Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20080316.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Hosea: God's BALANCE Of Judging And Blessing His People
Part XV: God's Discipline For Deception-Breeding Pride
(Hosea 11:12-12:14)
  1. Introduction
    1. People need to trust one another to avoid hurting their unity and the effectiveness of their society.
    2. However, selfish pride can lead to harmful deception in group relationships as Hosea 11:12-12:14 reveals, and that in turn leads to destruction in relationships and harm to the group that God must discipline.
    3. What is so startling about this Hosea passage is the fact that one of its verses, Hosea 12:8, is cited in Revelation 3:17 in part to describe prophetically the current evangelical Church! Thus, we do well to apply the message of Hosea 11:12-12:14 to counter such destructive pride today (as follows):
  2. God's Discipline For Deception-Breeding Pride, Hosea 11:12-12:14.
    1. Hosea 11:12-12:6 relayed God's critique of Israel's sin, exposing she was guilty of deception in actions, which deception was typical of her patriarch, Jacob, and that God would to judge it as He had with Jacob:
      1. God charged that the Northern Kingdom of Israel personified in its key tribe, Ephraim, had figuratively surrounded Him with lies and deceit, Hosea 11:12a; Bible Knowledge Com., O. T., p. 1403.
      2. Even the Southern Kingdom of Judah had restlessly strayed from the Lord, Hosea 11:12b NIV; Ibid.
      3. Specifically, Israel had (lit.) shepherded (versus "feeds on") the east wind, or had tried vainly to gain help from Egypt and Assyria, playing "both ends against the middle" that would soon entrap herself between these two international foes, Hosea 12:1; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Hos. 12:1.
      4. For this reason, God would punish Israel and Judah, both nations being typified in Hosea's reference to Jacob in Hosea 12:2, and He would do so in accord with their wayward activities.
      5. Thus, as deceptive, restlessly straying patriarch Jacob had come to the end of his deceptive ways in being cornered between fleeing uncle Laban whom he had deceived and returning to Canaan to face his brother Esau whom he had also deceived, and where he had finally ceased his errant ways to cleave to the Lord in faith for help, God wanted Israel and Judah, Jacob's descendants, to come to the end of their deceptive dealings with Egypt and Assyria that they might trust in God for help, Hos ea 12:3-5, 6.
    2. Hosea 12:7-14 relayed a second round critique of Israel's deception, revealing that selfish pride had caused her deception, and God would judge that pride just as he had addressed the same sin in Jacob:
      1. Israel had been like a crooked merchant who had used dishonest scales to become wealthy, Hosea 12:7.
      2. However, after deceiving others in business to become wealthy, the people had proudly boasted that their wealth would cause others would think God blessed them, thus shielding their sinful deceit, 12:8.
      3. Nevertheless, God reminded Israel that He had once caused the nation humbly to dwell in tents in the wilderness journey during its exodus from Egypt, which state was meant to be recalled in the Feast of Tabernacles to keep Israel humbly trusting in God; thus, God would judge the nation by an invasion to destroy their homes and cause them to live humbly in tents once again, Hosea 12:9 with Lev. 23:42-43.
      4. Indeed, God had spoken often to the people by prophets, revealing there was iniquity in Gilead east of the Jordan as well as in Gilgal west of the Jordan, or sin throughout the land, and that He would then break down their false pagan altars, making them like stones in a plowed field, Hosea 12:10-11 NIV.
      5. The Lord again recalled how Israel's deceiving patriarch, Jacob had fled from his brother Esau to Aram where he had to serve as a lowly shepherd for his wife, and how Jacob's descendants by God's prophet had humbly been brought out of Egyptian bondage and been preserved by God's prophet, but Ephraim had come to treat Him, His message and His prophets with contempt, Hos. 12:12-14a,b; 12:10 NIV.
      6. Thus, for such insolent pride that was behind Israel's other sins God, He would judge her, 12:14b.
Lesson: In forgetting her humble beginnings, Israel turned proud, and deceitfully abused others as had her patriarch, Jacob, so God would put her back into a humble state so she might humbly trust in Him!

Application: As Hosea 12:7-8 is cited in God's critique of today's evangelicals (pastors in particular) in Revelation 3:17, God wants US (esp. ME) to AVOID failing to sense our accountability to Him lest we proudly abuse others for external ministry results that make us (me) look good before man, but humbly to heed God and deal HONORABLY in relationships, looking in FAITH to GOD for HIS BLESSING!