Verse 1 and on page 903 of the Church Bible.
Hear this, you priests. Pay attention, you Israelites.
Listen, O royal house. This judgment is against you.
You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.
The rebels are deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them.
I know all about Ephraim. Israel is not hidden from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution. Israel is corrupt.
Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God.
A spirit of prostitution is in their heart. They do not acknowledge the Lord.
Israel's arrogance testifies against them. The Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin.
Judah also stumbles with them.
When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, they will not find him.
He has withdrawn himself from them.
They are unfaithful to the Lord.
They give birth to illegitimate children.
Now their new moon festivals will devour them and their fields.
Sound the trumpet in Gibeah.
The horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth-Avon.
Lead on, O Benjamin.
Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning.
Among the tribes of Israel, I proclaim what is certain.
Judah's leaders are like those who move boundary stones.
I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.
Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.
I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah.
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent the great king for help.
But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away.
I will carry them off with no one to rescue them.
Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt.
And they will seek my face.
In their misery they will earnestly seek me.
Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us.
He has injured us, but he will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive us.
On the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord.
Let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises he will appear.
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
Thanks, Chris.
Well, let's pray.
Let us pray.
Father, it is our desire that we would know you better,
that we would love you more.
And we realize that our hearts can grow cold to you.
We can turn away from you.
And so we ask, Father, that through your word today,
it would spark that fire,
that a flame would roar,
that we would be drawn closer to you afresh.
That your word would be a word of healing to our lives.
That you would bring us back if we need to be brought back.
That you would grow us where we need to grow.
That we would become more like you.
So, Father, do your work amongst us today, we pray.
Amen.
Well, it had been an exhausting and emotional trial.
Outside the court,
the crowds had gathered,
the press waited anxiously,
cameras at the ready.
Inside the court,
there was complete and utter silence.
The judge took his seat,
ready to give his verdict.
The court had heard how a wife who was loved,
cared for and treasured by her husband,
had left the family home and had an affair.
And central to the case was when the husband
took the stand to give evidence
against his wife.
Fighting back the tears,
he explained how his wife of many years
had left the marriage time and time again,
refusing to come home.
He took no delight in what he said.
He was heartbroken,
longing that she would return.
What would be the verdict of the judge?
Well, that's the scene as we step into chapter 5.
On trial is God's wife, Israel.
And giving evidence against his wife is God himself,
the faithful and loyal husband.
But now the husband must turn and play the role of judge.
What will be his verdict?
Well, look at verse 1.
After his deliberations,
the judge gives his verdict.
Hear this, you priests.
Pay attention, you Israelites.
Listen, O royal house.
This judgment is against you.
Now let's remember that this is also our story.
Because this story pictures how we,
the whole human race,
have rejected God's good and faithful love.
We've ignored his advances towards us.
We've gone in search of other lovers.
And now God turns
to give his verdict.
What does he have to say
to us?
Well, it comes in three parts.
First, God says,
I will withdraw my love from you.
Before announcing his judgment,
God summarizes the evidence
against his wife.
Look at verse 3.
I know all about Ephraim.
Ephraim, of course,
is another name for Israel the nation.
I know all about Ephraim.
Israel is not hidden from me.
I've seen everything you've done.
I've watched how you've walked away from me
into the arms of other lovers.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution.
Israel is corrupt.
Perhaps we can remember,
but we've certainly all witnessed
the vows at a wedding.
The groom lovingly
takes the hand of his bride
and makes this promise.
I take you to be my lawful wedded wife.
To have and to hold from this day forward.
For better, for worse.
For richer, for poorer.
In sickness and in health.
To love and to cherish.
Till death us do part.
And then the bride takes the hand of the groom
and she places a ring on his finger.
I give you this ring
as a sign of my love
and the promise that I have made to you today.
Well, Israel had done the same thing with God.
In love, God had pursued them.
He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt.
He had brought them to himself.
And together they stood at Mount Sinai
ready to make their marriage vows.
And God read out the vows before his bride
in what we know as the Ten Commandments.
And he says to his bride,
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not bow down to them
or worship them.
For I, the Lord your God,
am a jealous God.
I will not share your love with another.
And now those vows were in tatters.
Verse 4.
Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
A spirit of adultery or prostitution
is in their heart.
They do not acknowledge the Lord.
Verse 7.
They are unfaithful to the Lord.
They give birth to illegitimate children.
They pass on their behaviour
to the next generation.
And like Israel,
we too, the human race,
have walked out on the marriage.
We have not trusted God's goodness
and generosity.
We have believed the lies
that he is not good.
We have exchanged him for other lovers
and gone to other things
and other people
in search of our joy
and our happiness.
Well, as we listen to the words of the judge,
let's remember that these are also
the words of a faithful husband
with tears in his eyes.
His response to his people
for persistently walking out on his love,
sadly, regrettably,
is to withdraw his love from them.
Look at verse 6.
When they go with their flocks
and their herds
to seek the Lord,
when they go to make sacrifice again
and try and get back into God's favour,
they will not find him.
He has withdrawn himself from them.
When they come running back
from their failed lovers,
when they come knocking on the door,
there will be no answer.
No one will be at home.
God has left.
He has withdrawn his love.
It's tragic.
Now, we might struggle
with the very thought of that,
but let's remember,
Israel is a serial adulteress.
This has gone on for hundreds of years,
down through the generations,
and it's progressively got worse.
So, in a sense,
God is giving them
what they've been asking for all along.
You want to live without my love?
Then a life without my love
you shall have.
You see, God is jealous for his people.
He's not about to give up on them.
He will fight for them.
He will pursue them.
He will give his life for his people.
But if we continue to reject his love,
if we continue to push against his advances,
there will come a time
when he will withdraw his love from us.
And we will come knocking,
but there will be no answer.
The tragic verdict
upon those who continue to push God away.
And second,
the verdict continues.
God says,
I will bring my judgment upon you.
Look at verse 8.
Sound the trumpet in Giver,
the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven,
the house of wickedness.
Attention!
Listen up!
Hear the trumpet call.
Let me show you what will happen
when I withdraw my love from you.
No one
will be able to protect you, Israel.
The Assyrians are going to come and invade.
No one will be able to rescue you.
In fact,
it will be terrifying.
And in a series of images,
God explains what it will be like.
This is how it will be
when I withdraw my love from you.
He says,
it will be like a flood.
Look at verse 10.
Of course,
this isn't just to Israel,
the northern nation,
but also to Judah,
the southern nation,
because they both
had pushed God away.
So verse 10,
Judah's leaders are like
those who move boundary stones.
I will pour out my wrath in them
like a flood of water.
Because the leaders
didn't deal with the sin,
God responded in wrath.
He says it's going to be
like a dam that bursts
and everything in its path
will be swept away.
Not only will it be a flood,
it will be like a rot.
Verse 11,
Ephraim is oppressed,
trampled in judgment,
intent on pursuing
their other lovers.
I am like a moth to Ephraim,
like rot to the people of Judah.
Just like a rot will eat away,
corroding and breaking,
so God will come and destroy them.
He goes on,
he says it will be like a sickness.
Verse 13,
when Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria
and sent to the king for help,
come and help us.
But he is not able to cure you,
not able to heal your sores.
And so when God's judgment comes,
it will be like a sickness or disease
that they cannot cure.
They'll turn to the other nations
and to other people
looking for their intervention and help,
but they will not save.
It'll be like a flood.
It'll be like a rot.
It'll be like sickness.
Verse 14,
it'll be like a lion.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces
and go away.
I will carry them off
with no one to rescue them.
Just like a lion hunting down
its weakened prey,
so God will come
and nothing will be able
to protect you, Israel.
You see,
when God withdraws his love,
when he withdraws his hand
that is upon his people,
it's not freedom.
It's terrifying.
But notice how all this happens.
This is deeply personal to God.
Yes, he may use the Assyrian nation
to come in upon Israel
and Babylon,
the nation that will come into Judah,
but it's God
who is behind this judgment.
Look at verse 14 again.
For I will be like a lion.
I will tear them to pieces.
I will carry them off.
You see,
God's wrath,
his anger,
is not some kind of
uncontrollable temper.
It's not a fit of rage.
No, it's God's just,
fair,
and personal response
to our persistent rejection
of him.
I remember meeting
with a young couple,
not in this church.
They hadn't been married long
and she had discovered
that her new husband
had been sleeping around.
She sat on the couch,
told her story.
The tears flowed down her face.
She was heartbroken.
But they were also tears of anger
and she had every right to be.
He had broken the marriage,
destroyed the trust,
abused her love.
And that's how it is with God.
He is the faithful,
loyal husband
with tears in his eyes.
But he's also the judge
who will not put up
with continued rebellion.
You see,
when there is no love for God,
it doesn't mean
that the world all now
loves one another.
When we don't love God,
there is no love
for others.
Remember the evidence?
Have a look back
at chapter 4, verse 2.
This was the evidence
against God's people.
Chapter 4, verse...
Sorry,
the end of verse 1
of chapter 4.
God says,
there's no faithfulness,
no love,
no acknowledgement
of God in the land.
And in its place,
there is only cursing,
lying,
and murder,
and stealing,
and adultery.
They break all bounds,
and bloodshed
follows bloodshed.
It's the picture
of the world
we live in today.
Now,
as God views
all of this
over the centuries,
He doesn't sit there
and say,
you know what,
it doesn't matter.
Just continue
to do what you like.
Don't worry
about all the abuse
and the trafficking
and the slavery.
Don't bother
about all the stealing
and the lies
and the harsh words.
All the wars
and all the violence,
it doesn't matter.
It does matter.
This is personal
to God
because He is
our Creator.
He owns us.
He rules us.
He loves us.
God is so patient,
longing for us
to return to Him,
but He will not
put up with it
forever.
To face
an invading nation
like Israel did
is one thing.
For us
to stand
face to face
with our personal
God as judge
is another thing
altogether.
Jesus described
that day
like this.
Speaking of Himself,
when the Son of Man,
the Son of Man
is a title
for the one
with all power
and supreme authority.
When the Son of Man
comes
in His glory
and all His angels
with Him,
He will sit
on His throne
in heavenly glory,
all the nations,
all the nations
will be gathered
before Him.
And He will
separate the people
one from another
as a shepherd
separates the sheep
from the goats.
He will put the sheep
to His right,
the goats
to His left.
And He will say
to those on His left,
depart from Me,
you are cursed,
into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil
and His angels.
Then they will go away
to eternal punishment,
but the righteous
to eternal life.
When God withdraws
His love,
it is not freedom.
we face
the terrifying
prospect
of an eternity
in hell.
But that's not
the final verdict.
There is a surprising
statement
of hope
because God says,
I will come
and heal you.
look at verse 15.
Chapter 5,
verse 15.
God is saying,
I will go back
to my place
until they admit
their guilt
and they will
seek my faith.
In their misery
they will earnestly
seek me.
God's desire
is that the judgment
that He will bring
upon His people
is a form of discipline.
He will withdraw
His love
only
to cause His people
to return
in repentance
to Him.
For God
longs
to see the marriage
restored.
God
will
heal
His people.
There is
a promised
healing.
Look at verse 1.
Come,
let us return
to the Lord.
He has torn
us to pieces
but He
will heal us.
He
has injured
us
but He
will bind
up our wounds.
It's a very
strange tension.
Did you read it?
God is the one
who tears
to pieces.
God is the one
who injures
only for God
to heal
and to bind
up our wounds.
Let me show you
two ways
God does this.
First,
and I want you
to engage
with this.
Maybe you are
going through
a hard time
right now.
Life is
difficult.
Circumstances
are painful.
You might
even describe
it as being
dark.
It's like
God has
withdrawn
His love
from you.
It can
feel like
God is
even tearing
you to pieces.
You can
feel crushed
and broken.
Have you
ever felt
like that?
God has
to
God
has
allowed it
not to
get back
at you
but because
He loves
you.
His wounds
are not
harsh
and vindictive
but to
cause our
hearts
to turn
to Him.
the
circumstances
and the
events
that we
go through
may be
painful
but by
trusting
God
they become
loving wounds
so that we
in turn
run
to our
healer.
He has
torn us
to pieces
but He
will yet
heal us.
sometimes
God
has to
draw us
back to
Himself
because we're
walking away
and it's
like a
finger
on our
lives
just a
wound
to say
come back
to me.
Sometimes
it can
be simply
that
it's a
way of
God
to draw
us
closer
to Him
in
dependence
upon
Him
not
that
we've
done
anything
wrong
but to
grow our
love
our
dependence
upon
Him.
He
injures
us
but He
will bind
up our
wounds.
Now I
understand
that that
can be
very hard
for us
to take
in
and you're
thinking
does He
really
injure
us?
does He
really
wound
us?
Well let
me show
you the
second way
God tears
to heal.
Remember
the verdict
we've just
looked at?
We all
stand under
the just
judgment
of God
and when
God's
judgment
comes
it will
be like
being torn
to pieces
but here
He's telling
us that
He will
tear us
to pieces
us but
at the
same time
heal us.
How can
He do
that?
Torn
but healed
injured
but made
well.
The
tension
is resolved
at the
cross.
You see
at the
cross we
see God
torn to
pieces for
us so
that we
can be
healed.
Peter
explains it
like this
1 Peter
chapter 2
verse 24
says this
He
himself
speaking of
Jesus
bore our
sins in
his body
on the
tree
that we
might die
to sin
and live
for righteousness
by his
wounds
you have
been healed.
Jesus
stood in
for us
He took
the judgment
we deserve
He is
torn to
pieces
for us
He suffers
hell
for us
so that
we might
be forgiven
that we
might be
bound up
forgiven
restored.
Now let's
put that
all together.
If God
can be
torn apart
for you
and for
me
if God
is willing
to put
himself
in that
place
where he
is inflicted
with the
greatest
wound
possible
hell
itself
if God
will do
that for
you
and for
me
then I
can trust
him
with every
other painful
wound and
trial that
he allows
into my
life
to draw
me back
to him
to draw
me closer
to him.
promised
healing.
But there
is something
even greater.
Look at
verse 2.
After two
days he
will
revive us.
On the
third day
he will
restore us
that we
may live
in his
presence.
Hosea is
hearing what
God is saying.
God had
promised
judgment
upon his
people but
Hosea knew
that God
promised that
he is going
to revive
them.
Yes they
would be
cut down
but only
to be
restored.
Yes they
would be
crushed
but only
to be
revived.
It's like
a promised
resurrection.
Look at
verse 2.
After two
days he
will revive
us.
On the
third day
he will
restore us.
Now I'm
not suggesting
Hosea had
in mind
the
resurrection
but Hosea
knew full
well that
God had
promised
somehow
that what
he would
tear down
he could
heal.
What he
could crush
he could
revive.
Life that
he could
take
he could
restore.
And that
is what
God has
done for
us.
Jesus
was torn
to pieces
on the
cross for
us.
Three days
later
he rose
again to
life and
walked out
of that
tomb.
Look at
the end
of verse
2.
That we
may live
in his
presence.
Jesus
is the
fulfilment
of what
Hosea
longed
for the
people.
Raised
to life
that people
like you
and me
might enjoy
his presence
now and
forever so
that we
would never
ever ever
be separated
from his
love.
And know
his love
not just
today but
for an
eternity.
You see
this is our
story.
This is
my story.
This is
what God
can do
for us.
But how
do we
experience
this healing?
How can
I experience
it?
Well look
at verse
1 of
chapter 6.
Come
let us
return to
the Lord.
Verse 3
let us
acknowledge
the Lord.
Let us
press on
and acknowledge
him.
Press on
pursue
God.
Chase
after
him.
Seek
him.
Long
for him.
Maybe
you've done
that with
a lover.
You've
known what
it is to
pursue
someone.
To chase
them.
To seek
for them.
Not to
give up.
To long
for them.
This is
what God
is calling
us to
do.
To get
real with
God.
To do
business
with God.
to wrestle
with him
in your
struggles.
To hear
his voice
speak to
you as
you read
the word.
To talk
to him
as you
cry out
in prayer.
To come
to him
in repentance.
To turn
back to
God and
say you
are the
source of
all my
joy and
all my
goodness.
To come
in faith
afresh
and trust
that nothing
else and
no one
else will
satisfy you
but God
alone.
And as
we turn
back to
Christ
and as
we press
on towards
Christ
look at the
rest of
verse 3
as surely
as the
sun rises
he will
appear.
Just as
we wait
for the
sunrise each
morning to
banish the
darkness so
God is
saying your
healing will
come.
The joy of
forgiveness will
be restored.
Our hearts
will sing as
we enjoy his
presence afresh.
The parched
barren wilderness
that we have
walked through
in this season
of life will
flourish and
bloom again.
Look at the
rest of verse
3.
He will come
to us like
the winter
rains and
the spring
rains that
water
the earth.
I don't
know where
you are
today in
your
relationship
with the
Lord.
Whether
you've
wandered
away from
him as
the source
of all
joy and
goodness.
Or whether
you're
struggling to
trust him
that nothing
else and no
one else
will satisfy
but him
alone.
Well he
says come
back.
Come back
and experience
my healing.
Let the
rain of
my grace
fall upon
you and
where the
desert has
been barren
let it
bloom once
again.
But you
know what
the healing
that we can
experience right
now is
also only
partial.
It's not
complete.
the dark
clouds can
still weigh
heavy upon
us.
In a sense
there's always
going to be
those grey
clouds.
But one
day we
will experience
our full
and complete
healing just
as the sun
rises in the
morning as
sure as the
early morning
sun comes.
So Jesus
says one
day I
will come
and the
Lord Jesus
will appear
in the
heavens not
just to
bring
judgment
but for
his people
to bring
healing.
His light
will banish
the darkness
of all evil
and sin.
His rains
will fall
on the dry
broken and
cursed land
and it will
burst into
life.
And God's
people will
rejoice in
his presence
forever and
forever.
All suffering
will end.
Death will be
no more.
We will be
healed
at last.
The day
is coming.
His invitation
is for us
now.
Let the
grace of
God
reign upon
us and
experience
that reviving,
that healing
that he
alone can
bring.
Let's do
that right
now as
we pray.