Follow Up with Clay - 11.13.24

HOSEA:  (Hosea 1-14)

Hosea was the last to prophesy before the northern kingdom fell to Assyria (722 B.C.). His ministry followed a golden age in the northern kingdom that featured peace and prosperity not seen since the days of Solomon. With this prosperity came moral decay. Israel forsook God to worship idols.

STORY:

Hosea 1:2, When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea…

Interesting to consider, God spoke through Hosea to Hosea. His command: “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom…”

Probably sounded like a bad joke (e.g. a prophet and a prostitute walk into a wedding chapel…)

Equal parts crazy and difficult.

Maybe you don’t know this story. Maybe you do. Either way, imagine you don’t know this story. What do you think?

Here’s the reason:

…for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”

God called the prophet, the one who speaks God’s message to sacrifice his dignity, reputation, happiness, and contentment inn order to illustrate the unfaithfulness of God’s people.

So he married, not just an unfaithful women, but a prostitute.

Let me get this out of the way because it’s a huge distraction; her name is Gomer (golly, shazam, and surprise, surprise, surprise).)

He had three kids and God named them. More then just names, they were announcements of His judgement.

She continued to prostitute herself:

Hosea 3:1a, And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress…

But as commanded, Hosea tracked her down. He found her shacked up with another man. So he paid the man for for her and took her home.

Through the prophet God communicates His judgment, punishment, and mercy.

Hosea 5:4, Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. For the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not the LORD.

How far do we have to drift to be considered a whore? 

Hosea 5:15, I will return again to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face, and in their distress earnestly seek Me.

As throughout all of history, God still desired for people to return in repentance.

Hosea 14:1, Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

MESSAGE: It’s never too late to return to God.

Hosea 14:9, Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea’s love probably wasn’t much of a warm and fuzzy emotion (feelings based), his love was probably more of a choice to love the unlovable.

LESSON: So you think your marriage stinks? Lean on the grace of God.

This is a picture of us, God’s love for us. See, don’t miss this: we are all unlovable! And God’s love changes us.

Jesus is also called to marry an unfaithful bride (His Church) and His love will cleanse her.

Maybe we go through seasons in our marriage where things are terrible, seemingly almost hopeless.

In those seasons, we are called to lead and correct, and still love.

Ephesians 5:25-27, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

LESSON: So you think your marriage stinks? Lean on the grace of God.

Questions:

1. How can we get closer to loving her as Jesus loves the church?
2. How can we pray for you?
3. Who do you know that needs this group?

Next Week: ISAIAH