Hosea

2015.10.06                                         Hosea 12

           The Love of God for Sinners

God´s unfailing love is the basis of our Redemption

This book is God´s self-revelation….. We know God because He has revealed himself to us…. First in His Word…. And then ultimately in the person of work of the Lord Jesus Christ…. He is the incarnate God… 

As we study the Prophesies of Hosea… We see God´s unfailing love for a wicked and rebellious people….  Hosea prophesies of coming judgment and pleads for genuine repentance….

We could outline Hosea by looking at God´s revelation of Himself as he pleads for repentance and reconciliation…The first 10 chapters focus on disobedience and coming Judgment… They display three aspects of His character….

1 God is Sovereign… Ch 1-3

2 God is Holy… Ch 4-7

3 Just… Ch 8-10

4 Loving….. Ch 11-14

These last 4 chapters focus on God´s Love…. Let´s start with v1…

Hosea 12: 1; 2                   NKJV slt 2000

1 “Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.

In the German Hosea 12 v1… is Hosea 11.. We looked at that verse last week…

Hosea 12: 2                  slt 2000

2 Ephraim nährt sich von Wind und läuft den ganzen Tag dem Ostwind nach; er wird täglich verlogener und gewalttätiger; ein Bündnis mit Assyrien wollen sie schließen, und Öl wird nach Ägypten gebracht.

In these next several verses… We see the deeply rooted deceit of Israel… They say that they love the Lord with their mouths but in fact they are rebels and idolaters…

v1a... Ephraim feeds on the wind… The idols and foreign alliances Israel trusts in are useless….  

v1b… Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried to Egypt… Instead of trusting in the LORD God of Israel… They trusted in deals and defense agreements with the surrounding heathen nations… How foolish for them to think that Assyria or Egypt was more powerful than the LORD…..

Hosea 12: 2-6; 3-7                   NKJV  slt2000

2 “The Lord also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him.

3  He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God.

4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us—

5 That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name.

6 So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.

Hosea 12: 3-7                     slt2000

3 Auch mit Juda hat der Herr einen Rechtsstreit, und er muß Jakob strafen entsprechend seinen Wegen, er wird ihm vergelten entsprechend seinen Taten.

4 Schon im Mutterschoß hielt er die Ferse seines Bruders, und in seiner Manneskraft kämpfte er mit Gott;

5 er kämpfte mit dem Engel und siegte, er weinte und flehte zu ihm; in Bethel hat er ihn gefunden, und dort hat Er mit uns geredet —

6 nämlich der Herr, der Gott der Heerscharen, dessen Gedenkname Herr ist.

7 So kehre nun um zu deinem Gott, halte fest an Liebe und Recht und hoffe stets auf deinen Gott!

The Lord says… Stop lying to yourselves… You are deceiving yourselves… You are not fooling me… And these things you do… will not do you any good… your only hope is to repent… Turn from your sin and rebellion… This heart felt plea for not only sinners but also the People of God to repent continues to this day… Turn with me to Romans 2…v4,5…

Romans 2: 4,5      NLT 

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2: 4,5        Neues Leben

4 Ist es dir gleichgültig, wie freundlich, geduldig und nachsichtig Gott mit dir ist? Siehst du nicht, wie Gottes Freundlichkeit dich zur Umkehr bewegen will?

5 Aber nein, du trägst selbst dazu bei, dass Gottes Zorn immer größer wird, weil du dich hartnäckig weigerst, auf deinem falschen Weg umzukehren. Denn am Tag des Gerichts wird Gott, der gerechte Richter über die ganze Welt,

v3a… He took his brother by the heel in the womb… Here, God looks back at the patriarch Jacob and how Israel in Hosea's day was just like their father Jacob in the days of Genesis… Hosea reminds them that Jacob was a deceiver and usurper… One who takes what he does not deserve… He was fighting with his brother in his mother´s womb… He stole his brother`s birthright… A crazy thing to do… Crazy to think that the Lord would bless such behavior…

In ancient Israel… a "heel-grabber" was a double-dealer, someone who achieved their goals through crafty and dishonest means… Car dealers come to mind… Through Hosea, God says, "That was Jacob then… and it is Israel now…

v3b… In his strength he struggled with God…The prophet recalls the struggle between Jacob and the Lord… Jacob refused to submit to God… He was determined to get all that he could get…. He was willing to cheat and deceive to get what he wanted… And yet he was never satisfied…

He struggled with his guilt and he lived in fear that he was going to get what he knew he deserved…. He expected His brother to kill him as he swore… He was tired of running… He was tired of living in fear out in a foreign land…

In desperation he finally cried out to the Lord… He was at the end of Himself… He could not do it any more…  so God demanded submission from him in a literal wrestling match…

This  struggle with God was the turning point for Jacob…

v4… He struggled with the Angel and prevailed… he wept, and sought favor from Him… Since this was a unique messenger from heaven… He is also appropriately described as an Angel of the LORD…

Inspired by the Holy Spirit… Hosea emphasizes two more details from the Genesis account…. First, he tells us that Jacob prevailed in the wrestling match… Second, he tells us that Jacob wept in the struggle…

How can it be said that Jacob prevailed? How could any man win a wrestling match with an Angel?

He prevailed in the only way anyone can when they struggle against God…. We prevail when we lose and know it… surrendering to God….

Why is it important to know that Jacob wept? Because it helps us understand how desperate and broken he was as he hung on the LORD… Finally he was in a battle that he could not win… He realizes that he has been fighting the Lord Himself… And now he weeps and pleads only for a blessing...

Remember he stole the last blessing… Now because of God´s mercy and unfailing love… He receives a blessing… Once again… he did not deserve it… But at least he did not steal it…

Genuine Repentance and tears were his path to God´s forgiveness and blessings…

v6a… So you, by the help of your God, return… Jacob came to the place where he knew God had beaten him… and all he could do was hang on to God…. and plead for a blessing… Through Hosea…. The Lord is pleading to them to repent like their father Jacob did…

6b… By the help of your God, return… reminds us that we cannot even repent and return to the LORD without His help... This shows how weak we are and how much we really depend on Him… Ezekiel 36… Eph ch 1 and 2…

Hosea 12: 7-11; 8-12   NKJV  slt 2000

7 “A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand; He loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’

9 “But I am the Lord your God, Ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed feast.

10 I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”

11 Though Gilead has idols— Surely they are vanity—

Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

Hosea 12: 8-12     slt 2000

8 Der Kanaaniter hat eine falsche Waage in der Hand, er übervorteilt gern.

9 Auch Ephraim spricht: »Ich bin doch reich geworden, ich habe mir ein Vermögen erworben; an all meinem Erwerb wird man mir kein Unrecht nachweisen können, das Sünde wäre!«

10 Ich aber, der Herr, bin dein Gott vom Land Ägypten her, ich werde dich wieder in Zelten wohnen lassen wie zur Zeit des [Laubhütten-]Festes.

11 Ich habe zu den Propheten geredet und viele Offenbarungen gegeben und durch die Propheten in Gleichnissen gelehrt.

12 Sind sie in Gilead nichtswürdig gewesen, so sollen sie zunichte werden; haben sie in Gilgal Stiere geopfert, so sollen auch ihre Altäre wie Steinhaufen auf den Furchen des Ackers werden!

I want to read verses 7 and 8 in the NLT…  

Hosea 12: 7,8; 8,9                     NLT   neues Leben

7 But no, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales— they love to cheat.

8 Israel boasts, “I am rich! I’ve made a fortune all by myself! No one has caught me cheating! My record is spotless!”

Hosea 12: 8,9                    Neues Leben

8 Israel ist wie ein Händler, der betrügt, indem er mit falschen Gewichten arbeitet. Er liebt es andere zu übervorteilen.

9 So sagt sich Israel: »Ich bin reich geworden, ich habe ein großes Vermögen angehäuft. Niemand kann mir nachsagen, dass ich meine Gewinne erschwindelt hätte. Mein Ruf ist untadelig!«

v7… cunning Canaanite… crafty merchants… because the Canaanites were well-known merchants and traders… Crafty and dishonest… I´m telling you the modern translations could say used car dealers here instead of Canaanites…

v8… Surely I have become rich… Hosea prophesied during a time of great prosperity… but spiritual and moral decadence in Israel… When things are good financially it is easier to lie to yourself and claim that you are blessed… Why sure…. You must be righteous… Look how God has blessed you!... No… God is patient…. But  God is not mocked… Gal 6: 7,8 We can fool the world… we can even fool each other sometimes… but God sees and he knows… All of this is a call to repentance from the heart…

v9… I will again make you dwell in tents… Though Israel enjoyed financial prosperity and fine homes… God's judgment would bring them into exile and humble tents again…. This judgment is certain… God has spoken by the prophets… Remember… Amos and Hosea and Micah and Isiah were all prophesying and calling for repentance during these years… yet they did not listen…. They refused to repent…

v11… Their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field… Pagan altars were built on the high places…  they were made of the finest materials they could afford… They added prestige and dignity to the pagan gods…. When God's judgment comes… all those altars will be brought low… so the only high places left will be the hills made by the plowman as he works and furrows the fields….

Hosea 12: 12-14,13-15     NKJV   slt 2000

12 Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.

13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him, And return his reproach upon him.

Hosea 12: 13-15        slt 2000

13 Als Jakob in das Gebiet von Aram floh, da diente Israel um eine Frau; um eine Frau hütete er [die Herde].

14 So hat der Herr durch einen Propheten Israel aus Ägypten heraufgeführt und es durch einen Propheten hüten lassen.

15 Ephraim hat ihn bitter gekränkt; Er wird seine Blutschuld auf ihn werfen, und sein Herr wird ihm seine Beschimpfung vergelten.

v12… Jacob fled to the country of Syria… The previous passage brought up the coming exile of Israel… and now Hosea makes a connection between the coming exile of Israel…. and the "exile" of Jacob when he fled from Esau to his uncle Laban in Syria….

v13,14… By a prophet he was preserved… therefore the Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him… Though God send prophets to Israel… they still rejected His word…. They provoked Him to anger most bitterly… so God will leave them in their guilt… and return the shame and reproach of Egypt's slavery upon them…

As always the goal of all of these things is to cause the Children of Israel to look at themselves and to repent from the heart…. This section about the unfailing love and patience of The LORD God…

2015.10.13                                           Hosea 13

             There is no Savoir besides me!

The theme of Hosea is the redeeming Love of God

The major truths of the prophesies of Hosea are;

1 God suffers when his people are unfaithful to Him…. He grieves…

2 God cannot and will not condone sin…. We can expect judgment and discipline…. Remember that The Lord´s goal is always our repentance and reconciliation…

3 God will never stop loving His own….. It is impossible that he would stop loving His own……

God the creator of the entire universe cares….. He pours out His unfailing love upon an unthankful and rebellious… He loves us even though we are unfaithful….. The scriptures warn us….. Grieve not the Holy Spirit…. This book shows us God´s Chesed…. His I´m never going to stop loving you nature….

Every call to repentance…. Every disaster…. Every discipline is God´s love Turning us and hedging us into His love by causing us to cry out to Him… God cares…. The God of the scriptures is totally unique in this…. The gods of the nations is not like The Lord our God….. The God of the Bible weeps for his people, yearns for them and acts independently to deliver them… Jeremiah 2:2, 13

Hosea 13: 1-3                             NKJV    slt 2000

1 When Ephraim spoke, trembling, He exalted himself in Israel; But when he offended through Baal worship, he died.

2 Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

3 Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud

And like the early dew that passes away, Like chaff blown off from a threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

Hosea 13:1-3                           slt 2000

1 Wenn Ephraim redete, herrschte Schrecken; groß stand er da in Israel; als er sich aber mit dem Baal versündigte, da starb er.

2 Und nun fahren sie fort zu sündigen und gießen sich Bildnisse aus ihrem Silber, Götzenbilder nach ihrer Erfindung, allesamt ein Machwerk von Künstlern; von ihnen sagen sie: »Die Menschen, die opfern, sollen die Kälber küssen!«

3 Darum werden sie sein wie eine Morgenwolke und wie der Tau, der früh vergeht, wie die Spreu, die von der Tenne verweht wird, und wie der Rauch aus dem Kamin!

v1… He exalted himself… But when he worshipped idols he signed his own death warrant… It was wrong for them to separate themselves from their brethren…. But even worse… They separated themselves from God by their Idolatry…

v2a… Now they sin more and more… They have already been called to repent for their Idolatry… But in their sin and rebellion they refused to repent… Saying… Look How the Lord is blessing us… Worshipping things that they have made with their own hands…

v2b… Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves…

Making and then bowing down to Idols… and Then kissing the work of their hands….  lying to themselves that these pieces of wood and gold are able to bless them and help them…    Sometimes Idolators  even sacrificed their children to an Idol and begged that lifeless nothing for help… Insanity…

v3… Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes… Because Israel trusted in themselves and in their idols… they could not survive… They would pass from the land like the early morning dew….

Hosea 13: 4-8                       NKJV 

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.

Hosea 13: 4-8                       slt2000

4 Ich aber bin der Herr, dein Gott, vom Land Ägypten her, und außer mir kennst du keinen Gott, und es gibt keinen Retter als mich allein!

5 Ich habe mich deiner angenommen in der Wüste, im dürren Land.

6 Als sie aber Weide fanden, wurden sie satt; und als sie satt wurden, überhob sich ihr Herz; darum vergaßen sie mich.

7 Da wurde ich gegen sie wie ein Löwe und lauerte wie ein Panther am Weg;

8 ich überfiel sie wie eine Bärin, der man die Jungen geraubt hat, und zerriß ihnen den Brustkasten und fraß sie dort wie ein Löwe; die wilden Tiere zerrissen sie.

v4…Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt…

God is by nature a Savior… A redeemer… He does not change… At the same time that Hosea was prophesying in the northern kingdom…. Micah was prophesying the same warnings and calls to repentance in The Southern kingdom…. Judah and Benjamin…etc……

The Lord says….. despite your sin and rebellion…. You have prostituted yourselves under every tree… Yet even now…. Because I do not change…. I continue to show you my unfailing love… And therefore you are not consumed… turn and repent…. Seek my face….. leave your sin and rebellion…. I will show mercy… God delights to show mercy… turn to Micah 7…v18…

Micah 7: 18,19                             NKJV  

18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.

19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities.You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7: 18,19                            slt 2000

18 Wer ist ein Gott wie du,5 der die Sünde vergibt und dem Überrest seines Erbteils die Übertretung erläßt, der seinen Zorn nicht allezeit festhält, sondern Lust an der Gnade hat?

19 Er wird sich wieder über uns erbarmen, unsere Missetaten bezwingen6. Ja, du wirst alle ihre Sünden in die Tiefe des Meeres werfen!

v18….. God delights to show mercy….

v19…He will have compassion on us…. He will subdue our iniquities… In the Hebrew…. This is a very interesting word… The word is Kabash…. We use this word in English…. It means to push under…. To trample under His feet…

The Urban dictionary of English says; Kabash… To end; to terminate; to kill off in a nonbiological sense; kind of like squashing from a position of strength and with moral certitude; to basically reverse a decision or situation with conviction.

Israel changed… They strayed away from the Lord… but the LORD God did not move away from them…  He is still the only God and   Savior… and His people will be left desolate when they leave Him…

Back to Hosea 13…v6…

v6… They were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot Me… It is a strange and terrible aspect of human nature that when times are good… we often forget God who has blessed us…. When times are bad we are often more likely to turn our hearts back to God…

At the end of the 20th Century, Americans were in a season of unprecedented prosperity. Yet statistics show that in the 1990s churchgoers gave a smallest percentage of their income in contributions since the Great Depression… Sadly, often when we are filled, then we find our hearts exalted, and soon we forget God... We rob the Lord our God… Mal 3:8-10…

v7… So I will be to them like a lion… When we neglect and ignore God as He blesses…we then will often face the chastening hand of God… It isn't because God hates us… but because we have demonstrated that we will only turn to Him when times are bad…

v8… "The three mentioned - lion, leopard, and bear - were all found in Israel…  They were violent and relentless with their prey…

Hosea 13: 9-11                       NKJV  slt 2000

9 “O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me.

10 I will be your King; Where is any other, That he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?

11 I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.

Hosea 13: 9-11                       NKJV  slt 2000

9 Das ist dein Verderben, Israel, daß du gegen mich, deine Hilfe, bist!

10 Wo ist denn nun dein König, daß er dir helfe in allen deinen Städten, und wo sind deine Richter? Denn du hast ja gesagt: »Gib mir einen König und Fürsten!«

11 Ich gab dir einen König in meinem Zorn und nahm ihn [wieder] weg in meinem Grimm!

v9… You are destroyed, but your help is from Me… Even when Israel feels the sting of God's chastening… they can still find help from the LORD…  if they will only repent and turn to Him... C. S. Lewis said this… The Hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men… Every discipline.. Every disaster is God callingus to repent and look to our only hope…. The Lord our God…. He is by nature a Savior… remember v4…

v4… For there is no savior besides Me.

v4… und es gibt keinen Retter als mich allein!

Look at verse 10 and 11…

v10,11… I will be your King… I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath…. God wanted to be recognized as the King of Israel… When they rejected the LORD as King… He gave them the kind of kings their hearts wanted and deserved… and then even took those kings as further judgment… v12…

Hosea 13:12-16                      NKJV

12 “The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is stored up.

13 The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, For he should not stay long where children are born.

14 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave;

I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come; The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.

16 Samaria is held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child ripped open.

Hosea 13:12-16                     slt 2000

12 Ephraims Schuld ist zusammengebunden, seine Sünde ist aufbewahrt.

13 Geburtswehen werden ihn ankommen; er ist ein unverständiges Kind; denn er stellt sich nicht zur rechten Zeit ein zur Geburt!

14 Ich will sie erlösen aus der Gewalt des Totenreichs, vom Tod will ich sie loskaufen. Tod, wo ist dein Verderben? Totenreich, wo ist dein Sieg? Doch der Trost ist vor meinen Augen verborgen.

15 Denn wenn er auch fruchtbar ist unter den Brüdern, so wird doch ein Ostwind kommen, ein Wind des Herrn von der Wüste herauf, so daß sein Brunnen vertrocknet und sein Quell versiegt. Er wird den Schatz aller kostbaren Geräte berauben.

Ch 14… v1…

1 Samaria muß es büßen; denn es hat sich gegen seinen Gott empört; durchs Schwert sollen sie fallen; ihre Kinder sollen zerschmettert und ihre Schwangeren aufgeschlitzt werden!

v13… The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him… Labor pains often come unexpectedly, are intense, and increase in their pain and duration. In the same way, judgment will come upon Israel.

v14… I will ransom them from the power of the grave… I will redeem them from death… The sin and judgment of Israel is great… but not greater than God's ability and power to redeem… He can even redeem… from death… so that death and the grave are mocked as defeated foes…

Paul quoted  Hosea 13:14 in describing our triumph over death in our sharing in the resurrection of Jesus… O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55… Our final ultimate redemption includes our forever with the LORD… Death has been defeated By the Lord Jesus…. Once for all…

16… Samaria is held guilty, for she has rebelled against her God… Soon Israel will be disciplined for their sin and rebellion against the Lord their God…  But as Hosea made these prophesies and pleas for the Children of Israel to repent It will still be decades before Judgment falls… Of course…  In the future… Israel will see the glory of God's redemption… and Praise the Lord forever and ever… Let´s pray…

2015.10.20                                            Hosea 14

The theme of Hosea is the redeeming Love of God

The major truths of the prophesies of Hosea are;

1 God suffers when his people are unfaithful to Him…. He grieves…

2 God cannot and will not condone sin…. We can expect judgment and discipline…. The goal is always our repentance and reconciliation…

3 God will never stop loving His own….. It is impossible that he would stop loving His own……

God the creator of the entire universe cares….. He pours out His unfailing love upon an unthankful and rebellious… He loves us even though we are unfaithful….. The scriptures warn us….. Grieve not the Holy Spirit…. This book shows us God´s Chesed…. His I´m never going to stop loving you nature….

Every call to repentance…. Every disaster…. Every discipline is God´s love Turning us and hedging us into His love by causing us to cry out to Him… God cares…. The God of the scriptures is totally unique in this…. The gods of the nations is not like The Lord our God….. The God of the Bible weeps for his people, yearns for them and acts independently to deliver them… Jeremiah 2:2, 13

Let´s begin by reading the first 4 verses…

Hosea 13: 16  and 14: 1- 9                            NKJV

16 Samaria is held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child ripped open.

1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;

2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him,“Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously,

For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.

3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses,

Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

Hosea 14: 1- 4                           slt 2000

1 Samaria muß es büßen; denn es hat sich gegen seinen Gott empört; durchs Schwert sollen sie fallen; ihre Kinder sollen zerschmettert und ihre Schwangeren aufgeschlitzt werden!

2 Kehre um, o Israel, zu dem Herrn, deinem Gott! Denn du bist zu Fall gekommen durch deine eigene Schuld.

3 Nehmt Worte mit euch und kehrt um zum Herrn! Sprecht: »Vergib alle Schuld und nimm es gut auf, daß wir dir das Opfer unserer Lippen bringen, das wir schuldig sind!

4 Assyrien wird uns nicht retten; wir wollen nicht mehr auf Rossen reiten und das Werk unserer Hände nicht mehr unsere Götter nennen, denn bei dir findet der Verwaiste Barmherzigkeit!«

Ch3… v16… De v1… Samaria is held guilty, for she has rebelled against her God… Soon Israel will be disciplined for their sin and rebellion against the Lord their God…  But as Hosea made these prophesies and pleas for the Children of Israel to repent… It will still be decades before Judgment falls… Of course…  In the future… Israel will see the glory of God's redemption… and Praise the Lord forever and ever…

v1… O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity…

v2… Take words with you, and return to the LORD… In returning to the Lord, Israel must come on God's terms, not their own…. They need to open their mouths and repent… The Lord says…  "When you return to Me, take words with you... I want you to return to Me not only with a deep silent feeling in your heart…. but with proper words of repentance and trust in Me…

When we come before the LORD, it is essential to take words with you. There is a place for sharing the inarticulate feelings of the heart with God, but that is not the essence of fellowship and prayer with Him… The worship of God is intelligent… and God made us able to communicate ideas and feelings with words… It isn't enough to feel repentance before the LORD…. Instead, take words with you and tell God you repent before Him…. It isn't enough to sit before the LORD and feel love towards Him…. Instead, take words with you - tell God that you love Him…

This is the same idea that Paul expressed in Romans 10:8-10…

Romans 10: 8-10                NKJV   slt 2000

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

8 Sondern was sagt sie? »Das Wort ist dir nahe, in deinem Mund und in deinem Herzen!«2 Dies ist das Wort des Glaubens, das wir verkündigen.

9 Denn wenn du mit deinem Mund Jesus als den Herrn bekennst und in deinem Herzen glaubst, daß Gott ihn aus den Toten auferweckt hat, so wirst du gerettet.

10 Denn mit dem Herzen glaubt man, um gerecht zu werden, und mit dem Mund bekennt man, um gerettet zu werden;

God commands us to communicate with Him in words… not only ideas or feelings… we confess our sin and rebellion and our need of forgiveness…

What words do we take with us? We should use the words God gives us in His Word!... When we talk to God using  the words and ideas of Scripture…. we find a clear and effective voice before God…

v2b… Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously… When we return to the LORD…   we must first come humbly… We recognize our sin and our total dependence on the grace of God….

v2c… For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips… Literally… Hosea 14:2 says for we will offer the calves of our lips…. Since bull calves were often brought for sacrifice… the translators used…  we will offer the sacrifices of our lips… However… The more literal translation shows just how plainly our words of praise… worship… and confession  can be a sacrifice before God…

v3a… Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, "You are our gods"… When we return to the LORD…  we come renouncing our dependence on all other things… We recognize that the LORD and the LORD alone can make the difference in our life... We confess Total dependence upon the Lord our redeemer… Listen now to this praise from Hosea´s mouth…

v3b… For in You the fatherless finds mercy… When we return to the LORD…   we come worshipping and declaring His greatness… We joyfully proclaim what a great and merciful God we have…

Hosea 14: 4-7                       NKJV

4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.

5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.

6 His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon.

7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine.

Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

5 Ich will ihre Abtrünnigkeit heilen, gerne will ich sie lieben; denn mein Zorn hat sich von ihnen abgewandt.

6 Ich will für Israel sein wie der Tau; es soll blühen wie eine Lilie und Wurzel schlagen wie der Libanon.

7 Seine Schößlinge sollen sich ausbreiten; es soll so schön werden wie ein Ölbaum und so guten Geruch geben wie der Libanon.

8 Die unter seinem Schatten wohnen, sollen wiederum Getreide hervorbringen und blühen wie der Weinstock und so berühmt werden wie der Wein vom Libanon.

v4… I will heal their backsliding… God knew that Israel was continually backsliding from Him (Hosea 11:7)… but He promises to heal the backsliding of a repentant Israel… He does it not because Israel now deserves it… but because it is in His nature to love them freely… Ezekiel 36…

The best word is compassionate… I will heal their backsliding… It is as though the Lord said… I   remember that they are but dust….   and they soon go astray…   I will look upon them as patients in need of healing…  and they shall look upon me as the great physician…

This promise is certain… I will heal their backsliding…

 Come to God for healing of your backsliding… and He will do it!.. God is too great a physician to allow any patient to leave His office without being healed...

The word is personal… I will heal their backsliding… He speaks to His people, and addresses them personally… He will heal our backsliding and forgive us…. He will wash us clean again…. Isaiah 1…. But first we must realize that we are backsliding sinners and rebels….

We must cry out to Him confessing our sins… let´s go to the next few verses…

v5,6,7… This passage shows us what is restored when we return to the LORD….

- Growth is restored (He shall grow)

    - Beauty is restored (He shall grow like the lily)

    - Strength is restored (lengthen his roots like Lebanon)

    - Value is restored (His beauty shall be like an olive tree)

    - Delight is restored (His fragrance like Lebanon)

    - Abundance is restored (revived like grain … grow like the vine … scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon) v6… His branches will spread… When God restores Israel... Israel will be a blessing to all other nations… Even Israels enemies will grab hold of the Children of Israel ask to join them in Worship of the one true god… Isaiah 19… v16-25…

Hosea 14: 8,9                            NKJV

8 “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.”

9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.

Hosea 14: 9,10                            slt 2000

9 Ephraim [wird sagen:] »Was soll ich künftig noch mit den Götzen zu schaffen haben?« — Ich, ich habe ihn erhört und auf ihn geblickt! — »Ich bin wie eine grünende Zypresse.« — Es soll sich zeigen, daß deine Frucht von mir kommt!

10 Wer ist so weise, daß er das einsehe, und so klug, daß er das verstehe? Denn die Wege des Herrn sind richtig, und die Gerechten wandeln darauf; aber die Übertreter kommen auf ihnen zu Fall.

v8a… What have I to do anymore with idols?... When God's people are healed from backsliding… they focus on the LORD Himself and not on foolish idols…

v8b… Your fruit is found in Me… At one time, Israel thought they could find fruit in themselves or in the false idols of the nations… Now, healed of their backsliding, they find their fruit only in God….

v9a.... Who is wise?... The wise man will see the message throughout the Book of Hosea… He will understand that in His mercy… God offers a wonderful opportunity for repentance and restoration… and it is dangerous and foolish to neglect that invitation….

v9b… The ways of the LORD are right… Even in the midst of promised judgment… the wise and understanding man sees that the ways of the LORD are right… They see that it is God´s mercy and unfailing love that is constantly calling them to repentance… They clearly see  that every announcement of judgment is an invitation to repentance…

These final words of Hosea rank with the memorable chapters of the OT…  Like the rainbow after a storm… they promise Israel's final restoration... Here is the full flowering of God's unfailing love for his faithless people… the triumph of his grace… the assurance of his healing - all described in imagery that reveals the loving Father heart of God…

2015.09.22                                Hosea 11

God´s unfailing love is the basis of our Redemption

This book is God´s self-revelation….. We know God because He has revealed himself to us…. First in His Word…. And then ultimately in the person of work of the Lord Jesus Christ…. He is the incarnate God…  As we study the Prophesies of Hosea… We see God´s unfailing love for a wicked and rebellious people…. As Hosea tells of coming judgment and pleads for genuine repentance…. We could outline Hosea by looking at God´s revelation of Himself as he pleads for repentence and reconciliation.…The first 10 chapters focus on disobedience and coming Judgment… They display three aspects of His character….

1 God is Sovereign… Ch 1-3

2 God is Holy… Ch 4-7

3 Just… Ch 8-10

4 Loving….. Ch 11-14

The last 4 chapters focus on God´s Love….

Review:   Chapters 11-14

The LORD`s self-disclosure in this chapter has caused many scholars to say that chapter 11 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible….

That´s where we find ourselves tonight….

Hosea 11: 1,2                       KJV

1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Hosea 11: 1,2                       slt 2000

1 Als Israel jung war, liebte ich ihn, und aus Ägypten habe ich meinen Sohn gerufen.

2 Aber sobald man sie rief, wandten sie sich vom Angesicht [der Rufenden] ab.1 Den Baalen opferten sie, und den Götzenbildern räucherten sie.

1… child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.… Here God remembers His tender love for Israel… The Hebrew is excellent….. God says I loved and I called my son….. That is what we saw when more than 500 years before the time of Hosea He brought them out of slavery in Egypt… Here we see the wonderful truth of the Fatherhood of God…. It is a picture of unconditional love and sacrifice… This is a perfect place to remember John 3: 16….

This prophesy was fulfilled in the life of Jesus…. Matthew 2:13- 15 shows how the words “out of Egypt I called My son” were fulfilled when the child Jesus return from Egypt after escaping from Herod's massacre of the young boys of Bethlehem..…..  5^th fact about God…

5 God is our Father…. Romans 8: 12-17 turn please…

Romans 8: 12-17   NKJV    

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8: 12-17      slt 2000

12 So sind wir also, ihr Brüder, dem Fleisch nicht verpflichtet, gemäß dem Fleisch zu leben!

13 Denn wenn ihr gemäß dem Fleisch lebt, so müßt ihr sterben; wenn ihr aber durch den Geist die Taten des Leibes tötet, so werdet ihr leben.

14 Denn alle, die durch den Geist Gottes geleitet werden, die sind Söhne Gottes.

15 Denn ihr habt nicht einen Geist der Knechtschaft empfangen, daß ihr euch wiederum fürchten müßtet, sondern ihr habt den Geist der Sohnschaft empfangen, in dem wir rufen: Abba, Vater!

16 Der Geist selbst gibt Zeugnis zusammen mit unserem Geist, daß wir Gottes Kinder sind.

17 Wenn wir aber Kinder sind, so sind wir auch Erben, nämlich Erben Gottes und Miterben des Christus; wenn wir wirklich mit ihm leiden, damit wir auch mit ihm verherrlicht werden.

What wonderful news…. Because of His unfailing love and mercy…. Not only are we not destroyed…. God provides a substitute….. His only Begotten Son….The Lord Jesus Christ… But we are adopted into His family…

Back to Hosea 11…

2… As they called them, so they went from them… God called Israel out of bondage in Egypt….. He delivered them from the idolatry of the Egyptians…. but the idolatry of the Canaanites corrupted Israel…… and they forsook the LORD and followed the Baals…… Look at the tender love of the Lord for these rebels…

Hosea 11: 3,4             KJV

3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.

4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Hosea 11:3,4                    slt 2000

3 Und ich war es doch, der Ephraim gehen lehrte, der sie auf seine Arme nahm. Aber sie haben nicht erkannt, daß ich sie heilte.

4 Mit menschlichen Banden zog ich sie, mit Seilen der Liebe; ich hob ihnen gleichsam das Joch auf vom Kinn und neigte mich zu ihnen, um ihnen Nahrung zu geben.

3a… I taught Ephraim to walk… but they did not know that I healed them: God does so much for His people that we are unaware of….. Often we attribute blessings that come directly from the hand of God to some other source…. This is exactly what the Children of Israel were doing when they credited their prosperity and wellbeing the false gods of the pagans around them….

3b… Taking them by their arms… The picture is of a parent teaching a child how to walk by holding the child's arms and supporting the child as they make their awkward steps.

4… I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love… When God draws His people to Himself…  it is with gentle cords of love… not with harsh manipulation…. God wants to win us over, but not will brute force….

"Understand, then, it is true that no man comes to God except he is drawn; but it is equally true that God draweth no man contrary to the constitution of man, but his methods of drawing are in strict accordance with ordinary mental operations. He finds the human mind what it is, and he acts upon it, not as upon matter, but as upon mind. The compulsions, the constraints, the cords that he uses, are 'cords of a man.' The bands he employs are 'bands of love.'" (Spurgeon)

4a… as they that take off the yoke on their jaws … refers to relaxing and loosening the yoke-collar of a plowing animal, giving the animal rest and the freedom to breathe.

4b… I laid meat unto them … God humbled Himself to minister to His needy people….. One might almost think it is beneath the dignity and honor of God to stoop so for His people, but He never thinks so….. This is the heart of God perfectly reflected in the servant nature of Jesus…. (Philippians 2).

Hosea 11: 5-7   KJV

5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to repent.

6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them , because of their own counsels.

7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him .

Hosea 11: 5-7         slt 2000

5 Er soll nicht nach dem Land Ägypten zurückkehren, sondern der Assyrer soll ihr König werden, weil sie nicht umkehren wollen!

6 Und das Schwert soll in ihren Städten umgehen und ihre Riegel vernichten und sie wegen ihrer Ratschläge verzehren.

7 Mein Volk hält am Abfall von mir fest2; ruft man es nach oben, so erhebt sich gar niemand!

5… Because they refused to repent… In this sense, it wasn't so much the sin of Israel that got them into trouble…. It was their stubborn refusal to repent after their sin….. Because they refused to repent…. God would make sure that war and exile waited for them….

7… My people are bent on backsliding from Me… Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt Him… Backsliding means that at one time…. Israel had a close…. genuine walk with God…. Now that is in the past, and their profession of faith is simply empty…. They call to the Most High in a formal religious way….. but they do not obey Him from their hearts or exalt Him with their lives….

Even now the Lord is deeply grieved at their rebellion and stubbornness… They are causing  their own punishment…. Even as the Lord is offering them mercy….

Jonah understood this very well…Turn with me to Jonah ch 2…v8…

Jonah 2: 8,9                              NKJV    slt 2000

8“Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed.

Salvation is of the Lord.”

The Lord did not give up on Jonah…. He does not want to give up on the Children of Israel either… His Father´s heart is broken…. Back to Hosea 11…v 8…

Hosea 11: 8,9                       KJV  slt 2000

8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

8 Wie könnte ich dich dahingeben, Ephraim, wie könnte ich dich preisgeben, Israel? Wie könnte ich dich behandeln wie Adama, dich machen wie Zeboim? Mein Herz sträubt sich dagegen, mein ganzes Mitleid ist erregt!

9 Ich will nicht handeln nach der Glut meines Zorns, will Ephraim nicht wiederum verderben; denn ich bin Gott und nicht ein Mensch, als der Heilige bin ich in deiner Mitte und will nicht in grimmigem Zorn kommen.

8a… How can I give you up, Ephraim?... Though the dark clouds of judgment are on the horizon…. God takes no pleasure in the chastening about to come upon Israel…. Instead He says, "My love and compassion is stirred." (Chesed)

Even when we are in sin… and guilty before God…. Yet He says, How can I give you up? Justice demands that He punish the sin and rebellion…  Yet even now He is determined to make a way of salvation…. God the Father sends the Lord Jesus Christ…. and on the cross Jesus was "given up"… He took our place…

Turn to Ezekiel 18…v30…

Ezekiel 18: 30-32                       NLT  Neues Leben

30 “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! 31 Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? 32 I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!

Ezekiel 18: 30-32                       NLT  Neues Leben

30 Deshalb werde ich jeden Einzelnen von euch nach seinem Verhalten richten, Volk der Israeliten´, spricht Gott, der Herr. `Kehrt um und hört auf zu sündigen! Lasst nicht zu, dass ihr Schuld auf euch ladet!

31 Trennt euch von euren Verfehlungen, die ihr begangen habt, und erneuert eure Herzen und euren Geist. Denn warum wollt ihr sterben, Volk der Israeliten?

32 Ich freue mich nicht über den Tod eines Menschen, der sterben muss, spricht Gott, der Herr. Kehrt also um, damit ihr am Leben bleibt!´

Find (get) yourselves a new heart and a new spirit…. This phrase reminds us of that great promise of the new birth given through the mouth of Ezekiel… turn to Ezek 36…v23…

Ezekiel 36: 23-27                       NLT  Neues Leben

23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my commands.

Ezekiel 36: 23-27   Neues Leben

23 So werde ich meinem großen Namen, den ihr bei den Völkern entweiht habt, seine Heiligkeit zurückgeben. Und wenn ich vor ihren Augen meine Heiligkeit an euch offenbare, spricht Gott, der Herr, dann werden die Völker erkennen, dass ich der Herr bin.

24 Denn ich hole euch aus den Völkern und sammle euch aus allen Ländern und bringe euch in euer Land zurück.

25 Dann gieße ich reines Wasser über euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen euren Unreinheiten und von allen euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.

26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz geben und euch einen neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus eurem Körper nehmen und euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.

27 Und ich werde euch meinen Geist geben, damit ihr nach meinem Gesetz lebt und meine Gebote bewahrt und euch danach richtet.

Back to Hosea v 8b…

8b… Admah and Zeboiim were two cities near Sodom and Gomorrah that were also destroyed (Deuteronomy 29:23). God says, "I can't bear to allow My people to be caught up in the destruction that will come upon all the nations…. as Admah and Zeboiim were caught up on the destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah….

Again we see that God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked… Ezek 18: 30-32…

9a… I will not again destroy Ephraim… Though their sin deserves it… God will not wipe out Israel….. He will leave a remnant….. and will restore the nation…..

9b… For I am God, and not man… The longsuffering, forgiveness, and compassion of the Lord toward His people seems unbelievable until we remember that He is not man…. but God….. Thank God that He is not at all like us…

    - Man cannot hold back his anger very long

    - Man cannot bear with others when he is tired, stressed, or annoyed

    - Man will not reconcile if the person who offended him is a person of bad character

    - Man is often only willing to be reconciled if the offending party craves forgiveness and makes the first move

    - Man is often only willing to be reconciled if the offending party will never again do the wrong

    - Man, when he does reconcile, does not lift the former offender to place of high status and partnership

    - Man, when he is wronged, does not bear all the penalty for the wrong done

    - Man, when he attempts reconciliation, will not continue if he is rejected

    - Man will not restore an offender without a period of probation

    - Man will not love, adopt, honor, and associate with one who has wronged him

    - Man will not trust someone who has formerly wronged them

Spurgeon wrote… What passes for forgiveness among men is nothing like the amazing forgiveness of God….. "Suppose that someone had grievously offended any one of you…. and that he asked your forgiveness…. do you not think that you would probably say to him, 'Well, yes, I forgive you; but I - I - I - cannot forget it'? Ah! dear friends, that is a sort of forgiveness with one leg chopped off, it is a lame forgiveness, and is not worth much."

Verse 10…

Hosea 11: 10- 12               KJV   slt 2000

10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

11 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.

12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

10 Sie werden dem Herrn nachfolgen, der brüllen wird wie ein Löwe; wenn er brüllt, so werden die Söhne zitternd vom Meer herbeieilen;

11 wie Vögel werden sie aus Ägypten zitternd herbeieilen und wie Tauben aus dem Land Assyrien; und ich werde sie in ihren eigenen Häusern wohnen lassen, spricht der Herr.

1 Ephraim hat mich mit Lügen umgeben und das Haus Israel mit Betrug; auch Juda schweift immer noch umher neben Gott, dem Heiligen, der treu ist.

10… When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west…God speaks of the ultimate restoration of Israel…. an expression of His mercy to Ephraim….. He will even now show mercy… He will redeem  and restore Israel…

12… Ephraim has encircled Me with lies… God makes these promises knowing they will not repent…

This is the miracle of the grace of God….. He knows that we don´t love and serve him from our hearts…. He knows that we are stubborn and unwilling to repent… And yet…   As we read in Ezekiel 36…. God says I will act for my great names sake….. Look at those verses again in closing…. Let´s see those wonderful things that he says He will do…

V23..

Ezekiel 36: 23-27                       NLT  Neues Leben

23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my commands.

Ezekiel 36: 23-27   Neues Leben

23 So werde ich meinem großen Namen, den ihr bei den Völkern entweiht habt, seine Heiligkeit zurückgeben. Und wenn ich vor ihren Augen meine Heiligkeit an euch offenbare, spricht Gott, der Herr, dann werden die Völker erkennen, dass ich der Herr bin.

24 Denn ich hole euch aus den Völkern und sammle euch aus allen Ländern und bringe euch in euer Land zurück.

25 Dann gieße ich reines Wasser über euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen euren Unreinheiten und von allen euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.

26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz geben und euch einen neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus eurem Körper nehmen und euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.

27 Und ich werde euch meinen Geist geben, damit ihr nach meinem Gesetz lebt und meine Gebote bewahrt und euch danach richtet.

23a I will show how holy my great name is…

23b  I reveal my holiness through you…

24 I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again…

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean…

26a I will give you a new heart…

26b I will put a new spirit in you…

26c I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart…

27 I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my commands.

Jonah was 100% correct… Salvation is of the LORD!

2015.10.06                                         Hosea 12

           The Love of God for Sinners

God´s unfailing love is the basis of our Redemption

This book is God´s self-revelation….. We know God because He has revealed himself to us…. First in His Word…. And then ultimately in the person of work of the Lord Jesus Christ…. He is the incarnate God… 

As we study the Prophesies of Hosea… We see God´s unfailing love for a wicked and rebellious people….  Hosea prophesies of coming judgment and pleads for genuine repentance….

We could outline Hosea by looking at God´s revelation of Himself as he pleads for repentance and reconciliation…The first 10 chapters focus on disobedience and coming Judgment… They display three aspects of His character….

1 God is Sovereign… Ch 1-3

2 God is Holy… Ch 4-7

3 Just… Ch 8-10

4 Loving….. Ch 11-14

These last 4 chapters focus on God´s Love…. Let´s start with v1…

Hosea 12: 1; 2                   NKJV slt 2000

1 “Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.

In the German Hosea 12 v1… is Hosea 11.. We looked at that verse last week…

Hosea 12: 2                  slt 2000

2 Ephraim nährt sich von Wind und läuft den ganzen Tag dem Ostwind nach; er wird täglich verlogener und gewalttätiger; ein Bündnis mit Assyrien wollen sie schließen, und Öl wird nach Ägypten gebracht.

In these next several verses… We see the deeply rooted deceit of Israel… They say that they love the Lord with their mouths but in fact they are rebels and idolaters…

v1a... Ephraim feeds on the wind… The idols and foreign alliances Israel trusts in are useless….  

v1b… Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried to Egypt… Instead of trusting in the LORD God of Israel… They trusted in deals and defense agreements with the surrounding heathen nations… How foolish for them to think that Assyria or Egypt was more powerful than the LORD…..

Hosea 12: 2-6; 3-7                   NKJV  slt2000

2 “The Lord also brings a charge against Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways; According to his deeds He will recompense him.

3  He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God.

4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us—

5 That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name.

6 So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.

Hosea 12: 3-7                     slt2000

3 Auch mit Juda hat der Herr einen Rechtsstreit, und er muß Jakob strafen entsprechend seinen Wegen, er wird ihm vergelten entsprechend seinen Taten.

4 Schon im Mutterschoß hielt er die Ferse seines Bruders, und in seiner Manneskraft kämpfte er mit Gott;

5 er kämpfte mit dem Engel und siegte, er weinte und flehte zu ihm; in Bethel hat er ihn gefunden, und dort hat Er mit uns geredet —

6 nämlich der Herr, der Gott der Heerscharen, dessen Gedenkname Herr ist.

7 So kehre nun um zu deinem Gott, halte fest an Liebe und Recht und hoffe stets auf deinen Gott!

The Lord says… Stop lying to yourselves… You are deceiving yourselves… You are not fooling me… And these things you do… will not do you any good… your only hope is to repent… Turn from your sin and rebellion… This heart felt plea for not only sinners but also the People of God to repent continues to this day… Turn with me to Romans 2…v4,5…

Romans 2: 4,5      NLT 

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2: 4,5        Neues Leben

4 Ist es dir gleichgültig, wie freundlich, geduldig und nachsichtig Gott mit dir ist? Siehst du nicht, wie Gottes Freundlichkeit dich zur Umkehr bewegen will?

5 Aber nein, du trägst selbst dazu bei, dass Gottes Zorn immer größer wird, weil du dich hartnäckig weigerst, auf deinem falschen Weg umzukehren. Denn am Tag des Gerichts wird Gott, der gerechte Richter über die ganze Welt,

v3a… He took his brother by the heel in the womb… Here, God looks back at the patriarch Jacob and how Israel in Hosea's day was just like their father Jacob in the days of Genesis… Hosea reminds them that Jacob was a deceiver and usurper… One who takes what he does not deserve… He was fighting with his brother in his mother´s womb… He stole his brother`s birthright… A crazy thing to do… Crazy to think that the Lord would bless such behavior…

In ancient Israel… a "heel-grabber" was a double-dealer, someone who achieved their goals through crafty and dishonest means… Car dealers come to mind… Through Hosea, God says, "That was Jacob then… and it is Israel now…

v3b… In his strength he struggled with God…The prophet recalls the struggle between Jacob and the Lord… Jacob refused to submit to God… He was determined to get all that he could get…. He was willing to cheat and deceive to get what he wanted… And yet he was never satisfied…

He struggled with his guilt and he lived in fear that he was going to get what he knew he deserved…. He expected His brother to kill him as he swore… He was tired of running… He was tired of living in fear out in a foreign land…

In desperation he finally cried out to the Lord… He was at the end of Himself… He could not do it any more…  so God demanded submission from him in a literal wrestling match…

This  struggle with God was the turning point for Jacob…

v4… He struggled with the Angel and prevailed… he wept, and sought favor from Him… Since this was a unique messenger from heaven… He is also appropriately described as an Angel of the LORD…

Inspired by the Holy Spirit… Hosea emphasizes two more details from the Genesis account…. First, he tells us that Jacob prevailed in the wrestling match… Second, he tells us that Jacob wept in the struggle…

How can it be said that Jacob prevailed? How could any man win a wrestling match with an Angel?

He prevailed in the only way anyone can when they struggle against God…. We prevail when we lose and know it… surrendering to God….

Why is it important to know that Jacob wept? Because it helps us understand how desperate and broken he was as he hung on the LORD… Finally he was in a battle that he could not win… He realizes that he has been fighting the Lord Himself… And now he weeps and pleads only for a blessing...

Remember he stole the last blessing… Now because of God´s mercy and unfailing love… He receives a blessing… Once again… he did not deserve it… But at least he did not steal it…

Genuine Repentance and tears were his path to God´s forgiveness and blessings…

v6a… So you, by the help of your God, return… Jacob came to the place where he knew God had beaten him… and all he could do was hang on to God…. and plead for a blessing… Through Hosea…. The Lord is pleading to them to repent like their father Jacob did…

6b… By the help of your God, return… reminds us that we cannot even repent and return to the LORD without His help... This shows how weak we are and how much we really depend on Him… Ezekiel 36… Eph ch 1 and 2…

Hosea 12: 7-11; 8-12   NKJV  slt 2000

7 “A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand; He loves to oppress.

8 And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’

9 “But I am the Lord your God, Ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed feast.

10 I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”

11 Though Gilead has idols— Surely they are vanity—

Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

Hosea 12: 8-12     slt 2000

8 Der Kanaaniter hat eine falsche Waage in der Hand, er übervorteilt gern.

9 Auch Ephraim spricht: »Ich bin doch reich geworden, ich habe mir ein Vermögen erworben; an all meinem Erwerb wird man mir kein Unrecht nachweisen können, das Sünde wäre!«

10 Ich aber, der Herr, bin dein Gott vom Land Ägypten her, ich werde dich wieder in Zelten wohnen lassen wie zur Zeit des [Laubhütten-]Festes.

11 Ich habe zu den Propheten geredet und viele Offenbarungen gegeben und durch die Propheten in Gleichnissen gelehrt.

12 Sind sie in Gilead nichtswürdig gewesen, so sollen sie zunichte werden; haben sie in Gilgal Stiere geopfert, so sollen auch ihre Altäre wie Steinhaufen auf den Furchen des Ackers werden!

I want to read verses 7 and 8 in the NLT…  

Hosea 12: 7,8; 8,9                     NLT   neues Leben

7 But no, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales— they love to cheat.

8 Israel boasts, “I am rich! I’ve made a fortune all by myself! No one has caught me cheating! My record is spotless!”

Hosea 12: 8,9                    Neues Leben

8 Israel ist wie ein Händler, der betrügt, indem er mit falschen Gewichten arbeitet. Er liebt es andere zu übervorteilen.

9 So sagt sich Israel: »Ich bin reich geworden, ich habe ein großes Vermögen angehäuft. Niemand kann mir nachsagen, dass ich meine Gewinne erschwindelt hätte. Mein Ruf ist untadelig!«

v7… cunning Canaanite… crafty merchants… because the Canaanites were well-known merchants and traders… Crafty and dishonest… I´m telling you the modern translations could say used car dealers here instead of Canaanites…

v8… Surely I have become rich… Hosea prophesied during a time of great prosperity… but spiritual and moral decadence in Israel… When things are good financially it is easier to lie to yourself and claim that you are blessed… Why sure…. You must be righteous… Look how God has blessed you!... No… God is patient…. But  God is not mocked… Gal 6: 7,8 We can fool the world… we can even fool each other sometimes… but God sees and he knows… All of this is a call to repentance from the heart…

v9… I will again make you dwell in tents… Though Israel enjoyed financial prosperity and fine homes… God's judgment would bring them into exile and humble tents again…. This judgment is certain… God has spoken by the prophets… Remember… Amos and Hosea and Micah and Isiah were all prophesying and calling for repentance during these years… yet they did not listen…. They refused to repent…

v11… Their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field… Pagan altars were built on the high places…  they were made of the finest materials they could afford… They added prestige and dignity to the pagan gods…. When God's judgment comes… all those altars will be brought low… so the only high places left will be the hills made by the plowman as he works and furrows the fields….

Hosea 12: 12-14,13-15     NKJV   slt 2000

12 Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.

13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him, And return his reproach upon him.

Hosea 12: 13-15        slt 2000

13 Als Jakob in das Gebiet von Aram floh, da diente Israel um eine Frau; um eine Frau hütete er [die Herde].

14 So hat der Herr durch einen Propheten Israel aus Ägypten heraufgeführt und es durch einen Propheten hüten lassen.

15 Ephraim hat ihn bitter gekränkt; Er wird seine Blutschuld auf ihn werfen, und sein Herr wird ihm seine Beschimpfung vergelten.

v12… Jacob fled to the country of Syria… The previous passage brought up the coming exile of Israel… and now Hosea makes a connection between the coming exile of Israel…. and the "exile" of Jacob when he fled from Esau to his uncle Laban in Syria….

v13,14… By a prophet he was preserved… therefore the Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him… Though God send prophets to Israel… they still rejected His word…. They provoked Him to anger most bitterly… so God will leave them in their guilt… and return the shame and reproach of Egypt's slavery upon them…

As always the goal of all of these things is to cause the Children of Israel to look at themselves and to repent from the heart…. This section about the unfailing love and patience of The LORD God…