Hosea 2:16-23
16 “And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me my husband
And no longer call Me my Baal.
17 “For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth,
So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.
18 “On that day I will also make a covenant for them
With the animals of the field,
The birds of the sky,
And the crawling things of the ground.
And I will eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
And will let them lie down in safety.
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In favor and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord.
21 “And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
And they will respond to Jezreel.
23 “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!’ ”
The Hope of New Covenant
In that day (v 16-17)
Continuing from the previous passage, a prophecy of Israel’s restoration is given. “In that day” refers to the day when God will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. (1) The people of Israel will call the Lord “my husband,” and they will no longer call Him “my Baal.” In Hebrew, both “my husband” and “my Baal” can refer simply to “husband,” and the word itself is not inherently negative. (2) However, because the expression “my Baal” closely resembles the name of the idol Baal, the women of Israel will no longer use that word. In other words, in the Millennial Kingdom it will become an obsolete term.
In that day (v 18-20)
The people of Israel will no longer suffer harm from wild animals, nor will they suffer the devastation of war. In other words, they will dwell in perfect peace. (1) The Lord will “betroth forever” the people of Israel to Himself. This means that this marriage relationship will continue until the end of history. (2) The Lord will betroth the people of Israel with four promises. It is as though the bridegroom were listing the “bride-price” to be given to the bride’s father. The four promises are “righteousness, justice, favor (covenant-based love), and mercy.” (3) The covenant the Lord makes with the people of Israel is “faithful.”
In that Day (v 21-23)
In that day, the meanings of the names of the people of Israel that appeared in chapter 1 will be reversed. (1) The name Jezreel had two meanings: “the one who scatters” and “the one who sows.” The meaning “the one who scatters” was a prophecy that the people of Israel would receive God’s judgment. However, the day will come when that very name becomes one that prophesies God’s blessing. Seed will be sown in the Promised Land, and it will bear abundant fruit. This is because blessings from both heaven and earth will be poured out upon that land. (2) “The one not loved (Lo-ruhamah)” will become “the one loved by the Lord.” (3) “The one not My people (Lo-ammi)” will be called “My people.” The “reversal of names” written here teaches us that there is hope for every person. We do not have to end our lives as failures. Paul writes, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15). The love of God is offered to every person. Blessed are those who receive it.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, Your words of love are true. Thank You for promising me the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.