Fallen, Forgiven, and Restored

Hosea 14:1-8

Hosea 14:1–8 “O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: Say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: So will we render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: For mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: He shall grow as the lily, And cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, And his beauty shall be as the olive tree, And his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.”

God’s firm plea with the Sinner

O Israel= This book has set the relationship between God and Israel as that between a husband and an unfaithful wife. This is to be read as more than an attention getter, but God’s call to Israel in love

Fallen by thine iniquity-

God has spent calling out their sin and telling them of the judgment of that is coming for it

Consider the firm honest assessment found in the early portion of this book

Fallen - Hosea 1:3–10 “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”

in Chapter 7 God firmly calls out their sin Hosea 7:2–4 “And they consider not in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness: Now their own doings have beset them about; They are before my face. They make the king glad with their wickedness, And the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, Who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.”

They would go captive into Assyria

God calls to Israel is for their return

God has spoken harshly about their sin and their unfaithfulness, yet he always calls for the sinner to come TO Him not run FROM Him.

The Devil will accuse and beat you down telling you to flee from God as someone who isn’t welcome due to your sin, discern the voice of God that calls you to come TO Him.

God calls for sacrifice of their words (not as lip service, but as a the reality of their hearts) verse 2

The Sinners Repentance and Restoration

Israel renounces(Remember this is to be Israel speaking)

Assyria cannot save US, yet earlier God called them out for depending on Assyria Hosea 5:13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah saw his wound, Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, And sent to king Jareb: Yet could he not heal you, Nor cure you of your wound.”

Horses were used in battle to hitch to chariots, or just to ride upon for a soldier. They represent fighting with military strength - Israel says we will not fight against you or run from you

We will not look to Idols for mercy or help

example of our repentance.

God does the healing, God Loves, God turns his Anger

These redemptive works are shed on you and me through his son Jesus Christ

Verses 5-7 show the restored state of Israel

The Realization of Israel

What have i to do with idols?

This is the same change that takes place in the born again believer

when asked His disciples would go away with the masses that stopped following Him, Peter replied John 6:68 “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”