1. Introductory
Hosea 11 is probably one of the most touching
melodious descriptions of this kind of love in the Bible,
but not of any love,
Divine love,
love that God has for you and me
Hosea 11 is a declaration of love;
such as a parent for his child,
as a betrohed for his intended,
as a husband for his wife,
love,
Biblical love,
true love,
and how wonderful isn’t it to hear about love
and about God’s love,
in a world that is suffering from a lack of love,
a loveless world,
2. Man rejects God’s love
2.1 It starts with rejection
But when we talk about God’s love, it is impossible not to start
with the opposite of love,
namely rejection,
without an understanding of what rejection is, one will never understand
love,
in any case not God’s love,
“Rejection”!!!
You know what it is,
you know it,
it is throwing away,
it is shoving aside,
it is not having anything to do with someone,
you turn your back,
you distance yourself,
rejection!!!
Is probably the essential sin of man, is that he rejects,
man rejects his children,
man rejects his parents,
man rejects his husband,
man rejects his wife, then, certainly the worst of all, man rejects God!!!
2.2 God’s people reject Him
this is what the first four verses of Hosea 11 tell us,
Israel rejected God,
we read in verse 2 that it is written:
“As they called them, so they went, went from them; they sacrificed
unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.”
reject,
the people of Israel “rejected” God, it reads,
it is actually what rejection is, to leave,
to leave,
it is throwing away
it is pushing aside,
it is having nothing to do with someone,
you turn your back,
you ignore,
in verse 3 God says that they did not want to “recognise” Him
any more,
recognise means that they no longer wanted to “know” Him,
rejection!!.
2.3 Go and seek love with the god of love
It is so ironical,
that in the rejection of God,
in the rejection of the true God
it is reached out to a god,
another god,
the false god Baal is mentioned in verse 2,
and do you know who is the god of Baal?
it was the false god of love,
touching, that man rejects the true God of love,
to reach out to the false god of love,
and they bring him sacrifices,
and they bow before Baal, and plead for his love,
you are then the god of love Baal,
give it to us,
we need your love so much,
and the sacrifices to the god of love emerge
one after the other,
we love you, Baal,
and God who truly loves them,
the God, who taught them to walk,
the God who carried them in his arms (v.3): they reject Him,
the God of love who led then with care and love,
the God of love who lifted the yoke off their jaws (v.4): they reject
Him,
and they go and seek their god of love, Baal,
how does man understand this?
How can man understand this,
to exchange true love for false love,
what is wrong with Israel?,
you are then God’s beloved son?,
come back!
convert yourselves!,
Abandom Baal,
it’s false,
but God’s people did not want to (v.5),
3. God rejects those who reject Him
3.1 What does God do?
What now?
what is God’s reaction to this rejection?
simple: rejection!
Man’s rejection of God leads to God’s rejection of man,
when we read in Hosea 9:17 that it is written:
and God’s rejection leads to nothing but death,
God is a jealous God (Ex 20)
you know that love is a strong emotion,
but definitely far more
is the anger that develops because love is being rejected,
in verses 5 to 6 we read about this anger,
God’s anger!,
We read that the people are immersed in war,
they are “devastated”,
“exterminated”,
“consumed”,
they are being “hanged”????????? ?????????????? ??? ???? ?????????????? ??? ???????????????? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ??????????? ?????????????? ? ?????? ?? ????? ????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ??????????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ??????????????? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???????????????????? ?????????????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????????????? ??? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???????????????????????????? ? ???????? ???? ???? ?????????????? ??????????????? ???? ?? ??? ??????????????? ??????? ?? ???????????? ?? ????? ?? ??????????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??????????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?????????????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ??????????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???????????????? ??? ????? ??? ?????????????? ????????? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???????????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????????? ????? ?? ???????????? ??????????? ?? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ???????????? ????????? ????? ? ?????????????? ???? ????? ? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ? ??????? ?????????????? ??? ????? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ????????????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??????????????????????????????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???????????????? ???????????? ??? ??? ? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ?????????????? ????? ??? ?????????????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ??????????? ??????????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ???? ?? ????????????????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????????????????? ??????????????? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ??????????? ????? ???? ???????????? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?????????????? ???? ????? ? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ? ??????? ?????????????? ??? ????? ? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ????????????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ??????? ?????????????????? ????? ??????? ?? ? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ?????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????? ????????????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????????????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ??????????? ???? ?? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?????????????????????????????? ??? ????? ????? ??????????? ??????????? ?? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???????????????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???????????????????????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ?? ????????? ???? ???????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????????????????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ???????????? ??? ?? ????????????? ???? ?? ? ????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ??????????? ??????????? ???? ????????????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????????????????????????? ???? ???????????? ????????? ?? ??????????????????? ?? ??????????????? ?? ????????????? ?? ???????????? ??? ?? ????????????? ??????????? ?????? ?? Hosea were in the Assyrian exile,
so man is in hell,
and God should have left man there,
it is his punishment,
man has rejected God,
leave them in hell,
they belong there,
they have chosen to be there,
5.2 Man is nothing
you know we read in John 3 of the cosmos,
sinful man,
man who rejects God is nothing,
Isaiah says:
man is nothing,
a article of dust in the cosmos,
a drop,
God could forget man
he has deserved it,
as you forget about the particle of dust on your shoe,
as you forget about the drop of water on the tap,
the cosmos and man could go into eternity,
without God,
But then the Trinity calls out:
“God the Father: But how can I give you up?,
God the Son: How can I reject you?,
God the Holy Ghost: How can I destroy you?,
“Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled
tohether”,
You are a particle of dust, but I love you,
You are a drop, but My love burns for you,
and Jesus Christ becomes man,
Christmas,
he becomes man,
to bear man’s punishment on the cross!.
The punishment that you and I should have borne in hell,
He bore for me,
throughout his whole life to and with the cross,
5.3 Fly back!
In God we are free:
In Jesus Christ Hosea 11:10-11 becomes divine music for us,
“They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he
shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land
of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord”.
6. WE MUST ALSO LEARN TO LOVE
6.1 Love for God
If God declares his love for us this morning,
if he declares that he does not give us up,
does not sacrifice, does not destroy,
does not reject us,
then he asks the same from us,
we should not give him up,
we should not sacrifice him,
we should not destroy his image,
no, we should not reject him,
We reject God through unbelief, by disdaining his commandments!
6.2 Love for our fellow-man (neighbour)
But God also asks us to love our fellow-men.
How easily we reject our fellow-men: my wife,
how easily we sacrifice our fellow-men: my husband,
how easily we destroy our fellow-men,
we reject our fellow-men!
Contrary to giving up,
rejecting, destroying
God asks, that we should love them.
Our love should burn for our fellow-men, as God’s love for us burns.
I know,
we stumble,
we fail, we struggle,
We are so inclined to hate,
But we can love through Christ who gives us the strength.
We can love because the Holy Spirit works in us.
6.3 The practicals of love
You ask how in practice?
How should one love,
A learned man once said,
look what God gives man in his love,
A man,
the Man,
Jesus Christ,
Look at Jesus Christ,
He has a heart,
a will,
reason,
eyes,
a mouth,
and hands.
This is what love is,
to give yourself, as man,
6.3.1 Heart
Love is concerned with your heart: Love starts with the heart.
The heart of him that loves, is not so filled with himself and his own
things,
that there is no room for someone else.
6.3.2 Will
Love is concerned with the will: love is not merely a feeling and if there
is no feeling,there is no love.
No, you must want to love.
It is a deed of will.
6.3.3 Reason
Love is concerned with reason: Love is not irrational.,
Love thinks,
it plans,
love without reasons flows into disorderly and ineffective acts,
love without reason-knowledge deteriorates into emotional malformation.
6.3.4 Eyes
Love is concerned with eyes:
It means that we may not look past others and pretend that the other
person does not exist,
Who only notices himself,
but is blind for others, cannot love,
Love means that you must let yourself see (be seen?)
don’t reserve yourself,
True love does not only see the physical,
it also sees the spiritual,
6.3.5 Ear?????? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ????????????? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???????????????? ????? ??????????????????????????????? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ???????????? ?????? ???????????????????????? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?? ?? ??????????????????????????????? ???????????? ????? ? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????????????????????????????????????????? ????? ??? ????????????????? ??? ? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?????????? ??? ? ?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ? ??????? ??? ?? ?????????????????? ??????? ??? ????????????? ??????????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????????????????????????????????????????
