#2 - A Redeeming Love Series

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Hosea 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel:

2 When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD."

3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim…

5 …and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them…”

8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son.

9 Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

Last week, we discussed that this story is not just about Hosea and Gomer, it’s about you and me…

We have been unfaithful – so how does God treat those who have wandered from Him?

God was brokenhearted about their unfaithfulness:

Hosea 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them…

7 My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them.

8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?

But last week, he promised a return, a restoration of all that sin had broken:

10 "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'

11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

“Jezreel” can mean “God scatters” – like broken pieces.

Or it can mean “God sows” – scattered, not like broken pieces but like seed.

The day of God’s sowing. He’s going to take the seeds, and bring about a harvest of blessing. He knows where every piece has fallen.

But how is he going to do that?

1. God draws us with kindness.

Hosea 2:14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

Prevenient grace – grace before grace.

“God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.” Romans 2:14

Joseph & Mary – she appeared to have been unfaithful. His options:

 Public disgrace & stoning

 Private divorce “because he was a just man, He planned to put here away privately”

 But God in his wisdom, comes with a messenger of a 3rd option – “do not be afraid to take her.”

In the same way, when

2. God blesses us with good things.

15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

God has blessed you.

Even many of the things he has taken from you, justly, he has given back.

Don’t miss this – don’t think that it’s your wisdom, and things are “just turning around.”

3. God speaks good over us.

16 "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master. '

17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked…

19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.