Bible Commentaries
Joshua 2

Verses 21-23

Jos 2:21-23

LOVE RECONCILING—ISRAEL IS LOVED

TEXT: Hosea 2:21-23

In highly figurative language the prophet now describes the overflowing love which Jehovah promises to shower down upon the new Israel

Hosea 2:21 And it shall come to pass^H1961 in that^H1931 day,^H3117 I will hear,^H6030 saith^H5002 the LORD,^H3068 I will hear^{H6030 (H853)} the heavens,^H8064 and they^H1992 shall hear^{H6030 (H853)} the earth;^H776

Hosea 2:22 And the earth^H776 shall hear^{H6030 (H853)} the corn,^H1715 and the wine,^H8492 and the oil;^H3323 and they^H1992 shall hear^{H6030 (H853)} Jezreel.^H3157

Hosea 2:21-22 . . . IN THAT DAY, I WILL ANSWER, SAITH JEHOVAH . . . AND THEY SHALL ANSWER JEZREEL. The phrase “in that day,” refers to the same time as the preceding section—which is the Messianic age. This is plainly evident from 1 Peter 2:10 where the apostle quotes Hosea 2:23 as being fulfilled in the establishment of the church and calling of men and women to become a “royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people . . .” There is double apostolic confirmation of this section in Hosea being a Messianic prophecy. The apostle Paul says (Romans 9:19-26) that Hosea 2:23 is a prophecy of the receiving of the Gentiles into the scheme of God’s redemption through their faith in Christ.

The word “answer” should be translated “hear.” Hosea uses highly figurative language here to depict the shower of blessings upon this new betrothal of God to new Israel. The bethrothal having been completed (in Christ, Ephesians 5), the prophet now represents heaven and earth standing nearby ready to serve the Bridegroom as He showers His bride with presents. The heavens and the earth are represented as earnestly asking the Husband (God) which presents are to be showered upon the Bride. The Husband hears and directs that all the riches of His domain be given Her. So the church is blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). K & D say, “. . . the prophet represents the heaven as praying to God, to allow it to give the earth that which is requisite to ensure its fertility; Whereupon the heaven fulfills the desires of the earth, and the earth yields its produce to the nation . . . all things in heaven and on earth depend on God . . . without His bidding not a drop of rain falls from heaven, and consequently all nature would . . . be barren, unless He gave it fertility by His blessing.”

Zerr: Hosea 2:21. See the comments on Daniel 12:1 on the significance of the pronoun "that,” and learn how indefinite it is as to exact dates. In the present instance it refers to the day when the Gentiles were to bear the Gospei and accept it, thus presenting to God a group Of people from a new source I will hear, heavens shall hear. This unusual language indicates the unity of interest and general cooperation of all forces in the final dispensation that God will give to the world for spiritual salvation. Hosea 2:22. The same idea of cooperation is continued in this verse. The mention of corn and, wine is for figurative purposes. It is true that such temporal blessings were predicted for ancient Israel after they returned from captivity, but the fact is used as a type of the spiritual prosperity that was to come through the Gospel.

The name Jezreel (formerly used figuratively to predict God’s “scattering” of Israel in the captivity—in the sense of judgment) is now used in the good sense to denote a new sowing. This is evident from the context and the following verse (Hosea 2:23). So the figure represents God, the Husband, showering down gifts upon His Bride, the Church, through the agency of His whole creation. The reader should read in connection with this Ephesians 1:3-23 and Colossians 1:9-29.

Hosea 2:23 And I will sow^H2232 her unto me in the earth;^H776 and I will have mercy upon^{H7355 (H853)} her that had not^H3808 obtained mercy;^H7355 and I will say^H559 to them which were not^H3808 my people,^H5971 Thou^H859 art my people;^H5971 and they^H1931 shall say,^H559 Thou art my God.^H430

Hosea 2:23 AND I WILL SOW HER UNTO ME IN THE EARTH . . . AND I WILL HAVE MERCY . . . AND . . . SAY TO THEM . . . THOU ART MY PEOPLE . . . The new Israel comes as a result of a new sowing—one of Divine grace instead of Divine judgment. The former references to “Jezreel” (Hosea 1:4-5; Hosea 1:11) had to do with “scattering” or “dispersing” rebellious Israel by the judgment of God in captivity. But now, through the “seed of Abraham” (singular, cf. Galatians 3:16), God sows a new covenant nation, the one noted in 1 Peter 1:9-10 and Romans 9:19-26. So the name “Jezreel” is turned into something blessed, just as the names in Hosea 1:6; Hosea 1:9; Hosea 2:1 were changed into blessing. Lange says of this section, “The fulfillment is not to be seen in the return of the Jews from the exile, This was, to be sure, a fulfillment, but only a small and feeble beginning. For the promise is to be regarded as essentially Messianic . . . in Christ the new ‘betrothal’ of God to his people has already taken place . . . Israel, to whom salvation is here promised by the Prophet, comes into view, not according to its natural nationality, but according to its divine destiny, or according to its typical significance as the People of God.” This we heartily endorse because to interpret it otherwise would be to contradict inspired, apostolically confirmed fulfillment, as we have shown before.

Zerr: Hosea 2:23. This is again a prediction of the call of the Gentiles, for they had never been called a people of the Lord before the Gospel period. They had the provision of the Patriarchal Dispensation for their spiritual salvation, but that was a family religion and did not constitute them a "people” in the sense of that term in the Bible.

Questions

1. What specific historical age does “in that day” refer to here?

2. What confirmation do we have as to the fulfillment of this section?

3. What does the figurative language represent here?

4. What new meaning is given to the name “Jezreel” here?