Covenant Renewal (Hosea 2:14-23)
Despite Israel’s adulteries and idolatries, Yahweh makes a surprising announcement. “Behold,” Yahweh says, I will renew my relationship with Israel as in the day when I brought her out of Egypt, loved her in the wilderness, and gave her prosperity in the land. A day is coming when Yahweh covenant with Israel in justice and righteousness, in steadfast love and mercy, and in faithfulness, and this commitment is “forever.” God does not give up on Israel but loves her in keeping with the promise, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”
The announcement of judgment if Israel (Samaria) did not change her ways is dramatic and harrowing in the previous section (Hosea 2:2-13). In that picture Israel starves, thirsts, and is devoured by wild animals. Israel dies because she has been cut off from the lovingkindness of Yahweh’s covenant. She exchanged the glory of God for her own interests, for her own wealth and satisfaction. She neglected the giver while enjoying the gifts as well as crediting another as the giver. Israel, according to Hosea 2:13, “went after her lovers, and forgot” Yahweh.
In those judgments, twice the prophet says “therefore” (לָכֵ֗ן; Hosea 2:6, 9; NRSV). Each time it was a judicial sentence. Because of your sin, therefore, these are the consequences that follow. However, this changes with the third use of “therefore” (לָכֵ֗ן; NRSV) in Hosea 2:14. This time, rather than consequences, God promises to pursue Israel and renew covenant with her. This is an unexpected “therefore.” Hosea had previously named Israel’s sins, but now names Yahweh’s love.
The Announcement (2:14-15)
Following two judgment statements, in Hosea 2:14-15 the prophet returns to the theme of restoration articulated in Hosea 1:11-2:1. The prophet moved from judgment to hope in chapter 1, and now does the same in chapter 2.
In fact, Hosea envisions a new or second exodus. Israel will return to the “days of her youth” when she was brought out of Egypt and followed Yahweh into the wilderness. God will “allure” (or entice, even seduce) Israel into the wilderness and speak lovingly to her. Literally, he will speak to “her heart.” Yahweh’s love will move Israel to follow God once again.
This will include entrance into the land, just as in the time of Joshua. God will give her the wealth of the land (vineyards) and will turn the horrible events of Achor into a “door of hope.” Achor was the place where Achan’s greed resulted in trouble (the meaning of achor, עָכ֖וֹר). But now the “valley of trouble” will become a doorway for hope. In fact, the valley of Achor will become a rich pasture to those who know God, according to Isaiah 65:10. Trouble turns into hope, and the land is no longer troubled but filled with hopeful life.
Yahweh’s Covenant with Creation and Israel (2:16-20)
“On that day” refers to a future day. It won’t be during Hosea’s lifetime as he lived during judgment of Israel and their scattering across the Assyrian Empire. This future day is eschatological; it is parallel to Isaiah’s new heaven and new earth in Isaiah 65-66. It is the day of the restoration of Israel as the people of God, which is a process in which Paul himself was involved in the proclamation of the good news of the Messiah, according to Romans 9-11 (Romans 9:25-26 quotes Hosea). In other words, this day embraces the Messianic age and its ultimate inheritance of the new heaven and new earth (as in Revelation 21:1-7).
Through the one ruler, Israel and Judah—along with the nations—will be gathered together as the one people of God on the “day of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:11). Through the Messiah, God renews covenant with Israel. Yahweh marries Israel again so that she now calls Yahweh, “my husband” instead of calling Yahweh, “my Baal.” Though once the worship of Baal supplanted or subverted the worship of Yahweh, Israel will no longer commit her adulteries but become God’s covenant partner once again. They once again will become “the children of the living God” (Hosea 1:10).
There are two movements toward this reconciliation and renewal. First, God will make a covenant with creation, specially, “the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping tings of the ground,” on behalf of Israel or for the sake of Israel. This is for Israel’s “safety” or security. This is creation language as the animals are mentioned in the language of Genesis 1:26. The language takes us back to the original creation, even Eden itself. But it is not only Israel’s safety within the natural creation but also their safety among the nations because God will abolish the bow, sword, and war from the earth. God will restore shalom to the earth, just as it was in the beginning in the Garden when God saw that everything was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
Second, God will enter into a marriage covenant with Israel; Yahweh will remarry Israel. The marriage appears yet future, but the betrothal (“I will take”) is an assurance of the future marriage. Yahweh has entered into an engagement period, we might say and anticipates a future reunion.
This promise is beautifully expressed in a three-fold commitment to Israel. Yahweh will betroth Israel:
- In righteousness and justice (בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט). See Deuteronomy 32:4.
- In steadfast love and mercy (בְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים). See Exodus 34:6.
- In faithfulness (בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה). See Deuteronomy 32:4.
I have sometimes used this text in marriage ceremonies. It forms a triadic vow to take Israel as a wife in (1) fairness; (2) love; and (3) commitment. This is a marriage shaped by God’s own character as the texts in Exodus 34:6 and Deuteronomy 32:4 (both are self-revelations of Yahweh’s identity) describe it. The triad functions much like Matthew 23:23 and Micah 6:8 where we are called to imitate the God of Israel by doing justice (מִשְׁפָּט֙), loving mercy (חֶ֔סֶד) and walking humbly (הַצְנֵ֥עַ). Walking humbly is a synonym for faithful, whole-hearted walking before God (cf. 1 Kings 2:4; 3:6; 2 Kings 20:3; Isaiah 38:3).
These five Hebrew words are some of the most significant in the Hebrew Bible. They describe God in so many texts. Faithfulness, for example, is the relation God sustains to covenant communities (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Samuel 26:23; Isaiah 25:1; 33:6; Psalm 33:4; 36:5; 40:10; 88:11; 89:1, 2, 5, 8, 24, 33, 49; 92:2; 96:13; 98:3; 100:5; 119:75, 86, 90, 138; 143:1; Lamentations 3:23; and many other texts). Steadfast love or lovingkindness is a core attribute of God’s character; it is God’s identity (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 7:9, 12; Isaiah 54:8, 10; Hosea 6:6; Micah 7:18, 20; Psalm 13:5; 18:50; 23:6; 25:6; 26:3; 33:5, 18, 22; and many other texts). Justice or righteousness is also a constant theme of God’s character (Isaiah 5:16; 9:7; 16:5; 26:9; 30:18; 33:5; Psalm 33:5; 72:1; 89:14; 97:2; 99:4; and many other texts).
The language is assuring, and it roots the covenant relationship in God’s character. God is committed to the relationship in justice, steadfast love and faithfulness. Consequently, the promise is permanent and solid. “I will betroth you to myself forever” (וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם).
The purpose is intimacy, that is, so that Israel may “know” Yahweh (וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה). This is the language of sexual intimacy analogous to Adam “knowing” Eve (Genesis 4:1). It is the deepest communion and union of God and the people of God.
Renewed Relationship (2:21-23)
“On that day,” the day when God renews covenant with Israel, God will sow Israel into the land once again. Given Israel’s rebellion and idolatry, we might legitimately wonder whether God would ever renew covenant with Israel. Would God marry her again? These are, in fact, cosmic questions because the character of God—the promises of God—are at stake. God is a covenant-keeper.
“On that day” God will answer the cosmos—the heavens, the earth, and the crops (grain, wine, and oil), and the cosmos will answer back with “Jezreel” (that is, “God sows”). In other words, God will keep faith with creation and Israel, and through creation, Yahweh will again bless Israel. Yahweh says, “I will sow her for myself in the land.” The triad of Yahweh, Israel, and land—which is part of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12—will reconnect through reconciliation and renewal.
This means that God’s children are no longer called neither “Lo-ruhamah” (not loved, or no pity) nor “Lo-ammi” (not my people). On the contrary, God’s mercy and faithfulness means God will keep the promise made long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” This is the covenantal promise; it is repeated often in the story of Israel (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12; Isaiah 51:16; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:1, 33; Ezekiel 14:11; Zechariah 2:11; 8:7; 13:9), and in the story of God’s Messianic people (2 Corinthians 6:16) and the future new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
Paul sees the enactment of this promise in his own ministry. Israel is saved as the nations are brought into the community of Jesus-followers. Scattered Israel and the nations come to faith in Jesus, and in this way those who were “not my people” now become “my people.” In this way, all Israel will be saved through the bringing in of the nations and reunion with Judah (Romans 9-11, especially 9:25-26 and 11:17-26). So, Paul concludes his point with this doxology (Romans 11:33):
“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”