WEBVTT 00:00:04.067 --> 00:00:04.990 Hello church family. 00:00:04.990 --> 00:00:06.293 It's nice to see you guys. 00:00:06.293 --> 00:00:10.143 Hello, it's always funny. 00:00:10.143 --> 00:00:18.771 You know, every time I get to preach to a lot of people, I'm reminded of my preaching experience with the homeless people in the past. 00:00:18.771 --> 00:00:19.832 I don't know if you guys remember. 00:00:19.832 --> 00:00:27.074 We used to have a ministry to the homeless in the Macaulay Mission, and so these guys were like a captive audience. 00:00:27.074 --> 00:00:38.953 So these men were waiting for us, they were about to eat and all of them got a coin so that they could give the coin and they would get food. 00:00:38.953 --> 00:00:56.194 But they had to listen to the sermon first and after a while I didn't know I was preaching that long, but you hear like drops of the coin Ding, and that's when I knew I had to stop, goodness dear. 00:00:56.194 --> 00:01:01.868 So I know that Carol was going to pass out coins, but I don't want you guys to do that. 00:01:01.868 --> 00:01:11.989 First I want to thank Pastor Doug and Pastor Micah for giving me this opportunity to speak tonight. 00:01:11.989 --> 00:01:15.388 I just want to cite the resources I use. 00:01:15.388 --> 00:01:29.225 I use John MacArthur's and famous preachers like Tim Keller and also Doug McMaster's, and so if I sound like a Filipino, doug, you'll know where that's coming from. 00:01:29.287 --> 00:01:35.722 Okay, so we're going through the book of Hosea In the Old Testament. 00:01:35.722 --> 00:01:38.171 It's after Daniel, before Joel. 00:01:38.171 --> 00:01:53.781 If you guys want to turn to that, so Hosea, that so Hosea. 00:01:53.781 --> 00:01:54.724 The title of the book is the book of Hosea. 00:01:54.724 --> 00:01:56.328 The title is derived from the main character and author of the book. 00:01:56.328 --> 00:02:04.811 The meaning of his name is salvation, similar to that of Joshua and Jesus, which means God saves. 00:02:04.811 --> 00:02:13.044 So Hosea is the first of the 12 minor prophets. 00:02:13.044 --> 00:02:16.950 Minor because it's not like the minor versus the major league. 00:02:16.950 --> 00:02:27.890 It's minor because of the brevity, the prophecies, compared to Isaiah and Ezekiel and other Jeremiah and other prophets. 00:02:27.890 --> 00:02:35.854 So let's just read Hosea, chapter 1, verse 1. 00:02:37.942 --> 00:02:54.413 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, son of Beeri, during the reigns of Uzziah, jotham, ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam, son of Johash, king of Israel. 00:02:54.413 --> 00:02:57.086 So let's stop there. 00:02:57.086 --> 00:03:08.507 Hosea was a prophet called by God, was a prophet called by God and he was actually at the time. 00:03:08.507 --> 00:03:12.433 It was like the 8th century, late 8th century, that he preached. 00:03:12.433 --> 00:03:28.344 And not much is known about Hosea except in this book that we have, and Hosea 1-1 marks out the time period of his ministry. 00:03:28.344 --> 00:03:44.280 They gave the list of the southern kings, the Judean kings, and then they also mentioned Jeroboam II, son of Jehoash, king of Israel. 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:56.100 Hosea primarily preached to the northern kingdom and he was a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah, who also preached about the northern kingdom, but primarily in the southern kingdom. 00:03:57.383 --> 00:04:07.617 I wanted to talk a little bit about the division of Israel, why there's a northern kingdom versus a southern kingdom. 00:04:07.617 --> 00:04:15.317 Okay, because that's really important as far as understanding the history of what took place regarding Israel. 00:04:15.317 --> 00:04:25.211 So the division of Israel into the northern kingdom, which is called Israel, and the southern kingdom, which is called Judah, was a very significant event in the Old Testament. 00:04:25.211 --> 00:04:31.572 The split occurred around the 10th century BC, following the reign of King Solomon. 00:04:31.572 --> 00:04:46.192 After Solomon's death, his son, rehoboam, became king and, however, his harsh policies and refusal to lighten the heavy burdens imposed by his father led to widespread discontent. 00:04:46.192 --> 00:05:06.704 Jeroboam I, a former servant of Solomon, led a rebellion against Rehoboam and the ten northern tribes of Israel supported Jeroboam and declared him king, forming the northern kingdom of Israel of to Ephraim, as we will see. 00:05:06.704 --> 00:05:41.949 So the ten northern tribes of Israel supported Jeroboam and declared him king, forming the northern kingdom, and the southern kingdom known as Judah, including the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with its capital in Jerusalem, became the southern kingdom, also known as Judah, judah. 00:05:41.949 --> 00:05:53.437 The split was seen as a fulfillment of a prophecy given by the prophet Ahijah, who had foretold that the kingdom would be divided due to Solomon's sins and idolatry. 00:05:53.437 --> 00:06:04.872 The division also had lasting impacts, leading to a separate political, religious and cultural developments in the two kingdoms. 00:06:04.872 --> 00:06:09.024 So the book of Hosea is again the sole source of information about the author. 00:06:09.105 --> 00:06:10.350 Little is known about Hosea. 00:06:10.350 --> 00:06:19.934 We know that he was probably a native of the northern kingdom, since he showed familiarity with the history and topography of the north. 00:06:19.934 --> 00:06:29.050 Hosea does address both Israel and Judah, but for the most part he focused on the northern kingdom. 00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:32.870 Amos preceded Hosea. 00:06:32.870 --> 00:06:42.591 He was a southern kingdom person from Judah, but he spoke against the north. 00:06:42.591 --> 00:06:52.028 So Hosea was more of a like, was within the northern kingdom and he specifically knew what was going on. 00:06:52.028 --> 00:06:53.946 He was there firsthand. 00:06:55.661 --> 00:07:02.805 Hosea, again, was a contemporary of Isaiah, of which we had a good talk this morning and it was really interesting. 00:07:02.805 --> 00:07:07.105 A lot of what Micah said this morning will be reiterated today. 00:07:07.105 --> 00:07:10.072 So sometimes, when there's coincidence, you wonder. 00:07:10.072 --> 00:07:29.297 You know God is definitely there, okay, so again, the references of Hosea's ministry is also found in 2 Kings 14-20 and 2 Chronicles 26-32. 00:07:29.297 --> 00:07:33.591 And it records the historical period of Hosea's ministry. 00:07:34.980 --> 00:07:43.836 Now again, hosea's ministry started around 755 BC. 00:07:43.836 --> 00:07:45.060 Bc to 710. 00:07:45.060 --> 00:07:48.848 So that's like around close to 40 years. 00:07:48.848 --> 00:08:17.091 You know, actually 45 years that he was prophesying and preaching in the Northern Kingdom and he experienced, under the leadership of Jeroboam, they were enjoying political peace and material prosperity, as well as undergoing moral corruption and spiritual bankruptcy. 00:08:17.091 --> 00:08:21.949 And then, after Jeroboam's death, that this is Jeroboam II. 00:08:21.949 --> 00:08:35.227 After his death in 753 BC, there was great upheaval in the kingdom, anarchy prevailed and Israel declined rapidly. 00:08:35.227 --> 00:08:43.285 After over 30 years, four of Israel's six kings were assassinated by their successors. 00:08:43.285 --> 00:08:53.211 The nation's rebellion against Assyria led to the end of the northern kingdom around 732 to 722 BC. 00:08:53.211 --> 00:08:59.732 Yet God did leave a remnant, who were the Samaritans of Jesus' day. 00:08:59.732 --> 00:09:10.907 So Hosea prophesied about Israel's moral waywardness and her breach of the covenantal relationship with the Lord, announcing that judgment was imminent. 00:09:12.221 --> 00:09:17.268 In the book, hosea penned God's judgment against Israel because of its spiritual apostasy. 00:09:17.268 --> 00:09:24.369 There was robbery, drunkenness, adultery, murder, and the people were worshiping the Baals. 00:09:24.369 --> 00:09:28.028 The Baal simply means Lord. 00:09:28.028 --> 00:09:29.846 That name, baal, means Lord. 00:09:29.846 --> 00:09:33.649 Baal had many different manifestations. 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:36.207 Primarily, he was the Lord of fertility. 00:09:36.207 --> 00:09:40.570 He was the Lord of the wind, the cloud, the earth. 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:57.246 People participated in fertility cults, open sexual acts with prostitutes on top of the earth. 00:09:57.246 --> 00:10:04.774 People participated in fertility cults, open sexual acts with prostitutes on top of the hills and, as Micah cited's, crazy. 00:10:04.774 --> 00:10:11.783 So along with that, they would erect images of a golden calf. 00:10:11.783 --> 00:10:15.912 They were called the calf of Samaria. 00:10:15.912 --> 00:10:27.445 And in all this they were still thinking that they were right with God, that they were worshiping this way, but they were still faithful to Jehovah, our creator. 00:10:28.648 --> 00:10:36.971 Let's turn first to Hosea 8, 8, verse, 2 through 9. 00:10:36.971 --> 00:10:40.779 Hosea 8, 2 through 9. 00:10:40.779 --> 00:10:44.083 2 through 9. 00:10:44.104 --> 00:10:54.416 I remember, you know, I came from a Catholic background, and I asked my friends who were, you know, strong Christians. 00:10:54.416 --> 00:11:02.480 I told them, can I just stay in the church and worship God that way and still be a Christian? 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:20.674 But, as you know, coming from the Catholic background, they also had worshiping of saints, you know, worshiping statues, and they said, basically, god doesn't want that type of mixture in his devotion to him. 00:11:20.674 --> 00:11:22.606 It should be sincere and pure and scriptural. 00:11:22.606 --> 00:11:34.168 And so, thank God, they told me that, because I was going to remain in the Catholic Church and God really wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth, and it's got to be according to God's word. 00:11:34.168 --> 00:11:38.230 It can't be mixed with any other gods. 00:11:38.230 --> 00:11:51.835 And so I wonder if Israel was thinking the same thing, that they could worship God by worshiping other forms of God. 00:11:51.835 --> 00:11:53.988 And that's not true, right? 00:11:53.988 --> 00:11:55.400 So? 00:11:55.400 --> 00:11:59.192 Isaiah 8, verse 2 through 9. 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:03.549 Israel cries out to me my God, we know you. 00:12:03.549 --> 00:12:06.385 Israel has rejected what is good. 00:12:06.385 --> 00:12:08.546 An enemy will pursue him. 00:12:08.546 --> 00:12:12.249 They have installed kings, but not through me. 00:12:12.249 --> 00:12:16.149 They have appointed leaders, but without my approval. 00:12:16.149 --> 00:12:22.792 They make their silver and gold into idols for themselves, for their own destruction. 00:12:22.792 --> 00:12:27.451 Your calf idol is rejected, samaria. 00:12:27.451 --> 00:12:30.105 My anger burns against them. 00:12:30.105 --> 00:12:32.892 How long will they be incapable of innocence? 00:12:32.892 --> 00:12:36.005 For this thing is from Israel. 00:12:36.005 --> 00:12:39.174 A craftsman made it, and it is not from God. 00:12:39.174 --> 00:12:42.563 The calf of Samaria will be smashed into bits. 00:12:42.563 --> 00:12:47.214 Indeed, they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. 00:12:47.214 --> 00:12:53.572 There is no standing grain that sprouts what sprouts fails to yield flower. 00:12:53.572 --> 00:12:57.211 Even if they did, foreigners would swallow it up. 00:12:57.211 --> 00:12:59.826 Israel is swallowed up. 00:12:59.826 --> 00:13:03.349 Now they are among the nations like discarded pottery. 00:13:03.349 --> 00:13:08.390 They have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey going off on its own. 00:13:08.390 --> 00:13:11.047 Ephraim has paid for love. 00:13:11.047 --> 00:13:28.904 So not only were they in sin by worshiping the Baals and idols, they were also trusting in other nations to protect them and to provide for them, when all along. 00:13:28.904 --> 00:13:37.191 God had been the one providing so in the midst of Israel's unfaithfulness. 00:13:38.274 --> 00:13:43.068 Yet a major theme of the book is actually also God's immeasurable love. 00:13:43.068 --> 00:13:52.470 God gives Hosea a message which would really hit him in the gut, just as God would want us to experience his anguish. 00:13:52.470 --> 00:14:05.971 Surprisingly, one of the commentaries mentioned Hosea as like the Gospel of John in the Old Testament, because it does talk about the unconditional, immeasurable love of God. 00:14:05.971 --> 00:14:16.607 Okay, so the Lord's true love for his people is unending and will tolerate no rival. 00:14:16.607 --> 00:14:22.110 The love of God towards his people is full of passionate emotions. 00:14:22.110 --> 00:14:26.306 God's love is a consuming fire. 00:14:26.306 --> 00:14:28.091 He's a jealous God. 00:14:28.091 --> 00:14:29.240 He's jealous for you and me. 00:14:30.143 --> 00:14:43.620 I think about in 2 Corinthians 11, where Paul said that he was afraid for the Corinthians because, like Eve, they would be deceived by the serpent. 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:53.403 Like Eve, they would be deceived by the serpent, and how Paul wanted to protect the church from heresies. 00:14:53.403 --> 00:15:10.144 He really had a jealous love that we continue in the sincere and pure devotion regarding Christ, that we would not be led to legalism or some form of idolatry. 00:15:10.144 --> 00:15:12.591 And it's very subtle, you know it's very subtle. 00:15:12.591 --> 00:15:21.759 I told someone recently that our default as human beings is to be legalistic. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:26.224 I used to think if I didn't do my daily readings of God's word, that I wasn't right with God. 00:15:26.224 --> 00:15:36.205 You know, I used to think that if I maybe gave more to the church, maybe God would, you know, bless me. 00:15:36.205 --> 00:15:47.155 So it's almost like, you know, it's what I can do, it's not what God has done. 00:15:47.155 --> 00:15:48.240 Resting on what God has done. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:58.554 So, going back to Hosea, let's read. 00:15:58.654 --> 00:15:59.479 Well, talking about God's love. 00:15:59.479 --> 00:16:00.746 Again, you know this is our base need as human beings. 00:16:00.746 --> 00:16:02.399 You know the love of God and we don't even know it. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:10.871 You know we look for love in so many different places the love of another person, their affection towards us. 00:16:10.871 --> 00:16:13.126 That used to mean the world to me. 00:16:13.126 --> 00:16:23.072 I was single for a long time, as you all know, and my emotional life would go up and down depending if I was accepted or not. 00:16:23.072 --> 00:16:34.875 But the love of God is what we need as human beings to be unconditionally loved and to be able to give love. 00:16:34.875 --> 00:16:36.921 That's what we were made to be. 00:16:36.921 --> 00:16:43.019 We were made in the image of God and God is this Trinity community of love. 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.937 That's primarily his attribute. 00:16:45.937 --> 00:16:49.634 God is love Because of the Trinity. 00:16:49.634 --> 00:16:52.902 I mean before we were even created, there was love. 00:16:52.902 --> 00:17:01.323 Now, when you consider other gods that are like monolithic, how can there be love? 00:17:01.323 --> 00:17:03.837 It's just them until they created man. 00:17:03.837 --> 00:17:08.798 But God is love. 00:17:08.798 --> 00:17:12.881 There was already love in existence before we were created. 00:17:12.881 --> 00:17:16.578 So let's read. 00:17:17.731 --> 00:17:21.460 I want us to hopefully get a feel for hosea tonight. 00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:29.759 I just want to read um, hosea chapter 1, then chapter 3 and chapter 11. 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:43.298 So, um, before we go there, I just want to say that you know, hosea um was a prophet called by god and and to be a prophet you were called to be a communicator of God's nature and character. 00:17:43.298 --> 00:17:57.303 And one would think that if you're going to be communicating God's nature and character, that you would have to be an upstanding individual, an example, you would need to be somewhat above reproach and blameless. 00:17:57.303 --> 00:18:03.212 And yet God tells Hosea to do something very radical as a prophet. 00:18:03.212 --> 00:18:10.285 And we're going to read in Hosea, chapter 1, verse 2 and 3. 00:18:10.285 --> 00:18:13.978 Hosea, chapter 1, verse 2 and 3. 00:18:13.978 --> 00:18:22.830 1, verse 2 and 3. 00:18:22.851 --> 00:18:32.814 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, he said this to him go and marry a woman of promiscuity and have children of promiscuity, for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord. 00:18:32.814 --> 00:18:41.665 So he went and married Gomer, daughter of Deblame, and she conceived and bore him a son. 00:18:41.665 --> 00:18:44.195 So let's stop there. 00:18:44.195 --> 00:18:50.782 So again, I'm sure Hosea was shocked to hear this. 00:18:50.782 --> 00:18:59.017 God would instruct him to marry a woman, a prostitute, a promiscuous woman, an experience with her domestic life. 00:18:59.017 --> 00:19:03.297 That would be an illustration of the sin and unfaithfulness of Israel. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:11.017 In wanting us to experience how he feels, god turns Hosea into a living parable. 00:19:11.017 --> 00:19:23.556 It was like God telling Hosea you and I are going to give our lives, resources, energy, emotions to someone who will continually reject us. 00:19:23.556 --> 00:19:27.003 Have you ever experienced unrequited love? 00:19:27.003 --> 00:19:29.612 A continual rejection? 00:19:29.612 --> 00:19:38.363 So this is what God is telling Hosea, what he is experiencing regarding Israel. 00:19:38.363 --> 00:19:42.771 There will be continual heartache, instability. 00:19:42.771 --> 00:19:46.660 We're dealing with someone who has displaced affections. 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:58.396 It's very heart-wrenching when you're with someone who doesn't feel the same way and it's not going to work out. 00:19:59.631 --> 00:20:02.681 I remember during a prayer meeting many years ago there was a brother. 00:20:02.681 --> 00:20:09.998 He was in the midst of separation and divorce and I really felt for him. 00:20:09.998 --> 00:20:15.122 He was pouring his heart out before the Lord. 00:20:15.122 --> 00:20:24.760 He was separated from his wife and they might get a divorce and it could just tell the turmoil. 00:20:24.760 --> 00:20:28.601 The heart was just so very sad. 00:20:28.601 --> 00:20:32.276 He was crying inside. 00:20:32.276 --> 00:20:33.118 It was anguish. 00:20:33.118 --> 00:20:41.200 He was so despondent and really I know most of us are comfortable. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.531 Thank God we're in stable relationships. 00:20:43.531 --> 00:20:47.681 But there's a lot of desperation in the world. 00:20:47.681 --> 00:20:48.743 There really is. 00:20:48.743 --> 00:20:58.221 There's a lot of anguish in relationships in the world, and so the story goes on. 00:20:59.502 --> 00:21:01.644 Hosea takes Gomer as a wife. 00:21:01.644 --> 00:21:10.280 Now she's again a wayward woman, okay, a slave to her passions, a woman of ill repute. 00:21:10.280 --> 00:21:18.041 She has and had been continually unfaithful to all her lovers, whether she was married to them or not. 00:21:18.041 --> 00:21:30.480 And not long after the marriage it seems from you know, read chapter 2 and 3 in Hosea that she immediately becomes unfaithful to Hosea. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:44.202 She bears him three children, and the last one may not even be his, because God names the child Lo-Ami, which means not mine. 00:21:44.202 --> 00:21:47.016 That's in chapter 1. 00:21:47.016 --> 00:21:49.635 But then it gets worse. 00:21:49.635 --> 00:21:57.678 She leaves him and lives with a man who abused her and doesn't even provide for her basic needs. 00:21:57.678 --> 00:22:01.829 And lives with a man who abused her and doesn't even provide for her basic needs. 00:22:01.829 --> 00:22:05.011 And behind the scenes Hosea provides for his wife. 00:22:05.011 --> 00:22:15.265 In chapter 2, verse 8, god said of Israel she does not recognize that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the fresh oil. 00:22:15.265 --> 00:22:21.414 I lavished silver and gold on her which she used for Baal. 00:22:21.454 --> 00:22:32.674 And finally we get to chapter 3, where we find Gomer being auctioned in a slave market. 00:22:32.674 --> 00:22:39.664 Okay, so again she leaves Hosea, probably gets into abusive relationships and now she's in the slave market. 00:22:39.664 --> 00:22:53.798 She was sold to be a slave and people are auctioning for her in Hosea, chapter 3. 00:22:53.798 --> 00:22:55.421 She was probably standing there in rags, maybe naked. 00:22:55.421 --> 00:22:57.746 The buyers probably wanted to see their merchandise. 00:22:57.746 --> 00:22:59.910 The buyers probably wanted to see their merchandise. 00:22:59.910 --> 00:23:05.863 So she is at the lowest point of her life where she felt most worthless and in despair as people bid for her. 00:23:05.863 --> 00:23:15.763 And then, to her amazement, she hears her husband's voice also bidding for her. 00:23:15.763 --> 00:23:21.723 Her husband's voice also bidding for her. 00:23:21.723 --> 00:23:23.267 Now let's see in chapter 3. 00:23:23.267 --> 00:23:28.484 Let's go to chapter 3. 00:23:28.484 --> 00:23:31.195 Let's read chapter 3 together. 00:23:31.195 --> 00:23:31.296 Okay? 00:23:31.317 --> 00:23:44.640 Then the Lord said to me Go again, show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:51.083 So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and nine bushels of barley. 00:23:51.083 --> 00:23:54.960 I said to her you are to live with me many days. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:24:12.980 You must not be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way towards you, for the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or household idols. 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:19.734 Afterward the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord, their God, and David, their king. 00:24:19.734 --> 00:24:37.259 So if you see that in verse 2 it said I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and 9 bushels of barley. 00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:49.232 I mean, they were bidding for her and you know, you could hear, probably, the crowd, you know 14 shekels. 00:24:49.273 --> 00:24:51.538 And then Hosea says 15 shekels with nine bushels of barley and he bought her. 00:24:51.538 --> 00:24:52.681 Did you know that? 00:24:52.681 --> 00:24:58.722 That, you know, intriguingly, equates to 30 pieces of silver, isn't that unique? 00:24:58.722 --> 00:25:01.589 He equates to 30 pieces of silver, isn't that unique? 00:25:01.589 --> 00:25:24.395 He bought her for 30 pieces of silver, which was the going price for a slave at that point, and barley was used as an offering of one accused, accused of adultery. 00:25:24.395 --> 00:25:25.419 In numbers, I don't know if you knew that. 00:25:25.419 --> 00:25:28.186 So this is like really symbolic of a lot of things in the old Testament. 00:25:28.186 --> 00:25:29.791 I don't know if Hosea knew these things. 00:25:29.791 --> 00:25:37.520 Um, so, in numbers 515, barley was used as an offering for adultery. 00:25:38.281 --> 00:25:41.526 So imagine what she was thinking. 00:25:41.526 --> 00:25:52.933 Imagine what she was thinking my husband is ransoming me again, but is he going to, you know, treat me as a slave now that I left him. 00:25:52.933 --> 00:25:55.458 Is he going to tyrannize me? 00:25:55.458 --> 00:26:00.191 But rather he takes her to a private place and speaks tenderly towards her. 00:26:00.191 --> 00:26:02.556 You must live with me many days. 00:26:02.556 --> 00:26:13.884 You must not be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you, saying I want you as my wife and I your husband. 00:26:13.884 --> 00:26:14.317 And then what does she do? 00:26:14.317 --> 00:26:16.544 And I your husband. 00:26:16.544 --> 00:26:20.959 And then what does she do? 00:26:20.959 --> 00:26:21.461 We don't know. 00:26:21.461 --> 00:26:26.643 The story ends there. 00:26:26.643 --> 00:26:30.935 The story about Jose and Gomer ends right there. 00:26:30.935 --> 00:26:34.042 We don't know if she was melted by his love, by his sacrifice. 00:26:34.042 --> 00:26:35.733 We don't know. 00:26:35.733 --> 00:26:36.537 Did she change? 00:26:36.537 --> 00:26:43.805 Or did she laugh in front of his face and left? 00:26:43.805 --> 00:26:51.770 Now that? 00:26:51.770 --> 00:26:53.051 Now, how's that for a story? 00:26:53.051 --> 00:26:55.915 So, therefore, that's why we need to go to her children and find out what happened. 00:26:55.976 --> 00:26:58.179 Let's turn to Hosea, chapter 11. 00:26:58.179 --> 00:27:03.384 11, verse 1 through 11. 00:27:03.384 --> 00:27:05.491 Let's read together, okay. 00:27:05.491 --> 00:27:13.406 When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt, I called my son. 00:27:13.406 --> 00:27:16.756 Israel called to the Egyptians. 00:27:16.756 --> 00:27:23.656 Even as Israel was leaving them, they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. 00:27:23.656 --> 00:27:31.039 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the hand, but they never knew that. 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.042 I healed them. 00:27:32.042 --> 00:27:37.115 I led them with human cords, with ropes of love To them. 00:27:37.115 --> 00:27:40.442 I was like one who eased a yoke from their jaws. 00:27:40.442 --> 00:27:42.557 I bent down to give them food. 00:27:42.557 --> 00:27:49.796 Israel will not return to the land of Egypt and Assyria and Assyria will be his king. 00:27:49.796 --> 00:27:56.240 Because they refuse to repent, a sword will whirl through the cities. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:58.936 It will destroy and devour the bars of his gates. 00:27:58.936 --> 00:28:00.801 Because of their schemes. 00:28:00.801 --> 00:28:03.498 My people are bent on turning from me. 00:28:03.498 --> 00:28:07.978 Though they call to him on high, he will not exalt them at all. 00:28:09.903 --> 00:28:10.343 Verse 8. 00:28:10.343 --> 00:28:12.876 How can I give you up, ephraim? 00:28:12.876 --> 00:28:15.238 How can I surrender you Israel? 00:28:15.238 --> 00:28:17.718 How can I make you like Adma? 00:28:17.718 --> 00:28:19.498 How can I treat you Israel? 00:28:19.498 --> 00:28:20.163 How can I make you like Adma? 00:28:20.163 --> 00:28:21.130 How can I treat you like Zebuim? 00:28:21.130 --> 00:28:23.659 I have had a change of heart. 00:28:23.659 --> 00:28:25.836 My compassion is stirred. 00:28:25.836 --> 00:28:30.580 I will not vent the full anger, the full fury of my anger. 00:28:30.580 --> 00:28:38.236 I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim, for I am a God and not a man, the Holy One among you. 00:28:38.236 --> 00:28:40.020 I will not come in rage. 00:28:40.020 --> 00:28:42.633 They will follow the Lord. 00:28:42.633 --> 00:28:44.717 He will roar like a lion. 00:28:44.717 --> 00:28:49.231 When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 00:28:49.231 --> 00:28:54.480 They will be roused like birds from Egypt, like doves from the land of Assyria. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.983 Then I will settle them in their homes. 00:28:56.983 --> 00:29:04.650 This is the Lord's declaration. 00:29:04.650 --> 00:29:11.455 So in verse 8, it's really profound. 00:29:11.455 --> 00:29:23.785 There it says here you know God's talking about now the relationship with Israel as a father is towards a child. 00:29:23.785 --> 00:29:31.483 Before he was like a husband and now he's talking about this relationship that also is very painful to him. 00:29:31.483 --> 00:29:45.759 His children abandon him Like a child whom he took by the hand, he loved and cared for Israel, he gave him everything, and now this child has turned away from him, forgetting him. 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:52.714 And then on verse 8, we hear this amazing noise in the Bible God actually crying. 00:29:52.714 --> 00:29:56.420 Okay, how can I give you up ephraim? 00:29:56.420 --> 00:29:58.502 How can I surrender you? 00:29:58.502 --> 00:30:11.478 Oh israel, can you feel that longing of god, like when he was lamenting in luke 13, when jesus cried out oh jerusalem, jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stone those sent to you? 00:30:11.478 --> 00:30:11.919 To her. 00:30:11.919 --> 00:30:19.821 How often I had wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 00:30:21.391 --> 00:30:26.176 In verse 8 it says I have a change of heart, my compassion is stirred. 00:30:26.176 --> 00:30:31.701 Here God says that he's shattered inside, completely shattered. 00:30:31.701 --> 00:30:35.718 My compassion is stirred. 00:30:35.718 --> 00:30:37.837 This word is akin to an upheaval. 00:30:37.837 --> 00:30:49.935 Remember the time where, in the Bible, lazarus died and people were crying and it actually said Jesus wept. 00:30:49.935 --> 00:31:17.836 You know, that verse was actually I think someone described it as when a horse makes that noise, like that grunting sound, and Jesus actually cried, looking at the effects of sin, looking at the state of humanity in death, and this is how compassionate our God is. 00:31:18.719 --> 00:31:19.761 It's, it's amazing to us. 00:31:19.761 --> 00:31:45.453 You know, until we really understand these emotions, until we understand the, the jealousy of a husband for his wife, the longing of a father towards his children who abandoned him and rejected him, longing of a father towards his children who abandoned him and rejected him, until we really go through that, we would not be able to communicate the gospel very well to the world who's hurting as well. 00:31:45.453 --> 00:31:57.083 And that's why it's important to experience the emotions involved that God gives us in his word, to really understand and go through them. 00:31:57.083 --> 00:31:59.650 That's why I know we're a Baptist church. 00:31:59.650 --> 00:32:11.702 It's hard to show emotions, but really I feel like that emotional connection, especially how God feels, will help you to be more God-like. 00:32:11.702 --> 00:32:38.165 So God is saying in these passages I am a husband whose wife is unfaithful to me, I'm a father whose children have rejected me and now destroying themselves, and so it's so important for us to share God that way, a very compassionate and loving God. 00:32:38.165 --> 00:32:53.886 So what's amazing is that, as you know, god promised that he would not vent his full anger and that he will not come in rage. 00:32:53.886 --> 00:32:59.405 But we know that the northern kingdom was sacked by Assyria. 00:32:59.405 --> 00:33:01.940 They were destroyed. 00:33:01.940 --> 00:33:06.605 But what Micah said today, we didn't compare notes. 00:33:08.476 --> 00:33:23.842 God did leave a remnant, even in the Northern Kingdom, and that remnant it said here in the future. 00:33:23.842 --> 00:33:40.006 Christ did come back to the Northern Kingdom in the Gospel of John, in John chapter 4, where he met a woman of ill repute in Jacob's well who had lived a life of promiscuity. 00:33:40.006 --> 00:33:47.784 And he met her there and revealed to her the way of salvation and drew her back to himself to make her whole. 00:33:47.784 --> 00:33:54.442 I don't know if there's a correlation with Hosea and Gomer, with John chapter 4. 00:33:54.442 --> 00:34:02.402 You know why would Jesus go all the way in Samaria and meet the woman at the well who also had a past? 00:34:02.402 --> 00:34:04.186 Isn't that interesting? 00:34:04.186 --> 00:34:23.106 One last thing In verse 4, verse 4, chapter 11, I found this it says that God drew us with human cords of love. 00:34:25.378 --> 00:34:26.121 Now what does that say? 00:34:26.121 --> 00:34:28.831 God drew us with human cords of love. 00:34:28.831 --> 00:34:29.295 Now what does that say? 00:34:29.295 --> 00:34:48.548 God drew us with human cords of love, you know, was he talking about how God used Hosea and Gomer as an illustration, as a parable, so that we would be drawn to him understanding his love for us? 00:34:48.548 --> 00:34:57.668 Was he talking more about a future time, a more clear demonstration of his love, when God himself actually did become like one of us? 00:34:57.668 --> 00:35:04.166 And he has drawn us by human cords of love by hanging on that cross. 00:35:07.036 --> 00:35:15.219 In Romans 5.8, it says God demonstrates his love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, christ died for us. 00:35:15.219 --> 00:35:23.402 If it were not for Christ coming down and dying for us, how could we really know that God loved us? 00:35:23.402 --> 00:35:24.985 Now, think about it. 00:35:24.985 --> 00:35:25.927 Think about it. 00:35:25.927 --> 00:35:29.887 Let's say Christ never came Okay, we just have the Old Testament. 00:35:29.887 --> 00:35:31.231 Think about it. 00:35:31.231 --> 00:35:35.114 Let's say Christ never came, we just have the Old Testament. 00:35:35.114 --> 00:35:39.547 Could you really know that God loves you so much? 00:35:39.547 --> 00:35:40.088 I don't think so. 00:35:40.088 --> 00:35:42.239 I don't think so. 00:35:42.259 --> 00:35:57.307 The human experience is that we grow old, we fall apart, people we love die, we develop a chronic illness, chronic pain and then death. 00:35:57.307 --> 00:36:06.199 I don't think that leads to God loving us. 00:36:06.199 --> 00:36:13.628 Experience, you know, and I've met a lot of people in the hospital who are hardened by life's blows. 00:36:13.628 --> 00:36:23.838 It's very sad Young people having cancer, young people dying early for many reasons. 00:36:23.838 --> 00:36:28.487 It doesn't translate to God's love, this human experience under the sun. 00:36:28.487 --> 00:36:33.898 You know, to God's love, this human experience under the sun, you know. 00:36:33.918 --> 00:36:49.244 But knowing what we know in the Bible, christ demonstrates his love for us, that he became a human being, that he actually experienced the temptation, our emotions, our loneliness, our rejection, the shame. 00:36:49.244 --> 00:36:54.690 We can never say that he doesn't understand, that God doesn't understand. 00:36:54.690 --> 00:37:01.034 We can never say that anymore. 00:37:01.034 --> 00:37:08.483 If you would recognize, be reconciled to your true husband and father and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be whole again. 00:37:08.483 --> 00:37:17.262 No one has ever died for you before until now, until you realize that Christ died for you. 00:37:17.262 --> 00:37:21.795 Right, no one has ever died for us before, but Christ was willing. 00:37:21.795 --> 00:37:27.568 Christ wants you to receive him, to receive his death, that you would live. 00:37:30.097 --> 00:37:33.902 I'd like to end in Hosea, chapter 6. 00:37:33.902 --> 00:37:36.237 Chapter 6. 00:37:36.237 --> 00:37:50.101 Come, let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us and he will heal us. 00:37:50.101 --> 00:37:55.047 He has wounded us and he will bind up our wounds. 00:37:55.047 --> 00:38:06.106 He will revive us after two days and on the third day he will raise us up so that we can live in his presence. 00:38:06.106 --> 00:38:12.284 Let us strive to know the Lord, his appearance is as sure as the dawn. 00:38:12.284 --> 00:38:19.266 He will come to us like the rain, like the spring shower, that water the land. 00:38:21.009 --> 00:38:26.016 Let's pray, father, god. 00:38:26.016 --> 00:38:27.840 We come before you, lord. 00:38:27.840 --> 00:38:36.465 We know that your love for us is so immense, so great for you, so love the world that you sent your Son. 00:38:36.465 --> 00:38:42.266 It's primarily your love, father, that created us, that sustains us. 00:38:42.266 --> 00:38:49.217 You give the Son and the reign to the righteous and the unrighteous, though they don't know. 00:38:49.217 --> 00:38:52.340 They may not know where it's coming from. 00:38:52.340 --> 00:38:57.427 But we know you and we're so glad, lord, that you forgive us of our sins. 00:38:57.427 --> 00:39:03.666 And though we say we know you, yet we still do sin. 00:39:04.195 --> 00:39:07.375 I pray you'd forgive us, father. 00:39:07.375 --> 00:39:15.596 I pray that you would cleanse us by the blood of your Son, that you would draw us with this human cord of love, this rope of love, lord. 00:39:15.596 --> 00:39:30.148 We pray that we would be melted before you, that we would have such a desire for you continuously and nothing would distract us in this world, that we would represent you and share the gospel in our lives and our deeds. 00:39:30.148 --> 00:39:32.461 I thank you for this church, lord. 00:39:32.461 --> 00:39:46.277 I pray that we would be like a city set up on a hill, shining brightly for those to see us that, as we love one another, that you would draw people to yourself Again. 00:39:46.277 --> 00:39:47.943 Lord, we thank you for the book of Isaiah. 00:39:47.943 --> 00:39:49.860 Lord, we thank you for your great love. 00:39:49.860 --> 00:39:51.778 We praise you in Jesus' name. 00:39:51.778 --> 00:39:53.965 Amen, praise God.