Feel The Heat

HoHum:

What kind of a baker is this? Usually what the baker would do was build a big fire in the oven at night and then he would only have hot coals then next morning, much better to bake with. Here it appears that the fire is still hot the next morning but the baker does nothing about it. He put the bread in the oven. He does nothing to bring the fire down (vs. 4-6). Then he never turns the dough so that it burns on one side and stays raw on the other (Vs. 8). What kind of baker is this?

WBTU:

This is sad that the high and low united in the evils that are being described. The attitude of the king and his nobles gives a bad attitude to the subjects of the kingdom. Since the king and his court take sin and rebellion so lightly, so will his subjects (Vs. 5).

Interesting image brought out here, the heated oven and the baker. Can say that the oven is the heart; the fire being blazed is lust. James 1:14-15 (KJV): But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Robert Palmer- Feel the heat pushing you to decide Feel the heat burning you up, ready or not. What should we do when we feel the heat of temptation in our lives? 1 Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Robert Palmer- Some like it hot, so let’s turn up the heat til we fry. This is what is happening to nation of Israel. Letting heat of temptation get hotter and hotter until it is difficult for anyone to resist. Only godly, Christian man can resist but in Hosea 7 there are few of those. The prophet Hosea is preaching against this but it appears few are listening.

Thesis: From this passage we will look at three heats that are beginning to fry the nation of Israel.

For instances:

The heat of sexual lust (Vs. 4)

Sexual thoughts were encouraged. How much are sexual thoughts encouraged today? Sex is used to sell everything from cars to toothpaste. Sexual innuendos clutter most every TV program and movie. And explicit nudity and sensuality that used to be reserved for R-rated movies has found it way into the home through broadcast and cable television. Media researchers calculate that teenagers see approximately five hours of TV a day. This means that they see each year nearly 14,000 sexual encounters on television alone.

The internet is a good tool but it can also be used to fuel heat of sexual lust. Statistics are truly staggering. This is from 2006 and worldwide statistics- According to compiled numbers from respected news and research organizations, every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. Every second 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography. In that same second 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. Every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being created in the U.S. It’s big business. The pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. 2006 Worldwide Pornography Revenues ballooned to $97.06 billion.

Just walking in a shopping mall, surprised by the immodest dress on some girls.

Oh there is no harm in some of this stuff as long as it is legal. Boys will be boys. Proverbs 6:27-28: Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?

With all of this lustful material, we have a sex crazy culture. With time and fuel like this, the dough becomes fully leavened, the sexual intents are ready to be converted into deeds.

To keep the heat down we need to control the mind. When lustful thoughts enter the mind, the mind needs to bring that thought into subjection to Christ. Mind needs to say “No” immediately. Lingering over this only makes matters worse and inflames lust. Titus 2:11-12: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

It is good for married people to engage in sexual relations. God designed it this way. However, the problem today is that we need to keep it in the banks. Like a river everything is good while the water stays in between the banks. When the river overflows its banks this is a big problem. Much the same for sexual expression, in marriage good, overflow into the streets it is bad. Proverbs 5:15-17: Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.