Hosea 4:1-19
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blooda toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroyb thy mother.
6 My people are destroyedc for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they setd their heart on their iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punishe them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18 Their drink is sour:f they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
The Futility of Sin
I. INTRODUCTION
A. As we continue the study of Hosea this morning - chapter 4 marks a turn that continues through the rest of the book.
1. Hosea 8:7 a (NASB) Give us a hint as to the content of that redirection: For they sow the wind, And they reap the whirlwind.
a) As we know the Lord's people has turned their back on Him.
(1) As a result, their lives, and even their nation were falling apart.
2. Proverbs 1:24-33 (NASB) "Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel, And did not want my reproof;
27 When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress [and] anguish come on you.
28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.
31 "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, And be satiated with their own devices.
32 "For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, And the complacency of fools shall destroy them.
33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely, And shall be at ease from the dread of evil."
a) These verses in Proverbs 1 - sum up what the Lord is going to describe in detail in the remaining Chapter s of Hosea!
(1) Israel and Judah had blown it big-time. And the Lord is going to tell them exactly how!
(a) We have heard much of this in our studies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel - so we will condense as much as we can.
II. Hosea 4:1-2 (NASB) LISTEN TO THE WORD OF THE LORD, O SONS OF ISRAEL, FOR THE LORD HAS A CASE AGAINST THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, BECAUSE THERE IS NO FAITHFULNESS OR KINDNESS OR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THE LAND.
2 [THERE IS] SWEARING, DECEPTION, MURDER, STEALING, AND ADULTERY. THEY EMPLOY VIOLENCE, SO THAT BLOODSHED FOLLOWS BLOODSHED.
A. I think we can agree that this describes not only America but also many nations today.
1. There is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land.
a) And as a result every kind of sin and violence exists!
III. Hosea 4:6-10 (NASB) MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. BECAUSE YOU HAVE REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I ALSO WILL REJECT YOU FROM BEING MY PRIEST. SINCE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF YOUR GOD, I ALSO WILL FORGET YOUR CHILDREN.
7 THE MORE THEY MULTIPLIED, THE MORE THEY SINNED AGAINST ME; I WILL CHANGE THEIR GLORY INTO SHAME.
8 THEY FEED ON THE SIN OF MY PEOPLE, AND DIRECT THEIR DESIRE TOWARD THEIR INIQUITY.
9 AND IT WILL BE, LIKE PEOPLE, LIKE PRIEST; SO I WILL PUNISH THEM FOR THEIR WAYS, AND REPAY THEM FOR THEIR DEEDS.
10 AND THEY WILL EAT, BUT NOT HAVE ENOUGH; THEY WILL PLAY THE HARLOT, BUT NOT INCREASE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE STOPPED GIVING HEED TO THE LORD.
A. It was the sacred duty of the priests to guard the Law of Moses and to teach the commandments of the Lord and they had failed to do it!
1. It seems the priest were blaming the people for the Lord's judgment of the land, but the Lord is saying, "Like priest - like nation."
a) We see this in every form of leadership. If a leader has a low standard set for his/herself - most likely everyone under there care will adopt the same philosophy.
(1) It doesn't take long to see if a department flourishes or fails under someone's care.
(a) And the Lord's reply to His leaders - the priests, "Don't blame the people." "It is you I hold accountable."
2. You have heard me say that the Lord "tightens the leash" on those he needs to, but gives even greater freedom to those He can trust.
a) Here is a verse that confirms that.
IV. Hosea 4:16 (NASB) SINCE ISRAEL IS STUBBORN LIKE A STUBBORN HEIFER, CAN THE LORD NOW PASTURE THEM LIKE A LAMB IN A LARGE FIELD?
A. The lamb is turned out free with lots of room to roam, but the stubborn heifer had to be bridled and controlled!
1. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NASB) And Samuel said, (Speaking to King Saul about his keeping part of the spoils of the Amalekites) "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams.
23 "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from [being] king."
a) Life is just so much easier of we just do what the Lord asks us to do!