books, but great, great truth. I like the title under this, The Strangest Book of the Bible. I don't know if that's true or not. There's a lot of strange things in the Bible, and God uses all kinds of strange and different, what seeming to us to be extraordinary measures to get the attention of his people. And the strange things in the Hosea are no exception to that. Once again, God uses some extraordinary He commands his prophet to do some seemingly extraordinary things. Not just seemingly, they are extraordinary. But he does that, once again, in an effort to get his message across to his people. He works in a mysterious way. His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts higher than our thoughts. I would have a hard time if I hadn't done so today. And God has come to me and told me to do what He told me to do. He's in a number of different places. But the faith, the obedience to God, and God's communion. I didn't turn my mic off yet. It reminded me. There we go. As long as the lightning doesn't interfere. Thank you, Doc. I appreciate Doc. Also, by the way, let me say he has this week put up some information on the website about our cookout and about homecoming and about the revival and all of those things. And so I'm thankful that I'm also going to be changing the sign out once or twice a week with different reasons that we have need for revival. And the need is great as you if you saw this morning. We put it up earlier this week one of the ways to tell if we need revival is if if Eyes are dry and hearts are cold Eyes are dry and hearts are cold ones. When's the last time that you shed a tear? Oh over a lost soul or over the condition of saved souls that are not right with God, that are backslidden and away from the Lord. It's time that America, that we as Christians, hit our knees and shed some tears and beg God to change and to help us, to change us, and then through that to change our world and to use us to do it. But be in prayer for that if you would. Hosea, the strangest book of the Bible, Hosea chapter number 6, verses 1 and 2 says this, Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal us, he hath smitten and he will bind us up. After two days, will He revive us? In the third day, He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. What a statement. You think about that statement in verse number one. He says two things. He says this. He says, for He hath torn, and He will heal us. He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. What's that saying? What he's saying is God is the one that has allowed or caused or brought the injury and God is the one that's going to fix it God brought it to correct us just like you and I we punish our children if I if I paddle one of my children because they've done something wrong I'm the one that has caused the pain and And after the fact, I want to be the one that brings the comfort, the one that hugs him after it's all over and lets him know that I love him and prays with him. In that same way, only on a greater scale, is what God does for us and what God was endeavoring to do, God's desire for the children of Israel. When we see things, people say all the time, how could a loving God send people to hell? God's not the one that sends people to hell. God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. His desire is for everybody to come to repentance. Us, by our own sinful choices and our, you know, those that reject God are sending themselves to hell because God has given them an opportunity, a way of escape. But if they don't take it, if we don't take it, then He will send us to hell. He is the one, He is the just and righteous and holy God. but he's also a loving and merciful and gracious God and Hosea is like the other prophets as we see over and over again the the Old Testament prophets they warn of God's judgment and tell of God's judgment but always it's this is God's judgment this is what's going to come but this is what God wants is he really wants a relationship that's restored and if the relationship is restored then the fellowship will be right. God will heal up the wound. God will bind up the wounds. God will fix. God will repair the damage that God has allowed. And we need to keep that in mind. That is what happens in revival. As God restores, God revives, God repairs the damage that God has allowed. There's a couple things we're going to look at actually in our regular morning service this morning. We'll be preaching on the woman taken in adultery and some of that as far as God's restoration there. But let's look back at our notes. The theme of the book of Hosea. The book of Hosea is the story of a broken home and a broken heart. A broken home and a broken heart. The theme may be divided into at least four parts. First of all, the limitless love of God for His erring people. Even though, you know, you think about... I've talked to many parents and their children. Get away from the Lord and get away from what's right and go off into sin and make wrong choices. But a love of a dad or a mom for their child doesn't change. They can be hurt, they can be injured, but part of the reason, you know, I heard somebody say a long time ago that if you're going to love people, you're going to have your heart broken. The only alternative to having your heart broken is to not love people. And not loving people is not an option. If you're going to love people, people are going to break your heart. I think I've told you before, the gentleman that taught our youth ministry classes in Bible college, first day of class, he said, don't go into the youth ministry if you can't handle having your heart broken on a daily basis. Because he said, if you're going to work with young people, you will have your heart broken every way you can imagine. And they'll thrill you to death one day, and the next day, same person can absolutely break your heart. And raising children is no different than that, and probably on a much greater scale. The fact of the matter is, if we're going to love people, if we're going to love, then we have to be prepared to have our heart broken. But that doesn't change the fact that we love. That's why, you know, people talk about in divorce and different things, well, we just fell out of love. You don't fall out of love. If it truly is love, it will always be love. You can be hurt and injured and all of those things. And Hosea was hurt, but he still had love. God has been hurt. God's been hurt by us, but he still loves us. The second one there the incorrigible Rebellion of Israel the I think about whenever I think about that word incorrigible I think about oh, I don't know Fourth fifth sixth grade boy That's just incorrigible. He's one that just can't be tamed can't be you know, every he just is constantly messing around Constantly getting in trouble. He's incorrigible. I It can't be corrected, no matter how hard you try, no matter how bad you want it. And that's the rebellion of Israel. Then the enforced chastisement of Israel. And fourthly, the ultimate restoration of Israel. They rebelled, they were chastised, and they were restored. Over and over again. Doc talked about this in his class, talking about the different dispensations. What happens is the people are tested, the people fail the test, the people are chastised, and then God brings restoration over and over and over again. Sometimes it takes a long time. Sometimes it takes years, decades. Sometimes it's very quick. But regardless, that is the cycle that we see over and over again. Michaela has started a new section in history, and she's studying World War II. And she mentioned to my wife this week how often as she's been reading, even just this week, she sees things over and over again that happened that Adolf Hitler did back in World War II. And she says, Mom, it's just like what's happening today in our country. For a 14-year-old girl to recognize that, and for a lot of the adults and politicians and leaders in our country to either not recognize it or to ignore it, But history does repeat itself. It does. and those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. The date of the writing here, written about 725 B.C. and covers a period of 60 years from 785 B.C. to 725 B.C. Isaiah and Micah were prophesying in Judah. Hosea and Amos were prophesying in Israel, all at the same time. So, at the same time that we read the book of Isaiah and see what's going on In in Judah and you can read the book of Hosea and see how God was working in the nation of of Israel And you know, it's in the same way. I think about that you think about that and you look at today, you know the nation the United States of America is Not the only place that God is working At the same time that God is working here and doing different things here in America, he's got other preachers and other churches in Mexico and in Canada and in Germany and in Russia and in India and all over the world. God is working. God is working. God's got prophets. He's got, he's, he's got preachers and teachers all over the world. He's working and it's important for us to remember that as we pray for our missionaries as we give to missions and we Seek opportunities to expand our horizons and expand our areas of influence you think about the internet and different things different ways that we can you know just about Every month doc sends me a report on the sermon audio We put our sermons up on the internet and people can download them in in different states in different countries all over the world every single month The opportunities we have to reach out. I think of Brother Jack and that trucker's ministry. He's every single night and every morning ministering to people in all kinds of neighboring states around here and truckers that are driving all across America. The opportunities we have to do things like that today, if we'll take advantage of those opportunities, if we'll pay attention, if we'll do the work, if we'll invest like God has called us to do. Writer, Hosea. It says, Hosea, the prophet of the northern kingdom. His name means the Lord is my help. Let me get you all a couple of these sets of notes here, Brother Wesley. He said his name means the Lord is my help and what an important thing for us to remind if you guys want another set you can get another set afterwards, but you'll have to share for now the The Lord is my help what you know There are some things even this week that I needed that reminder. The Lord is my help I You know Will look under the Lord from whence cometh my help David said the the importance of us realizing Yes, there are people here on earth that can help us and do help us and will help us with different things but ultimately My help the help that I really need is from the Lord. We're gonna look at I Just to give you a little preview of the morning's service, if you look at Matthew chapter 23 when Jesus says eight different times He says woe woe unto you the Eightfold woe about different sins that they were involved in you see every all of those are Spiritual sins they weren't physical sins that they were doing they were they were and I'm saying they were they worked themselves out in the physical actions of the Pharisees, but really They were they were spiritual sins in the places that we need help. You know, our sin, the sin that takes place physically that we do, always starts in our heart. The help that we need is the Lord's help. It's the Lord's help. And people can bail us out of difficult situations and help us out in this situation or that, but ultimately, God has the help that we need. Hosea was the son of Berei. He was a man of sensitivity and nobility of soul. He was a man faithful to God at any price. What a statement. I would be honored if that could be on my tombstone. A man faithful to God at any price. Faithful to God at any price. Some will be asked to pay the ultimate price. We're all asked to pay a price in different areas in our life. The question is, are you and I willing to be faithful to God at any price? Many people say, Lord, I'm willing to pay this price. I'm willing to go this far with you. If you want me to go farther than that, if you want somebody to go farther than that, you're going to have to find somebody else. That's just not me. That's outside of my comfort zone. That's farther than I'm willing to go. That's more sacrifice than I'm willing to make. Whatever it is, God, this is how far I will go. But when we are willing to say, Lord, any price, any price, That's when God can really use us and really work in our lives and really work through our lives in the lives of other people. When we're going to say, Lord, whatever it is, whatever it is, what Lord, if my health is what it takes to accomplish your will in my life, then Lord, that's, that's in your hands. Lord, if my finances or if this relationship or whatever it is, Lord, I'm willing to pay any price. That's a pretty tough thing to do. But then and only then can God truly use us to the fullness of our potential. And we don't know. You know, my wife always said one of her biggest fears is that one of her children will be called to be a missionary in Africa. And she understands that if God wants them in Africa, then that's where we want them because that's where they'll be. They'll be the safest is in the center of God's will wherever that is. But at the same time. to be willing as a parent to say. I mean, there's a lot of parents that have stood in the way of God's will in their children's lives because they didn't want that for their children. I know parents that God has called their child to ministry and the parents have said, you're not going to do that. If you want, you're going to go to this college and you're going to get this kind of education and you're going to go into this area. You're going to go into this field of business. This is where you're going to, because that's what you're going to do. I don't want you to be, I don't want you to be begging for scraps from other people's tables when you go into the ministry or whatever it is, you know, The people that I know that I've seen God Take care of the most are the people that are completely surrendered to God's will that may be in the middle They may be full-time in ministry. They may be just serving faithfully in a church as a lay person But when they're committed to God, whatever you want Then God can work and by the way as a husband and wife in a marriage It's vital that both of them be willing to make that commitment be willing to say, Lord, whatever you want, any price. I know very close friends of mine that the husband, 20 years ago, God called him to ministry. They were married and he said, honey, I believe that God is calling me to ministry. She wasn't ready for that. She wasn't interested in that. And she said, I will not go. If God wants you to go, you're going to go by yourself because I will not go. Now, if you were, he had a good job, was making good money. She said, if we get everything paid for and I get financially to a place where I'm comfortable and you can quit your job and we'll be set for the rest of our life. And then you want to go into ministry. That's fine. Then you do whatever you want, but I will not go right now. They're divorced today. Both of them out of church. Kids out of church. Family is a mess. Because the husband can't go without his wife. That's one of the reasons that I'm very, very thankful for the wife that God has blessed me with. The different places and situations that God has taken us to in ministry and all of those different things, I could not do without the wife that God gave me. We were talking this week and I told her, I said, I can't imagine. I did date a couple of other girls and things before I married my wife. I told her, I said, I'm fairly certain that had I married anybody else, I would probably be out of the ministry today. I am so thankful for the wife that God gave me. But God works in mysterious ways. We have to be willing to serve Him and be faithful to Him at any price. He was willing for the sake of His message to endure intense personal anguish of soul. He loved His God and His nation without reservation. By the way, if you're not familiar with the story of Hosea, I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with it. God told Hosea to marry a harlot. On purpose, knowing that that's what she was. And he did. For the purpose of God showing Israel through Hosea's life what they were doing to him. And then she left him and he sends his children to go after their mother to try to get her back and he buys her back. Just like God does with the nation of Israel. Very sad but tremendous story at the same time. A great illustration. It was written from a very strange standpoint. He is called upon by God to give a biographical sketch of his own life and experiences. There were several reasons for this. First of all, the experimental reason. By marrying an unfaithful woman, it would be possible for Hosea to understand better than anyone the anguish of God's heart over the unfaithfulness of the fornication and adultery against Jehovah." In several places in the Bible, God compares His relationship with Israel to that of a marriage. Gives you some references there for that. Hosea could understand, you know, there's something about going through something that somebody is endured if you've been through it Then you can understand if you've been through cancer before then you can understand somebody that's going through cancer and the effect especially if it's the same type of cancer or you have a loved one that has and you can understand the the heart of a loved one that's going through or whatever the case is God used that in Hosea's life to make him a better minister Number two, the illustrative reason, his own marriage would become a walking and visible example of his message to Israel. And the number three, the prophetical reason, God would command him to name his children by those titles, which would describe the future punishment and eventual restoration of all Israel. Can you imagine that, being one of those children? Dad, why did you name me this? Well, because God told me to. and not very flattering names when you look at the names that they were given. The book is the 28th book of the Bible, 14 chapters, 197 verses, first of the 12 books of minor prophecy. The purpose is to help reveal God's yearning love for His unfaithful people, Israel. The Spirit of the Lord helps us to understand that broken laws also break God's heart As one author suggested, Hosea illustrates the love that many waters cannot quench. That's a reference there to Song of Solomon, chapter 8, verse 7. The divisions. First of all, the personal section, chapters 1-3. Significance of the names of the children in chapter 1-2. And then the sin of Gomer, that's his wife. Gomer was that's not Gomer pile like Gilgins Island. That's the That's his wife. Yeah that sympathy and understanding of Hosea then secondly the political and prophetical section chapter 4 through chapter 14 Israel's intolerable sin Israel's impending judgment Israel's inevitable restoration Some facts about the book. It was a time of great prosperity. You remember it said some things about that in Isaiah. A time of great prosperity. Military victories in the past that enlarged the land. Trade was flourishing. Several forms of religion were observed. At the same time, the nation was decaying. The people were discontent. There was oppression from corrupt rulers. Baal worship with its wicked ceremonies was eating out purity and uprightness of the nation. It is said of all the kings of Israel during this time that they did evil in the sight of the Lord." You look back at 1 and 2 Kings and Chronicles. Every king that Israel had during this time says they did evil in the sight of the Lord. But just that paragraph right there that I just read, you look at that and you look at the nation of America today. So many parallels to what America's going through. Time of great prosperity, military victories, and obviously our land's not getting larger, but we've had some military victories in different areas, but trade is flourishing, several forms of religion are being observed, of course. At the same time, the nation is decaying. The people are discontent. There's oppression from corrupt rulers. Baal worship, I would say, particularly at this time, the Muslims and some of what we're going through, some of what we're seeing in our nation. Did you guys, how many of you saw the sign? Somebody send you a picture of that sign that was up in Dearborn, Michigan this last week. You should go online and see it. It's in front of one of their centers for the advancement of Muslims. I forget what the name of it is, but it says right on their sign, like if I put it down on our church sign, it's out by the side of the road. Something to the effect that we will kill all of the Americans and there's nothing you can do about it. Allah be praised. right on their sign out front. But we're in a country that's making a fuss about the Confederate flag, but we'll let people put things like that on their sign. By the way, just so that you know, there is a God and Family Rally in Columbia, South Carolina this Saturday at 11 a.m. There's going to be several presidential candidates there, some preaching, singing. put together by a good group of Baptist preachers, our kind of people. I plan to be down there with my family this Saturday at 11 o'clock. If you want to make the trip down there, you're welcome to go down. Columbia, South Carolina, it's a several hour trip, but I want to be there, but I also want my kids to be a part of it, and I think it would be good for them to be a part of that and see that. But just pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. for our country. I lived up there 15 minutes from Dearborn, Michigan for several years with my family, and literally the Muslims have completely taken over that community. I mean, they are the vast majority. They've pushed everybody else out. They've elected their own officials. They run everything there. If you go there, there's no mistaking, when you drive across into Dearborn, Michigan, it's like driving into a foreign country. And it's not the only city like that in the United States, probably the biggest concentration right now in the United States, but that's what they're working on doing all over our country. Assyria was about to crush Israel. Hosea was pleading with them to return to God and ask for help. This, of course, they refused to do, so God left them to their own fate. Hosea is quoted more times in the New Testament in relation to its size than any other Old Testament book. It's a smaller book, In relation to size, it's more often quoted than any other book of the Old Testament. The word return occurs 15 times in the book of Hosea. What does that mean? Revival. Revival. Coming back to God. Coming back to God. God's people coming back to God. Return, return, return. Hosea refers to Israel. continually as Ephraim, the first of the 12 tribes of Israel to backslide. When you see the name Ephraim that he's talking about there in Hosea, you'll see it several times in the book. He's talking about the nation of Israel. Hosea predicted the Assyrian invasion and he lived to see the prophecy fulfilled in 721 B.C. He probably ministered longer than any other prophet. The scope, the time of his ministry covered 60 years. Someone has referred to this book as a grieving husband and a grievous wife. Hosea has been called the Jeremiah of the Northern Kingdom. Hosea's contemporary prophets, as we saw earlier, were Amos, Isaiah, and Micah. His message was characterized by the lightning bolt statement of Hosea 13, 16. Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God. It's one of those statements that just strikes like a lightning bolt that just, boom, it hits you. And there are statements like that throughout the Bible that just is a lightning bolt that kind of sums everything else around it up. Hosea prophesied in the days of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Jeroboam II. The outline, first of all, tragedy in Hosea's home life, 1-3, signs reflected in the children, sins reflected in the wife, and salvation reflected in the husband. And secondly, tragedy in Hosea's homeland, 4-14, polluted people, punished people, and pardoned people. Some miscellaneous things. First of all, the breakdown of the book of Hosea. illustrative marriage of Hosea, the shame of Israel, the restoration of Israel, controversy of the Lord, chastisement of Israel, the days of visitation, prospect of chaos, the backsliding of the nation, the spurned lovingkindness of God, and the depth of divine love. description of Israel in Hosea. Israel is called the backsliding heifer, the morning cloud, the oven heated, the cake not turned, the silly dove, and the deceitful bull. All of those things in reference to the nation of Israel. Significance of the names of Hosea's children. His first son, Jezreel, in chapter 1 verse 4, the first little boy's name means to be scattered, primarily predicting the Assyrian invasion and the scattering of Jews throughout the nations. Lo-Ruhamah was a daughter. This name means no more mercy. This indicated that God's judgment was just around the corner. And Lo-Ammai, son. The name means, not my people, indicating that the Lord would disown them and no longer be their God. And then lastly, some practical teaching from Hosea. First of all, worldliness of God's people is the same as harlotry and spiritual adultery. Secondly, God's Word is always revealing. Hosea's constant plea was, hear the Word of the Lord. If God's people would just hear the Word of the Lord, it would change things. Then three, Israel's failure is a picture of the failure of the local church. Because of sin, the church is espoused to God, so she is to keep herself only unto Him. The heart cry of God for backsliders and spiritual adulterers is expressed in the words, How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? And then lastly, the final view of God's mercy to the repentant and returning one is found in His promise, I will be as the due unto Israel in chapter 14 and verse 5. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I do thank you today for the book of Hosea. Lord, I thank you that again we see your desire for restoration, your desire for repentance, your desire for a renewed relationship with your people. I pray that you would Help us to not stand in the way of that here in our church and in our own individual lives, in our community and in our nation. I ask that You would bring revival, Lord. I thank You for it. Bless our service here in just a few minutes. We love You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.