Sermon Tone Analysis

Background

I’m sure you guys know the background...

Let me refresh and get new people caught up quickly

Two kingdoms after king Solomon - Israel north, Judah South

Eventually, both would be conquered and the people exiled

Israel first by who? Assyrians...

Judah later by who? Babylonians...

Israel was in big trouble by the time Hosea comes

Biggest issue is idolatry - what god were they primarily worshipping?

Ba’al...

He’s been a problem from the very beginning...

Hosea was a prophet at the end of Israel’s sin before God enacted punishment

That’s when Assyria came in and took Israel into captivity

They never formerly returned and so the ten tribes (Judah and Benjamin in south) were essentially lost

Hosea focuses on this process, a call to repentance before the bad stuff happens

As we go, it’s important to think of two representations of God’s relationship in Hosea:

God as a faithful husband

You probably all remember the story of Hosea and Gomer

His wife was unfaithful and slept with a lot of men

God had Hosea go and payer her debts and restore her

That is an image of God’s love for Israel as a nation AND His love for us

Remember, Christians are heirs of Abraham so we are connected to these OT stories

When you think of God’s husbandly example, think of the type of pain you feel when your partner has an affair

That is how God felt towards Israel

Pain and hurt because of His love

Yet, just like Hosea illustrated, God still pays for our debts in sin, even though we (and Israel) have hurt Him

2. God as a loving father

When you get to chapter 11, we see a picture of God the Father and His son Israel

God taught him, loved him, led him, etc.

But Israel grows up and rebels against his Dad

This is where Israel is during the time of Hosea - in rebellion

We see God experiencing three emotions here

Anger at His son’s sin

Sadness and heartbreak for His son

Finally, His wonderful compassion

Each of those brings something to the table

Anger brings punishment - AKA exile

Heartbreak brings desperate pleading - Hosea’s poems (along with Isaiah, Amos, Elijah, etc.)

Compassion would ultimately bring Jesus and the future reestablished kingdom of Israel

I think it’s good to keep that in mind

It’s tempting to focus on - Oh Israel, you’re terrible...

But don’t forget to see who God is in this story

And it’s also helpful to realize that we are just like Israel too

So, let’s jump into chapter 8...

Hosea 8:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Put the trumpet to your lips!

Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of the Lord,

Because they have transgressed My covenant

And rebelled against My law.

2 They cry out to Me,

“My God, we of Israel know You!”

3 Israel has rejected the good;

The enemy will pursue him.

We start with a trumpet -why?

Trumpets were used to assemble God’s people together and bring troops into battle

It was an attention getter - God’s saying, “Everybody listen up!”

He’s saying something everyone needs to hear - what’s he say?

Ya done messed up - You’ve transgressed My covenant, you rebelled against the Law

I gave you ten rules... you broke them all

I made deals with Abraham, Moses, David… you threw them away

I gave you a list of things to do, and people in charge of remembering… you still forgot

Now, someone’s coming for you - an enemy is coming like an eagle

Who is that enemy?

Assyria...

God is responsible for this, but so is Israel

Israel kept attacking Judah - God’s chosen people fighting each other

Shouldn’t the people of God be unified?

Anyway, the north attacks, gets really close to taking Jerusalem, and then Judah asks for help

From who?

2 Kings 16:7–9 (NASB95)

7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”

8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.

9 So the king of Assyria listened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and captured it, and carried the people of it away into exile to Kir, and put Rezin to death.

Because Israel was attacking Judah, they paid Assyria to attack Israel, and Assyria wiped them out

Had Israel and Judah stayed one nation, this problem wouldn’t have existed

So there sins were a punishment from God, but their own actions literally made the fall happen

So God is announcing His wrath - how do they respond?

V. 2 “My God, we of Israel know You!”

No you don’t...

We’ll see that here:

Hosea 8:4–6 (NASB95)

4 They have set up kings, but not by Me;

They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.

With their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves,

That they might be cut off.

5 He has rejected your calf, O Samaria, saying,

“My anger burns against them!”

How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6 For from Israel is even this!

A craftsman made it, so it is not God;

Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

When the kingdoms first spilt, Rehoboam took over from his dad Solomon

Solomon raised taxes to build the Temple

The Temple was done, so the north wanted a tax cut

Rehoboam decided to threaten them instead

1 Kings 12:11 (NASB95)

11 ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’

”

The north wasn’t too happy, they rebelled and made their own king - Jereboam

From the first king, it took about 97 years to tear the kingdom apart

And you thought our government was bad...