An Uncomfortable Message

Hosea 5:1-3

Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

Herein is spoken the true history of the house from God's point of view. Remember how often he would have gathered them had they but asked. I know, this text from here on out seems to get no easier. Yet such is often the way it is when we have left off from God; when really, he has been standing in our midst the whole time. Here is how they knew him all along even as they were known of him. An oft-heard saying is that the way forward is the way back. Well, some of us would rather not go back to what was once. Now that is not because we dislike the past or even hate it. Rather it is for the simple fact that nothing is there for us now. Yesterday, today and forever is he God; behold he changes not because he is the Lord. Nor is time exactly stagnant and linear like some are prone to assume. For is he not the creator of such. It is not for nothing they have called him "yesterday, today, and forever."

So it stands unto divine reason and not to mere human standards at all that he measures time not as we are wont. Hush now, the God that knows his people intimately is talking. What a difference a few hundred years and a rebellion makes. Remember in .... how God had commanded the people when they became prosperous to make themselves a king among them to write from the book of the law and set his statutes before them. It seems the. That had these only done so would they not have also remembered the commandment therein to have no other God's before him. For the Lord God's own jealous sake and for the peoples keeping eas this done. Some have heard that little word jealousy and assumed a bad thing. You know how some of you do setting a guard over your house with all diligence lest the enemy creep in. Yet unawares and undetected it has so long ago in many different forms and guises. So then it seems that the priests and the king had ought to do with the other. How often do some of us put ourselves in the Lord's way when really some would do well to be out of it. Here God is seen as the husband who suffers long with his people for his great mercy and the sake of his kindness. It seems all time itself could not contain him, much less this house here that has been built with human hands. Small wonder then that for this the ages praise his name. For is he not the ruler of them all. So also the saints do praise him as one with voice "who was and is and is to come." herein is the pit dug for the people as a trap for which the unwary fall in. Let us look now at the two net ends anchored firmly on Mizpah and Tabor and see what of their fastenings.

And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

So it seems that these be a people whose feet are swift to shed innocent blood carrying many off with their much rebellion. My, what a contrast to those beautiful feet of Isaiah which proclaim upon the mountains that our God reigns.

Have laid on him the iniquity of them all. Herein so these do err against the body and blood of Christ himself. For so it is possible for those once enlightened, tasting of his goodness to be fallen again. As .... States yet then what of their rising again remains uncertain whether by his power or no. I can almost see the Lord now, 'no that's not right; back away from the cliff here; no, don't throw yourself off.' But how man in his infinite wisdom does so anyway to his eternal hurt. Revelation tells how the sins crept in through some teachers among the churches. From rest to me and then another succumbed to the error borne at the hands of those not sent from the Lord. Until at last, the church of Thyatira is tried in the balances and therein found wanting. Revelation tells how though he sent an angel itself whether fallen or no, yet still would these persist. So they continue on as the children of the rebellious, now fallen themselves, and in danger of the judgment. As some would are wont to sin against the Lord himself. Sure, the text speaks of God's children and not of the church at all. But it is almost the same that happened here, is it not.

So then the first as at the last require correction at the hands of God himself and not from mere men at all. Not content with their error also, so they drag many with them to the judgment. I know such a word is not popular and likely fewer listeners before God is through. Yet how many of you know the but God of today. You would have been down and out but for God. You would have been left for dead and hardly breathing but for God. You would have been of all things most unworthy but for God. Somebody shout 'but for God' today for well he deserves it. He that is faithful to remove the inquity he committed not also will rebuke the error that he sowed not. For such a time as this, forever and all eternity, is he faithful. Such is his place; as time goes on we will see it more clearly. I care not if he comes tomorrow. I will crazy praise him all the way to glory regardless of how many little books eaten or not for so he is faithful.

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

Now let us look at the Ephraim that is mentioned here. The name is found mentioned in Genesis 48:5 as one of Joseph's sons borne to him while among the land of Egypt. Later on these would become important as adopted into the house of Jacob and subsequent inheritors of the blessings by the household of faith. Yet how many know that not all faith is faith. Sure, you can recite that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. That is all, fine, well, and good. But even demons believe and tremble. See, Ephraim had faith enough to be brought before a physical family and adopted into spiritual one by virtue of his natural birth. Merely by being Joseph's son. Can anyone understand me on that? So it came then that God settled them among the lot of the other ten tribes where the house of Israel sat. Yet here with other places it seems some old habits die hard. How well Ephraim should have known the difference being once raised among a land of strange gods himself. Doubtless he would have known all his father Joseph taught having heard the stories and seen the scars. As a child himself, well can I imagine father Joseph saying to him, 'son, let me tell you a story.' Ephraim though he was but little would say, 'daddy, which one.' Then would Joseph answer 'once I was in a deep dark dungeon and only God could get me out.' Doubtless Ephraim probably thought 'that's nice, Daddy' as he resumed his play. Yet here physical adoption into God's house and by virtue his blessings does not contract into spiritual ones. How many know that is it hard to serve God as you ought on Sundays with one foot firmly planted in the world. So then the burden falls to Ephraim which really ought to have known better. Look here also at Ephraim's strategic location perched on a hillside just near the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. Here have the physical and spiritual fallen into disarray as whoredoms be they physical or spiritual that pursue the nation's fall. So also does Israel follow after much as a curious one does her larger brother's escapades. For then does God both see and hear. It is important to understand this in order to see what happens next.

*as he went back to playing with all the little gods that kept them in the land of Egypt. For there are many such gone out into the world. Perhaps you may know them by slightly different names. The god of yourself, the god of money, the god of success, and above all the god of this world that blinded their eyes. Should the eye then be dark, how great is that darkness.