An aged Indian wandered into one of our Western settlements, begging for food to keep him from starving. A bright colored ribbon, from which was suspended a small dirty pouch was seen around his neck. On being questioned, he said it was a charm given him in his younger days; and opening it, displayed a faded greasy paper, which he handed to the interrogator for inspection. It proved to be a regular discharge from the federal army, entitling him to a pension for life, and signed by General Washington himself. Here was a name that would be honored almost anywhere, and which, if presented in the right place, would have insured him support and plenty for the remainder of his days; and yet he wandered about hungry helpless and forlorn, begging of the charitable bread to keep him from famishing. What a picture of men with all the promises of Jesus Christ in their hands – and of Christians, as well, with the character of their inheritance in full possession – yet starving in the wilderness!
I want to preach a sermon I have entitled “Biting the hand”.
Hosea 13:4-8
4 "Yet I am the LORD your God Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no Savior besides Me. 5 I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought. 6 When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me. 7 "So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk; 8 I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them.
1st Point: The help of God
1. Recounting the history of the children of God out of Egypt
a. Egypt when referred to in our lives is considered slavery to sin, a type of sin (our lives have notably been enslaved by)
b. Alcohol
c. Pornography
d. Lying
e. Gossip
f. Bitterness
g. greed
2. God helped them like he helped us
a. Through salvation in Jesus (we have a Savior, salvation is something God does) When removed from Egypt it was something God did
b. Setting someone free to make you safe, set free from addiction, habits, etc.
3. The testimonies of some here this morning
a. Being saved from emotional breakdowns, anger, bitterness
b. V.5 our scripture speaks of the wilderness (beloved barrenness)
c. Simply speaking of the seasons of life (we simply forget that we can come across some negative circumstances, a season of drought/famine/struggles/differences. We come to God that way and we are in our wilderness yet we forget that in our scripture that God’s people were originally in the will of God while in the wilderness. In bringing it to the church this morning our wilderness can be from bad decisions. In that we could complain and murmur, and forget what God did for us in the first place.
Psalms 78:10
They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,
Psalms 78:18
And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.
4. “The consequence of bad decisions”
(V.5) Hosea 13:5
I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought.
a. Beloved in the land of great drought things do not work out
b. Even in all this we can see the hand of God
c. God stepped into their lives and helped them, 6 When they had pasture, they were filled;
d. We read here of God supplying their needs, food, water, direction, the bible says that not even their shoes wore out (40 years) De 32:10 "He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. They obtained houses they didn’t build, crops they didn’t plant.
e. The truth is when God enters our lives things do get better. We have two types of blessing the first one is the gradual blessing/redemption and lift
1. God raises us from our former state
2. We begin to have a right mind/we could actually keep a job.
A. Sudden blessing
1. Gift inheritance
2. Miracle intervention
2nd Point “Human tendency”
History goes on to record some dangerous human tendency.
1. Blessing has potential to change your viewpoint (V.6) 6 When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me. The bible describes the arena of pride, this gives us an incorrect view of ourselves.
De 8:16-17
"Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end- 17 "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'
2. The outflow of blessing can cause the human tendency to forget. (refer to v.6) 6 When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.
De 8:11
"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,
3. Forgetting is the characteristic of ingratitude, un-thankfulness.
a. There is a signal of refusing to acknowledge the gift of God.
Let’s think of the ten lepers, only one returned to give thanks.
Romans 1:21
because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
A. The context is Baal worship or the worship of images, idolatry.
1. Forgetting is connected to idolatry in Romans they forgot God and worshipped the creation rather than the creator.
Judges 8:27
Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there.
2. Idols demand service
Matthew 6:24
you cannot serve both God and mammon
a. What we do with our time/service/money is now determined by blessing not by God
b. Beloved God will not tolerate idolatry
(v.7-8)
7 "So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk; 8 I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them
1. What did God do before they forgot Him? He blessed them. But now that they forgot Him He says this.
a. I am not going to help you anymore, let your idols help you.
b. He allows the reality of life to dawn on us.
c. He allows them to be attacked by enemies stronger than themselves.
d. In other words beloved the hedge of protection has been forfeited due to forgetfulness.
2. A. Financial realities become discovered (idols don’t bless faithfulness)
Sickness cannot be cured (idols don’t bring any help or recovery)
Marriage failure (idolatry is about self, marriage is about sacrifice)
3rd point: Responsibility to blessing
Hosea 13:9-10
9 "O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me. 10 I will be your King;
A. The answer to forgetting is remembering
De 8:18
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
a. Remember: to make a mark to recognize, pay attention to.
2. God intends our relationship to be with Him and Him only with truth and gratitude and sincerity
a. In other-words it is not a ritual in things you are to do but something you think with your mind
3. What was built into the Jewish way is that they were to think of God
a. Feast that was rehearsed
1. Passover
2. Tabernacles, these were sheds of shelter that were built over their homes to remind them of the protection of God.
b. De 26:10
10 'and now, behold, I have brought the first-fruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me.' Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God.
A. First fruits/rehears your history
a. I was a slave to sin
b. God delivered me from slavery
c. I still recognize the good things I have
d. God gave it to me and it was not anything I have done with my own hands.
B. We need to deliberately live in such a way , choosing to remember God in what He has done.
Ps 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
1. Prayer/worship/giving/testimony
Ps 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
C. I want us to look at what this attitude of remembering does for us.
1. Provides protection for your heart that has been guarded by gratitude.
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
a. This will determine whether God will continue to bless you. We look at the servants with the talents and see the talents handed, what they were given. The faithful were given more.
As God has shown us what destruction we can bring upon ourselves He gives us a wonderful truth this morning and that is He wants to be our King and bless our lives.
1. Have you begun to take your salvation for granted?
2. Taking the blessing from God for granted?
3. Have you allowed your blessing to determine your decisions?
We should always remember who provided the blessing in the first place.
Let us remember this business man who honored and gave his all in worshipping his idol, see his idol was not able to help him get back what really mattered to him. But God can! God said I will be you King.
