Recommitted to God s Ways Hosea 4:1-4; 7:1-2; 12:8-9 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

Transcription

1 Recommitted to God s Ways Hosea 4:1-4; 7:1-2; 12:8-9 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007 Devotional Scripture: Rom 1:18-32 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS GOD'S WARNING (HOSEA 4:1-4) Charge against Israel (1-2) Charge of rebellion (Isa 59:12-16) Charge of doing evil (Jer 4:22) Charge of not glorifying or thanking God (Rom 1:21-22) Charge of idolatry (Rom 1:25) Charge of unrighteousness (Rom 3:10-12) Punishment for Israel (3-4) A curse that consumes the earth (Isa 24:5-6) A curse because of disobedience (Gen 3:17-19) A curse that comes from not being able to live according to the Book of the Law (Gal 3:10-13) Axels or U-Turns? (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) GOD'S AWARENESS (HOSEA 7:1-2) Iniquity uncovered (1) Uncovered through being exposed (Eph 5:8-14) Uncovered at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10) Uncovered through God knowing my ways (Ps 139:1-7) Uncovered through God seeing all that I do (Prov 15:3) Uncovered through the judgment of God (1 Cor 4:5) Wickedness remembered (2) Remembered to determine punishment (Jer 14:10-12) Remembered because all things will be made known (Luke 12:1-3) Remembered so that God can rebuke (Ps 50:16-22) Remembered because God's eyes are on the ways of man (Job 34:21-23) Remembered because my iniquities are always before God (Ps 90:8) Remembered because man's ways are in full view of God (Prov 5:21-22) Remembered because all things are laid bare before God (Heb 4:13) GOD'S ACTION (HOSEA 12:8-9) Self-deception (8) Deception of thinking I am wise by the standards of this age (1 Cor 3:18) Deception of just listening to God's word and not doing it (James 1:22) Deception of thinking I am without sin (1 John 1:8) Deception of pride (Obad 3) Deception of thinking I am more than I am (Gal 6:3-5) Deception of considering myself as religious (James 1:26-27) Divine retribution (9) Retribution of a righteous judge (Ps 7:11) Retribution that has been restrained because of being just flesh (Ps 78:34-39) Retribution because of my stubbornness (Rom 2:5-9) Retribution that has been pardoned because of the justification of Jesus' blood (Rom 5:9) Retribution to show God's mercy and glory (Rom 9:22-25) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS Recommitted to God s Ways Page 1 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

2 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR The effects of sin on everything (Hos. 4:1-4) God's constant presence 7:1-2) The folly of boasting (Hos. 12:8-9) Recommitted to God s Ways Page 2 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

3 Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The outline of the lesson came from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator. The lesson examines God's Ways. The study's aim is to understand that God will punish His people when they forget His principles of mercy, truth, and knowledge of Him. The study's application is to understand that when indulgence in sin replaces God in our lives, we will face His judgment. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Have you ever noticed how many courtroom dramas are on TV? From Perry Mason in the 1950s and 1960s to today s Law & Order, this is an enduring staple of secular entertainment. An entertainmentoriented culture even looks upon such shows as Court TV as a source of reality-based amusement. Hosea wasn t a scriptwriter for a courtroom drama. His book wasn t designed to be entertaining. Hosea wasn t a lawyer, but he could have been. Much of his teaching is like an indictment that would be presented in court. It is a bill of particulars confronting Israel for sinfulness. Hosea s focus in both the positive and negative sections of his book is on the relationship between God and his people. The prophet Amos talked about God, Israel, and the surrounding nations, but Hosea largely focused on the theme of God and Israel. (In this context, Israel refers to the northern kingdom of God s divided people as distinct from the southern kingdom of Judah.) To put Hosea s words in context, it will be helpful to understand what the people of Israel had done to their religion. In some cases they had rejected God and their traditions outright. In other cases they had merged the religion of the one true God with a regional religion that worshiped a god named Baal (Hosea 2:8). This greatly disturbed Hosea and the other prophets. Hosea probably began his prophetic ministry just as Amos s ministry (last week s lesson) was drawing to a close. Hosea thus prophesied between about 760 B.C. and the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 B.C. This period of time seemed like a golden age to the people living in it (compare Isaiah 2:7; 3:16). Yet Hosea saw it, as did Amos and Isaiah, as anything but a golden age. Yes, there was prosperity, but the rich took advantage of the poor. Yes, there were religious observances, but they were corrupted. Hosea s name means salvation, and he certainly preached that the people were in need of that! Yet the people did not see themselves as vulnerable. Salvation from what? they probably asked themselves. The relatively stable reigns of Uzziah in the south and Jeroboam II in the north bred complacency. But the prophets of God were not fooled. Just as Amos had seen the truth, so did Hosea. As a patriotic dweller of the north, he warned the people of the problem. And his warning would later prove to be valid. In some ways Hosea is the most intriguing prophet in the Old Testament. Hosea s tumultuous family life, as noted in Hosea 1:2 11; 3:1 3, became almost a metaphor of what was happening between God and his people. God had commanded Hosea to marry a woman who would prove to be unfaithful. This was so that Hosea s family could be an example of God s willingness to love and take back his faithless people. Thus Hosea s own family became a kind of object lesson of human faithlessness and God s forgiveness. The book of Hosea itself can be studied in three divisions. The first division, chapters 1 3, describes the personal information about Hosea and his family life. The second division is chapters 4 13; this contains the oracles, or sermons, of Hosea. These messages are very tough condemnations of what was going on in Israel. The lesson for today is taken primarily from this section. The final section is chapter 14. It deserves its own designation because a bit of hope is introduced. Even so, no more than 10 percent of this book deals with God s blessings. The book is overwhelmingly a message of condemnation. From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Sometimes God gave His prophets very difficult assignments. Such was the case with Hosea, to whom God gave the command to marry an adulterous woman (Hos. 1:2). It is possible she was an adulteress before they married. It might even be that she had been involved in the sensual rituals that were part of Baal Recommitted to God s Ways Page 3 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

4 worship. It also might be the case that she became adulterous after the marriage. The text is not clear about this; so we can only speculate. We do know for certain that she left Hosea at some point in their marriage (3:1). The first three chapters of this book give us personal information about Hosea. Beginning at chapter 4 we read his prophetic discourses, which continue until the end of the book. The unfaithfulness of Hosea's wife became an object lesson that described Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Hosea was to warn them of the punishment coming if this continued. When a nation becomes prosperous, it is easy to forget the hard times and the God who rescued the people. The old ideas of sin and morality disappear, and people become evil. This week we see how sin destroys people when they forget God. Our nation was founded by godly people who, through prayer and upholding the Word of God, set certain biblical principles in place for the establishment of a society. As we look at our nation today, it is clear that we have taken God out of the place of prominence that our earliest settlers intended for Him in our lives. In our prosperity we have forgotten the God who established us. How sad it is that when God looks down on us, He sees that we have forgotten His goodness! It was a similar situation in Hosea's time, and God called this prophet to speak to the people about their sin. They too had forgotten God, and He chose Hosea to call them back to Him in repentance. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) God's Warning (Hosea 4:1-4) 1 Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. 2 By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away. 4 "Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; for your people are like those who contend with the priest. Charge against Israel (1-2) Charge of rebellion (Isa 59:12-16) 12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14 So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Charge of doing evil (Jer 4:22) 22 "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good." Charge of not glorifying or thanking God (Rom 1:21-22) 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools Recommitted to God s Ways Page 4 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

5 Charge of idolatry (Rom 1:25) 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen. Charge of unrighteousness (Rom 3:10-12) 10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Punishment for Israel (3-4) A curse that consumes the earth (Isa 24:5-6) 5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. A curse because of disobedience (Gen 3:17-19) 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." A curse that comes from not being able to live according to the Book of the Law (Gal 3:10-13) 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. Axels or U-Turns? (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) Normally the words return and turn brings to mind a change in direction. But not all turns are alike. In figure skating there is a maneuver known as an axel, named after Norwegian figure skater Axel Paulsen ( ). The axel features a jump with a turn in the air that results in the skater still going in the same direction upon landing. It is just for show. Though the axel takes a good deal of skill, it does not result in a change of direction. Curves on an interstate highway sometimes do not take any effort on the part of the driver. The road may be banked sufficiently for the car to change direction almost by itself. The turn is done by the road conditions, not by the driver. Then there is a U-turn. This is a 180-degree change of direction. It occurs only when the driver takes a very deliberate action. There is nothing happenstance or accidental about it. It is a conscious effort by the driver to follow a new course. When Hosea urged the people to turn back to God, he was not talking about a showy axel that would impress others. Nor was he talking about a situation where the people were turned merely by force of external circumstances, without any conscious effort on their part. Hosea confronts his audience (and us) with the need to make a deliberate change of direction a U-turn. God's Awareness (Hosea 7:1-2) 1 "When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they have committed fraud; a thief comes in; a band of robbers takes spoil outside. Recommitted to God s Ways Page 5 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

6 2 They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their own deeds have surrounded them; they are before My face. Iniquity uncovered (1) Uncovered through being exposed (Eph 5:8-14) 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. Uncovered at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10) 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Uncovered through God knowing my ways (Ps 139:1-7) O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. 5 You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Uncovered through God seeing all that I do (Prov 15:3) 3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Uncovered through the judgment of God (1 Cor 4:5) 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Wickedness remembered (2) Remembered to determine punishment (Jer 14:10-12) 10 This is what the Lord says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins." 11 Then the Lord said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. 12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague." Remembered because all things will be made known (Luke 12:1-3) 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Remembered so that God can rebuke (Ps 50:16-22) 16 But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? 17 You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. 18 When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. 19 You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. 20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. 21 These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether Recommitted to God s Ways Page 6 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

7 like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. 22 "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: Remembered because God's eyes are on the ways of man (Job 34:21-23) 21 "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. 22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide. 23 God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgment. Remembered because my iniquities are always before God (Ps 90:8) 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Remembered because man's ways are in full view of God (Prov 5:21-22) 21 For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. 22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. Remembered because all things are laid bare before God (Heb 4:13) 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. God's Action (Hosea 12:8-9) 8 And Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they shall find in me no iniquity that is sin." 9 "But I am the LORD your God, ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast. Self-deception (8) Deception of thinking I am wise by the standards of this age (1 Cor 3:18) 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. Deception of just listening to God's word and not doing it (James 1:22) 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Deception of thinking I am without sin (1 John 1:8) 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Deception of pride (Obad 3) 3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' Deception of thinking I am more than I am (Gal 6:3-5) 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load. Deception of considering myself as religious (James 1:26-27) 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and Recommitted to God s Ways Page 7 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

8 faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Divine retribution (9) Retribution of a righteous judge (Ps 7:11) 11 God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. Retribution that has been restrained because of being just flesh (Ps 78:34-39) 34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; 37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. 39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. Retribution because of my stubbornness (Rom 2:5-9) 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are selfseeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; Retribution that has been pardoned because of the justification of Jesus' blood (Rom 5:9) 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Retribution to show God's mercy and glory (Rom 9:22-25) 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Hosea taught that evil can become pervasive. Evil affects the fabric of society. We see in Hosea God s sense of hurt, betrayal, and disappointment. God suffers when his people sin. Hosea also discovered and taught that God is both holy and merciful. God thundered against sin, but he could be warm and forgiving to the repentant sinner. Here is where we need to remind ourselves of Hosea s marital situation. Hosea sought out his wife, bought her out of prostitution, and took her back into his household (Hosea 3). Hosea could not understand how Israel could so callously choose not to love the God who had loved them so much. Combining his own personal insight and hurts with God s revelation, Hosea realized the depth of the meaning of unfaithfulness. Unfaithfulness toward another human and toward God can be forgiven, but it takes sincere repentance and profound love. Hosea s love for his wife was a picture of God s love for his people. No Christian looking at this can fail to see that Jesus did something similar for us. He paid a price to bring us back home. He did this even though we did not deserve it. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). This is why some commentators say that Hosea begins to put into our minds Recommitted to God s Ways Page 8 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

9 what will come into sharper focus in the New Testament: the doctrine of grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator One of our first thoughts as we read the text is that it could serve as an apt description of our society today. Scripture leaves no doubt that God will eventually pour out judgment on any society that lives this way (cf. Amos 1:3 2:3). So it is fitting that as good citizens, we fear for our native land as we see it increasingly spurn any relationship with God and any respect for His standards. Having acknowledged this, however, we must remember that Hosea was primarily concerned with the relationship between God and His covenant people, Israel. In the book of Hosea we experience the heartbeat of God for His people. The Lord had taken Israel to be His spouse, and she had proved to be unfaithful. Her spiritual adultery grieved God's heart, and the prophet swung back and forth between the inevitability of impending judgment and God's unfailing commitment to Israel's restoration (cf. 3:1-5; 14:1-8). We need to examine ourselves as we think about the text. Too often there is a lack of truth, mercy, and the pursuit of knowing God in the church, the recipient of so many covenant blessings just as Israel was. We are the bride of Christ (cf. Eph. 5:22-32), and we sometimes are guilty of spiritual adultery as we pursue this world's idols rather than God. The term "truth" in Hosea 4:1 refers to faithfulness. David Hubbard declared that "no truth" "describes lack of truthtelling and truth-doing which result in instability, infidelity, and unreliability" (Hosea; An Introduction and Commentary, InterVarsity). Another mark of a wayward people is a callous disregard for the needs of others (the term "mercy" refers to kindness). God showed great kindness by sending His Son to die for us. We are not His followers if we live only for ourselves. And as we understand how much has been forgiven us, we will be more merciful to others. We will not deal harshly with people. The final characteristic of a wayward people that is mentioned is that they did not have a "knowledge of God." This, of course, does not mean they were unaware that God exists. It refers to living as if He were not there. The people of Israel were not seeking a relationship with the Lord. They were willfully disregarding His law and will. In Romans 1, Paul wrote of how the ungodly "did not like to retain God in their knowledge"; so "God gave them over to a reprobate mind" (vs. 28). We tend to think of our minds as independent arbiters of reality, but in truth our habits and character shape our thinking to a great degree. Because of this we must be ever vigilant about directing our thinking to what is godly. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (12:2). It was the lack of knowledge of God that lay at the heart of Israel's sin and all her troubles. As James Boice put it, "God is the source of all good. So if... people will not have God, they will have the opposite in increasing measure" {The Minor Prophets, Kregel). In our godless society we should seek to be a shining witness for the Lord. We can do this by living lives of faithfulness and kindness. This will only happen, however, as we desire to deepen our relationship with God. The experiential knowledge of God is the pathway of holiness and blessedness. Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. Lasting and positive change in people's lives will come only when they listen to the "word of the Lord" (Hos. 4:1) 2. Knowledge of God is not something we should ever consider optional, for a lack of such knowledge always leads to evil acts (vs. 2-3) 3. Wickedness demands repentance, not accusations against others (vs. 4) 4. We must remember that even "secret" sins are actually committed in God's presence (7:1-2) 5. Beware of prosperity, for it can blind a person to his true spiritual condition (12:8-9) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator The book of Hosea is a very intriguing book. The things God told this prophet of Israel to do are sometimes considered bizarre, but as has been said, drastic times call for drastic measures. And in those drastic times of Israel's wickedness, Hosea was faithful in preaching God's message. Recommitted to God s Ways Page 9 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007

10 The effects of sin on everything (Hos. 4:1-4) Just as we saw last week with the prophecy of Amos, Hosea preached against the sins of God's people. Israel was guilty of such things as "swearing, and lying, and.killing, and stealing, and committing adultery." Yes, they were God's people, and these were no small sins they were guilty of. And we all know how sin affects others. Obviously, murder is a sin that affects the victim's family as well as the victim. The same is true of stealing and adultery. Look at how much more far-reaching sin is. Hosea 4:3 says that it affected the animals: " Therefore shall the land mourn,... with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away." How can animals be affected by sin? When we look back at the time sin was introduced into our world, we see that it affected every aspect of creation. The serpent was cursed "above (more than) all cattle" (Gen. 3:14). The ground was cursed as well. It would not yield to Adam easily (vs ). "Sin" is usually not a popular term today. In our postmodern world, people think "sin" is an outdated term or at least one that they do not have to be concerned with. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sin not only is still around; it also affects every aspect of life. God's constant presence 7:1-2) Next Hosea spoke the words the Lord Himself. God said that He waited to heal Israel. He used Samaria as synonym for Israel and talked about if the evil that was there. The most significant issue in all this sin going on is found in verse 2. The people did not realize; that God was watching them. Why should any of us think it odd that God sees all? The Scripture makes it clear that God sees His people: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry" (Ps. 34:15). Peter also made this clear in his first epistle: "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous" (3:12). A preacher once told his son that when he accepted Christ, that meant he had the Holy Spirit living inside him all the time. "That means," he said, "that when you decide you want to go into a place of ill repute, you cannot park God outside while you go in. He goes wherever you go." That son never forgot his father's message. Today, as an evangelist, he recounts that message wherever he goes. The folly of boasting (Hos. 12:8-9) Ephraim (Israel) continued to brag. The really sad fact is that they had nothing to brag about. Were they really self-sufficient? Absolutely not. God was the reason for all their success. He had rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. How soon they forgot the goodness of their God! Are we really any different? How many times do we turn to God in thanks for all He has done? Yes, when good things happen, we often do give Him thanks. But as time goes on, we tend to forget that He is the source of all our blessings. Yet He continues to give His grace. Recommitted to God s Ways Page 10 of 10 SS Lesson for 06/10/2007