I often return to this passage in Hosea because it speaks to me about the trials that God allows to touch us, that are painful and sometimes break us are meant to give us perspective. All things that happen are not given directly by God, but He allows them and promises to be with us as we go through them.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
His plan is always to be present in our lives. As we ‘lean into him’, trust him, and learn from him we gain so much insight. We live in a fallen world and bad/hard things happen, but in Christ He will take these broken things and make them beautiful for his glory and for our good. And in the third day – we shall live in His sight or live in His perspective to shine the countenance of the LORD.
Hosea 6:1-2
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
When I study a verse or chapter in the Bible, I like to look up the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) definitions for certain words that stand out to me. I find this gives me greater understanding for what the passage is saying. I thought I’d share a few of these with you for Hosea 6: 1-2, words defined are underlined in the above quote from the Bible.
Come – To grow, prosper, pursue, cause to run, march, walking, be weak
Return – To turn, to restore refresh, repair, bring, answer, recompense, recover, deliver, withdraw, to bring back to mind, brought back, to break build, circumcise, get (oneself) (back) again
Heal, Revive, Live– to mend (by stitching) i.e. (figuratively) to cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole
Smitten – to receive a blow, to be wounded, to be beaten, to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain, to be attacked and captured, to be smitten (with disease), punished, (give) stripes, surely, wound.
This word reminds me of what JESUS did for us
Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5
Revive and Live – To have life, to continue in life, remain alive, to sustain life, to revive (be quickened) from sickness, from discouragement, from faintness, from death. To preserve alive, let live, to give life, to restore to life, to cause to grow, to restore, to revive. To restore to health, to restore to life. Surely, be whole.
Raise – To arise, become powerful, to come on the scene, to stand, to maintain oneself, to be established, be confirmed, to stand, endure, to be fixed, to be valid, to be proven, to be fulfilled, to persist, to be set, be fixed.
Sight – countenance, favour, him(-self), was purposed by reason of, regard, to serve, in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, perspective, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of.
Know – To know, learn to know, to perceive, to perceive and see, find out and discern, be diligent, familiar friend, discern, discover, to discriminate, distinguish, to know by experience, have understanding, to recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess, to consider, to know how, to be skillful in, to have knowledge, to be wise.
† What is the LORD speaking to your heart as you read this passage?
† Are there any words that stand out to you in particular?
† Where could this passage connect in your everyday life?
† How could this encourage you during difficult seasons that you don't understand?
† Is there someone else that you know who would be encouraged by this passage? If so, call them and share what you are learning.
