Wilderness Answers From Hosea
Our passage today comes from the book of Hosea, specifically Hosea 2:14-23 (KJV). Often we go through tough times, times that are like the wilderness that the children of Israel traveled through after their release from captivity. Wilderness times are often times of discomfort and testing, but the Lord always has something good for us if we go through it with Him.
14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
God brings us into the wilderness to speak comfort to us, to our hearts. It is a time of silence to hear God.
15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
He brings us to the wilderness to bless us and make us fruitful. He draws us to Himself to give us hope and show us an open door to bring us out and into a better thing. And we’ll sing as we remember our deliverance from bondage. Egypt speaks of bondage.
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Ishi means husband and Baali speaks of false worship. In the wilderness, we are drawn to him as a bride is to her husband and false worship is no more. The wilderness is a place of intimacy where we learn to worship God alone.
17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
God will use wilderness times to erase our memory of the things we used to worship. God alone will be esteemed and worshipped.
18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
God brings us into freedom; a covenant of freedom. His victory makes us safe.
19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
In Bible times, betrothal was a covenant commitment that was just as binding and marriage. God will restore us to a covenant relationship with Him. That relationship makes us righteous, where we have right standing with God. In His judgment and justice, He will make all things right. He will bind and unite us with His love and mercies so that we’ll remain faithful to Him.
20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
All of this will lead us to know the Lord. We’ll have a new beginning and we’ll know God in a new and better way. Verses 19-20 refer to the gifts God gives us for being His bride- righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, mercies, and an intimate relationship with Him.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; 22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. 23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
God brought us out of bondage, into the wilderness, and into what He promised us. In this passage, corn speaks of abundance, wine refers to a fresh filling, and oil represents a new anointing. These are all promised to those who will follow the Lord through the wilderness. And God will call us His very own people and we will call Him our God. The wilderness may be uncomfortable, but God makes it all worthwhile.
