Explore the Bible Lesson Preview January 6, 2013 Restoring the Repentant Background: Hosea 13:1-14:9 Lesson: Hosea 13:4-6; 14:1-9 Motivation: The cycle that seems to prevail among God s people in the Old Testament was rebellion, retribution, repentance and restoration; while retribution may not be the best synonym for judgment, the wages of sin have not changed through the years. (Romans 6:23) I. Foolishness of Idolatry (13:1-9) A. The Results of Sin 1. Sin brings humiliation (1) As long as Ephraim was humble ( trembling ), the nation was exalted; when the nation exalted itself over God by worshiping idols, God humbled it. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6, c.f. Job 22:29; Matt. 23:12, 12:30). 2. Sin multiplies itself Now they continue to sin (2a) Sin takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you want to pay. 3. Sin Exalts Man Over God make themselves a cast image (2a) Idolatry is evident in the distribution of our time, money, affection, loyalty, and honor. We can worship anything we choose! However, worship of anyone or anything other than Yahweh the God of hosts (12:5) is idolatry. (Isa. 45; 46:9-10) 1 / 9
4. Sin Requires Time, Effort, and Usually Money: Idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen (2b) Emphasis is placed on the craftsmen who invested time, money and skill into making the offensive idols. If we re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that sin requires an investment. We normally don t just fall into it. It requires a conscious decision; as sin progresses, it usually requires advance planning. Unfortunately, Satan tempts us with the very sins he know we will be willing to put forth the effort to commit. (I Cor. 10:13) 5. Sin Never Satisfies for Long (3)-Four word pictures: a) Like the morning mist ; b) Like the early dew that vanishes ; c) Like chaff blown from a threshing floor ; d) Like smoke from a window All of these represent something very transitory, something that never lasts. These word pictures could easily describe the pleasures of sin, the loyalty of the Israelites to God and their security in the land. God s Word says It is better to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (Hebrews 11:25) Psalm 16:11 reminds us in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. B. The Results of Misplaced Security (4-11) 1. No other salvation: I have been Yahweh your God no savior exists besides Me (4) Israel had misplaced their trust in calf idols and Baal worship. They were probably sincere in what they believed, but were sincerely wrong. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12) 2. No other provision: When they became satisfied their hearts became proud. Therefore, they forgot Me. (6) Earlier, Hosea had charged the people with accepting the blessings of God, but giving credit to Baal (2:8; Deut. 8:11-20). Unfortunately, Christians today commit a similar offense. They sacrifice at the altar of materialism, take refuge in the security of materialism, and ultimately give glory to materialism as their provision. Jesus said, Do 2 / 9
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-21) 3. No Other Judge: I will destroy you (9) a. I will lurk like a leopard on the path (7b) b. I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs (8) c. I will devour them like a lioness (8) d. Like a wild beast that would rip them open (8) The vivid imagery was fulfilled in the savagery of the Assyrian army. However, God wanted Israel to realize that He was their judge and the punishment came from Him. II. Certainty of Judgment (13:10-16) A. No Recourse Where now is your King? (10) All of Samuel s warnings about choosing a King (1 Samuel 8:10-18) have been fulfilled. Worse, the people s allegiance has shifted away from God. B. No Appeal: Ephraim s guilt is preserved; his sin is stored up (12) The NIV translates the last phrase his sins are kept on record. Earlier the prophet had anticipated protests of judgment by the people (8:2). God would 3 / 9
allow no appeal because He had kept a record of their sin. Paul writes that in Christ s redemption the written record against us is wiped out He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Col. 2:14) C. No Excuse He is not a wise son (13) The image is of a difficult birth that threatens the life of both mother and child. While God wanted a rebirth of Israel; Israel stubbornly refused the redemption and brought death upon the nation. D. No Finality I will redeem them from death. (14) In an otherwise harsh section, God s future plans for Israel are still apparent. God is able to ransom and redeem from death because He acted in Christ to pay the price for our sins and raised Him from the dead (Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:24). Paul put together God s promises in Hosea 13:14 and Isaiah 25:8 to mock the grave and its death in view of Christ s redemptive work (I Cor. 15:54-58. E. No Delay An east wind will come (15) The sirocco was sudden, forceful, and scorching. This east wind would be the Assyrian army. F. No Mercy Samaria will bear her guilt (16) Neither men, women or children would be spared this awful destruction. III. Plea for Repentance (14:1-3) A. A Plea Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin (1) (5:15-6:3) This plea gives us three views of sin: 1. Sin Is to be Abandoned return to the Lord 2. Sin Is to be Avoided for you have stumbled The NIV says your sins have been 4 / 9
your downfall Anything that causes one to stumble should be avoided. Repentance is good; avoidance is better. Not only should we avoid sin, we should also live in such a way so as not to cause our brothers and sisters to stumble (I Cor. 8:13; I John 2:10). 3. Sin Is to be Abhorred in your sins. Repentance is begun when we see sin the way God sees it. Sin is not just a personality flaw or a family trait. It doesn t stem from the color of your hair or your height or weight. Sin is nothing less than rebellion against Almighty God! We must accept personal ownership for the sin. Repentance becomes repugnance for the act of rebellion called sin. B. A Portion Take words of repentance with you, and return to the Lord (2) The Israelites had been trusting in idol worship and meaningless ritual. Amos accused them of sacrificing daily and tithing twice a week (Amos 4:2). But their sacrifices and tithes were only making God more angry because they were offered with unrepentant hearts (Hosea 9:4). Rather than sacrifices and tithes to false gods, they needed to bring words of repentance to the One True God! The sacrifice of our lips that petition which is acceptable, is modeled by Hosea in verses 2b-3. (Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8) C. A Prayer 1. Repentance Leads to Forgiveness Forgive all our sin When we repent, He will forgive If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) 2. Repentance Longs for Grace Accept what is good Repentance is only meaningful in the light of grace. Without God s grace and power, repentance would only be a self-reformation program (Luke 11:25). We re reminded in Ephesians for by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. (2:8) (Rom. 12:1-2) 5 / 9
3. Repentance Lists Specific Sins a. So that we may repay You with praise from our lips The prophet had challenged them to take words with you. Their meaningless, idolatrous ritual would be replaced by heartfelt words of repentance. b. Assyria will not save us (3) Besides a change in worship, the Israelites desperately needed a change in trust. Hosea had soundly condemned them for trusting in foreign alliances instead of trusting in God (7:11) In order to truly repent, they needed to abandon trust in other things and place their trust in God. (Rom. 1:18-32) c. We will not ride on horses Not only had they trusted another nation, but they also trusted in their own ability to defend themselves (7:10, 16). Israel had been strictly forbidden to depend on horses or in chariots in battle because God knew that their trust would become misplaced (Deut. 17:16; 20:1; Joshua 11:6). Unfortunately, King Solomon amassed a large cavalry (I Kings 4:26). d. We will no longer proclaim Our God s! to the work of our hands Idol worship was the sin most denounced by Hosea. Nor will we say anymore is a once-and-for-all rejection of those idols. Notice that the heart of all these issues is misplaced trust. They were to trust God rather than their own works, Assyria, war horses, or idols. (Isa. 44) e. for the fatherless receives compassion in You As opposed to finding anything in worthless idols. IV. Promise of Restoration (14:4-9) A. God s Promise of Healing (4-7) 6 / 9
1. Promise #1 Healing I will heal their apostasy (4) Israel s problem was their movement away from God. It was a sickness. God promised to be their medicine. 2. Promise # 2 Love I will freely love them (4) In judgment, God had declared I hated them I will love them no more (9:15) But, to repentant Israelites, He offers His love freely. 3. Promise #3 Fruitfulness I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lilly (5) Several word pictures portray the fruitfulness of Israel in the latter days: take root (5); branc hes will spread (6); splendor...like the olive tree (6); fragrance like the forests of Lebanon (6); blossom like the vine (7). 4. Promise #4 Restoration The people will return and live beneath his shade (7) (Ps. 91) HCSB, p. 1418; 14:6-7 The first three lines of verse 7 are literally those who live in his shade will return/they will sustain like grain/and blossom like the vine. God promised to restore life and beauty to Israel as to a dead, abandoned garden. Israel would again be a blessing to the nations as they were originally intended to be (Gn. 12:1-3; Is. 2:2-4), signified by the fragrant olive tree furnishing not only food, fuel, and medicine but also shade (Lk. 13:18-19). His renown is literally his memory, probably referring to God s remembrance of Israel that will prompt Him to restore them by His grace. B. God s Assurance of Fruitfulness (8-9) 7 / 9
1. Our Resource your fruit comes from Me (8) The name Ephraim literally means double fruitfulness. Israel was being judged because they trusted fertility idols for fruitfulness. But in the glorious future, they will trust only their Lord God. 2. Our Righteousness The ways of the Lord are right and the righteous walk in them (9) Verse 9 is a wisdom saying, whoever is wise?...whoever is insightful? Ultimately, God is not only our source but also our righteousness (Isa. 64:6; Jer. 23:5-6; Rom. 3:21-26; II Cor. 5:21). Application: God has established a plan of salvation that He offers to all people. God announced that He would restore Israel if the nation would do four things repent of its sins, confess its sins, ask God s forgiveness, and trust in Him alone (14:1-3). These are the basic elements in the way people receive eternal life through Jesus Christ. Explore the Bible Leader Pack Item 9: Chart: Fresh Start Biblical Illustrator: p. 6, Horses as Symbols of Power Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: www.hfbcbiblestudy.or g Dates 2012: 12/23 Christmas Weekend, no LBS; 12/24 Candlelight Services @ 4:00 & 6:00; 12/24-25 Christmas Holidays, church offices closed; 12/30 8 / 9
Normal schedule with LBS; 12/31 Summit NYE party. Dates 2013: 1/1 Church Offices closed; 1/6 Missions Expo begins; 1/11 Summit Celebrates; 1/15 3/5 LivingProof Bible Study Tues; 1/16 5/8 Midlink, Spring Break 3/13; 1/18-19 As We Go Weekend; 1/20 Summit Dodgeball Tourney; 1/20 Parent Commitment; 1/20 AMP/Wired; 1/25 Midnight Madness; 1/27 Fitness Expo; 1/27 Mission 1:8 begins; 1/27 FBA Day at HFBC; 1/28 Missions Expo ends. 9 / 9