Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20080203.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Hosea: God's BALANCE Of Judging And Blessing His People
Part X: God's Need To Judge A Misplaced Trust For Livelihood
(Hosea 9:1-7a)
  1. Introduction
    1. All people need food to survive -- that is a basic truth of human existence.
    2. Yet, it is sin not to see God as the ultimate SOURCE one's food and livelihood as Hosea 9:1-7a explains:
  2. God's Need To Judge A Misplaced Trust For Livelihood, Hosea 9:1-7a.
    1. As we learned in our recent message on God's creation of plant life in Genesis 1:9-13, the livelihood needs of all earthly life does not come from the ground, climate or some false god, but from the Creator God of Scripture Who alone created potable soil and plant life to feed all human and animal life on earth!
    2. Nevertheless, the people of Israel errantly came to view the false pagan god, Baal as their source of livelihood in contrast to the Lord, a terrible sin in God's view, cf. Hosea 9:1:
      1. God's prophet, Hosea called Israel to cease her rejoicing and exulting, and in the context we learn this occurred relative to the bountiful harvests, for the people had acted adulterously before the Lord, 9:1a.
      2. To explain, Hosea revealed that in worshiping Baal, the Canaanite god of (crop) fertility, Israel had spiritually prostituted herself (KJV "reward" means "harlot's hire," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Hos. 9:1 ) to this false god versus trusting and worshiping God as her Provider of crops, and her blessings of wheat at the threshingfloor with her gain in vines and figs (Hos. 2:12), food, water, wool, linen, oil and drink (Hosea 2:5), Hosea 9:1b; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1398.
    3. Accordingly, God announced divine judgment in escalating stages that fit this sin (as follows), Hos. 9:2-6:
      1. Deuteronomy 28:30, 38-42, 51 of the Mosaic Covenant had warned that were the people to disobey the Law as Israel had done in going into such idolatry, there would be livelihood trials, Ibid.
      2. Thus, God predicted the threshingfloor and wine vat with its new wine would fail to feed them (Hosea 9:2), and they would be taken in captivity to Egypt (cf. 2 Kings 25:26; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Hos. 9:3) and Assyria where they would have to eat ceremonially unclean food to survive, a fitting judgment, 9:3.
      3. In their captivity, where they would be separated from the Lord's temple, the privilege of true worship rituals would not be available to Israel, either, Hosea 9:4a; Ibid. Rather, God's people would eat food far from God's temple like mourners versus how they then rejoiced in Baal at harvest (Hos. 9:4b, 1a), for, eating the ceremonially unclean food to stay alive would only defile themselves rather than be a blessing as it was when God shared in their produce tithe at the altar in fellowship with them, 9:4c!
      4. Indeed, Hosea asked what they would do on the day of "the feast of the Lord," contextually meaning the Feast of Tabernacles when they were to celebrate the year's harvests and rejoice unto God for His bounty, Hos. 9:5 with Lev. 23:39-40; Ibid. That day, in captivity, would become a day of great grief!
      5. Even as some of the people would leave the destruction of Israel that would come upon them in judgment, they would be buried in Memphis in Egypt, a city known for its graves (Hos. 9:6a; Ibid., p. 1399), and weeds would grow over their precious silver goods and come up in their tents opposite their former enjoyment of crop bounty back in Israel, Hosea 9:6b!
    4. In the days of Israel's coming punishment when she would have her misplaced trust in Baal for her livelihood recompensed to her, she would then understand how she had sinfully misplaced her trust in a false god for her livelihood instead of trusting in the true Creator God, Hosea 9:7a:
      1. Hosea noted that the days of punishment on Israel were due to come upon her, Hosea 9:7a(1).
      2. Indeed, as the punishments would so aptly fit the sinful idolatry as described in Hosea 9:1-6, those days would be days of recompense, of just dues for a misplaced trust regarding Israel's livelihood, 9:7a(2).
      3. So precisely would these punishments fit Israel's sins, her people would then realize it, Hosea 9:7a(3).
Lesson: God appropriately planned to judge Israel for her trust in a false god and not Him for her livelihood, planning to do so in WAYS that would INSTRUCT her on HOW she had thus sinned!

Application: (1) May we trust ONLY the Creator God of Scripture for ALL of our living needs! (2) If we note specific livelihood trials coming upon us, note how they may critique past misplaced livelihood trusts, and REPENT if God is thus EXPOSING such subtle idolatry!

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