[:en]SCRIPTURE: HOSEA 2
“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord” (Hosea 21:19-20)
“In that day I will respond, declares the Lord – I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one’. I will say to those called ‘Not my people”. “You are my people; and they will say, “You are my God” (Hosea 2:21-23)
ISRAEL PUNISHED:
GOD’S DECLARATION:
- I will strip her naked (v. 3a)
- I will not show my love the children because they are the children of adultery (v. 4)
- I will block her path and wall her (v. 6)
- I will take away my grain, new wine and oil (v. 9)
- I will expose her lewdness (v. 10)
- I will stop all her celebrations(v. 11)
- I will ruin her vines and fig trees (v. 12)
- I will punish her for burning incense to the Baals (v. 13)
ISRAEL RESTORED
- I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her(v. 14)
- I will give her back her vine yards (v. 15)
- I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips (v. 17)
- I will make a covenant for them (v. 18)
- I will betroth you to me forever (vs. 19-20)
- I will respond to the skies and to the earth (v. 21)
- I will plant her for myself in the land (v. 23a)
- I will show my love (v. 23b)
- I will say “You are my people” (v. 23c)
FINAL DECLARATION OF THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE:
I will go back to my husband as at first for then I was better off than now (v. 7).
When we return to our first love, we can enjoy His blessings.[:]