Hosea 10 v. 1 - 15
v. 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."
Love Revealed in the:-
1. CHALLENGE OF GOD - ch 10 v. 1 "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images."
She had:-
(a) Material Prosperity - v. 1 "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images."
(b) Idolatrous Profanity - v. 1 "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images"
(c) Spiritual Poverty - "an empty vine" Note
Hosea 4 v 1 "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land."
Theirs was a lack of:-
(1) Truth i.e. "emeth" - in all aspects of life
(2) Love - "nor mercy" - i.e. concern for our fellow man - Rescue Mission
(3) Knowledge - "yada" - i.e. heart knowledge of God i.e. true experience of him
2. CHASTENING OF GOD - v. 2 "Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images."
Hosea 5 v. 14 "For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him."
Hosea 6 v. 1 "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."
Note:-
(a) The Rigour of his Chastening - "I, even I, will tear and go away"
(b) The Resolve of his Chastening - v. 15 "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early."
(c) The Result of his Chastening - v. 15 " will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early."
(d) The Reason for his Chastening - ch 6 v. 1 "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."- shepherd & sheep - broken leg - stop straying
3. CHARGE OF GOD - v. 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." Note:-
(a) The Possibility of Salvation - "sow to yourselves" -
They:- may change - its possible, might change, they must change
(b) The Preparation for Salvation - "break up your fallow ground"
There must be:-
(1) A Sorrowing for Sin
(2) A Softening of Heart
(3) A Separation to God
(4) A Seeking of Help
(c) The Priority in Salvation "For it is time to seek the Lord" God's Alarm Clock -
IT IS TIME:-
(1) To Wake Up - Romans 13 v. 11 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."
Vance Havener - train - signs of times - "if someone wrote it in a book, nobody would believe it - Dr. Someone has written it in a book and nobody believes it" -
"Now it is high time to awake out of sleep"
(2) To Face Up - 1 Peter 4 v. 17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" "judgement must begin at the house of God"
Face up to our debts, our disciplines, and our duties
There is a judgement of correction (church), of condemnation (disobedient)
(3) To Sober Up - 1 Corinthians 7 v. 29 & 30 "But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;"
Note:-
(a) Our families don't come first - v. 29 "But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;"
(b) Our burdens don't come first v. 30 "And they that weep, as though they wept not; "
(c) Our happiness doesn't come first - v. 30 " and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not;
(d) Our possessions don't come first - v. 30 "and they that buy, as though they possessed not;"
(e) The Lord comes first - "the time is short"
(4) To Look Up Hosea 10 v 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." Because of:-
(a) Life's Brevity - James 4 v. 14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."
(b) Death's Certainity - Hebrews 9 v. 27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
(c) World's Apostacy - 2 Timothy 4 v. 3 & 4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
(d) Soul's Eternity - Luke 16 v. 23 "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
(e) Christ's Expectancy - Revelation 22 v. 20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
4. THE CHANGE OF GOD v 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."
(d) The Power of Salvation -
He brings:-
(1) Pardon
(2) Peace
(3) Purpose
(5) Provision
(6) Promise of life eternal
Isaiah 55 v. 6 & 7 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
