Israel's Spiritual Adultery
Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Ammi means "my people", say unto my people: and to your sisters, Ruhamah, meaning "mercy". Say to my people to show mercy.
Hosea 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
Plead with your mother, who was my wife, but her heart is elsewhere, neither am I her husband: literally; bring charges against or confront her with her sins. Let her repent of her whoredoms and return to her spiritual marriage. Referring to Israel and her loving other idols, leaving her covenant God and spiritual husband. Let me add, that we are not to be looking to accuse people of wrongs, but we do have the responsibility to try to restore those we see falling into sin.
1 Cor 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Cor 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1 Cor 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
1 Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
The LORD is speaking. When he speaks we had better hear and obey him.
Hosea 2:3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
God who blessed her, is bound by the old covenant of the law to curse her if she leaves him and does evil in his sight. Strip her naked, revealing her sins, make her as a wilderness, alone in a dry place and slay her with thirst. There are some would be Christians who enjoy cursing others, accusing and seeing faults, as if they were without sin. Do not abuse the grace of God, by acting as a judge of others. Judgement begins in us first. There is plenty to clean up in our own hearts and our own clouded vision. Show grace and seek to restore the lost and do not be quick to judge others. God is our judge and only God can bless or curse. Nothing can satisfy like fellowship with our LORD.
We are supposed to be spirit filled with living water coming out of our innermost being. He spoke that the adulterous woman will be dry and that thirst will overcome her. Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well.
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus offered this spiritual water to a woman of whoredoms, as were his people Israel, spiritually unfaithful and promiscuous. He did not come to condemn her. He cares for lost souls. He desired for her to repent and come to God and Jesus and be given the living waters of his spiritual presence. He knew her needs; we know needs by the Holy Spirit. Some quote the word, but use it to condemn and accuse, these are not of God's Spirit. Jesus came to restore that which was lost. He is gentle and kind.
1 Pet 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Pet 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Those of us who like to condemn sinners, had better repent; we are to warn them, but not condemn them. We are to be like Jesus who showed mercy and grace to the woman caught in adultery.
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
John 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
John 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
John 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Apart from grace, they were under the law. Every sin under the law had a judgement.
Hosea 2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
The word "bastard" refers to a child of adultery or fornication. It was a word of shame, but because this sin is so wide spread today, we do not use this term, except as a curse word. Now we are to be "tolerant", but we see God's view of this in Hosea. Are you a Christian? Are you under his grace? Then your soul is saved, but God is not pleased with adulterous behavior. Are children born of fornication or adultery cursed now? If one parent in a marriage is a Christian, then the children are holy to the LORD.
1 Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
If the children continue in the sins of the adulterous parent, they will be judged by God.
Hosea 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
The spirit of whoredom seeks after material things, flesh things above relationships of honor and trust. The mother in this verse is Israel the nation and the children are the individuals who live there. A nation may be judged by God, which affects all the children. Some may be children of faith. If so, God will be their strength. We of faith are to pray for our nation.
Hosea 2:6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
Woe to a people apart from God. They sin for a season and prosper, but the time of God's withdrawing will come and their blessings will no longer be there. God places a curse on the disobedient who are apart from him, choosing a life of sin. Moses however, chose to be with his people above the riches and power of Egypt.
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Hosea 2:7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
Again, God is the husband and adulterous Israel is the woman. This is as the story of the prodigal son. He had squandered his inheritance, ran out of friends, even ate the pig slop until he repented; only Israel did not repent. If we are to receive of God we must repent and come to the Father, through Jesus. The prodigal son returned and was received by the father.
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
His older brother was not pleased that he returned. This is as the vengeful church member who knows of someones past sin, and will not forgive them. We have been forgiven much and are to seek to restore and forgive the sinner. We are not to get in the way of their restoration by our foolish actions. Love suffers long. Forgiveness may require suffering in order to restore the wayward one.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
We must be directed by the Holy Spirit, not by our flesh minds.
Hosea 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
God, Israel's spiritual covenant husband and provider, supplied her with all the blessings that she gave to other gods.
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Hosea 2:9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
God keeps his covenant promises with Israel. Because she has turned to other gods, the LORD must turn from her and remove his blessings.
Deu 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Deu 11:17 And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
Hosea 2:10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
She will be seen for what she is. God has hands of mercy and grace, or hands to correct and chasten. Will we be in his hands bowing to another god? I fear that many serve themselves and give lip service to the LORD who holds them in his hands. If we will not repent, we will be corrected by him. Israel's correction would be severe under the law. We who are under grace will be corrected as well. Some may not be under grace because they are not truly of the Lord's New Covenant. Your lack of deep rooted faith will be exposed to you and for others to see.
1 Pet 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Hosea 2:11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
Hosea 2:12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
All the feasts shall cease, the days of observing the LORD in a special way. Look around now at our nation. The Holy days (the holidays) are being removed and not honored. Christmas and Easter have lost their meaning in the world. The world is afraid to say Christmas, because of the spirit of the age; the antichrist spirit. The nation of Israel was being punished, losing it's purpose and joy, even the economy would get bad. The land will be turned back to overgrown weeds and forests, with wild animals shall eat what crops that remain. Israel would be taken captive and taken to other lands.
Hosea 2:13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.
Judg 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: (heathen gods and idols)
Judg 2:12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
Judg 2:13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
Restoration of Israel in the last days
Our LORD does not give bad news without also giving hope. Israel would be restored again in the last days, beginning with the return to their homeland in 1948, following the holocaust destruction of six million Jews. From evil, the LORD will bring good to those who trust in him.
Hosea 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
I will allure, open wide the way, and bring her into the wilderness, a place of privacy, and speak comfort to her.
Hosea 2:15 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.
Vineyards will be restored in the land. The valley of Achor, meaning "trouble", will be for a door of hope. Hope: expectation; something yearned for and eagerly anticipated. God's blessings on the land will change it from Achor, "trouble, to the door of hope. When the LORD opens a door we must go through it to receive His blessings. Joy and singing will come back as the days of your youth as you were freed from captivity from Egypt. This is the expression of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Remember where you came from and rejoice in the LORD. Israel will again return to their promise land of blessing and like Abraham, spiritual Israel will go into that heavenly city. We also can apply joy and hope to our life in Christ Jesus. We follow his lead through open doors of opportunity and service, hoping and trusting in Him for our future home with him in glory. Continue in faith and overcome this life by your faith and hope. We walk in His Spirit and do His will.
Hosea 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Ishi refers to "my husband" whereas Baali refers a husband of "ownership". In Ishi, the relationship of a wife to a husband is of intimate fellowship. Baali, is the ownership of a wife as a piece of property. These are as different as being the bride of Christ or the property of "Baal" or the devil. Jesus bought us from the slave ownership of the devil and has given to us intimate fellowship in him, through the Holy Spirit.
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
He purchased us, who were the property of the devil and he has loved us and set us free. We choose to serve him of our own free will.
Hosea 2:17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
The worship of Baal would be removed from the land. It was not of the LORD, for It was seeking after material things, sensuality and witchcraft; prosperity messages, unbridled lusts and spiritual empowerment, in ways not of God. God's people are to seek holiness and put off the evil from among them.
Hosea 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
During the millennial reign of Jesus.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Hosea 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
They would be betrothed, given new vows and a new covenant. The new creation will be known by righteousness, judgment, loving kindness and mercies. The Lord is faithful and we shall know him intimately; not as property, but as a loving bride to her faithful loving husband.
Hosea 2:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
Hosea 2:22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
God will hear the needs of Israel. The earth shall hear and not reject, the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel "God will sow".
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Hosea 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
The LORD will sow Israel unto him in the earth; there will be an increase, for He shall have mercy and grace upon all who will receive of him. There will be one people calling upon the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
1 Pet 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1 Pet 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The LORD will have mercy on Israel and the Gentiles who receive him by faith.
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