession. No shepherd sitting beneath the cold skies, looking up to the stars, could ever utter such complaints because of the hardness of his toil as Jesus Christ might have brought, if he had chosen to do so, because of the sternness of his service in order to procure his spouse–
“Cold mountains and the midnight air,
Witnessed the fervour of his prayer;
The desert his temptations knew,
His conflict and his victory too.”
It is sweet to dwell upon the spiritual parallel of Laban having required all the sheep at Jacob’s hand. If they were torn of beasts, Jacob must make it good; if any of them died, he must stand as surety for the whole. Was not the toil of Jesus for his Church the toil of one who was under suretiship obligations to bring every believing one safe to the hand of him who had committed them to his charge? Look upon toiling Jacob, and you see a representation of him of whom we read, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.”
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Comment insert:
Our mission road appears so difficult. How do we get there? Answer: By God’s grace alone! Our vehicle: Prayer! / Immersed in His Word, like a “deer panting for water”. A laser focus on Him alone! And so we will be transformed – “metamorphoo”, as in a caterpillar to a butterfly, like Gideon, see Judges 6 – 8.
“Jacob fled to the land of Aram; there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep. By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from the Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded. Ephraim has given bitter provocation; so his Lord will leave his blood guilt on him and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.” (Hosea 12: 12 – 14)
From the BibleHub.com:
“Ephraim in the Bible refers to both a person and a tribe. He was the second son of Joseph and Asenath, and his descendants formed one of the twelve tribes of Israel, known for their prominence and leadership in the northern kingdom.
Definition and Significance
Ephraim is a prominent figure in the Bible, known as one of the sons of Joseph, who was the son of Jacob. The name “Ephraim” means “fruitful” in Hebrew, reflecting a blessing from Jacob that indicated prosperity for his descendants.
Biblical Lineage
Parentage
- Father: Joseph
- Mother: Asenath, daughter of Potiphera
Ephraim, along with his brother Manasseh, became the patriarch of the Tribe of Ephraim, one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Role in Israelite History
Conquest of Canaan
Ephraim’s descendants played a crucial role in the conquest of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, who was also from the Tribe of Ephraim. This tribe was significant in the early formation of Israelite society.
Kingdom of Israel
Ephraim was part of a loose confederation of tribes before the establishment of a monarchy. After King Saul’s reign, the Tribe of Ephraim supported David, leading to the unification of the tribes. Later, Ephraim became a leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which split from Judah around 930 BCE.
Decline and Legacy
Ephraim is often associated with the Northern Kingdom, which fell to the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 723 BCE. This event marked the beginning of the Assyrian captivity, leading to Ephraim being counted among the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The tribe’s legacy continues to be referenced in biblical texts, symbolizing both prosperity and the consequences of disobedience to God.”
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Insert:
So sad no! Well, no, it is a polar opposite of joy actually.. Read on!
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https://www.gotquestions.org/Ephraim-in-the-Bible.html
So, check out the concluding sentences:
Notable figures from the tribe of Ephraim include Joshua (Joshua 19:50); Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1); and Jeroboam I, the first king of the divided kingdom in the north (1 Kings 12:25). After the Babylonian captivity, some of the descendants of Ephraim resettled in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:3).
How awesome and incomprehensible is the LORD’s love for us! Here we have remnant of Ephraim in Jerusalem today. And they (we!) will be saved! If we don’t see the “they” with the “we” as one body in Christ, I submit we just don’t get it yet…
SolI Deo Gloria!