LESSONS FROM HOSEA

 

Lessons From Hosea  - Hos 10:12 – May 3, 2009

 

Intro:  I love how the Bible is so applicable for today.  Israel like our nation was in spiritual decline and Hosea comes along with a message of hope.  We need Hosea types today who will plead for and plead with this nation.  As Hosea was so we must be committed to the task of saving a sinful nation.  Canada needs salvation and it is the responsibility of the Canadian church to do this task.

 

Background.

 

-  Hosea was the son of Beeri.  Hosea was from the Northern Kingdom and was familiar

    With the evil condition existing in Israel at the time.  He was a contemporary of Amos

    A man who strongly influenced his life and Isaiah.  The book is written between 781

    And 740 B.C.  He ministered during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and

    Jeroboam II.

-  Hosea married a woman named Gomer who turned out to be unfaithful.  They had three

    Children each named for a particular spiritual condition Israel suffered from.  God uses

    Hosea as a personal example.  Through his life and marriage God’s attitude is vividly

    Portrayed, 

 

1.  Sow for yourself righteousness.  Hosea pleads with his readers to turn from their

     Sinful ways and sow righteousness.  Israel during Hosea’s life was in a time of

     Economic and social stability which actually breeds apostasy, lethargy, and

     Complacency.  Hosea told Israel she was dying for lack of knowledge.  (4:6)

 

a.  Amos in his book tells us that Israel suffered from three sins.  Idolatry, lack of mercy

     And a corrupt justice system.     

b.  Hosea as a true evangelist with a burden of souls on his heart gives them God’s

     Formula and method of restoration and healing.  Change you ways and sow

     Righteousness.  Be a right thinking, living and talking person.  God wants his people

     to come home, away from sin and find love, forgiveness and repentance for these

     are the essentials of true religion.

c.  Reap the fruit of unfailing love.  Hosea reveals that God’s full forgiveness to all who

     Truly want it and find His love.  John 3 !6, powerfully states this.  God is merciful

      And grace runs plenty.  He works in every area where we hear the call.

d.  The problem is that sin and lack of knowledge about God has destroy many people’s

      Ability to hear God.  Self reliance, focus and selfishness has dimmed our ability to

      Hear God’s voice.  It has been drowned out by wealth, material possession, business,

      Idolatry, pleasure and so many other distractions. 

e.  Hosea says you must repent to find real joy.

 

2.  Hosea then says, “Break up your fallow ground.   Hosea was exposing a spiritual

     Problem in Israel., their prosperity and materialism made then lazy and complacent.

     They loved the bountiful harvests they were having but they hated to work or break

     Up the dirt lumps or clods necessary to have a good soil.

 

 

a.  The principle of sowing and reaping runs through out the Bible.  What you sow is       

     What you reap.  Sow righteous and you reap it.  Sow love you reap love.  Sow sin

     And you reap sin.  J. Vernon McGee wrote. “You cannot sow by the devil standards

     And then expect to reap a reward from God.

b.  In the book of Hosea, Israel is portrayed as an adulterous wife that needs redemption.

c.  As we learned from our outline.  Hosea’s creative and artistic mind is used by God to

     Illustrate 8 evil conditions of Israel.

 

1.  Joined to idols. 4:17

2.  Mixes with nations, they are no longer a separated and holy nation.  7:8

3.  A flat caked not turned over.  Dough on one side expressing half heartedness.

4.  Foreigners have sap their strength.  Weakened by evil association.  7:9

5.  Hair is sprinkled with grey.  Pre-mature old age and unconscious deterioration.  7:9

6.  Israel is swallowed up.  They have lost their national identity.  We learned that from

     Mike Warnke last week.  8:8

7.  The worthless thing.  Israel had become a marred and useless vessel to the Lord. 

     8:8

8.  Loves o defraud.  Dishonesty in business.  That is so prevalent today.  12:7

 

3.  For it is time to seek the Lord.  Hosea in a creative way uses the Valley of Achor as a

     Door of hope.  Hosea says, “It is time to seek the Lord.  Don’t wait, come now.  Hosea

     Is pleading with Israel, to not think that they have all the time in the world.  As the

     Poignant pleader he says, “Now is the time to seek the Lord.”  Heb 11:6 & Matt 6:33

     Are two scriptures that strongly advise this.  The blessing revealed in them is the Lord

     Rewards and adds all things to the sincere seeker. 

 

a.  Until He comes and showers righteousness on you.  Hosea tells his readers that the

     Results or consequences of seeking the Lord is Showers of righteousness.  God will

     Bestow and impart his righteousness on you.  Hosea writes in this book that where

     There is true repentance and penitence is blessing.  God loves to reward sincerity and

     Wholeheartness.  Jesus reminded us that we cannot serve two masters.  Love of

     Money, riches, fame, popularity etc and God do not mix.  This was Israel’s problem

     They thought they could mix with the world.  The results was spiritual adultery, no

     Longer a separate and holy nation, half heartedness, weak because of evil associations,

     They had lost their national identity and had become marred and useless to the Lord.

b.  There is a powerful illustration in 3:1-3 that shows God’s love.  Hosea’s wife Gomer

     Had left him for another man.  He abandoned her and she found herself on the slave

     Block about to be sold.  Hosea comes along and buys her off the slave block for 15

     Shekels.  He takes her home and tells her that if she is faithful to him, he would live

     With her.  This illustration and example shows if Israel returns to the Lord, He would

     Be faithful and restore her.