December 5
Hosea 1:1-3:5 | PS 124:1-8 | Prov 29:5-8 | 1 John 5:1-21
Who of us has not felt the sting of rejection. A family member whom you have loved, a co-worker who worked behind your back, a friend who slandered you, all, along with many others who leave you speechless and deeply hurt. Many understand this, yet, so often we take the person out of God, and fail to see how often and how deeply He is rejected time and time again. Yes, He is above all things, but He is not devoid of emotion. Throughout history, and right on to the present time, for personal greed, sinful natures, new so-called knowledge, a plethora of ways are present to reject the One True God. As opposed to us, when we think we know what is best, He truly knows what is best, and He sees this rejection constantly. Pastor Lloyd mentioned the all too often generational drift seen in the believer. What starts as conviction, when the relationship is fresh, then leads to belief or mental ascent in the next generation. Following this mental belief gives rise to opinion in the next generation, which eventually leads to nothingness by the next. God is real. God is present and willing to extend mercy to anyone and everyone. But with backs turned and ears closed, it is people who reject Him and sadly have no desire to enter into a relationship with Him.
Hosea was a prophet, a contemporary with the prophets Isaiah, Micah, and Amos. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." But we say, "I want to marry who I want, have as many children as I want, name them what I want, live where I want, have the profession that I want, do whatever I want., etc.". So we read of Hosea in Hosea 1:2, "When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.” Then in 1:3-9, we see the prostitute that he would marry, and the number of children along with their designated names. Hosea was openly rejected in a town where everyone would know his business. Despite all the whispers and glances from his neighbors, we read that which he next did publicly in 3:1-2, "Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley." So used up was Gomer (his wife), that he purchased her at half price on the slave block.
God had Hosea do all of this to illustrate to the people of the northern tribe of Israel, how they had rejected Him, as we read in Hosea 2:13, "I will punish her For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the Lord." In mercy, God offers His people redemption, as we read in 2:16-20, "“And it shall be, in that day, ”Says the Lord, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, And they shall be remembered by their name no more...“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord." Hosea couldn't have fully understood how this would all evolve as he was living it and prophetically speaking forth what he was told, but, in the Person of Jesus Christ, around 700 years later, God became Man, to rescue us from our sins. So perfect was His sacrifice, that our sins are remembered no more. And, we, the Bride of Christ, call on Jesus, our Husband, for our mercy, our redemption, our hope. Praise God! You are true. Your Word is true! Hallelujah!
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: