Death

 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
Hosea 13:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/hos.13.14.ESV

Humanly speaking, death is the end: there's no hope for the dead. Yet spiritually, even though we're all born spiritually dead, we can be made alive in Christ. We can be ransomed and redeemed.

Apparently, the Hebrew isn't in the form of a question, but the Greek translation of the old testament that the new testament writers used is. In the old testament era, it must have seemed like death had the victory. Northern Israelites were either killed or assimilated into oblivion by Assyria.

In the new testament era, we know that Christ has the victory over death and the grave. The new testament writers quote part of this verse in the context of Christ's resurrection. In Him, we have the victory.

  The end of this verse is perplexing. How can Hosea say that compassion is hidden from God's eyes? The northern kingdom of Israel was soon to be destroyed by Assyria, and God allowed it to happen.



'Lord our God, we're so grateful that when all seems lost, it never is with You. Have compassion on us we pray, for Jesus' sake, amen'


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