Hosea 11:4
I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
God cared for Israel as a father cares for a small child, teaching them to walk, holding and carrying them, healing them, and easing their burden like lifting a yoke from an animal's jaws to feed it. The cords of a man are tender human bonds of love, by which He drew them through the call of the prophets. He still draws people by love and not by force, fear of punishment, or hope of reward, a love revealed through Christ's life and especially at Calvary and the cross to attract, soften, and subdue the heart. That drawing binds believers to Him in a belonging that cannot be severed, and it takes effect when faith opens the heart to the Saviour in a transformation that leads to obedience and devoted service. Those who have been drawn become His fellow workers and draw others in the same way, as parents bind their children to themselves and to Christ with unselfish, patient, tender love.
Wording and Israel's History
Hosea 11:4 pictures God as a father caring for Ephraim as a young child, teaching them to walk, holding them by the arms, carrying them on His arms, and healing them. He draws them to Himself with gentle human ties of love. The phrase cords of a man means a tender, human way of leading. By such human and loving bonds He drew Israel through the call of the prophets.
The verse also pictures Him easing Israel's burden like one lifting the yoke from the jaws of an animal and providing food for them. That care is compassionate help that frees and sustains. It belongs to the description of the care and advantages God gave Israel.
Yet Israel did not recognize that He was healing and caring for them. They kept not His covenant and refused to walk in His law. They went away from those who called them, stayed bent on backsliding, and refused to exalt Him who is on high. He does not cast His people off when they make mistakes but allows mistakes so they may learn what He wants them to understand. He drew the willing and obedient to trust Him and live in obedience.
Divine Love That Draws
God draws people with love rather than by force, fear of punishment, or hope of reward, binding gently without compulsion. His personal loving-kindness awakens a response, so that people follow when they hear His voice. Firmness joined with kindness draws hearts and establishes a person in what is good and right, while constant reproof or foolish indulgence only makes presence disagreeable.
His seeking love reaches after the straying and is willing to risk everything to bring them back. He draws sinners who were once far from Him with human cords and bands of love. That drawing is realized when faith opens the door of the heart to the Saviour, for unselfish faith unbars the gates of the soul and works a marvelous transformation that impels obedience and devoted, glad, self-denying service.
He still draws the sinner by tender cords even when far gone in resisting the Spirit, under demonic power, hopeless, despairing, and blasphemous. Even when self-distrusting, turned from light and truth to darkness and error, and feeling only weakness, the sinner is still drawn. Though he has separated from God, God has not separated from him but looks upon him with pity. He will heal and save him through the power of the Mighty Deliverer if he will break with the deceiver and trust in Jesus as a little child trusts father and mother.
That love was revealed throughout Christ's earthly life and especially at Calvary and the cross. There His love attracts, softens, and subdues the heart and draws sinners to the peace and happiness found in Him. Christ has let down a cord from heaven to save the race, and the measure of that cord is the measure of His love. His power that gathered fish enables Him to draw human hearts by love and make His servants fishers of people. He draws sinners to Himself and seeks to unite them to Himself.
The cords of love bind the believer to God in a lasting belonging that cannot be severed. Christ drew J. E. White by those cords, never let go of him, and sustained and blessed him. He draws the believer into abiding union where life is hid with Christ in God. God draws people to Himself in love and mercy, and they draw near to Him as they respond to His loving appeal. So He had drawn Philip by the cords of His love in merciful appeal, and will show him loving-kindness and tender mercy if he walks humbly with God.
Faith Response and Blessing
The drawing becomes real when faith opens the door of the heart to the Saviour, for unselfish faith unbars the gates of the soul and works a marvelous transformation that impels obedience to the Lord and devoted, glad, self-denying service. That drawing by the Redeemer is riches beyond estimate, giving reason for faith in His power to redeem the soul and keep it in perfect peace. It is to be received by faith in Him and in the living God who made all things, to become the great ruling element of power in character. Those so drawn become examples upholding truth, justice, and purity.
The Lord draws by giving grand, saving truths that make wise unto salvation when received and obeyed. The present truth He proclaims is plain and clear, and when believed and accepted it refreshes and sanctifies the soul and shines as light upon the pathway so that no one need err. That drawing Word is living bread to the humblest soul who trusts Him, and at the same time warning, instruction, and reproof to the highest powers, kings, rulers, and nations, who cannot evade the consequences if they disregard the law of Jehovah.
God draws people to take hold of truth in answer to persistent prayer for those far from light, bringing deep conviction of conscience that makes continued Sabbath-breaking feel impossible. Reading about the sufferings of Christ is used to decide the heart to obey, leading to keeping the Sabbath even at expected loss of work. When the drawing succeeds there is joy and gratitude, with hope for others who are also under conviction. Sinners are drawn to the Saviour when rich truth from the Word is given, the burden of conviction is kept on the mind, those awakened to sin are taught how to take hold of the Lord, and earnest, persevering effort is made to win souls. When Scripture instruction is mixed with amusement the burden of conviction is lost, the opportunity passes, and no one is drawn. To draw those who are as sheep without a shepherd and are asking for the bread of life, the Word must be presented in the simplest way in the beauty of holiness, entreating every soul so valuable in God's sight to receive the truth as it is in Jesus, with watching, praying, believing, and unrelaxed effort because life and death are at stake.
In the testing and shaking when the untrue are separated from the true, being drawn means being still before God instead of much talk, remaining kind, patient, and self-respectful whatever the opinions of others. It means drawing nigh to God with the result that He will draw nigh in return and trials become blessings. God in great goodness reaches out His arm to lift a person up and draw him to Himself with the cords of His love, calling for unspeakable gratitude and pleasure toward God. This drawing calls for letting Jesus reign and dwell richly within, inviting His presence daily and making Christ a constant companion, honoring Him by conscious companionship and representing His character in words and deportment. It means uttering no impatient, cheap, and common words, no hasty speech or slang, being reserved in commonplace talk but free in speaking praise and thanksgiving for the love of God, so that others see good works and glorify God.
All success in the business affairs of this life is from God drawing poor sinners to Himself with cords that bind them to Him. He keeps and blesses and heals them and leads them in paths of righteousness when they are lifted up and blessed and comforted, though men commonly do not understand or acknowledge His hand in it. Those who desire to cut those cords asunder must bear the consequences, for a sowing time necessitates a reaping of the harvest.
Drawing Others with Love
Those who are drawn are converted to become fellow workers with God, serving in meekness and humility rather than pride or self-sufficiency. Those who trust Him draw others in the same way, because they themselves have been drawn. Faithful aged workers who understand the Scriptures, do the Word, bring truth into practical life, and rely on Christ day by day link up with young men and draw them with the cords of love for this very reason.
Ministers and people and all God's people must be drawn together in even cords to move steadily and consistently from principle. When each works with the Spirit of Jesus, God draws them together with even cords of love into harmony and love and unity of action. They must press together without drawing apart, laboring unitedly and drawing in even cords, revealing love and unity by helping one another, and then the Lord will work with them to accomplish His work. This means having influence with the world without becoming like the world and nominal professors. It means not drawing by jerks, working only when feeling like it and then becoming stubborn and refusing to move at all.
Faithful experienced workers draw young men to serve alongside them because they themselves have been drawn by Christ's love. To reach those who have strayed, offer loving support that draws them to the Saviour, not reproaches that discourage or condemn them. Sympathy and love can gain a wayward youth's confidence and help lead that soul to Christ.
With an erring soul, do not cut him off and leave him to Satan or send him where the devil wants him. Do not cut the knot of difficulty by harshness and arbitrary rule. Bring him with cords of love to where Christ is, into Christ's hands where prayer can be made for him and he can be led and guided. Make extra effort for objectionable and sick characters who need help.
Fathers and mothers do the work of drawing with cords of love in the home by placing themselves decidedly on the Lord's side and drawing their children in even cords. They do it by bringing light and peace and joy into the home circle. They do it by exerting an influence that shows they are guided and controlled by the principles of heaven, with every act in harmony with heaven. Parents are to bind their children to themselves and to Christ with cords of unselfish love.
That binding means dealing gently and lovingly, calmly, patiently, and tenderly. It means remembering how young, helpless, ignorant, inexperienced, and slow to learn children are and how much they have to learn, and how slow to learn adults themselves have been. It means working tenderly and untiringly for them in labor of love without becoming weary. It means patiently training them to habits of neatness, usefulness, and purity, and showing by example the charm of right behavior, because their characters are being molded for eternity. It means giving wise, careful guidance to keep their feet from forbidden paths, and laboring in love untiringly as mercy works till the last sinner has heard grace.
Love should win a son's heart rather than make a parent's presence disagreeable through constant reproof or foolish indulgence. Firmness and kindness together can draw hearts and help establish a person in what is good and right. Harsh reproof can sever the loving ties that should bind parents and children. A mother binds her children's hearts to her through loving care, and neglecting this duty leaves them without that bond. She is to win her family's affection and respect through loving care, while God seeks to turn the husband's attention from earthly pursuits to eternal riches.
Fathers and mothers are to bind little ones' hearts with silken bands of love by teaching pleasantly without scolding or fault-finding and by making only reasonable requirements. They express kindness not by foolish indulgence but by wise direction. They teach children to help bear the burdens of the home and to be content with plain and simple food and neat and inexpensive dress. They join with teachers and older brothers and sisters as an educating force to keep up every spiritual interest and create a wholesome atmosphere in home and school life that trains younger children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Drawing with cords of love means a mother binding her children to her heart by steady, firm parental care. It is teaching and training them from babyhood, keeping hold upon them, telling them what to do and living as she wishes them to do. It is making their surroundings favorable and sowing seed in the love and spirit of Jesus. It is treating her husband with kindness at all times and on all occasions, not shirking responsibility as a daily home missionary, not becoming discouraged or giving up when opposed, and telling home trials to Jesus alone.