Download Study Materials

Rebellion of Israel… (3 things)

  • 1st – 5 illustrations of rebellion… vs. 1-16
    • The great wickedness of Israel… vs. 1-3
      • God wanted to heal Israel – but her wounds (sins) were far too great… 
      • The nation was filled with liars (kings) / bandits (Assyria) / and thieves (princes)…
      • They lived life is as if the they did not realize that God is watching them…
      • And the sin of the people was the pride of their leaders – Kings / Princes!
      • God gave Hosea 5 illustrations to help describe the dire state of the people of Israel!
    • 1st – Israel is like an oven heated by a baker… vs. 4-7
      • A baker would start a fire in the oven to prepare it to bake…
        • While the fire was kindling – he would put yeast in the dough – warmed by the new fire…
        • He would then wait till the fire was roaring – and the dough filled with leaven!
        • Leaven is a micro-organism – plant – begins to decay when it touches flour…
        • The gas given off by the process causes bread to puff up and rise…
        • A little leaven is all that is needed to saturate a whole batch of bread dough!
        • Often used in the Bible as a picture of sin – imitating the ability to spread and infect others…
        • Brining moral decay – and causing men to be puffed up with pride!
        • I Corinthians 5:6 – “A little leaven leavens the whole lump?”
      • In the same way Israel had kindled a fire of rebellion against the Lord…
        • Jeroboam had created the Golden Calves – planted leaven in the people of Israel…
        • And over the years it had grown – spread – and had completely filled the Land!
        • Now on the feast days (Passover) the leaders made drunken fools of themselves!
        • They lie in wait – like the bakers oven – then unleash their evil plans…
        • They devour judges (truth) – killed their kings – Zechariah / Shallum / Pekahiah / Pekah!
        • Yet none of the people call upon the Lord – cried out to Him for help!
        • In 1917 a man named Lenin promised the poor and abused of Russia equality…
        • It seemed like a dream come true – the wealth of the rich given to the poor…
        • But the government was based on Marxism – a blend of atheism and humanism!
        • What Russia ended up with was a murdering tyrant who terrorized them for years…
        • The successor of Lenin – Joseph Stalin – starved and killed 20 million Russians!
        • Proverbs 29:2 – “When a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
        • When a nation chooses to follow a system that removes God from the equation…
        • They are doomed to suffer at the hand of that very system!
        • A lot of people like to blame the politicians – but they are just a reflection of the people…
        • When we trust in things other than the Lord to save us – it will always fail!
    • 2nd – Israel was a ½ baked cake… vs. 8
      • Israel (Ephraim) had mixed with pagan nations – they had become a blended faith…
      • They were good for nothing because they tried to follow God – and also live for the world!
      • I have met so many believers who are miserable – there is no joy in their lives…
      • The problem is they think the world has something to offer them…
      • But they have too much love for the world – to be happy in the Lord…
      • Every time they try to ‘have fun’ the Holy Spirit is there to convict them!
      • They are also not happy in the world – because they know too much about the Lord…
      • They are miserable wherever they are – they are ½ baked – because they are divided!
      • Luke 16:13 – “No one can serve two masters. You will hate one and love the other…”
    • 3rd – Israel was like a foolish old man… vs. 9-10
      • The influence of pagan nations had sapped all their strength – but they did not know it…
      • They were like an old grey haired man – who still thinks he still has many years left!
      • His pride testifies against him – he does not know he needs to get his life right with God!
      • So many people today are obsessed with staying young – defying age…
      • But aging is part of the plan of God – it is an act of Grace on His part!
      • If you never aged – just one day died – there would be no warning to prepare…
      • Aging is God’s way of telling saying ‘you have an expiration date’…
      • You are going to see Jesus soon – and God is telling us we need to get ready!
    • 4th – Israel was like a silly dove… vs. 11-15
      • They called out to Egypt and Assyria for help – flying from one to the other…
        • Egypt and Assyria were the 2 great powers of the day – warring against one another…
        • Israel would flutter from one side to the other trying to gain favor…
        • Yet God would cast His net over Israel wherever they went – punish them for their sins…
        • Because although God wanted to redeem Israel – they deserted Him / lied about Him…
        • They cried out to foreign gods to provide their grain and wine…
      • God trained and made Israel strong – yet now they only plotted evil against the Lord!
        • Sin is devastating – if we refuse to repent of our sin – it will harden our hearts…
        • That does not mean God does not keep fighting for us – but there will come a point…
        • When we continually choose sin – hardening our heart towards God…
        • God will give us what we want – He will give us over to our sin!
        • Genesis 6:1 – “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever…”
    • 5th – Israel was like a crooked bow… vs. 16
      • Israel looked for help everywhere – except to the Lord!
      • Therefore they would be like a crooked bow – that ALWAYS misses its mark…
      • All of their leaders would perish in battle – because they boasted Egypt would save them…
      • Egypt would mock Israel (not help) – as they were conquered by Assyria!
      • Satan would love nothing more than to get us looking to anyone BUT Jesus…
      • He lies and tells us sin is fun – just give it a try – gets us hooked like a drug dealer…
      • Then he lies once we have sinned – mocks us – tell us we cannot go back to God!
      • Nothing the devil says is true – everything that comes from him is a lie – John 8:44
  • 2nd – The 2 consiquences of rebellion… vs. 1-14
    • 1st – Reap what was sown… vs. 1-7
      • Sound the shofar – the enemy (Assyria) is coming like an eagle… vs. 1-3
        • Because Israel had rebelled against the covenant  / broken the Law of God… 
        • And even if Israel finally cried out – ‘You are our God’ – it was too late…
        • They had rejected what is good – and now their enemies would chase them!
        • It is never to late to cry out to God – His Grace always stands ready to save – Romans 5:20
        • The dilemma for Israel was they cried out for help – but still rebelled against the Lord…
        • God is not looking remorse – He is looking for humility and obedience to His Word!
        • Psalm 51:17 – “A broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise.”
      • Israel was a nation led by counterfeits… vs. 4-6
        • They set up kings that God had not anointed / rulers that God did not recognize…
        • They made gods out of gold and silver – they was the source of their destruction…
        • God had rejected the golden calves – how much longer would they worship them!
        • They had made the calves – not God – but God would grind them into dust!
      • They had sown to the wind – and now they were going to reap the whirlwind… vs. 7
        • A famous idiom even in secular society – denoting what you plant / you reap!
        • In a famous speech on modern permissive society Norman Tebbit (England) quoted:
        • When violence and soft pornography become accepted in the media….
        • When there was neither right nor wrong – no basis for punishment or reward…. 
        • Good becomes no better than bad – criminals deserve as much sympathy as victims!
        • Thus we have sown to the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind!
        • A great spiritual truth – we will reap what we sow in our life – Galatians 6:7
        • We live in a nation that is on a moral free fall – because we have sown to the wind…
        • It began by denying the Creator – bringing evolution into schools – Scopes Monkey trial…
        • Then in 1962 – the Supreme Court ruled that prayers was to be removed from schools…
        • In 1963 – that same court ruled the Bible also had no right to be in public schools…
        • The result has been dramatic increase in sexual promiscuity / abortions / divorce
        • Violence in schools – because kids are taught there is no God – no consequence…
        • We live in a nation we hardly recognize – because we have sown the wind!
    • 2nd – Israel forgot their maker… vs. 8-14
      • Israel had been swallowed up – they are living like the gentiles… vs. 8-10
        • They are like an old moldy pot – which no one wants to use (Assyria despised them)…
        • They are like a wild donkey – that stubbornly insists on getting its own way…
        • So God would gather Assyria against them – put them under the burden of their king!
      • Israel built alters to the gods to take away their sin – but instead led them into sin… vs. 11-13
        • Israel tried to find their own way to deal with the problem of sin…
        • In doing so they ignored the laws God gave them – acted as if they did not apply …
        • So when they did offer sacrifices to the Lord – God would no longer accept them…
        • Therefore God would remember their sin – and punish them for their iniquity!
        • Even today the Jews have come up with a ‘solution’ for sin apart from the Word of God…
        • God writes a mans fate for the coming year into the ‘Book of Life’ on Rosh Hashanah…
        • But He waits until Yom Kippur to ‘seal’ the verdict – good or bad… 
        • During the Days of Awe – the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur…
        • A Jew tries to do good works and seek forgiveness for wrongs has done… 
        • At the end of Yom Kippur – ‘you’ can consider ‘yourself’ absolved by God!
        • It might help to ease your conscience – but it does nothing to take away sin!
      • The people of God had forgotten the Lord… vs. 14
        • Israel built temples to false gods – trusting in religion to save them…
        • Judah built fortified cities – trusting in military power of to save them…
        • But God would send down fire on their temples and cities – devouring them!
        • Sennacherib burned all the fenced cities of Judah except Jerusalem – II Kings 18:13
  • 3rd – The 3 punishments for rebellion… vs. 1-17
    • 1st – The promise of defeat … vs. 1-6
      • God told Israel not to rejoice like other people at harvest time… vs. 1
        • At harvest time it was commonplace to rejoice and give thanks for what God provided…
        • But although Israel gave thanks – they did so to every other god BUT the Lord!
        • They were like a prostitute who would ‘hire’ herself to anyone who gave her grain!
      • Therefore God would stop blessing the harvest of Israel – they would not have enough to eat!
        • So they would be unable to stay in the Land – taken in bondage (Egypt) to Assyria…
        • All of their drink offerings would stop – God would no longer accept their sacrifices…
        • They would be forced to eat unclean food – all who eat it will be defiled…
        • It will be able to keep them alive – but it will also keep them from coming before the Lord!
        • People who only think about their physical needs – what to eat / what to wear…
        • End up in bondage to the things of this world – unable to please God – Romans 8:8
      • Even if they escaped Assyria by running to Egypt – they would die there…
        • All their treasured houses – silver and gold – would be overrun by weeds and thorns!
        • Luke 8:14 – “The seeds that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life…”
        • IF – this life was all there was – IF we did not have to think about eternity…
        • Who would not choose to have fabulous wealth if given the choice…
        • But life is not about how much money we have – or how much stuff we can buy…
        • Life is a gift – with only one purpose – it gives us the opportunity to make a choice…
        • Where will we go when our time here on earth is up – where will we spend eternity!
        • Sadly many choose to ‘enjoy’ the couple years of riches this life offers to us…
        • Rather than invest in the eternity of riches God has prepared for us in heaven…
        • But nothing this world can offer is worth an eternity separated from God!
        • Matthew 16:26 – “What profit is it if a man gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
    • 2nd – The rejection of Godly counsel… vs. 7-10
      • The time of Israel’s punishment had come – the day of payment was almost here… vs. 7-8
        • Israel mocked the prophets God sent – like Hosea – calling them fools…
        • The man who had the Spirit (ruwach) of God in him – would be called insane…
        • Because the nation was burdened with sin – and showed only hatred for God!
        • Yet the prophets were called to be watchmen for Israel – but the people despised them!
        • We know the time of punishment is coming – the day of payment is almost here…
        • And if we stand up and warn people they will call us foods / insane…
        • But if we are not willing to stand up and warn people – who will…
        • God holds us accountable if we do not tell them about the danger of sin – Ezekiel 33:8
      • Israel had not changed…
        • They are still deeply corrupted – as they were in the days of Gibeah – Judges 19
        • When the men of the city demanded to rape a Levite man passing through town… 
        • Only to end up molesting his concubine do death – cut into 12 pieces sent to the 12 tribes!
        • Like the were when they separated themselves to Baal-Peor…
        • Where Balaam encouraged Balak king of Moab to seduce the men of Israel – Numbers 25
        • Part of the pagan worship of Baal-Peor (Chemosh) – the god of Moab – was sensual…
        • The women enticed the men of Israel to worship their god through seduction!
        • Now For all the work the prophets had done – Israel had not changed one bit!
        • Sharing the Gospel message is no guarantee of change – people still have a choice to make…
        • But if we do not share then for certain people will not change!
    • 3rd – Homeless among the nations… vs. 11-17
      • Therefore the glory of Israel (Ephraim) would fly away…
        • They would no longer bear any children – those that are born would be taken away…
        • God would give them miscarriages – he would give them dry breasts…
        • Because their wickedness began at Gilgal – where they demanded a king – I Samuel 11:14
        • They did not want God to rule over them – so God would drive them from His house…
      • God would cast them away – and let them wander among the nations!
        • Romans 6:16 – “Whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?”
        • In life we are going to be a servant to someone – the question is who…
        • We can choose to trust in this world – and we become a slave to this world…
        • If we run to the world for answers to problems – we are limited to their solutions…
        • But if we choose to trust in Jesus – He can set us free to be all God intends us to be!
        • John 8:36  – “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *