The Spirit of Whoredom
The Spirit of Whoredom
(Hosea 1:1-9)
Introduction:
Read: Hosea 1:1-9
Human covenants are made on a daily basis
And those same covenants are often broken just as fast
Especially when you enter the covenant with no real intention of keeping the covenant.
But when I enter into a covenant I need to appreciate that a covenant is more than just a promise
(Cliché ) – Promises are made to be broken
(That depends on who is making the promise)
When God makes a promise, God has the ability to deliver on His promises.
When you are born into the family of God you enter into a covenantal relationship with God and there are certain expectations that will hold this covenant together.
So, in order to appreciate our covenantal relationship with the Father
Let’s first see how men looked at covenants in the bible.
Illustration: Men entering into covenant (Jonathan and David)
Jonathan gave David his coat
Jonathan gave David his belt (that held the dagger)
Your enemies are my enemies
(Blood sacrifice) – animal sacrifice
Point:
Covenants were more than just a promise, they were solemn promises with strong obligation.
(Covenant Meal) – Example: Take bread and feed it to each other
(Weddings) – Marriage is a covenant (Cake / Wine) I am one with you
(Passover meal) – Jesus said, this is my body (blood) / This is a covenant meal
(Sunday Mornings) – Our way of remembering what Christ has done for us
Which is part of that covenant made between God and God (between the Deities)
Point:
When God entered covenant with God…
There was an agreement, understanding, promise, pledge, covenant, between the Deities
That said (Man has to be brought back into reconciliation with God)
The only thing that will bring him back into reconciliation with God is that Sin be Eradicated and taken out of the way.
In order for that to happen, somebody sinless had to pay the price sin demanded.
The price of sin is death, the wages of sin is death; DEITY had to die.
So, there was arrangement made where God (Father) said to the one (Son)
Somehow He through the Holy Spirit would cover a virgin woman (Mary)
She having never been touched by a man, would just be overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit
That somehow she was going to conceive of the Holy Spirit
It was going to be a conception that was immaculate because man had nothing to do with it
Deity would be placed into Mary's womb
She would be one who would give birth to He who would be the (King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Beginning and the End, First and Last, He who was, Is, and Is to come)
This arrangement was made that He would be born of a woman
Grow up and He would be tempted in all ways like as we are tempted
So He could be a high priest who could be touched by our weaknesses, infirmities
But He would also be One who was without sin
So that He could be a sinless sacrifice for us, thus fulfilling the covenant.
ON GOD' S PART / GOD' S ARRANGEMENT WAS
If you will abase yourself- I will highly exalt you
If you will come down and become a slave - I'll raise you up at the last days
If you will die for the sins of our people - I will be the one that will call you out of the tomb
If you will be the one that will give your blood - I will give you a name that is above every name
That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
I'll make you preeminent, firstborn, chief among all people
Point: That was their arrangement (solemn promise / covenant)
So, we now understand what a covenant looks like…
Between man and man
Between Deity and Deity
And when we come to the book of Hosea
Hosea gives us a picture of a covenant made between God and Israel
And shows us the effects of that covenant through his own marital life with his wife Gomer.
Body:
Hosea, a prophet (spokesman) for God speaks to Israel to remind them of the covenant
That they made with God after their deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
Read: Exodus 24:1-7
Hosea takes a moment and causes Israel to reflect back on
The Deuteronomy theology given to them by Moses right before his departure.
Hosea wants Israel to remember what God has done for them
He wants them to remember that you are in covenant with the God of heaven
That this the God that brought you out of Egyptian bondage.
That when Pharaoh’s army pursued you, He put a fire to hold off the army at the Red Sea.
And God loved you so much that He opened the waters of the Red Sea.
He caused an East wind to come and blow on the riverbed and dried it out
So that you and your descendents could cross over on dry land.
And when you crossed over and your enemies kept pursuing you.
God got them right in the middle of the water and closed the water over them
Hosea wants them to remember…
That when you came into the wilderness
God provided shoes that wouldn’t wear out. Provided clothes that wouldn’t wear out.
And when you got thirsty, He gave you water from a rock
Point:
And Hosea asks the question, “What should God expect from you?”
Because of your covenantal relationship, should He not expect (Loyalty / Obedience)
But as a result of your own selfishness (greed / narcissistic behavior)
You have violated your vows to your God.
As a nation, you are in breach of your covenant and now God will announce judgment on you.
Point: The three themes that you will find in the book of Hosea (sin, judgment, and salvation)
Read: Hosea 1:2-3
The Lord spoke to Hosea (Hosea – means salvation) and said I want you to take a wife of harlotry
A wife of whoredom and I want you to have children of whoredom.
Explain: Hose married Gomer / The wife of whoredom
Now, Gomer was not a harlot when Hosea married her / For she was pure when he got her
But God is speaking towards her character and what she will prove to be in time.
In time, Gomer will prove to be a wife that is plagued with immorality and possessing
The spirit of whoredom.
And taking her husband’s love for granted, she will invite strangers into her marriage bed
Breaking and defiling her commitment (covenant) that she made with her husband.
Point:
And don’t you think for one minute that this is a isolated problem that only plagues Gomer.
You and I have entered into covenant with God and that covenant is a solemn promise
That covenant has obligations and expectation
In that covenant we are obligated to…
Love one another, just as Christ loves us
Express Joy in our character
Possess a Gentle spirit
Develop self-control
See, when you are in covenant with God, you violate the covenant when you want to give people a piece of your mind\
Being in covenant with God should bring you closer to the One you love.
God has been too good to us for us to purposely violate or obligations to the covenant.
Point:
And as we fulfill our obligations to our covenant with God
We rid ourselves of…
Hatred, strive, envy, immorality, idolatry, jealousy, outbursts of anger
Disputes, dissensions, drunkenness…
But when those emotions live comfortably in our hearts
We become unfaithful to our commitment / We defile the marriage bed
And we become possessors of the spirit of whoredom (harlotry)
Point:
Israel had forgotten how God had been a faithful husband to her
And has defiled herself with idolatry and idol worship and began trusting in her own beauty
Being lifted up with pride and finding righteousness in herself / And not needing her husband
Read: Hosea 1:8-9 (I am not your I AM)
God told Hosea to tell Israel of her abomination
Go tell her she was nothing. That her nativity is nothing special
Her father was an Ammorite. Her mother was a Hittite
When you were born they didn’t even cut the naval cord.
Nobody cared enough about you to do it. They didn’t even wash the blood from you
Nobody clothed you. If fact they threw you out into an open field
But I came by and I saw you squirming in your own blood
And I’m the one that said to you, live
I’m the one that fed you with fine flower & olive oil
I put an earring in your ear / Bracelet on your arm (You were naked and bare)
I entered into a covenant with you, but you begin to trust in your own beauty
And begin to follow after other gods
And I am the God that said, “You shall have no other gods before Me”
Then you begin to play the harlot (But you were worse than a prostitute)
You were worse than your sister Sodom & Gomorrah
(At least they got something for their favors)
But you gave yours to anybody that would ask.
And that’s how God feels when you allow anybody or anything to have the place in your life
That belongs to God
Point:
But watch the love of the covenant keeping God.
Conclusion:
God communicates through Hosea, whose name means salvation, and says tell Israel
“I know you messed up. You messed up bad. And you are not doing too good right now.”
But I still want to save you.
I am just going to wipe it away. I am going to get rid of your sin.
I am going to give you a clean start.
Statement: If there is nothing else to shout about, that’s us.
We messed up and we are not doing too good right now.
But thank God by the power of the gospel and His son
He stands up and says, “I still want to save you.”
You are not right, I know you are not right, but I still want to save you.
(Rom. 5:8) – (God commend His love toward us… while we were yet sinners…)
He didn’t wait for you to try to get right.
He didn’t say, wait until tomorrow, they may come to their senses.
(while we were yet sinners…)
And He is saying to us today, I still want to save you.
Point:
If you are in this audience and you are not a child of God.
I am pleading with you and giving you this message from God, and He says:
I still want to save you. You can still come to Me. I am standing at the door knocking.
All you have to do is open up and let Me in.
If you are willing to (hear, believe, repent, confess, baptism)
You can leave this place a child of God (saved, sanctified, justified, set apart)
Go on your way rejoicing because God wants to save you!