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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg
Minor Prophets – Hosea
God is faithful; Even when we are not.
God is faithful; Especially when we are not.
Today we continue our series entitled ‘Minor Prophets’. 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 them, 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 11:1-8
“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. “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. “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.
-God begins to tell the story of Israel’s past. How the Lord 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.
-Hosea is warning of the impending consequences of their disobedience. 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.
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.
Bottom Line:
God is faithful; Even when we are not.
God is faithful; Especially when we are not.
Updates on the new Waynesboro campus
God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!
Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.
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