902. So page 902 of the Church Bible, Hosea chapter 4, just starting in verse 1.
Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against
you who live in the land. There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the
land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery. They break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away.
The beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.
But let no man bring a charge, let no man accuse another, for your people are like those who bring
charges against a priest. You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you
have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests. Because you have ignored the law of your
God, I also will ignore your children. The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against
me. They exchange their glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness. And it will be, like people, like priests, I will punish both of them
for their ways, and repay them for their deeds. They will eat but not have enough. They will engage
in prostitution but not increase. Because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution,
to old wine and new, which take away the understanding of my people. They consult a wooden idol and are
answered by a stick of wood. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray. They are unfaithful to their God.
They sacrifice in the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and
terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law
ought to adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery. Because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine
prostitutes. A people without understanding will come to ruin. Though you commit adultery, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal. Do not go up to Beth-Avon. And do not swear as surely
as the Lord lives. The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs in a meadow? Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone. Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution. Their rulers dearly love shameful ways. A whirlwind will sweep
them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
Thank you, Kirsty. Hosea chapter 4. So keep your Bibles open there, please. Alex is just handing
around pens and a little sheet which has notes if you want to take and follow along with the talk.
Again, just to remind you and encourage you that if you miss any of the talks, you can find them all
on the church website. And the little booklet that's on the table as well, The Passion and Pursuit of God,
which gives you a review, an overview of what the book is all about, which is always refreshing too.
Thank you. So let's turn to God as we pray
and ask for his help.
Father, thank you for your word.
Thank you for its truth.
Thank you for the way in which it speaks to us today.
And we pray that as we listen, as we engage,
that Father, you would be turning our hearts
away from other lovers and other things.
Turning our hearts and our attention to you,
our true love,
our faithful
and loyal
husband.
Help us to do that well.
We need your help.
So pour out your spirit on us, we pray.
Amen.
All rise.
How does the defendant plead?
Guilty
or not guilty?
Well, I can still remember my day in court.
It was a humbling experience.
The evidence was laid out before the judge,
a witness's account
and the moment captured on CCTV.
Driving across a railway line when the barrier was coming down
was not only stupid,
it was costly.
The judgment
was just
and fair.
I had no excuse.
Well, chapter 4
brings all of us
into
the courtroom.
Not just any court,
God's marriage court.
And on trial
is God's wife,
Israel.
Remember,
God's marriage to his people
was illustrated
through the marriage of Hosea to Gomer.
Just as Gomer
had left Hosea
for other lovers,
so Israel had walked out
on their marriage to God.
But God was not about
to give up on his loved one.
Have a look at chapter 3
and verse 1.
The Lord said to me,
so the Lord is speaking to Hosea,
Hosea,
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 so Hosea would
go and love his wife again
and he brings her back
into the family home.
It's a wonderful picture
of God's love and grace
towards people like us.
So if chapters 1 to 3
give us the big picture
of God's marriage
to his people,
then chapters 4 to 14
give us the detail
of how the marriage failed,
how it broke down,
and how God is going
to restore it again.
Hosea and Gomer
may not be mentioned again,
but God's marriage
to his people
is still central
to the story.
And here we are
in chapter 4
and it all starts
in God's marriage court.
God,
the faithful,
loyal husband,
has turned judge,
jury,
and prosecutor.
Israel,
God's unfaithful wife,
is the silent
defendant.
Chapter 4,
verse 1.
You can imagine the scene.
Israel,
the wife,
in the dock.
God,
the judge,
comes in.
Chapter 4,
verse 1.
Hear the word
of the Lord,
you Israelites,
because the Lord
has a charge
to bring against you
who live
in the land.
Now,
as we enter
this marriage court
and listen to the proceedings,
we're not just
spectators up in the gallery.
We are also
in the dock.
We are also
the defendant.
Because we too
have failed
to love God
as we should,
we too
have led
an adulterous
life.
So first,
the charge
against us,
no love.
Look at the second
part of verse 1.
Here's the charge.
There is no
faithfulness,
no love,
no acknowledgement
of God
in the land.
Yes,
Israel was married
to God,
but it was a marriage
on paper,
not in practice.
They enjoyed
receiving all
of God's
wonderful gifts
and his blessings
and provision.
They took it all,
but they did not
want to fulfill
their marriage
obligations.
There was no
faithfulness,
no love,
and no
acknowledgement
of God.
And it seems
that our love
for God
is no different.
You see,
God is not
some distant
impersonal force
away out there.
He is our
loving creator
and he made us
for a relationship
with him.
That's why we exist.
He created us
so that we could
be married to him.
But we've rejected
his advances.
We've turned down
his marriage proposal.
Oh,
we're quite happy
to receive all
his blessings
and all the good
things that we get.
But we don't want
to commit
to him.
And the evidence
is seen
all around us
first
in a breakdown
in society.
Look at verse 2.
Because there's
no love
for God,
well,
verse 2,
there's only cursing,
lying,
and murder,
and stealing,
and adultery.
They break
all bounds
and bloodshed
follows bloodshed.
Now,
you listen to the news
and I think
that's a pretty
accurate description
of the human race.
Because we do not
love God,
society is
completely broken.
There are no
boundaries.
We live and do
as we please,
we do what we like,
and bloodshed
follows bloodshed.
There's wars,
there's crime,
there's violence.
But not only
is society broken,
look at the evidence
all around us
in the physical world.
Verse 3.
Because of this,
because there's
no love for God,
not only is society
broken,
but the world
is broken.
Verse 3.
Because of this,
the land mourns,
and all who live
in it
waste away.
The beasts
of the field,
the birds
of the air,
the fish
in the sea,
they're all
dying.
And isn't that
what we see
in our world today?
Not only is there
the wars,
but there's flooding,
there's famine,
there's earthquakes,
there's disease,
there's pollution.
It just goes on
and on.
Everything is
wasting away.
Creation
is groaning,
it's breaking.
Because we have
not loved God
as husband,
the evidence
is clear to see.
Society is broken.
The world
is broken.
The human race
is broken.
But you say,
well,
I'm not like that.
I'm not that person
that you've just read
in verse 2.
I care for people.
I don't murder,
I don't steal
or lie.
Well,
that's exactly
how the religious
priest thought.
Look at verse 4.
But let no man
bring a charge,
let no man
accuse another,
so stop pointing
fingers at each other,
for your people
are like those
who bring charges
against a priest.
In other words,
here are the priests,
they claim to be
innocent and above
and superior
and better than
everybody else,
but he's saying,
you're just as bad.
In fact,
having more priests
didn't make things
any better.
Having more church services
and more church buildings
didn't make things better,
it only made things worse.
Look at verse 7.
The more that the priests
increased,
the more they sinned
against me.
They exchanged their glory
for something disgraceful.
They feed on the sins
of my people
and relish
their wickedness.
You see,
every time the people
sinned,
they would have to go
to the priest
to go and make a sacrifice.
And the way in which
the priest was paid
was, well,
you would give him
a little bit
of the sacrificed animal.
Maybe a nice bit of steak
or a leg of lamb,
whatever it might be.
So the more sin
that there was,
the more sacrifices
that were required,
and therefore,
the more sacrifices
that were made,
well then,
the more pay
the priests got.
And for the priests,
it was simple maths.
Let's keep the sin going
and we earn more money.
We earn more food
for ourselves.
Verse 8.
That's what it's telling us.
They feed
on the sins
of the people.
They relish
in the wickedness.
It was simply
too profitable
for the priests
to actually deal
with the sin.
their attitude was,
if we try and deal
with the sin,
we're out of a job.
We're not going
to do that.
The smug religious
were just as bad.
And I think
it can be a bit
like us,
like that with us.
We can come along
to our church services
and do the religious
things,
help people out
now and again.
But why would we
want to increase
our giving
to the unreached
peoples of the world
when it would mean
we would have less
to spend on ourselves?
No, I'd want to give
to that because
then I wouldn't be
able to do this.
Why commit to
serving the most
vulnerable in our
community when it
would mean,
well, it stops me
from doing the things
I want to do?
Why bother using
your gifts in the
life of the church
when it means
I'm not going
to get talking
to people
or see my
friends as much?
You see,
sometimes
it's too profitable
for us to deal
with the sin.
We just prefer
to kind of live
our nice,
comfortable,
cosy life.
The reality is
we're all guilty.
That's how it's
summed up in
verse 9.
And it will be
like people,
like priests.
It doesn't
matter who we
are, whether
we're religious
or irreligious,
whether we're a
church leader
or a church
member,
whether we go
to church or
we don't go
to church,
all of us,
the human race,
the evidence is
there to see
society is broken,
the world is
broken.
We have not
loved God
as we should.
So first,
the charge
against us,
no love.
Second,
the sin
within us,
an adulterous
heart.
Look at
verse 12.
They consult,
so again
speaking about
the nation
of Israel,
they consult
a wooden
idol and
are answered
by a stick
of wood.
It's like
you or me
getting a box
of matches,
opening it up,
chucking it up
in the air
and then
seeing where
the matches
lie and
determining
what direction
you're going
to go in
life by the
direction the
matches are
pointing.
That's what
they were doing,
chucking bits
of wood around
to see what
they should
do.
And worst
of all,
rest of
verse 12,
a spirit of
prostitution
leads them
astray,
they are
unfaithful
to their
God.
As a nation,
as a people,
they had
wandered
after other
lovers,
they had
rejected their
marriage to
God and
committed
adultery,
they loved
other things
and other
people more.
It was
really quite
gross.
Look at
verse 13.
They sacrifice
on the
mountaintops
and burn
offerings on
the hills,
under the
oak,
poplar,
terebinth,
where the
shade is
planted.
It was
kind of a
nice thing
to do,
shaded by
the trees.
You see,
when the
people wanted
something,
they would
go up to
the mountaintops
and they
wouldn't,
instead of
turning to
God,
they would
turn to
their made-up
gods.
And as
part of
their sacrifice
of offering
things,
the men
and the
women who
all came
there,
they would
all have
sex with
each other
in the
hope that
somehow it
would sting
the gods
in the
heavens to
have sex,
which would
result in
earthly blessings
and fertility,
that somehow it
would cause
rains to fall
and the sun
to shine and
good harvest to
grow and that
the animals would
reproduce.
It was really
gross.
That's what's
being described
here at the
end of verse
13.
Therefore,
your daughters
turn to
prostitution and
your daughters-in-law
to adultery.
not only the
women,
but the
men.
Look at the
middle of
verse 14.
The men
themselves
consort with
harlots and
sacrifice with
shrine prostitutes.
So this
picture of
physical adultery
not only showed
how messed up
the nation had
become,
it was a
picture of
their spiritual
adultery with
God.
Their joining
with other
people was
a picture of
how they had
become married
to other
gods.
Verse 17.
Ephraim,
which is another
name for
Israel.
Ephraim is
joined to
idols.
Literally,
they've broken
up the
relationship with
God saying,
we don't want
you anymore.
They've
effectively signed
their divorce
papers with
God saying,
we don't want
you, and
they've now
formed a
new marriage,
a new
relationship with
their new
gods.
They've fallen
in love with
other things
and other
people.
Now we
might look at
all of this
and it seems
somewhat distant
and look in
horror and
disgust and
think, really?
Is that the
way they
behaved?
But we
need to
grasp it
because it's
a picture of
our own
hearts.
Look what it
says in
verse 12,
the end of
verse 12.
It talks about
a spirit of
prostitution
leading people
astray.
They are
unfaithful to
God.
Now we
might not
be a
prostitute at
some religious
shrine,
but we
can all
play the
spiritual
whore.
We all
chase after
other lovers.
others.
We exchange
God for
other things.
We make
sport and
career and
money and
sex the
most important
things and
give our
life to
that.
Or we
replace God
with other
people, a
spouse or a
lover.
They're the
most important.
We leave
God and have
affairs hoping
to find joy
and happiness
in things and
people.
evil.
And that's
the sin
within our
hearts.
It's what
the Bible
describes as
adulterous
behaviour.
The physical
adultery that
Israel committed
is a picture
of our own
spiritual adultery
within our
hearts.
You might
think, well,
that's just
one way I
can go and
it's going to
be good to
me, it's
going to give
me everything
that I want.
But it's a
lie.
It leaves
us empty.
Look at the
beginning of
verse 10.
It's
talking about
their adulterous
behaviour and
leaving God
for other
things.
Look what it
says, verse 10,
they will eat
but not have
enough.
They will
engage in
prostitution
but not
increase
because they
have deserted
the Lord to
give themselves
to prostitution.
You see, we
believe and
the world
tells us that
if I can just
get that
perfect job,
I will be
content.
If I can just
find that
perfect lover
for my life,
then everything
is going to be
sorted.
If I can just
earn enough
money and buy
that perfect
house in the
right location,
then I will
be absolutely
happy,
completely
satisfied and
content.
If I can just
have,
I'll be
okay.
But chasing
after other
lovers will
never satisfy
you.
As it says
in verse 10,
we will never
have enough.
We will never
increase.
chasing other
lovers will
never satisfy
you,
never fulfill
you.
Spiritual
adultery,
replacing God
with other
lovers,
will leave you
empty and
broken.
So second,
the sin
within us,
adulterous
hearts.
Third,
the warning
before us,
judgment
coming.
We can
imagine
Israel,
God's wife,
sitting there
in the
dock,
listening as
all the
evidence is
laid out
before her.
No love,
an adulterous
heart,
and watching
up in the
gallery up
there is
Judah.
Remember,
Israel was
the northern
part of the
nation,
Judah was
the southern
part of
the nation
and she's
come into
court too,
but she's
sitting up
in the
gallery.
And now
God turns
to speak
to them.
Verse 15,
though you
commit adultery,
O Israel,
so God is
speaking to
his wife,
you have an
adulterous
heart,
you have no
love,
and now God
turns and he
looks to
Judah up in
the gallery,
the rest of
verse 15,
let not
Judah
become guilty.
Judah,
do not
follow the
same path
as your
sister Israel.
Do not
forsake me
as your
first love.
Be careful
that you do
not have eyes
for other
lovers and
exchange me
for other
gods.
Look at the
rest of
15.
Do not
go to
Gilgal.
Do not
go up to
Beth
Aven.
The real
name, of
course, was
Beth El.
Beth simply
means house,
El means
God, so
the house
of God, the
place that
it was meant
to be.
But Israel
had turned
Beth El
into Beth
Aven.
Aven means
wickedness, so
they had
turned the
place where
they came to
meet God
into a
house of
wickedness.
And God
is saying
to Judah,
see what
Israel has
done.
Don't go
there.
Don't go
to the
house of
wickedness.
Don't
follow in
her ways.
Verse 17,
Ephraim
is joined
to idols.
Leave him
alone.
Remember,
I'm your
husband.
It is I
who love
you.
I rescued
you from
Egypt.
I provided
you with
everything that
you have.
I love
you.
Do not
seek after
other lovers.
Because if
you do,
verse 19,
a whirlwind
will sweep
them away
and their
sacrifices
will bring
them shame.
God would
bring judgment
upon his
wife Israel.
Assyria, the
great nation,
would come in
like a
whirlwind, a
great big
tornado that
would sweep
through the
nation,
destroying the
people in
the land,
everything in
its path.
And God
is pleading
with Judah
who is
listening and
looking in
on it all.
Judah,
don't go
that way.
Don't let
your eyes
wander towards
other lovers.
Love me
because of
all I have
done for
you.
But Judah,
if you
don't love
me,
judgment
will also
come to
you.
But you
see,
this isn't
just a
warning about
Judah.
This is
actually God's
warning to
me and
to you.
You see,
if we know
our history,
not only did
Israel commit
adultery and
wander away
from God,
but Judah
went and did
the same
thing.
They didn't
listen to
God's word.
They didn't
heed the
warning.
And just
as Assyria
came in
and swept
Israel away,
in time,
Babylon would
come as a
great nation
and they
would sweep
Judah away.
God's
judgment fell
on the
people.
And all
of this is
a picture
of God's
final judgment
that is to
come.
And so it
becomes a
warning for
people like
you and
me.
it's
saying do
not chase
after other
lovers.
Don't turn
from me,
your husband,
because judgment
will come.
You want to
live a life
without God's
love?
You want to
live life your
own way and
do your own
thing?
You want to
live life
without any
boundaries?
You want to
search out your
own lovers and
turn to other
things and other
people?
If that's the
way you want
to live,
then a life
without my
love you
shall have.
But let's
remember what
that looks
like.
Do you
remember back
in verse 2
and verse 3?
Because we do
not love God,
what is there
in its place?
A broken
society?
Lying,
cursing,
murder,
stealing,
breaking of
all rounds,
bloodshed following
bloodshed?
What happens
if we do not
love him?
The land
breaks,
the world
breaks.
And God
is saying
to us,
if you do
not love
me,
if you want
to have a
life without
my love,
then a life
you shall
have.
But mark
this, it
will be for
an eternity.
It will be
hell for
an eternity.
The absence
of God's
love is
the absence
of everything
that is good,
and beautiful.
No friends,
no laughter,
no joy,
no hope,
brokenness.
God says,
you don't want
my love,
then my love
you shall not
have.
It will be
judgment,
an eternity
of separation
from me.
men,
for
to be
zed.
Now, chapter
4
is not
easy to
listen to.
I struggled
reading through
this and
thought,
how can I
speak about
this on
Sunday?
Where's the
good news?
Where's the
hope in
all of
this?
well as we hear these words of chapter 4
let me ask this question
what do you see?
do you see a judge with terror in his eyes?
or do you see a husband with tears in his eyes?
is it a judge with terror?
or a husband with tears?
you see yes God is judge
but he is the faithful loyal husband
speaking to his wife whom he loves
look at verse 16
the Israelites are stubborn
like a stubborn heifer
ask any of our farmers amongst us
they'll tell you what a heifer is like
when they don't want to move
you can do all the pushing and shoving
but they will not budge an inch
well God had come back to his wife
time and time again
wooing her
pleading
longing
aching
please return
come back to me
but she would not budge
she rejected God's loving advances
look at the rest of verse 16
how then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow
have you got that picture?
because here we see the heart of God
here is the husband with tears in his eyes
this is God's desire for us
that we would stay close to him
like lambs to a shepherd
so that they are free to enjoy
the meadow
lambs in a meadow
are free to enjoy the rich pastures
that have been provided for them
everything is there for them
contained within that meadow
stay close to the shepherd
and you will enjoy life in all its fullness
wander away from the shepherd
and you will face eternal danger
this is a husband with tears in his eyes saying
I long to shepherd you
to pastor you
to care for you
stay close to me
if we don't quite grasp it
see the heart of God
in the Lord Jesus
because just as God looked out upon the nation
so when God came to earth through his son Jesus
he looked out on the crowds
and here is what he saw
when Jesus saw the crowds
people like you and me
he had compassion on them
because they were harassed and helpless
like sheep without a shepherd
filled with heartache for a lost people
moved by their sinful broken lives
fearing for the danger that they were in
Jesus had compassion
he was broken inside
and his compassion was not just words
it led to a demonstration of the greatest act of love
the good shepherd
would lay down his life
die on the cross
taking the judgment that we deserve
so that we could enjoy life
with him
you see when he calls us to himself
he's calling us like lambs to a shepherd
to say
stay within the meadow
enjoy life with me
enjoy life in its fullness
wander away from the meadow
wander away from the shepherd
and you will face
eternal danger
be careful
that we do not turn to other lovers
but stay close
to our one true lover
the husband with tears in his eyes
pleading
longing
that we stay close to him
let's pray
to a family
to God
who
be careful
to die
before
die
after
lol
what
come on
to die
for them
much
share
to pour
everything
the
huh
punish
how
are
not
after
år
jun