Lilies
Hosea 14:1-9 gives us a picture of God reaching out to His apostasized children of Israel:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips. Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses; nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in You the orphan finds mercy.” I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. Those who live in his shadow will again raise grain, and they will blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant cypress; from Me comes your fruit. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them. (NASB)
The LORD God wants to bless Israel, as indicated by what He wishes for the Israelites/Israelis. God wants to heal Israel of its apostasy, He wants to love them freely, and He wishes to be like the dew to Israel; and to Ephraim, He wants to be like a luxuriant cypress, answering them and looking after them and giving them fruit. The LORD Himself uses His creation to convey His purposes as well as His divine nature (Romans 1:20)—I find it reassuring to know that the living God wants to nourish His people like a dew nourishes the ground vegetation, and that He wants to protect His people with the well-rooted strength and power of a virtuous King.
The LORD God purposes great things for Israel: that it will blossom like the lily; be beautiful like the olive tree; be well-rooted and fragrant like the Lebanon cedars; and be renowned like Lebanon wine. The LORD God also purposes great things for those who work in concert with Israel: those who live in the shadow of Israel will again raise grain and will blossom like the vine! Truly, since its re-establishment in 1948, Israel has flourished agriculturally, even exporting flowers and fruit, and its greening (or beautification) is legendary. Remembering Genesis 12:2-3, we can see that God showed Abram a land, made a great nation (Israel) out of Abram, and will bless them that bless Abram/Israel—God teaches that through Abram and through Israel all the families on earth will be blessed. Indeed, those who live in the shadow of lily-beautiful Israel will raise grain and blossom like the vine.
Jesus spoke expressly about the lilies: “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27, KJV) The Lord Jesus points out that if God would be so gracious as to clothe the field with such beautiful lilies (which will nevertheless eventually wither away), then how much more will God clothe His believers. Believers are encouraged to seek the kingdom of God, sell their possessions, give alms, and let God provide food, drink, and clothing. The lily metaphor encourages believers to put their hearts on storing up treasure in heaven, and to let God provide for the day-to-day needs. Understanding that the humble lily is more resplendently-clothed than even the well-attired Solomon, we should definitely seek out God-given clothing by heaping up treasures in heaven—running the good race of discipleship so that in the end we will have resurrection bodies.