Hosea & Gomer
Summer Blockbusters
July 24, 2022
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a prostitute and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
So he married Gomer… —Hosea 1:2-3The enemy of growth is comfort. —Phineas Taylor Barnum
Once you get a
of growth outside the box, the
of the box will no longer be comfortable.
Jezreel = a place known for being destroyed in battle.
Lo-Ruhamah = no mercy, no pity, no love.
Lo-Ammi = not my people.
I will once again lead the Nation of Israel and speak tenderly to her. I will make the Valley of [Trouble] a door of hope. I will make a covenant, and faithfully commit to it in love and compassion. I will show my love to the one I called, ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called, ‘Not my people - you are my people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God.’’ —Hosea 2:14-23
The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man 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 back… —Hosea 1:1-3
Hosea’s solution to Gomer’s shameful past was to press the restart button as if the past didn’t matter.
Praise the Lord who forgives all your sins, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, abounding in love. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us for our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. —Psalm 103
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. —John 3:16
1. God is
.
Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:5-6, 8
2. God is
.
If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful. Christ cannot deny who he is. —2 Timothy 2:13
Let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. —James 4:7-10