Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished
Say
ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. Hos. 2:1
Say ye unto... The 4th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 2:1-23: Hos. 2:1-13 fulfilled; Hos. 2:14-23 unfulfilled). Next, Hos. 3:1.
Eighteen Predictions—Fulfilled:
1. I will not have mercy upon her children (Hos. 2:4).
2. I will hedge up your way with thorns, and make a wall, that she will not find her paths (Hos. 2:6).
3. She will follow after her lovers, but she will not overtake them (Hos. 2:7).
4. She will seek them, but shall not find them.
5. Then she will say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then it was better with me than now.
6. I will return, and take away My corn in the time thereof (Hos. 2:9).
7. I will take away My wine.
8. I will recover My wool and My flax that I gave to cover her nakedness.
9. I will discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers (Hos. 2:10).
10. None will deliver her out of My hand.
11. I will cause all her mirth to cease.
12. I will cause her feast days to cease.
13. I will cause her new moons to cease.
14. I will cause her sabbaths to cease.
15. I will cause her solemn feasts to cease (Hos. 2:11).
16. I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, and make them a forest (Hos. 2:12).
17. The beasts of the field will eat them.
18. I will visit upon her the days of Baalim (Hos. 2:13).
Twenty-four Predictions—Unfulfilled:
1. I will allure her (Hos. 2:14).
2. I will bring her into the wilderness.
3. I will speak comfortably unto her.
4. I will give her vineyards from thence.
5. I will give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope (Hos. 2:15).
6. She will sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as the day when she came out of the land of Egypt.
7. In that day you will call Me Ishi; you will call Me Baali no more (Hos. 2:16).
8. I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth (Hos. 2:17).
9. They will be remembered by their name no more.
10. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the fowls of heaven, and the creeping things of the ground (Hos. 2:18).
11. I will break the bow and sword and the battle out of the earth.
12. I will make them lie down safely.
13. I will betroth you unto Me forever (Hos. 2:19).
14. I will betroth you in righteousness, judgment, lovingkindness, and mercies.
15. I will even betroth you unto Me in faithfulness (Hos. 2:20).
16. You will know the Lord.
17. In that day I will hear the heavens.
18. The heavens will hear the earth.
19. The earth will hear the corn, wine, and oil (Hos. 2:21-22).
20. They will hear Jezreel (Hos. 2:22).
21. I will sow her unto Me in the earth.
22. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy (Hos. 2:23).
23. I will say to them which are not My people, You are My people.
24. They will say, You are my God.
The above predictions of Israel being redeemed again and becoming the wife of Jehovah a second time will be fulfilled in the last three and a half years of this age. The prophecy should be studied in connection with Rev. 12:1-17—a passage with similar predictions of Israel going into the wilderness where God will plead with them like He did through Moses and Aaron in coming out of Egypt.
Say ye unto... Many interpreters consider this verse as being connected with the preceding chapter, thus: When that general restoration of the Jewish nation shall take place, you may change your language in speaking to those of your brethren and sisters whom I had before disowned, and you may call them Ammi, my people, and Ruhamah, she that hath obtained mercy.
The words form a climax of the love of God. First, the people scattered, unpitied, and disowned by God, is re-born of God; and then it is declared to be in continued relation to God, "My people;" then to be the object of his yearning love.
to your sisters... Only one daughter and two sons (Hos. 2:3-4, 2:6, 2:8-9).
These words were spoken to a segment of the restored nation of the future (cf. Hos. 2:23), viewed as a group of children (say and your are pl. in Heb.). They were told to proclaim to their brothers and sisters (other Israelites) that the nation’s relationship with the Lord had been reestablished. The Lord then addressed them as My people (‛ammı̂; cf. Hos. 1:9) and My loved one (rūhāmâh; cf. Hos. 1:6). Long before Hosea, Moses had predicted such a change in the Lord’s attitude (Deut. 30:1-9). After describing the nation’s future exile (Deut. 30:1), Moses promised that their repentance would result in a renewal of the Lord’s compassion (Deut. 30:2-3, rāham) and a return to the land (Deut. 30:4-9). Long after Hosea, the Apostle Paul also foresaw this time of Israel’s restoration (Rom. 11:25-32).
In summary, Hos. 1:10-2:1 contains a marvelous prophecy of Israel’s future restoration, in which the effects of the Lord’s judgment will be totally reversed. The nation that suffered defeat at Jezreel and was called “not loved” and “not My people” will take part in the great “day of Jezreel” and hear the Lord say, “My people” and “[My] loved one.” The covenant promises to Abraham (of numerous descendants) and David (of eternal kingship) will be fulfilled when the covenant ideal predicted by Moses will be realized.
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