Forgiveness
Book of Hosea Chapters 10-14
Forgiveness is the removal of guilt and in God's eyes it is to be the same as a pardon.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, so God removes the condemnation of the law from the sinner.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God removes the guilt of sin and the sinners liability to eternal wrath.
In other words by God's act of "Grace" I am forever freed from the guilt and also the penalty of my sins.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We sometimes forget these things and get caught back up in the ways of the world and this breaks the heart of God but He still will not abandon us.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God is much more faithful to His Word than we are!
1Co 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is our duty to be faithful to the Lord who paid our sin debt with His own blood!
It is also our duty to be just as forgiving to all others as the Lord is to us!
How can we ignore such a wonderful gift as the "Love of God"?
Amen.
Let's begin in Chapter 10 at verse 9
*****Hos 10:9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
Hos 10:10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
Hos 10:11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
We should be very clear about the gross sin of Israel at this time.
When we studied the Book of Judges we should remember the story of the Levite and the concubine that almost caused the elimination of the tribe of Benjamin and only 600 survived.
It had been Gibeah where the people had defied God and had been over taken by immorality, sexual perversion, including homosexuality and they had had there own LBGT movement, along with rape, assault, abuse, and murder and they had also refused to repent. (Judges 19:1-20:48)
God had judged Gibeah severely and He promised the same judgment would come to Samaria and the Northern Tribes.
Israel was plowing a furrow just like Gibeah had plowed and it would lead them to the same results.
A destruction that would leave only a small remnant alive!
Again we need to relate these things to what is happening in America today and not listen to those that say that the Christian way is racist or bigotry. We are still to love the sinner but hate the sin and in that we do fail the most.
If we think about it a heifer that treaded out the corn got to eat all she wanted by the law of God just by walking in a circle.
This then is a sign of laziness. It may have been easier to go along with the ways of the world but they were still bound in the captivity to sin.
These are the chains we must break free from to be made free!
Again we see that today it may be easier to compromise on the Word of God and live in today's world but we will still be trapped in our own sin.
Where as, those animals that plowed the fields only got to eat at certain times of the day and labored much harder pulling the plows.
It may be harder to live in righteousness by the Word of God, but we will certainly live in freedom from the wrath of God!
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, "If ye continue in my word", THEN are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, "and the truth shall make you free".
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
The Word of God is full of instances of "what you sow, you will also reap".
God says these things are real simple. Righteousness is simply doing things right and to do things right is to follow the ways of the Word of God.
So if we act righteously we will reap the rewards of righteousness, not of debt, but of "Grace".
Pro 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
We will reap the rewards of God's divine "Mercy" which we will again sow to others and we can see that this cycle should continue all our days!
God has an endless supply of "Mercy"!
Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Remember there is no victory to those who are not in the battle.
There is no medal for those who are not in the race.
There can be no harvest without working in the field!
So "break up your fallow ground"!
Remove the ways of this world from your life and be tenderized and renewed by the Blood of Jesus!
What was that "fallow ground"?
*****Hos 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
By the Laws of Moses, these Israelites were to let the ground lie "fallow" and unplowed every seventh year.
Exo 23:11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
These people were not only content to live in sin but they worked hard at promoting sin to all, like it had some benefit that sin just does not have.
We see this today as sin is promoted by our own government and much of the so-called church.
Sin is like a fertilized weed that grows among the people of this world and God will give all these up to reap the rewards of their sin which we already know is death.
There is only one bounty that can come from sin and that is more sin!
These people had reaped "iniquity".
In other words, small sin had grown up to be major sin!
It is a fact that the fruit of sin will make it's promises but in the end will only bring disappointment that leads only to destruction.
Immorality is a trap that will never release you!
When we trust in our own ways it will only lead to failure.
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Not only this but they had trusted in their military to defend their evil ways.
Sounds a whole lot like the America we live in today.
What was God's answer?
God said their hearts were as hard ground that was over run with weeds and thorns and that heart was that fallow ground that needed to be broken up so the good seed of the truth of God could be sown.
It was time to seek the Lord, this was their final warning.
It's time for America to break up It's fallow ground!
It's time for America to seek the Lord instead of the ways of this world!
God warns us all against immoral behavior, against wickedness, against perversion, and against degenerate acts.
In no uncertain terms, God condemns such sins as homosexuality, rape, abuse, assault, murder and governments that allow and even promote these things.
Mar 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The more we plant wickedness as a nation and as a people, the more we will become even more wicked.
This is the truth of reaping and sowing and it never changes!
You cannot get good water from a bad well.
So how would Israel suffer and we should pay close attention to what God says.
*****Hos 10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
Hos 10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
Webster describes a tumult as commotion, disturbance, or agitation of a multitude. Usually accompanied with great noise, uproar, and confusion of voices.
Anyone who says this is not going on in America today, lives in cave by themselves.
These things happened in Israel of that day and they are happening in America today for the exact same reasons.
God just never changes like many keep saying that He does!
No matter how good our police force is, or our military, the enemy keeps slipping in to cause death and destruction and terrorism is still spreading around this world no matter what lies our own government keeps repeating.
No one is seriously trying to stop the spread of Islamic Terrorism or Governmental Terrorism, they are both essentially the same just one is more deceitful.
The Israel of that day was invaded and totally destroyed because all the fortresses of that nation crumbled before the Assyrians.
We may not know who this Shalman is, the Bible does not say, but remember there was a King Shalmaneser also of the Assyrians.
No matter what we know, it is a fact that the land of the Assyrians is now the land occupied by the Muslim.
The truth is that any nation or any people who place their hope in their own works, their own wealth, or their own power, is doomed for failure.
We must trust God above all else in this world!
The true resources of the human race is really very limited and there is not one human who can solve man's biggest problems.
Selfishness and corruptness only breed more selfishness and more corruptness!
It is far better to trust in the Lord to meet our needs!
There are many in our world that say we must compromise on the Word of God and accept the things of this world of today because we have a God of Love but the truth is we simply do not really understand the love of God!
*****Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Besides our prayer of faith, "Love" is the greatest force on this earth in fact throughout God's creation. God made us because of His great love!
Love is far more powerful than wealth and power and if we take a stand on "love", the "love of God" we can change the direction of our own nation that is bent on wealth and power.
Love brings commitment and allegiance and then is shown in tenderness, compassion and forgiveness!
God gives us an example of His great love for Israel in these Scriptures.
We should know that God has a great love for the entire human race, the proof of that can be read in one verse.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And God gives us His reason.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
It is obvious that God loves Israel like a son.
At this time, God dealt with nations more than the individual. Today God deals with the individual more that He does nations but He still deals with both.
We see the paternal love of Israel as it was just born as a nation when God brought them out of the slavery of Egypt. One family had entered Egypt and a baby nation had departed Egypt.
America became a baby nation on July 4, 1776.
At this time the majority of Americans worshiped the One True God, The Christ.
As a son, God began to provide for America by ending the bondage to England.
So, God adopted Israel that day and called him a son!
As a son, God began to provide for Israel, first by ending that slavery.
At this time the majority of Israelites were true in the worship of the One True God, Jehovah.
So there certainly are many parallels in our histories!
The biggest thing we see is Fatherhood of God, it cannot be missed. (Our Father who art in Heaven)
The key to life lies in our Father's hand, not in anything we think we have!
We also see that God's love for us is to be our pattern for our love for others!
In fact we can look upon all these things as a "type of Christ".
God’s love to Christ, as a child, manifested to us by His calling Him from Egypt. In the fulness of time the beloved of the Father became flesh, and dwelt among us. But no sooner did He appear than His life was threatened. The child was borne for safety into Egypt. In due time Christ was called out of Egypt, brought again to the Holy Land, there to exercise His ministry and perform the will of God.
The truth is, God has shown His love for us all in these things while we are still a great distance from Heaven.
We who are redeemed by the "blood of the Lamb" are loved with the same love with which God loved His only begotten Son!
All humans are a highly favored people in the eyes of God!
BUT, the truth is as we can readily see today, most all humans are a highly ungrateful people!
What the world does not want to hear and the thing that makes this world so mad is that, God will righteously punish those that reject their Creator!
Righteously meaning it will be the right thing for God to do!
Israel is our example of all these things and we must learn from Israel's mistakes.
What had God told Moses?
“And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born; and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me.”
Moses on that day was a "type" of Christ.
One day Jesus will return and He will look straight into the face of Satan and He will say, "thus sayeth the Lord God, Our Father in Heaven, let my people go that they may serve Me".
Most of these people did not even realize it was God who healed them!
This also, is still the same today!
*****Hos 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
God sent His prophets the first one Moses, to call Israel into worship and into the service of God but they turned a deaf ear and then turned their backs on God.
They turned to Baalim, which is the plural of Baal. Baal was the name of the many false gods of the enemies of Israel and still is.
Allah is the Baal of the modern Muslim and there are too many to mention who reject Christ Jesus the Messiah, the One True God, the Triunity of God.
The truth of God is that He longs to rescue us all from all the sin of this world.
He does this by either delivering us from those trials or He will give us the strength to walk away ourselves!
When we learn about the Lord, we find that God is teaching us more and more about the truth of His great love for us.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
This is the truth of our loving God and it only gets better!
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God continues to show us His goodness but He has not yet shown us His best!
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
God is all the time teaching us, if we will just pay attention!
*****Hos 11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
There are truly many methods of teaching but God uses His great love to teach us.
When we walk by the Lord, then the Lord walks with us, even taking a hold of our hand!
With the Word of God, we can certainly learn how to walk in this life.
There is no other life, except a life of misery "without God"!
When we fail to follow God's lead we will stumble and fall but if we look up and reach for the Lord, He will lift us up and heal us and our spirit.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We should clearly understand that God will use every believer to fulfill a purpose but God will also use unbelievers to get His will done in this world.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
We have an election coming up soon and our job is to vote by the Word of God but it is God who will decide who wins the election.
God will see if we are serious about a change and if we are not serious then God will give us what we deserve!
To this day Israel has not learned that it is God who has healed them and placed them back into the Promised Land. (Makes no sense at all but what the Scriptures say)
2Co 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
BUT, God has never abandoned Israel throughout all these years.
*****Hos 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
One of the greatest promises we have as Christians is that God will never forsake us!
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
With this, God also promises to provide all our needs especially those needs we have in pursuit of the will of God!
Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And this is not only our physical needs but also our spiritual needs!
Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
These things God promises all the days of our lives until He takes us home.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Israel does not yet realize all these things but they will before the end, for God will open their blinded eyes.
*****Hos 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
When we look at the history of Israel from the Scriptures we see a picture of God's "grace" and God's "faithfulness".
But when we look at these same Scriptures as a "type" of Christ, then we see a picture of Christ watching over His "redeemed" as they travel in this world after salvation and leading them from the (Egypt of sin) to (Canaan, redemption and glory)
But there is one more "type" we should observe, we should be able to see the teaching of God the Holy Spirit who will lead us by His regenerating power to the throne room of God.
The Old Testament is so valuable to teach us these things that Jesus will reveal in the New Testament.
The Holy Trinity is involved in our lives the very moment we realize our Savior and take action to know Him!
There is no Savior beside our God!
Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
The truth is we doom ourselves both spiritually and physically when we turn away from the Lord!
God offers many things but His free gift is "eternal life"!
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Those that reject this truth may be working but in truth they are themselves to death, in reality!
When we reject the Living God for handmade objects, or figures of some animal, or a figment of our own imagination, we are dooming ourselves to a Hell that was created for Satan and his angels.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The total and honest truth is that most people love their sins to much to acknowledge the Lord.
To acknowledge the Lord means they would have to acknowledge that He has some commandments that need to be followed!
Remember an idol or a false god, is anything that we make more important than the True and Living God!
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
We have become a nation of pride and self-sufficiency and have forgotten that there is a God, so as God is kicked out of America, He gives us these words.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Anyone who disagrees with these words are just blind or they are part of this problem, the Word of God is always true!
The absolute truth is "Judgment" is coming!
Israel found that out over and over again as they spent some time having no nation at all and God made some promises to Israel He has not made to any other nation!
*****Hos 13:7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
Hos 13:8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
God knows and understands His people when no one else will even take notice of them!
You can know of God but you cannot know God on a personal level until you accept the Word of God as fact and not fiction!
The truth is that the leaders of Israel had proven to be weak and ineffective. God had allowed them to rule but God removed them do to the evil that they were and that they had done.
The only dynasty that has remained in all of Israel is the dynasty of David with Jesus Christ fulfilling that dynasty because He can never die!
Even to this day Israel continues to rebel against the Lord.
They have refused to repent and return to the Lord and they are still our example.
The truth is "Judgment" is certain!
God said He would be unto Israel as a leopard.
Leopards lurk in thickets ready to pounce on their victims!
And as a Lion, He would lie in wait for them to pass by!
You want to see an angry bear, mess with her babies!
A momma bear is the most dangerous just after she has lost her cubs!
Pro 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
God says if you will not turn our hearts to Him, then He would open the skin and rip the heart out of our chest and let the blood flow to the ground.
How does a lion devour his prey but by ripping it to shreds like a wild beast would tear them.
The coming "judgment of God" cannot be stopped!
As an individual you can make sure you are not caught up in that judgment!
On that day, everyone who "has not" accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will face the terrifying judgment of God!
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
This just the truth of the Word of God and God does not ever change, and He means what He says!
Israel had only one acceptable answer just as all those who are lost today!
*****Hos 14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
We will see that the true Israel is a "type" of the Church. God will never abandon His people!
No one who truly follows the Lord will ever be forsaken!
To be redeemed we must acknowledge that we are a fallen race!
This is an individual decision we must make about ourselves!
We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners!
This, we can blame on Adam.
This is never an excuse but it is the truth!
We will all sin and the wages of sin is death, but understanding that we never have to perish because of that sin should bring us into reality.
Once anyone has heard the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ, they can no longer blame anyone but themselves if they refuse to repent. They can no longer blame our Creator for their own actions!
Each and every individual can return to the Lord but only by Jesus Christ!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
This was the final message of the Prophet Hosea to the people of Israel.
*****Hos 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
According to this Prophet Hosea, we must come to the Lord in prayer. (take you words and turn to the Lord)
There is nothing else we can bring to the Lord but ourselves, because the Lord will furnish us with what is required. (receive us graciously)
We have a Savior and it is in Him that the "Grace" of God is made known!
The only thing we can offer to God is a sinner in need of salvation!
We must acknowledge our sin. (say unto Him take away our iniquity)
We then show our faith in the work of the Lord to do these things. (we will render the calves of our lips)
This is the praise and thanksgiving for our redemption which is a sign of "faith"!
We are acknowledging that the Lord Jesus provided the only acceptable sacrifice and we are to offer praise and thanksgiving to our Father in Heaven.
Salvation can come from only one source!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
There is only one means of salvation!
*****Hos 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
We must realize that there is no earthly power that can bring salvation!
There is no foreign power strong enough to defeat the Lord!
Our own military is not strong enough to defeat the Lord!
There is no false god that holds any power over the Lord!
There is absolutely no sort of work that we can do to appease God!
We serve the only God who can just speak and things happen!
Rev 19:15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations": and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
We as people must all confess that "Mercy" can only be found in the Lord!
Without the "Mercy" of God, there could be no "Grace" of God!
The most important thought of any human is to realize that they are a sinner and then in need of a Savior!
In fact before we pray to God for forgiveness we actually need to praise God for His Majesty!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God "must believe that he is" and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We have more cause to praise God than we have to pray to Him!
It is sin that brings the "Judgment" of God. It is praise, faith, and repentance that halts the "Judgment" of God.
The only people who will escape the "Judgment" of God will be those who repent!
God will only offer His "Mercy" and His "Grace" if we turn away from sin and truly turn back to Him!
Where was the world in the days of Noah?
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
If we but only open our eyes, we can see that these days of Noah have returned to this world we live in!
Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
We are fools to disregard these things!
*****Hos 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
We live in a world today that denies the "Judgment" of God.
But the Word of God says we must make a choice!
We must choose to repent and walk away from sin and walk in the ways of the Lord, or rebel and suffer the "Judgment of God".
There is no middle ground on these things!
God told Israel the exact same thing many times:
Deu 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deu 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Jesus Christ has told the Church many times:
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
In other words God does not change His ways because He simply does not have to!
(For the ways of the Lord are right)
Those that have been "Justified" throughout the Bible are those that walked in the ways of the Lord!
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
There will be no one who can stand before the "Judgment Throne" of God and say, "I just did not know any better".
We know that there will be a final restoration of Israel because God promised Abraham!
At that time they will join the Church and live throughout eternity with the Lord!
Those that rebel against these things will know in the end the great love God had for them but they will also realize that God must keep His Word or He could not be God!
The truth is Hosea's marriage to Gomer was bittersweet but in the end Gomer was restored to her husband who bought her with a price.
We have seen that Jehovah's marriage to Israel has also been bittersweet.
They have stumbled in every way known to man and just before they move to the brink of extinction, they will call on the Lord and He will gloriously save them.
With broken hearts they will return to the Lord and their relationship will be instantly mended!
God will never forsake His church because He simply will not let us go!
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
No one has stronger hands than my God!
Our job today is to tell all others about this great plan of God, not so much those that have already denied Him, though we should not forget these, but surely to those who have never heard of Him.
The one thing God promises to everyone is the opportunity to make that choice!
God, through Jesus Christ is the only cure this world has!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
Book of Hosea Chapters 10-14
Forgiveness is the removal of guilt and in God's eyes it is to be the same as a pardon.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, so God removes the condemnation of the law from the sinner.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God removes the guilt of sin and the sinners liability to eternal wrath.
In other words by God's act of "Grace" I am forever freed from the guilt and also the penalty of my sins.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We sometimes forget these things and get caught back up in the ways of the world and this breaks the heart of God but He still will not abandon us.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God is much more faithful to His Word than we are!
1Co 1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is our duty to be faithful to the Lord who paid our sin debt with His own blood!
It is also our duty to be just as forgiving to all others as the Lord is to us!
How can we ignore such a wonderful gift as the "Love of God"?
Amen.
Let's begin in Chapter 10 at verse 9
*****Hos 10:9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.
Hos 10:10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
Hos 10:11 And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
We should be very clear about the gross sin of Israel at this time.
When we studied the Book of Judges we should remember the story of the Levite and the concubine that almost caused the elimination of the tribe of Benjamin and only 600 survived.
It had been Gibeah where the people had defied God and had been over taken by immorality, sexual perversion, including homosexuality and they had had there own LBGT movement, along with rape, assault, abuse, and murder and they had also refused to repent. (Judges 19:1-20:48)
God had judged Gibeah severely and He promised the same judgment would come to Samaria and the Northern Tribes.
Israel was plowing a furrow just like Gibeah had plowed and it would lead them to the same results.
A destruction that would leave only a small remnant alive!
Again we need to relate these things to what is happening in America today and not listen to those that say that the Christian way is racist or bigotry. We are still to love the sinner but hate the sin and in that we do fail the most.
If we think about it a heifer that treaded out the corn got to eat all she wanted by the law of God just by walking in a circle.
This then is a sign of laziness. It may have been easier to go along with the ways of the world but they were still bound in the captivity to sin.
These are the chains we must break free from to be made free!
Again we see that today it may be easier to compromise on the Word of God and live in today's world but we will still be trapped in our own sin.
Where as, those animals that plowed the fields only got to eat at certain times of the day and labored much harder pulling the plows.
It may be harder to live in righteousness by the Word of God, but we will certainly live in freedom from the wrath of God!
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, "If ye continue in my word", THEN are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, "and the truth shall make you free".
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
The Word of God is full of instances of "what you sow, you will also reap".
God says these things are real simple. Righteousness is simply doing things right and to do things right is to follow the ways of the Word of God.
So if we act righteously we will reap the rewards of righteousness, not of debt, but of "Grace".
Pro 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
We will reap the rewards of God's divine "Mercy" which we will again sow to others and we can see that this cycle should continue all our days!
God has an endless supply of "Mercy"!
Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Remember there is no victory to those who are not in the battle.
There is no medal for those who are not in the race.
There can be no harvest without working in the field!
So "break up your fallow ground"!
Remove the ways of this world from your life and be tenderized and renewed by the Blood of Jesus!
What was that "fallow ground"?
*****Hos 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
By the Laws of Moses, these Israelites were to let the ground lie "fallow" and unplowed every seventh year.
Exo 23:11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
These people were not only content to live in sin but they worked hard at promoting sin to all, like it had some benefit that sin just does not have.
We see this today as sin is promoted by our own government and much of the so-called church.
Sin is like a fertilized weed that grows among the people of this world and God will give all these up to reap the rewards of their sin which we already know is death.
There is only one bounty that can come from sin and that is more sin!
These people had reaped "iniquity".
In other words, small sin had grown up to be major sin!
It is a fact that the fruit of sin will make it's promises but in the end will only bring disappointment that leads only to destruction.
Immorality is a trap that will never release you!
When we trust in our own ways it will only lead to failure.
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Not only this but they had trusted in their military to defend their evil ways.
Sounds a whole lot like the America we live in today.
What was God's answer?
God said their hearts were as hard ground that was over run with weeds and thorns and that heart was that fallow ground that needed to be broken up so the good seed of the truth of God could be sown.
It was time to seek the Lord, this was their final warning.
It's time for America to break up It's fallow ground!
It's time for America to seek the Lord instead of the ways of this world!
God warns us all against immoral behavior, against wickedness, against perversion, and against degenerate acts.
In no uncertain terms, God condemns such sins as homosexuality, rape, abuse, assault, murder and governments that allow and even promote these things.
Mar 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The more we plant wickedness as a nation and as a people, the more we will become even more wicked.
This is the truth of reaping and sowing and it never changes!
You cannot get good water from a bad well.
So how would Israel suffer and we should pay close attention to what God says.
*****Hos 10:14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
Hos 10:15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
Webster describes a tumult as commotion, disturbance, or agitation of a multitude. Usually accompanied with great noise, uproar, and confusion of voices.
Anyone who says this is not going on in America today, lives in cave by themselves.
These things happened in Israel of that day and they are happening in America today for the exact same reasons.
God just never changes like many keep saying that He does!
No matter how good our police force is, or our military, the enemy keeps slipping in to cause death and destruction and terrorism is still spreading around this world no matter what lies our own government keeps repeating.
No one is seriously trying to stop the spread of Islamic Terrorism or Governmental Terrorism, they are both essentially the same just one is more deceitful.
The Israel of that day was invaded and totally destroyed because all the fortresses of that nation crumbled before the Assyrians.
We may not know who this Shalman is, the Bible does not say, but remember there was a King Shalmaneser also of the Assyrians.
No matter what we know, it is a fact that the land of the Assyrians is now the land occupied by the Muslim.
The truth is that any nation or any people who place their hope in their own works, their own wealth, or their own power, is doomed for failure.
We must trust God above all else in this world!
The true resources of the human race is really very limited and there is not one human who can solve man's biggest problems.
Selfishness and corruptness only breed more selfishness and more corruptness!
It is far better to trust in the Lord to meet our needs!
There are many in our world that say we must compromise on the Word of God and accept the things of this world of today because we have a God of Love but the truth is we simply do not really understand the love of God!
*****Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Besides our prayer of faith, "Love" is the greatest force on this earth in fact throughout God's creation. God made us because of His great love!
Love is far more powerful than wealth and power and if we take a stand on "love", the "love of God" we can change the direction of our own nation that is bent on wealth and power.
Love brings commitment and allegiance and then is shown in tenderness, compassion and forgiveness!
God gives us an example of His great love for Israel in these Scriptures.
We should know that God has a great love for the entire human race, the proof of that can be read in one verse.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And God gives us His reason.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
It is obvious that God loves Israel like a son.
At this time, God dealt with nations more than the individual. Today God deals with the individual more that He does nations but He still deals with both.
We see the paternal love of Israel as it was just born as a nation when God brought them out of the slavery of Egypt. One family had entered Egypt and a baby nation had departed Egypt.
America became a baby nation on July 4, 1776.
At this time the majority of Americans worshiped the One True God, The Christ.
As a son, God began to provide for America by ending the bondage to England.
So, God adopted Israel that day and called him a son!
As a son, God began to provide for Israel, first by ending that slavery.
At this time the majority of Israelites were true in the worship of the One True God, Jehovah.
So there certainly are many parallels in our histories!
The biggest thing we see is Fatherhood of God, it cannot be missed. (Our Father who art in Heaven)
The key to life lies in our Father's hand, not in anything we think we have!
We also see that God's love for us is to be our pattern for our love for others!
In fact we can look upon all these things as a "type of Christ".
God’s love to Christ, as a child, manifested to us by His calling Him from Egypt. In the fulness of time the beloved of the Father became flesh, and dwelt among us. But no sooner did He appear than His life was threatened. The child was borne for safety into Egypt. In due time Christ was called out of Egypt, brought again to the Holy Land, there to exercise His ministry and perform the will of God.
The truth is, God has shown His love for us all in these things while we are still a great distance from Heaven.
We who are redeemed by the "blood of the Lamb" are loved with the same love with which God loved His only begotten Son!
All humans are a highly favored people in the eyes of God!
BUT, the truth is as we can readily see today, most all humans are a highly ungrateful people!
What the world does not want to hear and the thing that makes this world so mad is that, God will righteously punish those that reject their Creator!
Righteously meaning it will be the right thing for God to do!
Israel is our example of all these things and we must learn from Israel's mistakes.
What had God told Moses?
“And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born; and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me.”
Moses on that day was a "type" of Christ.
One day Jesus will return and He will look straight into the face of Satan and He will say, "thus sayeth the Lord God, Our Father in Heaven, let my people go that they may serve Me".
Most of these people did not even realize it was God who healed them!
This also, is still the same today!
*****Hos 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
God sent His prophets the first one Moses, to call Israel into worship and into the service of God but they turned a deaf ear and then turned their backs on God.
They turned to Baalim, which is the plural of Baal. Baal was the name of the many false gods of the enemies of Israel and still is.
Allah is the Baal of the modern Muslim and there are too many to mention who reject Christ Jesus the Messiah, the One True God, the Triunity of God.
The truth of God is that He longs to rescue us all from all the sin of this world.
He does this by either delivering us from those trials or He will give us the strength to walk away ourselves!
When we learn about the Lord, we find that God is teaching us more and more about the truth of His great love for us.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
This is the truth of our loving God and it only gets better!
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God continues to show us His goodness but He has not yet shown us His best!
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
God is all the time teaching us, if we will just pay attention!
*****Hos 11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
There are truly many methods of teaching but God uses His great love to teach us.
When we walk by the Lord, then the Lord walks with us, even taking a hold of our hand!
With the Word of God, we can certainly learn how to walk in this life.
There is no other life, except a life of misery "without God"!
When we fail to follow God's lead we will stumble and fall but if we look up and reach for the Lord, He will lift us up and heal us and our spirit.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We should clearly understand that God will use every believer to fulfill a purpose but God will also use unbelievers to get His will done in this world.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
We have an election coming up soon and our job is to vote by the Word of God but it is God who will decide who wins the election.
God will see if we are serious about a change and if we are not serious then God will give us what we deserve!
To this day Israel has not learned that it is God who has healed them and placed them back into the Promised Land. (Makes no sense at all but what the Scriptures say)
2Co 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
BUT, God has never abandoned Israel throughout all these years.
*****Hos 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
One of the greatest promises we have as Christians is that God will never forsake us!
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
With this, God also promises to provide all our needs especially those needs we have in pursuit of the will of God!
Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And this is not only our physical needs but also our spiritual needs!
Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
These things God promises all the days of our lives until He takes us home.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Israel does not yet realize all these things but they will before the end, for God will open their blinded eyes.
*****Hos 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
When we look at the history of Israel from the Scriptures we see a picture of God's "grace" and God's "faithfulness".
But when we look at these same Scriptures as a "type" of Christ, then we see a picture of Christ watching over His "redeemed" as they travel in this world after salvation and leading them from the (Egypt of sin) to (Canaan, redemption and glory)
But there is one more "type" we should observe, we should be able to see the teaching of God the Holy Spirit who will lead us by His regenerating power to the throne room of God.
The Old Testament is so valuable to teach us these things that Jesus will reveal in the New Testament.
The Holy Trinity is involved in our lives the very moment we realize our Savior and take action to know Him!
There is no Savior beside our God!
Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
The truth is we doom ourselves both spiritually and physically when we turn away from the Lord!
God offers many things but His free gift is "eternal life"!
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Those that reject this truth may be working but in truth they are themselves to death, in reality!
When we reject the Living God for handmade objects, or figures of some animal, or a figment of our own imagination, we are dooming ourselves to a Hell that was created for Satan and his angels.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The total and honest truth is that most people love their sins to much to acknowledge the Lord.
To acknowledge the Lord means they would have to acknowledge that He has some commandments that need to be followed!
Remember an idol or a false god, is anything that we make more important than the True and Living God!
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
We have become a nation of pride and self-sufficiency and have forgotten that there is a God, so as God is kicked out of America, He gives us these words.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Anyone who disagrees with these words are just blind or they are part of this problem, the Word of God is always true!
The absolute truth is "Judgment" is coming!
Israel found that out over and over again as they spent some time having no nation at all and God made some promises to Israel He has not made to any other nation!
*****Hos 13:7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
Hos 13:8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
God knows and understands His people when no one else will even take notice of them!
You can know of God but you cannot know God on a personal level until you accept the Word of God as fact and not fiction!
The truth is that the leaders of Israel had proven to be weak and ineffective. God had allowed them to rule but God removed them do to the evil that they were and that they had done.
The only dynasty that has remained in all of Israel is the dynasty of David with Jesus Christ fulfilling that dynasty because He can never die!
Even to this day Israel continues to rebel against the Lord.
They have refused to repent and return to the Lord and they are still our example.
The truth is "Judgment" is certain!
God said He would be unto Israel as a leopard.
Leopards lurk in thickets ready to pounce on their victims!
And as a Lion, He would lie in wait for them to pass by!
You want to see an angry bear, mess with her babies!
A momma bear is the most dangerous just after she has lost her cubs!
Pro 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
God says if you will not turn our hearts to Him, then He would open the skin and rip the heart out of our chest and let the blood flow to the ground.
How does a lion devour his prey but by ripping it to shreds like a wild beast would tear them.
The coming "judgment of God" cannot be stopped!
As an individual you can make sure you are not caught up in that judgment!
On that day, everyone who "has not" accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will face the terrifying judgment of God!
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
This just the truth of the Word of God and God does not ever change, and He means what He says!
Israel had only one acceptable answer just as all those who are lost today!
*****Hos 14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
We will see that the true Israel is a "type" of the Church. God will never abandon His people!
No one who truly follows the Lord will ever be forsaken!
To be redeemed we must acknowledge that we are a fallen race!
This is an individual decision we must make about ourselves!
We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners!
This, we can blame on Adam.
This is never an excuse but it is the truth!
We will all sin and the wages of sin is death, but understanding that we never have to perish because of that sin should bring us into reality.
Once anyone has heard the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ, they can no longer blame anyone but themselves if they refuse to repent. They can no longer blame our Creator for their own actions!
Each and every individual can return to the Lord but only by Jesus Christ!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
This was the final message of the Prophet Hosea to the people of Israel.
*****Hos 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
According to this Prophet Hosea, we must come to the Lord in prayer. (take you words and turn to the Lord)
There is nothing else we can bring to the Lord but ourselves, because the Lord will furnish us with what is required. (receive us graciously)
We have a Savior and it is in Him that the "Grace" of God is made known!
The only thing we can offer to God is a sinner in need of salvation!
We must acknowledge our sin. (say unto Him take away our iniquity)
We then show our faith in the work of the Lord to do these things. (we will render the calves of our lips)
This is the praise and thanksgiving for our redemption which is a sign of "faith"!
We are acknowledging that the Lord Jesus provided the only acceptable sacrifice and we are to offer praise and thanksgiving to our Father in Heaven.
Salvation can come from only one source!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
There is only one means of salvation!
*****Hos 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
We must realize that there is no earthly power that can bring salvation!
There is no foreign power strong enough to defeat the Lord!
Our own military is not strong enough to defeat the Lord!
There is no false god that holds any power over the Lord!
There is absolutely no sort of work that we can do to appease God!
We serve the only God who can just speak and things happen!
Rev 19:15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations": and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
We as people must all confess that "Mercy" can only be found in the Lord!
Without the "Mercy" of God, there could be no "Grace" of God!
The most important thought of any human is to realize that they are a sinner and then in need of a Savior!
In fact before we pray to God for forgiveness we actually need to praise God for His Majesty!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God "must believe that he is" and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We have more cause to praise God than we have to pray to Him!
It is sin that brings the "Judgment" of God. It is praise, faith, and repentance that halts the "Judgment" of God.
The only people who will escape the "Judgment" of God will be those who repent!
God will only offer His "Mercy" and His "Grace" if we turn away from sin and truly turn back to Him!
Where was the world in the days of Noah?
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
If we but only open our eyes, we can see that these days of Noah have returned to this world we live in!
Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
We are fools to disregard these things!
*****Hos 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
We live in a world today that denies the "Judgment" of God.
But the Word of God says we must make a choice!
We must choose to repent and walk away from sin and walk in the ways of the Lord, or rebel and suffer the "Judgment of God".
There is no middle ground on these things!
God told Israel the exact same thing many times:
Deu 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deu 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Jesus Christ has told the Church many times:
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
In other words God does not change His ways because He simply does not have to!
(For the ways of the Lord are right)
Those that have been "Justified" throughout the Bible are those that walked in the ways of the Lord!
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
There will be no one who can stand before the "Judgment Throne" of God and say, "I just did not know any better".
We know that there will be a final restoration of Israel because God promised Abraham!
At that time they will join the Church and live throughout eternity with the Lord!
Those that rebel against these things will know in the end the great love God had for them but they will also realize that God must keep His Word or He could not be God!
The truth is Hosea's marriage to Gomer was bittersweet but in the end Gomer was restored to her husband who bought her with a price.
We have seen that Jehovah's marriage to Israel has also been bittersweet.
They have stumbled in every way known to man and just before they move to the brink of extinction, they will call on the Lord and He will gloriously save them.
With broken hearts they will return to the Lord and their relationship will be instantly mended!
God will never forsake His church because He simply will not let us go!
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
No one has stronger hands than my God!
Our job today is to tell all others about this great plan of God, not so much those that have already denied Him, though we should not forget these, but surely to those who have never heard of Him.
The one thing God promises to everyone is the opportunity to make that choice!
God, through Jesus Christ is the only cure this world has!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
