Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. Hosea‬ ‭2:14‬

The above mentioned verse is a fascinating depiction of love — the two people involved here being God and His people (her). The word allure has strong connotations - to powerfully attract or charm.

Right from the start of the Scriptures till the end, what mostly comes to our notice is God’s great love for His people and His plans for them. Just as in any love relationship, where both partners long to spend quality time with each other; the Lord God also longs to spend quality time with His loved ones and speak heart to heart with them!! For this He takes them to the wilderness to speak comfortably with them. This wilderness isn’t a normal one - it’s a howling desert, a terrible one filled with fiery serpents and scorpions. Deuteronomy 8:15, 1:19, 32:10.

WHY DOES GOD TAKE US TO SUCH A PLACE AS THIS?

1. To speak tenderly with us - The wilderness is a lonely place wherein a beloved is forced to depend fully on the lover because both are equally in love with each other. They can’t stay apart. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?... Song of Solomon‬ ‭8:5‬. These were the words of the Shulamite words regarding her beloved. Similarly, the Lord allures and takes us into the desert place so that we learn to rely fully on Him.

2. To keep us as the apple of His eye - The eyes of the Lord are fiery; pure eyes and those of love. Revelation 1:14. By bringing us to this place He keeps us in the centre of His Love, purity and graciousness. He is protective about us by keeping us away from the corruption and pollutions of the world.

3. To feed us with manna so that our inner man is strengthened - Manna refers us to revelations and deeper mysteries of the Word of God. Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:16‬

4. To satisfy us with His goodness - God brought the Israelites into the wilderness not to destroy them but to take them into the Promised Land of Canaan. Unfortunately, they lost their chance because of complaining and murmuring against God. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Nehemiah‬ ‭9:21‬

5. To find grace/favour - Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness [place of exile]–when Israel sought to find rest. Jeremiah‬ ‭31:2‬. Only through grace can we press forward in our spiritual walk.

6. To dwell safely in the wilderness - Even though there are scorpions, fiery serpents and wild beasts, nevertheless the Lord still brings us here to remove every fear and make us bold as a lion.

7. To help us experience the rest in Him - In this place, He speaks with us in a divine tongue, the language of love. Speaking in unknown tongues with the Lord gives us rest in our souls. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 1 Corinthians‬ ‭14:2‬, Isaiah 28:11,12.

Be blessed 💕