Hosea surely is now going to divorce Gomer? It seems not! Even though he has forgotten him:-
“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achora door of hope. There she will respondas in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt”. (Hosea 2 v 14-15)
His response is he is going to allure her. This is a powerful response to his wife who had been allured by sin. Hosea is moving in purity towards his wife. Her Saviour (the meaning of Hosea) will attract her to himself. She will want his saving work before he is finished. She will no longer forget him.
- Are we still allured by Jesus? Do we still long for Him?
He will lead her into the wilderness. Not necessarily literally but into a solitary place just for the two of them. Alone. Away from the other men.
- Do you feel the call to come away with Jesus and to be still, on retreat with Him?
He will speak tenderly to her. Literally this means ‘to speak to her heart’. She needs to hear His words directly to the core of her being to soften it, to comfort it and to change it.
- What are you hearing from the Lord? What is He saying to you?
He will give back what has been taken. He had caused the ruining of her vineyards but now He will restore them. He will give back. He will make her prosper again.
- What has been stolen from you?
He will fill her with hope. The Valley of Achor was the last place to become a door of hope. It was a place of failure as the whole of Israel knew. The place where Achan and his family were judged and killed as punishment for trying to deceive everyone by keeping the spoils of war leading to Joshua’s army experiencing an embarrassing failure for God took His hand off them. In the place of no hope He gives hope.
- Where is your valley of Achor? See the door of hope.
He expects her to respond as in the early days. Her response to sin will be nothing compared to her response to Him. He will restore the passing years. She will respond like she used to. Her first love will be restored, where she first met Him and loved Him. Some translations say she will respond by singing.
- Are praises flowing from you today?
He is wooing you. He will win you back wherever you are.
Missions Paul 