Clayton Doss Bible BC, Minn.

, David Zimmerman Bethel BC

SONGS:
CLOSE: Have I Done My Best for Jesus?

Law of Sowing and Reaping

Meet The God Who Loves You 4
(2 Sermons approx. 1 hr. each)

TEXT: Hosea 1.2-11

AIM: To present the law of sowing & reaping as it pertains to our sin and
explain the doctrines of justification, sanctification, redemption
and repentance

INTRODUCTION:
Galatians 6:7 warns, Be not deceive; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap. This is a spiritual law, as constant as the Law of Gravity. It is inescapable. We reap
what we sow.
We reap the SAME in kind as we sow
We reap MORE than what we sow
We reap in a DIFFERENT season than we sow
We reap in PROPORTION to what we have sown

Israel had been playing fast and loose with the laws of God. As Hosea would later remark in
chapter 8 verse 7, the nation had sown the wind. Now she was to reap the whirlwind. She
had prostituted herself to the false gods of the pagan nations. She had abandoned God, now
God was preparing to abandon her.

The sin of adultery is used in the Word of God to picture spiritual unfaithfulness to God.

God assigned to Hosea the heartbreaking task of preparing his nation for judgment because
of her unfaithfulness. But Hosea was not called to only preach a message. He was also chosen
to portray his message. His home life was to mirror Israels unfaithful relationship to God.

It would be good at this point to say something of Hoseas prophetic office and to examine
the general principles that guide the interpretation of the prophetic literature in the Bible.

The Old Testament prophet was a preacher. He often foretold of coming events, but his
ministry was not restricted to making predictions.
He expressed Gods will.
He exposed the sins of the people to whom He was sent.
He encouraged the faithful to remain faithful and the disobedient to turn from their
sins.
In the course of his ministry, the prophet did make predictions. He announced future
judgments. He predicted the rise and fall of nations. He revealed details pertaining to the life
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 2

and ministry of Messiah. In studying these portions of the prophets message, we need to be
guided by the following principles:
The passage is to be interpreted literally, in that the predicted event will occur
precisely as predicted.
Although interpreted literally, it is understood that the prophets often used
figurative language.
They used symbols and spoke in word pictures common to their day to describe
future events.
They used figures of speech and often included elements of poetry.
The historical context, references to geographic locations, and the meaning of proper
names must be considered in order to arrive at a proper interpretation.

People with full bank accounts, healthy bodies and nice houses have a hard time believing
God is angry with their ungodliness, especially if they go to church and make a pretence of
worshipping God, like Israel did.

The prophets knew this and they often went to extreme measures to get their message across.

In Isaiah 20 Isaiah walked around "naked" (I dont know if he at least had his underwear or
loin cloth on or not), but for 3-yrs. he walked about naked to show the people how they
would look going into exile.

Jeremiah in chapters 27-28 of his book walked about town wearing a wooden yoke and in
chapter 4 of, Ezekiel to picture the misery Israel would have in bondage was instructed of
God to cook his meals with human excrement. Ezekiel said Lord, please dont ask me to do
that. God said OK, use cow manure to cook your food but I want you to picture the misery
Israel is going to have when they are dragged off their land and taken into captivity.

This passage in Hosea is rich in symbolism and figurative language. God Himself calls
attention to names, places, and historical events. It is a good portion of Scripture for learning
how to study Bible prophecy.

Please note two things about this sordid scene of adultery.

I. THE APPOINTED SUFFERING OF ISRAEL HOSEA 1:2-9

When Hoseas wife, Gomer, sought after immoral lovers she hurt everybody her husband,
her children and even herself.

She paid sin's bitter price, when in chapter 3, we see her as a naked, helpless, slave going to
the highest bidder.

Now mark this down in you lifes notebook: Where there is sin there is always suffering!
A. The Childrens Identification
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 3

Hosea gave his three children names that described what God would do concerning Israels
judgement.
1. The first child, a boy, he named JEZREEl, and this child pointed to
The Dispersion From The Land vs. 4-5 (For more on this you can read 2 Kings
10 sometime, if you wish.)
a. Jezreel was a town with a beautiful valley, a few miles southeast of the Sea of
Galilee.
1) The name Jezreel means "God scatters" or God Sows and this pointed
Israel to the punishment God decreed as far back as Deut. 4:27, namely
to scatter them among the nations, as a result of the Assyrian conquest, if
they broke the covenant and departed from God.
2) Every time Israel saw this preacher's son they would be reminded of the
upcoming RESULT of their sin.
b. But there was something else God added in this name here, one of the
REASONS for punishment.
1) When Jehu, the first King of Jeroboam's line, seized the throne from Ahab
in 842 BC, he enacted the bloodiest days of civil war in Israel's history,
and it took place in beautiful Jezreel.
2) 2 Kgs. 9:30-37 records where Jehu ordered Jezebel to be thrown out of a
window crushing her body for the dogs to eat.
3) He then took the 70 young sons of Ahab and decapitated them and then
piled their heads by Jezreel's city gate. The next morning, as prophesied,
he killed all Ahabs remaining descendents in Jezreel (2 Kings 10:11).
4) The Lord commended Jehu for his deeds, and it was God's will for Jehu
to take the throne of Ahab, but he gloried in the slaughter, and savagery
had become a way of life in the North.
Look at: Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery,
they break out, (OR BREAK ALL LIMITS) and blood toucheth blood (BLOODSHED FOLLOWS
BLOODSHED).
5) Thought he attempted to purge the land of Baal worship (2 Kings 10:25-
28), neither Jehu nor his descendents learned from Gods judgment of
Ahab.
6) The Bible records that Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God
of Israel with all his heart. They continued to support the sinful worship
of the golden calves erected by Jeroboam I (2 Kings 10:31) and led their
nation in idolatry and corruption.

You see folks, when you and I hurt others; God gives us time to repent, to make restitution,
and to apologize. But if we don't we will one day answer to Him.

Israel would be cast off the land for their bloodshed and cruelty.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 4

Every time they saw this preachers kid named Jezreel, they were reminded of what was
coming down the road.

Jezreel screams to us: But what about this verse for todays nations?

Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

And so the child Jezreel pointed to The Dispersion from the Land.
2. A SECOND CHILD was born was a girl and she pointed to
The Defection From Love 6-7.
a. When Gomer gave birth to this little girl, it was not said that she bore it to
Hosea.
b. The Lord told Hosea to name her LO-RUHAMA, which means,
WITHOUT MERCY, or NOT PITIED.
1) The explanation God gives is all negative. Hosea 1:6 for I will no
more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
2) God says, "I will not pityI will not show loveI will not forgiveI
will not save them from Assyria like I will save Judah.
3) Now this is interesting. God said I will destroy Israel but not Judah.
c. God spared Judah, the southern kingdom, so that His people, Israel, would
know it was not the might of Assyria that brought them down but the
absence of His help.
1) God used Assyria to destroy Israel but when Assyria tried to destroy
Judah, God killed nearly 200,000 of their soldiers and sent them
skedaddling back home.
2) The only problem Judah had with Assyria was in burying them.
d. Here is a truth that you and I need to be aware of. It is God who sets up
kingdoms and it is God who brings them down. We need look no further
than Hosea 1:6-7 to see that.

Jezreel points to The Dispersion from the Land

Lo-ruhamah points to The Defection From Love
3. The third child points to The Disowning By the Lord vs. 8-9
a. Right after the second child was weaned to show how soon this would
follow the defeat and deportation, we read that Gomer had a third child, a
son named LO-AMMI, which means NOT MY PEOPLE.
b. >> READ vs. 9 and tremble Ireland. Why was God saying this to the nation?
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 5

1) The nation had committed spiritual adultery over and over worshipping
pagan gods, worshipping materialism and committing all sorts of
immorality.
2) WILL WE LEARN FROM ISRAEL?
WILL WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?
c. Did God let go of Israel?
1) In time the Northern Kingdom was swallowed up, absorbed by a rash of
incoming foreigners.
2) She lost her national identity. God would treat the Jews like any other
nation instead of as the apple of His eye.
d. The Jews who were left in the land began to intermarry with these foreigners
and the people born of those unions were the half-breed Samaritans we find
in Jesus' day, who were neither Jew nor Gentile.
e. What does this mean spiritually? It means that when people reject the Lord
Jesus Christ, they are absorbed into Satans kingdom and end up in hell.
Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12).
f. You see, everyone must decide for himself who will be Lord of his or her life!
1) This choice whether it is a conscious one or not has consequences.
2) The 3 greatest decision you will make in life have to do with
a) Your Master
b) Your Mate
c) Your Mission
g. God LOVES our rebellious world, like He loved Judah and Israel throughout
generation after generation of rebellion.

Paul said by Divine inspiration in Rom. 2:4 despisest thou the riches of [Gods] goodness
and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
h. With so much love, forgiveness, and kindness flowing from God, how did
Israel miss it? More importantly, how do we?
1) Is it by our sinning so much that God stops loving us? Absolutely NOT!
a) We have only to look at chapter 3 and see God telling Hosea to love
Gomer on the slave block like He loves Israel, to disprove that (3:1).
b) We have only to look at the cross and hear Jesus cry, "Father, forgive
them!" (Lk. 23:34) to disprove that.
2) No we dont miss Gods love because of our horrible sinswe miss
Gods love BECAUSE we reject Gods love.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 6

And one reason we do this is a final result of sin found back in Hosea 1:2 where God said,
for the lad hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.

The Dispersion from the Land

The Defection From the Love
The Disowning By the Lord

Please notice a 4th thing.

4. The Depravity Among the Lost 1:2
a. Please look at a cross reference to this in: 2 Kings 17:15-18
b. The reason Israel didnt last and couldn't receive love was because she
became utterly corrupt and defiled, with no desire at all for the Lord and
developed what the Bible calls a in a hardened heart.

Hebrews 3:7-8 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, [8] Harden not
your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
1) When body tissue becomes hardened, we call that sclerosis (sclerosis).
2) We get that English word from the Greek word Skleros which is
translated harden in Heb. 3:8.
3) The Bible says that one can come down with sclerosis of the cardiac, the
heart or the spirit.
4) It means the heart or the spirit of man can become set or stubborn and
cannot respond to God.
c. What hardens the heart?
1) By exercising resistance to Gods Spirit!
2) Every time we say no to God, we are slowly developing spiritual
sclerosis.
d. In the case of Israel, she became so hard against the prophets and of God that
she couldnt get right even if she wanted too TURN >> Hosea 5:4
1) Though God thoroughly knows them and their condition according to
vs.3 they are so completely under power of idolatry that they cannot turn
to Jehovah.
2) Sinful Israel had become so overpowered by a spirit of whoredoms that
any possibility of repentance and recognition of the Lords authority was
impossible for the time being. Their doings will not allow them to turn to
their God.

LOOK >> Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the
firstripe [first fruits] in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated
themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 7

a) Israel became as defiled as the thing they loved.

b) As we read earlier in 2 Kings:
They made golden calves
They worshipped all the host of heaven
They served Baal
They burned their sons and their daughters as sacrifices
They used divination and sorcery.
As you consider Gomer portrayed as Israel paying to have men love here in 8:9.
And as you consider Hosea 3:1-2 where we see the depth to which Gomer had sunk that she
was worth only half the price of a common slave (Ex. 31:32) and approximately 10 bushels of
animal food you will see what the Bible means by "The wages of sin is death!" (Rom. 6:23a).
And aren't you glad for the words that follow immediately in the same verse?
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.

And that is exactly what we find in Hosea.

Right after God says, "You are not my people and I am not your God" in 1:9, He does a 180
degree turn and says that He will undo everything He has just done in punishment Hosea
1:10-2:1.

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor
numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my
people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

[11] Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint
themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

[2:1] Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; (MY PEOPLE) and to your sisters, Ru-hamah. (HAVING
OBTAINED MERCY)
B. The Childrens Illegitimacy
1. Hosea was informed that not only would his wife be unfaithful, but that at least
some of his children would be born of her unfaithfulness. They are called
children of whoredoms.
2. Hosea was apparently only the father of Gomers first child.
a. Verse 3 records that Gomer conceived, and bare HIM a son.
b. Verses 6 & 8 only record that Gomer conceived and bore children.
The personal pronoun him is missing in each of these two instances.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 8

3. Hoseas family was a picture of Israels unfaithfulness to God. Israels attitude

towards God was the spiritual equivalent of Gomers adulterous affairs.
READ Jeremiah 3:6-14; Ezekiel 23:1-7

Israel wanted the best of both worlds. While maintaining an outward devotion to God, they
also worshipped idols. With their lips, they professed to be the people of God, but their
hearts were given over to idols. In this way, they polluted the land with the spiritual
offspring of their idolatrous worship.

Like God, Hosea had to bear the shame of this kind of relationship. We can well imagine him
pleading with Gomer, as first one, and then another illegitimate child is born, to abandon her
adulterous ways and be faithful to him. In so doing, he became a vivid picture to Israel of
their own unfaithfulness to God and His great love for them.

We have seen
I. THE APPOINTED SUFFERING
Now lets take a look at

II. THE AVAILABLE SALVATION

Please notice 3 things about this AVAILABLE SALVATION
A. The Reversal 1:10-2-1; 3:4-5
1. NOTE in vs. 9 God disowned them.
2. NOTICE the reversal in vs. 10
a. Did God change His mind? Are Gods pronouncements untrustworthy? Does
not the Word of God say Mal. 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not
b. Vs. 10 takes us all the way back to the days of Abraham, when God promised
to make of Abraham a great nation whose people could not be numbered.
They would be like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore in
abundance.
1) He was telling Israel that the coming judgment and rejection was only
temporary.
2) This judgment would be for discipline, NOT destruction.
3) Although God would disown them then, the day would come when they
would be called again the sons of the Living God.
3. Vs. 9 is true but thank God for V. 10 for you see here a picture of the doctrine of
justification.
a. You see, when we are saved all the effects of sin are reversed. Those who are
not His people become children of God as promised in 1:10.
b. Those outside the blessings of love come to the Lord in Godly fear and
trembling and receive His grace and blessings as we see in 3:5.
B. What then is the blessed doctrine of justification? What are its features?
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 9

1. There is A CHANGE OF STANDING.

a. In vs. 9 we are NOT Gods children. In vs. 10 we become Gods children. I.e.
We are pardoned, justified, cleansed, adopted and made holy the instant we
believe.
b. Justification is that doctrine where God declares me to have been eternally
righteous. I.e. In Gods eyes I have never been lost, never have sinned and
never will.
How many times has a young lady thrown her morals to the wind outside of wedlock and
gotten pregnant? She then cries out to God something like this. Oh God, dont let me be
pregnant. (Though it is possible, it is kind of late that after you have sown your wild oats to
pray for a crop failure.)

But you know something? Although you and I were born sinners, there is a way to make us
not sinners. It is possible to REVERSE what has happened to us. Its called justification.
c. Justification makes something that is so, not so.

Romans 4:17 is a verse that speaks of this reversal.

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God,
who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
d. God not only can put sin in remission, He can remove all traces of its history.
Does Hosea 1:9-10 speak of justification? Look at another verse Paul said in Rom. 9:26
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there
shall they be called the children of the living God.
e. Let me be clear water baptism will NOT justify you!
Justification comes in accordance with two things:
1) Rom. 5:1 we are justified by FAITH and secondly
2) Rom. 5:9 we are justified by BLOOD
f. Faith in the finished work at Calvary is what justifies you before God.

Rom. 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

LOOK >> Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Counted is a bookkeepers term. When the banker takes money from you whether for a
deposit or a loan he stamps a receipt for the transaction. The banker takes currency.
God takes only faith!
IF YOU GO TO GOD AND SAY
Lord I am heavily in debt to thee. I would like to pay off my account.
God then says to you, What do you have? You say, Well:
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 10

Here is my baptismal certificate.

Here is a list of good things I have done.
Here is my confirmation certificate.
God says, Sorry, those wont do. But when you say, Lord, I would like to pay my debt
with faith; simple faith in the shed blood of what Jesus did at Calvary, then God says, PAID!

Rom. 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ.

What then is the blessed doctrine of justification? What are its features?
First There is a Change Of Standing.
2. There is a CHANGE OF STATE.
In the Garden of Eden, in the person of Adam, you and I left God rather boldly and
arrogantly but when we return to God we come with holy fear.

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David
their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

Now that is a strange combination of words fear the Lord and his goodness

But not really for you see this kind of fear is not the ungodly fear that causes us to run from
God in satanic fear but the kind of fear that causes us to come to God with fear and
trembling, bowing before Him, seeking His mercy and grace and knowing that He, in Christ,
freely forgives. Amen!
a. When we are saved, our STANDING before God is spotless and perfect but
then our STATE begins to change with a process called sanctification.
b. Sanctification is that process where God picks us up out of the miry clay and
begins the process of restoration and rebuildinga lifelong process.
A long sunken ship that is brought to the surface, for example, may be covered with a lot of
stuff that needs to be cleaned off.
In the same way, when the Lord brings us up from the belly of hell, we are covered with a lot
of stuff that needs to be cleaned off and God does that in this process the Word of God calls
sanctification.
c. The word sanctification means to set apart for Gods special use.
Its like that special china that some wives keep in a special place and is only brought out for
special occasions. It is not used to serve everyday sausages in but used when company comes
at or Christmas, or Easter, etc.
d. In sanctification we become set apart; used by the Lord for that special
purpose which we call serving God.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 11

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be
a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Many ladies have a special box where they keep their jewellery. That special box and its
contents best depicts that word peculiar. Notice its a peculiar TREASURE.

Titus speaking of Christ in 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
I DONT KNOW IF YOU EVER HAVE MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK
INSIDE OF A WOMANS PURSE?
I must warn you, it may not be safe! How many times has Mom said, stay out of my purse!?
The things in a womans purse are things that are especially her own.
The special, personal possessions of a womans purse set forth the meaning of that word
peculiar in Titus 2:14. It literally means special, that which is beyond usual.
So Gods purpose and plan in sanctification is to make us SPECIAL, not ordinary, not usual
but special.
e. Just think! You, meSPECIAL to God. Do you like that word SPECIAL?
God Himself uses it.

Deut. 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to
be a SPECIAL people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
1) Special comes from the same Hebrew word that the word peculiar
comes from. Peculiar or special are the same word.
a) So, are you PECULIAR to God? Are you SPECIAL to God?
b) Is God working on you with that process called sanctification?
2) Its all available in the person of Christ. God does not work except
through the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
f. Sanctification is that process whereby the Lord seeks to make us more like
Himself.
ONE SUNDAY ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM CHURCH
A little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning
confused me."
The mother said, "Oh? Why is that?" The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger
than we are. Is that true?" The mother replied, "Yes, that's true, honey."
"And he also said that God lives in us? Is that true, mommy?" Again the mother replied,
"Yes."
"Well," said the little girl, "If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn't He show
through?"
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 12

Thats it beloved!
Thats what sanctification is all about; its where the Lord seeks to show through you and me.
That is Biblical, you know. Paul wrote of the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 3:2 Ye are our epistle
written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

When folks read you, what are they reading? I fear sometimes, when they read me, the
message of Christ doesnt always come through!

We have looked at
I. THE APPOINTED SUFFERING, 1:2-9

We are now looking at:

II. THE AVAILABLE SALVATION, 1:10; 3:1-5

As we consider the available salvation we have studied

THE REVERSAL 1:10 (Where we looked at the doctrine of justification).

NOW, let us consider not only the REVERSAL but also

C. THE REDEMPTION, 3:1-3

How then was this whorish wife of Gomer treated?

How then was she taken out of the slave market?

How then was she redeemed?

She was treated the same way all sinners who are redeemed with two things:
1. THE POWER OF LOVE Hosea 3:1-2
a. Now get the picture. Gomer had left her husband, left her children, left her
home and chose the sinful pleasure and profit of prostitution.
b. God instructed Hosea not to give up on her, not to stop loving her, but to go
after her and speak kindly to her and persuade her to return home.
1) The average man would have let her gobut you see here is where the
power of love comes into the picture.
2) You see, love seeks the unlovely, love seeks the unprofitable, love seeks
the ungodly although undeserving.
3) You say well, if I was Hosea I would have let the woman go; I would not
have wanted that woman again after she gave herself to all those men.
You probably wouldnt want to take such a person back, but let me ask you this.
Why then should God come seeking you, to save and forgive you and make you His child?
After all you have gone a whoring after the gods of this wicked world, you have used your
body for wicked purposes, your tongue you have used for lying and cursing and
blaspheming our Lords holy Name and on and on it goes.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 13

Why should God want you and me back? Well, its this thing called lovethe power of love.
GOD LOVES US AND THAT IS THE ONLY EXPLANATION.
You say, well wait a minute preacher; I wasnt all that bad before God saved me.
Ive never been the terrible person you just described!
c. What saith God about us?
TURN with me to Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11]
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the
way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
1) When you think of the word unprofitable think of the benefit of mouldy
bread; soured milk; rotten eggs; lettuce turned brown & slimy; celery
turned soft. Aside from grace we, we are before God nothing but running
sores or dripping pustules. There isnt one part of us that functions
normally until we are redeemed!
2) Isaiah the prophet describes us this way in 1:5-6 the whole head is
sick, and the whole heart faint. [6] From the sole of the foot even unto the head
there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores

Paul continues in Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used
deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Here is a body that has been taken to the cemetery, laid in the ground and left uncovered.
Do I need to describe to you the smell and the poisons that would exude from that body as it
deteriorates? God says a mans mouth, aside from redemption, is like an open grave. (Dont
believe it, just listen to some men as they spew out their filthy jokes, their vile language, and
their blasphemous words it is an open grave).

Paul goes on and says the poison of snakes is under their lips. Snakes spew out liquid
venom; men spew out verbal venom.

Read on please in Romans 3:14-18, God isnt through yet describing us aside from salvation
through the blood of Christ.
d. You say, If I were Hosea I would let Gomer go to hell, if she treated me like
that!
1) Ya know, there is no reason why God shouldnt let us go to hell too but,
BUT, BUT for the power of love!
2) The flip side of this is this. It doesnt matter what you are or what you
have done; God loves you and wants to save you and make you His child
and give you a home in heaven; hell need not be your portion.
You see a picture of Gods unconditional love and grace in the account of the prodigal son
in Luke 15.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 14

That boy still had the smell of the hogs on him when the father ran and threw his arms
around him. He kissed and slobbered over him rejoicing that his son had repented and
returned.
You see, you dont need to clean yourself up to get savedjust come as you are; just a low
down smelly sinner, as we all are, and then God in grace will wash you in the blood of His
Son and then He will go to work on you and make you the kind of person He wants you to
be and He does that in sanctification.
How does God do it?
1. THROUGH THE POWER OF LOVE
2. Secondly, THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF LOVE Hosea 3:2
a. Please understand love within itself, as great as it is, is not enough to deliver
us from our sins.
1) All the love in the world would not have freed Gomer.
A price had to be paid!
2) Exodus 21:32 says thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave. (Thats
the same price Jesus was sold out for by Judasthe price of a slave).
3) Being a typical preacher he could only come up with half the money, so
he scraped together enough barley to make up the difference.
4) All the love in God's heart could not save us from sin because His holy,
righteous nature CANNOT let even one sin go unpunished.

God says, "Bob Zemeski, you must die, not once, but twice for your sins. You must be
punished in hell. You must answer for each and every time you did what was wrong!"

What can I do? What can you do? NOTHING!

Who can save us from God? No one! No one, that is, but God Himself.

2,000 years ago, God came to this earth in Jesus Christ and paid our sin debt to Himself. God
saves us from God in Jesus.

And the question of all questions is how can we receive it?

Hosea tells us in his challenge to Gomer.

That brings us to the 3rd thing here.

We have looked at
The Reversal, V. 10
The Redemption, 3:1-2
D. THE REPENTANCE Hosea 3:3
1. Hosea did not say, Gomer, I love you. I have paid for your redemption, 15
pieces of silver. I now forgive you and so now you can go on living just any way
you want.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 15

a. Now, when God redeems us HE TAKES US OUT OF THE SLAVE MARKET

OF SIN.
b. Salvation is a wonderful gift but it has to be received and we do this by
repentance and faith.
c. Repentance not only means I AM SORROWFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE
BUT IT ALSO MEANS I AM SORROWFUL ENOUGH TO STOP IT BY
HIS GRACE.
d. We don't have to be ABLE to give up sin but we do have to be WILLING.
2. And God gives us a choice today. Which one have you made?
a. We are not told here if Gomer went home. I hope she did.
b. But many don't. Many choose to remain in the filth of sin. (WHAT IS SIN?
SIN IS ANYTHING CONTRARY TO THIS BOOK). 1 John 3:4 sin is the
transgression of the law.
3. There is a price to be paid for salvation and Jesus has paid it.
An angry young teenager told his dad, "I didn't ask to be born!" "No, you didn't," his father
replied, "and if you had, we probably would have said, No!"
a. If we could know in advance what was going on in this world and the
heartache they would face would you not wonder if anyone would CHOOSE
to come to this sorrow filled world?
b. In all of history, there was only one who did. His name was Jesus. And why
did He come? For the same reason Hosea went to Gomer.
c. The law said he could stone her but he didn't go to stone her. He did not go
to spit upon her or cry out, "I told you this would happen. You made your
bed, now lie in it."
d. No, he went to love her and win her back.
e. That's why Jesus came not to stone or shame or sneer.
A young person who drives too fast, crashes, and lies bleeding behind the wheel doesn't
need a lecture on fast driving they need help. The sermons can come later.
1) When we mess up our lives and stand guilty and shamed like Gomer, we
need love and help.
2) And we have it in Jesus.
ILLUSTRATION:
If our greatest need had been for INFORMATION, God would have sent us an EDUCATOR.
If our greatest need had been for TECHNOLOGY, God would have sent us a SCIENTIST.
If our greatest need had been for MONEY, God would have sent us an ECONOMIST.
If our greatest need had been for PLEASURE, God would have sent us an ENTERTAINER.
But since our greatest need is for FORGIVENESS, God sent us a SAVIOUR.
 Law of Sowing and Reaping Meet The God Who Loves You 4 16

Have you come to grips with your sinful condition? Have you repented of your sin?
Have you turned to Christ for forgiveness?

Listen to this.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

When, where and how were you saved?

CONCLUSION:
This first chapter gives us the big picture. It sets the themes that will be played repeatedly
throughout the book themes of judgment, ruin, and restoration. Through it all we see the
operation of Gods love and grace, especially as it is pictured in the family life of Hosea. We
are also reminded that God is not motivated by a sense of retaliation or revenge when he
executes judgment against His own. Gods discipline comes from a sincere desire to see His
people experience the very best that a relationship to Him has to offer.

The prophets are not always easy to understand, but their study is rewarding. In them we
learn of the ways and character of God. We are also reminded that human history is moving
towards a predetermined end. Additionally, we see the folly of indulging sin and ignoring
Gods Word. Across these pages we can write the words of Galatians 6:7 Be not deceive;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

6 Mar. 2011, Morn. River Valley BC Leixlip, Co. Kildare