Hosea 14:8-9

Tonight I’ll direct your attention one more time to Josea, as we reached the last of it, verses 8 and 9 of chapter 14. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him and observed him. I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found, is wise. And he shall understand these things, prudent, and he shall know them. The ways of the Lord are right, the just shall be right. The just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein. God bless to us His holy and sacred word. I read a story about a young man who had been married a year or so, and his wife was pregnant. and his co-worker showed an unusual interest in the pregnancy and, you know, several of them would come up every day and ask him how his wife was doing. And, you know, do you think today’s today? But he soon discovered that their interest was not genuine. The man had an office pool on what day the woman was going to give birth. So that was what they were. interest was and nothing more but greedy of greedy motive in the spiritual realm there are a lot of people who have false motives for calling upon God many a person on a sick bed has prayed for healing and made all kinds of promises yet as soon as he or she is feeling better but his promise promises are soon forgotten. Many who are in serious trouble in life have called upon God for a relief, but they still have no intention of changing their ways. In our text, God talks about true repentance once more. In fact, he closes the book with these words. So what you find here is a test, in our text, is what God has to say about true repentance what he expects and demands from those seeking you. Evidence of true repentance in your life, verse 8, you confess your attachment idols. What have I to do any more with idols, Ephraim says? You know, here is a time when they gave up their idols, we see. In Israel’s day, no doubt, you know, carved images and graven images were being spoken about. We must not think just in that light, you know, idols can be any false concept. that we put in God’s place. They can refer to anything you erect in the temple of your heart above God. Ephesians 5. 5 says the covetous man who is an idolater. A covetous man is an idolater so that he worships his money. Philippians 319 says, talks about those whose God is an idolater. their belly means their appetites are their God. True repentance involves then evaluation of your heart. To see what you’ve erected in your heart, what idols you’ve put up. One such idol could be self-righteousness. There are thousands all over the world which worship this God. And you can tell how they pray about it. Because they say, God, I thank you that I am not as other men are. I need the same style of prayer as the Pharisee in the temple, spoken up by Christ. You might say, well, Lord, I thank you that I am an honest person. and brought up my children respectively, respectfully. God, I thank you that I have been a regular church attender in all my life and, you know, I’ve given my tithe and so forth. God, I thank you that I am not, I swear, I swear, or, you know, I’m giving my tithe and so forth. you know, a drunkard or anything like that. We could go on and on and on. But you erect a little idol of yourself because you’re so good, so beneficial. Another idol you might put up his love of pleasure. God has given the believer all things to enjoy and this life. But God isn’t against legitimate pleasure. but pleasure must have its place. There is, there are many in this life who erect the idol and of pleasure and their hearts and that’s what they worship. That’s what’s priority to them. Do you live just to be entertained and gratified and excited by, this world and what it has to offer. Many, you know, are lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God. Now think about that statement. That means you put pleasure above God. And that is making an idol of pleasure. There are those who make their belly, as we said, their appetites, they’re God. You can live deep. eat and drink and enjoy the pleasures of food. But when you come to true repentance, you are ready to confess that pleasures was your God, pleasure was your God, and you’re willing to break it off. Another thing we could talk about is money or wealth. People worship it. There are those who are lovers of money. There are thousands who have forsaken honor and love and integrity and religion in their pursuit of the almighty dollar. Christ said you cannot serve God and mahmin or riches. One of them has to have the preeminence. Here’s what we find. Another title was the praise of men where there are those who in religious service, the circles are more concerned with being highly esteemed by others than anything else. Like the devil, they are lifted up with pride and they want to look important and impressive. They’re like the Pharisees on the street corner, you know, sounding the truble. it before they give out their money. Christ calls these people hypocrites. True repentance involves confessing that you were a Pharisee secretly worshipping the praise of men rather than the praise of God. The second thing we see here is the need to resolutely resolutely turn away from these idols. What have I to do with idols? Yeah, that’s a turning away, you see, from them. This is very personal. You yourself must do this. And Israel couldn’t speak for any other nation, but they had to speak for themselves, and we can’t speak for anybody else. speak for ourselves. If God has truly brought you to repentance, you will detest those idols you want to worship. This is an old proverb, Jewish proverb, it goes like this. O Nazarite, go about, go about, but go not through a vineyard, lest thou be tempted to eat of the grape, and afterwards drink of the juice thereof. There’s a great spiritual lesson here. Stay away from those dangerous areas that would bring us down. What have I to do any more with idols? Let’s avoid them all together, is the point. You know, realize that absolutely nothing can be truly enjoyed in this life, apart from the proper relationship. with God. That’s important that we realize that. Trouble with love of money. Remember, it is God who gives you the ability, power to get wealth in this life. God’s providence governs whether you maintain the wealth that you have. There was an Associated Press report where a man in Beijing out of China suffered a devastating financial loss at the age of 82. Distrustful of banks put his money in a container and hit it in the ground. Five years later, he dug it up, as you might use it. Somehow rather the container leaked. And the man needing cash went to get it, and it was all moldy beyond recognition. Christ has told us not to lay up our treasure on earth. Where moth and rust destroy and where these break in and steal, to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. You who seek the praise of men, remember you need the mind of Christ, who the Bible says, made himself of no reputation. upon himself the form of a servant, humble himself. Evidence of true repentance in your life here. A recognition of your sin and a turning from it. Secondly, how God responds when you call upon him in repentance, the latter part of verse 8. God is a prayer answer. He heard and he observed, and he observed, we read. It is only when you resolve they have nothing more to do with sin. Not until then that your prayer rightly finds its way to God. As Paul said, or excuse me, as David said in Psalm 6618, if I regarding Nicolian in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. If you would prevail with God in prayer, then make sure your repentance is genuine and not just a mouthing of words, but you are sincere in it. David, who is loaded down with all kinds of iniquity, adultery, and murder, and so forth, repented sincerely in Psalm 51, and God forgave him, as we know. Let your repentance be real also. Go to God. and wait upon his answer when you pray. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think when you seek his repentance. God is a protector. We hear about the green fir tree. Now, the green fir tree in the middle east is a protector. an exceedingly large and thick tree. These trees never lose their leaves. They’re evergreen. Thus, it provides a perpetual shade both in the summer and in the winter it provides some protection against the winter weather. So either against the sun of the rain or the sun, the snowstorm or whatever, there’s a protection that’s provided by God. God is our refuge in strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains we carry into the midst of the sea, when your heart is right with God, you’ll find his protective hand, you’ll find his protective hand, watching over you, keeping you safe, meeting your needs. Let the Syrian army, you know, surround Elisha, the prophet, trap him in the city of Dothan, and God strikes them all with blinds. Let the king send his soldiers to take Elijah by force. Fire falls from heaven and destroys them. When someone touches the king, people of God, they touch the apple of God’s eye, and he is one who always is a strong tower and a shelter for them, a shield, and a defender. God is also, we see here, a provider, fruit. Fruit about fruit of the tree. who seek the Lord and true repentance will find God caring for them. What does Christ promise? Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the necessary things of life would be added to you. The righteous are never forsaken, nor their children or seed ever found begging for bread. Elijah was fed by the ravens. The young widow finds her meal, you’re replaced each day. If God cares about the birds of the air who are rather worthless, we find that he cares about just people even more. I read a touching story about a touching story about a… Christian woman in Scotland. It was extremely difficult for her to provide for her family food and clothing, her children. But she trusted in God and lovelingly taught them to put their confidence in him, and he carried, he cared for his people. Well, the day came when her purse was empty, and she was down to the day. the last handful of flour in her big barrel. When the mother reached down and into the container and scraped up the last bit of meal in order to feed her children, she was bent over the barrel and her face began to waver and she couldn’t hold back to tears. any longer. Her little son, Robbie, heard her sobbing and began the tugging, tugging at her dress. So she lifted up her head and looked him in the eyes. In his Scottish dialect, he asked, Mither, “‘What are you weeping about? Didn’t a God hear you scraping? The bottom of the, the barrel? Well, in a moment, you know, her failing faith was restored, and she thought, oh, yes, God certainly heard it, and eventually he did answer her prayer and provided continually for her. We should always remember that God hears us scraping the bottom of the barrel when we’re down and out, and that he will provide what is necessary for us as we go through this life. It’s always the confidence that we can have in our Lord. Thirdly and lastly, you should learn a lesson here about true repentance. You are wise if you walk in the ways of the Lord. We look through this whole book and think it through. God would have you read and understand the truth which He has communicated to you through the Prophet, Josea. God’s ways are right, and therefore it is your duty to know and understand them. There’s wisdom in that. If you were wise, you begin with the fear of the Lord. and a reverence for God’s word. You confess that the manner in which God deals with human beings is basically affliction, comfort, judgment, and grace. That’s the right way. He knows how to deal with us. Therefore, you rightly approve it and live according to how God deals with people. And we have the Word of God to guide us in this. If you’re serious about repentance, you will be a doer of the word, not just to hearer only. We will confess about your attachment to idols and give them up. And you will know that the Lord will help those who are his people. His promises are sure. He answers prayer. He protects us. He is a provider for us. Let’s not be like the Israelites. Who ignored what God had said. We went through a terrible time of judgment because of it. Everything depends upon the Lord. May we not forget that as we go through this life. Let’s close with prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We pray that we might be strengthened and nourished by it. We might remember the lessons that we found in this book, and it may be profitable to us. Grant us grace, Father. grant us help, grant us peace. Remember us in mercy and bless us this evening. When we go home with joy in our hearts, and gladness to have such a gracious and good God as you are. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray these things with Thanksgiving.