RECONNECT WITH GOD: He Calls
Hosea 11:1-11
Introduction
The reason we all need encouragement to reconnect with God is the disconnect of sin. We do not see sin the way God does. Our attitudes toward sin:
-Some Deny it - there is nothing wrong.
-Some mock it - make fun of it, as if it were a joke.
-Some minimize it - not really a big deal.
-Some put off dealing with their sin for another day.
-Some recognize it and repent genuinely.
-We probably wear all of those attitudes at some point.
The Bible tells us that God sees sin as an insult to His holiness, a rejection of His righteousness, and intolerable to his presence. Hosea gives us a description of God’s view of sin and redemption.
A little background to Hosea.
It is the first book in the collection called the Minor Prophets. Hosea makes a major contribution to the message of hope and comfort… “telling in unforgettable imagery of God’s love which will not let God’s people go.” (Limburg) The theme of Israel’s unfaithfulness, punishment to come, and the healing love of God. (“I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely….” 14:4). Hosea was called while still young. He lived his life in Israel, the Northern Kingdom. “Because of his own heart-wrenching experiences with his family, Hosea is able to describe the anguish in the heart of God like no other prophet. Abraham Heschel said, ‘Amos dwells on what God has done … Hosea dwells on what God has felt for Israel.” (Limburg)
That’s what makes today’s message one that speaks to the heart - an expression of how God saw Israel and His unrelenting love.“This chapter is one of the boldest in the Old Testament - indeed in the whole Bible - in exposing us to the mind and heart of God in human terms.” (Kidner). God calls to us as a Father calls to his children - in this case - a broken hearted father.
1. God is the Father who Loves his disobedient children.
It’s a long and often ugly story. (Hosea 11:1,2 When Israel was a child, I loved him…But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me…) “We may hesitate in case we read too much into the words. But our chief danger is in reading too little from it…” (Kidner) Romans 8:15-16 "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"
2. God is the Father who Delivers
11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”
God reminds them of the deliverance from slavery in Egypt -an Exodus of deliverance from bondage into relationship with the Father. Matthew quotes this passage (MT 2:15) in speaking of Jesus escaping the murderous decree of Herod. God is still delivering us from our sins when we turn to him in faith, repentance, and baptism, seeking holiness and strength from Him.
3. God is the Father who Heals
11:3 “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.”
The one great disease we all share is within, the sin that is often rooted in our hearts. Through the blood of Jesus we continue to find the Great Physician healing the broken places. Mark 2:17 “Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
4. God is the Father who Leads
11:4a “I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.”
Isaiah 64:8 "Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Following God’s lead is the crucial element of discipleship. 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
5. God is the Father who Cares
11:4b “To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”
What a beautiful picture of the condescension of God. “Every detail of this pampering drives home the extraordinary graciousness that Israel has experienced, far beyond anything that she had any right to expect…” (Kidner)
Psalm 8:3-4 "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
6. God is the Father of Compassion & Mercy
11:8b-9 “… My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man - the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities.”
“…one of the most deeply emotional passages in the book…” (Hailey)
Galatians 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
7. God is the Father who Calls us to Himself
11:10-11 They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.”
“This word is a ray of hope to be realized under the Messiah, through whom they would be called by the gospel of peace and protection in Him. In fulfilling this prediction Hoseas’s earlier predictions will be fulfilled….They will have come to Spiritual Zion (Heb 12:22-28), to a heavenly fatherland (Phil. 3:20)” (Hailey)
Galatians 4:6-7 "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So, you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”
Conclusion
In spite of all of this, Israel continues to sacrifice to the Baals, refuse to repent (5) and even though they call out, they continue their rejection of God. (11:7 … For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me.”
Our father God is calling out to us.
What is He calling you OUT of?
What is He calling you INTO?
What is He calling you TOWARD?
What difference does it make if when He calls you do not hear?
There is a God who has been broken-hearted over your choices but He reaches beyond that hurt to the love that’s been there all along. No matter how deeply you have crawled into the pit of shame and godless living, this doesn’t have to be the end of your story. If you’ve never known God as brokenhearted, it’s only because you haven’t seen sin through God’s eyes. What breaks God’s heart is how our own sin destroys our lives and brings us heartache and sorrow.
1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
Three Encouragements for You This Morning:
-Hear the heart of God for you Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”
-Reconnect with the Father who cares for you.
-Pray for the Compassion of God to be demonstrated in your life.
Galatians 3:26-27 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
___________________
To receive sermon notes in your email inbox, subscribe here:
https://forsythesermons.substack.com/
To receive emails from John Dobbs on topics of faith, books, photography, and miscellany:
https://johndobbs.substack.com/
To watch videos of sermons from Forsythe Church of Christ:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
Our church website is http://facoc.org
___________________
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways can you relate to the imagery of a parent's love for a child in this chapter?
2. It is easy to fall into the trap of viewing our sins lightly. How can we maintain the proper view of our own sin?
3. If we believe in grace and forgiveness, why does disobedience matter?
4. Explore the emotions expressed by God in Hosea 11. How does the imagery of God's compassion and longing impact your understanding of Him? In what ways do you feel God's compassion and longing for you personally?
5. Why do you think some people find it hard to believe that God forgives so completely?
6. When feeling guilt over past sins, what are some strategies to help you remember God's complete forgiveness and love?
7. In what ways do we experience God’s calling in our lives? How can we position ourselves to be people who both hear and obey God’s call?
8. Hosea 11:9 emphasizes God's unchanging nature. How does this attribute of God bring comfort and assurance to believers? In what areas of your life do you need to rely on the unchanging nature of God?
Resources
Hailey, Homer. A Commentary on the Minor Prophets. Baker, 1972.
Kidner, Derek. The Message of Hosea: Love to the Loveless. InterVarsity Press: 1981.
Limburg, James. Interpretation, Hosea - Micah. John Knox Press, 1988
