Author: missionspaul

From around 755 to 710 BC Hosea, at the same time as prophet Amos who with Isaiah and Micah were focusing on the southern kingdom. Hosea was in the north. Sadly Assyria did invade and destroy the northern kingdom in 722 BC, God’s people had not listened.

One of the reasons was that they were spiritually blind. They were blind to their blind spots and they declined spiritually in their relationship with God.

• Their knowledge of God grew less not more over the decades.

The pain of seeing Gomer not being satisfied in knowing Hosea but drifting to know other men is mirrored by the pain of God’s own heart. His people do not know Him. They believe in Him. They sing to Him. They talk to Him. There is evidence that they do know Him. However there is also evidence that they don’t.

“No one is faithful. No one loves. No one knows the first thing about God.” (4 v 1)

“My people are ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true. Because you’ve turned your back on knowledge, I’ve turned my back on you priests. Because you refuse to recognize the revelation of God, I’m no longer recognizing your children.” (4 v 6-10)

Like Hosea, alone in the marital home; or like the father scanning the terrain for his prodigal son; God is standing, waiting; for those who have left, for those who have gone their own way and for those who have lost their knowledge of God.

When you get to the end of your life there is one thing you will never regret and that is your pursuit of knowing Him!

These last few words sum up the whole prophetic message of Hosea.

Are we walking in the ways of the Lord?

“The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

There is a beautiful verse in Exodus 33 v 11 where “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”

A way is not just a thought, or a perceived attitude about something, it is how one lives their life.

It is the customs, institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or group, it is called culture.

Is it possible to know the ways of God? Is it possible to truly know God? To know His culture?

Remember how Moses was around 81-82 years old when he asked God for something new? His task was to lead 10s of 1000s out of a country – these people were dysfunctional generationally. It was a hard task but the result would be wonderful. What does he pray? Was it, “Oh God help me, bless me, anoint me, appoint me, prosper me, help me, deliver me, fill me, reach me”?

Exodus 33 v13 Moses asked, “Teach me your ways.” Moses is asking God to show him His culture. I need to understand your culture, your ways, absorb your character into my character.

Hosea our prophet ends this message with a call for us all to know God’s culture, to pay heed to His commands and above all to walk and not stumble.

But at times God’s ways can be very strange. Hosea marry a prostitute? Why? Looking back we can see why but at the time that is a hard difficult way to walk. But that’s the Bible and the story of God isn’t it? Look at the cross!

The more we walk with what we know of God the more we will know His ways. The less rebellious we are the less we will stumble. It takes a lifetime and more to fully know the ways of God.

Maybe you don’t fully understand what God is doing or asking of you. You might not fully grasp the meaning but all you know is you need to surrender all and that is what you do.

And that my friend is all He asks of you!

Understanding the season that you are in and having self-awareness so that you are not blinded to the truth of the moment is the discernment that all of us need.

Wisdom is needed and so is discernment.

“Who is wise? Let them realise these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

Please join me in my prayer this morning:

Lord, I need to know your ways. I need to know what is from you and what is from man. I need to know the counterfeit. I need discernment.

I desire wisdom in dealing with people. In my listening and in my speaking I need to not fail. I don’t search for wisdom of my mind only, I do need to grow there in my intellect. But this is a wisdom of my spirit that I seek.

There are days when I walk with what seems to be a flickering candle. Today I ask for more than a candle. I ask for divine beams of revelation so that I may know you more in all that I do. Lead me from the shallow end where the deep calls to deep. Let my words become far more significant. Words are just words. Yet words that are illuminated, that come from the place of wisdom and revelation carry so much more weight. I want my spirit, soul, mind and strength to be in my words. I want my words to move people.

Break me so that I no longer love the dark or the candle. Break into me so that the shekinah fills every part of me. I seek no idolatrous God-shaped substitutes. I seek the glory of You that cuts and burns and melts and removes all strange fire within me. I was made for your good, for your pleasing and for your perfect will. Give me discernment.

Amen.

As we enter into the final verse of this prophecy of Hosea we do so looking back on many great themes of redemption, faithfulness, the sovereignty of God, His unending love and the result of turning our backs on Him.

Remember how it opens with ““The word of the Lord that came to Hosea”. Isn’t that needed today? Another Hosea? Well perhaps. But definitely a word from the Lord.

Are you carrying in your life a message from God? Has He spoken to you through the Bible, a prophetic word, a sermon?

If the answer is yes then now read this last verse:

“Who is wise? Let them realise these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

Do you realise what God is telling you?

You may be in difficult situation. The temptation may be to focus solely on the difficulty instead of asking for wisdom to know what to do and how to live in such a situation. Wisdom is found with God. Reading the Bible every day, meditation and receiving the Spirit’s presence is the path of wisdom.

When you sit with God and ask for wisdom you are sitting with someone who knows everything. He saw it and He made it. He had knowledge and He was able to practically apply that knowledge.

God’s people turn from reliance on idolatry and look to Him. They take heed to His instruction. They listen to His message. They carry this prophetic word from Hosea and apply it to their lives. Today and the next day and the next day we live for you. They are wise.

In response to the 5 promises we have seen over the last few days here is the incredible response:

“Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.” (Hosea 14 v 8)

“Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods. From now on I’m the one who answers and satisfies him. I am like a luxuriant fruit tree. Everything you need is to be found in me.” (Message)

The intimacy between God and Israel is here to see.

Aren’t these words incredible?! “Whatever you produce comes from me.” “Whatever you hunger for is found in me.” “Whatever you need …”

It is not to be found anywhere else but in Him.

Hosea and Gomer are back together; Israel and God back together, NO.

They never did repent. They never gave up their waywardness. They didn’t come back home to God. They didn’t turn back their destiny of destruction by Assyria in 722 BC.

So is this prophecy dead?

No it is here still alive and available for you.

He will answer you. He will care for you. He will bear fruit through you. His all that you need. Come to Him.

God promises that as Israel repents they will be a blessing to others like people taking shade, flourishing, blossoming and being known for vintage wine!

Such imagery!

“People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine—Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14 v 7)

Last Sunday I was privileged to be in 2 different churches who were exactly this to the people in their community. They have become a place of safety, strength and love where people thrive. The result being is that life has become better for so many. One of the first people I met was Sam who to his own admission his life had come crashing down but it was the church that offered him the shade to find recovery. The people of the church had blessed him back into life.

The day before I sat listening to a presentation at my regional day by Teen Challenge. Story after story of lives that were once broken and battered but had found safety and love and were now blessed beyond imagination.

This is the Church, the people of God. And this is you and me. As we turn around and walk with God we become a blessing to others.

You don’t need to do much either. One of our church planters in a town in the north east spoke a few days ago about how she simply heard the Holy Spirit lead her into a coffee shop and though there were many empty tables she asked if she could sit next to a woman who was sitting there alone. That simple act of obedience led to a wonderful encounter of blessing to the woman.

Today someone possibly will be taking shade from the intensity of their life simply because you are there with them. Others will be flourishing and blossoming as you bless them. And who knows you may become likened to a vintage wine!

Be a blessing today.

God promises that as Israel repents they would be influential like the popular trees of Lebanon.

“His splendour will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14 v 6)

I love fragrance, don’t you? Fragrance isn’t just a sweet smell it is a reminder of a person, a time in your life well-spent and a magnet for new experiences.

I went into a church building a few years ago and it hit me as I walked in, the smell. It was that damp, stale odour of a building that perhaps hadn’t been opened for years, except they had just met the day before. They had got used to the smell. I said to the Pastor, “What’s that smell?” he said, “What smell?” You wouldn’t dream of leaving your home without first washing, would you? You would never go to a friend’s house stinking to high heaven because you couldn’t be bothered to have a wash that day, would you? The problem is people who don’t wash get used to their own smell. Their stinky, pongy, stained smell becomes to them au naturel. Everyone needs someone who will say ‘My friend, I love you so much I need to tell you, you stink.’ Think of the fragrant offering in relation to the Old Testament system. When a sacrifice was offered on an altar, the odour of the burning meat went up to heaven and the god to whom the sacrifice was offered was supposed to feast upon that odour. In the Jewish Synagogues they too used this system and a sacrifice which had the odour of a fragrance was especially pleasing and acceptable to God. It spoke ofthe sacrifice that Jesus gave. Love is fragrant. Fragrant love is influential. A building may have a stale smell and that can be fixed but what of the smell of the Church’s heart? Do they love each other? Do they love their community? There are smells in churches that should never be there. Is there bickering? Divisions and fall-outs? I wonder how many people would say they got hurt by Church? Everyone needs a friend to say, ‘my friend you stink, stop it, tone it down, shut your mouth.’ So climb down from the high horse. Humble yourselves. Lay your life down. Pay the price. Where is the sacrifice gone from the Church? Let’s love and love loud. I was in 2 churches yesterday who have been influencing their communities, one of them for many years and the other a church plant. In both cases their influence comes because of their love, their sacrifice, their fragrance. Think on this when you put some perfume/after shave on today.

God promises that as Israel repents they would benefit from the depth of their lives likened to the popular trees of Lebanon.

These trees were known for being strong, developed and also fragrant. Isaiah uses them in his prophetic imagery in (10:34; 33:9 and 35:2).

“Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow.” (Hosea 14 v 5)

Here is the promise as you walk with God. Under the buffeting winds and storms that come your way, during the suffering seasons you will stand. You may bend but you will not break. My friend shared yesterday at one of my regional conference days how he had to adapt to living in the darkness. After his moving presentation one of my team members publicly commented that over his early years it was my friend’s parents who had instilled in him the ability to withstand suffering because of a deeply rooted faith.  That’s it. This is the point. As we walk with God we are growing deeply. A forest of great trees happens over many years. Today may be just another ordinary day of walking with God but all the time you are growing deeply into Him.

Whatever you are facing today be confident that you are rooted in God.

God promises that as Israel repents they would benefit from the dew resulting in the blossom.

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily.” (Hosea 14 v 5)

God is our source every day. Each morning when we wake He is there. He speaks to us, encourages us to move into the day in His presence and with His power. He is not only our sustenance, He is everything to us. You can do life in the most difficult of circumstances because of the dew every morning. He is here.

What does this dew produce? We prosper. We bloom like the flower of beauty. The lily was known as the flower that not only was fragrant but was the symbol of love. In the Song of Songs 2:1 “I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys” and if this is a representation of Christ then to blossom as a lily is to become like Him. But the lily is not only found amongst the valleys but also among thorns (SS 2:2). It doesn’t matter how difficult life is right now, even if you can describe it as valley or thorns, you can blossom as a lily, being like Christ, because of the dew.

What a wonderful promise this is!

Of course the Bible is full of them. But as we come to the close of what has been a challenging journey through Hosea we see that if Israel repented and came back to Him then the benefits are many:-

• I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.
• for my anger has turned away from them.
• I will be like the dew to Israel;
• he will blossom like a lily.
• Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;
• his young shoots will grow.
• His splendour will be like an olive tree,
• his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
• People will dwell again in his shade;
• they will flourish like the grain,
• they will blossom like the vine
• Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
• Ephraim, what more have to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him.
• I am like a flourishing juniper;
• your fruitfulness comes from me.

(Hosea 14 v 4-8)

15 promises. 15 benefits that follow repentance. None of them is of ourselves. They are all of His grace and mercy. They are all found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His act led to these benefits for our lives.

Today we all need to hear these words of healing; love; mercy not anger; dew; blossom; rooted; growth; splendour; fragrance; protection; flourishing; blossoming; reputation; being heard and cared for by Him; flourishing again; fruitfulness.  They are all here.

Over the next few days we will unpack each one but maybe this morning it is simply that to meditate on one or two is what we need to face our day.