Achor—a door of hope

My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for my people who have sought me...I will return her vineyards to her, and make the valley of Achor a door of hope.—Isaiah 65:10   &   Hosea 2:15

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Achor.org

The home for spiritual and Biblical books

The name Achor, comes from a geographical location in the Bible. After the death of Moses, Joshua was commanded by God to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. They were commanded to conquer it and take it over, because the people of the land were under an ancient curse, and God had promised the land to Israel.

After passing through the Jordan River, which had been miraculously dried up, the first city they came to was Jericho. Many are familiar with what came next. For seven days the Israelites marched around the city, and on the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times, and the walls of the city fell down. When they did, the Israelites charged into the city and captured it.

But before the Israelites did this, they had been commanded that they must not take any plunder from Jericho. It was the first city they conquered so everything had to be devoted to their God, whom Christians for many centuries have called Jehovah. There was one man and his family who disobeyed this command and took some items from the city. His name was Achan. Later, when God revealed his identity to all Israel, he and those complicit with him in his misdeed were punished, and the place where he was revealed, a valley or low plain, was renamed Achor. The name means ostracism or trouble.

Many years later, in the prophecy of Hosea the name was used in a much different way. When sinful Israel would be returned to God’s favor, the name that symbolized sin and ostracism would come to represent hope and God’s loving forgiveness of sins. I will give her back her vineyards, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. The wonderful picture of God’s forgiveness in Hosea 2:15 and Isaiah 65:10, have long symbolized forgiveness of our sins and comfort from our Creator, and his son, our redeemer. For this reason the name Achor.org was chosen for this website which is devoted to comfort from God’s word and the entrance to hope it pictured. At present, in accordance with this mission, it publishes books whose purpose is spiritual enlightenment.

 

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