A door of hope from the valley of trouble

Hosea 2:14-15 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.  I will give her back her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the days when she came up from the land of Egypt.”

Most people will remember the bible story about the battle of Jericho.  You know you hear the song in your head!!  “Joshua fought the battle at Jericho, Jericho, Jericho… and the walls came tumbling down.”

You will love this.  The children did an awesome job. Winning performance of the BBC School Choir of the Year competition 2013  Dir.: Mrs. Ursula Cullen

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho  by St. Patrick’s Primary School Choir

https://youtu.be/MvXmiWE46rM

 

Now that you are singing the song, let me tell you the rest of the story.  The story begins with Moses’ death and Joshua becoming the new leader.  The Lord has told them to cross over the Jordan and conquer the Promised land.  As they crossed over, the waters parted just as they did with Moses forty years before.  The children of Israel finally entered the land promised by Jehovah.  The manna ceases to fall and they eat the produce of the land.

They are feasting in abundance, they are enjoying the freshness of the air.  No longer in the desert, they were living the life.  Or so they thought.  Everything is good, comfortable.

Ever experienced that rest from the trials of the wilderness?  It’s that time when things settle down  and you relax and begin to get comfortable?  Someone once said, “if you aren’t in the fire/wilderness right now, God is getting you ready for the next battle.”

Jericho… the first land they had to conquer.  They did! The walls came down and Israel defeated the city except for Rahab and her household.. (God always has a remnant.)

“So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was spread throughout the country” Joshua 6:27 TLB

But greed was in the camp.  Achan saw a beautiful Babylonian garments and two hundred shekels so he took them and hid them in his tent.  When the Israelites came to Ai, the next battle after the success of Jericho, they were defeated.  Sin was in the camp.  God had instructed them to burn everything and take only the silver and gold and the vessels of bronze and iron to the treasury of the house of the LORD.

Achan is stoned for his sin.  Not only did he lose his life but “his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that he had and they brought them to the valley of Achor.” Joshua 7:24 TLB

Israel continues to move three steps forward and two steps back in their relationship with Jehovah.  Year after year, they lose their way and turn back for a little while.  Sounds like our lives doesn’t it.  We are not any better than the children of Israel!

Now we come to a story in Hosea.  Hosea is commanded by God to take a wife, a harlot!  What! Wait! God hates harlotry; why would he ask Hosea to do that?  Jehovah wanted to speak to the children of Israel in a parable, a real live story of their own harlotry. His wife, Gomer, continually sins against her husband.  She has children with her lovers. Just as Israel, God’s beloved, has committed sin against God, her husband.

But God tells Hosea…There is hope!  There is a door in the valley of Achor!   “Behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.  I will give her her vineyards. Her vineyards!  God was still holding for Gomer blessings waiting for her to return. Like Gomer, God is not through with Israel.   And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.” Hosea 2:14-15 TLB

Lesson gained:

1.Sin costs.  The consequences are painful.  Loses are great! Move on! Stop looking back God has this.  There is more to your life than your past.

2.“But God” remembers his own. He loves you.  He desires to have a relationship with you.  As a friend and constant companion he longs for His children to trust Him

3. God is mercy.  He is the restorer of the breach.  He will repay for the years the locust have eaten. (Joel 2:26)  We only have to repent and turn to Him, trust Him

4. He will take us to the wilderness to train us not to destroy us.  But while the consequences are still the same, He will speak comfort to us.

5.He will give us what he promised.  A vineyard, a fruitful life once we repent.

6. We will sing again.  Praise, gratefulness given in worship precedes blessings.

7. With Jehovah God, our Father. There is always a door of hope.

Most everyone I know has sinned against God; we have played the harlot, following after other things, idolatry.  It is hard to let it go. Once we have repented, we relive it and Satan and his helpers love to remind us of it.

God is saying to us through his word and His Holy Spirit. I have a door of hope. Come out of the valley of trouble, Achor.  Come rest in my arms.  Leave what looks like like it glitters and calls to you and enter my land of vineyards, abundance of what I have for you.

There are times when we stay defeated by Satan because we do not stand in the victory Christ won for us at the cross.  Trouble becomes our constant companion.  We don’t trust that Jesus paid it all!  We often times wallow in self-pity.  It is time to stand.  There is a door of hope not a door not a door of despair!  Yes, we are weary in well-doing.  Yes the enemy continues to hammer us! Yes, we live in a fallen world!  Jesus calls us to rise above!

At the mention of His name, the enemy has to leave!

Sing (even when we don’t “feel” like it).  Praise Him for what is good in your life.  Live a life moving forward not backward.  God’s blessings can be just on the other side of the door of hope!

You are loved with an everlasting love.

Tread on sisters and brothers,

Freda Reynolds