Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 14

 

The Lord's Mercy on Israel

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. Hos. 2:14

Therefore, behold, I... Law of Prophetic Perspective (explained below).

The present dispensation of grace comes in between what was predicted to happen, as in Hos. 2:13, and that predicted in Hos. 2:14—between the judgment of God upon Israel which is referred to in Hos. 2:11-13 and the future full restoration of Israel to eternal blessing referred to in Hos. 2:14-23. There are many such examples in Scripture where a long time exists between the events mentioned in two statements. They come under what we call the law of prophetic perspective.

Twenty-six Such Examples in Scripture:

1. The whole pre-Adamite world and the reign of Lucifer and his fall come between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 2:1-25.

2. In the middle of Psm. 118:22, the present dispensation comes in.

3. And in the middle of Isa. 9:6.

4. The middle of Isa. 53:10.

5. The middle of Isa. 61:2.

6. The middle of Lam. 4:22.

7. Between Dan. 9:26 and Dan. 9:27.

8. Between Dan. 11:34 and Dan. 11:35.

9. Between Hos. 2:13 and Hos. 2:14.

10. Between Amos 9:11 and Amos 9:12.

11. Between Mic. 5:2 and Mic. 5:3.

12. Between Hab. 2:13 and Hab. 2:14.

13. Between Zeph. 3:7 and Zeph. 3:8.

14. Between Zec. 9:9 and Zec. 9:10.

15. In the middle of Mal. 3:1.

16. In the middle of Mat. 10:23.

17. In the middle of Mat. 12:20.

18. Between Luke 1:31 and Luke 1:32.

19. In the middle of Luke 21:24.

20. Between Acts 15:14 and Acts 15:16.

21. In the middle of 1Cor. 15:23.

22. In the middle of 1Pet. 1:11.

23. In the middle of Rev. 1:19.

Sometimes two whole dispensations come in between verses or parts thereof. Points 24, 25, and 26 are three such examples:

24. Between Acts 17:30 and Acts 17:31

25. Between the first part of 1Cor. 15:23 and 1Cor. 15:24

26. Between Eph. 1:9 and Eph. 1:10

bring her into... This refers to the flight of the woman of Rev. 12:1-17 into the wilderness. Many other examples could be given, illustrating how important the study of dispensational truth really is.

speak comfortably unto... Twenty things God will do for Israel in the wilderness (Hos. 2:14-23; Rev. 12:6, 12:14):

1. Speak comfortably to her (Hos. 2:14).

2. Give her back her vineyards (Hos. 2:15).

3. Give her the valley of Achor for a door of hope.

4. Bring her back to a spirit of singing.

5. Marry her again (Hos. 2:16).

6. Bring her into a closer relationship with Himself than merely saying My Lord.

7. Take the names of Baalim out of her mouth (Hos. 2:17).

8. Blot out all remembrance of the name of Baalim from her mind.

9. Make a covenant for them with the beasts of the earth (Hos. 2:18).

10. Bring peace to them.

11. Make them safe.

12. Betroth her unto Himself forever (Hos. 2:19).

13. Betroth her in righteousness.

14. In faithfulness (Hos. 2:20).

15. Cause her to know Him.

16. Make them prosperous (Hos. 2:21-22).

17. Make her a plant of His own (Hos. 2:23).

18. Have mercy upon her.

19. Call them His people.

20. Become their God.

speak comfortably unto... The phrase was used of wooing (Gen. 34:3; Judges 19:3; Ruth 2:13). God will restore Israel to Himself.

God will draw her to Him again, is the message in this verse. God punishes His own, when they have sinned, but He is quick to forgive and restore them. He is like a loving parent, who whips a child who is in error, then forgives him and restores him, because he is his own.

The Lord’s Restoration of Israel

Having brought Israel to a place of desperation in which she would again look to Him (cf. Hos. 2:7), the Lord said He would take the next steps in restoring the relationship. Israel’s positive response would lead to covenant renewal and blessing.

Renewed love

In these verses the Lord described His overtures of love and Israel’s future positive response.

The Lord promised to initiate reconciliation with His wayward wife by alluring her. Allure refers here to tender, even seductive, speech. Elsewhere the term describes a man’s seduction of a virgin (Exo. 22:16) and a lover’s attempt to entice a man (Samson) into divulging confidential information (Jdg. 14:15; 16:5). The Lord said He will lead Israel into the desert, where she will be completely separated from past lovers and will be able to concentrate totally on His advances. The reference to the desert recalls Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus. This was sometimes pictured as a time when Israel experienced the Lord’s care in a special way (cf. Hos. 13:5) and when she, in return, loved Him with the devotion of a new bride (Jer. 2:2-3). The allusion to the wilderness also represents a remarkable reversal in the use of the desert motif in this chapter. For the Lord had threatened to make Israel “like a desert” (Hos. 2:3). According to Hos. 2:14 the desert will become the site of His romantic overtures to her. There He will speak tenderly to her (lit., “speak to her heart”; cf. Isa. 40:2). This Hebrew idiom refers to gentle, encouraging words, such as a man speaks to his desired bride (cf. Gen. 34:3; Ruth 2:13). As Mays states, the boldly anthropomorphic language “is astonishing” especially in light of the Bible’s “studied aversion for speaking of God in any sexual terms.” He adds, “it is in this daring kind of portrayal that the passion of God becomes visible - a passion that does not hesitate at any condescension or hold back from any act for the sake of the beloved elect” (Hosea, pp. 44-5).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 16

 Salt and Light

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

“Let your light so shine” as a godly life gives convincing testimony of the saving power of God. That brings Him glory (1Pet. 2:12).

In (verse 4 of John chapter l), it tells us who this Light is. John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” You see, Jesus has brought the Christians out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light.

First John 1:6-7 tells it all.

1Jhn. 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

We are commanded to go out, and let this Light shine brightly, and win the world to Jesus. We should be a Light set on a hill, so that those in darkness (spiritual) might see the Light and be saved. Let people see the good works caused by this great Light being ever present in our lives.

that they may... The purpose of all good works among men is to glorify the heavenly Father (John 14:12-15; 15:7-8; Tit. 2:14; Rev. 4:11).

Fifteen Things that Glorify God:

1. Physical healing (Mat. 9:8; 15:31; Luke 5:25-26; 13:13; Acts 4:21)

2. Physical resurrection (John 11:4)

3. Christ’s work of redemption (John 13:3-32)

4. Answered prayer (John 14:13)

5. Bearing much fruit (John 15:8)

6. Completing God’s work (John 17:4)

7. Salvation of Gentiles (Acts 13:48)

8. Miracles among Gentiles (Acts 21:20)

9. Gifts ministered properly (1Pet. 4:10-11)

10. Offering praise (Psm. 50:23)

11. Good works (Mat. 5:16; 1Pet. 2:12)

12. Martyrdoms (John 21:19)

13. Clean bodies (1Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20)

14. Christian profession (2Cor. 9:13)

15. Liberality (2Cor. 9:13)

and glorify your... With much fruit.

Twelve Great Lessons of

1. God is the husbandman (John 15:1).

2. Christ is the vine (John 15:1, 15:5).

3. Believers are the branches in Christ (John 15:2, 15:5).

4. Every fruitless branch "in me" is cut off, withered, gathered with other dead branches and cast into the fire and burned (John 15:2, 15:6).

5. Every fruitful branch "in me" is purged that it might be more fruitful (John 15:2, 15:5).

6. Every branch "in me" is clean (pure in heart by the Word if walking in the light, John 15:3; Mat. 5:8; Eph. 5:26; John 3:5; Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23; 1Jhn. 1:7).

7. Branches must "abide in" Christ and Christ in them to produce fruit (John 15:4-5).

8. The branch is helpless to produce fruit of itself (John 15:4-5).

9. Christ is helpless to produce fruit through the branch unless it remains in Him (John 15:4-6).

10. Branches must abide in Christ or be cut off and burned (John 15:6).

11. Branches must not only remain in Christ but must have His words abiding in them or prayers will not be answered (John 15:7).

12. God can only be glorified by the branches when they remain in Christ and produce much fruit (John 15:8).

Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 13

Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished 

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. Hos. 2:13

visit upon her... I will punish them for serving Baal (Hos. 2:11-13).

decked herself with... God put jewelry on her, including bracelets… a necklace, a ring on her nose, earrings, and a crown. The “ring” was clipped to the outer part of a nostril and was worn as jewelry with bracelets and earrings (cf. Gen. 24:47; Isa. 3:21). All this suggests that under God’s blessing during the reigns of David and Solomon Jerusalem became a magnificent city (cf. 1Kgs. 10:4-5).

Besides receiving expensive jewelry and fine clothes Jerusalem also was given the choicest foods: fine flour, honey, and olive oil. Everything she could possibly need or want was lavished on her by her gracious, generous “Husband.” Being beautiful, she became a queen, and her beauty was known throughout the nations. See Eze. 16:11-14; 23:40-42.

after her lovers... The lovers of Israel were the many nations round about, whom they made alliances with and trusted in instead of Jehovah.

and forgat me...(compare 2Kgs. 17:7-18), for a detailed description of what their abandonment of God involved.

The "days of Baalim" is speaking of the time when they were practicing idolatry. They had given the love that belonged to God to these false gods. The "burning of incense" in the temple of God symbolized the prayers of the saints rising to heaven. It appears, they had been praying to false gods.

Outward show of beauty is not Godliness. True beauty comes from within. You may appear to the world to be in right standing with God, but God looks on the heart. They had become worldly and forgotten God. They were lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God.

In burning incense to the Baals Israel had, as it were, seductively chased after her lovers (cf. Hos. 2:5). The rings and jewelry, though sources of delight and signs of prestige in the proper context (cf. Pro. 25:12; Eze. 16:12-14), here represent the unfaithful wife’s efforts to attract her lovers. The plural “Baals” (cf. also Hos. 2:17; 11:2; Jdg. 2:11 [see]; 1Sam. 7:4; Jer. 2:23; 9:14) in this context probably refer to various local manifestations of the one Canaanite deity (cf. the singular Baal in Hos. 2:8; 13:1), who was represented by images in Baal shrines scattered throughout the land (cf. Hos. 13:1-2). The plurality of idols naturally suggested the comparison to many lovers (cf. James Luther Mays, Hosea: A Commentary, p. 43).

The final statement in this section (Hos. 2:2-13) summarizes Israel’s basic sin and the reason for the coming judgment: she had forgotten (šāḵaḥ) the Lord. The verb here does not refer to a mental lapse or loss of knowledge; it describes a refusal to acknowledge the Lord’s goodness and authority (cf. Hos. 8:14; 13:6). Moses had repeatedly urged the nation not to forget the Lord’s gracious deeds (Deut. 4:9; 8:11) and His demand for exclusive worship (Deut. 4:23; 6:12; 8:19; cf. 2Kgs. 17:38). However, in fulfillment of Moses’ prediction (cf. Deut. 31:27-29 with Deut. 32:18) Israel throughout her history forgot the Lord and worshiped false gods (cf. Jdg. 3:7; 1Sam. 12:9-10; Psm. 78:9-11; Jer. 23:27).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 15

 Salt and Light

Matthew 5:15 “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

Neither do men... Sin has a way of being hidden in the darkness, but when we apply the Light, it does away with darkness. In John the first chapter, we read about this Light.

John 1:7-9 “The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.” “He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light.” “[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (speaking of John the Baptist).

John 8:12: “Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

light a candle... Greek: luchnos, oil lamp. Wax candles as we know them were unknown in Biblical times. Lamps were made of various materials—clay, brass, silver, and gold—and with one to several bowls into which the oil and a flax wick were put to make light (Exo. 25:31-35; 30:27). Oil was made from olives and was used in cooking, lighting lamps, and personal adornment (Exo. 25:6; 27:20; 29:2, 29:23).

under a bushel... Greek: modios, about one peck.

on a candlestick... Lamp stand for lamps and extra oil.

Their influence would be evident, like a city on a hill or a lamp… on its stand. A concealed lamp, placed under a bowl (a clay container for measuring grain) would be useless.

Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 12

 Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished

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. Hos. 2:12

I will destroy... Before, God had threatened to take away the fruits in their seasons; now He says that he will take away all hope for the future; not the fruit only, but the trees which bare it.

It was the plague, which God in former times laid upon those, out of the midst of whom He took them to be His people (Psm. 105:33; see Jer.5:17). "He smote their vines also and their fig trees, and brake the trees of their coasts."

lovers have given... Now that they had become like the pagan, He dealt with them as with the pagan.

Of which she said, “These are my rewards”: Literally "my hire." It is the special word, used of the payment to the adulteress, or degraded woman, and so continues the likeness, by which he had set forth the foulness of her desertion of God.

and I will... The vines and fig-trees which had aforetime been their wealth, and full of beauty, should, when neglected, run wild, and become the harbor of the wild beasts Which should prey upon them.

God had given them the vines and fig trees. Since they had abandoned Him, He takes away the blessings He had given them. God will not cause them to be fruitful anymore. All of these things belong to God. He can do with them whatever He wishes.

The themes in Hos. 2:5-9 are repeated in Hos. 2:12-13. In implementing the covenant curses the Lord would destroy the produce (her vines and her fig trees; cf. Deut.28:38-42; Joel 1:7; Amos 4:9), which Israel erroneously regarded as the pay given by her paramours in exchange for her services (cf. Hos. 9:1; Mic. 1:7). The vineyards would be reduced to an overgrown thicket inhabited by wild animals. This would be an effect of the depopulation which would accompany the nation’s military defeat and exile (cf. Psm. 80:12-13; Isa. 5:5-6; 7:23-25; 17:9; 32:9-14; Mic. 3:12).

The themes in Hos. 2:5-9 are repeated in Hos. 2:12-13. In implementing the covenant curses the Lord would destroy the produce (her vines and her fig trees; cf. Deut. 28:38-42; Joel 1:7; Amos 4:9), which Israel erroneously regarded as the pay given by her paramours in exchange for her services (cf. Hos. 9:1; Mic. 1:7). The vineyards would be reduced to an overgrown thicket inhabited by wild animals. This would be an effect of the depopulation which would accompany the nation’s military defeat and exile (cf. Psm. 80:12-13; Isa. 5:5-6; 7:23-25; 17:9; 32:9-14; Mic. 3:12).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 14

 Salt and Light

Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”

light of the... Believers become lights of divinity in the kosmos, social system of men. light Greek: phos, underived and absolute light—the opposite of all darkness. Therefore, used especially of God (1Tim. 6:16; 1Jhn. 1:5) and of Christ (John 1:4-10).

In these Scriptures above, Jesus is explaining that if we are Christians, then we have His Light dwelling within us. This Light of Jesus should be so brightly shining, that no one need ask if we are saved; but they should be quick to see the glow of this Light within us. This Light goes with us and should illuminate wherever we are.

A light is meant to shine and give direction. Individuals Jesus described in Mat. 5:3-10 would obviously radiate and point others to the proper path. Their influence would be evident, like a city on a hill or a lamp… on its stand.

Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 11

 Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished

I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. Hos. 2:11

her feasts days... Ever since the Exodus from Egypt, Israel had intermingled the worship of the Lord with the worship of false gods (compare Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43).

All of these times were when she communed with God. All communication with God is cut off. These had been times set aside, when God and His people fellow shipped.

sabbaths, and all... It is clear here that the sabbaths of Israel were to be done away with as much as her mirth, feasts, new moons, and other rituals. This is what happened when God made the new covenant: not a single commandment was given regarding the keeping of any particular day as the sabbath. It is plainly set forth in the N.T. that every man may do as he pleases regarding a sabbath day (Rom. 14:5-6), and that no man is to judge another on this question (Col. 2:14-17), for Christianity is not a religion of days, weeks, years, and rituals (Gal. 4:9-10).

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. Hos. 2:12

The themes in Hos. 2:5-9 are repeated in Hos. 2:12-13. In implementing the covenant curses the Lord would destroy the produce (her vines and her fig trees; cf. Deut. 28:38-42; Joel 1:7; Amos 4:9), which Israel erroneously regarded as the pay given by her paramours in exchange for her services (cf. Hos. 9:1; Mic. 1:7). The vineyards would be reduced to an overgrown thicket inhabited by wild animals. This would be an effect of the depopulation which would accompany the nation’s military defeat and exile (cf. Psm. 80:12-13; Isa. 5:5-6; 7:23-25; 17:9; 32:9-14; Mic. 3:12).

The coming judgment would also bring the cessation of Israel’s joyous religious celebrations, including the great yearly festivals (Exo. 23:14-17), the monthly New Moons (i.e., New Moon sacrifices; Num. 10:10, 28:11-15), and the weekly Sabbath observances. These feasts had been corrupted by Baal worship (cf. Hos. 2:13) and were no longer desired by the Lord.