The Deconstruction of Israel

Series: “God Speaks”

Text: Hosea 9:10-17

Date: Jan. 16, 2022

Introduction: (What?)

One of the headlines in many Christian publications in recent months deals with people whose faith in God has been “deconstructed”. In some instances, those who have left their faith are pastors or Christian Artists or Christian Authors. At some point their concept of Christianity and their commitment to Christ has begun to decay ant they abandon their faith in Christ altogether. Paul addressed this issue in 2 Thess 2:1-4 “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

There is precedent also in the OT history of Israel.

Examination: (What?)

1. From Good (v 10a)

Hos 9:10 “I discovered Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your ancestors like the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season.” The unexpected discovery of grapes or figs in the desert would be absolutely delightful to the people of Israel. God, through Hosea said, “this is the way I found you Israel, and I was excited.” When we think of God having emotions we usually land on either His wrath or His love. Rarely do we think of Him experiencing delight or enjoying something or someone. When God catches someone doing what is right and good, and fulfilling the purpose for which He created them, He is delighted. He is overjoyed. His declaration at Jesus’s baptism demonstrated this when He said in Luke 3:22 “and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.””

In the early history of Israel, this is the way God saw them…and it pleased Him greatly. However, just like Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, His delight didn’t last long.

2. To Bad (vv 10b-11)

Hos 9:10b-11 “But they went to Baal-peor, consecrated themselves to Shame, and became abhorrent, like the thing they loved. Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird: no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.”

An illustration of the loss of glory and God’s favor is found In Num 25;3-5 “These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence when they presented unauthorized fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons.” when the sons of Aaron, who were to serve God as priests began to follow their own way rather than walking in obedience to God. As ordained priests they had the responsibility of leading Israel in the worship of God. They were to take fire from the altar, that God Himself had ignited, place some in their firepans, along with incense, and place it on the altar. Instead of using the fire that God had provided, they, either out of ignorance or laziness, created their own fire from another source, thus “strange fire”. While we night overlook something like this as just a mistake, God took it very seriously.

It is also like 2 Sam 6:1-7 David was moving the ark of the covenant from the house where it had been left to the temple in Jerusalem.

Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God.”

In both instances God had given specific instructions as to how He wanted these tasks to be carried out. Disobedience resulted in immediate death. In our day it is not unusual to hear someone say something like, “I go to such and such a church because I like the music and the informal atmosphere.” It is interesting that we seem to have forgotten to whom worship is to be offered. We are to worship God, and It would be wise to consult Him as to how He wants to be worshipped. Jesus had a discussion of worship with the woman at the well in John 4:19-23 ““Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him.”

From that conversation we see that God has a preference regarding worship. It must be “in Spirit and in truth”. That does not refer to “style” but rather to content. The problem with the Jews in Hosea 9 was that they began to do things their own way and in accordance with what was popular in the society around them. God dried up the wombs of their women and the men became impotent because they disobeyed Him. Such punishment would soon lead to the extinction of the race unless they repent.

3. To Worse (vv 12-15)

As bad as that was, the Jews went even further in their disobedience and things went from bad to worse.

Hos 9:12-15 “Even if they raise children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them! I have seen Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a meadow, so Ephraim will bring out his children to the executioner. Give them, Lord— What should you give? Give them a womb that miscarries and breasts that are dry! All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my house because of their evil, wicked actions. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.”

Even if the Israelites had children, God vowed to kill them. When God removes His hand of protection and blessing from a person or a nation, disaster will flourish and suffering will be widespread. Paul described what happens when God abandons people because of their hard-heartedness in Rom 1:18-31 (read)

The only thing that stands between us that the judgment of God is His mercy. However there will come a time when God will say “Enough!” as He did in Noah’s day. We must remember the words of Jesus when He was talking about some disasters that had happened. He said in Luke 13:1-5 “At that time, some people came and reported to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And he responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.””

I think that as we read Hosea we can hear the voice of God saying to America, “unless you repent, you will perish as well.”

Application: (How will I apply this message to my life?)