Love, emotion or action, Hosea 3
Hosea 3
May 18, 2006
Into: Lets start off tonight with a little word association.
A- What comes to your mind when I say the word:
1- Ball? Is it.
a- Base, golf, volley, foot, soccer, basket, lacrosse.
b- OR IS IT; a really good time?
c- Maybe it’s a party.
2- With “wine”
a- That beverage that could be drank.
b- Or that child that needs a spank.
3- What I mentioned “Mary”
a- Would it be “Mary” such as my Aunt Mary.
b- Could it be “ Marry” in what my daughter did last
August.
c- OR maybe it was a “Merry” time you had at the
ball.
4- A couple of weeks ago I couldn’t teach because I
was Hoarse.
a- Most of you understand that, that means I
couldn’t talk rather than became an animal.
5- Last Monday some of you were in mourning
because it was Monday Morning.
B- And in our English language we can be just as
confusing when it comes to LOVE.
1- Last Saturday someone made Tiramisu for lunch AND I
JUST LOVED IT.
a- Sunday I had lunch with my Mom who I love one
way, My daughters were present who I love
another way, AND my wife was there whom I
love in a completely different manner.
B- In this book of Hosea we’ve seen the example of
HOLINESS.
1- Holiness in God who is holy, AND in Gomer who is
unholy.
2- We’ve seen graciousness in God who is gracious and
in example through Gomer’s children.
SEE: 1:6&9 and 2:1
3- And now in Chapter 3 we see Love, in God, who is
love, reflected to us by the Prophet Hosea.
a- Well what kind of love do we see???
- God’s sacrificial love.
Turn to 1 Corinthians 13:4-5.
> The key to understanding this section of scripture: V,12:31-
13:3
A- NOTICE: Love is not shown here, as an emotion, BUT an
action. (Relate to Hosea)
- Jesus told Peter if you love me (show it by) feeding My
sheep.
1 John 3:18, My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4, Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
#1- Love is longsuffering (patient)
A- This is to give mercy to someone when you have it with-
in your power to retaliate.
1 Corinthians 6:6-7, But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
1- The answer to the question “Why do you not rather
let yourselves be cheated?” is because:
a- Our love for self is greater than our love for
others.
- You’ve perfected this one when you are as
longsuffering with others as you are with
yourself.
#2- Love is kind
A- If patience is how we are to receive one another then
kindness is how we are to give back.
Romans 12:17, Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
1- All men: The good, the bad, and the ugly, The hard
mad and sad.
a- When someone does you wrong, and you want
revenge, when you could just kill them.
- Kindness is to be your weapon of
destruction.
#3- Does not Envy
A- The 1st two are what we are to do this is the 1st of what
love does not do.
1- To be envious is to express jealousies.
a- There really are 2 degrees of envy
- One is to desire what someone else has.
- The other is to desire it to the point of
wishing they did not have it.
Proverbs 28:22, A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.
#4- Love does not parade itself.
A- To parade one’s self means to brag of your
accomplishments.
1- This is the attempt to cause others to become envious
#5- Love is not arrogant
A- The example of John the Baptist:
John 1:27, “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.
1- Arrogance is big-headed; love is big hearted.
1 Corinthians 13:5, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
#6- Love does not behave rudely
A- This is the caring for the feelings and sensitivities of
others.
1- Well I’m just the type of person who says what’s on my
mind.
a- As most of our minds are cesspools we would
really appreciate if it was kept stopped up.
#7- Love does not seek it’s own
A- This is the “what’s in it for me attitude”.
1- This is the type of person who:
a- Why don’t you have more people in Children’s
Ministry.
b- Complain about the food in hospitality.
c- The building, worship, The Pastor
- Very willing to say what needs to be done
- But not willing to do it their selves.
1 Corinthians 14:12, Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
2 Corinthians 4:7, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
#8- Love is not provoked
A- Love is not easily aroused to anger.
Read Isaiah 53:4-7
1- This is the revelation of the heart when tested.
2- The barometer of the love with-in us.
a- If I have the love of Christ then when struck love
will come out. If of the world then anger
Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
#9- Love thinks no evil
A- Does not dwell on the evil done to him
1- Does not keep a ledger.
a- Is able to forgive and let go with the idea of full
restoration.
- This is the person who remembers the
wrong done. BUT still chooses to forgive.
Ephesians 4:30-32, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
> Now we are ready to join Hosea as he goes searching for
Gomer.
Read Verse 1
A- How could I why would I go searching for a wife who is
the lover of another.
1- This was not an aspect of love that entered my mind
during our word association drill.
a- BUT again this is the example of God’s love for
man NOT man’s love for God (easy), or man’s
love for man (discriminating).
2- Being as the lesson is love this is a sermon in action.
B- “Raisin cakes of the pagans” = Part of a ceremony
honoring the queen of heaven (open idolatry)
1- Anti communion.
Jeremiah 7:18, The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
Read Verse 2
A- More than likely Gomer sold herself to another man
(pimp).
1- See the contrast of love here.
a- HOSEA: He loves to the degree.
- Travel, humble, pay (place value)
b- THIS LOVER (False god): ½ the price of a slave
and some animal feed.
- THE VALUE GOD PLACED UPON YOU
while you were off with another lover?
1 Peter 1:18-19, ... you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Read Verse 3-5
A- Idolatry never again entered the land after the return of
the Babylonian captivity and restoration.
1- Also, Israel never did again have their own king rule
over them.
a- From 70AD they have not been able to practice
their religious system.
- They are in this suspended period where:
* God cares for them. (surrounding
nations)
* BUT there is no intimacy either.
> Key word of this book: V:5 = “Return” (22X’s)
Close Revelation 14:1-5
Hosea 3
May 18, 2006
1 Corinthians 13:4-5.
1 John 3:18
1 Corinthians 6:6-7
Romans 12:17
Proverbs 28:22
John 1:27
John 3:30
1 Corinthians 14:12
Matthew 20:28
2 Corinthians 4:7
Isaiah 53:4-7
Ephesians 4:26
Ephesians 4:30-32
Jeremiah 7:18
1 Peter 1:18-19
Revelation 14:1-5