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well good evening welcome back to the house of the Lord and again the only announcement I think that we need to make is the fact that this Wednesday there is no Bible study this Wednesday no Bible study but it will resume following the following week and in case you are visiting pastor Butler is preaching in Surrey and so we have Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick from Surrey preaching here as he was this morning well please turn with me in your Bibles pastor Kirkpatrick asked that we begin worship this morning by repair this evening by reading hosea hosea chapter 14 Hosea chapter 14 I'll just give you a half a second it's one of those books that might take some of us a little longer than others to find it's not like the big book of Isaiah or Genesis so I'll assume most have found it by now so I Hosea chapter 14 beginning in verse 1 Oh Israel return to the Lord your God for you have stumbled because of your iniquity take words with you and return to the Lord say to him take away all iniquity receive us graciously for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips Assyria shall not save us we will not ride on horses nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands you are our gods for in you the fatherless finds mercy I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from him I will be like the Duke to Israel he shall grow like the lily and lengthen his roots like Lebanon his branches shall spread his beauty shall be like an olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon those who dwell under his shadow shall return they shall be revived like grain and grow like a vine their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon Ephraim shall say what have I to do anymore with idols I have heard and observed him I am like a green cypress tree your fruit is found in me who is wise let him understand these things who is prudent let him know them for the ways of the Lord are right the righteous walk in them but transgressors stumbled in them amen well please turn with me your hymn books to the first him this evening which will be hymn number 291 291 I'll ask you to please stand [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] amen please be seated let's go to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our meeting time here this evening let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence now for the second time on this the Lord's Day we praise you Lord that we have this opportunity this privilege this wonderful opportunity we have to come together together as the church elect as part of that universal Church the Bride of Christ that gathers Lord's Day after Lord's Day thank you for this local extension of that Kingdom that we are part of that Kingdom as we reminded this morning from Isaiah that that Kingdom that was planted and that Kingdom father that the Lord Jesus Christ that has came to this earth and he has taken charge he is the captain of our salvation and he is the bridegroom of the Church of Christ and and it is for the church that he laid down his life as an atonement for the sins of those individuals who would be added to that church Lord we praise you that we are counted amongst that number we praise you that we get to come into your house this night to worship you to praise you to to be built up in our most holy faith and how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to cause us this this night to have listening ears and listening hearts that we would take in the Word of God and that father which really would respond in in in in worship and praise and adoration but also that we would put on the Lord Jesus Christ and we would seek to live godly in this wicked and perverse generation we know Lord that it does take effort on our part and so we pray that you would help us to work out our own salvation with fear with trembling cause us Lord to put on Christ each and every day in the home and in our places of work and as we go about our businesses as we go about our duties in this Lord world father we pray that we would give evidence of the fact that we are your children and that that father we would give that that aroma of being saved ones as as those who follow Christ in in this lower world for other how we pray that you would cause us to rejoice and and revel in the fact that we are your sons and daughters we've been adopted by by the precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ and how grateful we are for that you call us your children and we get to call you Abba Father Lord how we pray that she would be gracious to us and in the week ahead we pray that you'd be gracious to all those who who perhaps are have difficulty and with health issues we think of many others who are traveling these days as well some leaving and some coming coming back in this coming week we pray Lord that you'd be gracious to each and all and cause your face to smile upon each one may they know your grace and your your love for them we pray Lord that you would cause them to to rejoice in their Savior as well particularly the sick ones those who have health health issues those who have doctors appointments coming up we know Lord you to be the first cause and of all things and so Lord how we pray that you would be pleased to give them a great confidence give them a holy confidence in and you Father that you bring things to pass according to your holy will and we pray that we would be accepting of that will and live accordingly we prayed you'd bless the means as they are applied as well the second causes in this lore world we have blessed these things and we pray Lord that you would be pleased to give health and strength to those that that are in need how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to continue to cause the Church of Christ to go forward here in Chilliwack and throughout the Lower Mainland we thank you for other churches here that that that do meet that do that do seek to propagate the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray Lord that you bless those pastors those ministers of the gospel who who who do labor and we know laboring in the word and indeed can be a difficult chore at times it can be laborious and it can be meet with many discouragements but we pray father that each and every true minister of the gospel in the Lower Mainland here that they will be encouraged this night they be encouraged by your word by the Spirit of the Living God that does give help and aid when we call upon you and we pray Allah that you would encourage each one encourage your own pastor encourage pastor Kirkpatrick we pray to continue to be faithful in in the here and now that they would not look to the left or look to the right looking to see what other churches are doing what other what other what other people are doing or considering or what seems to be working what doesn't work how we pray that we that they would be men of God who would who would fear you and walk in and walk in holiness of living as we were reminded in the message this morning to to to ultimately be faithful to be found faithful in the small things faithful in the large things and we we look to you father that you would add your blessing to be upon the Word of God we know that as the word is preached it is a it is a spiritual work and it's not a work of man it's not a it's not a matter of us turning the right switch as it were speaking the right words in order to get the right response but rather father salvation is of the Lord as Joan and the Prophet reminded us and we pray Lord that you would cause them to be men of the word men of men of God who would who would day in day out seek to labor in the word and and in good doctrine and bring that to their congregations and we pray that in due time we would all grow in these things and you would add to the church as many as are to be saved we rejoice father and in the baptism we look forward to next week with with Peter be sure being baptized sure the Lord to you you are marvelous God when we consider that you are the the god of our salvation that you you turn the hearts of individuals and you cause us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ many who perhaps have been raised in churches and raised to fear you yet not have a godly relationship with you through your son the Lord Jesus Christ and how we praise you father for the way which you do save and you save in different ways in many different ways we we pray that in each and all of the lives that would be touched here in this place this day father that you'd be pleased to cause your spirit to descend and cause your spirit to take that good word and cause it to fall upon soil that is that is ready to receive that good word and that fall you would be pleased to save individuals even this night we thank you for the word and we pray you'd bless pastor Kirkpatrick as he brings the word cause him Lord to be kept in truth we do pray and we do pray Lord that you would be pleased to to to cause us this night to leave here rejoicing in our great God as we did this morning father most encouraging to know that that they that the the things of eternity are things that we can understand and although perhaps weekly and and and typically yet father we can see how you are working out to your your your gospel in this lore world and you are saving and you are adding to the church and it is the church that continues march on Rome is no more and Cyrus's no more and these kingdoms of old are no more but you have been a faithful God and for that we truly give you our grateful thanks and praise and in adoration Lord we pray that you would be pleased to once again forgive us of all of our sins cleanses afresh and that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we desire Lord - - to come into your presence with with clean hands but we know that we cannot in our own in our own circumstances we need that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Lord we praise you'd you'd wash as a fresh this night and we pray that you would be pleased - to intervene and and cause us to be worshippers of you this night would you just pray all these things now and Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me in your hymn books - the second ham which is him number 405 405 and I ask you to please stand as we can see in worship [Music] amen you may be seated and please turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 24 as we continue in our Old Testament reading in the evenings Genesis chapter 4 we're going to begin at verse 29 and take it through to the end of the to the end of the chapter verse 67 and just it seems that obviously the Bible relates to itself very well we're reminded in this morning's Bible reading in Acts chapter 13 as well as Pastor Mike as he was preaching that the promise the promised land is very much an Old Testament in Old Testament promised a covenant from God and that's what we read last week in the first half of chapter 24 that that's that the the land promise came to Abraham ultimately through rather sad circumstances his wife Sarah had to die and in order to in order for him to purchase that land and it was it was ultimately was God who gave the land to to Abraham and it just reminds us of the faithfulness of God in giving to Abraham that land and then of course the the rest of this chapter xxix to the end is going to be about the other half and that is the seed the promised seed that that that was given to Abraham and so this the rest of these verses in this chapter it's not really a love story although it is a in a sense it's finding a bride for Isaac but it's far more than a love story it's really its it ultimate it's about it's about that that that covenant of the seed that God had promised God had promised that there would be a there would be land and there would be seed and in that seed of course we have the Lord Jesus Christ that seed is so very very important and we're reminded of it this morning well let's begin at verse 29 and as I say we'll read to the end of the chapter now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban and Laban ran out to the man by the well so it came to pass when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sisters risks and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah saying thus the man spoke to me that he went to the man and there he stood by the camels at the well and he said come in O blessed of the Lord why do you stand outside for I prepared the house and a place for the camels then the man came to the house and he unloaded the camels and provided straw and feed for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him food was set before him to eat and he said I will not eat until I have told until I have told about my errand and he said speak on so he said I'm Abraham's servant the Lord has blessed my master greatly and he has and he has become great and he has given him flocks and herds silver and gold male and female servants and camels and donkeys and Sarah my Master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old and to him he has given all that he has now my master made me swear saying you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell but you shall go to my father's house and to my family and take a wife for your son and I said to my master perhaps the woman will not follow me but he said to me the Lord before whom I walked will send his angel with you and prosper your way and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house you will be clear from this oath when you arrived among my family for if they will not give her to you then you will be released from my oath and this day I came to the well and said O Lord God of my master Abraham if you will now prosper the way in which I go behold I stand by the well of water and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water and I say to her please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink and she says to me drink and I will draw for your camels also let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son but before I had finished speaking in my heart excuse me there was Rebekah coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder and she said she went down to the well and drew water and I said to her please let me drink and she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder and said drink and I will give your Campbell's a drink also so I drank and she gave the camels a drink also that I asked her and said whose daughter are you and she said the daughter of Bethuel Nahor son whom Milkha bore to him so I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists and I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my Master's brother for her son now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master tell me and if not tell me that I may turn to the right hand or to the left then Lebanon and Beth well answered and said the thing comes from the Lord we cannot speak to you either bad or good here's Rebecca before you take her and go and let her be your master's son's wife as the Lord has spoken and it came to pass when Abraham's servant heard their words that he worshipped the Lord bowing himself to the earth then the servant brought out jewellery of silver jewellery of gold and clothing and gave them to Rebecca he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother and he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night then they arose in the morning and he said send me away to my master but her brother and her mother said let the young woman stay with us a few days at least ten after that she may go and he said to them do not hinder me since the Lord has prospered my way send me away so that I may go to my master so they said we will call the young woman and ask her personally then they called Rebecca and said to her will you go with this man and she said I will go so they sent away Rebecca their sister and her nurse and Abraham's servant and his and they bless Rebecca and said to her our sister may you become the mother of thousands of thousands of ten thousands and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them then Rebecca and her maids arose and they rode on the camels and followed the man so the servant took Rebecca and departed now Isaac came from the way of beer-lahai-roi for he dwelt in the south and Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening and he lifted his eyes and looked and there the camels were coming then Rebecca lifted her eyes and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel for she had said to the servant who is this man walking in the field to meet us the servant said it is my master so she took a veil and covered herself and the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent and he took Rebecca and she became his wife and he loved her so Isaac was comforted after his mother's death so here is the promised seed we see that in verse verse 60 the promised seed is there that it would be a seed that would go on and on ultimately become in the in the partner come to us and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the seed was not procured by the servant here certainly that is very clear not given by Laban but rather God gave the seed God gave this this woman Rebecca - to Isaac and and ultimately what is the what is the what are we to take from this chapter chapter 24 I would say we're to take that our God's a faithful God and that's an encouragement off be an encouragement to all of us he gave the land in the first half of the chapter he gave the seed in the second half the chapter truly our God is a faithful daughter for that we praise Him and we thank him well let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father once again we as we read scripture where we stand in awe of just every detail that has been worked out from Genesis to Revelation ultimately to work out your purposes father now our purposes our purpose is so small and so minut how could we ever consider that to that that we have them we have a mind that can understand these things we praise you fathers you've given to us the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation and as we continue to study these things and have them opened up by by by gifted pastors and teachers how we praise you father we can see your hand in every detail on every page of scripture that you are working out the details of your plan of salvation that Christ was promised that way back in in Genesis in in Genesis 3 here we see evidence of that that working out and we see that worked out all the way through into the new testament Lord we praise you for your son the Lord Jesus Christ and we praise you for your faithfulness you have promised to build your church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it and for that truly father we take much encouragement this night we take much much much rejoicing and happiness as we consider that this is your church that you were building and how we praise you Father that you will continue to build your church and and until the end of time and you will wrap all these things up and then we will get to enjoy the glories of heaven forever and ever cause us Lord to live in this lower world with with the eyes of faith with one eye upon upon the work that you've set to us that here on this lower world but also one eye upon heaven that we would look forward to when we will be in in in heavily bliss and that spiritual realm where we can enjoy the the worship of you on unfettered in and not kept back by the the ills of this lower world where where there will be no sorrow or there'll be no crying will it be no more sin how we praise you Father for for that day that awaits all of us who are in Christ Jesus and we pray Lord that your blessing might be upon the Word of God as it's opened up this evening may be truly leave here rejoicing in the great and faithful God that you are we pray these things in Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to the last hand before we ask pastor Kirkpatrick to come up and the hymn is 100 a 100 a as an Adam I'll ask you to stand please [Music] well good evening everyone it's good to be with you once again this Lord's Day evening you can turn with me in your Bibles to hosea chapter 11 it's the Prophet Hosea in the morning services at SRI we looked at the prophecies behind Matthew one in Matthew two we see the Emanuel prophecy the the ruler of Judah the one from the little town and then the next one in line is out of Egypt I called my son in Hosea chapter 11 so we are gonna look at Hosea chapter 11 and we'll read verses 1 through 11 for that is what we would be looking at so we'll begin reading at verse 1 when Israel was a child I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son as they called them so they went from them they sacrificed the bails and bared incense to carved images I thought Ephraim to walk taking them by their arms but they did not know that I healed them I drew them with gentle cords with bands of love and I was with them as those who take the yoke from their neck i stooped and fed them he shall not return to the land of Egypt but the Assyrian shall be is king because they refused to repent and the sword shall slash in his cities devour his districts and consume them because of their own counsels my people are bent on backsliding from me though they call to the Most High none at all exalt him how can I give you up Ephraim how can I hand you over Israel how can I make you like admah how can I set you like zippering my heart churns within me and my sympathy is stirred i will not execute the fierceness of my anger I will not again destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One in your midst and I will not come with terror they shall walk after the Lord and he will roar like a lion when he roars then his son shall come trembling from the West and they shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt like a dove from the land of Assyria and I will let them dwell in their houses says the Lord amen will let us pray our God we are thankful for your amazing grace on wretched sinners like us we are rebellious we are encouraged about or thankful God that you're pleased to save sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ or thankful Oh God that in him you pour out your wrath upon him that those who believe those who are yours might not have to have that punishment poured out upon us we're thankful for such amazing grace against such egregious sinners Oh God you are gracious and good and merciful and kind and we do not deserve your amazing grace and we're thankful that still you sent forth your son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law we're thankful for the faithful saying that Christ came in the world to save sinners or thankful O God that there is a great multitude that Christ shall save and we're thankful for his cross work we're thankful for his incarnation we're thankful for his humiliation and we're thankful his exaltation as well we're thankful that he is the true Israel we're thankful O God that we are the new Israel in him we're thankful for everlasting life and hope and peace and we're thankful O God that your new covenant cannot be broken but O God as we are still exiled in this land as we are still sinners as we still have remaining corruption as your people we know God that we need to be reminded of your great grace and to be reminded of who you are as well so god help us we do pray give us illumination by your spirit we know that we need aid from on high to understand the things found in your word prick our hearts pierce our hearts O God we're thankful that your word is a double-edged sword we're thankful O God that your word is a sharp arrow and we do pray O God you'd be pleased to prick your people this night we pray that you change us cause us to die too soon all the more and grow into the image of Christ by your spirit we also pray O God if there any here today who do not know you we pray that you would save them we pray that you would change them pray that you'd work in them by your spirit we're thankful O God that we can cling to your promises that you've promised to never leave us nor forsake us we're thankful O God that your spirit is with us even now so we ask that your spirit would go forth your spirit would work your spirit will give us illumination and we pray in all things you'd be glorified we pray these things in the name of Christ amen as we come to the prophet Isaiah once again it's important for us to understand the context of each prophet that we come upon in the book of Hosea Hosea's prophesying to the Northern Kingdom in the 8th century same time as Amos to the North North Kingdom and then a same time as Isaiah and Micah as well Isaiah and Micah are in the southern kingdom he's during the times in Judah of Isaiah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah but enduring the north the northern kingdom he primarily is during the reign or prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam the second son of joash and so he's prophesying to this northern kingdom especially in light of coming judgement especially in light of the coming Assyrian threat especially in light of 722 which we talked about this morning one of those important dates you must know or should know when it comes to history of Israel that's sending the people of the Northern Kingdom into captivity for their vileness for the wretchedness for their waywardness but perhaps in your own studies your own reading you come to the Prophet Hosea and you know of that parable or that truth or that similitude that we do see in Hosea that example we do see God calls the Prophet Hosea to take a wife who would be unfaithful God calls Hosea to take a wife who would be a prostitute his first child is his the first child born is his but the second two are not his and we see that he comes needy tell so they had to go bring her back to him as a sign as an example for God's love and care for a wicked wayward wife and much like all the prophets I mean we see the similar themes again of judgment punishment salvation judgment punishment and salvation but as much as that disobeyed or that not disobedient but that wayward adulterous wife is the key theme or team analogy that we see in Hosea another does emerge especially in chapters 10 and 11 especially in chapter 11 with a disobedient child with a child that is encouraged Abul with a child that does not do what God says especially after a father cares for them a father loves them a father helps them walk a father feeds them yet they're there in their egregious sin they turn from their father and rather they're lured by other gods they're lured by other things they don't do what their father says and that's the problem for the people of Israel we see in Hosea Chapter eleven they are rebellious people the leaders were rebellious themselves we know that there are no good Kings in the northern kingdom in Israel and thus the people are wayward and go after wretched things in fact the names of Hosea's children Jezreel no mercy and not my people and the reason they are not his people is because of the rebellion because of their waywardness because of their wicked worship I don't think rebellion and disobedience isn't present today is President and at present in nominal churches that no longer look like true churches its present in professing Christians who no longer look right like Christians but as well once again like this morning there's also sometimes the reality that true Christians don't obey God they don't we don't do what our Father says we don't do what he loves and what he desires instead we go our own ways thankfully that third one those who are truly God's shall not pass away those who truly rely on the cross of Christ shall not pass away but nonetheless there is that reality of fatherly displeasure which we'll talk about as we go through but in reality we need salvation in reality we need someone else who takes the punishment upon himself we need someone else to save his people we need a true Israel so we see in Hosea 11 verses 1 through 11 the Lord God does still punish Israel as a wicked and rebellious son but thankfully there's the hope of restoration as well he still brings punishment he still brings chastisement he still brings indictment but it is that we're also thankful that he does also bring restoration in the midst of such a verdict so we'll look at this idea under two headings this evening first of all punishment for a wicked son in verses 1 through 7 secondly a restoration for a wicked son in verses 8 to 11 so punishment for a wicked son and then restoration for a wicked son so let's first look at punishment for a wicked son in verses 1 through 7 and notice in verses 1 through 4 we see an ignorant child as I said this is the Northern Kingdom no good King Jeroboam the second son of joash it's kind of sad to see that a wicked King reign so long you see even the southern kingdom in Judah at the time of Isaiah you notice three of those Kings were fairly decent Kings as I had jotham ahaz and hezekiah whose eye on Jonathan were okay they'd still walked in the ways of the Lord but they didn't take away the high places a house was very bad Hezekiah was great Jeroboam the second is not a good King Jeroboam the second is a wicked King in fact he's like Jeroboam the first he who set up two Golden Calf so that the people wouldn't go down to the southern kingdom he set up these golden calves as a place to worship God he was vile awful and wretched and so was Jeroboam the second as well and he gets a nice long reign now one the key issues we see throughout the prophets is the problem of baile worship especially in the northern kingdom the problem of worshipping the wicked are raw false gods but not just worshiping false gods worshiping false gods alongside the true and living God and we'll see that as we go through and you see the language as it bears out in verses 1 & 2 notice the lovingness the kindness the care that we see in verse 1 Hosea is contrasting for us God's love and the Israelites waywardness verse 1 when Israel was a child I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son it's turning our attention back to the exodus isn't it that people who are in captivity in Egypt that people who cried out to God even the language of love and care and calling there is reminiscent of the Abrahamic promises and we even see an exodus I believe it's chapter 1 or chapter 2 I can't nail down the exact passage right now but we see the people cry out because of their oppression the people cry out because of the the pain that they're going through and God remembers the Covenant he made with Abraham and thus he fulfills it he brings them up out of the land of Egypt he brings them up out of captivity he loves them out of Egypt he called his son in fact Exodus 4 speaks of Israel as what a firstborn in reality Egypt versus Israel Yahweh versus Pharaoh it's the Battle of the dads give me my firstborn I'm going to strike down your firstborn and what happens Pharaoh doesn't send out the firstborn so God strikes down the firstborn of the people in Egypt and so father lovingly brings them up he cares for them out of Egypt I called my son covenant love special way that Yahweh loved this special nation but notice verse two how quickly they engage in disobedience how quickly they engage in ignorance and this is throughout Israel's history in reality perhaps behind Hosea 11 is the encourages son of Deuteronomy chapter 21 you know in that section when there's a wicked child and the parents are trying their hardest to rein that child in but he just won't listen what were the people supposed to do or the parents supposed to do bring him before the tribe you know will test him we'll see how vile he actually is and if he is as you say he is he does not turn he does not he keeps in his rebellion then we will stone him and deal with him that's was a serious incident or a serious instance or serious I guess violation or our sin against according to the a Deuteronomy Deuteronomy code and perhaps this is behind here as well perhaps as we see as we go through God is showing his innocence when Israel was a child I loved him out of Egypt I called my son but here's what they did and especially in numbers 25 I think verse 2 does recall numbers 25 at bay all peor but notice verse 2 of 11 first as they called them as the bales called them as the gods were luring to them as they said come here it's okay you'll be fine you can worship your God alongside this God everything will be okay much like children when they see something fancy see something cool their friend has something that's new and perhaps not a good thing they go I want to try that as well but your parents say don't do that kids when your parents say don't do something probably nine times out of ten they have your best interest at heart they don't have to tell you everything why they don't have to tell you every reason why but you should do what they say the Bible does command you to do that anyway but the hope is that you would understand that they have your best interest at heart see there's a story in my not my past but in my family history I had a grandfather who was a good grandfather a godly man but when he was a child his mom told him not to play with the boy next door because he was a vile little boy next door and guess what happened he disobeyed his mom he went outside and the little boy threw a tin can at him and sadly it gets really tragic after that sadly his eye became he his eye got damaged as I got injured and he had to have his eye removed now that's a very extreme story but it actually did happen the point is God has our best interest at heart and so when he brings them up out of the land of Egypt he says do these things and everything will be well with you do these things everyone think everything will be good with you but the people quickly fail in it they are the encouraging son you see this in deuteron um sorry numbers 25 you can turn to numbers 25 the language the imagery and facts in Hosea 9 and Hosea 2 it also alludes to numbers 25 and the language of playing the harlot is found in numbers 25 with their harlotry and Moab before the second census now Israel verse one remained in an acacia Grove the people began to commit harlotry with the woman of Moab the woman of mom said come come to this place didn't God say and threw out the pronoun his laws don't do what the people in the land do otherwise you'll worship their gods and so verse two of numbers 25 they invited the people to the sacrifice of their gods and the people ate and bowed down to their gods so Israel was joined to beoh of pay our and the payor and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel and then what happens we actually see it's kind of a cool story we see this Midianites and this Midianite woman and a Simeon 8:1 from the tribe of Simeon they engaged in something they shouldn't be gauging in and Phineas comes he grabs a spear and stabs them both right through the heart and God says to him in verse 12 therefore behold I give to him my covenant of peace and it shall be to him and as descendants after him a covenant of everlasting peace because he was zealous for his God and made a tonot atonement for the children of Israel but the people of Israel were quick to engage and I doubt to read we see this with the golden calf we see that throughout the history of Israel how quickly they rebel Micah and the Danite Idol and judges Jeroboam the golden calf the bales with ahab and jezebel the people night after night after night committed adultery against their husband the people night after night after night snuck out and disobeyed their father even after their father was so good to them they went from them or those as they call him so they went for them or to them they sacrificed the bails and burned incense - carved images it's really egregious how quickly they fall doesn't that show the depravity of man how vile and quick man would fall without the Lord God Almighty even as you get to the end of the book of Judges when we have that really awful scenario with the cutting up the woman and the way it sounds like Sodom and Gomorrah why and what's interesting is Phineas is there isn't he Phineas from numbers 25 this one who is Dallas he's there why is that there because it shows how quickly it goes from Aaron to Elly a czar to Phineas how quickly the people fall and rebell how quickly they are encouraged abow Hosea is contrasting the goodness of God and the wickedness of Israel and the contrast continues in verses 3 & 4 a broken and needy child noticed the love Leigh the language of love that we see in verses 3 & 4 we'll see it again in verse 8 i taught ephraim to walk the love of yahweh for his son you can kind of see the picture can't you it's not as though yahweh actually has arms right those are man parts to describe something about we also seen man emotions in the Bible describe something about God God doesn't grow an increase in love God just is love what our affections and Men our perfections and God according to Thomas Adams I'm thankful for that when we fluctuate when we have problems and when I'm up and down God remains constant but we see language in Scripture to help us understand something about our God I taught afree him to walk like a father who Stoops down to his son or daughter or child and says hey here's how to walk here's how to do it I carried them I was with them I was with them at that young age see the more I've interacted with parents and become a parent myself and had advice from other parents whether it's solicited or not one thing I've noticed and learned in those situations is the fact that parenting gets harder doesn't it all the parents in here can not at me yes it gets harder especially in light of the fact that sometimes our children don't walk with the Lord and that's a grieving and difficult thing for proud believing parents I see this often through in the interactions with people how hard it is for people and parenting gets harder and harder especially when the children do not walk with God it's almost like the idea as we see in verses 3 & 4 the pondering about your child now but you look back when they were a kid how did they get from here when they're splashing in the baths sang GU GU and Gaga and funny things how did they get from here to here this is what's going on in Hosea 3:11 3 & 4 I taught you for him to walk taking them by their arms but they did not know that I healed them and why is it a for him see this goes in connection with Genesis 48 you're not there yet I don't think in your studies on Wednesday night we've already done it in our studies in the evening at SRI you see in Genesis 48 Joseph gets a double portion and the double portion are his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and Jacob adopts them as his children as if Rachel had those children as Rachel died young and Rachel wasn't able to have anymore children but what happens the older shall serve the younger Ephraim the younger shall be greater than the older and this we see come to pass in the Northern Kingdom Ephraim is the most powerful tribe in the northern kingdom Ephraim is the most powerful people in the Northern Kingdom so it is I guess a way to substitute Israel when I say Ephraim we mean Israel it is the son of Joseph the son of Jacob and look how far they've come and how vile they have become I taught them to walk taking them by their arms but they did not know that I healed them verse 4 I drew them with but with gentle cords with bands of love and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck i stooped down and I fed them the language hears of gentleness the language hears of the fact that he doesn't treat them like animals Egypt treated them like animals Assyria is going to treat them like animals Babylon is going to treat them like animals God doesn't do that yeah what do they do they want to be treated like animals how quickly they come up how they have to eat in manna they have to eat quail and they have to eat meal water from rocks and what do they say God we were better off in Egypt under bondage that's an egregious thing to say and that's exactly what we see here I loved them I cared for them I drew them in I took the yoke from them i stooped down to them i kneeled down to them I got down to their level and I fed them all this to show Yahweh's innocence again I think there is a bit of a lawsuit going on here he's before the tribunal he's brought that encourage Abul son here's what I did I brought them up they went out the bails I taught them I stooped down but they did not know it was me and the verdict is rendered in verses five and six he shall not return to the land of Egypt but the Assyrians shall be his king there's going to be a new type of captivity here it's not going to be Egypt in fact one of the the curses we see Deuteronomy 28 68 is a return to Egypt Assyria is that return to Egypt through going back to bondage but to someone far different to someone far more barbaric someone who knew how to kill I mean Egypt knew how to kill as well knew how to oppress but the Syrians were very good at that the Babylonians were very good at that as well and this is what's going to happen to you because of your rebellion because of your wickedness you're going to be sent into the land of Assyria why because they refused to repent again as I said this morning the pictures come on the scene with Hosea the pictures come on the scene with the prophets and the images that we do see to shake the people out of their slumber but even with that they're not shaken out of it without the Lord God to change their hearts even with God saying this is going to happen this is going to happen here's what it is here's what it looks like they continue to rebel and are encouraged about wicked people eventually sending them into captivity in 722 and we see the extent the sword shall slash into cities devours districts and consume them because of their own councils they trusted in their ways rather than God's ways they trust in what the Moabites said they trusted in what the Assyrians said they trusted in what other people said and not what God said they listened to everyone else but their parents and they were backsliding verse 7 my people are bent on backsliding from me notice though they called to the Most High none at all shall none at all exalt him see this is the scary part for the people of Israel they thought they were worshiping God didn't they but instead they just brought God other gods into the house of God you see really what's going on here they're not just committing adultery and then leaving they don't leave their husband what they do is they commit adultery and want to stay with their husbands and they bring their lovers into the bed they bring their lovers into the house that's wicked that's awful that's vile but God is so patient with them is me we're like wow he sent them into captivity 7:22 what a jerk no he's very faithful and very patient we'll see he'll bring them back as well in verse II but before that he's going to have to punish them before that he's going to have to send them into exile before that he's going to punish them for their wicked worship they thought they were worshiping God amongst all the other gods well that's not true worship is it 1st and 2nd commandment the first commandment teaches us who we worship the second commandment teaches us how we worship you're not supposed to make false idols not supposed to make images we're supposed to do what the Lord God says with is worship we're supposed to do according to his word we sing the word we pray the word we preached the word Hosea a Hebrews chapter 12 we must worship God except ibly why because he is a consuming fire alluding back to nade ab and a by who in leviticus who offered strange fire up to god and they probably had their hearts in the right place God we're going to use this fire and we're worshipping you with this and what happens boom consumes why because they didn't do what God said 1st and 2nd commandment who we worship how we worship and Hosea is the poster child of how not to worship God how a child of how to worship God in the wrong way the poster child saying we're just doing it with our hearts God we bring our hearts into this that's why we're doing these things no we do what God says and we worship Him except ibly this is why my people are bent on back saying from me though they call to the Most High God none at all exalt him because they debase his house by bringing in all those other gods and this is the punishment they deserve now we must understand here that exile is a type of the final judgment there is going to be punishment for sinners who don't believe on Christ who do not repent who do not look to the Lord Jesus Christ the exile czar the days of the Lord that's not the Lord's Day when I say day of the Lord I mean something very different you see the day of the Lord a lot in the prophets the day of the Lord is something that you want the Lord Jesus Christ to be on your side with because when that great and terrifying day does come second Peter 3 first Thessalonians chapter 5 when Jesus comes to judge all we want to have hibi clothed in his righteousness you see sinners who are not perfect in themselves or in another shall be what shall be rightly judged Assyrian captivity is a captivity as a type of that the Jerusalem Judah height captivity under Babylon is a type of that Sodom and Gomorrah is a type of that all these days of the Lord are a type of those things in fact when when with a Malachi chapter 4 when John the bat or the Elijah shall come John the Baptist when Jesus comes it is a great and awesome day of the war Lord why there's a bit of a covenant lawsuit going on when he comes to set forth the fact that it's through faith not based on ethnicity there is a day of the Lord for the Jews when Jesus comes on the scene to say it's not just about ethnicity just because you're a Jew just because we're sons of Abraham Jesus says before Abraham was I am you are of your father the devil it's no longer based on ethnicity but it's based on faith all these things are types and pointers to the great and awesome day of the Lord that shall come and God will rightly punish sinners because he is a holy God he is a righteous God and must do so there shall be punishment for false churches and false Christians and false pastors I should say there just be God we believe that we got the goods we believe we got the truth when it comes to theology we believe there are other good churches out there when I say false churches false Christians I mean those who rely on them for salvation I mean those who don't preach salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ those are false churches and they shall be dealt with on that day false Christians shall be dealt with on that day Matthew 7 Lord Lord did we not do I'm so thankful that I was here when Pastor Butler preached that many moons ago when he preached Matthew 7 it's not me trying harder it's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Lord did we not do did we not perform signs and wonders do we not do all these wonderful things now the reason we enter into heaven brethren is solely on the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and we have thankful that he was punished in our stead that we might not have to be punished for ever and ever truly churches that have disdain rated the synagogue's of Satan shall be dealt with but even though true Christians we do have the reality that our sins past present and future are forgiven in the Lord Jesus Christ there is the reality that we can fall under God's fatherly displeasure with our sin that can happen God still hates in cuts still despises sin thankfully recovering the blood Lord Jesus Christ been our sanctification brethren we can still fall under God's folly displeasure and grieve the Holy Spirit Hebrews 12 says that doesn't it God chastises us sometimes why because we're still sinful people I loved the way in which the confession in chapter 17 he actually explains for us what this can look like chapter 17 paragraph 3 perseverance of the saints truly God's people shall never pass away we might go through times of sin and difficulty and struggle usually tourists show forth our corruption all the more to die to it all the more but says in 17-3 and though they may through the temptation of Satan and of the world the prevalence of corruption remaining in them and then neglect up the means of their preservation fall into grievous sins and for a time continue there in whereby the incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit comes out their graces and comforts impaired have their hearts hardened and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalized others and bring about temporal judgments upon themselves yet I love the yetze shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Jesus Christ to the ends the point is brethren what's the Christian life dying to send day by day and growing into the image of Christ day by day and that's we're gonna require pain it's gonna require chastisement it's gonna to require a lot of self-denial usually God exposing that self-denial because we're too stupid to see it without the work of the Holy Spirit because we do have our conscience is wounded with certain sins those things can and do happen that's why we must watch and pray and fight always but we're thankful we have such a savior that we can cling to we can fast our sins to him knowing that he's faithful and just forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness so that's punishment for a wicked son let's then look secondly at restoration for a wayward son I'm thankful that this punishment won't be for forever and in fact perhaps part two of Hosea chapter 11 is in Jeremiah 31 in Jeremiah 31 where captivity is on the brink Jeremiah as the prophets who prophesize up until that point he gets to see the captivity yay good for him but then we see God's promise by this time Israel's already gone the northern kingdoms already gone but God promises mercy on Ephraim and he says I've surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself in verse 18 of Jeremiah 31 you've chastise I mean I was chastised like an untrained bull restore me and I shall return for you are the Lord my God surely after my turning I repented and after I was instructed I struck myself on the thigh I was ashamed yes even humiliated because I bore the reproach of my youth is if you're my dear son is he a pleasant child for though I spoke against him I earnestly remember him still there from my hurt heart yearns for him I will surely have mercy on him says the Lord and even before Israel's send into captivity we see God's love and promise of restoration in verse 8 sorrow shall come they will not last for the night there shall be reconciliation but notice the language of love once again that we do see how can I give you up Ephraim how can I hand you over Israel you are my son how can I make you like admah how can I make you like Zabaleen my heart churns within me and my sympathy is stirred once again the metaphorical language comes out to see God's love for his people he what shall bring restoration thankfully throughout the Book of Isaiah we see promises of restoration perhaps one of the most beautiful is in Hosea chapter 1 verses 10 to chapter 2 verse 1 after he talks about these children and names them not mercy and not my people we see the promise in verse 10 you are not my people therefore it shall be said to them you are sons of the Living God then the children of Judah verse 11 of Hosea 1 and the children of Israel shall be gathered together and a plan appointment for themselves one head they shall come up out of the land for great will be the day of Jezreel say to your brethren my people and to your sisters mercy is shown even in the midst of their wickedness someone shall come to bring them in to bring mercy to call them my people in fact this is quoted in Romans nine and it's alluded to in first Peter chapter two those who are not my people Gentiles in those sections are my people even Hosea is looking ahead to something even Hosea all the prophets are looking at to something they really don't truly fathom and understand they're using Old Testament language to speak about the new covenant and new covenant realities and we see that also in verses 8 through 11 how can I give you up how can I hand you over how can I make you like admah and zeboiim why admah and zeboiim it's a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah it's again type of final judgement Deuteronomy 29 23 how can I make you an utter desecration which they do become but thankfully he does bring them back how can I forget the one that was destroyed even to you see the mercy and goodness of God they've been wiped out of the face of the earth but God shall bring them back his love my heart churned within me not as though God actually has a heart but we see his love and care for us it turns it stirs I long for them my sympathy for them is stirred I will not verse 9 actually the fierceness of my anger I will not again destroy Ephraim why verse 9 for I am God and not man the Holy One in your midst I will not come with terror what's the basis for God's restoration what's the basis for God bringing salvation for his people it is because of who he is it is because of his holy love even you see that there it's odd the Holy One in your midst it's the idea of bringing this love and holiness together some people don't like the idea of Wrath and love and they say God's love but he's not right no he's all those things brethren all that is in God is God we don't understand what that means God is not made up of parts that all add up together and all the attributes add together he's one part wrath he's one part happy are one part love one part good to know he is all of those things in their fullness whatever that means the same is true with his love when we see his lovely see one aspect and one attribute of who he is but he is all of those things all wrapped into one for he is infinite and we don't really truly fathom it that's why he speaks to us in baby-talk because we're stupid because we need his help and even with the baby talk we still need the Holy Spirit because we're that stupid sorry if that offends you if you want to be told that you're smart and now we need the Lord God Almighty to help us we need his love we need his unique character and we see that here I will not execute the fierceness of my anger because I am God and not man he has a controlled wrath he is a controlled anger man does not have that man cannot do that the Assyrians bring about utter destruction but God shall bring them back I am the Holy One in your midst and thankfully for his people he will not come with terror that she'll come with love those who are God's people will know that sense will be if the when they're called forth they will know that of that that that that reality of the love of that God does love his people those who are his those who are elect those he calls forth and time and space he will not come with terror but to come with love and kindness and great joy and thankfully the true church true believers the remnants of Israel who are the true believers in Israel will pass through the judgment it will not be wiped out even though Israel became like Sodom and Gomorrah in their sin and wickedness they shall not be like them when it comes to absolute and utter destruction for the true Israel is Christ the new Israel is the church and all those who believe on Christ are part of that new Israel and shall be saved he will not make them like admah his love and kindness and care and His Holiness coming together how shall he bring his holiness and love together it is in another it is in someone else it is in out of Egypt I called my son but we'll get there in just a sec verses 10 and 11 after we see God's love we see it further executed so to speak we see it in action in verses 10 and 11 they shall walk after the Lord and he will roar like a lion and when he roars then his sons shall come trembling from the West they shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt like a dove from the land of Assyria and I will let them dwell in their houses says the Lord notice the Exodus like language they're coming from Egypt and coming from Assyria that's important for Matthew chapter 2 we'll talk about in just a second but we see God's authority true fear they shall walk after the Lord he shall roar with authority he shall speak with authority and those who are is shall come rightly trembling like cubs like doves it's the timorous nature of things they listen to the call of the king perhaps it's also like stupid little Cubs when the mother yells and they come running out of the way he yells and they shall come trembling from the West they shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt like a dove from the land of Assyria and I will let them dwell in their houses says the Lord I mr. a dispersed people shall return to their homeland they shall be brought in there shall be hope glory rejoicing and peace now as I said this Hosea 11:1 is quoted in Matthew chapter 2 so you can turn there at the Matthew chapter 2 Matthew chapter 2 verses 13 through 15 Joseph Mary and the little Lord Jesus are fleeing from Herod Herod wants to wipe him out Herod doesn't like the fact there's another ruler there's trouble for Emmanuel there's trouble for the ruler of Judah the one from Bethlehem in the land of Judah there's trouble for this one and so what happens they go to Egypt they stay there at the angel the Lord appears to him and tells Joseph that where he must go and then verse 14 when he arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and there and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet saying out of Egypt I called my son it wasn't a very happy time for the the Joseph and Mary yes they had a kid that's great the Messiah is here but there's trouble Exodus language again exile language again does emerge the ex silic Exodus like language even Jose is pointing to head to this time there's that expectation as I said this morning Matthew is finishing the Hebrew Bible and you see as the as Jesus comes on the scene out of Egypt I called my son it's referring us back to the Exodus showing us what who is the true Israel Israel brethren it is the Lord Jesus Christ he was not encouraged about he did not rebel he did not he acknowledged his God he believed and did what was right he did what was right and perfect throughout his entire life even with the threat of the massacre just like the Exodus this one shall be saved and out of Egypt out of oppression out of difficulty out of trial out of tribulation I called my son why you see because brethren we we are deserving of punishment we are deserving of exile we are deserving of all these things but Jesus comes to be that exile for us Jesus comes to be that oppressed one for us Jesus comes to be the true Exodus for us that we might have eternal life the purpose of redemption is from sin that's the real problem with this world that's the real problem with the things that we see that's the real problem in throughout the situation throughout history and there will only remedy the only way of salvation is in this one out of Egypt I called my son the true Israel the true son the true one promised in Hosea he is that true son to do it Israel could not do even the midst of threat even in the midst of massacre even in the midst of the slaughtering of those many boys under two years old this one shall prevail and he shall bring hope to those in exile and we are thankful for that aren't we we're thankful for a loving God who cares for a wicked and restored people who cares for a wicked and restored Christian there is redemption and restoration for the wicked only in this Lord Jesus Christ there is no other way out of exile there is no other way out of the punishment to come and the were thankful that it's perfect and its perfection is equal in perfect certainty the new covenant shall not be broken Jesus lived the law perfectly died as that perfect sacrifice and as such unlike the old covenant with Israel that can be broken that could be broken this one shall not fail this one shall not be broken in all God's people who believe clean to Christ and look to him for faith can have that certainty as well the church shall not be handed over but shall pass through judgment even as we see nations and people try to persecute the church know that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the Church of Christ the church shall pass through the judgment false churches shall be purged they shall be dealt with they don't preach the gospel and that's a scary thing too isn't it people who think they're going to church they think they're loving the Lord they earning their way to salvation they're just singing their way straight into hell that's the scariest part they need to hear that they're sinful and they need the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ we're also thankful in God's love that Christians will not be handed over we shall pass through the judgment as well I've said this often and maybe I said it here I've said it at SRI recently brethren we go to the judgment with resurrected bodies when we are resident what happens first on that day that day of the Lord when God Christ comes back we are resurrected judged then the new heavens and the new earth why are we entering them because we've already been approved because Christ has been approved the verdict has already been rendered brethren not guilty and on that day God will say to his people not guilty because of the resurrected Lord Jesus who is declared to be the Son of God with power for the resurrection from the dead you see we already know the verdict that shall be rendered I think some people worry about is God gonna play a movie of all the things I've done in my life no because we already go there covered in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ why do we enter in it's because only in him it's because of in his cross that we do cling false Christians shall be purged and shall be dealt with and shall suffer eternal punishment forever don't believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so we have hope for those who actually look to the Lord those who believe those who cling to Christ and Christ alone it's in him that there is hope and peace in life Loree now I should say when I speak of false Christians I know that there are some Christians who lack assurance and struggle with assurance I'm not speaking to you if you have a sensitive soul you're worried about that you're concerned about it that's a good thing I'm talking about people who will say Lord did we not do Lord did I not give to the poor did I not love did I not do all these things I'm talking to those people who profess faith who are profess Christ but deny him but do not do what is right but do not cling to the Lord Jesus Christ they shall be dealt with but those who believe on the Lord and cling to him to the end by faith by the spirit and to Christ true people shall never pass away and that's the hope of all God's people because we have such a kind and caring Savior who is like us in every way yet without sin he went through trial and tribulation he almost had his life killed when he was 2 years old he went through difficulty he went through hunger and he went through thirsty he went through weeping for a thankful that he did so without sin because that's what we need salvation from our sin our wickedness are encouraging honest and were things that God does come to save sinners he comes to save the prodigal son well that's pregnant our great God we are thankful for your love and care for your people a love that we truly cannot fathom or understand but we're thankful that you reveal yourself to us in your word we're thankful O God that we see love in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ this is how we know what love is the thankful God that you poured out your wrath upon him the Iraq might not have to be poured out upon those who believe and look to Christ the thankful of God that those who are yours can pass through judgment with assurance with encouragement knowing that we are not guilty in your sight we are justified because of Christ's righteousness because of his merits alone or thankful God for such eternal life and hope in him or think such truth in him we pray O God that we be encouraged this night that your people would be strengthened your people would help us earlier that your people would be helped tonight O God by your spirit we also pray that you'd help us help your people as well and our battles with sin day by day we know God that you do chastise us and we can fall under your father these pleasure but we know it is for our good when you do chastise us help us encourage us help us to be ever watchful and praying and fighting help us to love your means help us to love your word help us to be in it o God and we're thankful that we do have open Bibles so we can seek to read and understand we have the ability to read them as we are able we confess we do not ask do not do as we should but we're thankful of God that you are still gracious and merciful and kind you do help your people and you will preserve us until the end we know that this is true those who aren't called shall be justified those who are justified shall be glorified and we're thankful of God for this truth but Oh God if there any here today who do not know you are you here today who profess to know you but rely on their own righteousness rely on their own works rely on their own keeping we pray O God that you convict all of your sin convict convict them and show them their need for the Lord Jesus Christ that you would save them you would call them out of darkness into marvelous light because of this true Israel because of this one who was out of Egypt to this true son o God this elder brother for his people pray that they would look to him in faith and trust and believe that he is God believe that he is the only way of salvation for sin and prayer that you would work in them by your spirit we're thankful O God that you affectionately call me thank you God that you regenerate thank you God that you gives the gifts of faith and repentance we pray that we're thankful the gifts of justification and adoption or thankful O God that you do sanctify your people as well you do preserve us until the end or that one day we shall be glorified so God help us encourage us strengthen us be with your people this day or thankful O God that you do help us by your spirit we're thankful O God you did call forth many encourage both sons many prodigal sons many rebellious people to eternal life through faith in Christ we pray that you continue to do this as your word goes forth we also pray that you continue to work in your people it's God help us keep us and go into the world tomorrow give us aid and strength from on high we pray these that we in all things we do you'd be glorified we pray these things in the name of Christ amen you