Sermon Tone Analysis

A Marriage Made in Heaven

David Leininger tells the following story:

There once was a retreat attended by the clergy of a community for the purpose of establishing support groups.

To kick things off the leader broke the participants up into groups of four and instructed them to confide in one another.

In one group, a rabbi broke the ice by saying, "I'll begin by sharing one of my most disturbing problems.

Occasionally I slip out of town and give in to my craving for pork - I stuff myself with bacon, sausage, ham, pork chops, and sometimes even baby-back ribs."

At this point, a Roman Catholic priest confided he, too, had a similar problem during Lent and occasionally slipped away to enjoy a medium-rare T-bone steak.

There was a long pause broken by the Baptist preacher who finally said, "On rare occasions when I am having difficulty preparing my sermon, I dig down in my file cabinet, bring out a bottle of Jack Daniels and drink a jigger or two.

I try to justify my actions by telling myself the use of alcohol seems to add a spark to my sermon, but I know down deep that it is not true."

At this point all eyes turned to the Presbyterian pastor who had not said a word.

After shuffling his feet a time or two, straightening his tie, and clearing his throat several times, he said, "I have never admitted this to anyone before, not even to myself, but without a doubt my greatest weakness is ... I just love to gossip.

And ... what is worse, the way I feel right now, I just cannot wait to get back to town."

[1]

I can only imagine the gossip in the town that Hosea lived when the people learned that he was getting married to Gomer.

If there was Facebook back then, can you you picture the things that were being posted about this upcoming wedding?

If you are not on Facebook or other social media you are not missing much.

People post stuff that they wouldn’t say or do if they were with you in person.

They say that social media has brought us closer together.

I’m not so sure because of how people use it.

God was very specific about the type of woman that Hosea was supposed to marry.

The NRSV version makes it very explicit.

Hosea 1:2 (NRSV)

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom.”

The Message is also very explicit

Hosea 1:2 (The Message)

2 The first time God spoke to Hosea he said: “Find a whore and marry her.

Make this whore the mother of your children.

I’m going to assume that Hosea is a younger man when God first speaks to him.

Verse 1 lists the kings that reigned while he was a prophet.

Based on that list, he served as a prophet for about 60 years.

Perhaps he had dreams of getting married and having children.

Maybe there was a young woman that had been arranged for him.

We don’t really know much about him.

He was Beeri’s son.

Maybe he dreamt of taking over his father’s farm or business.

As a young man I imagine he had dreams and plans for the future.

But, God spoke to him.

I remember without a doubt when God called me into the ministry.

I remember when I was sanctified and I heard the Holy Spirit speaking to me.

Those were all awesome events.

I remember where I was at and what was happening at the time.

All of the translations that I looked at begin verse 2 with very similar words.

Hosea 1:2 (CEB)

2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to him,

So here it is, God is speaking to Hosea for the very first time.

We don’t know how God spoke to him, whether he was working or maybe sleeping.

But the very first time that God speaks to him he tells Hosea to go and marry a whore.

What a blessing that must have been for Hosea to hear those words from God.

When we read these words we often forget that Hosea was a real person with real feelings and emotions.

God speaks to him and tells him to go find a whore and marry her.

I can only imagine the personal struggle that he went through.

God, did I hear you right?

Did you really say to go and marry a prostitute?

You know that I was thinking about proposing to that young lady Elizabeth don’t you?

God, what are people going to say when they find out that I’m getting married to a hooker?

God, do you have a different plan in mind but this?

When God comes to us, and we’ve been in His presence we are changed.

You have two choices, you can acknowledge God’s presence and fall on your face before because it is holy ground or you can walk away and remain unchanged.

Hosea was changed.

God tells Hosea his reason for this command.

God says

Hosea 1:2 (NRSV)

2 for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.”

That is a serious charge against Israel.

Israel had time and time again gave in and worshipped Baal, the Cananite god.

He was the Storm god, or the god of rain.

This god was often depicted as a bull.

Baal was also a symbol of fertility.

There were shrines set up all around for the worship of Baal.

Israel wanted to be like the people around them.

They wanted a god that they could see rather than the great I am.

You remember when Elijah prophesied that there would be no rain for 7 years?

He met with the prophets of Baal on the mountain and had that great contest and God proved faithful.

Baal was the same god who was still causing problems for Israel.

God here has enough and decides that Hosea is going to be a living example of what the people have been doing to Yahweh.

God tells Hosea that the people are like a whore or prostitute who is unfaithful to her husband.

The people have forsaken God and they have gone off and worshipped other gods.

Israel was pictured as both a Son and also as a Bride.

One commentator wrote:

The image of sonship stressed Yahweh’s election and the image of marriage stressed the free choice of Israel to enter into a covenant relationship

When you are standing before the minister about to get married, you are entering into a covenant.

You are doing that because your soon to be spouse loves you and you love them.

When God brought Israel out of Egypt He was inviting them into a covenant relationship with Him.

God choose them to extend his love to.

They weren’t forced into this relationship.

They voluntarily entered it.

When Israel has gone into the promised and got settled.

Joshua called the people to come to Shechem.

He challenged them to renew their covenant with God.

He reminded them of all the God had done for them.

He says to them

He is calling them to voluntarily make a covenant with God and to serve him honestly and faithfully.

We’re very familiar with Joshua’s words.

But listen to what he says next:

Right here you might be tempted to say “Liar, Liar, pants on fire.”

We know that they did serve God for a time, but they soon began worshipping Baal and other gods.

This led to this message to Hosea.

Despite all the negative talk that he heard from his family and friends and even the community Hosea he met up with Gomer and married her.

God told Hosea to be faithful to him and do as He commanded him.

Hosea was obedient and faith to God.

I’m sure he scratched his head and wondered if He heard God correctly, but he still did what God asked.