Articles
Betrothed To The Lord
“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In favor and in compassion” (Hosea 2:19 NASV). The relationship of marriage is sacred. The union of one man and one woman, one husband and one wife, was given by the Lord to Adam and Eve in the very beginning of creation. Jesus placed the stamp of divine authority on His Father’s will when He said to the Pharisees: “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.” Faithfulness was God’s intention from the beginning. What about Hosea? Hosea married Gomer, a wife of harlotry because the Lord said to. This relationship mirrored God’s relationship with Israel (for historical context see 2 Kings 14-17 and 2 Chronicles 26-29). However difficult the union between Hosea and Gomer must have been, the greater object lesson was for Israel, the unfaithful wife; God’s own people had been playing the harlot for a long time.
When Israel initially reached the Promise Land, they found idolaters. These idolaters were also farmers. Fertility, crops, and abundance were tied to farming which was tied to the worship of false gods. Baal worship was prominent. Ritual fornication and bestiality practiced high on the mountain tops would bring blessings to the idolaters. Israel soon joined their new neighbors, believing that the bounty from these relationships were blessings; in fact, the wool, flax, oil, and drink soon turned to thorns. The devil can glamorize sin. The shiny bobbles of gold and silver decorating the festivals of worship in the presence of Baal soon vanished. “I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she used to offer sacrifices to them and adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry, and follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,” declares the Lord” (2:13).
The Valley of Achor was the place where Achan was stoned to death after pilfering goods during the taking of Jericho. The valley was the site of punishment and sin; now, even in Achor, would Israel find a thread of hope. God sought the repentance and restoration of His unfaithful children. A new, fresh day would come for Israel. “And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali” (2:16 KJV). I will again be your husband; you will recognize this new relationship; you will turn away from Baal. “For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, so that they will no longer be mentioned by their names” (2:17).
The threat of God removing compassion from His people was real; now, though, the Lord holds out hope once again for His people. “I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’ ” (2:23). This passage is quoted twice in the New Testament; once by Paul (Romans 9:25) and once by Peter (1 Peter 2:10). We should tremble in fear of the Lord saying: You are not my people! We should rejoice and worship and pray when the Lord says: You are my people! Hosea prophesied that the Gentiles would be part of God’s kingdom. That includes you and me.
