Intro:
1. Charles Stanley, “It is as though we have told the Lord, “Yes Lord, I am willing to be married to You, as long as, I can hide the marriage license, so at any time I choose to be faithful I’ll do it.” But when you commit yourself to Jesus Christ, you are to forfeit your rights. What right do you have to reserve any part of yourself from Him – your possessions, your energy, your time. If He is the God of the universe and your God, how can you rebel against His authority over your life?”
2. Israel, like the Church, was married to God and to give Him anything less than a loyal heart is to commit spiritual adultery.
3. Spiritual Adultery brings Temporary Misery.
I. First, Revelation of Spiritual Adultery’s Misery. 1:1-9
Hosea 1:1-9 (NKJV)
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD."
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 Then the LORD said to him: "Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 It shall come to pass in that day That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."
6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away.
7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen."
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.
9 Then God said: "Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.
A. The Principle. 1:1-2
Word of the Lord came to Hosea…when the Lord began to speak by Hosea – God must first speak to us, before He can speak through us. When the Disciples feed the 5,000 plus, they had to first get the bread from Jesus.
The Principle is simple: If we want God to work through us, we must first allow Him to do a work in us.
B. The Example.
Wiersbe, “Here we meet a bit of a problem not many Bible students agree on the kind of woman Hosea married. Hosea either married a pure woman, who later became a prostitute or he married a prostitute who bore him three children.
Since the Jews were idolatrous from the beginning (Josh. 24:2-3), it seems likely that Gomer would have to be a prostitute when she married Hosea; for this would best symbolize Israel’s relationship to the Lord.”
C. The Loyal. 3
What if God told you to marry not only a prostitute but one who you knew would be unfaithful to you! God often asks us to do things that do not make sense to us. Can you imagine Abraham being commanded to offer up his only son Isaac?
“Did you notice Abraham’s response? Availability. Submissiveness. Obedience. No complaint. No question. No rationalization. No argumentation. No asking of “why?”
Are you committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, understanding that His Lordship means that you acknowledge His right to have final authority in all your life’s decisions? Is He truly Lord in your life?...
He could have said, “Surely there is something amiss Lord. After all, You promised that my seed would multiply. Kill my only son, the son You promised? That doesn’t make sense.” That’s probably what I would have said to God, but Abraham did not. There was not one questioning note about him. He did as he was commanded without a mumbling word.
You see, you cannot logically figure God out. He often does what seems unreasonable. Of course, today God will not tell you to kill your son, and God spared Abraham’s son. There are many voice which are not His voice. Any word, any voice, any message you receive, regardless of who delivers it, that tells you to violate even one principle of God’s Holy Word is straight from hell, from the devil, from Satan himself. It is Satan’s lie, and do not listen to it.” [Charles Stanley]
But the point remains, if we have to understand in order to obey, we will not get far with God. He of “passes all understanding” (Phi.4:7); surpasses “knowledge” (Eph.3:19); and while we know that all things ultimately work for our God (Rom.8:28), we do not know how all things will work out for good. Rom. 11:33/ 2 Pet. 3:16
Knee, “The Bible says, “You have been appointed by the Holy One, and you know…”
(I Jn. 2:20,27). The renewed man’s spirit knows, while his soulish mind, understands. Strictly speaking the mind can merely “understand” it can never know. Knowing is the work of the Holy Spirits illumination, understanding is the task of the mind. When God illuminates our mind may still fail to understand that the meaning of it all. In spiritual matters, it is possible for us to know, without understanding.”
D. The Awful. 4-9
1. They would be Deported. Jezreel means “God scatters.” 4-5
2. They would get what they Deserved.
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve, so no mercy means that they would get what they did deserve.
3. They would be temporarily Disowned. 8-9
It is an awful thing when God’s people commit spiritual adultery!
James 4:4-10 (MSG)
4 You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.
5 And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover."
6 And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble."
7 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.
8 Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field.
9 Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious.
10 Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
Chuck Templeton use to be a household word among Christians in the 50s and 60s. He was as famous as his good friend Billy Graham. But then he left evangelism, renounced his walk with God and went out seeking fame and fortune – he found it!
Lee Stroble interviewed him, then 83, declining in health, at first he tried to justify his rejection of Christ. The he was asked point blank, “How do you feel about Jesus Christ? He got quiet, visible shaken, tears came down his face, and said, “In my view He is the most important human being who has ever existed.” Then his voice cracked and he could barely get the words out, “I miss Him…”
It is an awful thing to live in rebellion against God – and we all have known the experience!
II. Furthermore, the Restoration shows Adultery is only Temporary. 1:10-2:1
Hosea 1:10-11 (NKJV)
10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There it shall be said to them, 'You are sons of the living God.'
11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!
Hosea 2:1 (NKJV)
1 Say to your brethren, 'My people,' And to your sisters, 'Mercy is shown.'
A. He would bring them back into the Family. 1:10
Once saved always saved! It is true there are a lot of people hiding behind that who have not been once saved – but if we have ever been saved, we are still saved!
2 Timothy 2:13 (NKJV)
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
B. There would be Unity again between Israel and Judah. 1:11
C. There would be Mercy. 2:1
James 2:13 (NKJV)
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Israel is a great picture of God’s infinite faithfulness, in spite of finite man’s unfaithfulness.
Romans 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?
2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.
3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?
4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged."
Romans 5:20 (NKJV)
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
This does not mean that we cannot lose rewards, but the believers future is a secure as God Himself!
Con:
1. Spiritual Adultery always brings temporary Misery.
2. Let’s close with the wise words of Charles Spurgeon.
Observe, dear friends, that the confession which this poor soul makes of folly is one which is sustained by the best of reasons. She says, "Then was it better with me than now." Let us see whether this is not true with you. Well, backslider, what have you gained by it after all?
Have you gained anything more comfortable than the light of your Father's face. You once could say, "Abba, Father !" you rejoiced to know that God was at peace with you; you were reconciled to him by the death of his Son. Now God is angry with you, your fears tell you that he has forgotten to be gracious. What can make up for this loss?
When God lights a candle, what brightness is in the room; but when God's candle is gone, where is the sun, and where the moon? They give no light to you. Before, when you were in your right senses, you had the privilege of going to the throne of grace, you could tell your wants before God, and spread your sorrows there, but you have no throne of grace to go to now. Why, you scarcely dare pray. As for your friends, you would not like to tell them your troubles. Poor prodigal, what sorry friends are those who waited on you in your days of wealth; they sat with their legs under your mahogany, and drank your wine while you had any-but you know that you would be a fool to expect any help from them, now that you need it. Your lovers have forsaken you, and those who once were so kind-where is their love now? Do I see one among you who has been cast off by her companion in sin and shame! Ah, woman! Poor wretched woman! hast thou been made to feel that smart so common to those who sin as thou hast done, cast into the street by him who first decoyed thee by his fair promises of love? Thy case is but one of many, and there be thousands who find that the world knows not what faithfulness means; first sin deludes, deceives, and pretends to love, and then afterwards it casts off its victims, Ah! you had a Father's house to go to, and a Father's mercy to plead; but you have not it now: it was better with you then than now. And then, you had God's promises to fall back upon. If you had any trouble you opened your Bible, and there was a passage to cheer you; when you had losses, the cheering words exactly met your case; but now that Book is full of fire, it flashes lightning upon you as you read it, there is not a promise there which smiles on you; your fears whisper that the treasury of God is shut against you. Once you had communion with Christ Jesus-ah! now I touch a tender string-you did sit at the banqueting table of Christ; unless you were awfully deceived and a gross hypocrite, you could say, "He hath kissed me with the kisses of his mouth." After this, how couldst thou go to the door of that deceiver Madame Wanton! How is this? O soul, if thou hast ever known the love of Christ, I am sure thou wilt say, "It was better with me then than now." What can the world afford you comparable to fellowship with Jesus? One hour upon his bosom is worth ten thousand years in the palaces and courts of the world's wealth and royalty, and you know that it is so. There is no room to entertain a comparison for a moment.
"What peaceful hours you once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still,
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill."
O that your repentance, fixed upon such reasons as these, may be deep! may you make a confession of your extreme folly, and now fall down before God and find mercy!
Spurgeon's Collected Sermons (Met. Tabern. Pul.) - – Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.
Johnny Palmer Jr.
www.strugglingthruscriptures.ning.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/strugglingthruscriptures
