As with all narratives, stories and plots in the Bible, there is always hope in the end from a merciful God. Until the last breath of man or the last gasp of society or a nation there is opportunity to repent. Some will chose to even in the 11th hour...and some will not. In the case of the story in Hosea there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an oncoming train. It is God. It is promise(s) from a God that is full of grace. Blessed be His name. Jesus Christ. Those that say the God of the Old Testament was judgmental, punishing and mean compared to the forgiving and nice New Testament God...totally miss the point of the Old Testament. They also missed every single restoration that came after every single chastisement when those being chastised repented of their wicked and evil ways.After requiring Hosea to marry a unfaithful prostitute and having children with her that had odd names (perhaps some of them were not even fathered by him), God reverse His use of Hosea’s children in 2:14-23 in a message of restoration. After such a demoralizing episode for Hosea who was solely obeying the will of God as a prophet, Go turns the table and uses what looked like shining examples of a failed relationship as shining examples of God's providence and sovereignty.
There is more going on here in these verse besides the use of Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi in restoration and I will note as thoroughly as possible in outlined form. There is primarily the adulterous marriage of Yahweh and Israel (Hosea and Gomer). When we look at these verses the primary thing we see is a: repeated phrase and where there is a need to designate a new action from God. They need to be noted because they essentially reverse the condemnation stated to Israel/Hosea’s children of Chapter 1. The grouping of “I will’s” in Chapter 2 show the love God promises as opposed to the “love” that we have seen from Gomer during the first chapter of Hosea. In seeing Gomer’s actions we have seen actions that no one wants in their relationship (Israel). Conversely, on Hosea’s side we see the behavior of an individual that anyone would love to have (God). Through Hosea we see a perfected kind of love of a Divine Lover, namely God. Who, though abused in this relationship, is ever faithful, ever trustworthy and ever loving with a steadfast love. This my friends is "true love". A love that is willing to see through current actions and ignore past transgressions if there is true repentance and a changed heart.
(v. 14)...I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
(v14a) It is a willing love that brings a person of their own volition not by force. God woos them through seduction. This is a good example to show that when God releases His wrath on Israel it isn’t because He is being vindictive or revenge but because He has no choice based on His nature. It is a punishment due to love.
(v. 15) ...I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [Hebrew: trouble] a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth.
(v. 15a) We begin to see a reciprocal effects of the first actions of “wooing” and a positive reaction. “she shall answer as in the days of her youth" implies a deep seated love of intense feeling and infatuations that also imply a inseparability and the “I only have eyes for you” syndrome (yes, it was a Flamingos reference).
(v. 17) ...I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth
(v. 17a) Even though it need not be mentioned it always warrants mentioning as a warning. God is a jealous God and He will have NO other God’s before Him. None, nada, zero, ziltch.
(v. 18) ...I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground.
(v. 18a) “on that day” signifies a future reference to a declaration of a covenant. This covenant is referring to the covenant that will allow Israel not be the target of aggressions whether they be from “beasts” or “wars”.
(v. 19-20) ...and I will betroth you to me forever, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy, I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
(v. 19-20a) A return to the marriage metaphor along with qualities that can be expected in that marriage relationship: righteousness, justice, love, compassion and faithfulness
(v. 21-23) We reach the culmination of this context and the references to the children or at least their names. We see the use of the names as what appears to me metonymy. (v. 22) “and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel is a direct reference to reversing the punishment to Jezreel (God sows). The marital and and agricultural reversals are expressed to show a negating effect:
(a) and I will sow her for myself in the land.
(b) and I will “have mercy” on “No Mercy”,
(c) and I will say to “Not My People”, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
(d) God’s grace towards them changed.
Wiersbe, Warren. "Who Married a What?" Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament: The Prophets (Bible Knowledge). Acambaro: Victor, 2003. 318-320. Print.
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