Redemption of the Pridefull

Introduction

It has been said that all sin can be traced back to pride

Examples

Adam and Eve wanted to be like God

Satan recognized his beauty and thought he was equal to God

Define pride

Tim Keller reworded C.S. Lewis quote on humility

Lewis- Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less

pride is not being “proud” of your kids, your accomplishments

pride is making sure everyone knows about it

pride is also sitting in pity, because as you have not told people about your wonderful accomplishments they still have not given you the credit you deserve

Today- Redemption for the Prideful

Hosea 12–13 CSB

1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt. 2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his conduct; he will repay him based on his actions. 3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God. 4 Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him. 5 The Lord is the God of Armies; the Lord is his name. 6 But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. 7 A merchant loves to extort with dishonest scales in his hands. 8 But Ephraim thinks, “How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for!” 9 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival days. 10 I will speak through the prophets and grant many visions; I will give parables through the prophets. 11 Since Gilead is full of evil, they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; even their altars will be like piles of rocks on the furrows of a field. 12 Jacob fled to the territory of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife. 13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet. 14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt. 1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died. 2 Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say about them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.” 3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, or like smoke from a window. 4 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and no Savior exists besides me. 5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. 6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me. 7 So I will be like a lion to them; I will lurk like a leopard on the path. 8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs and tear open the rib cage over their hearts. I will devour them there like a lioness, like a wild beast that would rip them open. 9 I will destroy you, Israel; you have no help but me. 10 Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities, and the rulers you demanded, saying, “Give me a king and leaders”? 11 I give you a king in my anger and take away a king in my wrath. 12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved; his sin is stored up. 13 Labor pains come on him. He is not a wise son; when the time comes, he will not be born. 14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes. 15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. His water source will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder the treasury of every precious item. 16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

Prayer!

Being comfortable reveals our prideful hearts, but their has been a ransom paid for our redemption

The Pride of Israel

Hosea uses Jacob as an illustration throughout our passage

Explain who Jacob is

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Jacob’s name later was changed to Israel

he had 12 sons that became the 12 tribes of Israel

Judah the southern kingdom was one of his sons

Ephraim often the namesake of the northern kingdom was a grandson (son of Joseph)

Jacob means to supplant, to supersede or replace

if you know the story of Jacob in Genesis, you know that he got his older brother’s birthright and his blessing

replacing his older brother

but these were by the deeds, the scheming of Jacob and his mother Rachel

Jacob found that the real authority was God, not him

Hosea 12:3–5 CSB

3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God. 4 Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him. 5 The Lord is the God of Armies; the Lord is his name.

Jacob limped away after wresting with God

took place at Bethel, where Israel now worshipped Baal (Beth-aven - house of wickedness)

The people of Israel are so prideful they believe they are in control, command of things, like Jacob before he wrestled with God

they are flourishing

people have always believed that if they are doing well, then God must be for them

they make gods who they control

we do this when we read the bible

at least when we skip the parts we do not like

when we just take a verse here and a verse there and make it say what we want it to say

I wish god would allow us to live this way… oh wait, now he does!

The call from God is to turn from their pride, return to God

this is their only hope,

to return to the one that Jacob wrestled with

the one who brought them out of slavery in Egypt

the one who brought them into the promise land

the one who dwelled in the temple

the temple that the norther kingdom no longer goes to and instead, worship an idol of their own making in Bethel

this is why Hosea constantly refers to it as Beth-aven

We are so prideful and arrogant

We attempt to convert people to be like us instead of like Christ

we send missionaries out and sit in disbelief when they are not making disciples of the American church rather than Christ himself

we do not think that we need him

we believe that because we are comfortable and in plenty we do not need him

why do you think Paul said that he learned how to live in plenty or in want

it is hard to live in plenty and not think that you somehow have not deserved what you have or that you

we believe that we could some how pay for our sin

do not miss the pridefulness in that

Our sin took a perfect sacrifice

Jesus giving his righteousness to us while we put our sin on him

and we think for a moment that we can pay for our own sin, or at the very least, pay him back?

The prideful will face the judgment of God

You Cannot Run From God’s Judgment

Jacob ran from Esau

tell why he ran from Esau

Esau hated his brother after selling his birthright

then his brother stole the blessing from Isaac… God’s blessing on his son

enslaved himself to Laban (his uncle, Rebekah’s brother) for Rachel’s hand for 14 years

the trickster got tricked

Israel went to Egypt due to a famine

found favor at first because Joseph was there

tell the story quickly of Joseph

the favorite of Jacob (Israel) because it was the son of Rachel

brothers hated him because he was the favorite

he and his dad did not bother to hide that

they wanted to kill him, sold him as a slave instead

but they stayed… and became enslaved

they did not get themselves out of slavery, God sent a prophet who led them like a shepherd

Now Israel will be slaves again

God himself will come upon them like wild animals

exposing their heart

Hosea 13:8–9 CSB

8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs and tear open the rib cage over their hearts. I will devour them there like a lioness, like a wild beast that would rip them open. 9 I will destroy you, Israel; you have no help but me.

nobody will rescue them; not even their king

their king is the one making the deals and leading them into this place

God gave them a king against his wishes to start, not he will remove their king in wrath

All of us who have not submitted to Christ are slaves to sin

but Christ has come to set us free

Romans 6:15–18 CSB

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18 and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

Praise God we have been set free!

God Himself will Rescue His People

Judgment on them the people of Israel is certain

an unwise baby refusing to be born

certain death would come

think of that illustration… you are as smart as a baby

last week I reminded you that babies are dumb…

like a baby refusing to be born

vv15-16 show us that it is certain

the many times now that Hosea has told us throughout this prophecy reveals how certain it is

Hosea 13:15–16 CSB

15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. His water source will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder the treasury of every precious item. 16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

But Christ will redeem his people

Hosea 13:14 CSB

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

Christ defeated death and Sheol on the cross

the price has been paid

the redemption price was not silver or gold

it was the blood of Christ that has redeemed you

1 Peter 1:18–19 CSB

18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.

We are as prideful as Israel to think that we can sin all we want and receive his grace

that we are so great that he will overlook everything and just let you keep sinning and it be ok.

Memory Verse

Hosea 13:14 “14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”

Discussion Questions

What does pride reveal about our relationship with God?

How does the story of Jacob illustrate the consequences of pride?

In what ways can we identify prideful behavior in our own lives?

How can we encourage one another to return to humility in our walk with Christ?

What practical steps can we take to combat pride and rely more on God?

What similarities can you draw between Israel's situation and today's society?

How can understanding our identity in Christ help us combat feelings of pride?

What does it look like to maintain love and justice in our daily interactions, as Hosea suggests?

Why is it significant to know that God is who redeems His people?

In what situations do you find it hardest to humble yourself, and how can you address that?