17.
You are my people. Hos. 2:21-23 A new nation of the redeemed who are possessed by the Lord and of the Lord. They are His, fully and completely. There is not a nation on earth which will not have some of its citizens among these who are termed, my people. This is not a reference by word or prophecy pertaining to Israel after the flesh. They are not excluded from the privilege of being a part of the new nation. However, these people are a people who have been born of the Spirit. Paul when writing to the Romans quoted this portion of scripture from Hosea. He included both Jew and Gentile as being a part of this company. Rom. 9:24-26.
The Lord and His people are to be involved in an era of real and precious communication, where each is heard of the other. It is a situation where those who have ears to hear will hear clearly, with complete understanding. Too often, now, in this life we hear words and know that there is a voice but we do not comprehend because we do not hear with the ears of the Spirit. The corn, symbolic of the word of the Lord, the wine, the joy of the Spirit and the oil, the precious anointing of the Spirit to be preeminent in the earth during the millennial reign of Christ and His church on earth. She (the church) shall be sown in the earth as the seed of the Lord and will produce a harvest for His glory and honor. The Lord will show forth His mercy and love upon those who had not been called as a special race of people. Now, that nondescript, mixed multitude have been blended together into to a unit. One people, the people of God, the glorious church. Eph. 5:27.
Hosea is found playing out the emotions of the Lord toward unfaithful Israel. He is instructed to take a woman, his former wife, and to bring her back into his care and home. Hosea is the friend who had loved his wife, the mother of his children but she had left him and found herself another lover. In spite of her unfaithfulness and adultery, Hosea is to receive her again. Immediately, the scene is turned from Hosea’s personal problems to the situation of Israel. The heartache, the sorrow of having been turned aside for another, yet, still loving the individual is an illustration of the extreme emotions of the Lord in having been deserted by Israel. Even so, His love is still extended toward them. Hos. 3:1 Amazing and marvelous is the love of the Lord. He reacts according to His nature and character in all things. God is love. 1 John 4:16 His love is agape love. Love as only the Lord can love. The fullness, the very essence, the completeness of love is found in Him. In this case there is a manifestation of corrective love. Ah yes, love is not simply a cover up, but real love as He loves will cause all who need it to be chastened and disciplined. Heb. 12:6 If you are being corrected, rejoice in it. It is a certain sign that He loves you.