“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3
The Prophet Hosea, led by the Spirit of God, gives to Israel, and to the believer today, a most beautiful and certain promise of reward, that of the knowledge of God in Christ. In considering the context of where and what were the conditions in Israel in Hosea’s day, we catch a glimpse of their need: “I will go and return to My place till they acknowledge their offence and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me early.” (Hosea 5:15) Hosea continues by writing: “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.” (6:1) There is no doubt that Israel was in a deplorable state of having turned away from God, having turned aside from her great calling and pursuit. The Lord, always seeking to save, revive, renew, and bless, chooses to limit Himself in the revelation of His nearness, and presence, allowing Israel to truly see her spiritual need, and the consequences of it. It is then that the compassion of God is expressed through the prophet’s writing by declaring, and urging the people: “Come, and let us return unto the Lord.” With that very simple plea of great depth of meaning, Hosea speaks of God being willing to heal not only the soul but the body as well. He speaks of revival which will certainly come, and a renewing, a “raising up” of the people. It is then that we come to one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture which unveils to Israel, and to us, something of God’s purposes and the certainty of His blessing. Hosea speaks of knowing God, and that return of the pursuit of Him, taking that path of life and blessing in the knowledge of Christ. With great certainty Hosea writes: “…Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.” The enemy of our souls does not want the believer to pursue God, to follow on to know Him. So, the believer is tempted, or opposed, in doing so. The enemy will seek to appeal to the sinful nature of man, to deter and distract by unbelief, the believer from continuing the great pursuit. Why? Because there is great reward in that pursuit. The Lord Jesus, in speaking of prayer and one’s individual seeking of God in the quiet, aloneness with God, said: “…and thy Father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Heb. 6:6) The author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote, “…for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (11:6) The great reward in both of these cases is primarily the knowledge of God, as revealed by the Spirit. How wonderful are the words of the Lord Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, when He said: “…how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)
Returning to the book of Hosea, we find wonderful, quiet, yet certain assurances of the fact that if we seek, we shall find, for it is the Lord’s desire and will to reveal Himself to the heart, mind, and soul. Hosea writes: “His (the Lord’s) going forth is prepared as the morning.” (6:3) How is this so? How is the Lord’s “going forth,” or moving, like the preparation of the morning? Every morning is fresh, and new, the result of the immutable, omniscient hand of God, working to bring it to pass. The coming of the morning is as certain as the God who created it, and will continue to appear in its miraculous, powerful beauty until time shall be no more. The abundant blessing of His coming will be like “…the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
Father, Strengthen our hearts to pursue Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.