The Message Of God's Love Found In Hosea

THE MESSAGE OF GOD’S LOVE FOUND IN HOSEA

INTRODUCTION:

Hosea was a contemporary of Amos in Israel, and of Isaiah and Micah in Judah. Hosea’s message is that Israel is Jehovah’s adulterous wife, repudiated, but ultimately to be purified and restored. But Hosea learned about God’s love for Israel through his wife Gomer and how God wanted him to treat her.

I/ THE PROBLEM

A/ ISRAEL- SPIRITUAL ADULTERY - Hosea 4:12-13

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. {13} They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

Worship of the calf- leaving the spiritual but invisible worship of God by faith - they turned to a carnal worship of something they could see. But it ended in forgetfulness of God as is the result of all nature worship or materialism

B/ HOSEA’S WIFE GOMER - ADULTERY - Hosea 1:2-3

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, from the LORD. {3} So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

Gomer was probably not a prostitute when Hosea took her as his wife, she was however a daughter of spiritually adulterous people.

She had not learned to respect and fear God in her youth, and therefore did not respect or honor her marriage vows later on.

C/ HOSEA’S CHILDREN WERE NOT HIS

1. JEZREEL - Threatened Judgement - Hosea 1:4

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little , and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

2. Lo-ruhamah - Mercy not obtained - Hosea 1:6

And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

3. Lo-ammi - Not my people - Hosea 1:9

Then said , Call his name Loammi: for ye not my people, and I will not be your .

II/ HOSEA’S REACTION

A/ HOSEA’S WITHDRAWAL - Hosea 2:2

Plead with your mother, plead: for she not my wife, neither I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

B/ HOSEA’S ANGER - Hosea 2:3-4

Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. {4} And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they the children of whoredoms.

C/ HOSEA’S CHARGE - SHE HATH PLAYED THE HARLOT - Hosea 2:5

For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

III/ THE RESULT OF SIN FOR GOMER

A/ She found out Sin is a Lie - In the Garden Satan said "Hath God Said?" Gomer was deceived into thinking that her lovers would do for her. But it was a lie, all they did was take from her, then cast her aside.

B/ She found out Sin is a Delusion - Sin is naturally treacherous. Sin offers much pleasure, but in the end man is cruelly betrayed. Sin offers itself as a friend, then becomes a fiend. Gomer sought pleasure and someone to build her ego, but ended being used and cast away.

C/ She found out Sin is Separation - Sin separates man from God and man from man. The sinner is not only separated from God here and now, but dying in sin, is eternally separated from God. Gomer was separated from all those who truly loved her by her sin.

D/ She found out Sin is Perversion - Sin is crooked, a perverse , distorted thing, it perverts man’s thoughts of God and His will for our lives. We only think of ourselves, not of God or of others.

E/ She found out Sin is Servitude - The Bible makes in plain in the stories told, how that sin brings servitude. Not only Gomer, but Samson, and the whole nation of Israel paid the price of servitude for their sins.