Hosea: To Know is to Love

Thesis: If you want to love God, then know Him more

3 actions to know God

1. Understand: what it means to know God

To know God is to have an understanding of and relationship with God

The Hebrew word used here is from the same root in Gen 4:1 “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived ...

Often “to know” in the OT has the connotation of intimacy in marriage which obviously isn’t what is literally meant to know God but it is very fitting when we look at the book of Hosea - A prophet WHOSE MARRIAGE was a illustration of Gods relationship to His people

So to know God is to have a deep intimate relationship with Him, where you know Him personally.

Does your relationship with God feel personal? When you pray do you believe He is really listening? Have you maybe stopped praying because you’re unsure if he really hears you? Does time in the Bible feel like time spent with God or a chore done out of self discipline? Does obedience seem like a burden or a joy?

Maybe you’re serving a God that you know about but don’t know personally, intimately and relationally. If that is the case than you don’t love God, you fear Hell and think that being a “christian” will save you from it.

On the flip side you can’t know God without knowing about Him. There are 2 nuances to the word know, 1 is the marriage connotation but the other is in reference to “priests”. The men who were supposed to be able to teach people about the scriptures and the character of God. He goes on to indite the priests for failing to do so.

But this is because you cannot deepen your love for God without deepening your understanding for God.

You must have HEAD knowledge BEFORE you have heart knowledge.

You must know intellectually about God to know Him personally - but you never want to leave your knowledge of God at just that… intellectual

Illus: You get this right? When I first became a christian, it was in high school, I heard that I had a punishment for my sin waiting for me, but Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment of sin, so that I could believe in Him, escape the punishment and be saved. BUT I didn’t know how God created the world, how many days it took, by what means he did it.

But then I read Genesis and learned that God made the world out of nothing, that he spoke and by the power of His word everything that has been came into being. And at that moment I learned intellectually how God created the universe but that KNOWLEDGE of God as creator moved FROM my HEAD to my HEART and caused me to love Him even more, to think of Him with wonder and awe and amazement. And then to think that the creator God who created the world cares for me. It blew my mind and my head knowledge turned to heart knowledge and I loved Him more.

So if you say you love God, than that means at some level you know ABOUT God but also you know Him PERSONALLY.

Transition: Here is 1 issue though; The Bible teaches that Rom 3:10-11 “as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;”

Paul said that know one understands God, no one even wants to, no body is looking to know God more. In fact no one is even able because nobody is as righteous as Him.

Pretty much, the only way you can know God is by approaching Him but you can’t just walk up to God, there are standards.

Just like if you were to meet a highly important person there are some standards; fill this out schedule the appointent etc. - with God there is 1 requirement to get to know Him - BE RIGhteous - from your 1st breath make 0 major or minor mistakes.

Paul says none of us have hit that mark, in fact we didn’t come close and really we didn’t even try, we have been failing morally since we were born.

So naturally NO ONE knows God, they lack a knowledge of God and that leads to point 2

2. Heed: the warning

First look at Hosea 4:2 “There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.”

When you don’t know God it will always be proven by the actions of your life.

Sin is hatred towards God. Sin to God is like a revolt towards a king - he sees each sin as an attempt to thwart His power and take Him off the throne.

Obviously you cannot and do not love God or even know Him IF your life is spent attacking Him.

Israel's culture was filled with sin that was not only breaking God’s law, stealing His throne by as Hosea painfully illustrated, their sin was adultery, infidelity, it was cheating on the God who loved them perfectly.

They were swearing - cursing, verbal sins - what do your words tell you about your relationship to God?

Deception - if you love the God of truth you will live an honest life? When was the last time you lied, decievied, half truthed, white lied, cheated on school work?

Murder - When was the last time you killed somebody? jk but Jesus says anger in your heart is = to murder in His eyes. Are you angry? Towards parents, siblings, opponents, etc?

Stealing - stealing peoples work, stealing mataerial, stealing God’s glory by promoting yourself

Adultery - Are you sexually impure?

No matter the sin James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

The person who does not know God will prove it with their life. Eventually your sin filled heart will allow the evil buried down deep inside and kept in secret to bubble up to the top, it will surface, it will show its ugly head and it will be brought to the light. I pray that the secret sinner here would have their sin revealed here while there is still time to repent then to have it revealed on the last day where their fate is set.

Because the one who does not know God will be destroyed

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

If you reject God he will reject you.

I mean lets recall the story of Hosea and Gomer for a moment -

Hosea marries this out cast Gomer, I mean he played down a league BIG time - and after she had cheated on Him, got pregnant with another man kid, He tried to keep the marriage alive he parented the chldren who were not His, and then she left again back to the street corner, prostitutuing herself, ruining his reputation and their relationship and what does he do, when Gomer is at the lowest of the low being sold as a slave He comes and pays her price to save her and bring her back - Could you imagine if she rejected him and said “No anyone but this man!” You’d think she is crazy, he is the good guy, the perfect husband, how dare she.

Well student, some of you are doing that very thing, God has been calling to you for years, he has given you believing parents, a healthy church, youth groups and small group leaders who have shown you this great God and offered him to you through the gospel and yet you say “No! Anyone but this man!” You’re breaking his heart, 1 Tim 2:4 “(God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

yet you reject Him and that knowledge - because you like your other slave master - sin which is a harsh master, one that ruins lives, kills joy, and makes you miserable.

Some of you maybe haven’t had exposure to this God in that way, you’re parents arent chrstains, you don’t go to hruch and in fact this is your first time at a youth group - BUT open your eyes, look around - God has been showing you His majesty your whole life, you walk around His creation that is screaming of a creator, you have been blessed to live in America, go to school, maybe have a loving family, etc. He has bee there the whole time, their is christian teaching in almost every county in CA, and there is endless amounts online - yet unknowingly (maybe) you too have been rejcting Him, and choosing your own way.

Come tonight, come to know Him tonight - which leads to the last point

3. Pursue: knowing Him

Hosea 6:1-3 ““Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. “So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.””

The purpose of God’s case against Isreal was so that they would see their mistake and repent of it. That they would recognize their sin, confess it, seek forgiveness by God and be restored to a relationship with Him. So Hosea hear take the tone of appealing and persuading.

Come on lets RETURN TO GOD. He has torn us but he will heal us. Yes, our future looks dim, yes judgement is coming, yes we will be punished for disobedience but Hosea says “lets God back to our father, who cares for us, maybe he let some bad things happen to us but it was for our Good - let’s learn our lesson and return to Him. LETS PRESS ON TO KNOW HIM!”

How is it that after all the terrible sin Isreal commited, Hosea still thinks that God will accept them? After all God promised that every sin will be punished

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Gal 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Hosea had faith that God would forgive sin, because the penalty for it would paid by Jesus Christ hundreds of years later. I mean Hosea even prophesied about it Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”

Hosea’s faith was not that God would simply ignore his sin but that he would deal with is once and for all by sending his perfect Son to live a perfect life and die in the place for all those who believe. He rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven where he is now, awaiting the moment that he comes back and gathers His people, punishes the rest and finalizes eternity.

The invitation Hosea gives was to Isreal but I believe extends to you tonight - come return to God - he will heal you.

Press on to know Him - we all should be greatly motivated to Go and pursue Him.

You feel like your faith is plateud, spiritual life is dry? Here is your remedy - pursue Him in His word and in prayer - already do that? Do it longer? Enage your mind and heart intentionally when His word is preached.

God is infinite, we can never be done learning of Him -there is more to know and therfore more to love.

Lastly - leave your good works at the door. I love this verse and would be doing a diservice if I didnt highlight and conclude with it

Hosea 6:6 “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Really your love is all God wants from you. He doesn’t want you to say God I’ll give up everything, he wants you to give ONE thing, your heart. Your whole heart - not the cardio vascular system but the core and totlity of who you are. Giev it to Him.

He is not impressed or pleased with your good grades, deeds, looks, repuation - Isaiah 64:6 all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;

But come to him for forgiveness and you will be washed white as snow. Love God because he first loved you and press on to know Him more.

Pray