portrays the history o$ !srael as a love story bet&een 'od and his people. !

n this passage# though#to the day o$ his deathI&Ul$ Propheten# p. =03. Dor -atthe&# the prophet is spea,ing here o$ %hristLthe true son. !t is he &ho" the Dather loves and calls out o$ Egypt. Dor the evangelist# the history o$ !srael begins a$resh &hen Fesus returns $ro" Egypt to the )oly Land. !sraelKs $irst ho"eco"ing $ro" the land o$ slavery had in "any respects been a $ailure. )osea tells us that in response to the $atherKs call# the .son/ ran a&ay1 .The "ore ! called the"# the "ore they &ent $ro" "e/ 211123. This running a&ay $ro" the call to liberation leads to a ne& $or" o$ slavery1 .They shall return to the land o$ Egypt and Assyria shall be their ,ing because they have re$used to return to "e/ 2111=3. Thus !srael constantly $inds itsel$ bac, in Egypt# as it &ere. Aith the $light into Egypt and the return to the pro"ised land# Fesus grants the de$initive E@odus. )e is truly the on. )e is not going to run a&ay $ro" the Dather. )e returns ho"e# and he leads others ho"e. )e is al&ays on the path to&ard 'od and thus he leads the &ay bac, $ro" e@ile to the ho"eland# bac, to all that is authentic and true. Fesus# the true on# hi"sel$ &ent into .e@ile/ in a very deep sense# in order to lead all o$ us ho"e $ro" e@ile. -atthe& ends his short account o$ the slaughter o$ the innocents# &hich $ollo&s the $light into Egypt# &ith another prophetic te@t# this ti"e ta,en $ro" Fere"iah1 .A voice is heard in (a"ah# la"entation and bitter &eeping. (achel is &eeping $or her childrenT she re$uses to be co"$orted $or her children# because they are not/ 2<111=T c$. 4t 211;3. Fere"iah situates these &ords in the conte@t o$ a prophecy $illed &ith hope and Moy# in &hich the prophet con$idently announces the restoration o$ !srael1 .)e &ho scattered !srael &ill gather hi"# and &ill ,eep hi" as a shepherd ,eeps his $loc,. Dor the Lord has ranso"ed Facob# and has redee"ed hi" $ro" hands too strong $or hi"/ 2<1110$.3. The entire chapter probably dates $ro" the early period o$ Fere"iahKs &or,# &hen on the one hand the decline o$ the Assyrian E"pire and on the other the cultic re$or"s o$ Hing Fosiah had revived hopes $or a restoration o$ the northern ,ingdo" o$ !sraelLa territory populated largely by the tribes o$ Foseph and 8enMa"in# the children o$ (achel. !n Fere"iahKs te@t# then# i""ediately a$ter the la"ent o$ the "other o$ those tribes# there is a &ord o$ consolation1 .Thus says the Lord1 NHeep your voice $ro" &eeping# and your eyes $ro" tearsT $or your &or, shall be re&arded# says the Lord# and they shall co"e bac, $ro" the land o$ the ene"yK / 2<111?3. !n -atthe&# &e $ind t&o changes vis545vis the prophet1 in Fere"iahKs day# (achelKs to"b &as situated on the 8enMa"inite5Ephrai"ite border# that is# on the border o$ the northern ,ingdo"# the tribal territory o$ (achelKs sonsLnot $ar# as it happens# $ro" the ho"e o$ the prophet. till during 0ld Testa"ent ti"es# the to"b &as "oved south# to the 8ethlehe" area# and that is &here it &as $or -atthe&. The second change is that the evangelist o"its the consoling pro"ise o$ a return ho"e1 only the la"ent is 7uoted# the "other re"ains unconsoled. o in -atthe&Ks version# the prophetic te@tLthe "otherKs la"ent &ithout the consoling responseLis li,e a as, &hat sort o$ people they &ere# (t ed the# cry to 'od hi"sel$# a plea $or consolation that does not co"e and is still a&aited# a plea to &hich only 'od can respond. Dor the only true consolation that is "ore than "ere &ords &ould be the resurrection. 0nly in the resurrection could the &rong be overco"e# and that bitter la"ent .they are not/ be silenced. !n our o&n day# the "othersK cry to 'od continues unabated# yet at the sa"e