何西阿書2:14-23

2:14 後來我必勸導她，領她到曠野，對她說安慰的話。

2:15 她從那裡出來，我必賜她葡萄園，又賜她亞割谷作為指望的門。她必在那裡應聲（或譯：歌唱），與幼年的日子一樣，與從埃及地上來的時候相同。

2:16 耶和華說：「那日你必稱呼我伊施（就是我夫的意思），不再稱呼我巴力（就是我主的意思）；

2:17 因為我必從我民的口中除掉諸巴力的名號，這名號不再提起。

2:18 當那日，我必為我的民，與田野的走獸和空中的飛鳥，並地上的昆蟲立約；又必在國中折斷弓刀，止息爭戰，使他們安然躺臥。

2:19 我必聘你永遠歸我為妻，以仁義、公平、慈愛、憐憫聘你歸我；

2:20 也以誠實聘你歸我，你就必認識我─耶和華。

2:21 耶和華說：那日我必應允，我必應允天，天必應允地；

2:22 地必應允五穀、新酒，和油，這些必應允耶斯列民（耶斯列就是上帝栽種的意思）。

2:23 我必將她種在這地。素不蒙憐憫的，我必憐憫；本非我民的，我必對他說：你是我的民；他必說：你是我的上帝。」

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

and bring her into the wilderness,

and speak tenderly to her.

  And there I will give her her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.

And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,

as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’  For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.  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.  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.  I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

  “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,

I will answer the heavens,

and they shall answer the earth,

  and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the

oil,

and they shall answer Jezreel,

  and I will sow her for myself in the land.

And I will have mercy on No Mercy,

and I will say to Not My People, You are my people’;

and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

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    上帝在此說明祂對以色列的拯救，使她不再是「奴僕」，而成為「妻子」，正如先知在此所說：「那日你必稱呼我伊施（就是我夫的意思），不再稱呼我巴力（就是我主的意思）；因為我必從我民的口中除掉諸巴力的名號，這名號不再提起。」

    不僅如此，「我必聘你永遠歸我為妻，以仁義、公平、慈愛、憐憫聘你歸我；也以誠實聘你歸我，你就必認識我─耶和華」。這就讓我們想起教會如同新娘，要使自己無瑕疵來歸給基督。

    而且上帝還要因基督的緣故賜福土地，使人因此蒙福！正如先知所說：「地必應允五穀、新酒，和油，這些必應允耶斯列民（耶斯列就是上帝栽種的意思）。我必將她種在這地。素不蒙憐憫的，我必憐憫；本非我民的，我必對他說：你是我的民；他必說：你是我的上帝。」

    這一切都在耶穌基督裡成就了！