COMMUNION THROUGH A BAD MARRIAGE
"The valley of
Achor for a door of hope" Hosea
2:1
What a wonderful phrase
that is, and perhaps more so when we translate Achor, and read: "The valley of troubling for a door of hope." We are now introduced to the
tragedy in the life of the prophet. Gomer had proved UNFAITHFUL, and that in
the worst way, being guilty not of ADULTERY only, but of HARLOTRY. But while
his own heart was thus stricken, Hosea was still in COMMUNION WITH GOD ABOUT
ISRAEL, and preparing for his ministry to the people, perhaps already
exercising it. Into that COMMUNION his personal sorrow entered, and Jehovah
made it the means of making the prophet UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INFIDELITY OF
ISRAEL MEANT TO HIM. Thus the prophet's words pass almost at once into the
language of Jehovah. The anger of Jehovah is that of WOUNDED LOVE, and His
dealings with His people are to be characterized by the severity which grows out
of such anger. Through stern discipline, Israel will be RESTORED; that restoration being the purpose of the
discipline: "The
valley of troubling for a door of hope." It is easy to
understand the wonder created in the soul of Hosea by all this. SUFFERING
THROUGH THE SIN OF GOMER, HE WAS TAUGHT HOW GREAT THE SIN OF ISRAEL WAS, as
Jehovah interpreted His own suffering by the suffering of His servant. Having
dealt with Gomer by cutting her off from himself he agreed with the rightness
of the Divine judgment of Israel. Having cut her off he was to buy her back as
God will do with Israel. But was not this a new revelation to him? Jehovah spoke
of such discipline as a "valley of troubling for a door of hope"!
How about Gomer? Is that how he had thought of the action which he had rightly
taken in regard to her?
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