Yes—when God says He will 'bind us up' in Hosea 6:1, He is promising to heal and restore Israel after the chastisement He brought on them.
In Hosea 6:1, Israel speaks: 'Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.' Les points out that the 'us' refers to the nation of Israel, and the binding up is God's future healing of the nation after His discipline (Clips 1, 2).
Hosea 6:1 — This is the verse in question; it directly states that the same God who has torn and smitten will heal and bind up.
Hosea 6:1 (KJV) reads: 'Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.' The verse contains both sides of God's dealings: He has torn and smitten, but He will heal and bind up. The promise of binding up follows the invitation to return to the Lord. The same pattern is stated in 2 Samuel 7:14-15 (KJV): 'I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.' Here God plainly speaks of chastening the royal line with the 'rod of men,' while at the same time promising that His mercy will not depart.
In Les's teaching, the people speaking in Hosea 6:1 are the nation of Israel, not the church. Israel acknowledges, 'He hath torn, and He will heal us... He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.' Les explains that God has been chastising Israel for almost two thousand years because they rejected and crucified their Messiah, yet Israel knows God will heal them. The 'binding up' is God's restoring work—the future healing of the nation after the period of chastening (Clips 1, 2). Les connects this to 2 Samuel 7:14-15, where God promised to chasten David's seed with the rod of men but also said, 'my mercy shall not depart from them.' He shows that Israel's history has been a roller coaster—blessing, rebellion, and repeated discipline through other nations—but God has never abandoned them (Clips 0, 3, 4, 5, 6). He also uses the story of Hosea's unfaithful wife to picture Israel's future restoration: the same God who disciplined them will restore them (Clip 7).
Les points out that the pronouns 'us' in verse 1 refer to the nation of Israel. Israel is the one saying, 'Come, and let us return unto the LORD,' acknowledging that God has torn and smitten them, but also trusting that He will heal and bind them up (Clips 1, 2).
The torn and smite language describes God's chastening of Israel. God promised in 2 Samuel 7:14, 'I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.' Les explains that God has used other nations over and over to punish Israel whenever they became rebellious, idolatrous, or unbelieving (Clips 0, 3, 5, 6).
Yes. Les emphasizes that the phrase 'He will bind us up' is future: after chastening, God will heal and restore the nation. This is the same confidence expressed in the Book of Hosea, where the adulterous wife is restored to her husband—a picture of Israel's coming restoration (Clips 1, 2, 7).
Israel's Roller Coaster of Discipline
Les uses 2 Samuel 7:14 to show that God promised to chasten Israel with the rod of men, and Israel's history has repeatedly been a cycle of spiritual highs followed by discipline.
Israel Speaking in Hosea 6:1
Les identifies the speakers in Hosea 6:1 as the nation of Israel, who say God has torn and smitten them but will heal them and bind them up.
The Future Binding Up
Les highlights that 'He will bind us up' is future; after God has smitten and torn Israel, He will heal and restore the nation.
The Rod of Men and Undeparted Mercy
God said He would use other nations to chastise Israel, but the 'But' of 2 Samuel 7:15 guarantees His mercy will not depart from them.
God Disciplines His Son Israel
God disciplines Israel as a father disciplines his son, and though Israel repeatedly falls short, His mercy does not depart from them.
The 'But' of 2 Samuel 7:15
Despite Israel's rebellion, God promises 'my mercy shall not depart away from him,' and the passage is applied to the nation of Israel, not just Solomon.
Chastening Through Other Nations
When Israel became rebellious, idolatrous, or unbelieving, God brought in conquering nations and put Israel in subservience—His 'rod of men' discipline.
Hosea's Wife as a Picture of Restoration
The restoration of Hosea's adulterous wife pictures Israel's future restoration; God will put all her adulterous past behind her.
Hosea 6:1: Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
This is the verse being asked about; it explicitly pairs God's tearing and smiting with His healing and binding up.
Hosea 6:2: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
The following verse continues the prophecy of restoration after revival and raising up.
2 Samuel 7:14: I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
God explicitly says He will chasten the royal son/nation with the rod of men, which explains the tearing and smiting in Hosea 6:1.
2 Samuel 7:15: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
The 'But' promise of undeparted mercy shows that chastening is not God's final word.
In Hosea 6:1, 'bind us up' is God's healing and restoring action toward Israel after He has torn and smitten them. Les explains it is the future binding up of the nation after their long period of chastening (Clips 1, 2).
Les identifies the pronouns as Israel's words. The verse speaks of the nation of Israel returning to the Lord after His discipline, and the binding up refers to Israel's restoration (Clips 1, 2).
The 'rod of men' refers to other nations that God uses to chasten Israel. Les says whenever Israel was rebellious or idolatrous, God would bring in a conquering nation to subdue them (Clips 3, 5, 6).
Watch the Teaching: The Gifts & Calling of God Without Repentance — Romans 11:29 Explained