Break up to Build Up

Introduction

Hosea was a very interesting and unique book. The name Hosea means ‘salvation’.

In the earlier chapters, God would have told Hosea to take a wife of harlotry and as you would know essentially that’s what she was

She would have had 3 children and God would have used the names of the children to send specific messages to Israel.

Jezreel - I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”

Lo-Ruhamah – (not loved) - for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them

Lo- Ammi – (not my people) - for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

Hosea experienced exactly what God was at that time. He knew what betrayal was like due to his wife’s unfaithfulness and his messages stemmed out of that. There was the constant cycle that Israel was on from the beginning. There was the sin, repentance, redemption and restoration.

He was an obedient man who endured what Gomer put her through and even when she was put up for sale, he bought her with 15 shekels of silver and one and a half homers of barley.

If we were to liken this text to our lives we would see the salvific nature in it. For we were not once a people of God. We, just like Gomer were unfaithful, we didn’t understand the true love that was there for us. We had other gods though we may not name them like Allah or Shiva but gods of money, self, and otherwise. Our focus was elsewhere other than God. We did as we pleased and then when we were up for sale, we were purchased by the blood of Jesus.

Only Hosea bought Gomer and only Christ bought us. The book of Hosea shows us the ultimate love of God. It was always there, however, Israel now had to understand that love of God.

Throughout the message we see Hosea telling Israel to repent and verse 12 was no different. After years of constant rebellion, Hosea was telling Israel to break up your fallow ground.

Some preachers you may hear them say to break up your folley ground.

And by fallow hear means untilled ground, unusable ground.

Give up the Unproductive

The Israelites were a rebellious bunch of people

Isaiah mentioned that they were heavily involved with Baalism and had erected altars and were essentially serving these common g gods

They did not revere the Lord but revered gods

They worshipped them, they abandoned their first love

They did not acknowledge God nor His commandments

All that they were involved with was against God’s standard of living

Even in a day like today some of us are caught us with things that are not according to God’s standard of living

These types of behaviours and attitudes are what forms the weeds that can easily overtake our lives and choke our growth

We engage in conversations that are questionable, the gossiping scene takes place. We try to justify the reason in our heads the conversations we are having while the Holy Spirit is telling us not to have them

We have all types of jealousy harvesting. We criticize another person’s effort in the kingdom while we are doing nothing. Everyone believes they can do a better job until they are in the position.

Nothing is ever good enough

Even the manner in which we carry along people. Our families. They see the true us. All of these things can stunt our growth and just like an unploughed the weeds can overthrow the ground that we so think we have put together

These are things that can stunt our growth.

We wonder how Sis X or Sis Y getting through. They just become a christian and they’re preaching, they’re leading song service but we there for the longest while and the pastor not utilizing them

They not bearing fruit and don’t know why

We need to anlayse our lives and see what is causing us to be stagnant.

Look at see what needs to be given up so that we can be fruitful.

Hosea said we need to break up the fallow ground

Unplowed ground is unusable

- Weeds

- Wild grass

- prevent growth

Break up the folley in our lives.

Break up the things that causing division, break up the attitudes, break up the careless and reckless behaviours

We need to give God something to work with

Seek and Maintain Your Relationship with God

But first we need to seek God. We need to want to desire Him

Wanting to abide by His rules and His will

As we seek Him, we show our dependence upon God

We cannot lean upon our own understanding

Neither can we expect God to bless confusion

We cannot expect to be up in our ungodly ways and expect God to be blessing us in the midst

We need to be looking to God and seeking Him

We need to be surrendering our lives to God

This is what Hosea was trying to tell Israel

You need to surrender to God in order for Him to use Us.

When we are breaking up the fallow ground, we are preparing it for seed. We are preparing it so that the seed can grow into a plant and bear fruit.

If looking into the agricultural context as Hosea was using here

When you leave a ground unattended, it will run to ruin.

If you look at many of the government buildings around you would see how the wild grass is overtaking the buildings

Look at the District D court - It’s only been there for a short while, but it’s not maintained and if you drop a 25c you won’t be able to find it with that grass

Similarly, we need to maintain our relationship with God

Having given up those things that are not up to par with God’s standard, we have to maintain our relationship with God if we expect to bear fruit

We cannot allow these behaviours to be creeping around

For a tree to produce fruit, depending on the tree, it takes a particular climate. Granted trees need sun, air, and water. However, though all of these are found as key elements to bearing fruit, certain fruits can only grow with certain conditions and temperatures.

Tomatoes have to grow in a particular temperature - such as warm soil. It is not to say that the fruit wouldn’t grow but how it would grow. Cool soil has a negative impact on tomatoes. Starved from nutrients.

So we need to see the climate we are around. In essence, the people we are around

Are these people contributing positively to your growth that you can bear good fruit or are they choking your growth.

If they are you need to see whether or not you want to value your relationship with God.

Remember Jesus said, I am the true Vine and my Father is the Vinedresser, any branch in me that does not bear fruit, He cuts off.

So decide for yourselves if these people who we have in our lives are beneficial for our growth. If not, you need to know where you stand.

I have had someone told me once, you are taking this Christian thing too serious. There are not my friend today. If they fall I’ll still help them but being in my inner circle that persons has been removed because they were not beneficial for my growth neither did they respect the decision I made to serve God

So mind the climate you are end.

And as we know different seasons have different climates which would show us that people will be there to edify for a season. Too much of one season can be dangerous. Therefore, be weary of those persons we keep on for permanent when God had them to be used for a temporary season

Give up the unproductive things in our lives, maintain our relationship with God, and

Conclusion

Beloved, the time has come as Hosea said for us to seek God. We need to break up the folley that is preventing us from bearing fruit. We need to get serious with our relationship with God. For too long people in church have been playing church. In seasons like this can either break or propel a person in their spiritual walk. Loook at the parable of the sower. The one that fell among the

pathway - trampled on, birds ate - destroyed

Rocky - not roots formed, sun scorched - withered away

Thorny - choked, suffocated - died

Good soil - grew up, increased - fruitful

We don’t want to be choked up and suffocated because of our lawlessness. We want to be able to bear