Hosea

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Hosea

• 1112 133
• Like father, like son

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Review

• God has described and illustrated Israels sins
• Summed up as harlotry
• God has judged Israel and determined their
  punishment captivity in Assyria
• Yet Gods holiness and justice must also meet
  with Gods love and mercy
• So God had a plan to save all mankind
• He would roar like a lion
• And those who would be saved would come trembling

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What about Judah?

• Several times Hosea has mentioned that Judah was
  not completely guiltless
• They had gotten caught up in Israels sins
• Hos 1112 - 122
• Even though Israel is completely corrupt
• Lying and deceiving one another about God
• Sowing the wind
• Making covenant wit Assyria Egypt
• Judah still walks with God
• Not flawlessly, and will need some punishment
• But because God is faithful
• Compares them to their ancestor, Jacob

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Like father, like son

• Hos 123-6
• Jacob began life in a struggle for supremacy
• Jacob later wrestled an angel for a blessing
• Jacob cried for help from God, and got it
• The point is the nation has been fighting to
  attain what God had already promised
• There was no need to fight for it
• Just return to God
• God is merciful and just
• Simply rely on God and see the good that will
  happen

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Thought question

• Are we like Jacob and Israel?
• Do we fight and struggle for what has been
  promised?
• Matt 624-34, for example
• God has promised well have enough to survive
• But we need to put His kingdom first
• Do we not trust the promise?
• Or are we not satisfied with survival?
• To receive Gods blessings, we need to return to
  God and trust Him and rely on Him

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Israels reasoning

• Hos 127-8
• Cheat and steal and make themselves rich
• And still say, They shall find in me no iniquity
  that is sin.
• Either, they didnt believe it was sinful to
  cheat and steal to get rich
• Or they didnt think anyone could prove they had
  done anything wrong
• A lot of people mistakenly believe if they
  werent caught, then they wont face punishment
• Cheat on taxes
• Shortchanging in money or goods

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Gods answer

• Hos 129-11
• But I am the LORD your God
• God isnt fooled or deceived
• He had warned them through prophets
• Even though they ask forgiveness to their idols,
  that is worthless
• Even if they seek to offer sacrifice to God in
  Gilgal
• That is worthless also since true repentance
  would require giving up idols and returning to
  the temple

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Like father, like son

• Hos 1212-14
• Jacob went to Syria to find a wife
• Jacob worked many years for that wife
• Israel went to Egypt and worked for many years
• God used a prophet (Moses) to bring them out
• That prophet also preserved them (recall the
  golden calf and Moses intercession)
• Now Israel has again provoked God
• There is no Moses to plead for mercy
• Instead, they will get what they deserve

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Lesson

• All sins will be brought into account
• Heb 412-13
• 2 Cor 510
• Rev 2011-15
• You can fool others, and even deceive yourself
• But God will not be deceived
• Nor will He be tricked by sham repentance
• God has said what will happen to those who die in
  their sins
• Rom 623
• Ezk 3311

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Sin and Consequence

• Hos 131-3
• When Israel spoke with trembling
• That is, when he humbled himself
• He was exalted
• But when Israel turned to idols, Israel died
• They shouldve noticed the connection
• Instead they made more idols
• Now they deserve to be utterly destroyed

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Conclusion

• Again we see the justice and holiness of God
• Some want to rely on Gods love and mercy
• They fool themselves into thinking God wont
  punish anyone
• Rom 1122
• They fail to realize there is goodness and
  severity with God
• God doesnt wish to punish, but holiness and
  justice demand it for unforgiven sins
• Why not return to God? For, why will you die?

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