Winning Us Back – Hosea 2
Israel like Hosea’s wife would go astray. She would leave the one who loved her and go love others. She would go through a period of embarrassment, humiliation, and emptiness (v.9-13). But this was only a temporary thing. It might have looked like God had abandoned her, but this was not true.
During her time of waywardness and unfaithfulness, Hosea (and God) had actually been there, giving her (Israel) corn and wine and oil and money (v.8). After she came to the end of her herself, he was planning to win her back (v.14). Once again she would be his wife forever. The one who was abandoned would be brought back again (v.16-23).
This was God’s plan for Israel. And this is God’s plan for us. If we are His children, then we may go through periods of chastisement due to sin. But God always has plans to win us back. He comes to us when we come to the end of ourself and wants to love us and make us secure in His love.
What a wonderful picture of God’s love! What an amazing story. And How blessed we are to have a God who is so gracious and merciful!