We Need The Rain

Hosea 6:1-3 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

These verses record the words the penitent generation of the future will declare as they seek the LORD.

Press on is literally, “pursue or chase,” which suggests the intensity of Israel’s newfound devotion.

1. He will heal us (Hosea 6:1).

2. He will bind us up.

3. After two days will He revive us (Hosea 6:2).

4. In the third day He will raise us up.

5. We will live in His sight.

6. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord (Hosea 6:3).

7. He will come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

He will pour out His blessings on His people, as the winter and spring rains… water the earth and assure agricultural prosperity. The latter comparison was especially well chosen since the regularity of these rains was a sign of the Lord’s favor

Deuteronomy 11:13-15 ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,14 ‘then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.15 ‘And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’

But this rain, unlike irrigation, did not depend on human ingenuity or skill, but rather on the will of Israel to obey the commands of the rain’s Giver. This involved loving and serving Him (cf. Deut. 10:12). The autumn… rains (also called the early rains) come in September-October, and the spring rains are in March-April (cf. Joel 2:23). Those rains begin and end the rainy season. The rains are necessary to help crops and trees grow, including grain (wheat, flax, and barley), grapevines (wine), olive trees (oil)

*Geshem – Heavy winter rain.

*Yoreh – Early (former) rain.

*Malkosh – Latter rain.

Preparatory rain, former rain.

Prepares the Laborer.

Prepares the Land.

Prepares the Lost.

This rain prepares the ground (heart) for the plough and the planter.

Provisional rain, heavy.

These heavy rains are welcome they fill, cisterns, pools and replenish the springs.

Is 44:3 “for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon your offspring”

These rains bring the promise of reviving, the product of reviving and the power of reviving.

Perfecting rain, latter rain.

Appears 8 times in the O.T. once in the N.T.

8 = new beginnings,

9 = spiritual fruition.

Grain = Bread of Life Jn 6:48

Wine = Holy Spirit Maturity (wine matures)

Oil = Anointing or ability to do God things Lk4

1 Kings 18:41-44 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’

PRAYING FOR THE RAIN

• V 42 The position of intercession.

• V 43 The stand of faith.

• V 44 The perseverance to fullness

OVERTAKING THE CHARIOTS

1 Kings 18:46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Chariots represent the might of Pharaoh and Egypt. First mentioned as belonging to Egypt.

Exodus 14:6-9 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.