WHEN BAALI BECOMES ISHI
"And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali." (Hosea 2:16)
                                
Devotion 6 of 13

A HIGHWAY IN THE DESERT
     The desert is NOT impossible if there is a way to get through it. In this world, the Lord does not promise the removal of deserts, but a means to traverse through them. "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isa 40:3). The purpose of the highway is to get us to God. How wonderful that this highway is placed by God in the midst of a desert. It was the opening of the door of hope. 
     
Eyes of the blind opened
     Blindness is critical when peril lurks about us. Likewise, deafness is a serious liability when danger is imminent. Under these circumstances, seeing and hearing are a means of preservation. Thus God promised, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped" (Isa 35:5).
     
"HUSBAND,"  NOT "MASTER"
     We are entering hallowed ground! The uniqueness of the New Covenant is seen in this place. The glory of our Redeemer is seen more clearly here. Our association with God through Jesus Christ is unparalleled.  Read the prophecy once more, and glory in the Lord. "And it will come about in that day," declares the LORD, "That you will call Me Ishi and will no longer call Me Baali" (Hosea 2:16). The NIV translates the words, bringing the meaning to our hearts with  staggering emphasis:  "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call Me 'my husband'; you will no longer call Me 'my master.'"  We must not allow a stilted theological position to forbid our consideration of these words, spoken by God Himself.
     
Israel and Baal worship
     As remarkable as it may seem, these people were bent on serving even Baal, the false god of fertility worshiped by the Canaanites. Ahab, king of Israel, worshipped Baal (1 Kgs 22:51-53). In serving and worshiping that idol, he "provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel." In the time of Jehu, Baal worship was also common (2 Kgs 10:21ff). Wicked king Manasseh reared up  altars to Baal, in defiance of the Living God (2 Kgs 21:3).

     Some take the position that our text deals primarily with the rescue of Israel from Baal worship. While there is an element of truth to this, it is not the whole truth. God was going to take the word "Baali" out of Israel's mouth. As it is written, "For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, So that they will be mentioned by their names no more" (Hos 2:17).  The very name would become as abhorrent to them as it was to God Himself. While all of this is true,  our text heralds an even larger reality.

     Under Law, Israel had a profound propensity to idolatry. It started at the foot of the very Mount from which the Law was sounded--at the very time it was being given. Who can forget the golden calf, an epitaph to Israel's corrupted affection. How was it that they danced around an idol at Mount Sinai (Ex 32)? They were not noted for idolatry in Egypt. There is no evidence that they  participated in the worship of Egyptian graven images. What caused them to change? Ponder these things!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I too have found this world to be a desert, desolate, and void of sustaining food and water for the soul. How I praise Your holy name for raising a highway in this desert, and life-sustaining streams of grace. In Jesus' name, I pledge myself to constantly resort to them for the health of my soul. Grant me grace to do so with a consistency that glorifies You!

-- TOMORROW: LAW IS CONDUCIVE TO IDOLATRY --