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Hard Work giving Good News · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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10 and read at verse 11 and verse 12 there.
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Oseah chapter 10 at verse 11.
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Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck.
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! But I will put Ephraim to the yoke. Judah must plough, Jacob must harrow for himself.
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Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap steadfast love, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord,
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that he may come and reign righteousness upon you.
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There are perhaps certain books that you go to in the Bible, and you can turn to them,
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and there's always a danger of feeling a sense of despondency and a sense of despair.
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Books like the book of Acts, and you see great things happening in the book of Acts.
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See the early chapters of the book of Acts, and you find thousands being added to the church in one day.
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And you say to yourself, how can that be discouraging?
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Well, it's because when you're reading it, you think to yourself, if only we were seeing days like that ourselves.
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We feel a sense of despondency, wishing that the Lord would pour out his blessing in that way.
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We would see thousands added to the church in one day.
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So if we don't see it happening, we maybe begin to question ourselves, to question our prayers,
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to question things that we're doing, to question maybe even God.
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Where is God in the midst of everything that's going on in our day?
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And you ask, do we live in the days that they lived in the days of Acts?
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Do we live in a similar kind of time?
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Well, we do, but we don't always see it.
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The media doesn't present great things happening for the gospel around the world.
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The main media, that is.
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But if you listen to people, missionaries from around the world,
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if you listen to people who are going out with the gospel around the world,
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even in our own nation, there are great things happening.
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The Lord is working.
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And so we shouldn't lose heart, because the good news is going out and people are responding.
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So maybe we don't see it in our own midst, maybe we don't see it in the way we would long to see it,
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but the Lord is still working.
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Whether it's thousands, whether it's one or two,
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we are constantly reminded that the Lord is working.
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So there can be a sense of despondency when things are good,
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but there are other books that you can turn to,
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and you can feel a sense of despondency because things are so bad.
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We see it very often throughout the Old Testament,
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and here's another example of it.
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We looked at Habakkuk recently,
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and we were seeing there how things were so difficult,
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and here the day of Hosea.
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As well, it was a difficult time.
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But I want us to reflect this evening on Hosea and the hardships that he had to endure,
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and just to see how it still gives us hope.
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It's a book that's full of many difficulties,
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difficulties for Hosea himself and difficult days for God's people,
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and yet we still see God at work.
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And if we were to ask ourselves,
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do we see this kind of day in our own experience just now,
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we would say yes.
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The gentlemen have been praying.
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We've been reminded of so many situations around our nation
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or around the world that show us the kind of despondency and despair that we live in,
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the uncertainty of the world in which we live,
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the pain and grief that's around us both in a local sense but also nationally and internationally.
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There's so much going on that would leave us thinking,
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where can we go?
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How can we go forward?
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And that's very much the kind of day that Hosea was living in.
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But what you see is God is faithful.
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God is still with him,
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and God is still calling a people to himself.
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And you see it very much here in verse 12 of chapter 10.
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So for yourselves righteousness,
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reap steadfast love.
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This is a reminder here of God's covenant love towards his people.
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For it is time to seek the Lord.
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So it's clear that people have been going away from the Lord.
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They've turned their back on the Lord,
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and he's saying it is time to seek the Lord,
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that he may come and rain righteousness upon you,
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that you might know his blessing.
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And it was Hosea that was called into this ministry as a prophet.
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And Hosea, with his own life, as we'll see in a moment,
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he didn't find it easy to do it.
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He didn't come into it in an easy background either,
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and yet God used him in a powerful way,
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and yet he had to be faithful.
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He had good news to give,
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but what he found was a people who didn't want to hear.
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And that can resonate with ourselves today as well.
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Think of the Gideons,
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or good news for everyone as it's called now,
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putting out Bibles,
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putting out the word of God to people,
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individuals, to schools, to hospitals, hotels,
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all of these things used to be so easy for them to get the word of God in.
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And yet now people are saying,
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we don't want it.
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Or if they take it,
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they put it in a corner somewhere,
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so that then if somebody asks,
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they can get a Bible.
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Whereas it used to be in many hotels,
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you'd go in,
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you'd open the drawer,
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you'd find it on the bedside cabinet,
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there would be a Bible there.
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There is good news,
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but people don't want to receive it.
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And that's the same for Hosea.
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He had great news to give the people,
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but they had so turned their back on God
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that they didn't want to hear.
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And it's hard work for him,
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but yet he stays faithful to the course.
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And it's a reminder to ourselves,
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in whatever we are doing for the Lord,
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to stay faithful to him,
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and to trust him,
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and to serve him,
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both faithfully and cheerfully.
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In Colossians chapter 3, verse 17,
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it says,
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whatever you do,
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whether in word or deed,
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do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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So we are to be faithful in the name of Jesus.
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But it also says,
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giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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So there's to be a sense of thanksgiving,
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a sense of delight and cheerfulness
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in what we are doing for the Lord.
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We are serving our King.
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We are serving our Lord.
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And so Hosea worked in the midst of great difficulty,
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but with that great assurance
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that he was serving his Lord.
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And when you see the people,
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it's reflected in what they wanted in society
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in verse 3 there.
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For now they will say,
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we have no king,
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for we do not fear the Lord.
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They don't want God,
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but they don't want a king over them either.
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In a natural way,
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and a king,
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what could he do for us?
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There's this sense of confidence
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in themselves,
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and in what they are doing for themselves.
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We don't need the Lord.
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We don't need a king.
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We can look after ourselves.
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And that's the world today as well.
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We don't need the Lord.
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We don't need anybody to rule over us.
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We can get on fine by ourselves.
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But the gospel is what was needed here,
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the good news,
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and it's the good news
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that our world needs today.
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And in Hosea here,
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we just want to see three things
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that we can take from these verses,
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verse 11 and 12.
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Three things that remind us
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just to be faithful
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in the midst of difficult days.
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And the first thing we see
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is that we are in difficult days,
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and Hosea was in a difficult day.
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But then we see it was a day of dedication,
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a day of devotion,
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a day of giving to the Lord.
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And then thirdly,
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we see a day not to despair,
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a day not to despair.
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So it was a difficult day first.
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If you know anything of Hosea,
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maybe you know his own background,
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his own life,
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his home situation wasn't easy.
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We see that in chapter one of this book.
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Hosea's family life was far from straightforward.
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He was told by the Lord
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to take a wife who was unfaithful,
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and then he had children.
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And you look at the names of the children,
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and they reveal so much of what was going on
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in his own experience,
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but also it was reflecting the nation of the Lord.
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So you see that in chapter one.
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You see in verse two down to verse 11 there,
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it speaks about Hosea's home setting.
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And he had children.
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One was called Jezreel,
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and behind that name was,
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it means I will scatter.
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I will scatter.
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Then he had a daughter,
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and she was called Lo-ru-ama,
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which means no mercy,
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as you see it here in English.
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No mercy is the name of the daughter.
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And then another son,
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Lo-ami,
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which means not my people.
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And this is just reflecting
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what's going on around us,
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a people,
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as a nation.
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That the Lord is showing a people
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who are unfaithful to him.
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And through his children,
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he's showing what he's going to do.
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He's going to scatter his people.
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He's not going to show mercy to his people.
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And he's going to say,
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you are not my people.
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So as you are rejecting me,
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this is the outcome.
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And so Hosea's life was a witness,
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was showing the people
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just what their relationship
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of the people with God was like.
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They have turned their back on God,
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just like we saw there
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in verse 3 of chapter 10.
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We have no king.
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We do not fear the Lord.
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So we don't need anything from God.
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There was this disobedience.
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But because of this,
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there was consequences.
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And you see that as you read through.
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In chapter 8, for example,
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it's very much a vine
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that is being described here as the people.
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And the vine is not bearing fruit
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or it's bearing sour fruit.
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And in chapter 8,
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verse 7 and 8 and verse 14,
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you see it very much seen there
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that in verse 14, for example,
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Israel has forgotten his maker
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and built palaces.
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And Judah has multiplied fortified cities.
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So I will send fire upon his cities
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and I shall devour her strongholds.
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It's very much a sense of judgment.
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The people have broken the covenant with God.
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They have forgotten their maker.
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They have replaced God
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with an idol in the form of a calf.
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Verse 5 and 6 of chapter 8 say that to us
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and also verse 5 of chapter 10.
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So they're more concerned
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about this golden calf
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that their idol that they've made
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than the fear of losing God.
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And what you see is
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the complete turnaround from the people.
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Instead of,
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and there's two place names
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that are important here as well.
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First of all, you have Bethel.
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And Bethel is the place
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where God is worshipped.
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And that's what the people had had.
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The place that they would worship God.
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It's mentioned in verse 15.
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Bethel's mentioned there.
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But they have turned from Bethel,
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the place they worship God,
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to Beth-Avon.
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And this means the place of wickedness.
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So they've turned away from the place
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of worshipping God.
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And they've turned instead
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to the place of wickedness,
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the house of wickedness.
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So everything that we're seeing here
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is outlining the relationship
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of the people to God.
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A difficult day.
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But is our own day
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any different?
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Because we're seeing
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almost exact same things.
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We do not fear the Lord.
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What can a king do for us?
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We've turned away from Bethel,
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the place of worshipping God,
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to Beth-Avon,
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the place of wickedness.
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And you see it
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in so many different ways.
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Where the vine
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that was once here
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has not been tended.
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The vine of the word of God.
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Because we have known
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God's favour.
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We have known
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God's blessing.
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But the vine
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has been turned away from.
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And we're,
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instead of tending it,
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we've just abandoned it.
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We've abandoned God.
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And we're bearing
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sour fruit.
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You think of places.
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The place of worship
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of God, Bethel,
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became,
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they turned instead
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to Beth-Avon,
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the place of wickedness.
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There's so many examples
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of that
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around our nation.
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For example,
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in Aberdeen,
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the church where
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Douglas Macmillan
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once ministered
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back in the 60s
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and 70s.
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It was changed
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into a nightclub
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back in the 80s.
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And what did they call it?
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Instead of being
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the place of worship,
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it was called
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the ministry of sin.
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Place of wickedness.
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Place of just
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turning away
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from God.
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And you see it
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in so many ways
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throughout our nation.
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Places that were
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once the foundation
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of our Christian faith
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are now mocked
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or turned into
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other things.
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There's a hotel
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in Peebles
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down in the borders.
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and it's an old
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building.
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And above the doorway,
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the words carved
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into the stone
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was,
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prepare to meet
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thy God.
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It was like
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there was a warning.
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Warning to the people
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as they would come,
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prepare to meet
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thy God.
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Not in the sense
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there was danger,
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but just that God
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was real.
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And so they were
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to be aware of God
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and to be ready
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to meet God.
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But now it's just
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something that's used
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as a joke
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as people go in.
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Something just for
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a bit of laughter
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as people go in.
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The seriousness
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of being ready
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to meet God
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is just taken away
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from it.
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So Bethel,
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the place of worship
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even in our own land,
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has become Beth-Avon.
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The place of wickedness.
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The place of mocking God
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and turning our back
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on God.
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So,
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just like Hosea's day,
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it is a difficult day.
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So,
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what can we do
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in difficult days?
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Where do we start?
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Well,
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with Hosea,
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as you see here,
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it's a day
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for dedication.
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It's a day
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for dedication.
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It's not a day
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to forget God
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or turn away
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from God.
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And as you go through
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the book of Hosea,
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it's a challenging book
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to go through.
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There's so many images
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of despair
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and hopelessness.
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But in the midst,
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you find some gems
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and wisdom
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and hope.
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Just like Habakkuk,
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which we looked through
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recently
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when we were thinking
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of the nuggets of gold
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that you find
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in the midst of darkness.
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Here again in Hosea,
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we have that same theme
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as well.
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In the midst of
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all the difficulties,
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in the midst of everything
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that is going wrong
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in their day,
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there's still hope.
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And that's what we have
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in verse 11
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and verse 12.
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There is hope.
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And it's all about
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turning back
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to God,
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dedicating
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ourselves
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to Him
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and continuing
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to show others
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the need
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to turn
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to God.
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So what we have
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in verse 11
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reminds us
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that the people
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were made
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with a purpose.
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Ephraim
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was a trained
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calf
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that loved
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to thresh
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and I have spared
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her fair name.
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But I will put
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Ephraim
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to the yoke.
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Judah must plough.
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Jacob must harrow
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for himself.
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It's a reminder
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there that
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we were made
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to worship
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God,
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to serve God.
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the trained calf
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as is mentioned there.
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That's the illustration
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for us.
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We are made
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for God
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and to worship God.
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But we turn away.
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Hosea was faithful.
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Amos,
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another prophet,
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was faithful.
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Habakkuk,
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Isaiah,
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the prophets
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faithfully proclaiming
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the good news
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of the gospel.
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But what kind of people
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did they come up against?
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Well,
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we find,
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just what we find today,
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a stubborn people.
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The trained calf
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as it's mentioned there,
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the one
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that the Lord
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is able to use,
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is contrasted
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in chapter 4,
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verse 16.
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There it says,
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like a stubborn heifer,
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Israel is stubborn.
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Can the Lord
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now feed them
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like a lamb
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in a broad pasture?
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the stubborn heifer.
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They will not listen.
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They will not budge.
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Are we like that sometimes?
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Are we sometimes
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the stubborn heifer
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it's talking about here
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where we won't budge?
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We hold on to things.
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Yes, we are.
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And they're all around us too.
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We've all got that stubborn nature in us.
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But there are many who,
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when it comes to hearing the gospel,
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even just wanting to
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be close to them
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in the sense of
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giving them the gospel,
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they're stubborn.
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They don't want
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to hear.
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And it's hard
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to keep going in the work
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when that's what you're
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coming up against.
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But yet,
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we are being reminded
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in these verses
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that God has made
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everyone
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with a soul.
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God has made everyone
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with a soul
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that is accountable
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to God.
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We are made
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to worship God.
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And therefore,
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we don't lose heart.
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We don't lose heart.
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We keep on
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knowing that God
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has his people.
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Knowing that God
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is working
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in his people.
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And even though
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as it goes on here
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to talk about the yoke
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and the plough
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and all of these things,
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it's showing the hard work
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of delivering
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the good news
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of the gospel.
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Even into verse 12,
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break up
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your fallow ground.
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It is hard ground.
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It's a difficult ground
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to work.
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We're coming into
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this season now
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with March time.
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Many people
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start getting
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plots ready
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or fields ready
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for planting.
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But if you start
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on new ground,
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it's hard.
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Fallow ground,
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it's hard
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to break into.
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It's hard
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to break down.
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And it's going
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to take time
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to turn that ground
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into good ground.
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But there's still
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that need
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to plough.
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There's still
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that need
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to work,
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to break up
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the fallow ground.
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It's not always easy.
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And that's
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the image
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of the vineyard
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that you see
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right throughout.
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We'll see a vineyard
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that takes time.
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It takes tending to
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in order to bear
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good fruit.
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And so it is
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with the ministry
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of the gospel.
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It needs
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that dedication.
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It needs
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that devotion
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to it.
20:47
And that's
20:48
the kind of people
20:49
that God calls
20:50
on us
20:51
to be as well,
20:52
to be faithful
20:53
as we do
20:54
all for the Lord.
20:56
And you see it
20:57
in different ways
20:58
throughout the scriptures
21:00
as well.
21:01
In different ways
21:01
we are not to give up,
21:03
we are not to lose heart.
21:05
Jesus in Luke 18
21:07
he spoke the parable
21:08
of the woman
21:10
who kept coming
21:11
to the master.
21:13
And it's called
21:14
in verse 1
21:15
he says
21:15
he told them
21:16
a parable
21:17
to the effect
21:17
that they ought
21:18
always to pray
21:19
and not lose heart.
21:22
Always to pray
21:24
and not lose heart.
21:26
To break up
21:27
the fallow ground.
21:28
To not give up
21:29
in our prayers.
21:32
And to keep on
21:33
praying.
21:35
In Psalm 126
21:36
which we sang together
21:37
it says there
21:39
he goes out weeping
21:40
carrying seed to sow
21:41
will return
21:43
with songs of joy
21:44
carrying sheaves
21:45
with him.
21:46
So
21:46
you're going out
21:47
weeping,
21:48
you're going out
21:48
sowing,
21:49
you're wondering
21:50
what's going to come.
21:52
You're maybe feeling
21:53
a sense of despair
21:54
and yet the Lord
21:56
assures
21:56
there will be a day
21:57
when you return
21:58
in song
21:59
carrying the sheaves
22:01
the harvest
22:02
will come.
22:03
The Lord
22:04
can do it.
22:07
We're reminded
22:07
even how Jesus
22:08
himself
22:09
wept over
22:10
his people.
22:12
Luke 19
22:13
verse 41
22:15
as he approached
22:15
Jerusalem
22:16
and saw the city
22:17
he wept over it
22:18
and said
22:19
if you
22:19
even you
22:20
had known
22:21
on this day
22:22
what would bring
22:23
you peace
22:23
but now
22:25
it is hidden
22:26
from your eyes.
22:27
He was weeping
22:28
because he had
22:30
what could bring
22:30
them peace
22:31
yet it's hidden
22:32
and so
22:33
we are in
22:34
difficult days
22:36
but yet it's still
22:37
a day
22:38
for dedication
22:40
a day
22:41
for devotion
22:42
to the Lord
22:43
because
22:43
we have
22:45
what can bring
22:45
peace
22:46
to the people
22:47
so we still
22:49
have hope
22:50
and so
22:51
finally in 30
22:52
we see here
22:53
it's a day
22:55
not to despair
22:56
it's a day
22:58
not to despair
22:59
as chapter
23:00
10
23:01
verse 12
23:02
tells us
23:03
there is this hope
23:05
sow for yourselves
23:06
righteousness
23:06
reap
23:07
steadfast love
23:09
break up
23:11
your fallow ground
23:12
for it is time
23:13
to seek
23:14
the Lord
23:15
that he may come
23:16
and rain
23:17
righteousness
23:17
upon you
23:19
one commentator
23:21
put it this way
23:22
Hosea
23:24
is a story
23:25
heavy
23:25
with tragedy
23:27
but buoyant
23:29
in hope
23:30
I think that's
23:31
just a great way
23:32
of putting it
23:33
heavy with tragedy
23:34
there's so much
23:35
that's tragic
23:36
in the book
23:37
of Hosea
23:38
but yet it's
23:39
buoyant
23:40
with hope
23:41
because there is
23:42
still
23:43
the hope
23:44
of the Lord
23:45
and why
23:47
why can they hope
23:48
why could Hosea
23:50
hope
23:51
because the Lord
23:54
because the Lord
23:56
is with him
23:57
the Lord
23:58
is there
23:59
it is time
24:01
to seek
24:02
the Lord
24:03
the Lord
24:04
is bringing them
24:05
down to that point
24:06
where there's
24:07
nowhere else
24:08
to go
24:09
and again
24:11
that's the kind
24:12
of world
24:13
in which we live
24:14
a world
24:15
that as
24:15
you often see
24:17
the wheel
24:17
go round
24:18
where there's
24:19
a turning
24:20
away from God
24:21
after a time
24:22
of blessing
24:22
and we can
24:23
have everything
24:24
we do not
24:25
fear the Lord
24:26
we don't need
24:26
a king
24:27
over us
24:28
until we come
24:29
to the point
24:30
where we're
24:30
so low
24:31
we've got
24:32
nowhere else
24:33
to go
24:34
and where
24:36
do we go
24:36
then
24:37
well that's
24:38
the answer
24:38
that Hosea
24:39
has
24:40
it is time
24:41
to seek
24:42
the Lord
24:43
and we have
24:46
a day to day
24:46
where people
24:47
are looking
24:48
for these answers
24:49
and we have
24:51
the good news
24:53
to give them
24:54
it is time
24:56
to seek
24:57
the Lord
24:58
and we should
25:00
be encouraged
25:00
that there are
25:02
things that are
25:03
happening
25:03
where the
25:04
Lord
25:05
is working
25:06
I'm speaking
25:07
to somebody
25:08
this week
25:08
who was speaking
25:09
about
25:09
Christian unions
25:11
and the
25:12
blessings that
25:13
they are
25:13
in schools
25:14
and we're
25:16
privileged here
25:17
to have
25:17
some of our
25:18
schools have
25:19
Christian unions
25:20
being run
25:20
in them
25:21
it's a great
25:22
delight
25:22
but we maybe
25:24
think to ourselves
25:24
if only
25:25
they were
25:26
happening in
25:26
other places
25:27
in the mainland
25:28
they are
25:29
and in
25:30
amazing ways
25:31
there were
25:33
an update
25:33
given where
25:34
schools down
25:35
in the borders
25:36
there's just
25:37
a hunger
25:38
for the gospel
25:39
because
25:41
the young
25:42
people
25:42
they know
25:43
that there's
25:44
something missing
25:45
they know
25:46
the answers
25:47
aren't coming
25:48
in the way
25:49
that we're
25:49
going
25:49
and in many
25:51
ways
25:51
they're seeking
25:52
the Lord
25:53
great
25:54
opportunities
25:55
and there
25:57
is hope
25:58
because
25:59
the gospel
26:00
is always
26:01
filled with
26:02
hope
26:03
we were
26:04
down in
26:05
Manchester
26:05
a few
26:06
years ago
26:06
in a small
26:08
town
26:08
south of
26:09
Manchester
26:10
and on
26:11
the Sunday
26:11
on the Lord's
26:12
Day we
26:12
went along
26:13
to church
26:13
in the
26:14
town
26:14
and we
26:16
went in
26:16
got a
26:17
very warm
26:17
welcome
26:18
into the
26:18
place
26:19
and there
26:20
was quite
26:20
a number
26:21
in it
26:21
was a
26:21
reasonable
26:22
congregation
26:22
but as
26:24
we were
26:24
looking around
26:25
we thought
26:25
there's not
26:26
many young
26:26
people here
26:27
it's mostly
26:29
a more
26:29
elderly
26:30
congregation
26:31
or middle
26:31
aged
26:31
congregation
26:33
there's one
26:33
or two
26:33
young people
26:34
and one
26:35
or two
26:35
infants
26:35
but as
26:37
as we
26:38
sat down
26:38
the preacher
26:39
came in
26:39
one of the
26:40
first things
26:41
he said
26:41
was
26:42
we're going
26:42
to be
26:42
praying
26:43
today for
26:43
our youth
26:44
group
26:44
who are
26:44
away
26:45
for the
26:45
weekend
26:45
80 of
26:47
them have
26:47
gone
26:47
on a
26:48
trip
26:48
and I
26:49
was like
26:49
we're
26:50
blown
26:50
away
26:50
80
26:51
children
26:52
and if
26:52
they'd
26:52
been there
26:53
as well
26:53
the place
26:54
would have
26:54
been pretty
26:54
much full
26:55
and you're
26:56
thinking to
26:56
yourself
26:57
we didn't
26:57
expect this
26:58
we didn't
27:00
expect this
27:00
you almost
27:00
think that
27:01
the gospel
27:02
has come
27:03
out of our
27:03
nation
27:04
it hasn't
27:04
there are
27:05
many congregations
27:07
all over
27:08
the country
27:09
where the
27:10
Lord is
27:10
working and
27:11
working in
27:12
amazing ways
27:13
so we don't
27:14
lose hope
27:15
we don't
27:16
lose heart
27:17
and Hosea
27:20
didn't
27:21
lose heart
27:22
he kept
27:23
devoting
27:23
himself
27:24
to
27:25
proclaiming
27:25
the word
27:26
of God
27:27
now at the
27:29
beginning we
27:29
said about
27:30
his children
27:30
and what
27:31
their names
27:32
meant
27:33
Jezreel
27:34
I will
27:35
scatter
27:36
my people
27:37
how he had
27:38
then a
27:39
daughter
27:39
no mercy
27:40
and then
27:41
another son
27:42
not my
27:44
people
27:44
but it's
27:46
actually in
27:46
these names
27:47
that you
27:48
see the
27:49
hope that
27:50
he had
27:50
because if
27:51
you just
27:52
turn back
27:52
to chapter
27:53
two as
27:54
we conclude
27:55
you see
27:57
there the
27:57
names
27:58
mentioned
27:58
again
28:00
from verse
28:00
20
28:01
I will
28:04
betroth you
28:04
to my
28:05
faithfulness
28:06
and you
28:06
shall know
28:07
the Lord
28:08
and in
28:09
that day
28:09
I will
28:10
answer
28:10
declares
28:11
the Lord
28:11
I will
28:11
answer
28:12
the heavens
28:12
and they
28:13
shall answer
28:13
the earth
28:14
and the earth
28:14
shall answer
28:15
the grain
28:16
the wine
28:17
the oil
28:17
and they
28:18
shall answer
28:18
Jezreel
28:20
and I will
28:21
sow her
28:21
for myself
28:22
in the land
28:23
so you're
28:25
seeing with
28:25
Jezreel
28:26
that although
28:27
they were
28:28
going to be
28:28
scattered
28:29
there was
28:30
going to be
28:30
a sowing
28:31
and if there
28:32
was a sowing
28:33
there would
28:34
be a harvest
28:35
so the harvest
28:37
although it
28:38
was difficult
28:38
days
28:39
was promised
28:40
and then
28:41
you go on
28:42
and I
28:44
will have
28:45
mercy
28:46
on no
28:47
mercy
28:47
so the
28:49
Lord
28:49
is able
28:50
to show
28:50
mercy
28:51
even in
28:51
the midst
28:52
of no
28:53
mercy
28:53
the Lord
28:55
is able
28:55
to show
28:56
mercy
28:57
and then
28:58
he goes
28:58
on
28:58
and I
28:59
will say
28:59
to not
29:00
my people
29:01
you are
29:03
my people
29:03
and he
29:05
shall say
29:05
you
29:06
are my
29:07
God
29:08
and so
29:09
you see
29:10
even in
29:10
the imagery
29:11
that was
29:11
given to
29:12
Hosea
29:12
of his
29:12
own
29:12
family
29:13
and the
29:14
misery
29:14
that there
29:15
was in
29:15
it
29:15
a scattered
29:17
people
29:17
a people
29:18
of no
29:18
mercy
29:19
a people
29:19
who are
29:20
not my
29:20
people
29:21
the Lord
29:21
says
29:22
he is able
29:23
to turn
29:24
it
29:24
he is able
29:25
from the
29:26
scattering
29:26
to bring
29:27
sowing
29:27
to bring
29:28
a harvest
29:29
he is able
29:29
to have
29:30
mercy
29:30
on no
29:32
mercy
29:32
he is able
29:33
to say
29:34
to you
29:34
are not
29:34
my people
29:35
you are
29:37
my people
29:38
and what
29:39
do the
29:39
people
29:39
say
29:40
you are
29:41
my God
29:42
so there
29:44
is hope
29:44
the people
29:46
who say
29:46
we will
29:47
have no
29:47
king
29:48
over us
29:49
we do
29:49
not fear
29:50
the Lord
29:50
there is
29:51
the hope
29:52
that they
29:52
will return
29:53
and say
29:54
you are
29:56
my God
29:57
so Hosea
29:59
breaks the
30:01
fallow ground
30:01
for it is
30:02
time
30:03
to seek
30:04
the Lord
30:05
and so
30:06
that as
30:06
we do
30:07
likewise
30:08
as we
30:09
seek
30:09
to proclaim
30:10
the good
30:11
news
30:12
of the
30:12
gospel
30:12
we do
30:14
so in
30:14
light of
30:15
that
30:15
it is
30:15
time
30:16
to seek
30:17
the Lord
30:17
the Lord
30:18
who is able
30:19
to bear
30:20
a great
30:21
harvest
30:21
the Lord
30:22
who is able
30:23
to show
30:24
mercy
30:24
and the Lord
30:26
who is able
30:26
to turn a
30:27
people who
30:27
are not
30:28
his people
30:29
into a
30:30
people
30:30
who are
30:31
his people
30:32
that they
30:33
would say
30:33
with one
30:34
voice
30:35
my Lord
30:36
and my
30:38
God
30:38
we have
30:39
difficult days
30:40
it's days
30:42
for dedication
30:43
and devotion
30:45
and it's a
30:47
day
30:47
that we will
30:48
see the
30:48
delight
30:49
as we see
30:51
God
30:51
working
30:52
there is
30:53
good news
30:54
for all
30:56
so we are
30:56
to keep
30:57
proclaiming
30:58
that good
30:59
news
31:00
in the
31:00
hope of
31:01
God
31:01
hearing
31:03
and answering
31:04
our prayers
31:05
well let us
31:07
pray
31:07
Lord our
31:10
gracious God
31:11
we do
31:11
thank you
31:12
for your
31:12
word that
31:13
fills us
31:14
with that
31:14
hope
31:14
that in
31:15
the midst
31:15
of the
31:16
heaviness
31:16
of tragedy
31:17
as that
31:18
commentator
31:18
put it
31:19
that we
31:20
see that
31:21
too
31:21
that it
31:22
was filled
31:22
and buoyant
31:23
with hope
31:24
and we
31:25
thank you
31:25
Lord
31:25
that that
31:26
encourages
31:26
in our
31:27
day too
31:27
that we
31:28
would see
31:28
a world
31:29
that is
31:29
so full
31:30
of tragedy
31:31
in so
31:31
many
31:31
different
31:32
ways
31:32
but yet
31:33
that we
31:33
would see
31:33
the hope
31:34
that there
31:34
is in
31:36
seeking
31:36
the Lord
31:37
we ask
31:38
Lord that
31:38
you will
31:39
bless us
31:39
in every
31:40
endeavour
31:40
to show
31:41
forth that
31:42
good news
31:43
to show
31:43
it to
31:44
all around
31:45
us
31:45
to be a
31:46
people who
31:46
do not
31:47
lose heart
31:47
in doing
31:48
so
31:48
even though
31:49
there are
31:49
difficulties
31:50
Lord
31:51
that we
31:51
would be
31:51
filled
31:52
with that
31:53
dedication
31:53
to you
31:54
and that we
31:55
would see
31:55
Lord
31:56
a delight
31:57
in you
31:58
that we
31:58
would see
31:58
a people
31:59
coming to
32:00
rejoice
32:01
in the hope
32:02
that there
32:02
is in
32:02
Jesus
32:03
so we
32:04
ask all
32:04
these things
32:05
Lord
32:05
confessing
32:06
our need
32:07
of you
32:07
confessing
32:08
our short
32:09
comings
32:10
and our
32:10
sins
32:11
but thankful
32:12
for the
32:12
one who
32:13
is on
32:13
our side
32:14
our Lord
32:15
and Saviour
32:15
Jesus Christ
32:17
as we pray
32:17
in his name
32:18
Amen
32:19
we voy
32:22
voy
32:23
voy