We stopped at Hosea 1:9 to appreciate the harvest of spiritual harlotry. Israel left her Husband for other lovers
which she counted on to meet her needs.
Her Husband did not stop her. But
at the same time, He has a word for her.
The marriage is not over. There
will be mercy and those who are not His people will again be His people. Clearly this speaks of a future time.
o
1:10: it is a time when Israel is an innumerable
people.
o
1:10: it is a time when Israel is in a right
relationship with God.
o
1:11: it is a time when Judah and Israel are
together with One head.
It
is a future day of Jezreel when
Israel will experience things that to this day they have not experienced as a
nation. People of Israel today who are
believers in Christ experience this in the Church (1 Peter 2:9-10). But the nation today is not right with God
and not under the Messiah, the Son of God and Son of David.
Hosea 2:2-23 details
how the nation, engaged in spiritual harlotry, will again be the faithful
wife? The answer is in two movements, if
you will. First, Israel will be
punished, deprived of her needs (2:2-13).
Then her Husband will come seek to draw her back to Himself (2:14-23).
·
2:2-13: Israel is punished.
o
2:2-3: First God appeals to the children to
convince their mother to put away her harlotries. The consequences are stark: She is not My wife, nor am I her Husband. If she will not return she will suffer
terribly; she will have no satisfaction of the soul but will be always dry and
thirsty.
o
2:4-5: Her children, the citizens of the nation,
suffer because they are born in harlotry.
She seeks from her customers
what her Husband would gladly provide.
This is what idolatry is: turning from God and depending on ourselves
for joy and peace. In the end we have neither
because we chose to look away from the One who loves us.
o
2:6-8: Now the LORD becomes involved in her life
to frustrate her idolatrous plans. How
often do we see our plans fail? The
question is, do we ever think that the failure is God speaking to us, calling
us to trust in Him rather than in our money or ingenuity or friends?
o
2:9-11: As the LORD frustrates Israel she will
be ashamed before her lovers who do
not really love her. Both Israel and
Judah turned to Egypt for help again their enemies. This is the type of thing God has in mind.
o
2:12-13: Whatever benefits (wages) Israel
receives for her harlotry will be placed in a bag full of holes. Why?
Because she forgot the One, the only One, who could satisfy her needs.
Again, stop and
consider how God seeks to get our attention through failures and
frustrations. Is God lovingly seeking us
by allowing our plans to fail?
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