08-09-2024 Let’s Return to the Lord
Text: Hosea 6:1
This morning we’re going to look at a call to a nation to repent. To repent means feeling sorrow and regret for past conduct then committing to making changes to be better in the future. Our text is found in Hosea 6:1 where the prophet wrote: “Come and let us return unto the Lord for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up.” Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel. He served God from 753 to 715 BC, about 200 years after the split from the southern kingdom of Judah. Under the reign of Jeroboam II, the northern kingdom had prospered materially but had decayed spiritually. Jeroboam II was one of the most evil kings in Israel’s history. Those who were well off greedily oppressed those who were poor for their own financial gain. Virtually all the people had adopted the immoral behaviors and the idolatrous religion of the surrounding Canaanites.
Hosea’s role was to show how the people of the northern kingdom had been unfaithful to God, their provider, by turning to Baal and the other gods of Canaan. He was warning that unless they repented of their sin and turned back to God, they were headed for destruction. He spoke of God’s powerful love and fierce justice, and how these two attributes should affect how people live and motivate them to return to God when they sin. The people had broken their covenant with God and now they were about to receive the punishment God had promised as found in Deuteronomy 27-28. The book of Hosea serves as a warning to us today as well – which is we must also be faithful to God.
Our text is a call to repentance not only for Israel, but for all Christians. When we look at our nation today, we certainly can see a lot of moral and religious decay. This is evidenced by the division that is so pervasive throughout our nation. Everywhere you look you see an unprecedented lack of civility. Many churches are poorly attended because people are either too lazy to get themselves up to come and participate or they choose to put too many other things ahead of the need to attend church. But Hosea offers healing and help to all troubled people.
Hosea says in 4:2 that the people have departed from the Lord in their words by lying and swearing. We have to understand that words are always a measure of our spiritual condition. They reveal what occupies the mind and show the state of the heart as Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:33-37. It’s safe to say that most people have made profanity regular practice in how they speak. This is one of the marks of decay of a society. But Paul tells us in Colossians 3:8 that we are to rid ourselves of filthy language. Lying should never be taken lightly either. Jesus says in John 9:44 that Satan is a liar and, as believers, Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:25 we are to put away lying. Hosea also said in 4:2 that the people had departed from the Lord in their works. Guess what? It still applies to people today.
The three marks of decay displayed in ancient Israel were killing, committing adultery, and stealing as found in Exodus 20:13-15. All of these acts are forbidden by God as detailed throughout the Bible. And they are against the laws even in the present time. Killing brings danger to our streets and homes. Stealing exacts costs on us all. Committing adultery increases disease and ruins marriages.
Like the Israelites of old, people today have separated themselves from the Lord in their worship. As you read the entire book of Hosea you can see that he minces no words and speaks very bluntly about how the people have sinned. He says there is no truth in the land, no mercy in the land, and no knowledge of God in the land. Sound familiar? In our country today and even throughout the world, too many people say anything they want without regard to whether what they’re saying or repeating is true or how their words may hurt someone. Those in charge of carrying out the laws of the land refuse to exact punishment when crimes from theft to murder have been committed. And how can people know God if they never attend church?
Jesus tells is in John 8:32 that truth grows out of being right with God. David wrote in Psalm 103:17 that mercy flows from knowing our merciful God. But like the Israelites of old, people today have deserted God. Too many have no time for Him because they have found things that they feel are much more important. Truthfully, the whole world needs a great revival.
Every one of us need to listen and act on the call of Hosea. He is inviting us all to return to the Lord where we can receive healing. God loves us all so much that He will forgive those who return, ask forgiveness, and make the needed changes in their lives - repent. It’s not to late because He wants to pardon, clean and revive every single person that walks this earth today. None of us – believers and nonbelievers - are perfect. But as believers we can show those around us that we are different by being kind, showing mercy when others have wronged us, keeping the profanity out of our speech, and remaining faithful in our commitments to others. How we treat others can spark an interest in someone that may cause them to want to know more about how we can be the way we are. Never underestimate how an act of kindness or words of comfort can affect someone that wasn’t the target of the act or words.
It’s true that there are pockets of people throughout the nation that are returning to God. We hear about it on the news a lot lately. I recently read that since the removal of the dictator that led the country, thousands of people in Venezuela have dedicated themselves to Jesus. This is a good thing, and we should praise God every time we hear about it. But we still have a long way to go in this country and around the world to heal the Godlessness and ugliness so prevalent today.
The healing begins at home in the heart and soul of every individual who calls themselves a Christian. We must be sure that our own life is right with God and always do our best to live the way God wants us to live. That means being thankful to God, forgiving those who have hurt or disappointed us, and always being honest, truthful, respectful, kind, and slow to anger. When we fail, we must ask forgiveness for our failure, apologize to those we have wronged, and do our best not to repeat the same behavior. When we do these things, we will be doing our part in allowing God to pardon, cleanse, and revive the fallen souls of this world.
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.