By Marvin R. Knight
“Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3
Introduction
A true story is told of a woman who allowed a stranger to slice her open with a knife and she thanked him for it. When she was asked why she would ever do such a thing, her answer was simple: he was a doctor.
In the first verse above, the Septuagint (OT translated in Greek) depicts God as a surgeon who has to cut His people deeply in order that He might heal them. The patient is Israel, whose corruptions are seen as dangerous diseases, and God’s divine purpose in cutting them is to prevent them from dying and to heal them thoroughly. Here we are given an illuminating revelation of how God restores His people.
Context
In this passage, we find the prophet encouraging the exiles to seek the Lord in their affliction, knowing that God has the ability and the willingness to heal the wounds which His own hand had inflicted.
Outline
- An encouragement to return to God (v.1)
- An expectation of being restored by God (v.2)
- An exhortation to know the Lord (v.3)
An encouragement to return to God
“Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us” (v.1).
The nerve ending of this verse is that restoration by God is preceded by repentance toward God. The striking fact discovered here is the audience to whom these words were spoken. It was not to the pagan, but to those who considered themselves to be the people of God. They knew the Law; we know the Word. They took part in the divine ordinances; we take part in Christian services. Nevertheless, we discover here that knowing the truth of God does not prevent the heart from wandering away from God.
Where does this wandering show itself?
- In straying from the single-minded purity of devotion to the true Christ (2 Cor.11:3-4).
- In deviating from a whole-hearted affectionate love for Christ (Rev.2:4).
Faith. Hope. Love. In whatever we have wandered away from God, we are encouraged to return to Him from whom we have wandered, to seek Him whom we have slighted, and—like the prodigal—to arise and go to our Father confessing our wandering hearts.
When repentance is working in the heart, then we can be assured that our restoration into fellowship with God will be:
- Certain—“He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.” Only God can heal the wounds that He has sovereignly allowed to afflict you. He who inflicted agony will bestow joy. Yet, be assured that this is exactly what God is willing to do. He finds no pleasure in your pain or disappointment (Lam.3:32-33), and at the end of this time of grief, there will be a restoration of grace.
An expectation of being restored by God
“He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him” (v.2).
God’s works are nothing more than commentary on His Word. His actions affirm what He has already revealed. This verse is dripping with hope in the mercy of God. It reveals to us that restoration by God will be swift and complete.
- It will be swift: The phrases “after two days…on the third day” do not have some deep secret meaning in Scripture. They simply signified a short time (Cf. Luke 13:32; Num.9:22). To any man in sorrow, “two days” seems like a long time, but it is short in the sight of Him with whom “one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Pet.3:8). What God seems to be saying is, “Although I may allow you to suffer a little while, you can be assured that it won’t be long. My hand of mercy will come” (1 Pet.5:10).
- It will be complete: When His mercy comes, the purpose is that “we may live before Him.” What does this mean? The face is an index of the character. It reveals in some sense what’s in a man’s heart and on his mind (Prov. 15:13). A man naturally turns his face towards the person whom he loves. On the other hand, he turns it away from those he dislikes. When the Hebrews spoke of God’s anger, they spoke of Him turning away His face (Hos.5:6, 15), but when they spoke of God’s favor they pointed to God’s face being toward them (Ps. 31:16, 67:1; Jer. 44:11). In other words, when God restores us, He shows us His comfort and love in such a way that we rejoice in the sight of it.
Believe it and pray about it
What needs restoration in your life? Your soul? Your first love? Your vision for what God can do in and through your life? Your assurance? Your intimacy? Your marriage? Your relationship with parents, friends, or a loved one? Read these verses and believe that although God is slow to judge, He is quick to restore and bless. (Ps. 23:3, 51:6-12, 80:3; Lam. 5:21)
Pray this Aaronic Benediction:
“The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-27
An exhortation to know the Lord
“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth” (v.3).
Here we are given an important aim, a necessary duty, and an assured privilege.
The important aim is “to know the Lord.” The knowledge of God fills the mind with brightness and the life with fruitfulness. We sometimes call theology the “queen of the sciences,” but this heartfelt knowledge of God is more—it is “eternal life” (John 17:3). Remember that Romans 12:1-3 teaches us that all the operations of the Spirit are begun and carried on in the renewing of the mind. Real repentance arises from proper views in the mind of sin and the cross (Zech.12:10). Real faith is grounded in knowledge (Rom.10:14-17). Real salvation is rooted in the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor.4:6). However, this important aim is connected to…
A necessary duty: “let us press on to know the Lord.” The expression implies that it is not to be a single effort, but a sustained endeavor. This is really a charge to be active and zealous with steady perseverance in obtaining the knowledge of God—and this knowledge is a working knowledge. The word picture here is of hunting after the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God does not come instantaneously, but gradually. The initial saving knowledge of God in Christ may be given suddenly, but after that, the revelation of God to us is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet.3:18). In pressing on to know the Lord, the whole man must be absorbed in the pursuit (John 7:17). Now how do we do this?
- First, by practicing the truth that we already know. (Matt. 13:12)
- Second, by diligently applying the means already ordained by God. (Prov. 2:3-5)
Finally, the assured privilege: “His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.”
Two images are given of the blessing of restoration.
The first image is of the morning dawn; the second is of the fertilizing rain. In Palestine, the two rainy seasons were necessary and precious to the farmer. The “former rain,” which fell in October, preceded the seedtime and prepared the land for cultivation. The “latter rain,” which fell in April, filled the fields before harvest and brought the fruit and grain to maturity.
We are called to consider the blessing of its coming.
- Rain falls sovereignly—God’s blessing will fall in due time, it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises (Heb.6:11-12).
- Rain falls generously—Grace always gives us more than we deserve, more than we sowed, and more than we could ever give away.
- Rain falls seasonally—God’s timing is never too early or too late; it is always right on time.
It is also…
- Heavenly in origin—so you don’t have to worry about its quality.
- Seasonal in bestowment—God has the time all planned out.
- Generous in measure—Your vats will overflow and the blessing from the windows of heaven will be more than you can bear.
- Refreshing in effects—it will comfort the young Christian and mature the experienced Christian.
We are called to consider the blessing of its effects.
- God’s restoring presence brings the revival of a dry and dying moral life.
- God’s restoring presence brings the attractiveness of a fragrant spiritual life.
- God’s restoring presence brings the blessedness of a useful life.
Application:
- Recognize the need for divine refreshing.
- Believe the promise of mercy and blessing.
- Act upon the encouragement to return to God and earnestly pray for it.