The charges against Israel… (3 things)

• 1^st – The accusation against Israel… vs. 1-19
  • 1^st – Hosea sets up a courtroom setting – God had a lawsuit to bring against Israel… vs. 1-5
    • The people had forgotten truth / mercy / and the knowledge of the Lord… vs. 1-2
      • The result was that the people began to break the 10 commandments of God…
      • They swore / lied / stole / killed / and committed adultery without restraint…
      • We live in a world that would love to question truth – there are no absolutes…
      • What is right for you / may not be what is right for me – everything is relative…
      • Event Pontius Pilate famously said to Jesus – What is Truth – John 18:38
      • But when truth is removed – there is no longer any guidelines by which to live…
      • When a nation refuses to allow a judge to hang the 10 commandments in his courtroom…
      • Who is to say steeling is wrong / why is it bad to lie / its not wrong to kill an unborn child…
      • Sin is allowed to run rampant – hearts are hardened by sin – and God is forgotten!
    • THEREFORE the Land will mourn… vs. 3
      • God would allow the people to waste away – even the animals / birds / fish would die off!
      • Likely speaking of a great drought in the Land – causing a devastating famine…
      • God is not mocked – whatever a nation sows it will also reap – Galatians 6:7
      • Whether it is hurricanes and floods / or droughts and famine…
      • It is appropriate we call them ‘natural disasters’ – and ‘Act of God’…
      • Because God uses natural disasters to get our attention – teach us a lesson!
    • NOW – do not point your finger (rebuke) at someone else… vs. 4-5
      • Rather than recognize it as the judgment of God – the people would blame each other…
      • They blame priests / follow false prophets – therefore God would destroy Israel (mother)!
      • Times have not changed – today we blame ‘Global warming’ for Acts of God!
      • When the consequences of our sin find us – we often look to blame others…
      • Because it is far easier to see the faults in others – then to look at our own shortcomings…
      • If the problem is with others – than we do not have to change / repent…
      • But until we admit we are the problem – there is nothing God can do to save us!
  • 2^nd – Charge against the priests… vs. 6-11
    • The people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… vs. 6
      • But it is not that knowledge of the Lord is hidden – the priests refuse to teach it!
      • As a result the people forgot the law of God – so God would reject the priests!
      • Too many pastors today spend too little time expounding / teaching the Word…
      • Instead they tell funny stories to entertain – sprinkled with the occasional Bible verse!
      • But it is not our words / or funny stories – people need to hear…
      • They need to know about the dangers of hell – and the reward of heaven…
      • About the coming judgment of God – and the amazing hope of Jesus!
      • But they do not know these things – because they do not know the Word!
      • And the ones who should be teaching them – the pastors – do not…
      • The biggest problem in the church today – there is a famine in the Land!
      • Amos 8:11 – “Not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
    • The more the priests increased – the more they sinned against the Lord… vs. 7-11
      • When people sinned they brought offerings the priest ate – so the priest liked people to sin!
        • Like priests – like people – since the priests were wicked the people were wicked too!
        • “Alcohol and prostitution have robbed my people of their brains.” – Hosea 4:11 (NLT)
        • The priest were the representation of God to the people…
        • So it was incredibly important that obey all laws of God – regard Him as Holy…
        • If they did things God did not command them to do – they misrepresented God…
        • If the priests were mad at the people – Israel would assume God was mad at them…
        • If the priests told Israel to jump on one foot – they would assume it was from God…
        • Whatever the priests said or did – was a pattern for Israel to follow after!
        • A heavy responsibility – with stern consequences for misrepresenting the Lord!
      • Which is why God would severely judge the priests!
        • They would eat – but still be hungry / commit harlotry – but not increase!
        • Because a bad example kept people from God – Hophi and Phinehas – I Samuel 2:12-17
        • They took the best of the meat of the sacrifices (steal) from the people…
        • They had affairs with the women who came to worship – I Samuel 2:22
        • They were such poor representatives of God – the people hated coming to God!
        • When pastors start to follow the example of the world – rather than teach the Word…
        • They begin to misrepresent God – give a false impression of what God is like…
        • It is no wonder people are not that interested in getting to know Jesus!
        • And God will judge these leaders for their misrepresentation!
        • James 3:1 – “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”
  • 3^rd – Foolishness of idol worship… vs. 12-19
    • It was common practice to use a staff to divine the will of the gods… vs. 12
      • The would throw a rod stripped of its bark on one side onto the ground…
      • If the bare side turned up – the answer was yet / if the bark side turned up – no…
      • They had to ask a wooden stick for help – because they had deserted God!
      • Isaiah 44:19-20 – “The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, ‘Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to… roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?’”
      • We might think – well that is silly – of course carved idols cannot help us…
      • I do not think any of us plan on running home and bowing before some statue…
      • But we often forget what our money is made of – paper is a wood product…
      • Too often we look to old George ($10) / Abe ($5) / or even the revered Benjamin ($100)….
      • And we think they can help – they can save us – some piece of wood we shaped!
      • If we are trusting in idols then we are no longer looking or listening to God…
      • Where God has the power to help us / save us – idols can do nothing…
      • The sad thing is we run to money (wooden idols) – because we have forgotten about God!
    • Israel practiced spiritual harlotry – burning incense on the mountaintops… vs. 13-14
      • The result was their women were harlots – their wives adulteresses…
      • Yet God did not punish the women – because the men were just as bad…
      • Those who do not understand – will be trampled by their sin!
      • People did not make the connection – their spiritual adultery led to real adultery!
      • Their marriages were falling apart – because they had forgotten about the Lord!
    • God warned Judah to be careful not to follow the example of Israel… vs. 15-19
      • Do not go to Gilgal – where Israel first entered the Promised Land – Joshua 5:10-15
        • But was now a place wholly given over to idolatry – Judges 3:19
        • Or go to Beth-Aven – house of vanity / what used to be the Beth-el – the house of God…
        • The location of one of the golden calves set up by Jeroboam – I Kings 12:28-29
        • Israel had become stubborn – just like the calves that they worshiped!
        • So God would make them forage like a helpless lamb in a broad field (easy prey)…
        • Leave Ephraim (Israel) alone – because she has joined himself to his idols…
        • She drank rebellion / committed constant harlotry – and her rulers love it!
        • The wind would wrap her up in its wings – carry her off – Assyrian captivity!
• In Numbers 16 – Korah challenged the authority of Moses…

• In response Moses warned all the people to step away from Korah…
• Moses told them – if he were not chosen then Korah would die as an old man…
• But if he were chosen – the earth would open and swallow Korah alive…

• Moses hardly finished speaking – the earth opened and swallowed him up!
• And all those who stood with Korah – were swallowed as well!
• Be careful who you stand with – you will become like them – and share their fate…
• We are foolish if we think the people around us will not affect us…
• One of the greatest keys to a Godly life – it being surrounded by Godly friends!
• I Corinthians 15:33 – “…bad company corrupts good character.”

• 2^nd – The JUDGEMENT of Israel… vs. 1-15
  • 1^st – Nothing is hidden from the Lord… vs. 1-7
    • God uses the illustration of a hunt to describe the sin of the leaders of Israel… vs. 1-3
      • All the priest / leaders / even the king – were involved in the slaughter!
      • Judgment was theirs because they had set a ‘snare’ in Mizpah – spread a ‘net’ in Tabor…
      • They had dug a deep pit in Acacia (slaughter) – places where they set up idols!
      • All meant to lead the people of Israel into sin – and God was going to replay them for it…
      • God saw it all – the sin of Israel was not hidden – the harlotry of Ephraim!
      • Interesting God calls out Ephraim as being especially bad among the 10 tribes…
      • They are one of two tribes not mentioned in the 144,000 – Revelation 7:4-8
      • Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. The God to whom we must explain all that we have done.”
        
      • People think that no one sees the sin in their lives – no one knows what they did…
      • But Every action / every word / every thought is open and seen by the Lord…
      • And for every action/word/thought – we will one day be judged for!
      • Unless we receive the forgiveness of Jesus – unless we have a relationship with Him!
    • The deeds of Israel kept them from coming back to God… vs. 4-7
      • They were a prostitute through and through – they COULD NOT know the Lord…
      • Pride was their response – therefore they will stumble / and Judah will stumble with them!
      • And when they come with their flocks to sacrifice to the Lord – it will be too late…
      • They will be alone – because they betrayed the Lord – raised pagan children…
      • Now a new moon (month) will devour them – speaking of the short time they had left!
      • What keeps people from seeing that Jesus is the answer to their lives…
      • It is not that they cannot find Jesus – or that the Gospel is difficult to understand…
      • Men stay away from Jesus because they LOVE (agape) their sin – John 3:19

• And because men LOVE sin they CANNOT come to the light…
• They think that they will have to give up the ‘wonderful’ sin in their life…
• In pride they would rather have their sin – than eternal life with God in Heaven!
• 2^nd – The fall of Israel… vs. 8-15
  • Blow the shofar in Gibeah / the trumpet in Ramah / cry out in Beth-Aven…
    • Because the enemy was upon them – the time of their judgment had come…
    • God gave His guarantee (I will make it sure) – Ephraim (Israel) will be desolate!
    • To the princes of Judah who move landmarks (moral boundaries) – wrath like a waterfall!
    • Ephraim (Israel) will be broken – cause they were content to listen to the command of men!
    • God will be like a moth to Israel / and rottenness to Judah – He will consume them…
    • They will run to Assyria for help – to king of strife (Jareb) – but he will not be able to help…
    • Israel did attempt to seek the help of Assyria on several occasions – II Kings 15:9 / 17:3
    • But God would be like a lion – tearing Israel and Judah – dragging them away…
    • Then God would wait till they admitted their sin – in their affliction they would seek Him!
  • Amazing that even when things began to unravel – Israel went to the world rather than God…
    • Jude 1:12 – “They are clouds without water…”
    • The world is full of the promise of wonderful things – but they are empty promises…
    • The promise if we get a good education / good job – we will find happiness…
    • The promise if we have enough money – we will have no more worries…
    • But what the world does not tell you – only in Jesus are promises Yes and Amen!
      
• 3^rd – The restoration of Israel… vs. 1-11
  • 1^st – On the 3^rd day… vs. 1-3
    • Come and let us turn to the Lord – He has torn but will heal / He has injured but will bind…
      • Hosea speaks of a day when Israel and Judah will finally see Jesus is the answer…
      • They will recognize that God punished them because of their sin…
      • But that God is also willing to heal them – bind up their wounds – forgive them!
    • After 2 days God will revive Israel – on the 3^rd day He will raise them up…
      • There is some speculation on the meaning of this verse – some say it refers to Jesus…
      • How He rose on the 3^rd day – and through His death and sacrifice we are forgiven
      • The problem is the prophet is speaking of Israel – they would be reborn after 2 days…
      • And on the 3^rd day they would be lifted up so they could live in the sight of God!
      • In II Peter 3:8 – we are told that a day to the Lord is like 1000 years…
      • The nation of Israel was destroyed in 70 A.D. – the destruction of the Temple…
      • For 2000 years (2 days) they were lost – until the nation was reborn on May 14, 1948…
      • When Jesus returns Israel will be lifted up to live in the sight of God for 1000 years (1 day)!
      • This likely speaks of the ultimate restoration of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom!
    • THEREFORE – let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord…
      • Because His going forth (decisions) is as certain as the rising of the sun!
      • His grace is like the former / later rains – that give new life to those who are dead!
      • God has established His plan for the world – and nothing will change it – Matthew 5:18
      • He will come to judge the nations – and every knee will bow – Philippians 2:10
      • There are only two kinds of people when it comes to God…
      • Sinner who have received the free gift of salvation in Jesus – and sinners who have not…
      • Therefore lets pursue the Lord now – receive His grace and be healed!
      • Hebrews 10:31 – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…”
  • 2^nd – Mercy not sacrifice… vs. 4-11
    • What was the Lord to do with rebellious Ephraim (Israel) / Judah…
      • Their faithfulness was like the morning dew – it only lasted for a brief moment…
      • God sent the prophets – cut them with His Word – sent His light to judge them…
      • Trying to show them He wanted mercy / not sacrifices – empty vain religious rituals!
      • In Matthew 12 – the Pharisees rebuked Jesus disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath…
      • Jesus responded to them by quoting this verse – God is not concerned about rituals…
      • God is looking for good fruit – the evidence of a heart that is devoted to Him!
    • But like Adam (men) Israel broke the covenant…
      • The people of Gilead are sinners covered in the blood of their victims…
      • Priest act like robbers – lying in wait to murder those coming to Shechem (city of refuge)…
      • God had seen a horrible thing in Israel – the people of God would be scatted – Diaspora!
      • And Judah also would be harvested (taken captive) – though God would return them!
      • God sets the choice before every man – follow Adam / or follow Christ – Romans 5:14
      • We get to choose which we want – do we want judgment or forgiveness…
      • God did not make salvation hard – He wants everyone to be saved – II Peter 3:9
      • But at the same time – it is our choice – heaven or hell / life or death…
      • God will not make us go to heaven – He provides the way for those who believe!