Significant and Secure in Christ - John 10-12

John 10:29 (ESV)

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

This is one of the most cherished verses in God’s Word.   In a world that struggles with belonging, identification of who we are and living secure, this spiritual truth is food for the soul.    Jesus is speaking and is telling his disciples and those inquiring about Him that those who come to Him have some specific characteristics that can give them spiritual and, perhaps, even psychological peace. 

1.  Whoever comes to Christ does not come accidentally or serendipitously.    Whoever comes to Jesus is drawn by the Father and given to the Son by Him.   Note:

John 6:37 (ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 17:2 (ESV)

since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

John 15:16 (ESV)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

We have the blessed assurance that we have a relationship with the Son because the Father has chosen us to be in that relationship.  That makes us not only blessed but uniquely special.  We have significance because the Father has established that relationship with us.  

2.  Once we have been given to the Son NO ONE can take us away from the Son.   We are in the Father’s hand and that security.  No matter what no one is able to take us out of His hand.  We are held firmly in His grip.    We may fail and fall and flail, but we are forever secure in His hand. 

In Christ we have both significance and security.   We are placed in His hand by His choice and we are secure in His hand by His love and power.    

The Reason for Hosea

HOSEA

(From the Hebrew yasha - to deliver - salvation) See how word is used in 1:7

Historical Setting

During the reign of four kings of Judah (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah ... all good kings) and During Jeroboam, Zechariah, Shallum, Menanhem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea (bad kings) - kings

Prophecy Against

Unlike Amos who was from Judah but prophesied against Israel, Hosea prophesied against his own people, Israel. 

Time Period

796 - 719 B.C. - Before the Exile and during the beginning of it (Captivity began in 721 B.C. (Pre-Exile & Exile)

Historical Theme - What did it mean then?

1. Amos prophesied an "unnamed" country would punish Israel - Hosea identifies them as Assyria

2. Point out the nation of Israel's faithlessness toward their God.

3. To call the nation of Israel to repentance and back to the covenant relationship with their God. 

4. To condemn the nation for their lack of faithfulness, loyalty and love for God.

Future Theme - What's it mean in future?

1. Hosea shows us that God pursues those He loves and will continue to love them if they repent. 

2. Hosea shows us that God delivers us from sin and our slavery to sin. 

3. Hosea shows us that despite our salvation we can all fall away from loving Him. 

Outline of the Book

1. Unfaithful wife - Faithful husband (Hosea is used as an example for the character God) 1-3

2. Unfaithful nation - Faithful God (Hosea is used as a mouthpiece for the message from God) 4-14

Reasons to read it:

1. You will want to read Hosea if you are tempted to break a promise you made with God or others. 

2. You will want to read Hosea if you ever had someone hurt you by breaking a promise or vow they made to you. 

3. You will want to read Hosea if you doubt God's unconditional and sustaining love

Practical Theme - What does it mean for me today?

1. God sometimes asks His servants to do very hard things so that He (God) can make an example out of them (Hosea had to married a harlot, who eventually, would leave him and return to her harlotry, forcing Hosea to take her back despite her unfaithfulness.) (Hosea 1-3)

2. God will deliver us despite our unfaithfulness (Hosea 1:7 c.f. 3:1)

3. God sees our sin and how we leave Him for the things that tittilate us (but still will take us back)(Hosea 2:5-13)

4. When God deals with His children it is for the purpose of turning us back to Himself (Hosea 2:14ff) - He might bring trouble to us (Achor) but it turns the valley into hope.

5. Rejection of God's truth and the knowledge that comes with it puts man in a the position of judgment - Hosea 4:1-6

6. When we reject God's truth we put Him at arm's length away from us - Hosea 5:6, 15

7. God's grace is sufficient to save - Hosea 6 (sound anything like Romans?) 

8. God is a God who observes "the law of the harvest" - what you sow you reap -Hosea (7:2; 8:4,7; 9:1; 10:12, 13)

Man’s Disobedience - God’s Wrath - Hosea 8-14

Hosea 8:4-6 (ESV)

They made kings, but not through me.

They set up princes, but I knew it not.

With their silver and gold they made idols

for their own destruction.

I have spurned your calf, O Samaria.

My anger burns against them.

How long will they be incapable of innocence?

For it is from Israel;

a craftsman made it;

it is not God.

The calf of Samaria

shall be broken to pieces.

In the later part of the book of Hosea we are reading the God’s complaint against Israel and their rejection of Him.   Hosea was sent to deliver this message and it is truly a doom and gloom and turn or burn message.  The indictment against Israel is very clear.  They turned from God to idols.  These were idols they crafted out of their own hands and then worshipped them.   They selected leaders with no consideration of what God wanted or who He wanted to lead them.    Their rejection of God brought on the anger of God.    Later in the book we will read more about God’s anger:

Hosea 11:8-9 (ESV)

How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils within me;

my compassion grows warm and tender.

I will not execute my burning anger;

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

for I am God and not a man,

the Holy One in your midst,

and I will not come in wrath.

God’s anger is based upon His justice.   His anger is not like our anger.  Ours is out of our selfishness and need for comfort.   The nation of Israel did not acknowledge God in their live and God’s anger corrected their behavior.   

Human Governance Should Be Based Upon Justice - Proverbs 20-21

Proverbs 21:12 (ESV)

The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;

he throws the wicked down to ruin.

When a Godly man sees the wicked and their storage of "things" they don't become envious ... or, at least, they shouldn't.   Solomon is giving us insight, here, into how a Godly man, in authority, will act when they "consider" the house of the wicked.  In Psalm 73, Asaph, at least for a moment, envied the sinner when he saw their prosperity.   

Psalms 73:1-3 (ESV)

A PSALM OF ASAPH.

Truly God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalms 73:16-17 (ESV)

But when I thought how to understand this,

it seemed to me a wearisome task,

until I went into the sanctuary of God;

then I discerned their end.

He later came to his senses and that is what the above proverb is telling us.   Although the truth that all righteous people should "consider" (observe for the purpose of understanding) the wicked for what they really are, should be a norm.    The real focus of this proverb is directed to the "Righteous One", the one in authority.   The judge or magistrate is not persuaded by the wealth of the wicked and their home of abundance.  The judge or magistrate who is truly righteous is only concerned about justice.  When wealth is not a factor and truth is, the wealthy and the poor are judged the same.   We need to remember that the wicked are wicked.  The Righteous Ruler is one who fulfills Romans 13.  They are in power for the punishment of the evil doer and for the praise of those who do good.   It is not the opposite way around.

Romans 13:3 (ESV)

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

God is in Complete Control - Psalms 102-104

Psalms 104:14-23 (ESV)

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth

and wine to gladden the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine

and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

In them the birds build their nests;

the stork has her home in the fir trees.

The high mountains are for the wild goats;

the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

He made the moon to mark the seasons;

the sun knows its time for setting.

You make darkness, and it is night,

when all the beasts of the forest creep about.

The young lions roar for their prey,

seeking their food from God.

When the sun rises, they steal away

and lie down in their dens.

Man goes out to his work

and to his labor until the evening.

God is in complete control.   He makes grass grow for the animals to eat.  He makes the trees for the animals to live.  He makes the earth give forth food for us to eat and even drink.   He makes the seasons for our enjoyment.  He provides nighttime for the animals to hunt and eat.  He provides labor for our enjoyment.    God is in COMPLETE control.  

Obedience is the Catalyst for Praise - 1 Chronicles 15-19

1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Seek the LORD and his strength;

seek his presence continually!

Remember the wondrous works that he has done,

his miracles and the judgments he uttered,

We are to forever praise God and remember his works.  The above song was sung as a song of praise for bringing back the Ark of the Covenant.   The first attempt to bring back the Ark failed in a the death of one of David’s men.  They were supposed to carry the Ark on their shoulders by poles.  Instead David used a cart the firs time and when the Ark started to fall off the cart someone put their hand on the Ark and fell, instantly, dead.   This time David brought back the Ark the right way.  David said to the priest and Levites:

1 Chronicles 15:13 (ESV)

Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.”

So this song is not just sung in celebration of the Ark being returned to the Tabernacle.  It is a song to rejoice that the Ark was returned in the way God wanted it returned.  Obedience is the best cause for praise and worship.   We can rejoice and praise God for any reason.  But when we have accomplished something great for God and with God’s power and in obedience to God’s judgement, our praise takes on even greater meaning.   David broke out in song because he realized what he accomplished by bringing the Ark back.  It was a work of God through him, not by him.   This is why you see the phrases in this song to thank God for His deeds, His wondrous works, His miracles and His judgements.   In our society today we often write songs about our accomplishments.  We break out in praise of us.   We celebrate what we have done.   But in David’s heart it was not about him.  It was about worshipping and praising God for what He has done.  That is genuine praise.   

Complaining is the Worst Kind of Sin - Numbers 9-12

Numbers 11:1-3 (ESV)

The People Complain

And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

We don’t think about complaining as a big sin. Of all the sins we rank in our lives that might offend God, complaining would probably not be high on the list for most.   One of the most known list of sin in the Bible doesn’t even contain it, by name (but, perhaps in spirit):

Galatians 5:17-21 (ESV)

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Perhaps complaining is contained in many of these mentioned in Paul’s list to the Galatian church.   The heart of a complaint is dissatisfaction with your current situation.   When we complain about God’s leading us and guiding us we are, in essence, saying that God is not being good to us.   We are saying to God, “You could do better.”    But that mindset begins with the thought that we deserve something more than we are getting.   In the above passage the people were set free from being slaves to the Egyptians.   That should have given them much joy.  But instead they complained: 

Numbers 11:4-6 (ESV)

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

They should have been punished for all their sins while in captivity, but instead God redeemed them from that captivity.    Jeremiah, in the book of Lamentation, says it this way:

Lamentations 3:39 (ESV)

Why should a living man complain,

a man, about the punishment of his sins?

Complaining is a natural outcome of sin in our lives.  If we boil down Adam and Eve’s original sin in the garden, it was based upon their lack of contentment for what God had provided them.  Their rebellious nature was centered in a complaint that they were not getting what they thought (by Satan’s prompting), deserved.   Satan, himself, was cast out of heaven because he was complaining about his status.    The spirit of complaining is a dangerous sin and it brings necessary punishment by God.