Father I Have Fallen
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Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called
my son out of Egypt.
Hosea 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they
sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hosea 11:3 Yet I taught Ephraim to go; I took them on my arms;
but they knew not that I healed them.
Hosea 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love;
and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and
I laid meat before them.
Hosea 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt; but the
Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
Hosea 11:6 And the sword shall fall upon his cities, and shall
consume his bars, and devour them, because of their own
counsels.
Hosea 11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me:
though they call them to him that is on high, none at all will exalt
him.
Hosea 11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver
thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set
thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my compassions
are kindled together.
Hosea 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will
not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the
Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
Hosea 11:10 They shall walk after the LORD, who shall roar like
a lion: for he shall roar, and the children shall come trembling from
the west.
Hosea 11:11 They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt,
and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will make them to
dwell in their houses, saith the LORD.
FATHER, I HAVE FALLEN
How many remember back a few years ago a commercial that
showed a woman lying on the floor in distress and she shouts “I’ve
fallen and I can’t get up!” It was an advertisement for a medic
alert company for a necklace that if activated would call the
company dispatch who would send an ambulance to their house to
help them. How many of you as parents have responded to your
child’s call when they have fallen? All of you have. More
importantly, how many of you are still answering your child’s call
for help even now when they are grown and with children of their
own?
Today’s message from Hosea chapter 11 refers to these same
questions. As some scholars have noted, In this chapter Hosea
has gotten the “punch line”, so to speak of God’s message to him.
Hosea is telling the northern kingdom of Israel what God is going
to allow to happen due to their continued disobedience and
worship of false gods. Telling them that even though they had
been chosen by God to be his “children”, they would worship God
at first but then would turn away from Him and worship Baalim and
other false gods over and over again. No matter how much God
would nurture them and lead them as a father would a young child
or a farmer would lift the yoke of an oxen to allow it to eat without
the yoke falling down in the way. God has had enough and would
allow his children Israel to be taken captive and led away from the
promised land as punishment for their continued disobedience.
Just as Israel would do this, we are no different today here in the
US or any country. In some ways we disobey Him even worse
than Israel did. With rampant violent crimes such as murder, rape,
and robbery resulting in death or injury with no real punishment for
the guilty. The acceptance of such abominable practices such as
removal of God from our daily lives, abortion, and child abuse of
various degrees, blatant homosexuality and the forcing of us to
accept the practices as legal and acceptable in so called decent
moral society. PEOPLE TODAY AS A WHOLE ARE EVEN
MORE DISOBEDIENT THAN EVEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL!
So why has God not done to us as he did to Israel? Well with the
advancement of technology not available to the Israelites, people
would be able to come back home to where they were removed
from. Not that God couldn’t do this, he could. God can do
anything. But in some ways our separation from God is probably
worse than the exiles and attack from foreign powers that Israel
suffered. But we are able to come back to Him much easier then
Israel in Hosea’s day. We have Jesus who came to us to be
sacrificed for our sins. We only need to repent and ask God’s
forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Saviour. Much easier than offering up dozens of sheep, rams,
goats, doves, grain, wine and oil. Much much easier.
In some ways though God does allow the same separation from
Him as in Israel’s day. By allowing disasters to happen, His hope
is that these disasters would convict us and turn us back to Him.
You say though “if this is punishment for sinners, why does God
allow righteous and decent people to die?” God is hoping that we
witness this and turn back to Him. But more importantly He is
hoping we witness to the sinners as the prophets did and convict
their hearts to turn back to HIM.
Jesus paralleled this message in the story of the Prodigal Son in
Luke 15: 11-32. In this story he is telling those who are listening
how God gives us our inheritance and lets us go. It showed how
we waste it by worshiping other gods such as lust greed and
gluttony of all sort till we are in such horrible shape that even the
beasts have it better than we do. He also show how if we humble
ourselves to come back to God and serve Him if He will allow it.
God not only accepts you back but restores you to the position
you were in with much joyful celebration. Jesus also teaches in
the story of the older brother and his disapproval and contempt for
his younger brother how the Pharisees and priest in Jesus day
like many people who come to church on Sunday today are
displeased with how repentant people are some times treated
better than they are. This is what gave me some of the inspiration
for the title of my July 8th message, “The more things change, the
more they stay the same.”
God took the nation Israel as his firstborn child. He led them out of
captivity in Egypt. He fed them, and watched them grow as a
nation. He provided for their every need. But it wasn’t good
enough for them. They wanted more. They wanted to be their own
boss and do what they pleased with no control by God. Just as
with them so with us. He feeds us, He protects us from harm, He
laughs with us and He cries with and for us when we hurt. So just
like Israel we want to be our own boss. To worship other gods
and upset Him. So God has no choice but to punish and exile us
just like Israel in a way. But as in their day some of us still fear
and worship God. We are spared in a way like those who feared
and worship God who were left behind because their captors
thought that they were worthless to them as collateral. But some
who worship God truly were taken into exile. Why, to care for and
help turn the exiles back to God. This is why some righteous are
taken in disasters today to turn those of us who are sinners back
to the Lord.
God did not punish His children for pleasure. He allowed them to
sin and be punished in the hopes that they would turn to Him for
help when things got bad. To make it easier for them He even sent
his Son Jesus Christ to be hated, tortured and killed for the sins
of his children Israel then and now. Just as you want for your own
children today, so he still wants for us all. It hurts Him when we
disobey Him. As with the Prodigal Son all he wants is for us to
come back to Him and seek his forgiveness. Simple as that. If we
truly are repentant and seek his forgiveness He will forgive us and
welcome us back home. But as with your own children He wants
it to be real and forever. Not fake and for the problem at hand.
We make things harder for ourselves by being stubborn and hard
headed. By assuming it is harder than simply saying “Father, I’ve
fallen, please forgive me. I have failed you and I am sorry.” But
for many of us it is harder to do this than to give in to temptation.
Satan is a cruel and devious being. The temptation is so easy,
power, money, sex, easy living without a care. But it comes with
a heavy price. So many people are deceived into thinking this is
the easy way but the price is so great and it comes hard and
fast. Satan knows this and he does all he can to keep us from
knowing the real truth.
The way to God is so easy it dumbfounds most of us. It
dumbfounds me and keeps me wondering if I am doing all that I
can to please my Father in heaven. To tell the truth, I stand here
right now scared and worried that I am not doing all that I can to
please God. I know that this upsets God because it is like I don’t
trust Him. But it shows how much Satan can interfere with me and
how hard he works to lead me and all of us away from God.
But I know the truth, that God wants me for me as his son just as
he wants all of us as his children. He don’t require a big show of
my worthiness for his forgiveness. Matter of fact He listens even
when we our by ourselves in our own little room, away from all
others. He just wants me to be truly sorry for my sins and to
realize and seek forgiveness through Jesus.
Through Jesus He showed how much love He has for us all. Let
us pray:
Heavenly Father, We’ve fallen, We thought that we knew
more than you and could do it on our own. We were wrong.
Father forgive us, forgive us for turning our back on you, We
was wrong. You showed us through your Word how You
loved us and how easy it is for us to come back and be
accepted by You. Accept our pleas for forgiveness. We were
wrong to turn away. Let us fall into your loving arms and
never turn away again. In the name of our Saviour Jesus
Christ we pray, Amen .
my son out of Egypt.
Hosea 11:2 As they called them, so they went from them: they
sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hosea 11:3 Yet I taught Ephraim to go; I took them on my arms;
but they knew not that I healed them.
Hosea 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love;
and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and
I laid meat before them.
Hosea 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt; but the
Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
Hosea 11:6 And the sword shall fall upon his cities, and shall
consume his bars, and devour them, because of their own
counsels.
Hosea 11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me:
though they call them to him that is on high, none at all will exalt
him.
Hosea 11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver
thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set
thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my compassions
are kindled together.
Hosea 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will
not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the
Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
Hosea 11:10 They shall walk after the LORD, who shall roar like
a lion: for he shall roar, and the children shall come trembling from
the west.
Hosea 11:11 They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt,
and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will make them to
dwell in their houses, saith the LORD.
FATHER, I HAVE FALLEN
How many remember back a few years ago a commercial that
showed a woman lying on the floor in distress and she shouts “I’ve
fallen and I can’t get up!” It was an advertisement for a medic
alert company for a necklace that if activated would call the
company dispatch who would send an ambulance to their house to
help them. How many of you as parents have responded to your
child’s call when they have fallen? All of you have. More
importantly, how many of you are still answering your child’s call
for help even now when they are grown and with children of their
own?
Today’s message from Hosea chapter 11 refers to these same
questions. As some scholars have noted, In this chapter Hosea
has gotten the “punch line”, so to speak of God’s message to him.
Hosea is telling the northern kingdom of Israel what God is going
to allow to happen due to their continued disobedience and
worship of false gods. Telling them that even though they had
been chosen by God to be his “children”, they would worship God
at first but then would turn away from Him and worship Baalim and
other false gods over and over again. No matter how much God
would nurture them and lead them as a father would a young child
or a farmer would lift the yoke of an oxen to allow it to eat without
the yoke falling down in the way. God has had enough and would
allow his children Israel to be taken captive and led away from the
promised land as punishment for their continued disobedience.
Just as Israel would do this, we are no different today here in the
US or any country. In some ways we disobey Him even worse
than Israel did. With rampant violent crimes such as murder, rape,
and robbery resulting in death or injury with no real punishment for
the guilty. The acceptance of such abominable practices such as
removal of God from our daily lives, abortion, and child abuse of
various degrees, blatant homosexuality and the forcing of us to
accept the practices as legal and acceptable in so called decent
moral society. PEOPLE TODAY AS A WHOLE ARE EVEN
MORE DISOBEDIENT THAN EVEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL!
So why has God not done to us as he did to Israel? Well with the
advancement of technology not available to the Israelites, people
would be able to come back home to where they were removed
from. Not that God couldn’t do this, he could. God can do
anything. But in some ways our separation from God is probably
worse than the exiles and attack from foreign powers that Israel
suffered. But we are able to come back to Him much easier then
Israel in Hosea’s day. We have Jesus who came to us to be
sacrificed for our sins. We only need to repent and ask God’s
forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Saviour. Much easier than offering up dozens of sheep, rams,
goats, doves, grain, wine and oil. Much much easier.
In some ways though God does allow the same separation from
Him as in Israel’s day. By allowing disasters to happen, His hope
is that these disasters would convict us and turn us back to Him.
You say though “if this is punishment for sinners, why does God
allow righteous and decent people to die?” God is hoping that we
witness this and turn back to Him. But more importantly He is
hoping we witness to the sinners as the prophets did and convict
their hearts to turn back to HIM.
Jesus paralleled this message in the story of the Prodigal Son in
Luke 15: 11-32. In this story he is telling those who are listening
how God gives us our inheritance and lets us go. It showed how
we waste it by worshiping other gods such as lust greed and
gluttony of all sort till we are in such horrible shape that even the
beasts have it better than we do. He also show how if we humble
ourselves to come back to God and serve Him if He will allow it.
God not only accepts you back but restores you to the position
you were in with much joyful celebration. Jesus also teaches in
the story of the older brother and his disapproval and contempt for
his younger brother how the Pharisees and priest in Jesus day
like many people who come to church on Sunday today are
displeased with how repentant people are some times treated
better than they are. This is what gave me some of the inspiration
for the title of my July 8th message, “The more things change, the
more they stay the same.”
God took the nation Israel as his firstborn child. He led them out of
captivity in Egypt. He fed them, and watched them grow as a
nation. He provided for their every need. But it wasn’t good
enough for them. They wanted more. They wanted to be their own
boss and do what they pleased with no control by God. Just as
with them so with us. He feeds us, He protects us from harm, He
laughs with us and He cries with and for us when we hurt. So just
like Israel we want to be our own boss. To worship other gods
and upset Him. So God has no choice but to punish and exile us
just like Israel in a way. But as in their day some of us still fear
and worship God. We are spared in a way like those who feared
and worship God who were left behind because their captors
thought that they were worthless to them as collateral. But some
who worship God truly were taken into exile. Why, to care for and
help turn the exiles back to God. This is why some righteous are
taken in disasters today to turn those of us who are sinners back
to the Lord.
God did not punish His children for pleasure. He allowed them to
sin and be punished in the hopes that they would turn to Him for
help when things got bad. To make it easier for them He even sent
his Son Jesus Christ to be hated, tortured and killed for the sins
of his children Israel then and now. Just as you want for your own
children today, so he still wants for us all. It hurts Him when we
disobey Him. As with the Prodigal Son all he wants is for us to
come back to Him and seek his forgiveness. Simple as that. If we
truly are repentant and seek his forgiveness He will forgive us and
welcome us back home. But as with your own children He wants
it to be real and forever. Not fake and for the problem at hand.
We make things harder for ourselves by being stubborn and hard
headed. By assuming it is harder than simply saying “Father, I’ve
fallen, please forgive me. I have failed you and I am sorry.” But
for many of us it is harder to do this than to give in to temptation.
Satan is a cruel and devious being. The temptation is so easy,
power, money, sex, easy living without a care. But it comes with
a heavy price. So many people are deceived into thinking this is
the easy way but the price is so great and it comes hard and
fast. Satan knows this and he does all he can to keep us from
knowing the real truth.
The way to God is so easy it dumbfounds most of us. It
dumbfounds me and keeps me wondering if I am doing all that I
can to please my Father in heaven. To tell the truth, I stand here
right now scared and worried that I am not doing all that I can to
please God. I know that this upsets God because it is like I don’t
trust Him. But it shows how much Satan can interfere with me and
how hard he works to lead me and all of us away from God.
But I know the truth, that God wants me for me as his son just as
he wants all of us as his children. He don’t require a big show of
my worthiness for his forgiveness. Matter of fact He listens even
when we our by ourselves in our own little room, away from all
others. He just wants me to be truly sorry for my sins and to
realize and seek forgiveness through Jesus.
Through Jesus He showed how much love He has for us all. Let
us pray:
Heavenly Father, We’ve fallen, We thought that we knew
more than you and could do it on our own. We were wrong.
Father forgive us, forgive us for turning our back on you, We
was wrong. You showed us through your Word how You
loved us and how easy it is for us to come back and be
accepted by You. Accept our pleas for forgiveness. We were
wrong to turn away. Let us fall into your loving arms and
never turn away again. In the name of our Saviour Jesus
Christ we pray, Amen .