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The charges against Israel… (3 things)

  • 1st – The accusation against Israel… vs. 1-19
    • 1st – 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!
    • 2nd – 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.”
    • 3rd – 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.”
  • 2nd – The JUDGEMENT of Israel… vs. 1-15
    • 1st – 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!
  • 2nd – 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!
  • 3rd – The restoration of Israel… vs. 1-11
    • 1st – On the 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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…”
    • 2nd – 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!


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