What would you expect God to say after all the punishments He has promised to deliver in verses 1-13? ″I will now destroy you utterly″? ″I will wipe you off the face of the earth″?

No, that's not what He says. We read about God's ultimate intentions in verses 14-15: ″Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.″

How astonishing! Yes, Israel will be stripped naked (Hosea 2:3) and she will go back into the desert, but notice how tender this scene is.

″Achor″ means trouble. God will turn the valley of trouble into a door of hope. Israel will look back on all the troubles God is about to bring on her and will say, ″Though it hurt me, it was good for me, because it led me back to Him.″

The desert experience will be hard, but it could be an opportunity too. Verses 6-23 tell us what God intends to do there. It will lead to:

• Frustration in pursuing idols (vv. 6-7). Like the prodigal son (Luke 15:16-17) who remembered home only when his stomach was empty, Israel will eventually return to God. What does it say about God's character that He will take us back even when our motivation is purely self-centred?
• A new devotion, as God's people discover that unlike the idols, God is not a vengeful master but a loving husband (v. 16).
• A new harmony, as peace between God and His people ripples forth (v. 18).
• A new vow, as God comes laden with betrothal gifts (v. 19).
• A new relationship with God that comes from knowing and obeying Him (v. 20).
• A new prosperity (vv. 21-22).
• A complete restoration of Israel as the bride of God (v. 23).

Would you have guessed that a chapter that began as this does, would end this way? What does this tell you about God?

Lord God, I know that sometimes you allow me to experience trouble and even lose things in order to bring me back to you. Help me to see this trouble as a door of hope. For Christ's sake, amen.