Hosea 2:17-23: a reflection

17For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name. 18In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely. 19I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. 20I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. 21It will happen in that day, that I will respond,” says the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth; 22and the earth will respond to the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they will respond to Jezreel. 23I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; and I will tell those who were not my people, ‘You are my people;’ and they will say, ‘You are My God!’”

To a people who had been unfaithful, God makes an astonishing promise of covenant love: he will betroth them to himself forever, in righteousness, love, mercy, and faithfulness. I will betroth you to me forever, God says; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. And to those who had been called not my people, he says: you are my people. Though his people had been unfaithful, God binds himself to them in a covenant of love, betrothing them to himself forever, and calling those who were not his people his own. This is the astonishing grace of God's covenant love. This shows God's astonishing covenant love, binding his unfaithful people to himself forever. God betroths his unfaithful people to himself forever in love. God's covenant love binds him to us in mercy and faithfulness. God says to those who were not his people, you are my people. God's grace betroths us to himself, though we were unfaithful.

Notice the astonishing grace of this promise. God's people had been unfaithful to him, had gone after other gods, had broken faith; by every right, God might have cast them off. But instead, God makes a promise of covenant love: I will betroth you to me forever. The language is that of marriage, of the deepest covenant love, a binding of himself to his people not for a time but forever. And he specifies the character of this love: righteousness, justice, loving kindness, compassion, faithfulness. God does not merely tolerate his people; he binds himself to them in a covenant of steadfast love. And to those who had been called not my people, estranged and rejected, he says: you are my people. This is the astonishing grace of God's love. Though we have been unfaithful, God, in his grace, binds himself to us in covenant love, betrothing us to himself forever in Christ, making those who were not his people his own. We are loved not because we have been faithful, but by a God whose covenant love reaches the unfaithful and binds them to himself. To be so loved, betrothed to God forever in his steadfast love, is the wonder of grace. God binds himself to us in covenant love, though we were unfaithful. God's love reaches the unfaithful and makes them his own. We are betrothed to God forever in his steadfast love. God's grace calls those who were not his people his own.

That is worth resting in, for God, in his astonishing grace, binds himself to his unfaithful people in covenant love, betrothing them to himself forever, as he promised to betroth his people to himself in righteousness, love, mercy, and faithfulness. We can feel unworthy of God's love because we have been unfaithful; but God promised to betroth his unfaithful people to himself forever, and to call those who were not his people his own. God's love reaches the unfaithful. When you feel unworthy of God's love, remember that his covenant love binds him to us in Christ, betrothing us to himself forever. Rest in the truth that God, in his astonishing grace, binds himself to his unfaithful people in covenant love, betrothing them to himself forever in righteousness, justice, loving kindness, compassion, and faithfulness, and calling those who were not his people his own, as God promised his unfaithful people, I will betroth you to me forever, and said to those called not my people, you are my people; for his people had been unfaithful, gone after other gods, and broken faith, so that by every right God might have cast them off, but instead he makes a promise of covenant love in the language of marriage, binding himself to them not for a time but forever in steadfast love, and to those estranged and rejected he says you are my people, which is the astonishing grace of God's love, since though we have been unfaithful God in his grace binds himself to us in covenant love, betrothing us to himself forever in Christ and making those who were not his people his own, so that we are loved not because we have been faithful but by a God whose covenant love reaches the unfaithful and binds them to himself, and to be so loved, betrothed to God forever in his steadfast love, is the wonder of grace.

Lord, to a people who had been unfaithful, you make an astonishing promise of covenant love: you will betroth them to yourself forever, in righteousness, love, mercy, and faithfulness. I will betroth you to me forever, you say; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. And to those who had been called not my people, you say: you are my people. Though your people had been unfaithful, you bind yourself to them in a covenant of love, betrothing them to yourself forever, and calling those who were not your people your own. This is the astonishing grace of your covenant love. Show me the astonishing grace of this promise. Your people had been unfaithful, had gone after other gods, had broken faith; by every right, you might have cast them off. But instead, you make a promise of covenant love: I will betroth you to me forever. The language is that of marriage, of the deepest covenant love, a binding of yourself to your people not for a time but forever, in righteousness, justice, loving kindness, compassion, and faithfulness. And to those who had been called not my people, estranged and rejected, you say: you are my people. This is the astonishing grace of your love. Though I have been unfaithful, you, in your grace, bind yourself to me in covenant love, betrothing me to yourself forever in Christ, making one who was not your person your own. I am loved not because I have been faithful, but by you, whose covenant love reaches the unfaithful. Take that to my heart, for you bind yourself to your unfaithful people in covenant love, betrothing them to yourself forever. When I feel unworthy of your love because I have been unfaithful, help me remember that your covenant love binds you to me in Christ, Lord, betrothing me to yourself forever in your steadfast love, and calling one who was not your person your own.