TIME TO MAKE A DECISION
Hosea 6:1-5 Today America is much like the harlot metaphor of Israel in Hosea’s day that has gone out looking for something more than our beloved God.
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up [Hos. 6:1].
This is God’s last call to the northern kingdom in that day, but it also looks to the future of that nation when God will heal them; although He has torn them, He intends to bind them up. This should be a warning that God will judge the sin of any nation that makes a profession of being a Christian nation and which has had the benefit of the Word of God.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight [Hos. 6:2].
We are told in 2nd pet.3”8 8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
So the Lord Jesus has been gone now a little over 2 days according to His divine Calendar, because we` re now over 2000 years on our calendar.
“In the third day he will raise us up
Lets keep in mind that Hosea here is not writing to the church because the church is not seen until the day of Pentecost, Hosea is talking to the Jews of the Old Testament time.
The apostle Paul develops the subject of the future of Israel in Romans 11. In our day, God’s purpose in building His church is to draw to Himself both Jew and Gentile, people out of every tongue and tribe and nation, who are going to come before Him to worship.
When God completes His purpose in the church and takes it out of the world, He will again turn to the nation Israel and will raise her up, we believe this verse is to do with the Millennial reign of Christ, when He rules and reigns for a thousand years there on His Throne in Jerusalem
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth [Hos. 6:3].
“And he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” The former rains were the heavy rains, which fell toward the end of October, and the latter rains were the heavy showers of March and April, which came right before the harvest. When these people again turn to God, the blessing will come not only to the people, but also to the land and the animal world.
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD”
There is no way for improvement in this life apart from the saving knowledge of God, The Word of God is plane about that, and either it is right or it is wrong.
Over thousands of years the Word of God has been proven right, and whether or not this Generation today receives HIS WORD or not, that’ll not change what it says or what it means.
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away [Hos. 6:4].
God sounds as if He is just a little bit frustrated here. In effect, He is saying, “What am I going to do with you? I love you, but you continue on in sin and I am going to have to judge you!” This puts God on the horns of a dilemma. Judgment is the strange work of God—He wants to save, not judge. But when people keep turning away from God, then the day comes when He has to judge them.
According to Zecc.13:8-9 there will be 2/3s of the Jews killed ion the tribulation period, and it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Many people wear religion like you would wear a loose-fitting garment; it is something they can put on or off at any time. God condemned these people because they were religious, but they did not know Him, and they had never had a transforming, life-changing, experience with Him.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth [Hos. 6:5].
In other words, God says, “I skinned them alive by the prophets.”
“I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” They were not sinning because of ignorance—there was no lack of information. God had sent the prophets to them, but they had turned their backs on God and His Word.
Well like a little child who becomes lost in a toy store, Israel had wondered far away from its place of origin. She is drawn away by delights of the eye, and an overwhelming urgency to seek her own way.
When she finally wakes up, she finds her self tossed into the gutter of sin.
She has lost her way; she has gone from being the apple of God’s eye to becoming a rotten and desolate fruit that he will judge and hold in contempt until she throws herself at the mercy of our Lord.
America likewise has become much the same way.
We still have many people today that are true believers of God, but far from what it used to be.
Its true that at one time America was much much closer to God than perhaps any other nation on earth.
But now its sad to say we have mostly abandoned Him, He has blessed us and we have in turn taken him out of our schools, our homes, and our public places of assembly.
We slink along and watch helplessly as Satan ravages our land and we ask why?
America has fell into the pit of iniquity, actually what is taking place is our nation is
Standing in our own rebellious ignorance, like a small child that refuses to come to its parents. We are lost. Many have religion, but are religiously lost.
Let Us See Israel’s Plea for Reconciliation
· vs.1-3 1Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 3Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:
When the realization that all else has abandoned her settles in, where does Israel turn? She understands through all the faults of her own drifting that;
A. Distance from God is Destructive.
There is a loss of strength morally and materially because of spiritual neglect.
Israel had lowered their standards, abandoned the truth, and fallen flat on their faces amidst the lies of Satan himself.
Let us examine ourselves personally before God.
Notice Israel’s cry is not let them, let he, let she, or let those; it is personal let us return to the Lord.
So let me say, let us today who have separated, and severed our relationship with God.
It begins with me, myself, and I, let us, because I am the one who strayed, who has caused the agony that the Lord Jesus went through.
There within the cry of Israel lay a confession of her sinful deeds.
A realization of where she was and how she stood before God.
God comes when we have exhausted ourselves with matters that do not satisfy and do not cure. When we have reached the lowest point in self-assurance, God comes to assist us.
Many times if you try to help an animal in danger, it’ll claw, bite, and scratch you if you get to close. Some time you just have to wait until it wears its self out.
Israel has come to the wise decision in vs.2 that only God can help them in their struggle.
Psalm 30:5 5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
GOD always seeks to bring his children back into the fold. Through his chastisement, we FIND ourselves in total dependence on something far more reliable than our selves.
. vs. 3 Then shall we know. Israel felt that they would know where they stood with God. They believed themselves capable of returning from the abyss of wickedness.
God sees the temporary bandage that Israel is trying to apply. 4
God’s true desire is that we worship Him. Not ourselves,that we cling to him, and trust him.
