He is Faithful

Introduction

Background:

In this book, God has illustrated the nation of Israel by having His prophet marry a prostitute. His point is that Israel has acted like a harlot, and has constantly betrayed the covenant they made with God.

So far, God has declared that judgement is coming against Israel. Israel will experience war that will come from Assyria, and it will eradicate 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Context:

But, there is a recurring theme in the Word of God. What we are going to see tonight is that “He is Faithful” even when we are not.

I. Remembering God’s Mercies

If we are going to see God’s faithfulness, we are going to have remember His mercies.

God Delivered His Son Israel, but they were ungrateful

Hosea 11:1–2 NKJV

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images.

Hosea is reminding Israel of their humble beginnings. This nation, once living as slaves, were rescued by God from their misery…but now Hosea, instead of comparing them to an unfaithful wife, says that they are an ungrateful son. Someone who did not recognize or remember God’s provision, but sacrificed to false gods instead.

God Cared for them, but they rebelled

Hosea 11:3–4 NKJV

“I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.

God stooped down to this earth to care for His children, but they never gave thanks to God.

I’ve said this before, but an ungrateful attitude is the beginning of rebellion.

When we lose sight of the things God has given us, then we are turning a blind eye to what He is trying to teach us.

It’s human nature for us to be ungrateful for the same old things day in and day out.

Think of that, God gave the people manna and quail, but instead of thankfulness for His provision, they complained because of a lack of diversity.

However, it was the nation of Israel that denied a land flowing with Milk and Honey.

So, it’s true that God does want to bring us to a place of blessing, but because we have attitudes of unthankfulness, it’s necessary for God to bring us through seasons of repetition and poverty until we are ready to receive His blessings gladly.

Sometimes, I can get to complaining about where I am in life…anybody with me?

But that type of thinking and ungratefulness is sinful. We don’t get to choose what God calls us to, but we do get to choose if we receive it with thankfulness.

God was Long-Suffering, but they didn’t repent

Hosea 11:5–7 NKJV

“He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king, Because they refused to repent. And the sword shall slash in his cities, Devour his districts, And consume them, Because of their own counsels. My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.

The nation wanted to use God as a genie. When they were in trouble, they wanted Him. When they had all they needed, they didn’t care about Him.

Is this true in your life?

What is God going to have to allow in order for you to truly worship Him? Is He going to allow you to follow your own counsel and be consumed? He did to this nation Israel.

They decided they were going to prepare a defense and stand against the invasion, but they were wrong, and they were consumed.

Do you only call on God when you’re in trouble? or do you love Him when things are good too?

Isreal Deserves Punishment, but He is Faithful

Hosea 11:8–12 NKJV

“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, The Holy One in your midst; And I will not come with terror. “They shall walk after the Lord. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west; They shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt, Like a dove from the land of Assyria. And I will let them dwell in their houses,” Says the Lord. “Ephraim has encircled Me with lies, And the house of Israel with deceit; But Judah still walks with God, Even with the Holy One who is faithful.

A rebellious son was supposed to be stoned to death.

Deuteronomy 21:18–21 NKJV

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

What God is saying at the end of Hosea 11 is, I can’t destroy my son…I love him.

What God continues to do is show His mercy to us…we know this, that we all deserve punishment and we deserve judgement, but by the grace of God we are forgiven by faith in Christ.

God has every right to judge us, but He made a way for us to be forgiven.

Everyday we need to remember the Gospel…the mercy that God has given us…if we forget all that God has done then we will be swelled with pride, and we will turn away from God. When we remember that God is good, then we love Him, because we understand what He has done for us.

In v. 10-12, we see the promise that God will restore the nation of Israel at the end of time. These people of Israel will gather from all over the earth to return to their nation God gave them.

So, we see that God would have us remember His Mercies, now we need to understand God’s Discipline.

II. Understanding God’s Discipline

Here is what discipline is:

Discipline is a consequence given to correct and to perfect.

That’s different than punishment. A punishment is an administration of justice. It’s something done to right a wrong or to uphold some sort of law.

Now, when I discipline my son, it’s not to punish or to hurt him, but its actually to protect and to build him.

What does the scripture say?

Proverbs 22:15 NKJV

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Proverbs 13:24 NKJV

He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Proverbs 23:13 NKJV

Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

Proverbs 23:14 NKJV

You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

Now, some people might use these things to justify unfairly whipping their children, they may use these things to justify being abusive…but there is a stark contrast between abuse and discipline.

When discipline becomes abuse is when violence is involved.

Both of my children understand this…that if they disobey or disrespect, that discipline is coming.

My children also know this, that they are safe in my home.

My home is full of discipline, but it is empty of violence.

Does that mean I’m a perfect dad? No..there are times I’ve had to go to my children and say, “How I whipped you was not appropriate…it was done out of anger, and I’m sorry.”

However, God is not a man, and God doesn’t make mistakes. God disciplines His children, and He speaks about that in Hosea 12 and 13

Why God Disciplines

Hosea 12:1 NKJV

“Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.

God disciplines us to bring us back to reality.

God charges Israel and says they feed on the wind.

That literally means that they are grazing on the wind for their nourishment.

Instead of lying down in the green pastures and drinking from the still waters, they would rather feast on the emptiness of the wind.

So, is the child that goes without discipline. Refusing to discipline your children is driving them to live a life void of substance and meaning, much like grazing on the wind.

How God Disciplines

Hosea 12:2–6 NKJV

“The Lord also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us— That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.

Hosea here is writing about this man Jacob who was renamed Israel.

When Jacob was born, he came out holding the heel of Esau, so he was named Jacob.

The name Jacob means deciever.

First, Jacob swindles Esau out of his blessings…he goes so far as to deceiving his father to ensure that he would be blessed.

Remember? Esau was a hairy man who made his living and his life outdoors. Isaac was blind, but Jacob knew that his father would recognize him because of his smooth skin.

So, Jacob and Rebekkah come up with a plan to cover Jacob in goats hair, and to prepare a meal for Isaac to trick Isaac into thinking that Esau was there. Jacob convinces Isaac to bless him by trickery.

So, what does God do? Jacob falls deeply in love with the daughter of Laban… but Laban was just as shady as Jacob…and tricks Jacob into taking both of his daughters as a wife.

This is how God disciplines us…

God disciplines us by revealing our flaws through the trials of life until we are ready to fully submit to Him.

Think about King David and his great sin of adultery and murder…the way that God woke him up to his sin was by sending the prophet Nathan to give David a story to see how David would react and choose to discipline that fictional character.

When David reacted, Nathan promptly said, “this story is about you, David…it’s what you’ve done.”

Church, if there is strife in your life, if there is disagreement, if their is turmoil, the most important place for you to examine is your heart.

When we begin to walk by faith, our struggle with others and with God comes to and end, and we are back into fellowship with Him.

When God Disciplines

Hosea 12:7 NKJV

“A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand; He loves to oppress.

God Disciplines when we lie

If there is one thing that God hates, and if there is one thing that God will discipline you for is a deceitful tongue.

There are men and women who have flattering tongues, but their lives and their actions are like a weight that oppresses the people they are around.

These are people who are vain beyond measure…everything in their life revolves around them. They are greedy, always seeking more for themselves.

The truth is that God hates lying, and liars will have no place in God’s Kingdom

Revelation 21:8 NKJV

all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

God Disciplines when we are arrogant

Hosea 13:1–3 NKJV

When Ephraim spoke, trembling, He exalted himself in Israel; But when he offended through Baal worship, he died. Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!” Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

Ephraim believed that they were a superior tribe…they believed that the other tribes ought to obey them…and yet they were idolaters and they were anything but Godly.

There is no one on this planet that deserves praise…no one on this planet that has authority except for God Almighty. Even those that are in authority are people established by God. He oversees the world.

The Christian that is filled with arrogance is a Christian that is going to be disciplined fiercely.

Isaiah 13:11 NKJV

“I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

This is arrogance: overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner towards others.

How can you spot an arrogant Christian? It’s one who thinks they’re too big to serve, one that’s loud and demeaning, a church bully, someone who believes that their words and their voice carries superiority.

They might be smoothed tongued but they have jagged hearts and evil intentions. They worm their way in by flattery and oppression, and aren’t satisfied unless people submit to them.

When a Christian reverts to this, God will take your pride and your arrogance and He will strip you of it. Whatever you have that makes you feel superior, God will vacate that from your life and He will bring you to humility.

This is not to punish, but to correct.

God Disciplines when we have ingratitude

Hosea 13:4–6 NKJV

“Yet I am the Lord your God Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.

If you want to experience the chastisement of God, then have ingratitude.

In the book of Romans…what is the charge found in the first chapter?

It is that the world knew God, and they tested God, but they did not want to receive Him. They believed that they did not need to give Him thanks for the things He did.

What was it that cause the nation of Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years?

Well, God delivered them from Egypt, but because they were afraid and uncomfortable, they wanted to return…their ungrateful attitudes caused them to be judged for 40 years.

Ingratitude is the beginning of sinful living.

So, from these final chapters of Hosea, to know that God is faithful, we should remember His mercies…we should understand that He disciplines to correct and to perfect, not to punish…and finally, we should Know God’s Future Plan

III. Know God’s Future Plan

How many times in your life have you turned away from God? Too many to count.

How many times has God turned you away when you came to Him in repentance? Never. God’s future plan for us, and God’s future plan for His people Israel is perfection, to be like Jesus Christ, to love Him, and to worship Him.

God Plans to Receive Us

Hosea 14:2–3 NKJV

Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

This is God calling the nation of Israel to repentance.

Hosea is giving instruction on how to do this…look here.

Ask for cleansing from sin

“Take away all iniquity”

You will never mature in your Christian faith if you fail to recognize that sin is present in your life every single day. There is a never a day that needs to go by without real repentance in your life.

Rely on His Promise of grace

“Receive us graciously”

In our life, we have to learn to rely on His promises…we cannot wait to experience a feeling or some type of emotion, we just have to trust that God is faithful, and He will do what He says He will, which is to forgive a repentant heart.

Offer a Sacrifice

We don’t offer lambs anymore, but we do offer ourselves. Submit your life to God if you want to have true repentance.

Be grateful and recognize God is your Provision

v. 3 is the declaration that they will no longer rely on any worldly authority as their provision, but that God will be their provision.

Not only does God plan to receive us, God plans to restore us.

God Plans to Restore us

Hosea 14:4 NKJV

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.

Once God’s discipline is complete, and our repentance is true, God will turn His anger away, and we will be healed from our sin and our bad choices.

That doesn’t mean the circumstances surrounding us will go away…that doesn’t mean the heartache will go away…it simply means that we will find joy and contentment despite the circumstances because we are at peace with God.

And when we are at peace with God, we can live our life in joy and in freedom despite the circumstance.

Then, and only then, can we begin to walk by faith and not by sight, because we have been restored to our God.

God Plans to Revive Us

Hosea 14:5–8 NKJV

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. “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.”

Do you know what Hosea is saying?

He’s saying, “God is going to bring new life from your brokenness.”

Church, this new life is dependent on your personal repentance.

One day another guy and I were talking, and I made the statement that “God never changes.”

He shot back with a quick rebuttal, “If God never changes then why did He change His mind about Nineveh?”

Church, it’s not that God changes His mind, but that He upholds His promises.

What is His promise?

That if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive.

It’s not that God changed His mind regarding Nineveh, but when they repented, they turned away the wrath of God.

Conclusion

In this life, we can do one of two things…

We can be a rebel son and experience the discipline and chastisement of God…

or we can turn to the Lord and be secure in Him.