Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.
In New Testament terms this is called the work of the cross.
Hosea 6:2 After two days will He revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.
We often see the third as pointing to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This verse, though, is speaking of us being raised up. Therefore, it is referring to three symbolic days, or relationships, that bring us into resurrection life. There are three basic relationships with God. We have a relationship with the Holy Spirit that progresses into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (knowing Jesus Christ the Lord of glory is a higher realm than knowing Jesus Christ as Savior) which in turn progresses into a relationship with God the Father. The third day is symbolic of the life realm where we live in His sight.
Hosea 6:3a Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord…
To really know the Lord God we must follow on through these progressive relationships. It is not that we learn to know the Holy Spirit, then after that we learn to know the Lord, and then after that we learn to know the Father. Each realm is continuously progressive. It is as Isaiah prophesied: Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. Isaiah 9:7. That is one of the wonderful things about our salvation; it is ever expanding. You will never reach a place where it is finalized. It is always increasing and always getting better. That is true, of course, for those who follow on to know the Lord. Many Christians reach a stopping point because they decide not to follow any further.
Hosea 6:3 …His going forth is prepared as the morning and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
The coming forth of the Lord in our lives is prepared as the morning. The morning is a gradual progression. People usually think of the coming of the Lord as an instantaneous event, but it is as the coming of the morning.
His coming is also described as the early and latter rain. The early rain comes to teach the little seeds to grow and the latter rain prepares the harvest. So, you see, how the Lord comes to us depends on our spiritual growth. In our youth He comes into our lives to stimulate our spiritual growth. Then at the proper time He comes forth in our lives to bring us unto full maturity.
Copyright © 2004 by Henry DuBose