Alright, I want you guys to imagine you're 20 years old again.
And if you're not 20 yet, then just pretend you're 20 years old.
!
Suffered a tragic loss, and this loss really brought you two closer together.
In the past few months, you've been able to share your dreams with her, your fears with her.
You've helped her to understand what is meaningful to you.
You know her laugh, you know her favorite song, and you know the way her eyes light up when she's excited.
You've invested so much time into this relationship.
It's almost as if your lives are intertwined.
After a few months, you propose to this lovely lady.
And then shortly after that, you get married.
And you continue to get to know this lady.
And each day, you understand her more and more.
What she likes, what she doesn't like.
But after a couple years, you notice a shift.
You notice that she starts to say less.
There's less laughter when she's around.
And sometimes you wonder if she even notices you.
Maybe she's just stressed or tired.
So you give her the space that she needs.
After all, you were warned that in marriage there would be rough patches.
And maybe this is just one of those.
But the distance continues to grow.
And the conversations continue to become more brief.
The smiles, they become rare.
And the feelings that you once shared are slowly slipping away.
You notice that her attention turns to other things.
And she starts making choices without you.
Those little gestures that used to show love are now absent.
Every day, the life that you built together.
The dreams you shared.
The laughter.
The late night talks.
The sacrifices.
They all seem to be fading away.
The closeness that once brought joy to your life and to this relationship.
That same closeness now brings aching.
You wonder, does she even remember that you love her?
And then one day, you experience tightness in your chest.
The betrayal that you suspected has been confirmed.
Your wife has been unfaithful.
Turning away from the love and intimacy that you two have built over time.
The pain is sharp because you've invested so much into this relationship.
And the love and trust that you've built is now shattered.
It feels like your heart has been ripped out.
The love that you thought was all good now brings discomfort as well.
At its highest, this love is something that you may only experience through marriage.
But at its lowest, it leaves you filled with doubt and regret.
You have a choice.
Do you walk away from this relationship that you once held so dear?
Or do you hold on to hope of restoration?
This is the picture that God paints with Israel.
He loved them and they continued to walk away.
Chasing after idols and turning away from that relationship that they once had.
God's heart was aching.
But he was still longing for a return.
Before we jump in to the passage,
I'm just going to give you some context to help you understand how shocking this truly is.
So Hosea lived in the northern kingdom of Israel.
This was about 750 years before Jesus.
On the surface, Israel was a very prosperous land.
The economy was booming.
Cities were being built.
Everyone was comfortable.
It was a great time in Israel.
At least on the outside.
But on the inside, they were straying from God.
They were chasing after idols.
Going through the motions.
They still brought sacrifices to the temple.
They still sang songs.
But they started to worship Baal.
Who was a Canaanite god of fertility and rain.
They believed that Baal would give them good crops, strong herd, and wealth.
The Israelites would say that they trusted in Yahweh.
But their idol worship would say otherwise.
They wanted God's blessing, not his lordship.
That is where Hosea comes in.
Let's turn to Hosea 1, verses 2 to 11.
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him,
Go marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.
For like an adulterous wife, this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.
She has married Gomer, daughter of Diblim.
And she conceived and bore him a son.
Then the Lord said to Hosea,
Call him Jezreel,
because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel.
And I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
In that day, I will break Israel's bow in the valley of Jezreel.
Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter.
Then the Lord said to Hosea,
Call her Loruhema, which means not loved.
For I will no longer show love to Israel,
that I should at all forgive them.
Yet I will show love to Judah,
and I will save them,
not by bow, sword, or battle,
or by horses and horsemen.
But I, the Lord their God, will save them.
After she had weaned Loruhema,
Gomer had another son.
Then the Lord said,
Call him Loamai,
which means not my people.
For you are not my people,
and I am not your God.
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 children of the living God.
The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together.
They will appoint one leader,
and will come up out of the land.
For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Let's pray.
Lord, I thank you for this day that you've given to us,
and just the opportunity that we can come and gather together,
and just hear from your word.
And I pray that these words that you've given to us in Hosea,
that we would be open to hearing what you want us to hear from this passage,
and that you would just give me the words to speak,
and that I would be able to just share what you want me to share.
I pray these things in your name.
Amen.
All right.
Sin is not just breaking God's rules.
It's breaking God's heart.
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea,
the Lord said to him,
Go marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.
For like an adulterous wife,
this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.
In verse 2, God tells Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman.
That word means having many partners.
This is a living picture of Israel's spiritual adultery.
Why would God want someone to marry such a sinner?
Like, that doesn't make sense.
Hosea is a prophet of God,
and he's using this prophet to marry a sinner,
a promiscuous woman.
But what is more shocking
is that this is a picture of God's relationship with Israel.
Israel disobeyed.
They betrayed a covenant of love.
They wandered morally,
and they wandered relationally.
They traded the God who brought them out of Egypt
for gods made of wood and stone.
They were chasing after idols,
trusting foreign alliances,
seeking satisfaction in things that couldn't love them back.
This brought a lot of pain to God.
The pain of being replaced.
The ache of loving someone who runs away
and keeps running away.
Hosea shows us
that sin
doesn't just offend God's holiness.
It wounds his heart.
Have you ever been in a conversation
with somebody
who's glued to their phone?
Maybe you're pouring your heart out
or sharing something important,
and mid-sentence you hear that ding.
Their eyes flick down.
Their thumbs start moving.
Right then you notice that you've lost them.
What you're telling them now
is just going over their head.
They're focused on their phone
and what's in front of them.
They're there physically,
but they're not very present.
If you've ever been on the receiving end of this,
this isn't a great feeling.
You might wonder,
are they even listening?
Or do they even care what I have to say?
This is a glimpse
of how God felt with Israel.
They still went to the temple.
They still offered sacrifices.
They still said the right things.
But their hearts were somewhere else.
How often do we do the same?
Show up to church,
sing the songs,
read our Bible,
but our hearts are miles away.
God doesn't want half of our hearts.
He wants the whole heart.
God doesn't just want our attendance,
but he wants our affection.
He doesn't just want our obedience,
but he wants our heart.
We may not bow to idols of stone,
but our hearts can still chase after things like success
or money,
pleasure,
control,
comfort,
approval.
I want you to ask yourself,
where has your heart drifted?
When we treat God like a background app,
open but not active,
we betray a relationship with him.
Even in our half-heartedness,
God continues to call us to come home.
God's love is so real
that he refuses to ignore our sin.
Each of Hosea's children
receive names that symbolize judgment.
Then the Lord said to Hosea,
call him Jezreel,
because I will soon punish the house of Jehu
for the massacre at Jezreel,
and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
And that day I will break Israel's bow
in the valley of Jezreel.
Gomer conceived again
and gave birth to a daughter.
Then the Lord said to Hosea,
call her Loruhema,
which means not loved,
for I will no longer show love to Israel,
that I should at all forgive them.
Yet I will show love to Judah,
and I will save them,
not by bow, sword, or battle,
or by horses and horsemen,
but I, the Lord their God,
will save them.
After she had weaned Loruhema,
Gomer had another son.
Then the Lord said,
call him Loamai,
which means not my people,
for you are not my people,
and I am not your God.
So the first one we see is Jezreel.
This is a reminder
that violence and bloodshed
will bring Israel's downfall.
And then the second child,
we see Loruhema,
which means not loved,
representing God's withdrawal of mercy.
And the third child,
Loamai,
which means not my people,
symbolizing a broken relationship.
Imagine naming your kids
names like this.
Not loved,
not my people.
Like,
in this world,
I can't imagine anybody doing that.
And if they did,
we would wonder if they're a psycho.
But this just truly shows
how serious God was in this moment.
Each name shows the heartbreak of God.
These names aren't random,
but it shows that God's love
is not sentimental,
it is holy.
His justice
flows from his love,
because his love knows
how harmful sin is.
God's judgment is a father
who refuses
to let children ruin themselves.
God is saying,
you have broken my covenant,
and I will let you feel the weight of it,
not to crush you,
but to awaken you.
When I was younger,
I didn't understand
the rules I was given.
There were things
that I wanted to do,
like run out onto the street
to go and grab a ball,
or stay up all night
and watch TV.
I didn't understand
why I wasn't allowed to do that,
but when I pushed those rules,
there was discipline.
And it felt unfair.
Sometimes I wondered,
why do my parents not like me?
They don't let me do these things.
But what I couldn't see
is that they're actually
doing it out of love.
These boundaries
weren't punishment,
but they are protection.
If they were to just
let me do what I wanted to do,
I could have ended up
getting hurt
or doing something
that I would regret doing.
That's the kind of love
that God has for His people.
He sees us living in sin,
and He doesn't just sit there
and say,
I'll let sin destroy you.
But He wants us to come to Him,
and He wants to protect us,
and that's why there is judgment.
We often think
that the worst thing God can do
is discipline us,
but the real tragedy
is if He stopped caring enough
to confront us.
When God confronts us,
it's grace in disguise.
Think about it.
Grace doesn't always feel good at first.
God's plan is always redemption.
Instead of asking,
why are you doing this to me?
Ask God,
what are you doing in me?
I'm going to repeat that.
Instead of asking,
God,
why are you doing this to me?
The question we should ask is,
God,
what are you doing in me?
When we feel the sting of conviction,
we're truly feeling the touch
of a God who still loves us.
Even after heartbreak
and correction,
the story doesn't end in despair.
The same God
who shows judgment
in verses 4 to 9
is the same God
who brings hope
in verses 10 to 11.
Even when God's people
break His heart,
He refuses to let the story
end in rejection.
His love moves towards restoration.
After all,
the heartbreak,
the warnings,
the names of judgment,
God's tone changes.
It's like the storm clouds break
and light shines through.
Yet the Israelites
will be like the sand
on the seashore,
which cannot be measured
or counted.
In the place where I was said to them,
You are not my people.
They will be called
children of the living God.
The people of Judah
and the people of Israel
will come together.
They will appoint one leader
and will come up
out of the land,
for great will be the day
of Jezreel.
This tells us
that God's mercy
has the final word.
Love doesn't ignore sin.
This is the gospel
foreshadowed
through Hosea.
Judgment isn't the destination,
but it is the doorway
to restoration.
God's love runs
towards His people.
I want you to turn
to Luke 15,
the story of the prodigal son.
We're going to read
verses 20 to 24.
So He got up
and went to His father.
While He was still
a long way off,
His father saw Him
and was filled
with compassion for Him.
He ran to His son,
threw His arms around Him
and kissed Him.
The son said to Him,
Father,
I have sinned against heaven
and against You.
I am no longer worthy
to be called Your son.
But the father said
to his servant,
Quick,
bring the best robe
and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger
and sandals on his feet.
Bring the fattened calf
and kill it.
Let's have a feast
and celebrate.
For this son of mine
was dead
and is alive again.
He was lost
and is found.
So they began
to celebrate.
So in this story,
we see a young man
who demands
his inheritance early
and then runs off
and wastes it all,
leaving him broke
and starving.
And when he realizes
how far he has fallen,
he walks home
feeling unworthy,
feeling shame,
feeling judgment.
But his father sees him
and he doesn't just wait
for him to come to him.
He runs to him.
The act of him running
shows that he's excited
to see him.
He isn't just waiting
there for him.
And he gives him
a robe,
a ring,
feast,
and he says,
my son was lost.
Now he is found.
This is what Hosea 1,
10 to 11 is describing.
God doesn't wait
at a distance,
but he runs
towards his people.
He doesn't just ignore sin,
but his mercy
is stronger.
Maybe you've walked away
from God.
Maybe your love for him
has grown cold.
And maybe you feel
like you're too far gone
to return.
But both Hosea
and Luke 15
show us that God's heart
still beats for his people,
including those who wander.
The same God who said,
you are not my people,
is the same God who says
that you are sons and daughters
of the living God.
His mercy doesn't rewrite
the past,
but it redeems it.
So as we look at Hosea 1,
we can feel the weight
of it pressing down.
Each name,
Jezreel,
Lo-Ruhema,
Lo-Ami,
all of these
feel like a final verdict,
like God has given up.
Maybe it feels like
that covenant is shattered,
the intimacy is gone,
but just when you think
it is over,
we see the word yet.
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
children of the living God.
The people of Judah
and the people of Israel
will come together.
They will appoint one leader
and will come up
out of the land,
for great will be
the day of Jezreel.
The word yet
shows the divine mercy
breaking through the silence.
A God who refuses
to let sin
have the last word.
God is saying,
yes,
they've been unfaithful,
yes,
they've turned away,
but I'm not done,
my covenant still stands.
And then if you look
at Hosea 3,
verse 1,
the Lord said to me,
go show your love
to your wife again.
Though she is loved
by another man
and is an adulteress,
love her
as the Lord
loves the Israelites.
Though they turn
to other gods
and love the sacred
raisin cakes.
Hosea 3,
1
helps tie the whole
passage together.
God tells Hosea
to love your wife again.
The Hebrew word
for show your love
is talking about compassion,
not just a passive feeling,
but it's a deliberate choice
to love someone
who has wounded you.
This story here
that we see in Hosea
is the same story
that we see
throughout the gospel.
A God
who chooses
to love his people
even when they choose
to fall away
and stray from him.
Throughout Hosea
1-3,
God isn't trying
to shame Israel,
but he is revealing
brokenness
in hopes that
they will return
home to him.
God's goal
is always redemption,
not rejection.
Imagine Hosea
standing in the marketplace
and he hears that
Gomer has been sold
to slavery.
The woman
who was once
his wife
sharing that table
with him
is now being sold
to strangers.
He could have said
she made her bed,
let her lie in it.
But we see
in Hosea 2,
So I bought her
for 15 shekels
of silver
and about a homer
and a lethic
of barley.
Then I told her,
You are to live
with me
many days.
You must not
be a prostitute
or be intimate
with any man
and I will behave
the same way
towards you.
So he walks
into that marketplace
and there was
probably people
whispering like,
Oh, that's Hosea.
That's the husband
of this slave here
that's choosing
to live this way.
But yet,
he decides
to buy her back
and we see
verse 3
showing
what Hosea
said to her.
You are to live
with me
many days.
You must not
be a prostitute
or be intimate
with any man
and I will behave
the same way
towards you.
This is not just
Hosea's voice
but this is also
God's voice
when we see
the gospel.
We are those
people,
we are Gomer
in that marketplace
and Jesus
comes in
and decides
to buy us
back.
We're bought
with a price
and we see
that when we
look at Jesus
on the cross
and this price
is not just
15 shekels,
this price
is so much
more.
This is what
Hosea foreshadows,
not God
walking away
but God
walking towards
us and pursuing
us.
In Hosea's
day,
he said,
You are not
my people,
I am not
your God.
And Paul
picks up
these same
words in
Romans 9,
25 to 26.
As he says
in Hosea,
I will call
them my
people who
are not
my people
and I will
call her
my loved
one who
is not
my loved
one.
And in
the very
place where
it was said
to them,
you are not
my people,
there they
will be
called children
of the
living God.
What Hosea
foreshadows
in his book,
Jesus fulfills
a love that
goes further,
that pays
an even
bigger price
and welcomes
even more.
So will
you choose
to keep
running or
will you
return to
Christ?
Will you
choose comfort
and distraction
or will you
surrender to
a love that
restores?
Are you
okay with
being called
not my
people or
do you want
to be called
children of
God?
This story
doesn't end
in shame,
it ends
in hope.
These people
were once
called not
my people,
now they
are called
children of
God.
Even in
unfaithfulness,
God is
faithful.
Even when
we run
far,
his mercy
runs further.
Even though
we broke
a covenant,
God's
covenant
still remains.
Maybe your
heart feels
distant,
maybe you
have gone
through the
motions,
still showing
up to
church,
still singing
the songs,
but inside
your heart
has grown
cold.
I want
this story
here from
Hosea,
to be a
reminder and
an invitation
from God
to return.
God is
calling us
to return
to him.
Let's
pray.
Lord,
I thank
you for
these words
that you've
given to
us in
the scripture
and I
pray that
we would
just
throughout
this day
and throughout
this week
be able to
reflect on
the ways
in which we
may have
strayed from
you or
wandered
from you
and just
be able to
reflect on
which idols
we're chasing
after.
It may not
be idols
of wood
or stone
but idols
like comfort
or approval
or money
and I pray
that we
would just
be able to
reflect upon
those and
turn to you
with everything
and that we
wouldn't
continue to
run but
that we
would love
you wholeheartedly.
Praise things
in your name.
Amen.