The Spirit of Whoredom Part II
The Spirit of Whoredom – Part II
(Hosea 1:1-9)
Introduction:
Hosea (the prophet of God / representing the salvation of God) is given the challenge
To call the nation of Israel to remembrance of the covenant that they made with God
After their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their lodging in the wilderness.
Hosea says…
You remember how Jehovah protected you from the army of Pharaoh at the sea
You recall how El Shaddai led you during the day with a cloud (night – fire)
You reflect on how Jehovah-Jireh provided you will all your needs
And knowing how good God has been to you, Israel, why have you gone and played the harlot?
Hosea is given the charge from God to help Israel appreciate the consequences of their breach of covenant and announce their judgment from the Lord.
Body:
Hosea, I want you to take a wife of purity (respect, love, commitment)
And I want you to father children with this woman
But the woman that you will marry will become bored with your affection
She will become annoyed with your concern for her well-being
She will begin to despise your trust, that she will defile your marriage bed
And become a woman of harlotry (whoredom)
And your children will follow after their mother and prove to be heavy on your heart
Illustration: Children heavy on parents’ heart
Hosea, the names that I give you for your children
Will show you how Israel have left their true love and prostituted themselves with the world.
Point:
Each child represents a generation of Israel’s rebellion (Israel’s breach of covenant)
And each generation their apostasy gets worse.
Read: Hosea 1:4
(Jezreel) – (Jez-re-el) – God scatters / God sows
The reference that Hosea gives regarding Jezreel is found in I Kings 21
Explain: Story of Naboth & King Ahab (Queen Jezebel)
Naboth’s vineyard was located in the valley of Jezreel (scattered)
Vineyard was next to the palace of King Ahab (Ahab decided he wanted it)
(Ahab) – acting like spoiled child (sulking)
(Queen Jezebel) – setup a dinner, lied on him, and had him killed
And Ahab took possession of the land
Point:
In response to this God spoke through Elijah and predicted the kind of death that
Ahab and Jezebel would suffer and announced that the house of Ahab would be cutoff
From the land of Israel
Hosea (Because of adultery, God will scatter the people and bring an end to the Northern Kingdom of Israel)
(Jezreel – represents the scattering that is soon to take place)
Read: Hosea 1:6
(Lo-ruhamah) – Lo-ru-ha-mah
(Lo – means “not”) (Ruhamah – means ‘pitied’ or ‘loved’)
It is through the second child that God declares to Israel
That He will no longer pity or care for her
Point:
See, when a nation or an individual consistently turns its back on God
And rejects His compassion and His love and mercy
God will stay true to His own nature and withhold His pity from you
So that you may learn to turn back and trust Him
Illustration: Why is this happening to me? (God needs us to know our strength is in Him)
(Paul) – 2 Corinthians 12:10 (When I am weak…)
Read: Hosea 1:8-9
(Lo-ammi) – Lo-am-mi means “not My people”
Point:
Israel, in their bold, vicious sinfulness declare with their upper lip curled
In their haughty spirit that they don’t care for God
That they don’t believe He is the God for them anymore
Regardless of all of the love You have expressed to us
Regardless of how You have nurtured us
Regardless of how You have protected us
Regardless of how You desire a relationship with us
We no longer have room in our hearts for a god
(Reference – Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart…)
Point:
What does it say about the depths of Israel sins
When they could hear this judgment from Hosea before it happened
And not be driven to repentance in sackcloth and ashes
And how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation
By once more playing the harlot with the world and worldliness
Prostituting our religion (Christianity) with the world
Which once held us in darkness
After our Hosea; our salvation; has paid such a price to purchase us as His bride?
Point:
When we walk in the path of sin, we will begin to realize
That the longer you stay in it, the harder it is to get out of it.
Because sin begins to (blind / deafen / dulls sensitivities)
Therefore, before healing there is sometimes a pushing away; a rude awakening
References:
(Prodigal son found himself starving and feeling unloved)
(Boy in I Cor. 5 – father’s wife / disassociated with the brethren / left on his own)
Israel, after many years of…
spiritual adultery
blinded and desensitized to the call of her spiritual husband
Found herself uprooted and carried away (scattered, unloved, without God)
So that when God finally reclaims her she will be prepared to turn back to Him
Read: Hosea 1:10-11
Conclusion:
Because God still desires to save Israel, in a sudden change of tone
God declares that despite all of Israel’s unfaithfulness
Israel will be restored to her husband
Where once they were scattered, they will be brought back to God
Point:
Jez-re-el has two meanings in the Hebrew
(One – scattered / Two – sow or planted)
So, during Israel’s adultery, Jezreel means “they will be scattered”
But in their reconciliation, Jezreel means “to be planted or sown by God”
Then we have another change of names for the children.
Read: Hosea 2:1
(Ammi – no longer not-pitied) (Ruhamah – no longer not your God)
But they shall be “pitied” or “loved” and they will be “the people of God.”
Church, we too, should have confidence knowing that even in our mess ups
God still wants to save us. He still wants to have a covenant relationship with us.
(Reference – Ephesians 2:11-16) “Therefore remember that formerly you, who were called Gentiles in the flesh…)