How Ya Looking, Hosea 7
Hosea 7
June 22, 2006
Intro: The reason we so diligently go through God’s Word, Is so that
God’s Word would go through us.
A- That the Holy Spirit would, through the word, do a work
IN US and then THROUGH US.
1- So, when it comes to this thought HOW YA DOING?
a- Or better yet: HOW YA LOKING?
Read James 1:22-25
2- SO why look into this “mirror”.
a- Because we need to know the Truth as
opposed to the Lie.
b- So that we would know Purity as opposed to
Imperfection.
c- That we would perceive Light as opposed to
Darkness.
d- That we would understand the standard of
Right (righteousness) as opposed to Wrong.
- KNOW THIS: Face to face with God’s word
is face to face with God.
> Chapters 6 & 7 are married together:
A- The theme of last weeks teaching, lied in the question:
Are you a contender?
OR
Are you a pretender?
1- Last week we saw Israel as the “Great Pretender”
a- They seemed to be Spiritual but if they would
have looked into God’s mirror, it was just a
bunch of Religious Routine.
- We saw 3 things in their Counterfeit
Repentance:
#1- There was no acknowledgement of sin.
#2- THEY were LOOKING FOR A QUICK FIX.
#3- And THEY CONSIDERED FORGIVENESS TO BE A
MECHANICAL THING.
> SO, the problem with Early Israel (denomination or movement)
they stopped looking into God’s mirror and now were relying
on recollection of what they looked like.
A- SO, if I had to, describe myself to a blind person
based upon my memory.
1- My memory of myself: It’s what I looked like in High
School.
a- A full head of shoulder length hair.
b- A chiseled physique.
c- An able bodied young man.
Me = I remember my self as an Italian Stallion.
God = He sees me as an old pack mule destine for the glue factory.
2- Another thing when going by memory: I’ll look at
you today, remembering the old me, and consider my
present self to be so much the better.
a- To avoid this: I open up the bible bus every day
and take a good look at myself and
- Lack of locks, Bit of a belly, and Surrendered
Shape.
a- BUT even more than that I see
JESUS.
B- If Israel saw their correct likeness = PROSTITUTE.
> In order to prove this point the Prophet uses 4 metaphors of
Description. (they didn’t get the prostitution thing)
#1- One of an overwhelming OVEN.
#2- Another of a HALF BAKED CAKE.
#3- Another simile of a Dumb Dove.
#4- And one of a undependable bow.
Read Verse 1-3
A- Pretender or Contender God knows and the truth and it stands out like a sore thumb.
1- Me and the Chiquita banana sticker.
Read Malachi 2:1-3
> The 1st descriptive metaphor is an overwhelming OVEN.
Read Verses 4-7
A- What is the function that an oven is to perform???
1- It contains the fire that either: completes or
consumes.
a- This oven of fire is compared to the heart of fire
of man.
2- How does yours burn???
b- In a consuming manner.
- Those who’s heart burns for: Sports,
Work, Lusts, to the detriment of things
Spiritual.
Isaiah 33:10-13, “Now I will rise,” says the Lord; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up. You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
c- Or does your heart burn in a completing manner
Luke 24:32, And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
- Which oven are you??? (Consuming-
completing)
3- Case in point: 8 or Israel’s kings were assonated by
their successor.
Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
#2- The 2nd metaphor is that of a HALF BAKED CAKE.
Read Verses 8-10
> There are really 2 pictures here.
A- There is the problem with the baking but 1st the mixture
is off.
1- Ever eat a pancake where the ingredients where not
completely mixed together???
a- A clump of baking soda!
2- The idea is that God’s people have been mixed with
the world’s people.
a- What if the next communion we ran low on grape
juice.
- And so to make up for the difference we
added just a little water.
* What if we got that water from the
toilet tank?
> If the 1st picture was of heart burn then this one is of half
heartedness.
A- This is the addition of other directions to God’s
directions. (a few more turns, miles, and a different
street or 2.
1- If all roads lead to God then think how good it would be
if we combined all these roads and made a Spiritual
autobahn.
Proverbs 14:12, There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
a- The way we choose is based upon our
destination.
- Just as the only way to Europe is plane or
boat (no car or train).
- The only way to heaven is Jesus Christ.
John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
b- Going on a hike, in order to get to the desired
location you map out a safe desirable course.
- Maybe there is a better one, but if there is a
cliff at the end, is it really better.
Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Read Verse 8b
A- Ever forget to turn food over on the bar-b-q.
1- May even look good on one side BUT it’s all undone in
the middle and good for nothing.
a- In both instances Israel is ½ hearted.
- Worshiping God and Baal.
Revelation 3:15-19
#3- Next Israel is like a Dumb Dove.
Read Verses 11-12
A- A dove will go to anyone or any thing that has food
regardless of the food.
1- Apparently when a dove thinks something is food, it
determines if it is, by eating it.
a- Someone who has a different belief system,
relationship, or job every time you see them.
2- This speaks of the ungodly alliances Israel had with
neighboring countries.
a- Assyria = Israel & Judah.
Read Acts 17:16-21
#4- The last picture is that of an undependable bow.
Read Verses 13-16
A- A dull tool, a broken car, an unreliable weapon.
1- All will do more damage than good.
Psalm 78:56-64
a- Probable relating back to their “repentance” in
the previous chapter.
- God’s greatest weapon, best tool: An on fire
believer.
- Those most useless to Him: The
pretending believer (perdition)
*Lucifer, Judas, Antichrist.
YOU!!!
Hosea 7
June 22, 2006
James 1:22-25
Malachi 2:1-3
Isaiah 33:10-13
Luke 24:32
Matthew 23:15
Proverbs 14:12
John 14:6
Psalm 119:105
Acts 17:16-21
Psalm 78:56-64