Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

Love at first sight is sinful - I think don’t quote me but here is why - you see something that you like and that attracts you and that benefits you and in response you love them.

Really you only love that person bc of what they provide for you.

But in some ways were human and our love is bound to that.

It is impossible to have a compltely PURE love in this life, we always have wrong motives or in the back of our mind a way this benefits us.

But what we will see tonight in the beginning of Hosea is that God’s love is different, it is holy, God’s love is set apart from Human love.

And you need to understand that.

Maybe more than anything else you need to understand the love of God

prop: God’s love is set apart from human love

need:

Assurance of salvation relies on an understanding of this love.

- Legalism dies

salvation relys upon Gods love

security of salvation is rooted in the love of God

You will know God more when you grasp His love

Psalm 8 who is man that you think of him?

That you care for him?

- Gods love is jaw dropping, it’s hard to fathom, it breaks barriers, it goes deeper

3 scenes that help us understand the Holy Love of God

Rough Start

Good Ending

Perfect Climax

1.

A rough start

We began this last week.

Every good story starts with a problem and this one is no different it jumps right in by looking at this dysfunctional family.

“Hosea, my people have become so numb, they have gone so far from me, they will no longer listen to normal forms of communication.

Before you speak my message you will live it.”

And we will see soon why this would be so effective.

But just to help you out, I want to explain why God has taken drastic measures here to communicate to His people Israel.

See Isreal, is God’s chosen people.

This is his special people, it the nation he chose, the one he started, the one he saved from slavery, the one he has promised to make a great nation, he promised to make Isreal God’s beacon of light to the world.

He has promised to bless them, to care for them and to LOVE THEM.

Isreal is the only nation to recieve this promise from God.

And the question is why? what made Isreal special?

Why did God choose Isreal?

ANSWER: Because he did.

Psalm 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

God is God, he doesn’t need to have a reason.

God promised one man, Abraham that he would make a nation from his decendants.

To be a nation, you need a people, a law and a land.

Well eventually the decendants of Abraham moved down to egypt where they became slaves BUT the family of 70 people multiplyed to 2 million - so they got ingredient 1 a PEOPLE, then God raised a leader, Moses to take them out of slavery and at Mt. Sinaai he spoke to God and recieved the 10 commandments, which is ingredient 2 A LAW and then finally after wandering in the desert, God raised a new leader, Josua to take them on a military conquest to take the promised land.

and thus they became the nation Isreal who were to keep God’s commandments and the idea was that as they obeyed God, they would be blessed by God and the rest of the world would say look at Isreal we want what they have and we want to serve their God.

But then we get to Hosea and Isreal instead of serving the God that had chose them, rescued them, blessed them, promised them, and loved them.

They turned away from Him, they left Him for other “fake Gods”.

Imagine how God would react.

Isreal the nobodies who owed everything they were to God, who promise their loyalty and faithfulness to Him had just left Him to serve Gods like Baal.

Now bare with me its bout to get graphic.

When Isreal left God to worship this false God “Baal” it wasn’t like they just went to a different church that week.

Here is how one author describes Baal Worship “Ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal.

Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity.

Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants — men and women alike — would engage in bisexual orgies.

The ritual of convenience was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of “mother earth.””

Thats who they chose over the Holy, loving and kind God that loved them.

This is why God takes drastic measures with Hosea, bc Isreal is in a real dark place and the fact that God even has a prophet there is already a display of His unfathomable love.

I mean if the girl you liked was found burning a child at an alter, would you still want a relationship with her? No, you’d probably want to kill her but God made a covenant with Isreal, His love goes deeper and even when they were way far off He is unfazed and determined to love His people.

So he says Hosea 1:2 “Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.””

So Hosea obeys and he marries Gomer, knowing that she would cheat on Him. and He has his first kid with her named Jezreel and this name symbolizes that God will punish Isreal for what they have done.

Then Gomer has another child, at this point who knows who the father is, and God says name her Lo Ruhammah which means no mercy - because he will no longer show mercy to Isreal for their idolatry and spiritual adultery

Then one more kid comes and God says name Lo Ammi which means not my people, because He no longer sees Isreal as his people.

This is language of divorce.

Gods chosen people, his Bride is no longer his at all but is the mistress of another false god.

What are your favorite baby names?

Oaks, Oakley, Obadiah, Obama?

People like giving their kids names with a meaning

Zoe - LIFE

Gabriella - devoted to God

Reagan - little ruler

Noah - rest

Mason - means you should be good with working on stone

Dean - the head of a college

You know but sometimes parents do that but could you imagie this family.

I mean Hosea is a prophet, he is popular, and the people go up to Hosea awww what a cute baby what his name?

Judgement because Isreal will be judged for their harlotry.

Or what a cute baby girl what her name?

No mercy - because God will show you no mercy for your sin.

Or you know the third time around, whats his name?

Not my people because Isreal will no longer be seen as Gods chosen people but as his unfaithful ex wife.

Isreal is in trouble BUT God gives a little glimmer of light at the end of the chapter v.10-11

This is amazing, you see we see God tell Isreal, I am going to punish you, I will show you no mercy and I will divorce you and may be tempted to think “Wow God is harsh, and angry and mean if we disobey Him” BUT we’d be mistaken - the very fact that God disciplines shows that he loves.

Let me ask you, what would be more loving; if God let Isreal follow this false God, sacrifice their children and die in their sins to suffer and eternity in Hell?

OR if he disciplines Isreal, he strikes them with punishment, he pulls all blessing from them, he allows them to suffer, so that they realize the mistake they have made, and turn back to God?

Illus: Whats worse?

If your parent takes your phone away for doing something wrong?

or if they say, I’ve given up on you, I dont care about you.

DO whatever you want and leave me alone?

(alright geez I’ll clean my room)

Heb 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.””

If you call God your father than expect discipline when you sin, respond to it with repentance, confession and obedience.

If you currently are living in sin.

Which means you are serving anything besides the one true God of the Bible, and are not under his loving discipline than you have even more reason to fear.

When you give anyone or anything - more of your time, attention, affection, focus.

whether that be your reputation, your GF or BF, or wife or Husband.

OR if its your lust, your anxiety, your self pity.

Whatver it is, if you give it your heart than you have chosen to serve that THING over GOD - you’ve chosen Baal.

You are not God people - you are His prodigal.

You have broken the very 1st commandment God gives “You shall have no other Gods before me”

Turn from your idolatry, and spiritual adultery - and return to God. because Hosea 1:10 “And in the place Where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” It will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living God.””

There is a way back, there is a way to reconcile this relationship that you broke.

How do I know that, well look at ch.2 which is the second scene of this story...

2. A good ending