Hosea 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Today’s scripture talks of a peace we all hope for: a time with no natural disasters or disturbances, and no war. It does not mean we can expect that kind of peace soon.
Every Bible scripture comes with a rider/condition. Today’s scripture speaks of a time when God’s people will know the Lord and will not take the name of any god on their lips.
Just before the birth of Jesus, Judea had experienced a major earthquake which is reported to have killed about 10,000 to 30,000 people (31BC). This event was preceded by a global winter caused by a major volcanic eruption in Alaska, the Okmok volcano (43BC-36BC). Its sulfur emissions created a global volcanic winter that caused extreme cold weather, widespread crop failures, and severe famines. The effect of this volcanic eruption lasted almost a decade. In 26 BC a major earthquake struck western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The city of Tralles (modern Aydın) was completely levelled. The flood of 22 BC was particularly severe; it destroyed bridges, inundated lower sections of the city for days, ruined grain warehouses, and triggered a major food shortage and plague scare in Rome. In 9 AD, the Romans suffered great loss in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which caused them to take a back seat for the next 40-45 years.
In all this turmoil came the Prince of Peace, and there was no disruption or war in that area until after His death and until the existence of His core Disciples/Apostles ceased. We know that after that there was a great massacre/genocide of the Jews (known as the Great Jewish Revolt – 70AD) such that none were left alive; those who fled before were the only ones who survived. The Romans crucified as many Jews (including women and children) as they could and stopped only when they completely ran out of wood.
The Lord is telling us that if there are even a few who truly know the Lord amongst us, then we will be safe. Note that the Lord always asked His anointed ones to move out of any place before He exerted His wrath on the people there, whose evil increased abundantly.
[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You are Almighty God. You are our Father. You love your people and bear them even when they rebel against You. It is only when they become a reason of the destruction of others that You intervene and set beasts of the field against them. Lord, we pray we understand You desire that we correct ourselves and always experience peace…
We make this prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Hosea 2:16-17
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
Luke 21:20-24
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.