Hosea 1-6, God Expects Radical Obedience
1. God Expects You To Obey Him In Your Personal Life (Hosea 1)
2. God Expects You To Obey Him In Your Family Life (Hosea 1)
3. God Expects You To Represent Him (Hosea 3)
4. God Expects You To Know Him (Hosea 4)
5. God Expects You To Repent After Disobedience (Hosea 6)
As we look at the Book of Hosea this morning, I've titled the Message God expects radical obedience. God expects radical obedience, and whenever I come to the book of Hosea in the reading, it always brings me back to this thought. This concept, when I hit Daniel, I always begin to think about. Workplace witness and being an example, and an instrument for the Lord in a secular environment. When I hit Jose. Yeah, I'm always challenged and encouraged and reminded of the importance of obedience to God to an extreme degree. Although what it really could be called is just regular obedience. But for us, because of how we change things and twist things and water things down. So many times, the word radical is necessary to remind us that real 100% full on obedience to God. God is the expectation and this morning as we look at this book, these couple chapters will be working our way through a couple portions here in chapters. One through 6. We're looking at this prophet Hosea who is ministering to a nation that was in rebellion against Scott had been in rebellion against God for many years. It was the northern Kingdom of Israel after it had split into the nation of Israel, splits the northern Kingdom, kept the name Israel, and was in rebellion against God from the beginning, and Hosea is the last prophet for this nation. The last opportunity before the nation of Assyria. It comes and destroys the nation completely and takes all of the inhabitants away. Captive Hosea is the last call to repentance. The last opportunity, and so God uses Hosea to bring forth a very bold message, a very clear message to the nation. But it required some very. Radical obedience on the part of Hosea. And he is, as a faithful servant of the Lord, faithful Child of God. He is obedient in the call that God gives to him, and so we really want to look at the example of. Hosea here and. Learn a little bit about the radical obedience that God expects from each one of us. It's not that Hosea was so unique in all of history that you know he's the only one that God required a full surrender and full obedience from. Although we might look at the story and the things that God required of him are unique, the level of obedience and the level of allegiance that Hosea has to the Lord is exactly the same level of obedience and allegiance that you and I are to have for the Lord as well. And so God expects radical. Obedience, not just from Jose. Yeah, but let his example remind you and kind of reset some of those things that have gotten fuzzy in your mind that that you would be radically obedient to the Lord. Unlimited obedience to the Lord. No hesitations, no reservations, but full on surrendered. To him, and so five things, we'll look at in this example of Hosea Point. #1 gives us the first one to consider, and that is that God expects you to obey him in your personal. Life in your personal life. The very most personal parts of your personal life. God expects your complete obedience. We see this demonstrated in Hosea life. Let's look again at Hosea chapter one, verse two and three, it says. When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, go and marry a prostitute. So that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshipping other gods. So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. We're hit right off the bat with. The radical obedience that Hosea is called to, we don't know much about Hosea before this, but we know it tells us this is when the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea. You know we saw the commissioning of Isaiah while back. As he is in that heavenly scene and the Lord is saying who will go for us and you know, he sees the Lord. And Isaiah says, I'll go, you know, you can send me and and the Lord gives him instruction on how he's to minister. We saw the commissioning of Jeremiah here. We see the commissioning of Hosea. When he first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, here's what God said. Go and marry a prostitute. Go marry a prostitute. Now again we don't know anything about Hosea, but it's safe to expect and understand that Hosea. Did not have this as part of his plan for life. This wasn't, you know, single Guy Jose's list of desires for a spouse. The things that God said here were not top of the list. It wasn't that you know, I want you know, a girl who can cook and Oh yeah, make sure she's a prostitute. Like that wasn't his prayer request for his future spouse. But as God began to speak to the nation, he said to Hosea, Hosea, go, and marry a prostitute. And what's amazing is that verse three tells us so. Hosea married Gomer. It wasn't his plan. It wasn't his ideal. It wasn't what he would have desired or prayed for. But when God gave him this instruction, we find that Hosea just obeys it. He just goes forward and does what God told him to do. Now I can imagine there's probably some things that happen behind the scenes. And perhaps a little bit of wrestling with the Lord and some fervent prayer and pleading, but. Even if that is the case. It tells us in verse 3, so Hosea married Gomer. Even if he wrestled with it a bit, even if he tried to negotiate a bit, he came to terms with the request of the Lord, and he did what God called him to do. Pastor David Guzik says we can assume that Jose would never marry a prostitute except by the commandment of the Lord. It showed a lot of obedience. For him to actually carry out this difficult. This would not have been his dream. It would have been very strange in their society. It would have been unusual and surprising and unexpected. It would it not have been what his parents wanted for him. It would not have been again what he would have dreamed about or prayed for. But when God told him to take these steps. He set all of that aside his own desires, his own plans, his own goals, what his family wanted, what society expected he set all of that aside. And he began to obey the Lord. So he married Gomer. He went forward and did exactly what God had called him to do. And so, as you think about that, I would encourage you to consider where Hosea fits. On the Del Taco obedience scale. They'll talk of his level of spice ranges from Dell ketchup to Dell Inverno. In between, you have what mild sauce and del Scorcho. Very important technical terms, but if you would please indulge me a bit and just try to understand the level of spice and. Relate that to. The level of obedience that is expressed here. You know, sometimes we like to negotiate with God. God asks us things. He tells us. Things in his word. He puts things upon our hearts and and we have an opportunity to respond to God in his instruction, whether it be a clear mandate from the word of God or a personal conviction or personal direction that God puts upon our heart. And we might find ourselves at any given time in various places, on the scale of obedience. Sometimes we exhibit a mild sauce, obedience, and sometimes you could kind of look at the situation and maybe even look in the mirror and say, you know what? That's mild sauce. You know that that is weak. That is not real obedience, that is negotiation that is finagling that is compromise. It's not very strong. It's not very powerful, it's not. Radical obedience, where would you put Hosea? On the Del Taco obedience scale, I think no question right? He's del inferno. He is all in, he says, look yes, I want some hot sauce. I don't care how hot it is, I'm going to stick out my tongue. You just give me the hottest sauce or whatever sauce you want to give me. Lord and I will take that sauce. I'll receive it. I'll be obedient, no. Matter what you can give it to me. This is where Jose's heart is with the Lord. Doesn't matter Lord what you tell me. It doesn't matter what you say or what direction it might be, it doesn't matter what category of my life it might be in or what area of my. Life it might impact. Lord, I'm going to go all out for you and I'm going to be obedient to you no matter what. Hosea gave God full license to any part of his life, and you can see this as demonstrated by who? He would marry. Let that be just kind of a token of. If God were to say anything else about his life to Hosea Hosea's, it would have said Yes, Lord. Here I am send me I'm your servant tell me what to do. And here Hosea provides for us the standard. This is what God expects from every one of us. God expects you to obey him to this same degree. So that if God were to. Speak to you about. Well, if you're single who you were to marry? Or who you were not to marry that you would be obedient to that, or for those who are married. Whatever God says to you about your spouse and relating to your spouse and staying with your spouse. That you are to be obedient. In that arena of your life, but you can also apply that too. To your workplace, your education. You can apply that to your style of living, your budget. You can apply that to how you celebrate Christmas. You can apply that to what your devotional life is going to look like. For 2023. You can apply that to every aspect of your life and understand. Listen, if you're if you're willing to let God set that area of your life and and be in giving you instruction for that, that you're obedient. You, well, you also need to be willing to let God speak to any aspect of your life. I'd say yes, Lord. I'll do what you've called me.
To do.
And so where would you put yourself? On the Del Taco Obediente scale. Is it the ketchup they'll catch up, right just? Hardly any obedience at all. Is it mild sauce here and there when it's convenient when you? Feel like it. Del scorcho, yeah. Some of the times I'm obedient. Sometimes I do those things that God instructs me to do. Or you Del Inferno that Lord you have full. License I don't I. Don't really put limits on what you tell me about. You want to talk to me about my the shoes that I wear. You want to talk to me about my hairstyle? You want to talk to me about my love life. You want to talk to? Me about my workplace. You want to talk to me about? My geography where I live you got full reign, Lord, whatever you say, that is what I want to do and that is the heart and the mindset that God expects from you. Jesus tells us in John Chapter 15. You are my friends. If you do what I command. There is a connection to friendship of Jesus loving Jesus following Jesus and obedience to Jesus, and a lot of times we would love to say I love Jesus. I love God. While we don't take any regard for what he actually. Says to us. And then thinking about this. Of course we can look at the clear teaching from the scriptures about there's a lot of very clear instruction about what God has for every believer, for every follower of Jesus. But then of course God has those individual things for your life, individual plans and purposes and convictions that he will put upon your heart and ways that he will lead you. By the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would pass along to you everything that Jesus was desiring to teach you. And with that, Jesus says you are my friends, if you do. What I command he says I no longer call you slaves because Emaster doesn't confide in his sleeves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the father told me. There's been a transition from slaves to friends. But the transition is not OK. Now you have the freedom to do whatever you want and listen if you want to, or disregard if you want to know the transition is not the position of obedience. We are to be obedient to the Lord as his slaves. To that degree, the the difference is we have a relationship and a fellowship with the Lord that superseded the master, slave relationship, and so it's a friendship. But it doesn't negate the responsibility as a servant to do everything and. Anything that the master says. So where are you on the obedience scale? Are you willing to say to the Lord whatever you want? Lord, nothing is off limits. You can speak to me about anything in my life and I will put it into practice. Well that continues on as we work now into point, #2, which still is in chapter one. Similar to the first point, God expects you to obey him in your family. Not just in your personal life, but now. Hosea gets married and now he has a family and God is going to speak to him some specific things about his family. Let's read verses 3 through 9. It says so. Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of the blame, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea son. And the Lord said, named the child Jezreel. For I am about to punish King J, whose dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel's independence. I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley soon. Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, name your daughter Loroux Ha. Not loved, for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel. Or forgive them. But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies, not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God. Verse 8. After Gomer had weaned Lo Ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. And the Lord said, name him loammi not my people. For Israel is not my people and I am not their God. Here, as we progress in Hosea account, we see that Hosea begins to have a family. He has three children and what's very unique about this is God names each of the children. He instructs Hosea. Here is what you are, to name them. Hosea, you have the responsibility in the home to be my agent, to be my servant. You don't get to name your kids whatever you want to name them. You will name your children what I tell you to name them, and so the first born son. His name is Jezreel. The daughter's name is. Lo Ruhamah and then the third son, the third child, Loammi, is the name that the Lord gives to that son. Each of these names. Important significance too. The ministry that Hosea is set forth to accomplish in his prophesying to the Nation of Israel, calling them back to repentance. God said, I'm enlisting your children in your ministry, Hosea. And so their names are going to be part of your sermon. Their names are going to be part of the message that you will preach. These are not names. We're in the, you know, thousand book of Hebrew names for parents in that day. These were names that would have been. Unusual and strange. And giving the choice given the choice. I think it's safe to assume Hosea would not have, even if the thought had crossed his mind, or maybe even if you know someone had suggested any of these names, he would have said no, thank you. That's not a name. I don't want my child growing up with that name. They're going to have a lot of hardship. They're going to be made fun of. That's, you know, going to make their life more difficult. We're not going to need. Than that. Jezreel, the first born son. God explains the name in verses four and five. Refers back to a situation. Previously I'm not going to get into the details here, but basically there was this huge slaughter that took place. Biking jahu At Jezreel And so it would be like naming your child. Waco or I don't know another place that's notorious for that kind of stuff, right? You know, like you just, you wouldn't do that to your child because you know what would happen on the playground and their whole life. You know, like that would be something terrible to do to a child unless. The Lord said, here is how you should name your child. Here is the name to give to this child that has been born. Pastor Tony Evans says, don't overlook joses. Response of full obedience, he submitted himself and his family. To be an object lesson for Israel and would experience first hand what it means and how it feels to love someone who is unfaithful. Talking about his wife also talking about his children he submitted. The whole family to the Lord. Hosea said As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and that means son, your name is Jezreel. Daughter, your name is lo rahama. Youngest son, your name is Loammi because thus says the Lord and Gomer. I'm marrying you and I'm going to love you and I'm going to be faithful to you even if you are unfaithful to me or have lived. You know, whatever life previously, this is what the Lord has said. And so my family. Is going to be impacted and submitted to the things that God has said. The son Jezreel again speaks of that bloodshed that was going to be avenged by the Lord Lowber. Hama literally means no mercy. Sometimes you encounter someone whose name is Greece, right? Can you imagine what if her? Name was no Greece. Like that would not be a name that we would volunteer to give. To a child. But that's what God said because he has a message along with it. I will no longer have mercy on the House of Israel. And so Hosea said, yes, Lord, I will name my child, and let my child go through life with this name in obedience to you. It's not the dream I had for her. It's not, you know, the the hope and the the ideals that that I wanted for her. It's not. It's not what I was thinking and planning for her life, but Lord, you've instructed me to name her this and and you again kind of taking that as a representation. Look anything you want to do in my family life in my children, life. You have full license starting with their name at the very beginning and anything else you say. Me and my family. Are submitted to your will and you have the right. To tell us what to do. The Sun loammi literally means not my people. Because God has a message. To give along with that. The message is you are not my people and I will not be your God. The rebellion against God has come to the point. God says you are not my people and so every time they went to the grocery store and someone thought loammi was cute and said oh he's so cute what's? His name, not my people. Not my people. Why is his name that like why? Where would you come up with that? Well 'cause? God has this message. Israel is not my people and I will not be their God and so this message was preached every time the name was called. Every time the sun was introduced this. Was what God instructed Hosea to do. Every child feels like their parent is out to humiliate them and embarrass them and make their life miserable, right? But God did this not to torture the children. But to deliver the message. To incorporate them into the work of God in the plan of God. It was a privilege for them. To take on. This message that God was bringing forth came with hardship, came with some difficulty. But a privilege nonetheless, I guarantee you. Hosea has no regrets in eternity. Looking back, perhaps, you know, on this earth he was like, oh man, it just kind of embarrasses me every time they have to call their name. Maybe again, doesn't say that we're just kind of imagining what might have happened, but. Guaranteed an eternity. Jose has no regrets. I submitted my family to you, Lord, and we served our role and your and the part that you gave us in your plan. And your Kingdom. Given the chance, Hosea would do it again. God expects you. To have this kind of radical obedience again really should just be normal obedience, but but because we are often so wavere in our commitment to the Lord, in our obedience of Lord, we need the word radical to remind us. It doesn't matter what God says. Whatever it is, and whatever area of our lives it impacts. We need to be submitted to it. We need to allow the Lord to instruct us and direct us. Without limits and reservations. So he names his children in this way. And so where would you put josea on the Tabasco scale? Now we didn't get through all the sauce names 'cause I thought we might have some better Tabasco fans than we had, but apparently we don't know our sauces that well, so. Pepper, green pepper, garlic, pepper, Chipotle, pepper, habanero, and scorpion scorpions, the hottest. These are in order according to Tabasco and the the way that they, you know, describe the the heat levels. Where's Hosea on this scale? What does Hosea fit yes? He's scorpion, right? Like for sure, like what a cool label to have. Even right, he's like, yes, I'm scorpion, you know, like I obey God. No matter what. It doesn't matter if he tells me to name my children something strange. If he tells me to move to some strange land to raise them in some unique way to educate them in something that's different and and distinct, it doesn't matter what the Lord says. My family. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We will be obedient. To whatever God tells us to do. God expects you. To obey him in your family life. And yes, your children. Your spouse. Might feel like you're just trying to make everybody miserable and you know wreck havoc and just you know, whatever. But regardless of how other people respond or what they think. Your allegiance must be to God for. Now I think there's a little bit of a caution that I should add in here, and that is radical obedience doesn't mean do anything radical, and you know who cares about the consequences of it. It doesn't mean do extreme things just because they're extreme. Be super strict or be legalistic. It doesn't mean. Any of that? God's commend to you in your family life might be the most boring command you could ever think about, like just wake up every day and be faithful and go to work and bring in the you know the income and provide for the family and love the family like it might just be the plain Jane like just super normal just. Regular thing and you might be saying yeah, but Lord, I want the like extreme life and God says no, you need to live a regular life. But then to others, God is going to say you need to upgrade your family. Move to Alaska, live off the land and you know well we can't do that. That's crazy, right? But no, that's God's instruction. So that's what you need to do. It's not about the idea of it being extreme or radical. Just because something is extreme or radical. It's about submission to God so that no matter what he says. No matter what direction he gives, I'm willing to be obedient to it. God expects you to obey him in your family. Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 10. If you love your father or mother more than you love me. You're not worthy of being mined, or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you're not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your. Life you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. So where do you find yourself? On the Tabasco obedience scale. Where do you find yourself? Are you willing or did the kids say oh Dad? Oh no we can't. Yeah that's bad. No, we don't want. Does that. Sway your heart away from. The clear instruction that God has given to you. God expects radical obedience from you. You need to love him more than anyone else. And you might have the idea and you know you've always wanted to give your kids the life that you never got to have, right? Lot of people have that sentiments have that mindset. But you better make sure that that's what God wants for you and your family. And not just your own ideas and dreams. You better make sure that what you are doing in raising and educating what you are doing in your family structure and the way that you operate as a family. You better make sure that it's not just what you desire or what you were taught or what was shown to you or what is common or what's normal. On TV, you better make sure that what you do. As a family. And how you relate and what you do is. In response to what God is saying to you, God expects radical obedience. He expects you to be obey him in your family life. Well, moving on to the. Third Point, we're going to jump. Now to chapter three of Hosea. It's a short chapter, just a few verses, but a powerful, powerful point that God makes here. Point #3 God expects you to represent him. God expects you to represent him. Let's read these 5 verses here in Hosea, Chapter 3. It says then the Lord said to me, go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them. So I bought her back for 15 pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure. Then I said to her, you must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution during this time. You will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me. This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or Prince and without sacrifices. Sacred pillars present even idols. But afterward the. People will return and devote themselves to. The Lord their. God and to David's descendant, their king. In the last days they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness. Along with the announcement of judgment that Jose was bringing, God was giving this Longview future perspective on their obedience. That is to come and the work that would happen. The work that would take place when they would bring themselves back into submission to God and radical obedience would be the norm, not just for Hosea. But for the whole nation. But to model that to demonstrate that God calls Hosea to do something else, you might call radical something else. You might call extreme his wife, Gomer. Has engaged back in prostitution. She's left him. She's no longer at the house, he's their single dad raising three kids with weird names. She's off gallivanting around. And it perhaps began to happen sooner while they were still together. Third son Loammi, means not my people. There's some you can kind of read into it, it's not. For sure clearly stated in the Scripture, but. You can perhaps begin to suspect. There was some. Irony to that name not only was God saying. Israel is not my people, but Jose was saying this isn't my child. Gomer has already been unfaithful. And this child that has been brought forth. Did not come from me. That doesn't mean Hosea didn't love the child or, you know, raise the child or anything like that, but. But it spoke to that same message. It was that visual representation of the relationship that Israel was having with God. Now she's not just being unfaithful. She's completely gone back. Old life, prostitution bound up again in some type of slavery. It seems like as a result. And God gives the instruction of verse one go and love your wife again. Hosea was a real person. A regular person. With a radical. Obedience to God, but a regular person. How does a spouse feel? A cheating and unfaithfulness has occurred. How does the spouse feel when it's not just that and that there was a child from an extramarital affair, but but now the spouse is gone and completely engaged in? A life. Of rebellion against the marriage. How does the spouse feel that's how Hosea felt? But what does? God say go and love your wife. Go love your wife, Hosea. She's out there engaged in prostitution to the point. A purchase is required for you to bring her back. But go do it. Go love her again. Pastor David Guzik says Jose is directed to love, even when it must have been hard to love. The scriptures show us that love is. Largely a matter of the will. And when we direct ourselves to love someone, God tells us we must love. It can and will happen. The reason why God told Hosea to go back and love Gomer? Is because God is painting a picture to the nation. Again, it tells us in verse one there this will illustrate that the Lord loves Israel, even though Israel has behaved like Gomer, even though we can make this personal, even though you and I relate to the Lord in a similar way and we rebel against God, and we engage in unfaithfulness to God, even though we do all of that, God is faithful. To love us in spite of all of our unfaithfulness, and so Hosea, you need to go demonstrate this characteristic of God. Go love your wife again. And so it goes on to tell us he bought her back for 15 pieces of silver, 5 bushels of barley, and a measure of wine. It says OK, you belong to me now. We're married. I've purchased you. There's going to be this time of separation, but we are back devoted to one another and we are going to resume our marital life. We are going to reconcile and be committed to one another from here on out. And it will forecast and demonstrate the future work that God will do in reuniting Israel and full and complete devotion to the Lord. But imagine being in hosea's sandals. Being called to love a spouse that has behaved that way. Maybe you don't have to imagine and die. I can't imagine, but at the same time maybe you don't have to imagine. Maybe that is a reality. Of course, the Lord gave us the instruction about. Unfaithfulness in the marriage and there is an exception that's given there in regards to marriage. There is the opportunity to divorce, but it's not that God, command or preferences to divorce. The Lord could lead you in. That way, if he desires to. But also. Just as likely, the Lord could say. Go love your spouse again. But Lord. They're unfaithful, but Lord, they they behave this way. They talk to me this way. They treat me this way they. If the Lord says go, love your spouse again. Then go love your spouse. Again, because the issue at hand is your representation of God, whether you like it or not, you are his ambassador. You've proclaimed the name of Christ. You identify with Jesus. Now you represent him even. In the most personal of relationships, and when that personal relationship has been. Betrayed and let that be a token for every other relationship and every other arena of your life. You know like it's that key one that most important one, and if it applies there, it applies to every other area of your life on the road. You're an ambassador for Christ, and you represent him at the workplace. You're an ambassador for Christ, and you represent him in the grocery store, in the community, in church. You are a representative of God, and God expects you to reflect his heart, his mind, his nature, and his character. That's our job. God expects you to represent him even. In these most personal and most difficult cases, Pastor Thomas Constable says Jose's heart was broken and he felt the most utter about unutterable sorrow, that a man can feel. When his wife abandons him, he learned how God felt. And he denounced kings and priests and people out of that broken heart that mirrored. The broken heart of God. Hosea was a powerful prophet and minister of the Lord. Because he had tapped into. He understood. How God felt. In relation to the way that the people were treating him. This is our job to mirror the heart of God. Listen, I know it's hard. I know it's difficult. I'm not saying that all of this is easy that Jose was having a great time doing this. But God expects radical obedience from you. Mirror his heart, represent him. Where would you put Hosea? On the Buffalo Wild Wings scale. I made this one the most variety in options in the sausage because. I think this is one of those areas that we do most of our negotiating. We represent God when. We want to when it's convenient when it fits, you know our agenda and what we like to do. But boy, more and more resistance. The more and more personal it gets. The more and more hurt our heart feels. The more and more heartbroken we are. We find it hard to represent God. But that expects you to represent him. He commands you to represent him. Pastor Tony Evans Says imagine the anguish of buying back your own wife who had willingly left you. Yet in this action is a picture of the unfailing persistent love of God. Moreover, it is what God does for us through Jesus Christ who bought us not with money. But with his own blood. Hosea, not just is representing God in Israel, in that D but Hosea represents the heart of God that brought forth Jesus. His only begotten son. To die upon the cross for us. To say I am her time. Broken hearted by your unfaithfulness. But I'm still gonna go. I'm still gonna reach out. I'm still going to express my love. And offer an opportunity of reconciliation. I mean. Titus tells us, or Paul tells Titus in Chapter 2, but the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people, and we are instructed to turn from godless living in sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. While we look forward with hope to that wonderful day with the glory of our great God. And savior Jesus Christ will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us and to make us his very own people. Totally committed to doing good deeds. How committed. Totally committed. Where does that fall on the Buffalo Wild Wings wing sauce scale that is blazing sauce? Man, yes, totally committed. I am blazing sauce committed to obey Jesus and do the good deeds. The things that he has called me too. Well point #4, we're going to move on into Hosea Chapter 4 and we're going to just hit the these last two points real fast. OK, so. Worry about it. God expects you to know him here in Chapter 4 verses one through 3. Hear the word of. The Lord oh people of Israel. The Lord has brought charges against you, saying there is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land you make vows and break them. You kill and steal and commit adultery. There's violence. Everywhere one murder after another. That is why your land is in mourning and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals. The birds of the sky and the fish of the sea are disappearing. Here God leaves out the problem. The court issues there in verse one. Here's what's wrong with Israel. There's no faithfulness, no kindness. And no knowledge of God in your land. There's no faithfulness like Gomer, right? There's no kindness or no mercy like the daughter. And there's no knowledge of God. In your land, here's the problem that people do not know God. This is not just talking about, you know, winning a quiz, or having surface knowledge of God. It's talking about a personal understanding of and connection to God, and that's the problem that's the issue here. In verse 6, here of chapter four, he says my people are destroyed because they don't know me. Since you priests refused to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests since you've forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. The priests don't know the Lord, and so therefore they're not helping the people to know the Lord. The people are still responsible because they don't know the Lord, but the priests are responsible to help the people know the Lord and it's just broken down from top to bottom. They don't know the Lord. Verse 12 he says they ask a piece of wood for advice. They're seeking counsel and seeking advice from their idols. From the. Stick of wood. They're so foolish. They're so ignorant they don't know me and listen, God expects you. To know him. He expects you to pursue him to find out his will. I know we often think about the will of God as some like super elusive thing that only you know. A few people find it. And while that kind of may be true, practically, that's not what God expectation is God's expectation is. I have a will for you, and I want you to find it out. Romans chapter 12, right that you may be able to to approve that perfect will of God, that you may able to find and secure that perfect will of God. For you, God has a plan for you in a purpose for you here. He wants you to know it. He wants to tell you to tell it to you. He expects you to know him. He expects you to know his word. He expects you to know what he says, his heart and his mind on the issues that you face in the decisions that you're about to make. He expects you. To know him, every one of us as believers in Jesus have opportunity. To truly know God. To have the most personal and real relationship with God. That can be had with anyone. Jesus said in John, chapter 17. This is eternal life. To know God. And so I would equate this with the cellula obedient scale. You need to have that sweet habanero with God. You know I'm talking about that, that sweet fellowship, that sweet, real relationship. With God, well, finally point #5 God expects you to repent after disobedience. And for that let's jump to Chapter 6 and just look at the 1st 3 verses. Hosea Chapter 6 verse one says come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces. Now he will heal us. He has injured us. Now he will bandage our wounds in just a short time. He will restore us so that we may live in his presence so that we might know the Lord. Let us press on to know him. He will respond to. Us as surely. As the arriving of dawn or the coming of rains in the early spring. Here we get to see hosea's prayer for the people. Cool, he says, come on guys, let's turn back to the Lord. This is what God expects. You've done horrendous things. You've been completely unfaithful. But let us return to the Lord and he will heal us. God expects you to repent, not to run from him, not to keep yourself away from him, not to you know. Put yourself on time, how God expects you to repent, to come back and to receive from him healing. Yes, he's injured with the correction and discipline that was required for the unfaithfulness, but but he will bandage the wounds. He will restore us, Hosea says, and notice what he says there. In verse three he will respond to us as surely. As the arrival of dawn. As surely as the arrival of dawn, is there any question the sun is going to come up tomorrow? It's for sure you never even think about it unless it's brought up in some weird context like this, right? It's for sure it's going to happen. Listen if you repent and if you turn to, no matter how unfaithful or how bad, you've not been a radical, obedient child of God. Turning back to the Lord gives you the opportunity. To be healed and restored and you drawing near to the Lord is a guarantee. That he will draw near to you. He will respond. As you turn to him. He will, it's for sure. No question about it. So God says. When you fall in. When you failed, come back to me. One last hot sauce scale that stop at the. Oh, there's only one. There's only one I looked everywhere online at the grocery store. There's only one. I like that. This is the way that we ought to be, no scale. No negotiating, OK Lord, I'm going to be this obedient to you. I'm going to be obedient in these ways and in these areas and these things I'll do. But those things I won't these areas. Are off limits no. It's just salsa picante Lloyd. Whatever you want. This goes on everything. Yeah, this goes everywhere. This is no matter what you say. No matter what is before me. But I'm going to follow you. I'm going to be obedient. To what you have to say, God expects this from you. Let Hosea. Stir up this great reminder. This importance of being faithful to obey God. In your personal life, in your family life, in your representation of him to the most close and personal. People too, as well as. Everyone around you that you come in contact with God expects you to know him. So draw near to him and pursue him. Get to know his heart, find out his will and his plans for you. And when you fall short when you blow it when. You mess up when you. Completely misrepresent him or blow it in your personal life or your family life. God expects you to repent, don't run away, don't stay away. Run back. Start quickly that healing process. To let the Lord do that full restoration that he wants to do in you Lord, I pray that you would help us. Lord, that you would. Give us clarity. In these things and Lord, I pray all this week that you would bring these things back to mind. Lord, that we would be. Challenged and refreshed and encouraged all week. To love you with all of our hearts, all of our soul, all of our strength and all of our mind. Or that we would. Love you and pursue you completely. No matter what society might say, Lord, no matter what people might have problems with it. Lord, we don't want to be weird or different or radical just for the sake of being radical, but Lord. We want to be radically devoted to you so that whatever you see and load right now, we just want to present it to you. Here we are your servants. Nothing is off limits. Whatever you say. Lord, it's our desire. To be obedient and to do what you've called us to. I pray Lord, that you would speak to us clearly. Your word your will those personal convictions and instructions that you want to give. Lord, that we might be. Given the chance and the opportunity. To be obedient. Help us Lord to do that to be on fire for you. In Jesus name we pray.