Morning Manna | Hosea 2:14-15 | Vineyards from thence

Hosea 2:14-15

14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. 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.

Hosea was writing to the nation of Israel. By this time the nation was totally given over to idolatry, and God used Hosea to not only write about Israel's whoredoms, but the prophet's life was used as an illustration. He took a wife of whoredoms and had children with her, and all of this was to illustrate what Israel had done to their "Husbandman" God. If you read the beginning of chapter 2, you'll see that Israel had begun to think that these false gods were feeding them, clothing them, and making their life rich, but all along it had been God blessing them despite their sinfulness. So God begins to take away all the things he blessed them with; he vows that he will set thorns in her path, strip her of her clothing, take away her food, and all the richness of life in Israel. So it is to this day, as the bride of Christ, we too can commit such whoredoms. John told us in the NT to keep ourselves from idols, yet many times we run to those little gods of pleasure, power, and prestige. Deceived, we assume that this life's richness is from our own devices. God will not allow his children to walk in such whoredoms; he will take away your joy, your peace, your riches, whatever he must, even strip you naked if need be, but we are not permitted to live as such for very long.

"I will allure her"

That's where our verse today comes in. After God had chastened her, he began again to allure her, bring her into the wilderness, and bless her again. What a wonderful truth! That all along God had peaceable thoughts toward this adulterous woman. When he was stripping her, starving her, and making her weep, it was all to the end that he could draw her unto himself and restore her. He says "I will allure her," the voice that she had ignored for so long can be heard again! He says "And from thence bring her into the desert," she has been passed back and forth between all the men in town, uncared for, unloved, and misused, but God calls her away to be with him and him alone. Then he vows to "Speak comfortably" to her, all the chastening is over, and he doesn't bring her out there to rail on her but love on her! Can't you see yourself in these verses? I have many times allowed other loves to take me away from my Lord. At times, I've given my heart to self, other times to sin, ambition, and even hobbies. God being a jealous God began to hedge me in with thorns, remove my joys, my peace, and whatever was necessary. Yet after his hand chastened me, he wrapped me up in his arms again, the voice I so long had ignored began to draw me away to be his and his alone again, and he never brings up what he has dealt with but is sure to remind me of his love for me that spurred the chastening in the first place!

Then amazingly, the dessert is turned into an oasis, "I will give her vineyards from thence." The valley of Achor[trouble] is now a door of hope and weeping is replaced with singing, "She shall sing there as in the days of her youth." Our verses today show us the wisdom, benefit, and mercy of God's chastening hand. He loves us too much to let us run after other gods. Where are you today? Has this season of life been spent running after everything but your Lord? Rest assured he will take away everything that is taking you away from him. He will turn your feasts into famine, your fine linen into sackcloth, and your clear path into a labyrinth all to the end that he might turn your dessert into an oasis, restore your song, and give you vineyards instead of flagons. "Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things." [Psalm 72:18]