Sermon Tone Analysis

Scriptural Text:

Theme

Hosea depicts Israel’s unfaithfulness with a number of images from family and nature.

Israel is like: a promiscuous wife, an indifferent mother, an illegitimate child, an ungrateful son, a stubborn heifer, a silly dove, a luxuriant vine, and grapes in the wilderness.

Yet Israel’s unfaithfulness and obstinacy are not enough to exhaust God’s redeeming love that outstrips the human capacity to comprehend.

When the Bible speaks of perishing it is not primarily speaking of a future state but a current condition.

(; ; ; )

Paul writes in the present tense, ‘… the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’ (); ‘For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing’ (); ‘… if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing’ ().

There is of course a future aspect to the process, as when Jesus said, ‘Unless you repent you too will all perish’ (), but that is the ultimate consequence of the present condition.

Perishing is a process.

Paul writes in the present tense, ‘… the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’ (); ‘For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing’ (); ‘… if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing’ ().

There is of course a future aspect to the process, as when Jesus said, ‘Unless you repent you too will all perish’ (), but that is the ultimate consequence of the present condition.

Perishing is a process.

Paul writes in the present tense, ‘… the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’ (); ‘For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing’ (); ‘… if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing’ ().

There is of course a future aspect to the process, as when Jesus said, ‘Unless you repent you too will all perish’ (), but that is the ultimate consequence of the present condition.

Perishing is a process.

Paul writes in the present tense, ‘… the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’ ();

‘For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing’ ();

‘… if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing’ ().

There is of course a future aspect to the process, as when Jesus said, ‘Unless you repent you too will all perish’ (), but that is the ultimate consequence of the present condition.

Perishing is a process.

However, 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

(ESV)

9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

(ESV)

In these passages the Lord issued a strong indictment against the priests and prophets.

When Jeroboam I led the ten northern tribes to break away from Judah to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he sought to meet the religious concerns of the people by establishing a new religion.

You will find a description of this new religion in

In these passages the Lord issued a strong indictment against the priests and prophets.

When Jeroboam I led the ten northern tribes to break away from Judah to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he sought to meet the religious concerns of the people by establishing a new religion.

You will find a description of this new religion in

As a result of Jeroboam’s first action, the religion of the Northern Kingdom was corrupt from the very beginning.

It was a religion that mixed some truth with the false religions of the world (an eclectic religion).

There were few if any true priests or prophets (ministers) of the Lord left in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Consequently, God made six very serious charges against these so-called servants of God:

Charge one: the priests and prophets (ministers) stumbled and sinned day and night (v.5-6b) [; ; Ezek.

33:6]

The priests and prophets were leading the people away from the Lord not closer to Him.

As a result, the people lacked a true knowledge of God.

(ESV) 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

(ESV) 7You were running well.

Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

7You were running well.

Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

(ESV) 6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

Charge two: the priests and prophets shut God out.

They rejected the Lord, the knowledge(personal) of Him (v.6b).

... knowing Him personally and intimately... knowing Him as their Savior and Lord of their lives

Charge two: the priests and prophets shut God out.

They rejected the Lord, the knowledge(personal) of Him (v.6b).

... knowing Him personally and intimately... knowing Him as their Savior and Lord of their lives

Charge two: the priests and prophets shut God out.

They rejected the Lord, the knowledge(personal) of Him (v.6b).

... knowing Him personally and intimately... knowing Him as their Savior and Lord of their lives

Charge two: the priests and prophets shut God out.

They rejected the Lord, the knowledge(personal) of Him (v.6b).

... knowing Him personally and intimately... knowing Him as their Savior and Lord of their lives

They were to reap exactly what they had sown.

Since the priests and prophets had ignored the Lord, failing to reach the people for God, the Lord would ignore them and their children.

The priestly and prophetic line of Jeroboam’s religion would be cut off, completely eliminated.

(ESV) 15For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

15For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

(ESV) 28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

(ESV) 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

(ESV) 14They say to God, ‘Depart from us!

We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

14They say to God, ‘Depart from us!

We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

Charge three: the priests and prophets lived lives of compromise (v.7a).

(, , , Kings 17:15)

As the priests grew in numbers, they should have reached more people for the Lord and spread the message of righteousness across the land.

But the very opposite was the case.

Sin increased.

As new priests entered the ministry, they followed the ways and behavior of the older priests.

(ESV) 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV) 15Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

15Do not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

(ESV) 2You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

2You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

(ESV) 15They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them.

They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.

15They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them.

They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.

Charge four: the priests and prophets committed gross idolatry against the Lord (v.7b).

They actually swapped or exchanged their “Glory” (the Lord Himself) for the dark shame of idols.