Hos 2:14-23 | KingComments | STEP | With this verse a description begins of what God will do to His people in the future. That description continues to the end of the chapter. After the judgments now follow the promises of salvation. The judgment that God must announce and also execute is not His last word to His people. The “therefore” with which the verse begins introduces the blessing, just as the “therefore” of introduces the judgment. The place God chooses to begin blessing is the wilderness. There the people, His wife, must learn that the false gods could not make her rich. In the solitude of the wilderness, alone with the LORD, she will learn where her sin has taken her. There she will feel the lack of the blessings God had given her in His land. This is God’s way with His people to do her well at last. This bringing her into the wilderness is what God does when He lets His people be deported by the Assyrians and scattered in “the wilderness of the nations” ( ). The wilderness is the place where the “youth memories” are reminisced. God can remind them there of the days of old, when Israel in her first love followed Him ( ). The word “wilderness” here in Hosea and the quotation of “Egypt” in the following verse point to a historical similarity with the time of Israel’s departure from Egypt. Just as God then commanded the people to leave Egypt, go into the wilderness, and begin the journey to the promised land, so will He do in the future. Just as in that time, the time of her first love, the people will be brought back into the “wilderness”. There God will test it, judge it and cleanse it, so that it will find the way of blessing and will regain possession of the land. Many will be judged. Only a remnant will effectively come there. This was also the case with the exodus from Egypt on the way to the promised land. The bodies of many have fallen in the wilderness. It is remarkable how this judgment of scattering is presented here, namely as a matter of divine love. God says He “will allure” her there and “speak kindly to her”, or literally “speak to her heart”. He “allures” her. He does not drag her into the wilderness. The word for “allure” contains the thought of “persuading by means of attractive benefits”. Behind the coercion of scattering, which is necessary because of her unfaithfulness, lies God’s love. God wants His people to be only for Him again. “To speak kindly” means to speak to someone in a friendly, encouraging, comforting way. The same expression is used in Isaiah 40 and Ruth 2, where it is also meant to put the other person at ease ( ; ). Just as for Israel the wilderness is a picture of scattering among the nations, for us the wilderness is a picture of the place where God tests and forms us. In our personal life, after deviating from the path with the Lord, restoration often begins because we end up in trial. We discover that life without God does not give the satisfaction we expected from it. We have disappointing experiences. Life starts to look like a wilderness. There is nothing ‘edible’ to be found, nothing that can really give a person satisfaction. But then we also discover that God has ‘allured’ us into that trial and wants to ‘speak kindly’ in it. This is how God does it, also with us, because He loves His own.

‏ Hosea 2:14-23

God Is Going to Allure His People

With this verse a description begins of what God will do to His people in the future. That description continues to the end of the chapter. After the judgments now follow the promises of salvation. The judgment that God must announce and also execute is not His last word to His people. The “therefore” with which the verse begins introduces the blessing, just as the “therefore” of Hos 2:6 ; 9 introduces the judgment.

The place God chooses to begin blessing is the wilderness. There the people, His wife, must learn that the false gods could not make her rich. In the solitude of the wilderness, alone with the LORD, she will learn where her sin has taken her. There she will feel the lack of the blessings God had given her in His land. This is God’s way with His people to do her well at last.

This bringing her into the wilderness is what God does when He lets His people be deported by the Assyrians and scattered in “the wilderness of the nations” (Eze 20:35-36). The wilderness is the place where the “youth memories” are reminisced. God can remind them there of the days of old, when Israel in her first love followed Him (Jer 2:2). The word “wilderness” here in Hosea and the quotation of “Egypt” in the following verse point to a historical similarity with the time of Israel’s departure from Egypt. Just as God then commanded the people to leave Egypt, go into the wilderness, and begin the journey to the promised land, so will He do in the future.

Just as in that time, the time of her first love, the people will be brought back into the “wilderness”. There God will test it, judge it and cleanse it, so that it will find the way of blessing and will regain possession of the land. Many will be judged. Only a remnant will effectively come there. This was also the case with the exodus from Egypt on the way to the promised land. The bodies of many have fallen in the wilderness.

It is remarkable how this judgment of scattering is presented here, namely as a matter of divine love. God says He “will allure” her there and “speak kindly to her”, or literally “speak to her heart”. He “allures” her. He does not drag her into the wilderness. The word for “allure” contains the thought of “persuading by means of attractive benefits”.

Behind the coercion of scattering, which is necessary because of her unfaithfulness, lies God’s love. God wants His people to be only for Him again. “To speak kindly” means to speak to someone in a friendly, encouraging, comforting way. The same expression is used in Isaiah 40 and Ruth 2, where it is also meant to put the other person at ease (Isa 40:2; Rth 2:13).

Just as for Israel the wilderness is a picture of scattering among the nations, for us the wilderness is a picture of the place where God tests and forms us. In our personal life, after deviating from the path with the Lord, restoration often begins because we end up in trial.

We discover that life without God does not give the satisfaction we expected from it. We have disappointing experiences. Life starts to look like a wilderness. There is nothing ‘edible’ to be found, nothing that can really give a person satisfaction. But then we also discover that God has ‘allured’ us into that trial and wants to ‘speak kindly’ in it. This is how God does it, also with us, because He loves His own.

A Door of Hope

The return from the wilderness in the land is depicted with beautiful words by Solomon in the book of Song of Songs: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?” (Song 8:5). Here we see Israel, no longer leaning on her own strength, but on her Beloved. He spoke to her heart and promised her blessings. That is why she is coming out of the wilderness.

The comfort that the LORD has for His people is not only expressed in words. In His grace He will also give her access to His blessings. They are blessings which He has first given her and then taken away from her. Now that she has learned that all blessings come only from God, she may accept them again from God’s hand. In His grace He even calls the vineyards “her vineyards”. Here the vineyards represent the blessings of the land of Canaan.

“The valley of Achor” is a reminder of God’s judgment on sin (Jos 7:1 ; 24-26). When Israel has executed this judgment on the sin that happened among them by God’s command, the door that gives access to the blessing can be opened again. Thus, a “sorrow” – that is what Achor means – becomes a door of hope (cf. Isa 65:10).

It is also true for us personally. The valley where we confess and condemn our sin becomes a place of hope. A valley speaks of humiliation. Humiliation, judging our sins, is the starting point of re-experiencing fellowship with God. In Golgotha we see this place of judgment at its deepest level, but where the door of hope is also opened wide.

If Israel is allowed to possess the blessings of the land again in the future, she will “sing”, as she did at the Red Sea after her redemption from the bondage of Egypt (Exo 15:1 ; 21a). This is the song “in the days of her youth”.

With the blessings she will enjoy again in the future, she will experience the joy of her first rescue and redemption again. Grace gives a new beginning to her history, which is accompanied by unshakeable blessings. The freshness of this renewed youth, which will dawn for the whole people, will then no more be lost.

Ishi (My Husband)

In the future, when God has again won His people over to Himself in grace, He will be like a Husband for them. He no longer will be ‘my Master’ (Baali) for them and will no longer be addressed as such. It is possible that Israel has come to address the LORD as Baal. If the people still hold on to a connection with God, but the love for Him is no longer present, He is seen as one of the many gods to whom one submits. As far as Israel is concerned, this situation will come to an end in the future. Then Israel will be in the true love relationship with Him again (Isa 54:5).

Also within Christianity there is the idea that God is an uncompromising Ruler, Whose unyielding will no one can escape. God wants to put an end to this situation, which makes the life of many Christians an extremely somber affair. These Christians live, so to speak, in the Achor valley, but without knowing the door of hope that this valley also holds. They always see God as a God who is angered about sin, their sin. But it seems as if they are blind to the door that God is opening at that very moment.

God wants to make them happy, thankful Christians who are allowed to know Him and address Him as Father, instead of ‘a God who constantly angers’. Anyone who only knows God as an angry Ruler has a one-sided and therefore false perception of Him. God is thereby put on a par with the idols who also act entirely arbitrarily, without any affection for their worshippers. Idols are always demanding gods. Whoever presents the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as a merely demanding God, makes a caricature of Him and disregards the giving and forgiving God. In Jesus Christ, God has given everything to make it possible that a human being becomes His child and He Himself to be his Father. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2Cor 9:15).

No More Other Names

Because of her conversion it will be over with her serving the idols. The names of the idols will no longer be mentioned (cf. Psa 16:4). It will be characteristic for the time in which Israel lives again in faithfulness to his God, that other gods will no longer be remembered (Zec 13:2a). The restored people living in the land again will then have written the law in their hearts and act accordingly. They will no longer have any difficulty with the word that was said to them at the Sinai which was subsequently so often broken by them (Exo 23:13).

For us Christians, there is a similar warning in God’s Word: “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and [there must be no] filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Eph 5:3). Who dares to claim that he has never been guilty of one or more of the expressions mentioned? Ambiguous remarks should not come from the mouth of a Christian. Sexual talk does not suit children of God. All sorts of indecent allusions to someone of the other sex are out of the evil one and not out of God. Statements reminiscent of greed are an indication that we are not satisfied with what we have.

Against all those expressions of the flesh, expressions that are characteristic of the world, there is a single other word: “Thanksgiving.” He who thanks is in connection with God as the Giver, the Source of all good gifts and every pure word. God wants us to be in connection with Him alone and to live from that relationship. Then there is no more room for any form of idolatry.

Peace on Earth

In the future realm of peace, the animal world will no longer be characterized by the fear of man that has been there since the fall into sin (Gen 9:2). The peace that Israel will then possess as a people will have its radiance over the entire earth, including the animal realm. Isaiah speaks exuberantly in his prophecy about that time and the then prevailing peace (Isa 11:6-9). What Hosea says here will literally be fulfilled.

There is also an application to be made. In the different animals we can see the instruments of God’s judgments, i.e. the different enemies through whom God chastened His people. When the hostile nations have accomplished their task entrusted to them by God, a covenant will be made with them as well. Thus, they too will share in the blessing that will be Israel’s part (Isa 19:22-25). The war, through the centuries the scourge of the earth and here represented by “the bow, the sword and war” will no longer be there. The LORD will make these things vanish from the earth and war will no longer be taught (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). He will “will make them lie down in safety” which means that His people will live in peace.

Israel Betrothed to God

God speaks here directly to Israel. A new beginning is made, as if Israel has never been unfaithful. It is a new covenant, which replaces the old one, which has been broken by Israel. The new covenant that God then makes with His people is “forever” and will never be broken again. Israel will then no longer wander away from God because God’s law is written in their hearts.

The basis of this relationship is multiple. First and foremost is “in righteousness and in justice”. Herein is expressed the perfect legal basis for this marriage. It is not a relationship in which sin has been condoned. All the unfaithfulness of the people has been judged righteously by God, while a remnant has been spared because of the work of His Son. To this remnant, that confesses Jesus as the Christ, God will fulfill all His promises. Because God’s righteousness has been fully fulfilled through Christ, Christ is also entitled to the fulfillment of His promises. He is in His right when He takes the people back to be His bride.

In addition to righteousness and justice, “lovingkindness and … compassion” underlie the restoration of the relationship between the LORD and His bride. In this way it is expressed that God cares for His bride with His whole heart. This points to God’s mind for His people and His compassion with the wretched condition in which they have been. What characterizes the relationship between the Messiah and His earthly people is also found in the way the Messiah rules in the realm of peace: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You” (Psa 89:14).

It is difficult for some to understand that the Lord Jesus has two brides, an earthly bride, Israel, and a heavenly bride, the church, “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev 21:9). But we must keep in mind that it is all about metaphors. It is a representation of the relationship between the Lord Jesus and Israel and a representation of the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the church. With both Israel on earth and the church in heaven, the Lord Jesus maintains a close relationship of love and fellowship. That relationship and that bond, which He has both with Israel and with the church, cannot be better represented than by the picture of marriage.

Faithfulness

The fifth characteristic, after the four of the previous verse on which the new relationship between God and His people is based, is “faithfulness”. This characteristic of faithfulness will certainly also apply to the people in their relationship with God. They will no longer be unfaithful to Him. For God, this is always so: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2Tim 2:13).

That He is faithful is also evidenced by the fact that He is the guarantor of all His promises to Israel. He will fulfill them. They will not wander away from the LORD again, because they will really know Him. That is the result of the new heart they will have received, in which God has written His laws (Heb 8:8-12; Jer 31:31-34). It is this knowledge of the LORD that is characteristic of the realm of peace (Isa 11:9). This knowledge is not yet present (Hos 2:8 ; Hos 4:1 ; 6).

The LORD Responds

The heart of the people have been brought back to God. The broken relationship between God and His people has been restored. After the restoration of the inner bond, nothing stands in the way of God’s blessing anymore. But that stream of blessing only comes after the people have asked for it. God wants to make Himself known as a God Who responds. That comes first. Everything else is just its effect. While Israel first saw the blessings of the land as its own possessions, they now acknowledge through their prayer that they are blessings that must come from God, given by grace.

They no longer count on the favor of the idols for their needs. Israel has attributed the blessing to the Baals. Therefore, God has taken this blessing away from them so that they might learn that He is the Giver (Hos 2:7-8). Now there is no place for idols anymore. In the restored relationship with their God, they now make their needs known to Him in prayer. He will answer them, and how! There will be an uninterrupted stream of blessing between the LORD and His earthly people.

Heaven and earth have been separated since man’s fall into sin. Since that time satan has the power (a limited power) on earth (Lk 4:5-6) and appears before God in heaven as the accuser of the believers (Rev 12:10). But in the time of blessing that will then come for Israel, the power of satan will be broken. On earth he can do no more evil during that time (Rev 20:2-3). And heaven, after he is removed from it, will be cleansed of his presence (Rev 12:10).

Then there will be a beautiful harmony between heaven and earth. There will also be a beautiful harmony between sowing and harvesting. The chain of blessing finds its origin in God. The first thing that is said is: “I will respond.” That is what God says and then the blessing begins to flow. Heaven will ask God to give rain to the earth, that is blessing, and God will respond. But the question of heaven comes from the earth. The earth is seen as a person asking for rain from heaven. Heaven will respond and give the blessing.

But also the question of the earth does not stand alone. In turn, the earth is asked for fertility by the grain, the new wine and the oil. That is why the earth asks for rain from heaven. But also the demand of the grain, the new wine and the oil does not stand alone. Jezreel has asked for the fruit of the land. So Jezreel asks first. Jezreel is Israel as it will have been sown in the land by God at that time – see also the explanation at Hosea 1:11. Israel is the object of God’s blessing. Thus, heaven and earth and the fruit of the earth – in the realm of peace – will meet the needs of the people of God.

It is wonderful to see how the prayers are attuned to each other here. All prayers have the same goal, every link in this chain of prayer contributes to this. It is about blessing for God’s people. Heaven is answered by God who will give rain. Because of this, Jezreel will be able to enjoy the blessing of the land as coming out of God’s hand and as a response to prayer.

The content of these prayers has something to say to us. God also wants to bless His present people, the church. Do we pray for that? It is about enjoying what God has already given us. God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ” (Eph 1:3). But Paul prays for the Ephesians that God gives them that they will also enjoy it (Eph 1:16b-19; cf. Col 1:9-10 ; Col 4:2-3). If we were to focus more in our prayers on the content of what Paul is praying, would not God’s true blessing in Christ be enjoyed by us?

Regarding the restoration of Israel in their relationship to the LORD, there is even more result to report. There will not only be a blessing for Israel, but the whole earth will share in that blessing. The whole creation will then be set free from the curse that was placed upon it by the fall into sin. The setting free of creation will be linked to “the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19-21).

When the Lord Jesus returns and that glorious time for Israel and the whole earth will come, He will not come alone. All those who have become sons of God through faith in the Son of God will accompany Him (Rev 19:14). Together with all the believers of the Old Testament and also with all those who are killed in the great tribulation after the church has been raptured, they will “reign with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev 20:4-6).

You Are My People

God has come to His purpose. He has returned His people to His heart and to His land. The people sown by and for Him will enjoy full blessing in fellowship with Him. In that time, the time of the kingdom of peace, the situation which Hosea had to express in his days in the names of his children (Hos 1:4 ; 6 ; 9), will be totally reversed. The phrase ‘God scatters’, the one meaning of ‘Jezreel’, in which His judgment is expressed, is changed into ‘God sows’, the other meaning of ‘Jezreel’. This is how God’s blessing is expressed. The fact that God speaks here of sowing, in addition to the blessing for the seed, also makes us think of multiplying, increasing in number. The people will enjoy the blessing, but will also become very numerous and be spread abroad (Isa 54:3).

Paul quotes this verse in his letter to the Romans (Rom 9:25). In Romans 9 he also quotes Hosea 1:10, as we have seen (Hos 1:10; Rom 9:26). That quote serves to show that God’s grace cannot be limited to the Jew. Quoting Hos 2:23 of Hosea 2 serves another purpose. This verse makes it clear that although grace is shown to Jew and Gentile without distinction, a separate blessing remains for the Jew. That blessing is: restoration in the land.

Peter also refers to this verse in his first letter. He highlights yet another aspect. From his letter it appears that he writes to converted Jews who are “scattered” (1Pet 1:1). He writes to them: “For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1Pet 2:10). With this Peter refers to Hos 2:23 here. With this he wants to make it clear that the believing Jews to whom he writes are already in the relationship with God that the whole people will only have in the future.

As Jews by nature, the judgment that God revealed in Hosea rests upon them. As converted Jews, they have already been accepted as God’s people and have already received His mercy. It is also true that through their faith in the Lord Jesus they have joined the church, but that fact is not mentioned here by Peter. It is for him to show his Jewish brethren what they have received from God through faith in the Messiah.

As we have already seen with the name ‘Jezreel’, here also the other names mentioned in Hosea 1, “Lo-ruhamah” and “Lo-ammi”, are changed for the better by God’s grace. In Hosea 1 they mean judgment. Here they get a positive meaning, reminiscent of mercy and blessing. God takes care of Lo-ruhamah, which means ‘no compassion’. To Lo-ammi, which means ‘not My people’, He says: “You are My people.”

With so much goodness, the people can only cry out: “My God.” In doing so, they express all the feelings of gratitude, admiration and praise that fill their hearts. This is reminiscent of what we read of Thomas. Thomas is a picture of the remnant, which only comes to faith when it sees the risen Lord. But when Thomas sees Him, he says, filled with reverence and awe: “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28).