Hosea 2:16-20

LOVE RECONCILINGISRAEL IS LAVED

TEXT: Hosea 2:16-20

16

And it shall be at that day, saith Jehovah, that thou shalt call me Ishi (That is, My husband), and shalt call me no more Baali (that is, My master).

17

For I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.

18

And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely.

19

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will bethoth thee unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

20

I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know Jehovah.

QUERIES

a.

What day is Hosea speaking of in Hosea 2:16?

b.

Why make a covenant for Israel with the beasts?

c.

When did Jehovah betroth Israel to Himself in righteousness?

PARAPHRASE

And when that day comes, the day when Achor becomes a door of hope, you, Israel, will have become a chastened wife and you will return to Me and dwell with Me and I shall become your Husband, saith Jehovah. You shall no longer be in bondage to your idol-masters, because I will have delivered you from all association with the Baalim. And when this is accomplished, I will remove the curse I put upon all creation in the beginning because of man's sin; I will conquer all the enemies of My people and they shall have peace and safety. At this time I will make a, new marriage covenant with a new people. The character of this new relationship will be righteousness, justice, loving-kindness and abundant mercy. I will display My everlasting faithfulness in this new relationship, and My new people will know Me, each one, personally, and in a new, tender, experiential way!

SUMMARY

This is the shortened perspective again. From the allurement in the former section which refers to the captivity and return, we come in this section to the new relationship established by the Messiah.

COMMENT

Hosea 2:16-17. THOU SHALT CALL ME ISHI. I WILL TAKE AWAY THE NAMES OF THE BAALIM. The phrase, at that day, refers back to the former sectionthe day when the valley of Achor would become a door of hope. When the Suffering Servant of Jehovah came and was punished for our transgressions, His troubling became the door of hope for all mankind; that day refers to the coming of the Messiah. At that time the Israel which has been purged of idolatry by its captivities and allured through all its testing and blessing (culminating in the One in whom we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places) will turn to Jehovah-God in a new relationship of Husband. The church calls God Husband when she stands in right relation to Him. On the other hand people call God Baal when they place the true God on the level of the Baals and worship other gods along with Jehovah, or obliterate the absolute distinction between Jehovah and the Baals. The new life in righteousness which is to belong to this new Israel (cf. Hosea 2:19-20 and Zechariah 13:2 ff) is depicted as the extermination of idols because idolatry was the principle form in which ungodliness manifested itself in Israel.

Hosea 2:18 AND IN THAT DAY WILL I MAKE A COVENANT FOR THEM WITH THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD. AND WILL MAKE THEM TO LIE DOWN SAFELY. That day refers again to the day when God will climax His redemptive labors in Christthe day when He will fulfill the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), swearing, in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. That covenant of redemption for fallen man was uttered first in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), just prior to the pronunciation of God's curse upon man and upon the earth for man's sake. In his innocence man was given dominion over all the earth and over all the creatures of God's creation. But that dominion was taken from man when he fell in sin. Jesus removed the curse that was pronounced upon man (Galatians 3:10-14) and has potentially (though not yet in reality) restored man to his God-given dominion (Hebrews 2:5-18). Jesus did this by becoming Man and living a sinless life in the flesh, condemning sin in the flesh, winning for man the victory and dominion man had previously lost by surrendering to sin in the flesh. God, through Christ, made peace between Himself and man. Man is no longer at enmity against God or the law of God if he is in Christ. Man need no longer fear any enemy if he is in Christ. He is more than conqueror through Christ who loved him. Christ has despoiled the principalities and powers triumphing over them. He has delivered man from the bondage of the devil. What glory it will be when it is all consummated in the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

This figure of speech (taming of the wild beasts and causing war to cease) is a favorite way of the prophets in describing the peace, security and harmony of the coming Messianic kingdom (cf. Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 9:1-7; Isaiah 11:1-10; Isaiah 35:8-10; Ezekiel 34:20-31; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 9:9-10). The Christian now enjoys a peace, security and harmony with God and His purposes which is incomprehensible to the sinner (the peace which passeth understanding) and will, in the future, realize it in all its realness and eternality.

Hosea 2:19-20 AND I WILL BETROTH THEE UNTO ME FOR EVER. IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. IN JUSTICE. IN LOVINGKINDNESS. IN MERCIES. IN FAITHFULNESS. AND THOU SHALT KNOW JEHOVAH. This describes the work of God as He redeems His wife (the covenant people) and changes her into a new woman! Indeed, Ezekiel speaks of the fact that the covenant nation will be given a new heart and a new spirit and resurrected, as it were, from the dead, a new people (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 36:25-26; Ezekiel 37:1 ff). The new covenant people would be cleansed from all impurity (cf. Zechariah 13:1). The mercy of the Lord will be so all-encompassing it will not only forgive, it will forget (cf. Micah 7:18-20; Isaiah 1:18-20) our transgressions. When God performs this work of regeneration in those who will permit Him to do so, those who are betrothed to Him know Him in the fullest sense of the word! Righteousness, justice, lovingkindness and mercy describe the results of God's transforming work in the new Israel; faithfulness of God is the method of bringing it about. God will demonstrate His faithfulness in sending Christ, the Messiah. He will demonstrate His trustworthiness in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the establishment of the church through sending the Holy Spirit. So, through the preaching of the gospel (the good news) of God's faithfulness demonstrated in history through Christ, men will be bethrothed to God forever. Men will know God and be known of Him. Men will know that God is love; that God is truth; that God is above all and in all. Men will know God as Father and Divine Friend. Read the writings of John, the apostle, for a glorious revelation on the knowledge of God, It is through this renewed knowledge of God that we are able to fellowship (share) in His divine nature (cf. 2 Peter 1:3-11; 1 John 1:1-4),

QUIZ

1.

What day is Hosea referring to here in this section?

2.

How did God make a covenant with the beasts? Cite other scriptures.

3.

What did God promise to do for His new Israel? How did He do it?

4.

To what extent is the knowledge of God promised here?