Hosea 2:15
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
The valley of Achor is not a door of hope, but God promises through Hosea that He will make it a door of hope. The valley of Achor. Achor in Hebrew means problems, trouble, suffering, etc. The valley of trouble. The valley of problems. The valley of suffering. The valley of Achor. I will make the valley of Achor a door of hope!
Israelites crossed the River Jordan into the Promised Land. Under guidance and instructions from God, they defeated Jericho a serious and dangerous enemy. That victory gave them excitement at a very high level.
In the mood of victory and excitement, they moved on to fight a smaller insignificant enemy that is the city of Ai. Ai was so small and insignificant that no one even pessimist expected anything less than victory. But what followed was a humiliating defeat against Israel.
The nation swung from top-notch excitement and celebration to shame and deep mourning. The pain was too deep and too much to bear. How could victory be followed by such a terrible loss? The shock could be felt across the camp of Israel. This was not just defeat but humiliating defeat.
Joshua turned to God and cried bitterly. Then God revealed to Joshua that one man by the name of Achan had defied God and because of him all Israel suffered defeat. Joshua and all Israelites took Achan and his family and their belongings to the valley of Achor. At the valley of Achor, Achan the symbol and cause of failure and problems was stoned to death.
Joshua 7:24-26
(24) Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. (25) Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.”
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. (26) Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Since the Achan event, the usage of the valley of Achor signifies a point of failure. A point of shame. A point of embarrassment. The valley of Achor is any point in time or place where things went wrong. A place where there was nothing to be proud of. The valley of Achor is a place or situation that we are now regretting.
In our text today, prophet Hosea tells us that God has made a promise. God promises to transform the valley of Achor into a door of hope. Achor where hopes ended is the very place Hope will be revived. I will make the valley of Achor a door of hope!
We all have a place or a person or a date or a situation that can best be described as the valley of Achor. A place where darkness clouded us. A place where we regretted our choices and decisions. A place where loss and failure became monumental. A place of humiliation. A place of intimidation and destruction of self-confidence. Achor is a bad place that we always find ourselves in. God has a promise to all of us. I will make the valley of Achor a door of hope!
Dear God, make the valley of Achor a door of hope, make it even today, in Jesus’s name, Amen!
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Amen
Amen!
Amen and amen.
Amen!
Amen..
Amen!