Last week we heard about God being that pursuing husband from the life of Hosea and Gomer.
Many times when we watch a certain movie, we would like to remember it as a whole. We remember a certain dialogue, a certain action that we delight in, but however, we love to know that this scene was a wonderful conclusion.
In our story today, we see that there is no mention of Hosea and Gomer anywhere. We don’t know what exactly happened? Did Gomer go back? Did she repent? Did their marriage resolve? What happened to the story? The story is incomplete, that’s because it is not the story about Hosea and Gomer.
It is the story of Israel and God. It is OUR story.
We are going to look at chapters 4 to 7, in which God pours out His heart about Israel’s unfaithfulness. It is about God looking for loyalty, affection, return back.
We see a similar story at the beginning of the creation. Adam and Eve were loved by God but because of their behaviour they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, similarly, God wants to throw the Israelites out of the promised land.
We can read it in chapter 6 vs 7
Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth—
then my judgments go forth like the sun.[a]
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.6:5 – 6
As at Adam,[b] they have broken the covenant;
they were unfaithful to me there. 6 vs 7
Today it is not about Israel, it’s about US. We are humans just like them. We are like Adam and we are like Israel. Like all human beings, we have broken the covenant. We share the same hearts. We have the same capacity to love God and also hurt God.
We live in an era where everything is so convenient and comfortable. With this age of prosperity, it brings compromise. We compromise because we are used to the luxuries and comfort. We are used to the grace. We are used to the cross. We are so familiar with everything that we battle with temptation just like the Israelites. They were living in peace for forty years before they were attacked by the Persians.
In the next few chapters, the scene is like a law court. God is presenting His argument.
The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.
I will discipline all of them. 5:2
When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the Lord,
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself from them 5:6
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
15 Then I will return to my lair
until they have borne their guilt
and seek my face—
in their miser
they will earnestly seek me.” 5: 14 – 15
God’s law has been defiled, land is cursed. Israel has given her heart to someone else.
The question is, is God heartbroken with us like Israel? Are we guilty as charged?
Let’s analyze ourselves
The way we feel, think,and our whole being – what does it reflect about ourselves and our attitude towards God?
Does it break God’s heart to see us in our natural circumstances?
Have we become ignorant of God’s word?
God says you don’t love me, is it true about us too?
Are we guilty of idolatry – what do I love the most?
The reason is that when we ignore God’s word , it leads us to idolatry. We may not have actual idols but we have created idols for ourselves.
Work becomes an idol, (taking compromise into consideration).
Family cultures and rituals become an idol. (We compromise kingdom values with worldly values).
Money becomes an idol (I don’t trust God’s provision, I compromise my time to gain money and not other priority tasks that God wants me to do.)
Emotions become our idol when we are driven by it.
With all the above, we become divorced to God and married to our idols. We become so used to success, approval, security, power, wealth, technology, that God says, ‘You don’t know me’, you don’t love me, you are not faithful.
Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame. 5 vs 18 & 19
We see a progression of sin.
Ignorance leads to immorality and immorality leads to Idolatry.
However, God has not given up on us.
We see 3 charges in 5 vs 1 – 5:
1. Does not acknowledge
2. Arrogance
3. Corrupt
In verse 6 of chapter 5, we see God withdraws Himself from Israel. He stops speaking to them.
However, in vs 8 of chapter 5, shows us God’s pain and hurt
“Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven;
lead on, Benjamin. 5:8
God is unable to bear it anymore in vs 14
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. 5:14.
How much our ignorance & immoral ways break God’s heart?
Am I repentant? God constantly repeats Himself. We see the same pattern that we see in these chapters – 4: Accusation, 5: Judgement, 6&7: Restoration. It’s the same pattern that repeats itself.
In chapter 5 vs 15 and in chapter 6 vs 1, we see Israel attempting to repent
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.” 6:1 – 3
True restoration needs true repentance. Israel’s repentance was not true repentance, it was superficial and God knows that.
They do not cry out to me from their hearts
but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
for grain and new wine,
but they turn away from 7 vs 14
How should true repentance look like. sin in our life is a problem, but so is a life where we haven’t learned how to truly repent of sin.
1. Torn Hearts (Broken Heart)
Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2: 12& 13
God does not delight in our sacrifices but a heart which is broken and contrite
2. Will feel the depth of the pain that is caused
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.Isaiah 64:6
3. Appalled by Sin
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5
Even Peter fell face down and told Jesus to get away from him as he is a sinful man.
4. Make changes in behaviour and accept the consequences
But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23: 40 – 41
Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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