On Wednesday the 15th of April 2009, I commenced ministry here at St Paul's as your rector.
There was a special commencement of ministry service here in this building on that evening.
And for most of you at St Paul's, it was the first time that you had seen Natalie or I in the flesh.
Some things are particularly memorable for me on that evening,
especially the comment from one parishioner that my wife looked hot.
Imagine if at that service your first glimpse of your new rector's wife was in fact more flesh than you had anticipated.
You can't help but noticing that she's wearing a rather risque miniskirt, inappropriate for Chatswood Mall,
let alone church, especially on such an occasion with all ages of dignitaries gathered.
You try to put first impressions out of your mind,
but it's hard not to notice that maybe the heels are a bit too high,
the neckline's a bit too low, and the make-up is overdone.
Your mind starts to make assessments and judgements,
and you can't wait for the issue to be raised afterwards over tea to see what other people think.
After the formal bits of the service is over,
and the less formal welcome begins,
a real clangor is dropped in the hope of getting to know the new rector and his wife a little more.
The MC asks the wife,
so what is it that you do?
At that moment, the new rector shuffles,
and he coughs and mentions something about how glad they are to be here
and looking forward to ministry beginning,
but there is not so much as even a blush as she says into the microphone,
I'm into prostitution actually.
There is an audible gasp.
Someone laughs thinking it's a joke,
and then it's a deafening silence.
She wasn't joking.
So the MC is wondering,
what do I do now?
Throw to the floor for further questions?
Sing a hymn?
Go to confession?
Maybe close with prayer?
Instead, he nervously blurts out,
well, at least you've got three great kids.
A couple of people nervously laugh with the MC,
but then the new rector says,
holding back tears,
well, the first one's mine,
but the other two you'll need to ask my wife.
I'm not sure who the fathers of those two are.
Now it's time really to serve the tea and coffee.
Some go into damage control,
hoping that it won't leak into the media.
Others take the opportunity to express
they were never in favour of this appointment in the first place.
Others are wondering just how much he charges per hour.
But the wardens pull the new rector aside and ask him,
are you okay?
Have you lost your faith?
How did you end up with a prostitute?
And his answer is unbelievable.
God told me to go to King's Cross and to marry her.
It is his way of getting across his message to his people
that their faithlessness to him is no trivial matter
and it breaks his heart.
But it's also a reminder
as they see his children
that God is going to take this stuff seriously
and he will judge them.
And also a reminder as they see me walk in pain day by day
that he remains faithful to his people.
This is the shocking scenario
that we're introduced to at the beginning of Hosea.
The account of Hosea's family life
is not made up illustration.
This is not a parable.
He is a real man
who lived in real time
at a real place in history.
This before us is enacted prophecy
through the family life of Hosea.
It is Hosea's personal history being worked out
and ordered by God
to speak to his people
in all of its bluntness and its rawness.
We can see from verse one
when all this took place
the word of the Lord came to Hosea son of Beri
during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah
kings of Judah.
That's the two tribes of the south
the original 12 tribes
before they split in two.
And during the reign of Jeroboam son of Joash
king of Israel
Israel is the ten tribes of the north.
And so we can work out from this list of kings
that Hosea was active in the 8th century BC
and that he lived and prophesied
to the ten northern tribes
called Israel.
It was a time of growing affluence
and relative peace
from preoccupied neighbours.
The grim Mesopotamian war machine Assyria
which was just the north of the borders of Israel
had begun to falter
under threats from their own enemies around
but also from internal disunity.
But with Israel's growing affluence
came decadence.
There was underlying corruption
throughout the kingdom
and especially religious idolatry.
The people had prostituted themselves
to other gods.
And then halfway through the century
their world began to crumble.
Jeroboam II of Israel
was near the end of his reign
and at the same time
Assyria's problems became distant
as they grew and grew
in terrifying strength.
Within a generation
the kingdom of Israel would be extinct
and it was to this generation
before their extinction
that Hosea was sent to preach
a message of repentance
not just with words
but with his family life.
It is into this situation
that we have the word of God
breaking in
with an extraordinary command
to Hosea
verse 2
Go
take to yourself
an adulterous wife
and children of unfaithfulness
and so he married
Gomer.
The Jerusalem Bible
captures the shock of it
a little better
than the NIV
that I just read from.
It says
go marry a whore
and get children
with a whore
because the nation
is a whore.
It means quite literally
a wife of whoredom
and children of whoredom.
There's been a lot of discussion
over the years
about exactly what Hosea
has been commanded
by God to do here
but it was most likely
that he was
that she
Gomer
was a practicing prostitute
when they married
rather than becoming one later
in their marriage.
Hosea is called here
to shower his love
upon a woman
of unknown faithlessness
who will continue
in that vein
throughout
their married life.
It is
before us
in verse 2
a marriage
made
in heaven
that is a living hell
for Hosea.
The movie
Pretty Woman
isn't a modern take
on the Hosea
Gomer story.
Hosea here
is not the wealthy
businessman
rescuing the prostitute
the prostitute
with a heart of gold
and a lovable innocence
who's just been served up
a whole lot of bad luck
in her life.
That's not the story.
This is not Pretty Woman
eight centuries before.
Deep down
Gomer
is a person
of unfaithfulness.
That is her character.
She will openly
and consistently
betray Hosea
and she will rub
his nose in it.
Why does God
call this man
to do this?
Because Hosea's
marriage to Gomer
represents God's
relationship
to his people Israel.
Just as Gomer
is unfaithful
to Hosea
so God's people
Israel
are unfaithful
to him.
It's all there
in verse 2
because the land
is guilty
of the vilest
adultery
the vilest
whoredom
in departing
from the Lord.
Israel
didn't deserve
God's love.
Israel
and God
weren't the perfect match.
It wasn't that God
looked down from heaven
across all the nations
of the earth
and thought
Israel
they're the most godly
they're the one
most suited to me
they're the one
most deserving
of my love.
Israel
was just like
any other people
they were
no better.
they were faithless
like the rest of us
God amazingly
chose them
to be his bride
his special
covenant
people.
And so every time
God's people
saw Hosea
walking down the street
through the mall
with Gomer
on his arm
or every time
they hear the news
of her latest
infidelity
around town
they receive
a message from God.
Hosea's life
and marriage
is a living parable
designed to confront
God's people
with the full horror
of how
they have treated
God.
Hosea's life
plays out this message
in all its rawness
so that we
so that he
the people of God
and we
the people of God
can feel
the heart
of God.
at least one of the
messages of Hosea
is that God
suffers
and this
book helps us
to see
what God
thinks
and feels
about our sin
and our failure
and our presumption
it breaks
his heart.
Israel
presumed that God
wouldn't care
about their
faithlessness
and they had
a cavalier
attitude
towards their
sin
and they
were wrong
it's an act
of betrayal
and so
as we see
here God
the broken
hearted lover
becomes the
angry lover
of his people
we see God's
judgment
on his
faithless bride
played out
in the names
of his three
children in chapter
one
the first one
there is a son
born in verse
four named
Jezreel
it means God
scatters
it's a strange
name
why would you
call your child
Jezreel
was a place
of infamy
it's like calling
your child
twin towns
or Port Arthur
and then the next
child in verse
six
is a daughter
low
which means
not loved
what a terrible
name
not loved
it's time
for dinner
you can imagine
the cost of
counselling to
sort that one
out
notice
especially
the gradual
deterioration
of the
relationship
revealed in
the names
God
scatters
they're not
loved
and in the
last child
verse eight
is another
name
son named
Lo-Ami
and this is
the most
shocking name
of all
the covenant
refrain
throughout the
old testament
the marriage
vows between
God and his
people if you
like is
you are my
people and
I am your
God
that comes up
again and
so this is
devastating
God's patience
had run out
with his
faithless people
it is like he
is taking back
his marriage
vows
he is divorcing
his people
and you can
understand it
God had
called them to
himself he had
rescued them from
slavery in Egypt
he had made
them his own
he had given
them his law
that they would
govern their
relationship
and frame how
his new bride
would live with
him
but three words
sum up the
actions and the
attitude of
Israel and
Gomer
it's there in
chapter 2
verse 13
me she
forgot
I will punish
her for the
day she burnt
incense to the
bals
she decked
herself with
rings and
jewelry and
went after
other lovers
but me
she
forgot
declared the
Lord
and this
chapter 2
spells out
Israel's
utter
abandonment
of their
covenant
relationship
with God
they had
fallen for
the same
lie that
was there
in the
garden of
Eden
that their
husband
their father
their God
was holding
out on them
that he is
stingy
that he is
mean
that real
life is
found somewhere
else and in
someone else's
arms
they ran
after others
and attributed
all the good
things that they
had in life
to their
lovers
rather to their
faithful and good
husband
and so the
shock of
chapter 1
verse 9
is God
saying you
are no longer
my people
I am no
longer your
God
wanted
these
Israelites
his people
to know
that he
was angry
with them
and the
judge
would
come
it did
come
as God
had promised
Israel
was destroyed
and the
people of
God
were either
killed
or deported
but the
judgment
that came
to Israel
from the
hand of
God
through the
armies of
Assyria
in 722
BC
was not
the end
yes God
is a
broken hearted
lover
and yes
he is
an angry
lover
but he is
also the
faithful
lover
take a look
at verse
10
yet
what a
word
yet
is the
great good
news
that changes
the whole
mood of
this text
yet
the Israelites
will be like
the sand
on the
seashore
which cannot
be measured
or counted
in the
place
where it
was said
to them
you are
not my
people
they will
be called
sons of
the living
God
the people
of Judah
and the
people of
Israel
will be
reunited
and they
will appoint
one leader
and will
come up
out of the
land
for great
will be
the day
of Jezreel
say of
your brothers
my people
and of
your sisters
my loved
ones
what a
dramatic
change of
mood
the message
of judgment
and the
message
of hope
and salvation
derive
from the
same
source
it is
the same
God
the same
covenant
that was the
source of
his anger
and his
righteous
anger
is the same
covenant
which is the
source of
his
faithful
love
he promised
that he
would love
them
and be
faithful
to them
and to
keep
his
promise
to
them
what
God
promises
he must
do
he will
not
and he
cannot
forsake
his
promises
to his
people
he has
committed
himself
to them
in love
and so
in chapters
2
verse 14
through to
23
is a
moving
and it
is a
beautiful
song
of God's
tender
love
and commitment
to his
wayward
faithless
people
have a
look
just at
verse 14
with me
I am
going to
allure
her
I will
lead her
into the
desert
and speak
tenderly
to her
that's
beautiful
there is
no
coercing
there's
no
raving
and ranting
there's
no
let's
try and
meet
halfway
you
love
me
a
little
bit
I'll
love
you
back
a
little
bit
there is
precious
little
exercise
of
power
and
force
in this
love
triangle
because
power
in a
relationship
would
solve
nothing
to just
let that
one sink
in for a
little
bit
an
exercise
of
power
would
not
wing
back
the
heart
of
his
love
because
it's
the
heart
of
his
love
that
he
wants
it is
such a
tender
gentle
forgiving
deliberate
commitment
to win
over
his
wife
there is
no
sense
of
subjugating
her
no
sense
of
controlling
her
let me
tell you
as a
Christian
and as
a
husband
I
read
verse
14
and I
conclude
it makes
absolute
perfect
sense
why God
would say
to me
husband
Steve
love
your
wife
as
Christ
loved
the
church
and
gave
himself
up
for
her
because
he
has
given
himself
up
for
you
according
to
verse
14
God's
love
for
his
people
is
what
roused
Hosea
to go
again
and show
love
to his
unfaithful
wife
she is
loved
by
another
man
she is
in
the
arms
of
another
man
but
Hosea
is
loved
by
God
and
so
he
will
pay
the
price
to
get
his
wife
back
see
the
beginning
of
chapter
3
the
Lord
said
to
me
go
show
your
love
to
your
wife
again
though
she
is
loved
by
another
and
is
an
adulteress
love
her
as
the
Lord
loves
the
Israelites
and
verse
2
so
I
bought
her
for
15
shekels
of
silver
and
about
a
homer
and
a
lethic
of
barley
it
would
seem
from
verse
2
that
Hosea
had
to
scrape
together
everything
that
he
had
a bag
of
grain
as
well
everything
that
he
had
in
order
to
pay
the
price
to
buy
his
wife
back
was
the
price
the
price
of
her
debts
was
it
the
price
that
her
pimp
required
was
a
compensation
for
the
disgruntled
boyfriend
or
simply
according
to
exodus
the
price
of
a
slave
woman
whatever
the
price
is
the
price
to
redeem
her
is
insight
into
how
far
she
has
fallen
and
how
tightly
she
is
held
by
another
Nat
and
I
just
celebrated
15
years
of
marriage
some
of
you
saw
that
on
Facebook
we've
got
three
kids
but
that's
about
as
far
as
the
comparisons
go
between
us
and
Hosea
and
Gomer
if
I
was
in
Hosea's
shoes
here
I
could
imagine
the
people
of
God
and
my
own
heart
saying
just
divorce
her
she
doesn't
love
you
the
Bible
makes
it
clear
you
justify
it
here
Steve
the
Hosea
I
am
Gomer
I
am
the
person
of
deep
unfaithfulness
has
it
hit
you
yet
my
friends
we
are
Gomer
we
are
the
wife
of
whoredom
of
deep
unfaithfulness
Romans 3
paints a
terrible
picture
of our
character
there is
no one
righteous
not even
one
there is
no one
who
understands
no one
who
seeks
God
all
have
turned
away
turned
away
from
him
put
their
backs
to
him
and
together
they
have
become
worthless
we are
undeserving
of God's
love
for us
but God
wants you
to remember
that his
desire
to have
you
back
is not
based on
some
naive
estimation
of your
character
the point
of Hosea
is that
God
exalts
his
mercy
by not
giving up
on his
wife of
Hortum
even
though we
are worthless
and we
are unworthy
God
paid the
price
and he
brought us
back to
himself
Jesus
gave up
his life
to redeem
to pay
the price
what a
wonderful
fulfillment
of the
rawness of
these verses
comes in
the person
of the
Lord Jesus
Christ
Romans 5
8 puts
it beautifully
God
demonstrates
his own
love for
us
in this
that while
we were
sinners
while we
were whores
Christ
died
for us
and so
if we put
our trust
in Christ
then we
can be
sure that
we are
of the
people of
God
for whom
he died
and loves
we are
the people
to whom
he has
made
covenant
promises
forever
the apostle
Peter
echoes
the words
of Hosea
as he
writes
to the
people
of God
who have
put their
trust in
Jesus
with these
words
you are
a chosen
people
a royal
priesthood
a holy
nation
a people
belonging
to God
that you
may declare
the praises
of him
who has
called you
out of
darkness
into his
wonderful
light
once you
were not
a people
but now
you are
the people
of God
once you
had not
received
mercy
but now
you have
received
mercy
and if
you have
accepted
God's
love
for you
in the
Lord
Jesus
and put
your
trust
in him
then it
means that
you belong
to God's
people
you are
his bride
he's the
beautiful
New Testament
preacher
and if that
has happened
in our lives
then it
must have
profound
repercussions
on how
we live
his love
and his
mercy
and grace
leaves no
room for
complacency
because straight
after declaring
that we are
the people
of God
and that we
have received
his mercy
his chosen
people
Peter says
this in
verse 11
dear friends
I urge you
as aliens
and strangers
in the world
abstain from
sinful desires
which go to
war on
your soul
too often
we think
little about
disobedience
we just
think
God
will overlook
it
he'll
forgive
that's
what
he does
best
if the
Lord
Jesus
has
invited
us
to
become
part
of
his
people
his
bride
doesn't
that
make
our
disobedience
against
him
a really
serious
thing
just
think
for a
moment
about
the
hurt
it
causes
our
divine
lover
when
we
take
him
for
granted
and
we
live
unfaithfully
to
him
you see
the
closer
the
relationship
you
have
with
someone
the
more
they
can
hurt
you
a
stranger
insults
you
and you
brush it
off
relatively
quickly
an
argument
with a
friend
can get
you
down
for
days
the
betrayal
of a
spouse
creates
wounds
that endure
for many
years
and let
me just
say
if
you know
first hand
those kinds
of wounds
from a
spouse
then at
least take
this
comfort
God
knows
first hand
those
wounds
and what
they feel
like
he has
been
portrayed
by his
bride
century
after
century
after
century
God
understands
the pain
as he
sees his
own people
flirting
with other
lovers
going off
with the
gods of
this world
and pursuing
the desires
of their
hearts
he is not
number one
in their
heart
bowing down
superficially
on Sunday
and the odd
weekly meeting
and then going
off with the
gods of
wealth and
prosperity and
comfort and
pleasure and
ambition and
leisure and
security
what Hosea does
for us
what it should
do for us
it open
our eyes
not only to
the awesome
nature of
God's love
for us
but also the
terrible harm
our sin
causes in
our
relationship
with him
it breaks
his heart
and so
Hosea here
challenges us
to examine
the nature
of our
love
and particularly
whether or not
we love
our God
it is a
passionate
personal
relationship
with the
living God
is that
how you
would describe
your relationship
with God
is love
characterised by
faithfulness
and by
devotion to
God alone
is it
seriously a
case of
man and
woman standing
up and
saying forsaking
all others
I commit
myself to
you is that
how you
would describe
your relationship
with Christ
is it
authentic and
not just the
performance or
a serrade of
following some
acceptable
religious behaviour
Hosea helps
me to see
that God
wants me to
love him
warmly as
a husband
and not
just serve
him dutifully
as a
master
when you
think my
friends of
your failures
and hopefully
that's what
you are doing
right now
you think of
your failures
and your sins
and your
half-heartedness
that you're not
fully devoted
to Christ
and God
wants you to
remember
that his
desire to
have you
back is
not based
on a
naive
estimation
of your
character
we are
Goma
and he
knows it
the point
of Hosea
is that God
exalts his
mercy by not
giving up
on his
wife of
Hordom
the good
news of
Hosea
in the
whole Bible
is that
God knows
that we
have sold
ourselves
for a
song
and yet
he is
wooing us
tenderly
with his
love in
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
according
to
Hosea
2.16
God does
not want
you to
return and
say to
him
yes sir
I'll
try harder
this year
he wants
you to
respond to
him
my
husband
my
lover
God
wants your
heart
not just
your
hands
because if
he has
your
heart
he has
everything
and so
my friends
we struggle
that's
that is the
picture of
the Christian
life
and what
we look
forward to
as his
people is
the day
when all
unfaithfulness
is finally
dealt with
the war
against our
souls is
over
in Revelation
19 we see
God finally
and eternally
destroying the
great prostitute
the mother of
all unfaithfulness
and then in
chapter 21
it says
then I saw
a new heaven
and a new
earth
for the first
heaven and the
first earth
had passed
away and
there is no
longer any
sea
I saw the
holy city
the new
Jerusalem
coming down
out of heaven
from God
prepared as a
bride
beautifully
dressed for
her husband
and I heard
a loud voice
from the throne
saying
now the
dwelling of God
is with men
and he will
live with them
and they will
be his people
and God
himself will
be with them
and be their
God
and he will
wipe away
every tear
from their
eyes
there will be
no more
death
or mourning
or crying
or pain
for the old
order of
things
has passed
away
that is his
promise
to his
bride
let's pray
friends
and in
praying
can I
just
encourage
you
just to
bow your
heads
now
and
just
reflect
upon
this
message
and maybe
God
in his
spirit
by his
spirit
has
roused
in you
a sin
failures
that you
need to
bring to
him right
now
to take
them
seriously
as he
takes
them
seriously
and then
I'll
pray
our
loving
and
faithful
heavenly
father
our
husband
our
lover
we
give
you
thanks
for
calling
us
to be
your
children
you
have
made
us
your
bride
you
adopt
us
as
your
people
you
have
showered
us
with
every
good
gift
and
promised
us
eternal
life
with
you
in
perfection
in
your
great
love
and
mercy
you
have
cleansed
us
from
all
of
our
unfaithfulness
you
have
made
us
pure
and
clean
in
your
sight
through
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and
yet
father
we
are
still
unfaithful
to
you
we
fail
to
love
you
as
we
should
we
run
after
other
gods
you
are
not
always
the
first
love
of
our
heart
forgive
us
we
pray
for
our
unfaithfulness
renew
us
and
restore
us
again
by
your
grace
that
we
may
continue
as
your
bride
and
declare
your
praise
and
your
glory
and
the
magnificence
of
your
mercy
we
give
you
thanks
for
the
confidence
that
we
have
in
the
Lord
Jesus
both
of
forgiveness
and
of
a
future
where
we
will
dwell
with
you
in
perfect
faithfulness
forever
and
we
ask
it
all
for
your
glory
amen
we're
going to
continue
to pray
we're
going to
go
straight
into
the
Lord's
supper
a
reminder
of
the
price
that
was
paid
so
that
we
can
be
the
bride
of
Christ
so
if
you'd
like
to
bow
your
heads
we'll
pray
and
then
remind
it
again
as
we
take
these
elements
of
the
great
love
that
God
has
for
us
in
Christ
our
gracious
Father
you are
worthy
of all
praise
and glory
and honour
because
you're
the one
who
sustains
all
things
by
your
powerful
word
and we
want to
especially
thank you
this morning
for the
Lord
Jesus
we want
to thank
you
that
through
his
death
and
his
resurrection
he paid
the
complete
debt
of
our
sin
he's
redeemed
us
brought
us back
to be
your
people
and
he
has
eternally
forever
delivered
everyone
who trusts
in him
from
your
judgment
for
unfaithfulness
and so
this morning
we remember
what he's
done for
us
we thank
you for
these
gifts
of bread
and wine
and pray
that we
who take
them now
might do
so in
remembrance
of the
cost of
Christ's
love for
us
and may
we truly
share in
his eternal
inheritance
Father we
thank you that
you spiritually
feed us
and nourish
us through
your son
the Lord
Jesus
and we
ask that
you might
do that
for us
now
we pray
that as
we eat
and we
drink
that we
would be
assured of
your goodness
and your
love for
us
we ask
Father that
you might
renew us
by your
Holy Spirit
that you
might unite
us together
around your
son
and that you
might keep
us and
sustain us
until we
enter your
perfect
glory
and so
we eat
this bread
and we drink
this cup
together as
your people
and we
together
proclaim our
unity in your
son
and we
pray these
things through
the Lord
Jesus Christ
Amen