Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s Bride is Israel

There is a recurring theme throughout the whole Bible relating to the institution of marriage.

Once I was able to see that God sees the institution of marriage as holy.

It is separate than any other relationship that we have with others.

I myself failed at recognizing this early on.

Many of us have failed at upholding the value that God places upon the bond in marriage.

When I look through the Bible now and see any references to how God’s perspective to His people is witnessed through the bonds of marriage, I am better able to gain insight in how important it is for us to speak of the sanctity of marriage.

When Do We Commit Adultery Against God?

Whenever we recognize that the relationship to God is more than just a friend; more than just a teacher; more than just a parent, we gain a holier insight into marriage.

However, when we break the relationship by going in our own way to achieve our pleasures with the worldly things, we are also accused of committing adultery.

This is a difficult charge for us to understand, but sometimes truth hurts so that we can recognize where we need to reconcile.

God Shows Us How We are Adulterous

Hosea is the first of the twelve minor prophets.

His words stand out harshly against those who were suppose to value the relationship they had with God.

The Israelites were to be the beacon of the world showing other nations how to live out that relationship.

However, living daily lives opposed to that relationship is like a bride going out from the marriage and defiling the relationship.

Israel committed those acts and then thought they could provide sacrifices to appease God.

God’s forgiveness comes through the tribe of Judah

Explanation:

We are meant to hear Hosea’s voice: the words have been in Hosea’s mouth.

But in that creaturely medium we are meant to hear God speaking his Word.

Moon, Joshua N.. Hosea, InterVarsity Press, 2018.

ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5515984.

Created from liberty on 2021-10-23 14:09:44.

Many prophets had words come to them during the days of the kings of Isreal and the kings of Judah.

The period of time when Hosea penned the words from God were circa 750 BC.

Almost 8 centuries before Jesus Christ walked the earth.

Moon, Joshua N.. 2018.

Hosea.

Westmont: InterVarsity Press.

Accessed October 23, 2021.

ProQuest Ebook Central.

Flagrant harlotry is what the LORD proclaimed Israel had committed.

The symbolism of Hosea taking a wife who was a harlot is the same as the LORD deciding to choose for Himself a nation who He knew ahead of time would commit adultery against Him.

In His omnipotence, God knew ahead of time the atrocities that would happen against Him, yet His faithfulness would prevail throughout time.

The children that were born in the marriage of Hosea and Gomer were children born out of a rocky relationship.

The imagery here is that of the children of Israel who were born in the family who grew up understanding that it was ok to forsake the marriage bond.

In the valley of Jezreel, there will be a battle.

This valley is the place historically known for the place where battles were held between the Israelites and other nations.

There will come a time when those who oppose God will also come to know who God is at the end of the little while.

Jezreel Valley

The bow of Israel is for war and it will be destroyed by the LORD.

Where there is an adulterous nation who continually opposes the mercy, forgiveness, and compassion of God, their obstinance will be done away with.

One of the major issues taken out of context is that of replacement theology.

What is meant by that is that there is no mercy shown to the Israelites and that the Christian church replaces the Israelites as God’s chosen people.

This is not the case.

The house of Israel’s laws, superstitions, and methods is not sufficient to provide the compassion required for the forgiveness of being an adulterer in the relationship.

Forgiveness and compassion is changed through the priesthood to a new priest who rises from the tribe of Judah.

As in the method of Melchizedek who was recognized as a priest outside of the methods of obtaining priesthood, Jesus is born into the tribe of Judah.

The deliverance is not through war, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen or anything that the world would prescribe to the nature of winning over the world.

No, only forgiveness restores the relationship of God’s people with God.

Only through the acts of the one who can bring about the ultimate sacrifice and the path of forgiveness from the tribe of Judah can this happen.

Not through the methods of man; only through the path God provides.

If the people had maintained their belief in their hearts about their relationship with God, then it would have been titled to them that God was their God.

However, the Israelites had continually chosen to worship other gods, chosen to give their hearts, minds, and souls to other gods.

They had played the harlot with other gods without focusing on their relationship with God.

Therefore, God reminds them that because of their actions and decisions that they are not His people.

Lo-ammi is a constant reminder of that.

Without preaching the path of compassion, then we will forget the rest of Hosea’s message.

There is a path for reconciliation.

Here is the reference that there will be a restoration offered for those who will receive it.

God declares there will be a forgiveness offered.

It will not come through the methods of their previously offered sacrifices.

It will come with the sons of Judah, and eventually through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, born through the tribe of Judah to restore all people to the marriage between God and His bride.

Eventually, there will be a time where the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will become one family again.

In the valley of Jezreel there will be a battle to win over the world from the prince of darkness for all time.

Jesus is foretold 750 years ahead of His time to come and restore through the tribe of Judah what was God’s to have and to hold forever.

The one leader they will choose will be Jesus Christ, the true sovereign ruler who provides the path of forgiveness through His actions only.

Are you willing to appoint God as your true faithful companion?

For all of us, we must accept that we have gone astray in our marriage to God.

Are you willing to accept your ways have caused the separation in this relationship?

You must look to the ruler who will overcome in the valley of Jezreel one day the final battle that provides the hope for complete restoration of the world.

If you continue going in your adulterous ways, God proclaims to you that you are not part of His people.

Only through the restorative leader who is already appointed by God, Jesus Christ, can we be redeemed and forgiven into the marriage relationship.

The Church is the Bride of Christ

God the Father and God the Son have one goal and that is to maintain the relationship of the people with Him.

The church today is the bride that Christ is renewing and restoring to the bride that will be caught up with Him for a wonderful wedding feast.

His jealousy is that of compassion and one of continued faithfulness in us even though we continue wandering away.

Jesus knows this about His bride.

We the church are to show that to the world.

When we play the harlot in ways that are contrary to the will of God, we should expect there will be times when we are considered “Not God’s People.”

We must ask forgiveness as a church, community, country, and world.

Then we can gather together in unity and proclaim Jesus is the King, Husband, and Lion who fights for us continually.