The word for today is:
Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Okay, let's continue with Hosea chapter two. Yesterday the LORD took the harlot into the wilderness, began to romance her, and speak kindly to her - He forgave her. Hosea 2:14
Then restoration began.
Hosea 2:15
"Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will sing there as in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt."
The valley of Achor is mentioned in Joshua Chapter 7, but we need to start in chapter 6 where Joshua and the people of Israel march around Jericho, before the seventh time Joshua tells the people,
Joshua 6:17
"And the city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.
Joshua 6:18
"But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, lest you covet them and take some of the things under the ban, so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.
Joshua 6:19
"But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD."
Now to Joshua Chapter 7; The LORD gave Israel a miraculous victory over Jericho and they went on to the next battle at Ai. They were greatly defeated. Joshua sought the LORD and the LORD said,
Joshua 7:11
"Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.
Joshua 7:12
"Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst."
It is found out that Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah took "a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them;" - Joshua 7:21
Joshua 7:24
"Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor.
Joshua 7:25
"And Joshua said, 'Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.' And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Joshua 7:26
"And they raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day."
All of that said to say how seriously God takes our sin. It has to be dealt with, otherwise we cannot stand before our enemies and the Lord cannot be with us, by this I mean, we cannot worship Him, not in Spirit and truth anyway, not with a pure heart.
It is so true that when we get saved, when we accept that Jesus died on the cross for us, for our sins, our sins are forgiven and there is no taking that back, thank you Jesus! We belong to Him and that is God's will! God's purpose!
I am talking about the day-to-day sins that bother us, that keep us irritated, like a fly in the room that keeps bugging you. Just get up and kill it, be done with it. Sometimes the only way to do that is to keep your eyes on Jesus, calling out Abba Father, and standing firm.
Anyway, I believe this is what He means when He says He will give her the valley of Achor as a door of hope; that her sins will be dealt with and the restoration will begin.
Then "she will sing there as in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt." How sweet this is - to sing as a child, uninhabited, joyful praise! as in the day of deliverance!
This is still not the end of the story; there is more to come!
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