Back in the OT with Hosea this week. Hosea addresses Israel’s rejection of their God through the relationship of a husband with a faithless wife – even one who has been a prostitute.
Hosea 1:
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hosea's Wife and Children
2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD."
3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 And the LORD said to him, "Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen."
8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son.
9 And the LORD said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God."
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God."
11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 2: Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished
1 Say to your brothers, "You are my people," and to your sisters, "You have received mercy."
2 "Plead with your mother, plead--- for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband--- that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts;
3 lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst.
4 Upon her children also I will have no mercy, because they are children of whoredom.
5 For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.
7 She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.'
8 And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
9 Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
11 And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts.
12 And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, 'These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.' I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
13 And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewellery, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD.
The LORD's Mercy on Israel
14 "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
15 And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
16 "And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.'
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.
18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.
21 "And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth,
22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel,
23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God.'"
Things to think about…
1. We have a good time stamp for the book of Hosea based on the reign of the Kings listed at the time in Hos 1:1. This period extends from 750 - 701BC based on the reigns of the kings when Hosea prophesied in both the northern and southern kingdoms.
2. You would certainly have to know for sure it was God telling you to do so before taking a prostitute for a wife, Hos 1:2. Yet that’s exactly what Hosea was asked to do and he obeyed. Have a look at the names of these children. God was about to judge the harshness of Jehu, Hos 1:4. Remember Juhu murdered all the kings of Israel and Judah at Jezreel, 2Kgs 10:1-17. God had appointed it, but Jehu did it in a spirit of revenge. We are all accountable for our actions as well as our heart motivations. Those in leadership are more accountable for their words and actions as those who lead in Christ’s body.
3. Hosea 1:7 seems to be a prophesy of the direct deliverance of Jerusalem by an angel after Assyria surrounded the city with 185 000 soldiers. All of whom died in one night by the angel. Judah did not have to raise a bow to be delivered. God is our deliverer and Jesus Christ has delivered us from the punishment of sin by taking it upon Himself at the cross.
4. Israel had been unfaithful to the Lord, the nation had acted like a prostitute by worshipping the gods of the surrounding nations and the Lord was about to judge her as a result, Hos 2:1-13. We know from the book of Revelation that judgement in the church comes through the removing of the lamp stand, Rev 2:5. This means that the light of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God are removed. Pray that the church remains faithful to the Word of the Lord and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
5. Have a look at the mercy, grace and love of God expressed to His people in Hos 2:14-23. This is the father-heart of God. He says he will not just be referred to as my Baal (my God), I.E a god among many, no-one in particular, but rather the Lord will be referred to as, my Husband, vs 16. This is what Jesus meant when we call the Lord ‘Abba Father’, daddy. He is our tender hearted, kind, merciful God. He speaks to us with words and actions of grace and affection. If you are ‘in Christ’, you cannot have a more secure and loving relationship than this. Rejoice!.
6. In a similar way those who name the name of Jesus must reflect their Lord’s name and identity by what they say and do. We can refer to Him as our God, but in a pluralistic day and age there should be a distinction between our loving Saviour who is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the other gods of religion and humanism which are no gods at all in reality. Hosea is told, “you shall know the LORD”, vs 20. The fruit of which will be “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil”, Hos 2:22, 23. Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”, Mt 6:33. This is a blessed truth for all the redeemed who know their God.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for pledges for finances for the youth and young adults pastor role. $49, 640 has come in so far. Let’s keep praying for final collection numbers.
2. Carols service this Sunday 18th December – Family fun Day afternoon/evening 3pm-7pm.
3. Christmas Day Service 25th Dec – on a Sunday this year – service will start at 9:00am.
4. Pray for the leadership of our country.
5. Pray for the people of Iran and Ukraine.
6. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023 and the finances to support them.
7. More young families and youth into the church.
8. Ministry leaders within the church.
9. Our One for Israel ministry.
10. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
11. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Thankyou to those who have supported the church and youth and young adults role - $49. 640 raised thus far.
2. Work being done in the house and café. Thankyou especially to Rob Brand and James Smith.
3. New folk becoming members of CBC
4. Worship on Sunday – thankyou worship team. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
5. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Family fun day/Carols night 3-7pm 18th Dec – Book it in. Invite people flyers
2. Christmas Day service – 9am Dec 25th.
3. Remember to check your duty rosters.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for December...
Q. 3. Why did God make you and all things? A. For his own glory.
