Repentance Will Bring Salvation!

The Lord was willing to be a loving husband to an unfaithful wife (ch. 1–3) and a dedicated father to a rebellious son (ch. 11). Hosea described how the people had turned away from God, how they stop loving and being faithful to Him, their religion had become a religion of words and ceremonies, with no affect on them whatsoever. They worshipped God with their mouths, but not with their hearts (ch 8.11)

This last chapter of this book revolves around one word, “turn”.

When people turn to God, God in return will turn to them.

The Interesting factor that God is taking the first step in showing people that we need to turn in order to be able to experience Him and enjoy Him.

Through the prophet Hosea, God is asking them to say 7 things:

1) “Forgive us” v2

Forgive all our sins!

a) A turning to God will inevitably show us how much sinful we are. Oh Lord forgive us, is our cry! Isaiah when saw the vision of the Lord, was convicted of his sin (Is 6.5).

b) We need to understand that sin is serious; sin separate us from God and keeps us away from Him (Ro 3.23);

c) Sin is destructive; it robs us of God and robs God of us (Ro 6.23).

d) Forgiveness restores us; purify us; makes us acceptable (1 Jo 1.9). Jesus sacrifice on the cross makes it possible (1 Jo 2.1-2).

2) “Receive us” v2

Receive us graciously!

a) There is nothing we can do to be received and accepted by God;

b) It is by His grace that we are received, through faith (Eph 2.8);

c) Faith is free, but it cost Jesus’ life. A price had to be paid for the way to be open.

d) We are received when we come through Jesus (Jo 14.6), because it is in Him that we meet God.

Turning Point:

Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may...

3) “offer the fruit of our lips” v2

...that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

a) Instead of offering God mere lip service, here we see a desire to do what is right.

b) An offering that is based on what God has done for us; He forgave us and received us;

c) This offering is not based on anything that we can bring; but on obedience of Him. It is better to obey than sacrifice (Ho 6.6).

4) “Assyria cannot save us” v3

a) Assyria represented international alliances forged in the last days of Northern Israel (Ho 5.13). That dependence on foreign armies weakens people’s trust of the Lord.

b) There is security in the Lord and in His power alone. Paul said to the Ephesians 6.10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power”.

5) “we will not mount war horses” v3

a) They will not trust in their military might and politics, which the people saw as the means to their survival.

b) Our trust is in God alone, David said “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God”. He is a very clear example of what is to trust in God than in the power of men (David and Goliath story).

c) We trust in the name of our Lord!

6) “we will never call idols gods” v3

We will never say again “Our gods” to what our own hands have made...

a) When God’s people called the work of their hands as god, they put their dependence on what could not save them.

b) What are you putting your dependence today? Money, job, position or status?

7) “the Lord cares for the fatherless” v3

…for in you the fatherless find compassion.

a) The central message of God through Hosea is that God’s people was like an orphan, but an orphan who had a Father who wanted him back.

b) Father-Son metaphor is used in ch 11 v1 ““When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son”. God has compassion for His people and wants them back. The root for the word compassion in Hebrew is “womb” , showing the compassion and love that God has for His people is like the love of a mother to her child still in the womb.

c) If you feel far from God today, guess who has moved? Many times we wander away from God; God is ready to receive those who in repentance come back to Him, asking for His forgiveness. He is ready to receive them and to call them His children.

Turning Point:

God’s response to the turning of His people is to turn to them in blessing and is also sevenfold: