Today's Sufficient Grace

Hosea 2:18–20 (ESV),

¹⁸ And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. ¹⁹ And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. ²⁰ I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

The relationship between God and Israel has been as a husband and wife.  But Israel has continually sought other lovers.  God puts away the nation as an adulterous spouse.  Yet God describes a plan to woo back His people. The renewal of the Covenant can only refer to the New Covenant and the promise contained can only mean the people who are participants in that Covenant: i.e., the people of whom the Spirit has wrought in them a new heart."The language may be figurative for a transformed humanity, with the resulting peace and security attending the renewal inaugurated by Christ at His First Advent and completed at His return." [1]

So it seems as if God has abandoned Israel.  Not so, aaffirms the Apostle Paul.  “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” (Romans 11:5–6, ESV).

This is how God restores Israel, through sovereign electing grace (Paul being Exhibit A (Romans 11:1f)). “And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”” (Romans 11:26–27, ESV).

"Israel [is] symbolic of God’s elect, all who are now part of God’s people—both Jews and Gentiles." [2].  God continues to establish His Kingdom, by sovereign electing grace.

 

 

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1. Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ho 2:18). Nashville: T. Nelson.

2. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 11:26). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.