Hosea 11.1-11

Click below to listen to the sermon I preached at Morning Prayer at St. James’s Church, Poole on March 11th:

Hosea 11.1-11 (25:46, 5.95 MB)

I’m sorry it’s in WAV format at the moment - when I eventually get back to my house, I shall convert it to MP3. This’ll have to do for now.

Hosea 11 Outline

At Simeons a few weeks ago, Vaughan said that he hoped that Hosea 11 would become one of our favourite passages by the end of the session, and in my case certainly it had. When Bob Mason, Rector of St. James’s, Poole, asked me if I would preach (adding that the fact that it was the Second Sunday of Lent needn’t constrain the preacher, and that sackcloth and ashes were not necessary), what better way to continue my intermittent series on slighly obscure passages from the Old Testament than to preach on Hosea 11.

After puzzling for a little while, here is an outline of what I’m hoping to say. You’ll only get bored with full notes. Comments appreciated, particularly this weekend when I can actually do something about them, before heading off to the North Hampton again. I preach next Sunday morning.

Introduction

Statement: “Family harmony matters desperately” - explore situations when not present
Question we ask: any hope for reconciliation
Issue in Hosea 11 - God’s family
Harmony ruptured
Lead into headings

1. God’s kindness is spurned (vv. 1-4)

Recap history of Israel & God’s mercy & how Israel responded
Prophets called them back - turned further away
Child jumping on furniture, told to stop, does it all the more
David Cameron: absent fathers –> youth crime
God not the absent father
As if God looking through the photo album - intimately involved, caring for people
Lifted burden - rescued from hard labour in Egypt
Led them - cloud & fire
Fed them - manna in the wilderness
Heart of sin not breaking impersonal set of rules but turning away from Father and saying will have gifts but won’t have you

Vv. true of us
Have all received much from God our creator - sun & rain, food, clothing, shelter, family, friendships, beauty of world
If Christian believers, especially privileged
As Israel brought through parted waters of Red Sea –> promised land, set apart for him & marked out as covenant people by baptism
Teaches & leads & feeds by word
Rescued from slavery to sin, burden lifted, God our Father

Turn away from God of the Bible, F, S, HS, & serve gods of world around us - work of own hands, hope in things we shape, money, career, pleasure
When calls us back through word read & preached & minister to one another - do we listen? Or do we go away all the more

Consequences?

2. God’s judgment must fall (vv. 5-7)

Exile
Not literal return to Egypt
The place of slavery - Assyria
Then too late to call out to God

Turning away from God a personal offence
Angers him - not like human anger
Behaviour that cannot be ignored but must be punished

Negative illustration of a judge letting of a clearly guilty criminal

Anticipation of day of judgment
Each deserve God’s punishment
Exile - exclusion from joy & celebration of eternity
Eternal destruction
On that day, too late to call out to God

Is that it?

3. God’s mercy will save (vv. 8-11)

When comes to wiping people off face of earth, God draws back
“How can I do that to you?”
Not that he changes his mind -”heart turned over within him”, “heart recoils” - better translations
Anguish at thought of utterly destroying people
Loves people passionately - cannot bring himself to completely destroy

Not because of anything in them - but because he is God & not man
Exodus 34 ideas - merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love & faithfulness, keeping steadfast love, forgiving iniquity etc.
Grace alone
So faithful - remains committed
Illustration of College son getting kicked out because failed exams
God not like Oxford
To God, family harmony matters desperately
Mercy will save

Tension - God’s justice and love
Have to go forward several hundred years to see resolved
God calls another son out of Egypt
The Lord Jesus Christ - Matthew says fulfils v. 1: the true Israel
Died on a cross - exiled from God in the place of those he came to save
So not destroyed but forgiven

Exile will happen, did happen
Had to happen - people’s sin not yet fully paid for
Now it has
God will call people back
Lion, powerful irresistible roar
People will hear, tremble come back, brought back to homes

Partial fulfilment in 538 BC - small remnant did return
In gospels: exile truly ended with coming of Jesus
Promises fulfilled perfectly in him, promise for all nations
As people hear call as Lord incarnate, will tremble - acknowledge in the wrong, turn & trust
Home - not literal return to Palestine - new creation

God’s free grace, his character

Application to the wandering believer - God can’t possibly want me back?
He does - don’t look at self, look at God & love & mercy
Saying, “Come back”

Application to unbeliever - hear God’s roar, respond?
Go after him and come trembling, i.e. turn to Christ, acknowledge that in wrong, depend on him for forgiveness?
Only way to be saved

Conclusion

Family harmony matters desperately
Recap headings
Exhortation to heed roar and tremble