Hope Series 11

Hosea 2:15b "I will give her (Israel) . . . the valley of Achor for a door of HOPE:
and she shall sing there, as in the days of youth . . ."

Theme: The Valley of Achor, the Door of Hope

The man in the story of Joshua 7 who caused Israel's trouble is Achan. Achor (Valley of Trouble) is the name given to the place where it happened. Achan died because of his disobedience and he had sinned against the Lord. The battle of Ai was lost because of Achan. Trouble, a valley near Jericho was the results of Israel lost the battle because of the sin of Achan.

The "valley of Achor" was called a "door of hope," because immediately after the execution of Achan, The Lord said to Joshua, "Fear not ... I will help you defeat ..." (Joshua 8:1). Joshua and his fighting men won the battle against the city of Ai. From that time Joshua went forward in the successful conquest into the Promised Land.

Hosea 2:15 uses the expression in the same sense: "The valley of Achor for a door of hope," which stands for trouble would be turned into joy, despair into hope. Isaiah 65:10  uses the same expression "the valley of Achor," a place for herds to lie down in which is the same sense which has been a source of trouble would become a source of blessing.  Is. 65:10 "The Plain of Sharon will be a field for flocks, and the Valley of Achor will be a place for herds to rest. They will be for the people who want to follow Me."

The word, valley has a very important meaning for us. It represents our day to day activity. We can only stay a very short time on the mountaintop of a wonderful experience with God, carefree troubles, and that everything goes well. Eventually, we come down into the valley where we make our day to day living. This is the reality of our daily lives of troubles. This is where God becomes our daily God of our living hope.

God is speaking to us, "Fear not ... I will help you ... I am the Door ... And the door is opened in heaven" John 10:9; Rev. 4:1.

I, Dorothy, saw a vision of a "door opened in heaven" between Jan-March 1973 after forty days of fasting. So to say, after "forty  years of wandering and trouble times" should now become our source of blessings.  Like Joshua, God is speaking to us, "Fear not ... I will help you ..." Like Joshua, we are going forward into the successful conquest against our enemies and they must move out of our way and allow God's blessing to flow through us from "the door of heaven." Can you say, amen? I say, amen!

There's a song called, "The Lily of the Valley" and it will be on the next Hope 12. It is important to remember that our Savior was found in the lily of the valley. The flowers, the lilies are so small and they are found in the hidden valley. Jesus is our hidden "Lily of the Valley." You could only find Him in the hidden valley of our day to day activity. This is far more enriching experience than the mountaintop experience. It is different. I would say, it is more blessing to be in the valley of Achor (trouble) because that is where Jesus becomes our source of blessing. Maybe you disagree, but in all those 40 years, God has been much more real to Tony and me. I pray that you would find Him.

Amazing grace that God loves you and me!

Dorothy