Present Discipline
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Introduction
Introduction
Discipline is a necessity of love and it well demonstrates it. Amazingly this is something that the world also agrees with, although the world does not agree what discipline looks like and to what situations it should be applied. God in His word says that discipline is a necessity of love, and that without discipline there is no love.
6 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.
11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline; 12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
We have looked at the loving hedge of protection that discipline is and that it brings, this morning we are going to see the Lord demonstrate His love through present discipline of Israel. Discipline is not a judge inflicting punishment on a criminal in accordance with the requirement of the law. Discipline is closer to a parent who disciplines their child to shape and perfect character and behavior as well as develop their patience or endurance. The easiest way to differentiate punishment and discipline is punishment is from the law and discipline is from love.
Once more we see the Lord establish Israel’s guilt and pronounce her discipline as a demonstration of His love and His call and care for them. As we look may gain some insight so that we might look and identify the present discipline perhaps for the sin of our hearts and instead of it causing us to turn from God may we turn towards God as He desires and seeks to do through His discipline. May we remember God’s discipline although a consequence of our sin is also a demonstration of His love.
1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt. 2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his conduct; he will repay him based on his actions.
3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God. 4 Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him. 5 The Lord is the God of Armies; the Lord is his name. 6 But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God.
7 A merchant loves to extort with dishonest scales in his hands. 8 But Ephraim thinks, “How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for!”
9 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival days. 10 I will speak through the prophets and grant many visions; I will give parables through the prophets. 11 Since Gilead is full of evil, they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; even their altars will be like piles of rocks on the furrows of a field.
12 Jacob fled to the territory of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife. 13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet. 14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt.
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died. 2 Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say about them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.”
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, or like smoke from a window. 4 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and no Savior exists besides me.
5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. 6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me. 7 So I will be like a lion to them; I will lurk like a leopard on the path.
8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs and tear open the rib cage over their hearts. I will devour them there like a lioness, like a wild beast that would rip them open. 9 I will destroy you, Israel; you have no help but me.
10 Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities, and the rulers you demanded, saying, “Give me a king and leaders”? 11 I give you a king in my anger and take away a king in my wrath. 12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved; his sin is stored up.
13 Labor pains come on him. He is not a wise son; when the time comes, he will not be born. 14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. His water source will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder the treasury of every precious item.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
The Need For Discipline
The Need For Discipline
1 Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and violence. He makes a covenant with Assyria, and olive oil is carried to Egypt.
As much as we dont like discipline and it is not comfortable to us it is needful. Discipline from the Lord is even more needful. Israel referred to here as Ephraim (remember denoting obstinate Israel) is engaging in a dangerous pursuit but is oblivious to it - as we most are ourselves. Hosea proclaims here that Ephraim chases the wind - the word for chases actually means not to pursue but to feed or graze as in to take in food. Ephraim is grazing and feeding on the wind. Solomon tells us that futility is the same as one pursuing the wind.
14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
If pursuing the wind is futile - what would feeding and grazing on the wind be? It too would be an exercise of futility that would leave one empty and unsatisfied.
Hosea also proclaims that Ephraim is pursuing the east wind. Ephraim is actively pursuing and chasing the eastern wind - so what’s wrong with that?
“They are not only empty, but dangerous and destructive. The east wind was and still is in all countries, a parching, wasting, injurious wind. — Adam Clarke
Here Hosea is saying that Ephraim is in engaged in activity that was empty and futile as well as self-destructive. Like a dog chasing its tail, Israel chased the wind!
How was Israel doing this? Continuing in sin - multiplying lies and violence. Ephraim made a covenant with Assyria and Egypt. Instead of trusting in the Lord Ephraim trusted in foreign nations and the deals made and good provided.
How futile and foolish to trust in them over the Lord their God. Israel continued to also pursue idols - which are nothing actually less than nothing. This caused them to turn from the true God and trying to live off their empty replacements. This is just like feeding on the wind you are still empty. Then they were depending upon treaties with Assyria and Egypt to protect them from Assyria and Egypt instead of trusting the only one who could protect them from not only Assyria and Egypt but from anything and anyone. This too is emptiness and chasing after the wind - but also chasing after a eastern/destructive wind.
Watching them pursuing emptiness, futility, and destruction the love of God could not leave them headed for sure destruction. God had to discipline Ephraim to bring them back to Himself. God’s love for His people necessitates discipline upon His people. It is comforting to me and it should be for you as well to know that God will not sit back idly while His people whom He loves choose to chase futility, emptiness and destruction - He will step in and discipline as needed.
An Example of Discipline
An Example of Discipline
2 The Lord also has a dispute with Judah. He is about to punish Jacob according to his conduct; he will repay him based on his actions. 3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God. 4 Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with him.
5 The Lord is the God of Armies; the Lord is his name. 6 But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God.
12 Jacob fled to the territory of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife.
Hosea continues with the idea of the Lord presenting a case in that He says the Lord has a dispute which is quite literally a case — a statement of facts and reasons that support a claim, declaration or argument. This case is with Judah and Hosea says the Lord is about to punish Jacob. Punish can also be translated - visit, inspect, look at and see and carries the idea to judge or discipline. It will be according to conduct - the way one chooses to think and behave. Hosea says the Lord will repay him based on his actions.
God disciplines according to conduct and based on actions. Proper discipline carried out as a demonstration of love should be based upon behavior and actions.
Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation, but it was through Jacob the twelve tribes were brought forth. Hosea uses the name Jacob in this context to give an illustration of God’s loving discipline. Hosea brings about several key elements of Jacob’s life.
Hosea in verse three says about Jacob “In the womb he grasped his brothers heel, and as an adult he wrestled with God”. In this summation Hosea is laying out the natural character of Jacob which was to contend and seek his own way. As Hosea goes on Jacob though sometimes looked at in unfavorable light is being held out as a beacon of light in the present discipline of the Lord to the nation of Israel!
Jacob’s birth gave a hint to the personality and character. He grasped Esau’s heel and the idea is that he was trying to change places with his brother - struggling to be born first. Esau was bron first but Jacob came right behind holding his heel. Jacob means heel catcher another term for someone who deceives. Jacob would deceive his brother and his father to steal his brother’s birthright and blessing.
35 But he replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” 36 So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
Jacob struggled with the angel and prevailed! How? He wept and sought his favor!
Jacob lived his life unsurrendered to God through double dealing and deceitful gain. God sought Jacob to get him to surrender and Hosea says that in that God literally wrestled with Jacob and submitted him in discipline. God submitted Jacob but Jacob prevailed how is that? Jacob prevailed in wrestling with God the same way we need to - by weeping broken and humbly seeking God’s favor.
5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,
34 He mocks those who mock but gives grace to the humble.
6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip.
26 Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied. 28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he answered, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel—limping because of his hip.
Jacob prevailed the same way Israel must and the same way we all must. When we admit we lost and know it and we surrender to God. It is important to not miss the detail that Jacob wept because it helps us understand his brokenness before God and how hung on now just pleading for a blessing.
Hosea then recounts how Jacob in obedience to God went up from the place to Bethel. It was at Bethel that Jacob had met the Lord years before. God had revealed Himself and given many promises to Jacob and his descendents. Jacob had also made solemn vows to the Lord. Pictured in this return is the new beginning for Jacob and his whole family. They would abandon foreign gods and worship God alone.
The Lord is the God of Armies seems to bring back the time where Jacob must go and face his brother Esau in Mahanaim - which means the two camps. Jacob saw an army of angels watching over his camp. He was afraid of Esau and tried to bribe him with gifts instead of trusting the Lord.
Perhaps this invoked the attention of Israel for they now were in fear of their enemies and trusting in gifts instead of trusting in the promises, the protection and the provision of the Lord their God.
Hosea tells them, and tells us the solution the desired outcome. God simply desires us to come back to Him. It requires us to return to Him - this repentance turning from where we are and turning back to God. Jacob had to return to Bethel to where he met God, we must return to Him also. In our fear we may be driven to trust in many other things- God calls us to return to Him and as we maintain love and justice we must trust only and put our hope only into the Lord God! Returning to God means our trust is in Him and in Him alone! No matter our fears.
Sin Requires Discipline
Sin Requires Discipline
7 A merchant loves to extort with dishonest scales in his hands. 8 But Ephraim thinks, “How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for!” 9 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will make you live in tents again, as in the festival days.
10 I will speak through the prophets and grant many visions; I will give parables through the prophets. 11 Since Gilead is full of evil, they will certainly come to nothing. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; even their altars will be like piles of rocks on the furrows of a field.
13 The Lord brought Israel from Egypt by a prophet, and Israel was tended by a prophet. 14 Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt.
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died. 2 Now they continue to sin and make themselves a cast image, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say about them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.”
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, or like smoke from a window. 4 I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and no Savior exists besides me.
5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. 6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud. Therefore they forgot me.
Hosea now names some of the sins Israel has committed. Some of these have been dealt with previously so we will not belabor them this morning.
Dishonesty in business defrauding people in order to make more money - but perhaps also meaning in the same way one deceives with scales - Ephraim deceives by their attribution to who provided. Ephraim thinks How rich I have become - I made it myself and in my earnings no one can find iniquity in me that I can be punished for. Maybe it was honest gains but the credit for provision was deceitful and dishonest. Ephraim did not acknowledge the Lord.
Prosperity is not a sign of God’s blessing
Prosperity led to their pride and the type of self-sufficiency that wrongly believes “I dont need God”
Dishonest Gains
Ephraim ignored the Lord and His prophets.
The prophets were sent to warn but they wouldnt listen and instead they turned from the Lord.
As they turned from the Lord they turned to idols and in doing so Ephraim has provoked the anger of the Lord.
Hosea points out that when the tribe of Ephraim spoke there was trembling for Ephraim was a mighty tribe - (Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim). Hosea is pointing to the prideful arrogance shown. The people of Ephraim felt they were an important tribe and should be listened to. In their arrogance though all they did was create problems - problems for Gideon
1 The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they argued with him violently. 2 So he said to them, “What have I done now compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
3 God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he said this, their anger against him subsided.
And also issues for Jepthah
1 The men of Ephraim were called together and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight against the Ammonites but didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house with you in it!” 2 Then Jephthah said to them, “My people and I had a bitter conflict with the Ammonites. So I called for you, but you didn’t deliver me from their power.
3 When I saw that you weren’t going to deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why then have you come today to fight against me?” 4 Then Jephthah gathered all of the men of Gilead. They fought and defeated Ephraim, because Ephraim had said, “You Gileadites are Ephraimite fugitives in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,” 6 they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and executed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim died.
After the death of Saul they refused to submit to David’s rule
8 Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and moved him to Mahanaim. 9 He made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin—over all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel; he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 The length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Ephraim abandoned God for Baal and brought with spiritual infidelity - gladly participating in the false religion of Jeroboam.
8 Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
Hosea says nothings are like the morning mist, early dew, and the chaff or smoke — disappearing as nothing.
Their biggest sin was they forgot God - they only knew God, and He was their only Savior, but in their fullness in their prosperity they became satisfied and full and had no need for God and so they forgot Him.
God says I knew you in the wilderness in the land of drought, but in the land of plenty I am forgotten. At the end of the 20th century Americans were in a season of unprecedented prosperity. Statistics show however in the 1990’s churchgoers gave the smallest percentage of their income in contributions since the Great Depression. When we are filled the danger is our hearts becoming exalted because thats when we forget God. Discipline is required to keep one from forgetting God as they pass from drought to plenty - from empty to full.
Discipline Removes the Facade
Discipline Removes the Facade
7 So I will be like a lion to them; I will lurk like a leopard on the path. 8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs and tear open the rib cage over their hearts. I will devour them there like a lioness, like a wild beast that would rip them open. 9 I will destroy you, Israel; you have no help but me.
10 Where now is your king, that he may save you in all your cities, and the rulers you demanded, saying, “Give me a king and leaders”? 11 I give you a king in my anger and take away a king in my wrath. 12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved; his sin is stored up.
13 Labor pains come on him. He is not a wise son; when the time comes, he will not be born. 14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. His water source will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder the treasury of every precious item.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their children will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
Hosea speaks of the discipline of the Lord coming like a lion, a leopard and a mama bear. The lion is roaring in the distance warning, soon stalking in silence. The leopard lurks in the path of its prey. The fierce guarding of the mama bear of her cubs. You dont wanna mess with a mama bear right? Hosea says the Lord will tear open the rib cage over their hearts — this is a graphic picture of the Lord laying bear their hearts. No longer will they hide their sin and convince themselves that they are good.
8 But Ephraim thinks, “How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for!”
This facade will be torn open and laid bare exposing the heart. Discipline is meant to bring about a cutting to lead to healing - God exposing the heart is to heal the heart. A hidden heart never heals.
The Lord says I will devour them and rip them open like a lioness and a wild beast. You have no help but Me. This removes the facade that they have anywhere else to turn but to the Lord God for help.
Discipline exposing the heart is to drive one to turn to the only help there is - God Almighty!
God says where is your king and the rulers you demanded — God gives a king in His anger and takes away in His wrath. The facade that somehow a king will solve the problems of Ephraim’s infidelity and turning from God.
Discipline removes the facade that all we need is a new leader - no we need a new heart and we need God.
Labor pains will come on him - He has no wisdom and when the time comes he will not be born. The labor pains push a child to exit the womb - but this child will not follow wisdom and will not be born and a delayed birth results in death.
Limited time for repenting - ignoring this time will bring death
God in discipline also removes the facade that apart from redemption anyone has any hope - apart from the redemption provided through Christ’s resurrection - compassion is thus hidden from the Lord’s eyes.
55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
35 “This is what the Lord says: The one who gives the sun for light by day, the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar— the Lord of Armies is his name: 36 If this fixed order departs from before me— this is the Lord’s declaration— only then will Israel’s descendants cease to be a nation before me forever. 37 “This is what the Lord says: Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below explored, will I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done— this is the Lord’s declaration.
The facade that everything is ok - is removed
The water source will fail, the spring will run dry
They will fall because they rebelled
Conclusion
Conclusion
The loving discipline of the Lord is needful to keep His children from straying and pursuing the wind. His present discipline is also a sign and reminder of His constant love!
Is God working in you about some besetting sin, some pursuit of your life that He knows to be fleeting empty or headed towards destruction? Heed His word for if you heed His word you can usually avoid the discipline. His discipline comes when one rejects every other manifestation of His love to bring you to return to Him and to turn from vain pursuits.
His discipline if it does come is not saying He doesnt love you — He is saying I will not relent — I will use everything even if it hurts to correct you
8 But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
As discipline reveals the facade in your life dont try to keep your eyes shut to it, acknowledge it and surrender yourself to God as Jacob did and God will say of you also that you have prevailed - for in repentance and surrender we all shall prevail before God covered in the righteousness and mercy of Jesus.