The Verdict

God’s character is perfect.

Who is God? The short answer is-perfect. In every characteristic of God he is just this—perfect.

We are imperfect.

Though we strive for perfection we will never attain it.

God’s goodness is powerful.

We have seen this to be true as we sung of it this morning. For the people of Israel they knew the goodness of God.

Our imperfection, sin, is powerful

We cannot just think of sin as something “small” but instead it is tremendously powerful, if we allow it to take hold.

Israel persisted in sin.

Hosea 5 talks about how the nation persisted in sin.

Israel became hard-hearted.

This is where they refused to see what was going on. Living in denial and continue on present course. In Scripture we see where a hard heart continues to produce greater and greater sin.

God sometimes gives us what we want.

In our text this morning the nation of Israel wanted someone to save them and so they turned to a foreign ruler. God was not surprised by this but allowed them to have “their hearts desire” which led to destruction.

God is depicted as a lion.

God is depicted like a lion, moth/pus in a wound, rot from weather and other surprising characteristics. God may be, at times, meek mild and gentle but this isn’t his only characteristics.

The goal-restoration of relationship.

God does not do this just because he “can” or to “teach us a lesson”. Both are true but notice verse 15; God wants them to seek him.

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Deal with sin in our life quickly.

This is an outgrowth of our passage.

Jesus forgives sin and restores relationships.

Our sin does not have to have the final answer. Other people’s sin does not have to have the final answer. There is hope!