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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock
Minor Prophets – Hosea
God is Faithful
Today we continue our series entitled ‘Major Minors’. We are taking a deep dive into 4 of the minor prophets from the Old Testament scriptures.
They are full of redemptive themes that should convict us, equip us, challenge us, and encourage us.
The purpose of this series is our desire to gain a new appreciation for the “minor” prophets but also see that God has important things to say to us in 2023 through these men, affirming the relevance of every part of the Bible. We want to have a greater understanding of these four minor prophets and what God wants to teach us through them.
Today we are looking at: Hosea
The story of the nation of Israel had been one ongoing drama of God’s faithfulness to a notoriously un-faithful people. In the 8th century BC, God called the Prophet Hosea to enact this very unfaithfulness through a rather strange marriage.
Hosea 1:2
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
What began as a covenant relationship, a marriage union between God and his people, has become an adulterous affair on the part of Israel. The book of Hosea itself records the many ways God’s people have forsaken their commitment to the Lord.
It only makes sense that God would walk away, completely justified in divorcing his people for good. But he doesn’t.
The Book of Hosea demonstrates for us the radical faithfulness of God. He doesn’t just forgive His adulterous people, He pursues them.
Hosea teaches us- You cant out-sin the mercy of God. There is no such thing as too far from God
Hosea was a prophet in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of king Jeroboam II in about the 8th century BC
Israel was prospering financially, they had been victorious in battle, they were in a time of peace and political stability, but that’s about where the good news ends- this prosperity only served to disguise the moral corruption that marked the people of God.
– They don’t think twice about worshipping other gods, even crediting them with their national success.
– It’s the normal thing to engage in the parties and indulgences of other pagan cults.
– They were making pacts and alliances with foreign nations rather than trusting God to provide.
– Basically, God’s people were cheating on him.
The bulk of the text in Hosea is the evidence of God’s charge of unfaithfulness. This unfaithfulness had been going on for years, generations even, and God says “enough”.
And that leads us to our teaching text today in Chapter 11. Hosea begins with imagery of the unfaithful wife, but as we enter chapter 11 he takes up the story of a wayward or prodigal son. The imagery is different, but the story is the same.
Hosea 11:1-4
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.
God begins to tell the story of Israel’s past. How he protected them, provided for them, and taught them how to be his people.
But the more God moved, the more they turned away from him. They worshipped other god’s, attributing the blessing and provision to them. They gave themselves to other nations for political gain.
God says “You don’t realize, it was ME. It was ME all along who loved you and cared for you and gave you those things.
Hosea 11:5-7
“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from me. Even though they call me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them.
Within a few years of this warning the Assyrian empire, a former political alliance of Israel, would destroy their nation, carrying them away from their homeland into captivity. God’s chosen people received the consequence of their actions.
Case closed right? They are finally getting what they deserve, they shoulda seen it coming. That’s justice, finally. I mean, who could blame God in up to this point?
Generations, hundreds of years of repeat offenses with no real change- They had done too much, gone too far, and stayed too long.
It’s seems as if it’s over for this prodigal son of a nation.
But the story doesnt end there. The story of Hosea challenges us to see that there is no sin beyond the grace of God.
We cannot sin so bad, run so far, that God’s grace can not bring us back into right relationship with him.
Hosea 11:8
“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
Hosea has 14 chapters of evidence of the Israelites going too far, getting it wrong, messing up in every conceivable way and it’s been going on for generations. But the heart of God cries out “How can I give up on you? How can I hand you over to be destroyed?”
These people experienced the judgement of God, they had to face the consequences of their actions in being overtaken and exiled by the Assyrian empire. But they also received God’s Mercy. God did not treat them fully as their actions had deserved-
That’s the cry of the father. He is a compassionate God whose ultimate desire toward his people is to win them back to himself.
And to the prodigal today- that’s his desire for you too.
The story of Hosea challenges us to see that there is no sin beyond the grace of God. Not for the Israelites and not for you.
The challenge before us today is simple: Do you believe that?
To be sure, we cannot read the heart wrenching story of Hosea and come away with a lighthearted view on our sin. Sin is like committing adultery on God, and there is judgement ahead unless we repent, unless we turn from our sin and turn to him. God does not wink at sin or shrug it off as if it were no biggie.
But there is no sin that is beyond the grace of God. That means you haven’t gone too far; you haven’t done something so bad that God can restore you.
It’s not over! Will you run to the Father?
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