Hosea 6

[Applause] [Music] we were looking last week at chapter 5 in the judgment that was going to come upon the people of Judah so the judgment that they would face and excuse me Ephraim and Judah or Israel in Judah now remember in chapter 5 Judah is kind of mentioned but the whole purpose of the book of Hosea is not toward the southern kingdom its toward the Northern Kingdom Israel this is why you see the term Israel use the line or Ephraim what's another which was another name used for Israel but here we see that the Lord was dealing with a difficult people we know the backdrop in the story really is that God will judge but God will restore that God will deal with them but that God will also bring them to a place where they can turn to the Lord we know that ultimately God deals with the people of Israel because we've already studied this in detail but what we're looking at is the very hardened nature of God that he is a loving and gracious forgiving God but even though he judges and disciplines in his judgment and discipline god is good God is faithful and God is gracious so when you get to chapter 6 it's still a continual prayer of Hosea Hosea gives the charge in chapter 5 as to what the people were giving themselves to we know that idolatry is the common sin that is in reference here and so with this we know the Lord will deal with their heart as it's given to idolatry they have no desire to turn to the Lord and and remember as we were looking at chapter 4 and 5 remember that the people when blessings and times of bountifulness would come because God blessed them only because he loves them they would take the very blessings of God and they would thank the false gods of the day rather than the Lord God who had truly blessed them and the reason why their hope you their times of Plenty were distorted and they could never truly discern or know where the blessing came from was found very clearly in verse 1 of chapter 4 the Bible says there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land whenever there is a lack of truth or mercy cuss said in the Hebrews the word for mercy which means love or the knowledge of God then their response to God or for anything or anything for that matter it's misguided misdirected and so idolatry has brought them to a place where they cannot properly discern the things that are of the Lord and the things that are not of the Lord so the common practice in this day in Hosea's day as he's ministering to the people in a very profound way not only in word but also living it out is a rebellious people a people that have diminished a holy righteous God to a list of false gods they've taken the God of Israel and if and have made him just like the gods the false gods of their land and so their whole devotion and commitment to the Lord is short-lived because their pride goes before them in verse 5 of chapter 5 it says the pride of Israel testifies to his face therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity Judah also stumbles with them notice the pride means no humility meaning that they had no desire to turn to the Lord at all whatsoever and so as a result of continual idolatry the people could not experience the truth of God or the mercy of God or no God now we know that these are a couple of charges that are brought before the people but what we also see is God's faithfulness in the midst of their idolatry one of God's faithfulness more prominent to be known here is the author of the book himself Hosea God sends Hosea to speak his word to the people that's a part of God's mercy and grace God's desire for them to turn and to repent and so this is the whole picture here but we see in Chapter six a prayer hosea is leading the people in prayer he's saying come and let's do this why well because looking but looking at verses 13 and 14 remember this is what the Lord says when he from saw his sickness in other words when he realized that he was separated from God and Judah saw his wound the knee from went to Assyria and sent to King Jeroboam Lloret means warrior yet he cannot cure you in other words they sought help they sought help by means other than the Lord God and Lord is saying listen and we know this to already be true because we studied this we've seen this in in 2nd Kings in chapter 16 and 15 but the king of Assyria couldn't help them as a matter of fact the king of Assyria was going to help the Lord God because God was going to use Assyria as an instrument of judgment but notice what he says here nor heal you of your wounds air sickness was their idolatry then he says in verse 14 for I will be like a lion to you he from and notice that being like a lion to ephraim would be a clear reference to the Assyrian Empire taking the northern kingdom captive and like a young lion to the house of Judah the Babylonian Empire 136 years later taking Judah the southern kingdom captive then he says I even I will tear them and go away and I will take them away listen to this and no one shall rescue why because it's the Lord's doing God is dealing with them and then he says this what is the purpose why does God deal with his people so severely look at verse 15 well number one let me lay it out to you this way because they already knew in no way does God judge without giving you what His Word says first if you refuse his word this is what was happening with the people then the Lord says these are the things that will take place if you reject my word so they had a knowledge this is why it says in verse 13 when ephraim saw his sickness he knew he was in sin judah when they saw their wounds they knew that they were in saying the point being made is they knew that they were rejecting the word of the lord okay so they knew that judgment was coming so what if they do they try to go to the king of Assyria to help them he says listen nobody can help you because the king of Assyria is not your God I am and so just as I said I will judge and deal with you not because God says hey you know I just want to I just want to ruin your life no remember that the whole correcting and chastening of the Lord is a clear picture and an understanding that the Lord loves you that's why he does it as a parent corrects a child but then look at what he says what is the purpose of all of this look at verse 15 very simple it says I will return again to my place in other words the Lord is saying listen I will be as I was before seated on the throne this is who I am I will return again to my place till they acknowledge their offense the whole purpose of God dealing with us is so that we can turn to the Lord and notice what he's saying and when they turn to me I'm just gonna cut him loose no he's saying I'm gonna go and wait until they're done with their filth and when they're ready to turn to me and acknowledge their offense notice that it's important to acknowledge their offense then they will seek my face in their affliction and they will earnestly seek me and that is all good but ultimately the good that comes out of the Lord afflicting his people in this time in their life was when they came out of the captivity some 70 years after Judah was taken captive we know this because we've already studied this but look at what hosea says because of god's desire to wait for us to turn to the lord as what he's telling the people in his day remember that that he just showed in his own personal life in Chapter three him taking his wife back who had another lover right and and how he ministered to his wife and the picture was that God will take you back Hosea went back home to be a husband the Lord goes back to his place and he waits for them to turn from their transgression just like Gomer would turn from her transgression and go back to Hosea as the Lord would pursue the people of Israel so Hosea pursues Gomer and all for the purpose of restoration and restoring so Hosea's thought in mind behind the people now this is an amazing prayer in the first three verses I mean really think about it some look at this as dual nature type of meaning in it one that it's prophetic meaning that ultimately this will come to pass during the millennial reign of Christ which today is still future an event that is yet to take place and another part of it would also be viewed as yes this is what Hosea was calling the people to do but then the Lord will show us in chapter 7 was it really from a pure heart or were the people just telling Hosea and God what they wanted to hear you see God has his way of revealing the true motives of the heart remember there in the book of Hebrews of a passage that we often love to quote time and time again about the Word of God it's found in chapter 4 and this is what it says Hebrews chapter 4 in verse 12 it says for the word of god is living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is the discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart you see there's a need for God's Word because God's Word does something in you and I that nothing else known to man can do it God's words main intention is to cleanse men's hearts it is the very means by which God is able to reveal to man the depravity of his and his nature and and and how separated he is from God but it's always through God's Word that brings us a realization that we need the Lord in our lives then it also says in verse 13 of chapter 4 there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account you see so the Word of God is not only the very thing that reveals to us in our lives that we are sinners in need of a savior or that we need to turn from our sin and turn to the Lord but the Word of God also reveals to you and I that there is nothing that is done before the Lord that he does not see that could work against us and it could work for us working against us would mean that what you do in secret well there's no such thing as doing anything in secret secret to you and you me but not secret to God because Hebrews 4:13 says all things are open and naked before the Lord but then you have another thing with this is that because God sees that's a blessing that God knows the very details the most minut and intimate details of our lives and and if god has the ability to see that that's because God has the desire to work in us that God has the desire and cares for the most smallest details of our lives that that he's not detached and far removed from perhaps things that we experience and go through but that he's ever-present even in the most personal things in our lives that's amazing for me when you're ready to receive and your life is open before the Lord to partake what God has for you it's not amazing when you're living a life of sin and judgment now is coming so with the close of chapter 5 in verse 15 the Lord saying that I'll return to my place and you know what I'm gonna do I'm gonna wait I'm gonna wait for you to get sick of your sin and I'll be here when you're ready to turn to me I love that boy that's amazing so then hosea says okay we'll come look at verse 1 come let us return to the Lord because why to the Lord he didn't say hey come let us return to the roots no he's saying let us return to the Lord because this is where it all starts and it all ends with the Lord let us come back to the Lord let us look to him as listen to this Lord notice that the word Lord is the Hebrew word jehovah which is the covenant Shiell name of God that's why it's all in capital letters let us return to the keeper of covenants let us return to the one who has made a covenant with us and yes though we are living in a time of broken fellowship and broken covenant it's not because God broke it it's because you Eve from Israel you broke it and Hosea saying come let us return to the Lord I love that there's always room for us to return to the Lord this is what Isaiah saying and he says for he has torn yes he has meaning what that he will judge he's God he's faithful he'll do it but he will heal us notice that not only will he how it says he has torn that means he he will judge chapter 5 in verses 13 and 14 clearly show us that only God is able to do that and God is able in the same sense that after he's dealt with us he's also able to heal us it's a prayer that trusts in a loving and correcting God a prayer of of trusting the Lord in his love and his correction and so this is the picture and the idea behind it and you would say wow finally they're turning to the Lord now that doesn't mean that the people are following Hosea in this prayer this is Hosea's heart behind it but look at what else he goes on to say here he says he is stricken but he will bind us up you see when you look at this here there is an understanding that the Lord is the one who is dealing with his people but but look at what it says in Hosea chapter 7 verses 10 13 and 16 the Lord reveals how shallow their repentance really is and this is what it says here in verse 10 of chapter 7 it says and the pride of Israel testifies to his face but they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek him for all this verse 13 says woe to them for they have fled from me destruction to them because they have transgressed against me though I redeemed them yet they have spoken lies against me where 16 says they return but not to the Most High they are like a treacherous bow a treacherous bow as a bow that you can't trust you can't use it's ineffective so chapter 7 is clearly showing us that these three verses in chapter 6 that are that are a call to repentance from Hosea to the people saying listen turn to the Lord because this this is what's going to help now we know that ultimately they didn't return to the Lord and even if they would have repented the Lord still would have to judge the idolatry in the land but but here's the whole point I want you guys to understand what does it mean to repent what is it that Hosea is calling the people to to repent doesn't mean to say you're sorry because you've been caught and you're guilty repent means to turn away from whatever it is that is perhaps broken fellowship with God whether you're whether it's the prayer and devotion that you have here in this case the Covenant of God has been broken not because God's broken the Covenant I mean really think about it when we read in chapter 2 about you know a husband and a wife separating you know it's it's not because God's fault it's the people have broken the Covenant the people have separated themselves they were unfaithful to the Lord they treated their covenant with God like an unfaithful wife is what the Prophet is saying in chapter 2 and so here we see that the people in a sense you could say at least at this point had no desire to repent they didn't want to live lives separated from the very thing that was separating them from God so this is what repentance is and this is what it's not chapter 6 is going to reveal that to us repentance means to turn away from and it doesn't only mean to turn away from something like hey you know what I just stopped doing it no it means to also turn away even in desires even in desires true repentance means that you have no desire for it either and then some people say well I did repent but I you know I'm so drawn to it I still want to do it well then you didn't truly repent because the desire is still there it means making a clean break going in the opposite direction you understand what I mean here it means that there is no more room for this in your life because you've realized this is the thing that's separating you from God this is what the people needed to understand and in Hosea Sprayer he's inviting them he's saying come on but then we see in the next chapter the Lord just has a way of really revealing the true motives and the intents of a person's heart that's why Hebrews chapter 4 verse 13 says that it is the Lord who reveals what's in man's heart so repentance means to turn away not only in an opposite direction but even in desires there are people who like spirituality but they don't like being spiritual and I think that's the greater part of what you're dealing with here with the people of Hosea's day it wasn't that they stopped worshiping the God of Israel they did continue worshiping the God of Israel the problem was is that he became one of the gods of all the gods they were worshiping so because they like spirituality like sometimes people say you know hey you know I'm a Christian so am i right you know how you do it you get all excited when you mean another Christian some of us are ashamed to even say we're Christians and listen here's the whole point this is the church that we're dealing with today people that like the idea of God they like the idea of the forgiveness of sins they like the idea that that you know what there's this God who loves them and he's gracious and he's forgiving and they like spirituality they like they like it you know it's like I went to church today it's what I do on Sundays what do you do think about it and then they tell you something like well you know I cut the grass and wash my car really that's what you do with the Lord's Day now think about it we like spirituality we'd like to to present ourselves in this way guys this this is not anything recent this is common to men I mean think about it he just said it there in verse 5 of chapter 5 the pride of Israel testifies to his face does that does that do anything for anybody's heart just think about it the pride of Israel testifies to it you know what they're saying in your face oh yeah we say I could hear I knew I knew that was gonna happen oh hold on now before you get all spiritual when we sin and we know we're sinning you're doing the same thing this is what they were doing it was so open the worship of idols and so what they were doing it's like you know we're gonna worship God and then we're gonna worship Baal and then we're gonna worship Astaroth and then we're gonna worship mullick and then we're gonna worship a dremel ech and then we're gonna worship all the gods of the Canaanites and then when the rain comes we're not gonna thank God for the rain we're gonna thank ball for the rain because he's the god of rain this is what they doing and then remember the Lord says I was blessing you and rather than thanking the Lord for the bless they couldn't even see that it was God doing it it's like good things are the ground was flourishing in and and their wives were having children we're gonna thank Astaroth a-- god of fertility look at my wife i think about this this is what they were doing and then maybe everyone's oh oh yeah the god of israel thank you this is what they were doing what is repentance repentance is number one understanding that what you're doing is separating you from God if you don't understand that then you know what you could never truly repent but most people that that say that they're repentant are just saying that they're sorry why because they got caught they're guilty now that's not repentance that's just getting caught repentance is coming to a place in realizing what I'm doing and how I'm living is separating me from fellowship with God then you realize that what's the next conclusion you got to come to if I don't stop this I could be separated from God I should be like the greatest fear in our heart right to live a life that is separated from the Lord all of us had lived that way long periods of times and now we're living a life that is that is committed to the Lord but there are things that can happen in our lives that could separate us from the Lord now think about that for a moment so look at this here he goes on to say in this term this invitation come let us return to the Lord and he says for he has torn yes he has Judge he says dealt with but he will heal us he has stricken but he will find us up and then look at what it says here after two days he will revive us this is all good and God is able to do it he will revive us on the third day he will read up that we may live in his sight notice that how they're saying listen we just got to come back to the Lord that's good right we got to come back to the Lord because we realize that the Lord has dealt with us and and we're gonna turn away from our sin and and and we know that he is that he has stricken but and and that he will deal with us and after two days he will revive us if by praying repentance revival will come quickly there's a problem with that now it doesn't mean that God cannot do that this has none to do with God's ability listen God can deal with something right away just sometimes we say Lord all you have to do is snap your finger and it's done anybody ever prayed like that if you haven't start to because I do oh my god it's just come on I'm serious you guys think I'm playing around I'm like Lord all you have to do a snap here it could be done snap your finger do something please but listen just because he's able doesn't mean that a quick fix is the answer I think God is more real than just doing a quick fix right God loves working in you and me the Bible says it's God who works in us both to will and to do for his good pleasure and so God creates means by which he can work in your life and in my life he does this right they think about this if they say here well after two days he will revive us on the third day he will raise us up there some that believe a reference here to the third day being raised up is a shadowy reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ I don't think that's the context because within the Scriptures you have references of one two days three days whatever the case might be but but I think the emphasis more is on God's ability to do he is able to do but is this really repentance repentance takes time I mean God forgives but there is a healing that takes place in us right I mean really think about it if you can for a moment understand this very point here that if they pray then revival will come quickly but that's not always the case a quick fix is one of them of an unrepentant heart God takes his time to work in us let me read something to you here out of Psalm 51 that I hope you'll appreciate Psalm 51 verses 6 & 7 I'll read it to you just jot it down for your notes and also jot down Psalm 51 verses 16 and 17 I think you're going to appreciate this but listen here here's here's how it all works out listen to this this is what David is saying in his prayer of repentance okay look at what he says here behold you desire truth in the inward parts in the hidden part you will make known make me to know wisdom notice this you desire truth in the inward parts in other words David is saying listen Lord when it comes to repentance and you're working in me it's not something superficial that happens just like this you desire to work in the depths of my being your work in me is not something outwardly that just listen it's not spirituality that that all of a sudden we say we're Christians and yeah I'm a Christian there are some people that will use the word Christian as if they've repented of their sin they use the term more in regard to then being raised by Christian parents or perhaps their grandparents or their great-grandparents and then they say well you know our family's Christian you ever heard somebody use that they use this whole blanket stay but that doesn't mean that they're what does it mean to be a Christian it means that you are a follower of Jesus Christ if you're following Jesus you believe in the teachings of Jesus you believe in who he is what he came to do and you believe in this whole work now think about this for a moment be very careful when you start to say you're a Christian oh you're one of those what do you mean by one of those and they will start to pull the buy I've seen it they pull the Bible out they say well if you're a Christian then that means you believe and they'll just pull some old testament passage out that maybe you've never read but here you go you got yourself in a wreck because you went and opened your mouth and said I'm a Christian and all of a sudden they tell you well if you're a Christian that means you believe such and such and such and no well yeah it's in your book where and then they show you you ever have that happen to you and your heart sinks like oh my goodness it is in there I don't want this book no more here here now listen you can't do that oh I've seen it and I've seen many self professed Christians walk away so discouraged the problem was not the question they asked the problem wasn't even the person that pros posed the question the problem is you because you like spirituality you just don't like being spiritual spiritual men and women of God know the Word of God I love it when people tell me well if you you're a pastor right and always trips them out didn't see that coming yes I am so then you believe well it all depends on how we're gonna look at this year and then these try with well yeah right cuz the verse could mean different things nope the verse means what the context is that's open if the Bible let's look at it now and then you begin to teach them something and then you can get them once you get them you know what I mean it's good stuff behold you desire truth in the inward parts that's what God desires he desires truth in the inward parts God's not looking for a quick fix in your life God's looking to take the time and work in you to work in you think about this guys listen then he goes on to say and in the hidden part you will make known to me wisdom verse 7 says purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean think about that for a moment though his sin was deep the Lord's desire and is to work in his deepest parts Oh Davidson had separated fellowship with the Lord at this point psalm 32 is a whole picture of what David's body physically went through with unconfessed sin in his life he says purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean notice his desire was to be cleansed think about that for a moment it's really important wash me and I shall be whiter than snow David wanted to be pure David wanted to be that's what repentance is is is not just saying I'm sorry for what I did no it's to turn away from it so that you are pure before the Lord so it's not a quick fix that we may live in his sight now I don't want you to misinterpret the passage and think that Hosea is leading them into a false prayer know the point that's being made here is that God is able to do it yes he is he's able to forgive he's mighty to say God's ability is to be able to do it but when you get into chapter 7 the Lord saying listen their prayer wasn't even legit has nothing to do with Hosea his prayer was legit it was from the Lord God was walking him through this prayer because he's able to do what the Lord was revealing to us in chapter 7 is their heart was never committed to the word of the Lord in this prayer God has his way of exposing what's really in man's heart and so he goes on to say here let us know let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord why is that so important because remember the charges that were brought against them in chapter 4 and verse 1 it says there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land verse 6 of chapter 4 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because you have rejected the knowledge I also will reject you from being priest before me because you have forgotten the law of your God I will also forget your children goes on to say also in chapter 5 in verse 4 they do not direct their detoured turning to their God for the spirit of harlotry is they're mints and they do not know the Lord he says here let us pursue knowledge let us chase after it Jesus said in Matthew 5 blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied they shall be filled God desires that we pursue and trust me as they're praying this this this is all nice and this is all beautiful listen spiritual things sound good but spiritual living is different you know you ever meet someone they say oh no they're a Christian or they're Christian I you know oh yeah oh yeah they're Christian no for reals they are I said okay okay well I'll meet with them no no for reals they're they're really good they're Christian so then I go and I sit down with this person for whatever it is you know to do something I don't know whatever you know sometimes they say hey go talk to this person if you need this done this now yeah you know them ya know they're there Christian are you sure yeah oh yeah they're Christian I know so you go and you sit down you start talking with them you realize they know Christian they know how to speak spiritually but they are not spiritual they love spirituality they love the the high lofty good things about God that he forgives sins and but their hearts are shallow there's a depth to knowing God there's a commitment of loyalty a covenant really adept to knowing God that can only happen by way of God blessing our heart you see they said all the right things but words don't change things an act of the heart does words don't change things an act of the heart does that's probably the Lord Colleen because he likes that point that I just made right there tell him I'll finish in a little bit don't call him text him back anyways but think about that for a moment words don't change things an act of the heart does and remember that sometimes just saying things is like putting a band-aid over a wound a band-aid doesn't know the wound needs to be healed sometimes like the people of Israel here in Hosea's day they just wanted to put a band-aid over it well let's just okay let's we'll repeat it repeat after me okay let's do it Lord forgive me Lord forgive me for being bad for being bad lord help me Lord help me to do good to do good you know they hit the other guy come on you do good you do good good this is really what's happening here you see like the false prophets of Jeremiah's day in jeremiah 6 in verse 14 Jeremiah chapter 8 verses 11 through 16 they had the same mentality and ultimately we see as we'll read a little bit later in Jeremiah 1 well this led to the deaths of money because it was this superficial never getting to the heart of the problem and that's what it is the Bible says the heart is a very tricky thing right listen please single people listen to me please listen please know how much I can stress this please hi I have a class of a hundred and twenty students at the Bible College on Tuesday morning majority of them are single and I tell them this please listen to me you're either gonna love me or hate me after this stop following your heart your heart will deceive you but you don't understand pastor it's been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb the heart is deceitfully wicked who can know it the Bible says nobody can only God God's desire is to work in the deepest recesses of your soul of your heart to do a work that only he can do and trust me your heart will have you going in all types of directions keep your eyes on Jesus the one who truly knows your heart listen to this guy's because sometimes we make decisions like this and listen we don't want to put we want we don't want to put band-aids on things we really want God to work in us right let's get to the heart of the problem here let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord and he is going forth his going forth is established as the morning this is all true yes as surely as the Sun rises he will respond he's faithful to do so he said he would in verse 15 of chapter four or five did he not of course this is all good there's nothing wrong with this prayer it's a pray or a word of the Lord given to Hosea for the people what's wrong is their heart as they say this prayer to pursue with no repentance in your heart is religion do you think God wants religion do you think God wants listen religiosity is people that like spirituality you say the right things you go to the right places for a moment it's for a season it's like the light switch Christian you ever heard of those kind they're on 1 minute and they're off the next light switch Christianity listen to this guy's you cannot pursue the Lord without repentance in the heart because if you are pursuing the Lord and there's no repentance in the heart you are just a religious person and the people of the Northern Kingdom were very religious they understood they had it down man they were religious there was really no true repentance in their heart but notice as he says in the tail end of verse 3 he will come to us like the rain like the ladder and former rain to the earth he will come to us like the rain yes we'll and he's faithful to do so and like this rain this latter rain and former rain upon the earth according to Deuteronomy chapter 11 in verses 13 through 15 the Bible says this was unknown a blessing of the Lord upon his people that that that they would know that God was with them and so they're saying this Lord and you will testify that you are with us yes and the people are praying this but listen guys the words of repentance must come from a heart of brokenness it's not so much offering up a sacrifice but that your words are to be spiritual sacrifice before the Lord look at what hosea says in in chapter 14 as he kind of closes us up in verse 2 he says take words with you and return to the Lord say to him take away all iniquity receive us graciously for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips it needs to be what we are saying is what we are truly ready to do you know it's it's like in a sense our words our life our being is to be a sacrifice to the Lord you know sometimes I think we just kind of use words in a way like the people here they're praying this prayer and and they're and they're saying it but then the Lord reveals to us hey their heart is far from here they didn't really mean it their words were not words of sacrifice before the Lord listen to this and not only are they to be words of spiritual sacrifice before the Lord but they are to be worth something what you offer the Lord should never not cost you nothing in 2nd Samuel chapter 24 and verse 24 remember David went before the Lord to offer up a sacrifice to the Lord and remember he goes to the threshing floor of Araunah remember that and then he tells Aruna I want this mountain here because I need to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and what does a RunAs like this is David this is the king of Israel and he's going to offer a sacrifice and an altar to the Lord the god of it hey you could have the mountain and David said no don't give it to me I'll pay for it no no no no you can have it you're gonna do spiritual things there no David said listen it's not about spiritual things it's about being spiritual I could never offer to the Lord what doesn't cost me nothing you see that's the right heart think about that for a moment you see this is what Hosea desired the people to do but now the Lord inner Jackson the Lord is saying okay let's get to the brass tacks of everything what is really in the heart of the people of Hosea is day look at verse 4 oh Ephraim what shall I do to you what shall I do to you Oh Judah what shall I do to you see the prayer of repentance it sounded good but here it is here's the word you ready but it was fleeting and superficial you say all the right things but you have no desire to live the right things you see the difference now between spirituality and listen guys I love people that are biblical don't get me wrong but sometimes it's hard to communicate with people that are just like spiritual about everything you know when they're talking they're like you know just let's say at the Lord brother David look at the goodness of the Lord behold the beauty of the Lord it's just like the sun's out dude you say it's a nice sunny day thank you Laurie that stuff gets me man now sometimes I'm praying I'm like lord help me right now not to be rude but this is very irritating you know it's like just get to the point they want to walk me through the whole King Commandments by the time we get to where we got to get you know and I'm just like okay it sounds good I love what Charles Spurgeon always says on the topic of prayer totally off topic but just let me put it to you this way those who have long exaggerated prayers show that they don't have a prayer life at all you know when people speak in the King James it it's guys listen it has to be more than words has to be more than words and our words should never be fleeting and they should never be superficial it should come from a heart guys listen it's not that they didn't know listen they knew they knew that their sins we're separating them from God and they knew that their sin was the problem and they wanted God to fix it but here's that word again but but they did not come with the right heart and a surrendered will they didn't come with the right heart it's like that it's like what Paul says the good that I want to do I do not do and that which I don't want to do I do Oh wretched man that I am who can deliver me from this body of flesh then he goes into this great praise the Lord Jesus Christ think about that for a moment that they wanted to but their sin and their heart was so deep seated in the things that separated them from the Lord and he says Oh Ephraim what shall I do to you Oh Judah what shall I do to you for your faithfulness is like a morning cloud and like the early do it goes away here one moment gone the next light switch Christian you're on one moment you're off the next one day it's very spiritual and godly and biblical and thus saith the Lord you even spit a little bit of tongues here and there and the next day you're speaking tongues of a whole different sort that's not biblical Christianity that's not a heart that is right before the Lord this is the problem with the people here they they were they they were saying all the right things but but listen guys they wanted happiness but not holiness they wanted a change in circumstances but not a change in character they shed tears of remorse over their suffering but they didn't shed tears of repentance over their sin the Lord says what shall I do with you for your faithfulness is like a morning cloud it's like the early do it goes away therefore I have hewn them by the prophets yes the Lord dealt with them severely he says I have slain them by the words of my mouth Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 10 Jeremiah 5:14 was the Lord harsh absolutely Amos chapter four verses six through 11 he deals with sin this way and your judgments are like the light that goes forth like light flashing like a lightning look at verse six an amazing verse that's quoted throughout the Bible for I desire mercy not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings notice what he's saying here he's calling them to covenant Lowell T and what is he saying a superficial ritual can never take the place could never take the place of sincere love and faithful obedience he says I don't want your superficial worship I don't want your superficial praise listen superficial rituals could never take the place of sincere love and faithful obedience to the Lord I desire mercy and not sacrifice do you see what he's saying here he's saying Israel you brought me sacrifices but you never brought me yourself you brought me what the law required but you never brought me your heart as a matter of fact taking you back to Psalm 51 I gave you another passage in there to consider in Psalm 51 look at what David says about the very same topic verse 16 for you do not desire sacrifice or else I would give it you do not delight in burnt offerings the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart the Oh God you will not despise people were not willing this is what I desire more than anything God God's not impressed with the with the cute words and phrases we say but sincere love and faithful obedience to the Lord moves the hand of God and lie in our lives like like like he desires to move in the people of Israel 1st Samuel chapter 15 verses 22 and 23 that was the rebuke right to saw Amos chapter 5 in verses 21 through 24 that was a rebuke to the people of Amos day in micah chapter 6 in verses 6 through 8 once again a rebuke to the people in Micah's day and then Jesus rebukes the religious leaders in his day with the same verse in Matthew chapter 9 verse 13 and Matthew chapter 12 in verse 7 for I desire mercy and not sacrifice in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings you know what the Lord is saying listen I don't want your religious offerings I just want you I want your heart I want to work in you I want to lead you I want to bless you I want to guide you but it's going to require you to give things up it's interesting how we grow in the Lord and we become more mature and then as we become more mature through the Word of God because the Bible says in Hebrews 4:12 we read it that it's the discerner of the heart right the Word of God it reveals to us isn't it interesting that you start to realize that what you used to do or what you're doing you didn't think it was sin until God's Word reveals a tune you're like whoa yeah we don't like that but it's needful we grow we mature and all God wants to do is do that that we continue to grow and this is what he's challenging the people here to do and he's saying listen your prayer superficial your worship is superficial you like spirituality you just don't want to be spiritual and in the same way that he's exposing their prayer and their response and how he's going to deal with them is the same hasn't changed I mean in the book of Acts in Chapter five we know the story of Ananias and Sapphira and the Lord dealt with their superficial Christianity in the early church in Chapter four at the very close of it we hear a story of a man by the name of Barnabas we all know who Barnabas is right son of encouragement interesting thing maybe to consider the Bible says that he was a Levite who sold a piece of land stop and consider that for a moment because Levites don't own land but he was a Levite from Cyprus many believe that perhaps it could have been land in Cyprus or his wife owned a portion of land in Israel regardless the point is this that he sold a portion of land it would imply that his wife was also involved Luke gives the contrast here is a family that's committed to the kingdom and here's a family that's not and in verse 32 of chapter 4 the Bible says the multitude of the people were together including Ananias and Sapphira and this is why Peter told Ananias it was your land in your money all Ananias had to do was say I sold the land for $500 I'm giving you three and I'm keeping two and he would have never died what he did was notice the amount is never mentioned why because the issue wasn't the amount the issue was their superficial Christianity they were never a part of them they presented themselves to be in a way just like Simon the sorcerer presenting to be something that he was not God has a way of exposing and revealed and listen guys this is what the Lord is doing with them listen I've given you every opportunity but yet you don't all I desire is mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings but like men they've transgressed the covenant the Lord seeks faithful commitments they broke loyal covenant with the Lord there they dealt treacherously with me Gilead is a city we know that it's not it's a region but the term Gilead is a reference to ramoth perhaps Gilead is a city of evildoers workers of iniquity and defiled with blood meaning following in blood foot tracks this is how depraved they were as bands of robbers lie in wait for a man so the company of priests notice the priests the ones that are be leading to spiritual life murder on the way to shikan in other words their idolatry leads to more bloodshed surely they commit lewdness I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel there is the harlotry of ephraim in other words spiritual adultery Israel is defiled and this is why the Lord has to deal with them but look at verse 11 I just love the way he closes it out also Oh Judah a harvest is appointed for you okay you're gonna get dealt with but guess what in the end Goods gonna come out of it a harvest is appointed for you when I return the captives of my people we know that that was fulfilled when the Jews came out of Babylonian captivity and when to the land the Lord bless them I want you guys to know this very thing to be true we can learn so much from Israel man having a superficial relationship superficial words but their heart truly never committed to the Lord and I think one of the biggest things that Rob's most Christians today of their walk with the Lord is that everything is about everything that is spiritual rather than being spiritual there are too many that are seeking happiness but not holiness there are too many that want to change in their circumstances they'll raise their hand if I were to say do you want to change in your circumstances but they have no desire for a change in their character there are many that weep yes there's a lot of sorrow and a lot of weeping but it's more over there suffering look at my life how horrible it is God where are you rather than tears of repentance over their sin Jesus said blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted he's not talking about the grieving process of losing someone or mourning over the loss of someone he's talking about those who mourn over there sin you will be comforted because you will be forgiven he's able to do it he's able to do it now listen as we look at this what can we take from Israel sin let's not be superficial in our love our devotion in our commitment and let's stop bringing ourselves or excuse me let's stop bringing our sacrifices and our titles and our time and what we do and what we don't do and let's bring our hearts before the Lord and say Lord it's all yours the Lord is saying to them I desire mercy not sacrifice in other words he says I want all of you not a superficial you [Applause] [Music] you

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Length: 55min 40sec (3340 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 16 2018