Jesus in Hosea
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Jesus was an incredible storyteller and His stories were always perfect and had divine meaning. We relate well to stories and it helps us get a point across, and sometimes we tell stories just to be reminded of people. God uses a real story as well in the life of Hosea and Gomer. This story as well is used to reveal the character of God.
My grandfather passed a few months ago and I loved hearing the stories he would tell. But even better were the stories we would tell about him. One of my favorites to hear was when he was building a house with my dad and my uncles up on bluff mountain. Every morning when they would get to the job either before or right as the sun was rising, Papaw would always walk around the property and see how everything was and take inventory of what there was to do that day. It was sort of getting his ducks in a row. I observed him do this many times. On this particular morning, he looks at my dad and my uncles like he does every morning and he orders them to start getting the tools and the materials out of the truck. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the bun coffee machine he had at every worksite, and lit a cigarrette. This is in beautiful bluff mountain and the sun is rising and there were no steps to the house yet. We always just walk up a 2x12 as a ramp into the framed house until there are stairs or concrete. Papaw is enjoying his cigarette and coffee and casual goes to look at the beautiful sunrise and begins walking down this wooden ramp........ that was covered in the morning dew......... you guessed it, he slips on the wet board and goes directly on his back and then like a trampoline bounces in the air back on his feet. Coffee still in one hand and cigarette still in the other...... he looks at all the boys and acted as if nothing happened, either by embarasement or pride, and says, “ Well what are you waiting for, lets get to work.
This is one of my favorite stories and perfectly describes my Grandfather. Jesus would tell stories that would perfectly describe his Father in heaven, and Hosea is like a parable. it is a story of a man and an adulterous wife and a God and His adulterous people. These stories were given and inspired by God for a reason and we will conclude our time in Hosea today by giving that very reason.
This last 4 weeks in Hosea have been a blessing to me and I hope and pray they have been a blessing to you and your family as well. Just to recap we have the prophet Hosea who was asked by God to take a wife that would prove to be adulterous. She indeed was adulterous and had 3 kids as well. These kids had names that were representive of God’s judgement on His people. Hosea would then go and buy back his wife and restore her and love her as his wife. Hosea then describes this prophesy and warns Israel of the coming judgement and tells them to repent.
Last week we spent a long time going through the judgement of God and the indictment on His people. And then we paired it with Romans 1 and saw our own indictment as sinners.
But these punishments are not to punish us nor does God desire to punish His children. but He does so in order to bring upon repentance and restoration, and that is where we are headed this morning.
God always keeps his promises
God always keeps his promises
8 “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. 9 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. 10 They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.
The first thing we see in our text is that God always keeps his promises. We never have to be in doubt of that. I love that He says “ For I am God not a man”. In other words, mankind breaks their promises. Israel time and time again has turned from me and broken their covenant and disobedience. Paul recognizes this in multiple ways. One is the verse we all know. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He also does it in an important way in Romans 5:12
The New International Version Chapter 5
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
This topic of original sin is important for us all to understand. The moment we are born and concieved in this world we are under the curse of sin. Sure we have not committed a sin by just being born, but Paul says through Adam there has been sin imputed on all mankind. Now if we live a perfect life we could maybe say thats not fair, but of course we all sin and will be accountable for the imputed sin from Adam.
So mankind cant help but break the covenant and promises. But God says, “I am not that way”. He is God. Even when making the covenant with Abraham, you remember the story, Abraham was put into a deep sleep and did not do the covenant ceremony but God did it alone, as if to say, I am the one who will complete and fulfill the promise. You will not be able to do this.
People always point to God’s grace as if it is a new testament thing, and they talk about how hard it must have been and the pressure there was on Old Testament believers. NO ABSOLUTELY NOT. God has been working and showing grace to His people since day one of the covenant and even immediately after the Fall. God has always fulfilled his part of the bargain and kept his promises. And when his people stumble He showed a way.
So we see the continued judgement of Israel in 12 and 13 and the judgement passages end like this
The New International Version Chapter 13
14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?
“I will have no compassion,
15 even though he thrives among his brothers.
An east wind from the LORD will come,
blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
and his well dry up.
His storehouse will be plundered
of all its treasures.
16 The people of Samaria must bear their guilt,
because they have rebelled against their God.
They will fall by the sword;
their little ones will be dashed to the ground,
their pregnant women ripped open.”
VS 14 is not meant to be one of encouragement in this reading from the prophet Hosea. Paul echoes the passage and does so on the other end of the cross when death is defeated. But These hebrew questions are translated correctly. Death and destruction are imminent for Israel and this is a declaration from Hosea. Death and destruction are imminent for all mankind when standing in sin away from the righteousness of Christ.
So what is Hosea’s purpose? What is all this judgement from God about? This seems like awful news and a hopeless situation. Those who were once the chosen race and people of God find themself orphaned, and Hoseas purpose was not to come and say, “Nanna nanna boo boo” but it was to point them to a better way. Israel has been going about this in mans ways and going about this within their own power which has left them high and dry for so long. So he now exhorts them himself in 14 along with YHWH.
The New International Version Chapter 14
Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!
2 Take words with you
and return to the LORD.
Say to him:
“Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips. l
3 Assyria cannot save us;
we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
to what our own hands have made,
for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
4 “I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
he will send down his roots;
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
7 People will dwell again in his shade;
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;
your fruitfulness comes from me.”
The first word used in this exhortation is return or repent. It is the hebrew root SHUV וּבשׁ that is used 25 times in the book of Hosea. And man o man has the church wrestled with this word in the its history. A simple term that means to stop pursuing one thing and to pursue another thing. To turn.
No where in scripture. And I mean no where. Is this term used to merely mean “stop sinning” or to merely “obey the law”. This is one of the massive massive issues with the catholic church, judaism, and fundamental theologians. When they deal with repentance they miss the mark as if it is a mere action in which if we do the right action we may then be saved. And while I know this is a sticky subject and one that much ink has been spilled over, I cannot and do not see that to be true any where in Scripture. It is not true in Hosea, It wasnt true in the teachings of Jesus or of Paul.
This October will mark where 503 years ago Martin Luther took and posted 95 theses to the Castle Catholic Church in Wittenburg Germany. Such a profound work and instrumental in the history of the modern church and beginning the protestant reformation. While all of them had importance, the first....FIRST, of the 95 theses was this, and of course this is translated from the latin. “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “REPENT” he intended the entire life of the believer should be repentance”
This is a stark difference then the preacher yelling from the pulpit to the sinner and saying “Just REPENT You sinner” or the Jew instructing the observance and keeping the commands or the catholic praying, wishing, and hoping they can build enough penance to be given enough grace by God.
This word repent is not a mere action but it is a new life marked with pursuing our Father God. Yes we stumble and fall and we battle our flesh, but we once pursued the things of this world but now we pursue God and His will in our lives. In other words Hosea is saying come HOME. Come Home and you will no longer be an orphan and you will have the loving arms of the father to great you.
Salvation has never came from keeping the law or from merely stopping sinning. That is false teaching and offends the power of the Gospel. Salvation comes from turning Home to God and placing your faith in Him. And then that imputed sin that came from Adam that we talked about earlier becomes the imputed righteousness of Christ. He begins to grow you and form you in the image of His glory and then he promises the more that we seek him the more of Him we will see and find. This is good news. This is what it means to repent. Not to stop sinning or to just obey the law, but turn to God. He is the ONLY means by which you can be saved.
Jesus told a story like this as well. Its in Luke 15. It is the story of the prodigal son. I love this story and dont miss this. Jesus is not just sitting there telling some made up story. He is telling the story of Israel before the eyes and ears of Israel and this is not just some story before our eyes and ears about some sweet father and his son, but it is our story. The story of all mankind that turns and runs to the father.
So we have a son that has been given everything he has, just like Israel. He didnt work for his riches or fame, but all that he has he owes to his father. After years of being comfortable he decides to take advantage of his position and forgets that all that he has is because of His father and he wants to go make it “on his own”. He looks at his father and asks for the money he would receive when his father dies. In other words, “Dad I wish you were dead”. He takes off chasing and pursuing a world of pleasure and tries to satisfy his flesh in any way he can. The farther he moves from the comfort of His fathers house, the more pain he experiences. The more anxiety climbs on him. The more he finds out that he is on his own and he has nothing to call his. Now watch this quick video of this modern take on the lost son and see how the story ends.
Watch Prodigal Video
This story of the prodigal son and the book of Hosea display things we need to know about God and restoration.
The first thing is that Hosea and The prodigal both had nothing to offer to fix their offense.
Look at Hosea 14:2-3
The New International Version Chapter 14
2 Take words with you
and return to the LORD.
Say to him:
“Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
that we may offer the fruit of our lips. l
3 Assyria cannot save us;
we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
to what our own hands have made,
for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
Just like God said when talking about Israels judgement. I do not desire your sacrifices, I just asked you to love no other Gods but me. If they would have done that, everything else would have fallen into place. Hosea says dont take sacrifices to God like you did to those false gods and idols but “bring your words” This is another way in hebrew of sating to take your heart and plead before your father.
After all what could Israel Bring? What did that prodigal son have to offer his father? Just themselves. To turn from their pursuit of the world and pursue the Father. Folks, that what it takes. we dont have anything to offer but yet we act like if we are just good enough or if we just obey enough or pray enough or read the bible enough, or you fill in the blank then we can some how earn the merit of God. Know as a matter of fact relying on those very things is offensive to God. Of course obedience is a good thing, but if you rely on your obedience to be saved you will fall short every single time. Israel trusted Assyria and wars and money and all the things they though would save them and meet their needs. We rely on our works and we fall short every time BUT THATS OK GOD JUST SAYS TURN TO ME AND ASK..........AND ITS YOURS.
Wow. What a good God. What an amazing grace. What an opportunity we have to share this news to the nations. A God that isnt looking for the opportunity to destroy them, but a Father eager for the return of His child. This ought to bring the fruit of our lips and we praise Him for this amazing grace.
The Repentance of man is ALWAYS met with the forgiveness of God.
Look at vs 4-8
The New International Version Chapter 14
4 “I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
he will send down his roots;
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
7 People will dwell again in his shade;
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;
your fruitfulness comes from me.”
Even after all this that we have been through in the book of Hosea and all that Israel will go through in the years to come, if they turn God will accept them as His children. He says, “What else do i have to do with Idols”. In other words “I cant talk about this any longer, if you turn I will be here”.
God doesnt need you to erase your sin or to fix your past. He doesnt need you to clean up and make yourself presentable. He doesnt need a “better you”. He just want you and he wants you to turn to Him and he will be there waiting and happy to restore his child. That is the message of Hosea, That was Jesus Message, That is the message of Paul. We have Restoration provided by God through his son Jesus and if we will turn from our pursuit of sin and turn to him, His righteousness will be our own. We will one day be completely restored and spend eternity as heirs in the kingdom of heaven.
Then Hosea ends the book with an exhortation to ALL those who will read.
The New International Version Chapter 14
9 Who is wise? Let them realize these things.
Who is discerning? Let them understand.
The ways of the LORD are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.
This last verse takes us to our time of application today. Hosea has written probably one of the hardest to understand and hardest translated books in the old testament. I dont mean it in a way that means you have to be smart or wise to read the book. But it has a lot of ancient words that took years to translate. He uses different poetry then anyone else that took years for those away from Hebrew lifestyle to understand. And then he just ends with a “hey if your wise you will do these things......peace out......ha
But it really is more than that. This entire book points to restoration in Jesus folks. From beginning to end. Restoration in Jesus for the Jew and restoration in Jesus for the gentile. It tells of what we are without him (dead and cursed) and what we have when we turn to him (alive, blessed, and restored)
Are you one of the wise ones who walk in the truths of scripture? Not that you follow rules and the law, but that you have seen the law that God gave and have seen your need for Him?
2. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me
See on the portals He's waiting and watching
Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling, "O sinner come home"