Hosea 2:14 "The Wilderness"

the Wilderness Hosea chapter number 2 verse number 14 I want to begin by asking a question when you think of the Wilderness what comes to your mind? In a Biblical theme of the Wilderness. What do you see? What can you think about regarding scripture that relates to this topic of the wilderness? I'm sure many of you would probably think about the 40 years that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness because of their disobedience. But is that all is the Wilderness only looked at in a negative lights in the scripture? Just by examining this one verse in the book of Hosea. Hopefully we can find another way to look at the Wilderness. Jose is very quick to switch topics in his writing he would quickly switch from a decree of punishment like in Chapter 2 verses 6 through 13 quickly switch from that to a regeneration process a time of reconciliation and he does that in Chapter 2 verses 14 through 23 and chapter 1 you can go back in your own time and read how Jose of a use again judgmental language in chapter 1 verses 2 through 9, and it did how your follows that up by language of restoration in chapter 1 verse 10 through chapter 2 verse number one. But in this lesson we want to note the Wilderness in verse number 14, the Bible would say if you have your Bibles and I want you to go ahead and turn to the book of Hosea. Anyone to read together verse number 14 Hosea chapter number 2 verse number 14. The Bible says therefore behold. I will Allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably to her. We started off by this thoughts when the Bible says therefore. Therefore is a connecting word. It brings forward something that has just previously discussed and you back up to the earlier sections of chapter 2 primarily beginning and verse number 6 and following again you find this judgment language Israelites have been guilty of idolatry. They've been guilty of forgetting God and forgetting what he expected of them by the idea. Forgetting is not that God was not in their memory, but it's the idea that they focus on Dale more than God. They put Dale in the Forefront of everything they were about and they would allow God to slip into the background and because of this God says that they will follow after her lovers Israel will go after her lovers. Because they would credit their lovers such as the Nations around them and Dale and other resources. They would credit those things as providing for them. They saw the coin diverse number eight that it was the bill that it was the idolatry that gave her her p*** her whine her oil and blessed her with silver and gold the God says it he was going to come and verse number nine and he was going to take those things away that he was going to expose Israel in her. Shame guy was making a very strong point. That's yes. I want you to come back to me in that what I'm willing to do is to cut off access to bail to these other nations, and that way you can really come back to me and you can really work on renewing this Covenant relationship. God was willing but the Israelites were not so willing they were going to return back to God simply because well it was it was the best thing for them. God says well, if you're coming back just for my resources just for my blessings and then I will take away those blessings that and see how you will come back to me. And so he says therefore that you would logically think that it judgment language will continue but that's not the case at all. In fact, it's quite opposite. We start this reconciliation language. God says, I will Allure her this is a strong enticement. It's very similar to what was used in the Book of Judges regarding Samson in judges the 14th chapter verse number 15. The verse reads. It came to pass on the Sabbath day that they said unto Samson's wife in ties by husband that he may declare unto us the riddle. Let's we burn the in my father's house with fire. Have you called us to take that we have is it not so Also in the same book but skip over two chapters 2 chapter number 16 verse number for it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of sorek whose name was Delilah and the Lords of the Philistines came up onto her and said to her entice him see where in his great strength lieth and by what means we may prevail against him that we may find him to afflict him and we will give thee every one of us 1100 pieces of silver. Can you show you find this type of language use as a strong enticements? You would find it in a romantic contacts like in the Book of Ruth in chapter 2 verse number 13 when Ruth has the conversation with Boaz and so just some things to think about but literally the Hebrew has the idea that God is literally speaking to the heart of Israel. So now we ask a question again, what kind of started off this way? But what message can it Wilderness have does it have a message of banishment abandonment Wilshire, but that is it also have a message of safety a message of individual time to reflect and candidate renewal process. I think it has that to one person said at the return to the Wilderness here picks up the theme of desolation from Previous versus he says moreover. It also transforms it into a way of redemption later prophets develop this idea to the Wilderness is not only a place of deprivation. He says it's also a place of renewal and innocence there was a time whenever Israel was really devoted to God with when they're really relied upon God as their Source Francis Jeremiah recalls and Jeremiah 2 verse 2. He says going cry in the ears of Jerusalem sang. That's saith the Lord. I remember the the kindness of my youth the love of 9 is spousal note when they all went to East after me in the wilderness. In a land that was not shown it. So there was a time and God remembers it when Israel was devoted. They didn't have anything but God it was a time of really true monotheism cuz they were not introduced to cane and deities yet later on in the book of Jeremiah and Jeremiah chapter 31 verse to the guy that says the people which were left of the sword found Grace in the wilderness even Israel when I went to cause him to rest the Annual Festival of Tabernacles also kind of ties into this thought. The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of renewal for getting back to the basic life of devoted War Leviticus 23 beginning of verse 33. Also Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 13 and Numbers chapter 29 verses 12 through 40. The week was to be a time of joy and final celebration Thanksgiving for that Year's Harvest Deuteronomy chapter 16 beginning of verse 14. I shall rejoice in thy feet now when I saw my daughter that manservant and not maidservant the levite stranger the fatherless and the Widow that are within our gates 7 days. He says Thou shalt keep a solemn feasts into the Lord. Thy God in the place with the Lord shall choose because the Lord thy God shall blessed in all that increase and and all the works of 9 hands. Therefore Thou shalt surely rejoice. And so this of itself should have reminded the Israelites that they were aliens in a land and it was God who gave them their resources. Not going back to Hosea earlier. God will actually threatened to turn Israel into a Wilderness if you know beginning of this chapter of chapter number to you find this very thought in chapter 2 verse number three. God says less I strip her naked and set her as Anna day that she was born in nature as a Wilderness and set her like a dry land and slay her with thirst. So earlier he threatens to turn Israel into a Wilderness, but then he promises to alert Israel Into the Wilderness and their win her love now the both the basic and most obvious facts about the desert. We know that it is hostile to human and most other forms of life Joe chapter 38 verse 2627 person, but at the same time make that person to be an outcast Frances you can note Ishmael in Genesis chapter 16 verse 7 through 12 and also chapter 21 verses 14 through 21. The average person typically would avoid the Wilderness is not a place they would willingly go to and sometimes it would even staying is a place of punishment for the disobedient Israel would wonder in this Wilderness for 40 years of corn two numbers chapter 32 verse number. chain and often times it would even betray abandon it you find that principle in Ezekiel chapter 29 verse number 5 at the Wilderness would force an individual to rely upon God and again the Bible would actually a tribute survival in the wilderness back to God's grace Jeremiah 2 Verse 6 said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt that let us through the Wilderness through a land of deserts in the pits dual ended route 9A shadow of death through a land that no man pass through and where no man to Welch Also know that when Jesus fed the 4000 in the wilderness and Matthew chapter 15 verse 33 and 34. He demonstrated that he possessed the power of the god of the Exodus because God is able to sustain his people in the wilderness is also a place of sanctuary in times of danger David retreated to the Wilderness when pursued by his enemies 1st Samuel chapter 23 verse 14 Elijah was sustained By Ravens at Wadi, correct the first king 17 for 5 and 6 Psalm chapter 55 verse 6 through 8 would reflect a longing for security in the wilderness. And the guy do you find is both in Jeremiah 31 verse to when Israel sinks sanctuary in the wilderness as well as Revelation chapter 12 verse 6 And verse 14 when you find the woman fleeing from the dragon Into the Wilderness. The Wilderness is also the place of testing. I've repented and spiritual growth John the Baptist fulfilled Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3 by preaching the message of repentance in the wilderness Matthew chapter 3 verse 1 through 3, Jesus face testing in the wilderness Matthew chapter 4, and it's probably quite evident that Paul himself seemed to spend time in the wilderness prior to starting into his missionary work Galatians chapter 1 verse number 17 And so the Wilderness can therefore represents. Yes rejection by God, but it can also represent a place of abandoning the world a place of abandoning wealth and therefore causing a time to where the individual is completely dependent upon God for Life Israel separated from Dale the nation's material possessions can find herself again in the wilderness and really maybe we all maybe every Christian should spend some time in the wilderness to reflect upon God to restore in that devotion that we truly need God and nothing else. God is our primary source.