God’s Promise Kept in Jesus Christ

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Hosea 10:1–2 (ESV)

1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit.

The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built;

as his country improved, he improved his pillars.

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt.

The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars.

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

The Bible tells us about God, who is both JUST & MERCIFUL…

However, we see over and over in the Scriptures that the mercy of God was trampled underfoot.

God’s mercy is treated as if God was obligated to bestow it upon creation…

And even more so that we deserve unending mercy.

God’s mercy is distorted to be some obligatory act of God that can never be taken away.

And, if God were to ever remove His mercy from mankind that somehow that would taint the character of God.

This is not only seen in the Scriptures…

Throughout the history if mankind…

But, also we live in a culture that thinks that, as well…

In spite of our proclaimed Atheism as a culture.

But, that kind of mercy is not only unbiblical…

It is also, not true, according to the nature of God…

This is an unbiblical mercy that suppresses the truth of God’s justice.

The truth that God will one day make all things JUST.

Mercy is always not getting what you deserve to get…

It’s the opposite of getting what you do deserve.

Justice is getting what you deserve…

And, there is nothing unjust about justice.

But, in similar fashion, in our country…

We still like to give lip service to God…

Just like Israel of old.

Let me give you some statistics…

Did you know there are approximately 372,000,000 people in the United States.

In 2019, 65% American adults who were polled identified themselves as Christian. (~240,000,000)

Reportedly, America has 266,000 Christian congregations.

Those congregations are reported to have over 138,000,000 members, combined.

Yet, ranking our states in order of % of people who attend church.

The best state has 51% attendance

All the way down to the worst state having 17% attendance

With 41% being the average.

So, we have 56,580,000 attending church.

In reality we have 23% of Americans who attend a Christian church.

And a majority of those are sporadic in attendance.

America and many other nations, much like Israel of old, give lip service to God through seasonal tokens of appreciation…

With no real desire to worship Him from the heart.

Our American culture today, isn’t much different than Israel in the days of Hosea.

Listen, again, to what Hosea says to Israel…

Hosea 10:1–2 (ESV)

1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit.

The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built;

as his country improved, he improved his pillars.

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt.

The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars.

Let me focus on v.1 and just describe what is being said and going on in Israel.

Israel had been blessed by God, raised up by God, nurtured by God…

All that they were, that was good…was from the hand of God.

God had blessed them in immeasurable ways…

And, as blessings flowed…

What was their response?

——> It seems good.

They built more altars.

Places of worship and memorial of God increased.

They improved their pillars.

Is that bad?

What were they doing wrong, if anything?

Well, v.2 tells us that their responses to God’s blessings were not good.

It says…

2Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars.

They were very busy taking the blessings of God…

And investing in temporal things.

They were even busier with making it look like they were devoted to God…

But, they were losing their orthodoxy. (God-established worship)

They were devoting themselves to a worship that God did not establish…Nor, did He want.

They did all sorts of things tome it look like they worshipped God…

Lots of churches…Lots of “god-language” when appropriate…(which is at church)

But, they were really only interested in the comforts of the world.

And, looking like they had the blessings of God upon them.

Jesus said something similar in the NT…

Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

He also said in…

Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

You see God is not interested in the ornate beauty of a building…

—>If the worship inside is false.

God is not interested in the number of people in the service…

—>If the Word being preached is the commandments 
 of men and not the commandments of God.

God is not interested in the amount of money dropped in the offering basket…

—>If you’re really finding your value and security in the money you keep…Rather than Jesus.

Hosea 10:2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars.

So, God says He’s had enough of the false worship…

And, judgment and suffering is coming.

Judgement & Suffering must come because of sin…

Sin must be paid for and judgment is coming upon Israel.

But interestingly enough…

God says later in Hosea 14 that after judgment & suffering…

Blessings will come…Listen to…

Hosea 14:4-7 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. 5I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; 6his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Do you hear what the prophet is saying?

Hosea 14:4-7 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. 5I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; 6his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

How will apostasy be healed?

How will God’s anger be relieved?

How can one blossom before God with sin in the way?

How can one be reconciled by God?

How can one return to God and flourish?

Judgment must happen.

Sin must be atoned.

Reconciliation must be obtained.

How can God promise such things?

1 Peter 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

God was revealing to the prophets promises that would not be fulfilled in their lifetime.

What the prophets did know was that the path to glory would be through the sufferings of God’s Messiah, JC.

But, these promises would be fulfilled for them…

And for everyone who calls upon the name of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him [JESUS].

When Jesus came to stand in the place of Israel, to be Israel…

He would suffer judgement because of sin before being vindicated and glorified…

Hundreds of years after Hosea that is precisely what Jesus did…

He suffered and died for sin…

He rose triumphant to the place of glory…

And, He leads all His followers in glory with Him.

Are these promises only for the people of Israel? Yes!

But, Romans 11 tells us that we, believing Gentiles, have been grafted into the Olive Branch of Israel.

And, Romans 9 tells us that the true citizens of Israel are not descendants of the flesh (bloodline)…

—>But, the true Israel are those who have faith in JC.

Let this Christmas be filled thoughts of your specific need of JC.

Let’s Pray