He Will APPEAR

Text Hosea 1:2,3; 3:1-3

“When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.’

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.”

“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, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.’

So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek 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 live with you.’”

The book of Hosea is a word picture of the love of God for his people.

This book is a lived parable/a parable in real life This book is a lived parable/a parable in real life. Our sensibilities/our ideas of right and wrong are shocked.

This shocking word picture has a number of scenes:

The prophet, Hosea, is commanded by God to marry the prostitute, Gomer.

They have 3 children with names that teach us about Israel’s unfaithfulness and the Lord’s judgment.

Gomer returns to a life of prostitution and unfaithfulness to her husband.

As a picture of the depth of the Lord’s love for Israel, Hosea is told to buy back his own wife who has ended up as a common slave in the market.

Hosea 3:1 and 2 - “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, though they turn to other gods… So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver.”

THREE THEMES FROM THE BOOK OF HOSEA

The God of Love

The love of God is described by a special word in the Hebrew language, “hesed”, described in Hosea 3:1.

This “hesed” love is consistent and shows great perseverance.

This “hesed” love involves a choice by God.

This “hesed” love despite our rebellious background totally transforms us.

J.I.Packer says, “He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me or His attention distracted from me and no moment, therefore, when His care falters. This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort.”

The Human Response

Hosea focuses on one specific response—increasing our knowledge of God and His ways.

Importance of deepening our knowledge of the Lord: Hosea 4:6 - “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”

Hosea 6: 3—“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him.” The Message says, “We’re ready to study God, eager for God-knowledge.”

How much have we increased in our knowledge of the Lord in the last 12 months?

Examples of this human effort: Faithfulness of hearing the Word of God on Sunday Daily Bible study Daily prayer

The Result of our Response to the Lord’s Love

Hosea 6:3—“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.”

“as surely as the sun rises” “like the winter rains” The level of certainty of the Lord’s showing up is confirmed in 3 statements: “as surely as the sun rises” “like the winter rains” “like the spring rains that water the earth”

Matthew devotes 16 verses to describe the birth line or genealogy of Jesus.

Joel Gregory - “why do we need them Joel Gregory - “why do we need them?”: “the genealogies remind us that throughout history, even though God sometimes does not keep his promises immediately, He keeps them CERTAINLY and SURELY.”

Hosea 6:3—“he will appear.” It will happen.

We are going to pray for you that today you will take “A FRESH BREATH OF THE ‘HESED’ LOVE OF GOD from the book of Hosea. Take hold of this great promise, “As surely as the sun rises, HE WILL APPEAR.”

He Will APPEAR