A Picture of God’s Love - Part 1

 Hosea 13:4-6, 9-10a, 14“Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore, they forgot Me. “O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. I will be your King; Where is any other, that he may save you in all your cities? I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your sting! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

This last Sunday, Pastor Kyle finished up our church’s Sunday sermon series through the book of Hosea, stating that the whole book of Hosea is a timeless word-picture of Lord’s love for us all. He pointed out how slogans are designed to say all that they need to get the message across in just a few words. They say much, without saying much. They invoke an emotional word-picture intended to cause the hearer to view things as viewing them in a manner that is an extension of, and with a connection to, who we are on a soul level. Like Hosea, God buys and takes back His people despite their perpetual infidelity. In the story, we are Gomer, who turns from God in willful sin. We have old ways and patterns that cause us to turn away from God. Sin separates us from God. 

Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We are all “fallen” in our sin nature, yet there is loving forgiveness to be found by the Sovereign Creator God for us. Yet, God says: “I love you and forgive you. Go and be holy.” (meaning, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16). Pastor Kyle gave us two questions that we should ask ourselves every time we hear of or read the book of Hosea. Question #1 - How could Almighty God love us like that? God’s love and mercy, that produces this grace and forgiveness, is not deserved; it cannot be earned; it cannot be purchased. Love and mercy are natural attributes of our Heavenly Father. Accept it, receive it and turn back to God in repentance, pledging yourself to live in His holy Word, Will and Way. Come to God or return to God. The more that we love and follow Jesus with passionate obedience, we shall grow and mature as Christians, increasing and becoming more like Him. 

Galatians 5:17, 24-25 “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Question #2 – Where is Hosea’s wife trying to show up in our life today? We are not that different than those Israelites, who walked away from God thinking that they can “do it on their own”. Another term for “pride” (inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others) is “doing things the sinful and destructive human way”. 

Let's continue Pastor  Kyle's message on the next post.

In Christ, Brian