Restoring a Ruined Relationship

Introduction

I imagine if I asked everyone in this room if you remember a heartbreak I’m certain majority of the people in this sanctuary would have an answer. There’s probably a song or two, or three, or four that remind you of that break-up. You remember, you sat in a dark room, crying, waiting for the phone to ring and it never rings. You’re playing the stylistics, Boyz II Men, the waiting to Exhale Soundtrack, and a little bit of Mary J Blige. I remember going through a bad break up and I couldn’t even watch a commercial without getting sad. Every thing you see reminds you of that person. You can’t even watch a commercial without thinking of the person. There’s not many emotional pains that measure up to the pain of a bad break up.

Family, God and Israel are in the midst of a ruined relationship. The relationship is ruined even to a place that God has to use His messenger Hosea to be a living breathing and walking example for the people of God. There’s a few things that are revealed in the midst of this story. Hosea is married to a woman that has been consistenly unfaithful, engaged in prostitution, and neglected her husband and children. Israel on the other hand has given in to idolatry and essentially made a mockery of all the things God has done. When we give in to the customs of the world we miss what God is truly doing in our lives. There are two things that ruin our relationship with God. Those two things are ignorance and idolatry. When we purposefully abandon and turn a blind eye to the expectatons and directives of God we miss our opportunity to get to know God due to our affinity for fleshly desires or the fact that we would rather enable ourselves than make the right decision through repentace our relationship with God will never be restored to the place it needs to be. In order to repair a ruined relationship we have to be humble enough to recognize our the ignorance of our actions, turn away from an idolatrous spirit and be inspired by the power of God’s forgiveness.

Ignorance

Growing up everyone has chores, one of the easiest yet most frustrating chores in my house is taking out the trash. I’ve given that responsibility to my 9 year old and my 14 year old. There are times I come home and the trash and recyclables are full. Typically the answer I recieve when I ask why the trash isn’t taken out is, “I didn’t know it was full”. It’s hard to accept the fact that they didn’t know when there are things they used or food they ate that is at the top of the trashcan. This was the similar outlook that God had on Israel. It wasn’t that they didn’t know they refused to seek knowledge, it had literally become a religious routine. We have to be careful that our worship, our devotion doesn’t become a religious routine.

The main theme of this book is written from the perspective of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, So much so that God uses the marriage of Hosea and Gomer to depict what they are doing to Him.

Hosea 4:1 “Hear the word of the Lord, You children of Israel, For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.” There are times in which we are recipients of the blessings of God but our life doesn’t reflect it. The reverence of God was no where to be found in this land. This is a testament to us as parents that if we don’t infuse God in our homes, if we don’t raise our children under the principles of Jesus we leave the next generation susceptible to a life without Jesus.

We have to be careful, disobedience over time becomes ignorance if we are not careful. One’s generation of disobedience is the next generations neglect which can lead to ignorance. We tell people to pray, we tell people to come to church but what benefit does that have if I’m ignorant to the power of intimacy with God.

The relationship with God is ruined, there is no faithfulness or steadfast love. Nonetheless what what do we expect when there’s no knowledge of God. There were no boundaries in this land. It’s similar to neighbor that a church exist in that is riddled with gun violence, prostitution and lack of resources for our students: we have a responsiblity to share the Gospel and the power of God with those surrounding us.

Even in ignorance, even in consequence God’s His mercy still reigns. Hosea 4:14 ““I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.”

Understand that our actions do not just impact us but sin can have transcendent impact on the generations to come.

It’s one thing when you are acting out of character in your own space. Nonetheless the issue persist when it images God’s house. When we voluntarily disobey, when we turn a blind eye to the words of God we become the harlot of the world! Understand the world wants nothing to do with us, they just don’t want God to have fellowship with us.

Repenting From Idolatry

If we are going to restore a ruined relationship we have reevealuate our priorities. Often times the issue is we’ve turned other things into idols. We see this world harlotry but truth be told that’s what idolatry looks like. When we forsake what is beneficial and go after things that only satisfy the flesh.

How can we expect God to take care of us when we step outside of the pasture and give in to worldly lust. Hosea 4:15 ““Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—”

The problem is we desire a Godly blessing but in turn don’t live a Godly lifestyle. It’s similar to trying to live a healthy life, it begins with what you put in to your body. Praise and Worship isn’t a spiritual switch that flips when we walk in to the House of God. The reason why we aren’t connecting is because we have spend so much time disconected, so when it comes time to devote ourselves to God, or worship Him for the ruler that He is it seems foreign. God doesn’t have time for us to be actin’ funny. Have you ever seen someone in public and they act like they don’t know you, but then we get in private and it’s all good. We do not like that feeling and neither does God.

As we read this text and we hear the strong words of the prophet on behalf of God we may ask ourselves where is the grace or where is the mercy. The grace and mercy is in the fact that these were offenses punishable by death. Lying, adultery, stealing, vain worship. I’ve seen God destroy nations for much less.

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

It starts at the top if our leaders aren’t servants, we won’t find servants in the pasture. If our leaders aren’t givers, we won’t find givers in our churches, if our leaders aren’t hospitable we won’t find hospitality in our churches. The one way to combat idolatry and ignorance is through solid teaching!

Jesus is Our Restorer

You may ask how all of this relates to the message of the Gospel, when we look at the idolatry, when we look at the debauchery, when we look at the nature of sin, the people of Israel are no different that us today. How many times have we disobeyed, how many times have we given in the desires of the flesh yet Jesus still died for us.

Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”

Gomer had given her life to prostitution, just like many of us have forsaken the love and grace of God and given in to other desires and wants. So much so that God even names that reflected the punishment and no mercy that God would show to the people of Israel, God scatters, Not loved and Not my people.

Nonetheless thank God for his forgiveness and mercy! The first child, a male, was named Jezreel after the Valley of Jezreel. Jezreel was the name of a great plain known for its beauty and richness, however over time it had been ravaged by numerous battles. It was also the name of a city where Ahab and Jezebel committed many notorious murders.

Hosea’s second child, a daughter, was named Lo-ruhamah. “Ruhamah” refers to God’s tender mercy. It literally means “womb,” symbolizing the astonishing love that Yahweh bears for the chosen people. However, the negative prefix “Lo-” reversed the meaning to “No Mercy” or “No Pity” messaging the withdrawal of God’s love, mercy, and compassion from Israel 1.

Hosea’s third child was a son called Lo-ammi. The name means “not my people.” This was the most devastating name yet. The Lord was rejecting the people of Israel in their sinful state.

However, Hosea anticipated a reversal when his children would be renamed “Ruhmad” (“shown mercy”) and “Ammi” (“my people”)

God has the power to restore any relationship! You may be in what you feel like is a ruined relationship with God but God is a loving God that restore us out of the deepest trenches of despair.

Hosea 14:4–7 ““I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”

Hosea 14:9 “Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.”

Restore the Ruined Relationship Today! Restoring this relationship might not look or feel good but it’s necessary for us to live a peaceful and joyous life.

Noah’s message from the steps going up to the Ark was not, “Something good is going to happen to you!” Amos was not confronted by the high priest of Israel for proclaiming, “Confession is possession!” Jeremiah was not put into the pit for preaching, “I’m O.K., you’re O.K.!” Daniel was not put into the lion’s den for telling people, “Possibility thinking will move mountains!” John the Baptist was not forced to preach in the wilderness and eventually beheaded because he preached, “Smile, God loves you!” The two prophets of the tribulation will not be killed for preaching, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world!” Instead, what was the message of all these men of God? Simple, one word: “Repent!”

Jesus is our restorer but in effort for us to rebuild what has been torn down we have to repent!