Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome back to part 15 of our Story Series - this chronological look at the Bible.

Up to this point, the Creator God, whose creation chose to rebel and sin in the Garden, has graciously chosen a group of people to represent him.

They have proven over and over again that they can’t live up to God’s standard, yet He has remained faithful to His promises.

(Phone ring)

That phone interruption is much like the Story today.

God is trying to reach his people with a message.

Will they respond or send him to voicemail?

Because the Bible is arranged topically and not chronologically, many people will enter “the black hole” of their Bibles at this point.

The Old Testament books are arranged as history, poetry and prophecy.

The story seems to get jumbled up and confusing.

With the division of God’s people into two kingdoms—10 tribes called Israel in the north and two tribes in the south called Judah—and the fall of the north to Assyria and the south to Babylon, many people give up reading their Bibles.

You will notice in your bulletins the timeline insert.

Explain - Timeline of the Southern and Northern overlap

1. God divided the nation because His people were sending a wrong message

A. God wanted his people to be blessed by him so that others would be drawn to their God.

B. The nation rebelled from God, becoming complacent in devotion, disobedient to God’s commands, and worshipers of pagan gods.

Quite frankly, this is the cycle of God’s people from the beginning

God’s grace has always been given despite the goodness of mankind.

But:

C. In disobedience, God’s people were sending a wrong message to themselves and to the surrounding nations.

Think about it for a moment.

If Chuck and I robbed a bank last night and our mugshots were posted all over the town and on the internet, yet we came this morning and worshipped together with you all and stood to teach and preach - we’d be sending a mixed message, right?

That’s what is happening with God’s people.

They were called by God, to God, for God - yet they started living for self and pursued false gods.

But God in His gracious sovereignty allowed the kingdom to divide.

2. God divided the nation so that He could purify the message regarding God’s character.

A. God does not need all 12 tribes to fulfill his promises to Abraham and David.

Covenant with Abraham

Covenant with David

B. From the offspring of David from the tribe of Judah God will bring the Messiah.

This promise is fulfilled in Jesus.

MAP

In the lower story, mankind’s experiences, it gets pretty messy at this point.

But in the upper story, God’s perspective, He is preserving His promises.

As we narrow in on 1 Kings 17 - page # ___

3. God sent prophets to the Northern Kingdom to call His people back to obedience.

We understand through scripture that:

A. God sent 9 prophets to the 19 kings in Israel over a period of 208 years.

B. Two of the nine prophets were Elijah and Hosea.

1. Elijah and his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Caramel is well-known.

Israel’s God answered by fire.

Elijah goes to Ahab and tells him to gather all of the Northern Kingdom to Mount Carmel

So the people responded - but imagine what it took for them to do that...

3 years of famine with no water

Miraculous pillar of fire from heaven

But sadly their obedience doesn’t last long.

With the 5 kings after Ahab, the people pursue idols again and find themselves in more trouble.

which brings us to:

2. Hosea (prophesies from 753-715 BC), while Jeroboam the Second is king, was commanded by God to marry, Gomer, a prostitute and to love her.

C. God through Hosea is demonstrating by life and by word that he deeply loves Israel and he wants Israel to turn from idols and come back to him.

1. Hosea 1 – 3 shows the life message to God’s people.

Gomer leaves her husband to go live as a prostitute, and Hosea searches and finds her and buys her out of prostitution to be his wife.

Again, and again, he shows through the pain of obedience to the love God has for His people.

2. Hosea 4 – 14 reports the prophetic message to God’s people.

Hosea both proved through his life, and preached through God’s message that God continually loved his people.

His love for the wayward prefigures his love for sinners in Christ

The truth of the matter is that God still communicates today through His word and by His Spirit.

Perhaps he is communicating to your heart

about your need for His saving grace extended through the finished work of Jesus

God had a plan, from the beginning

to christians - about your pursuit after other things

over and over again - God’s people wondered from God

you and I are no better.

(phone ring)

God is communicating...

Will you take the call, or let it go to voicemail?