Hosea
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Introduce Series
This morning we are launching into a new series in partnership with Yarmouth Wesleyan called follow the Leader - Part 2.
Let me make a distinction here this morning. You might be wondering why it’s called Part 2.
Let’s just say that the process and point of us coming to faith in Jesus and making a decision to be baptized is part 1. This season of our lives is usually very exciting and we sense all the new things God is doing in our lives.
Part 2 is where we learn to walk in obedience to Jesus.
In this series we are going to look at a number of different stories found in Scripture of people who walked in obedience to Jesus despite some of the circumstances they faced.
In this series we are going to look at a number of different stories found in Scripture of people who walked in obedience to Jesus despite some of the circumstances they faced.
SERIES FCF - We have been working through the book of Acts and prior to this we have been chatting through how Generous our God is. I think for many of us, based on our experience we default into worshipping Jesus as Saviour but have a harder time worshipping Jesus as Lord.
The reality is Jesus is BOTH Saviour AND Lord.
And if we are going to worship Jesus for who he truly is that means we recognize that he both loves us, forgives us and wants relationship and through that relationship he calls us to obedience and as it says in
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Because Jesus is both Saviour and Lord he is both full of grace and truth; the grace that forgives and heals and the truth that corrects and transforms.
I think we tend to default to Jesus as Saviour vs. Jesus as Lord because Jesus as Saviour because we fear the challenge that the truth brings us.
It’s like when I was kid and I would be in trouble I would always go to whatever parent would be more merciful despite the fact that I needed the strong truth to change me or challenge my character; the truth hurts but it changes us.
Let me get real practical to show you how this looks in our lives.
It is like this past week I had a brother in Christ rebuke me with some solid truth I needed to hear. It stung and it hurt but it was exactly what my character needed to help me become the leader and Christ follower God is calling me to be. If I just worship Jesus as Saviour and not as Lord I don’t embrace this truth and I probably get miffed and offended.
Do you see it?
I think many people are guilty of worshipping a false Jesus. They worship Jesus as Saviour but they don’t worship a Jesus who is Lord.
I think many of people are guilty of worshipping a false God. They worship Jesus as Saviour but they don’t worship a Jesus who is Lord. By doing so we worship a false God or a God we create in our own image. If we don’t come to know Jesus as Lord we can never be transformed into people who live radical lifestyles of following Jesus.
By doing so we worship a false God or a God we create in our own image kind of like the golden calf. If we don’t come to know Jesus as Lord we can never be transformed into people who live radical lifestyles of following Jesus.
We become what we worship.
If we truly want to become like Christ we have to worship him in Spirit and in Truth.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Worshipping God in Spirit and in truth means worshipping God for who he truly is not just who we like him to be.
See it.
One more thing I want to mention before we jump into our first story of obedience.
Experiencing Jesus as Saviour is foundational to us experiencing Jesus as Lord.
Max Lacado’s quote summarizes this for us well.
“God loves you just the way you are, but too much to keep you that way.”
The love of God actually gives us the power and ability to walk in obedience.
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
I’ve talked about how in some of Paul’s letters he spends the first section of his books, like in Ephesians and Romans, unpacking what Christ has done for us, Jesus as Saviour and the rest of the book unpacking for us what we then ought to do.
Why?
Because it is the love of God the gives us the power to walk in obedience to Jesus.
Hook
Has God ever asked you to do something and you are like really God?
If there was ever a story in Scripture that might make someone question whether God was speaking or not it is the story of Scripture we are going to look at.
This story in Scripture is one those stories you don’t want to like pray over your Bible, say Lord speak to me and open to this verse.
Peter stepping out of the boat
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
Or starting a new ministry
Hosea
You be like, I beg your pardon Lord.
Needless to say this is a very obscure passage of Scripture inside an obscure book in the Old Testament. But I want to try and make some sense of this because I truly believe this book has a message for us today that can challenge us in the area of obedience.
Introduce Subject
Introduce Subject
Today I want to talk about obedience.
Fallen Condition
Before we get into the text this morning I want to talk about the problem this book speaks to.
This book is all about addressing unfaithfulness to the Lord. Can you remember the last time the Lord prompted you or asked you to do something and you missed it? Pause.
Yeah, those memories aren’t usually pleasant because we realized we missed the mark and we blew it. It’s one thing to do that in an instance but sometimes we get to the point in our lives where our whole lifestyle we are not being faithful to Jesus. We might say we are a follower of Jesus but when we do an inventory and look at our lives we quickly realize that I’m not just missing the mark in some areas my whole lifestyle is bent towards not listening to Jesus.
Reason to Hear
I’m excited this morning because if you are in that position where your whole lifestyle is bent towards being unfaithful God wants to give you hope this morning through the prophet Hosea. God still loves you and longs to be in relationship with you despite the times when we are unfaithful. It doesn’t make sense but it’s God’s love for his people.
“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities.
They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.
They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.
Despite what you have done there is hope; God longs for relationship with you.
Transition to Text
We are going to take a dive into this story now. Last week we covered one chapter in 30-40m minutes and now we are going to try and cover 13 chapters in 20. Are you ready? lol
One of the things I love about preaching whole books of the bible in a setting like this is you can encapsulate what the overall message of the book is and apply it to our lives.
Hosea, the message is clear...
The bottom line of Hosea’s message, however, is one of redemptive love. While God will forsake those who forsake him, he is willing to forgive repentant sinners even if their sin was abandonment of him.
Contextual Foundation
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of the story now.
The book of Hosea is found in the back half of the Old Testament in between the books of Daniel and Joel.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
Hosea was a prophet who lived in the Northern Kingdom. After Solomon’s reign the kingdom was split in two with Judah living in the South and Israel living in the north.
Hosea’s prophecies were proclaimed to the northern kingdom of Israel in the final years of its existence
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
He ministered for close to 40 years.
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
Hosea was a prophet who lived in the Northern Kingdom. After Solomon’s reign the kingdom was split in two with Judah living in the South and Israel living in the north.
If you read through the books of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings you will discover that every king that ever reigned in Israel were wicked and did not follow the ways of the Lord. In contrast to that Judah did have some kings who did what was pleasing to the Lord.
God commands Hosea to marry a harlot...
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
…And this marriage is the over-arching story that speaks to the situation.
The analogy that God wants to communicate is that God’s people have committed spiritual adultery with him despite him being faithful to them and continuing to love and pursue them.
Now, our first reaction and the question that all of us are asking is, how could God command poor Hosea to do such a thing.
You’ve heard the statement, desperate times call for desperate measures well this is definitely one of those situations.
God was about to allow the Assyrians to take them into Exile to wake them up and shake them out of their adultery.
The Israelites were so consumed by their wicked practices it took something this dramatic to wake people up to the reality of how desperate this situation had become.
Most times a prophet shows up in the Old Testament it is to proclaim and wake up a culture the reality of the current state of affairs and try to convince them to turn back to God.
Getting back to that question - How could God ask Hosea to do such a thing? Well, God loved his people so much he knew he had to communicate in such a way that people would see his undying love for them despite their unfaithfulness and he wanted to communicate at least two things through that
Help them realize that judgment was coming if they didn’t repent
To give hope to those who chose to repent because they likely felt like we have gone too far.
I love this message - despite the fact that we have turned our backs on God or abandoned him the book of Hosea gives us hope that God still loves us and wants us to come to him in relationship.
Hosea screams that God is a relational God! Do you see it?
God also ask Hosea to do such a thing to show the sacrificial love of God to man.
Hosea the Person
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea (Person)
Hosea (Person). Prophet of ancient Israel whose sphere of activity was the northern kingdom. Little is known of him outside of the prophetic book that bears his name. His prophetic ministry is best placed in the third quarter of the 8th century BC. His name means “help” or “helper,” and is based on the Hebrew word for salvation.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea (Person)
The circumstances surrounding the marriage of Hosea form the catalyst for his prophetic message. He was commanded by God to marry Gomer, who apparently was a harlot; his marriage provided an analogy with Israel who was guilty of spiritual adultery.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea (Person)
Scholars differ as to the interpretation of this controversial account but there is little reason for doubting that it was a literal event.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea (Person)
The act of sacrifice involved in Hosea’s obedience to God forms a marvelous picture of God’s sacrificial love for man.
The Book of Hosea
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
First of the 12 minor prophets in the traditional arrangement of the OT books.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
Hosea’s prophecies were proclaimed to the northern kingdom of Israel in the final years of its existence
Paint the picture of where things were at spiritually in the northern kingdom at the end of their era; not good…not good atol.
It is interesting because under Jeroboam II it was the most prosperous time in Northern Israel’s History so most people would have looked at this prosperity as
“God’s blessing” but Hosea was going to break this bubble with some shock value.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Historical and Archaeological Background
The deterioration of economy and morals in the reign of Jeroboam II paved the way for the fall of Israel.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
Hosea was the only prophet to reside in the northern kingdom and also to preach there
There’s a good reason why he was the only prophet living in the Northern Kingdom because there was not a whole lot going on spiritually in the positive sense.
Prophets have the ability to see what is happening spiritually in a culture and speak into it.
So often we are so blind to what is happening in our culture and Prophets help us realize, Crikey, something needs to be done here.
Prophets grab the ostrich head out of the sand, gives them a slap across the face, throws a bucket of water at them and says, “HEY!!, this is not good; bad stuff is going to happen in your life if things don’t change right now.”
Prophets can speak to the culture of a church or the culture outside of the church.
Martin Luther King was a legit Prophet who not just spoke to church culture but spoke to culture at large and he still speaks today.
Prophets are often rejected and not listened to because they tend to give strong rebuke or correction. The reason prophets come on so strong is because of the dire situations they usually find themselves in.
Prophets reveal the Lordship of Jesus and often times we don’t want to hear the prophetic messages God speaks into our individual lifestyle or our corporate behaviour.
One of the prophetic messages I feel like the Lord wants to say to our Atlantic Canadian Churches is that many of us are missing the mission of God.
I play hockey with a great guy named Jimmy and we got into a conversation about church decline. It is statistically true that our mainline churches in Canada are in decline and have been for some time.
Now, I don’t want to be that guy that stands up and waves his finger at other churches. Our church needs to hear that message just as much as others.
But I also don’t want to be afraid to have the gumption to stand up and say we as an Atlantic Canadian church at times are missing it. And I think we are missing it because instead of being driven by the mission of God we are driven by our traditions and being able to maintain.
The reality is that unless something dramatic happens in many churches in Atlantic Canada those churches won’t be here in 10, 15-20 years. And if we as a church don’t stay focused on the mission and reaching people in the 21st century we too will become like that so easily.
I don’t know about you but I don’t want to become a fossil.
Fossils can be cool to look at. At prayer meeting the other night Nancy brought some pictures of fossils she had which were super neat.
Then after that I made a joke about Bill and I called him an old fossil.
One of the things about Bill that I would say is very much the opposite is he is not a fossil. Despite Bill being a little bit older than me he presses in to the things of God and wants to see us be relevant, cutting edge and vibrant.
I want us to be allergic to fossilization.
Prophets remind us how easy it is to become a fossil and keep us focused on the mission.
Prophets say to our dying churches - Listen, it does not have to be that way!
Listen, it does not have to be that way!
Let’s listen to the prophetic message to us as continue in Hosea’s story.
He also saw its defeat and the deportation of its people after the invasion by the Assyrians (722 bc).
Hosea’s Job Description
bc before Christ
Back into the story
God used Hosea to reveal to the people how they had fallen so far away from God and had become so corrupt. He challenged them to repent and turn back to God.
I think we need to have a heart disposition more like Hosea.
When people are doing really bad things we tend to stand back and say.
Well, did you hear about what so-and-so did the other day.
It is like the other day I watched kind of comedy, documentary about my hometown Canso and in the story they were talking about people hanging out clothes and catching up on the gossip.
I think obedience challenges us like a prophet to not remove ourselves from the culture but to step into culture and when God opens the door give the compassionate message and hope.
Timing is everything.
God knew that his people needed a major wake up call or they would have no hope.
Obedience is challenging because it means you have to follow God’s timing in things.
Obedience requires an attentive ear to Jesus.
God’s Spirit wants to uniquely and specifically lead you with what to do and say in different circumstances.
The whole marrying a harlot thing worked for that specific context and spoke so clearly to the culture at that time.
But if at every crisis a prophet did that over and over again it likely wouldn’t have the same affect.
Do you get what I am saying?
As you look at the Old Testament you see almost every-time a prophet delivers a message or illustrates a message he does something unique that fits each context.
What I am trying to say is this?
I think we need to rely on the Spirit of God with what to say and do in each situation we find ourselves in.
Illustration
It reminds of the story I read in the book with Brother Andrew called God’s Smuggler.
Brother Andrew was working at a plant and this crotchety old woman was the supervisor and she was just a plain, old mean person and gave him and all the folks they were working with a hard time. Brother Andrew was winning people to Jesus like crazy. He was driving home one day, I believe in the rain and he saw this old crotchety woman walking home and in his head he thought, I am going to give her the gospel (Jason Parker’s paraphrase) and the Spirit of God quickly whispered not a word about me the entire drive.
He was shocked to say the least.
He proceeded to talk about the weather and all sorts of other things but never brought up Jesus.
As he dropped the woman off she could not believe Brother Andrew didn’t bring up Jesus the whole time and as a result she became open to the gospel and ended up accepting Jesus.
Application
Obedience is not a stale list of obligations
Obedience flows out of being in tune with Jesus through relationship
It is out of this intimate relationship with God, that Hosea illustrates for us so well that we are able to walk in obedience in the unique situations we find ourselves in.
And its in our workplaces, aboard the boat, or even at the store that God’s Spirit leads us into situations. And when we are in those situations hearing God’s direction with what to do and what to say create these Holy Moments where God meet us with our obedience to impact lives.
Do you see it?
Most of have the opposite problem of Brother Andrew though.
Most of us have those opportunities God gives us and we chicken out.
Now some of us are the other way too and try and drive the seed in the ground instead of sow the seed and let God do the growing.
There is such a fine line between the two.
Illustration
I was super refreshed this week to have a super engaging conversation with a guy from another religion.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
God commissioned Hosea to reveal the widespread apostasy and corruption in the northern kingdom and to exhort his fellow countrymen to repent and return to God.
In the conversation he immediately started to ask me questions about the Christian faith. Rather then pouring on the gospel I answered some of the questions he had but then asked him about his beliefs.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Hosea, Book Of
Hosea had the unique privilege of illustrating by his own family life the steadfast covenant love which God had for Israel.
In our Canadian culture today we are really into syncretism
Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions Syncretism
Syncretism. Blending of one idea, practice, or attitude with another
That’s exactly what was happening in Hosea’s day. They were mixing in worship of God with worship of all kinds of other wicked gods - aka committing adultery on God.
You see it?
A. Scott Moreau, Harold Netland, and Charles van Engen, Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Baker Books; A. Scott Moreau, 2000), 924.
But inclusive Canadian culture tends to want to take a little bit from other religion and form one super religion that includes everything. The problem with that, as I talked with my new friend, is Jesus said some really exclusive statements about himself, that confronts that cultural ideal.
Jesus said in
Hosea’s marriage to the prostitute Gomer may have been controversial in his own day, and it has certainly caused a great deal of controversy ever since among Bible students and commentators.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
It seems best to recognize that Gomer was a publicly known harlot whom Hosea was commanded to marry for the purpose of illustrating Israel’s apostasy and God’s steadfast covenant love.
If we want to worship Jesus as Lord we have to be willing to accept his truth despite the fact it goes against the norms and values in culture.
That doesn’t mean we disrespect others views or religions or try and learn from other people.
But it does mean in moments God brings about we don’t have to be ashamed about the exclusivity of Jesus and the fact that we believe he is the only way even if culture tells us something different.
Worshipping Jesus as Lord requires us to be willing to stand up and stand out in moments where God is leading when it is not popular.
Don’t be a prophet if you want to be popular in culture.
But if you want to follow Jesus in obedience don’t be ashamed of the gospel.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
SUM UP
Suggestion
Spin Around
Stop
PURPOSE
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Purpose
Purpose. Hosea proclaimed to Israel the need to repent and return to God. He presented the God of Israel as a patient and loving God who remained faithful to his covenant promises. This emphasis is characteristic of Hosea (cf. 2:19).
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Outline and Content
The first three chapters of Hosea are concerned with the example of Hosea’s life, stressing Hosea’s faithfulness and love for his unfaithful wife.
The Story
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Outline and Content
The first three chapters of Hosea are concerned with the example of Hosea’s life, stressing Hosea’s faithfulness and love for his unfaithful wife.
The first three chapters of his book tell of his personal and family life, which was unusual to say the least. Because Israel had been adulterous in her relationship with God, Hosea was commanded by God to take to himself “an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD” (Hos. 1:2)
Reading of Scripture
The bottom line of Hosea’s message, however, is one of redemptive love. While God will forsake those who forsake him, he is willing to forgive repentant sinners even if their sin was abandonment of him.
