Hosea 14:3

Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

Hosea 14:3 stands within God's call for Israel to return to Him after having fallen by iniquity. That call was one of the many opportunities He gave to transgressing Israel to repent before judgment came. Israel was to return to the Lord with confession, asking Him to take away all iniquity and receive them graciously. Turning to Him in sincere repentance brings healing, merciful reception, and forgiveness of past wrongs.

True repentance means renouncing trust in Assyria and other foreign powers for deliverance. It means renouncing military strength pictured as riding upon horses. It means no longer calling things made by human hands gods. Forgiveness and mercy are found in God alone by turning from sin to Him. In Him the fatherless find mercy, the helpless pictured as an orphan trusting Him, for He is the source of their help.

Turning to Him brings healing of backsliding, free love, and growth with fruit from Him. The verse gives promises of blessing to Israel on condition of repentance. Though first spoken to Israel in the past, its promise still applies in the present day. God looks with pleasure on anyone, whether man, woman, youth, or child, who fears and loves Him and refuses to be enticed amid a corrupt world.

Today God invites the fruitless professed believer who encumbers the ground to return unto the Lord his God. Instead of cutting him down He spares him another year to dig about him and dress him and care for him. If he returns God will heal his backsliding and love him freely. He will refresh him like dew, make him grow like a lily, root him like Lebanon, and beautify him like an olive tree. He will revive those sheltered under his shadow like grain and make them flourish like a vine, with all his fruit found from God.

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