# Make His Name Jezreel

Key Passage: Hosea 1
Date: June 7, 2024

Turn your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hosea. The book of Hosea. It is our second week on the minor prophets, and the first of those is the book of Hosea.

Help me out if you remember or you know. How many minor prophets are there? Somebody just said out loud. How many? Twelve, twelve, twelve minor prophets. They start with Hosea and go all the way through the Old Testament. How many years? Anybody remember how many years the book of Hosea covers according to Schofield’s usher’s dates? Sixty, good, good. I don’t know who’s saying these things, but you’re right. I think Brother Andrew, that’s right.

Who did Hosea marry? Gomer, yeah, yeah, wow, what a name for a lady, right? And was she a good girl or bad girl? Bad girl, right? How did God use Hosea’s marriage to Gomer to illustrate? Somebody just raised your hand on this one. Somebody, how did he use that? Brother Patrick, you straighten your hair, you’re raising you, he raised his head, amen, amen.

Amen? Amen. That’s exactly right. Who better could preach on God’s heart is broken by an unfaithful Israel than a husband that had an unfaithful life and his heart was just breaking? And just an amazing man, Hosea. And we’re going to just take this chapter and try to finish this chapter out tonight, a little bit more of a Bible study than typical and try to draw some truths out of it. But we’re in Hosea chapter number one. If you’re there, would you say amen?

Good, good, good. Are you still tired? Are you still tired? We used to have one guy, he’d come in and he said, my tards are hanging out tonight, you know, my tards are dragging the ground, you know, and so hopefully your tards aren’t dragging the ground too bad tonight. Hosea chapter number one, would you please stand as we read God’s word together? Hosea chapter number one and verse number two of God’s word.

The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea, and the Lord said to Hosea, Go, taken to the wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms, for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, which conceived and bare him a son.

And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel. For yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it should come to pass at that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

Would you pray with me that God would maybe give us some energy, some desire to learn and grow, be more for him and that he speak to our hearts tonight? Would you pray that as I pray the same? Lord, it does seem like many of us are just tired tonight. Father, we do pray that would you give us energy and strength? I know you’re very capable of doing that. We ask that you do it. And the Lord, give us a hunger for your word and for you to work in our hearts. Lord, we need that. And these folks have been faithful on a night like this. And Father, don’t let them leave if you would, empty and the hearts, let them leave being full of fellowship, Lord, and all that wonderful thing, but Lord also your word. And when you speak to us tonight through your word, and Father, we’ll thank you and brag on you and praise for what you do. We ask for this in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Would you go back to that verse number four, please? Verse number four right there. We’re just going to go verse by verse for a little bit here. We’re in Hosea one. Look at verse number four, one more time if you would. And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel. Now this is the first son between Hosea and Gomer, whether Gomer had children before or not. We debated or talked about that just to touch last week. But they had the first child about God between them two, we know that for sure.

And God said, I want you to name him Jezreel. Most would say Jezreel means God scatters. It seems, if you study the word, the root of the word, it just really maybe a little bit more direct as God sows, like a farmer’s sowing seed, God sows. It can be interpreted, and some too, God scatters. But either way, God said, I want you to name this boy Jezreel.

Let’s keep going on this verse here, verse number four, just a moment here. And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu. Now, what’s significant about Jezreel or who or where is Jezreel? It’s a place in the Bible. If you remember, that’s where Ahab had his palace there. You remember Naboth and his vineyard? And Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard and he couldn’t get it so he went like a, I can’t get it. And his wife said, I’ll take care of it, big boy, it’s all right, you know, remember what all the story. And old Jezebel had Naboth killed and eventually Ahab got the vineyard. That all happened in Jezreel.

The capital seems to be Samaria, but Ahab, and maybe a few others, would use Jezreel as their palace, if you will, and that’s Jezreel. Now, Jehu, I remember Jehu. You remember Jehu? Oh, come on. More of you got to remember Jehu. This is why you remember Jehu. He drove furiously. I mean, he was like, we won’t say any names about the drivers amongst our church, by the way, you know.

We need one of those buttons where, you know, if you’re driving fast, it’ll change that tag out for Franklin Road Baptist Church. I’m joking. That’s a great church. But that helps to remember. And I’m joking about Franklin. That’s a great church. I mean that. I love them. But, okay, we’ll see, Kingdom Hall. It’ll change out for Kingdom Hall. How about that, you know?

But whatever, but that helps me with Jehu. Jehu, he was just, he was one of those guys running 90 miles an hour. He had zeal. And you remember, you remember that Israel and Judah, actually, all of them was in a battle. And the king of Israel was wounded. And so he went, and he went to get healed up in Jezreel. I remember the generals were still there. They had a kind of meeting, military meeting.

I believe it was Elisha sent her servant, and he said, go over there to where Jehu is and anoint him to be king and do it in secret. So there were all the generals are meeting there. And he said, come on out here, Jay, I need to talk to. And Jehu went out, well, amongst all the military leaves, went outside. And this servant of Elisha anointed him to be king, remember that? And then he went back inside and they said, hey, what happened? What did that messenger of Elisha want? And he said, well, you won’t believe it. He just knows to be king.

And it seemed like there must have been waiting for that, you know, because just like, I don’t know, the Bible doesn’t say this, but almost seemed like they said, yeah! And Jehu, man, he just, boy, kicked it in gear, and he took off. And he went over, and it began, it started in Jezreel, and it began to kill the descendants of Ahab. Remember he killed all those, that was in Jezreel, then he went to the capital, Samaria, and they killed many more of them. That’s Jezreel, and that’s Jehu.

Now, here’s the thing. Jehu was just zealous, and he fulfilled the prophecy of God about Ahab. By the way, he took care of Jezebel too. And remember he went there where she was and said, throw her down, and so on and so on, and the dogs ate her and all that prophecy was fulfilled. And God used Jehu to do that. And it was just a very bold, zealous man. And he fulfilled so much of what God did. But once he became king, he didn’t do a whole lot better.

And he worshipped golden calves himself. It’s almost like he was, well, let’s get it done. And he got it done. But then when he got on the throne, and he followed Jeroboam and the worshipping of golden calves. And God said, no, can’t put up with that, Jehu. And so eventually, now he had a reign for years. But God shortened it, he said, and he lost in battle in Hazael, I believe it is. Hazael, king of the Syrians, because of the sin. So just kind of want you to know what’s going on with, there’s Jezreel and Jehu, these people that is mentioning in this verse.

Now, I want you to notice something we’ve already read it. I want you to go back to that verse from before. Would you go back to verse in before there? You’re there with me? And notice what he says, and the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Now that little while, if you use Usher’s dates, it would be about 64 years. And Israel was, their kingdom was wiped out, and the final deportation, them taking the Israelites over to Babylon, whatnot, Syria, and so he’s predicting or prophesying this. If you will, the best I can understand it, and I think this is what he’s really trying to point out. Look, Ahab didn’t get by with it. And I told Ahab, you know, look, you’ve sown and you’re going to reap.

And then Jehu, even though he’s very zealous to fulfill what I said when he worshipped those golden calves, he didn’t get by with it. And Israel, you’re not going to get by with it either. It’s going to be a little while. And, you know, to the Lord, the day as is this is a thousand years, a thousand years is his day. And for the Lord, it’s 64 years. That’s just a little while. But Israel, your days are numbered. And they didn’t get by with it and you’re not going to get by with it.

Look, friend, nobody, nobody ever gets by with it. The world is good at promoting the evil and it sometimes looks like they’re getting by with it. But nobody, nobody gets by with it. Nobody ever does. There never has been, never will be anyone that’s gotten away with sin. Be sure your sin will find you out. It’s always true.

And God said, I want you to name your boy, Jezreel, because I want them to remind him of that place where Ahab and his descendants got what was prophesied. And actually the man that fulfilled that Jehu, then he turned around to worship those golden calves, and he got what was coming to him too. We never get back to sin.

I heard a story. I was in Bible college. I still on a bus ride one time in Bible college. I still remember to this day about a dad that told his son, now, boy, when I’m going to go to work, I want you to plant this sack. We used to call it, you called it burlap sacks. In Florida sometimes, those Florida crackers. I’m talking about Florida. The country people in the middle of Florida would call it croaker sacks. And Brother Andrew, have you heard that? We’re good, good, good, good.

I thought me and my mom were the only educated people around here. I tell you what now, you know, look that. But he had a big old burlap sack full of seed of corn. And he said, now I want you to plant the corn before I get back. And so dad took off work. And, of course, you know what happened? You know, he had a ball playing and went down to the fishing hole and fish for a little bit. And, you know, came home and told him he was hungry and ate and all that. He said, oh, man, dad’s about home.

So I went out there real quickly, you know. How many ever planted a garden? How many ever planted a garden? Something joyous about when you plant a garden, just seeing that seed pop up, you know. And he didn’t pull any strings. They weren’t straight rows. And, you know, you put a hole in there, and you might put a seed or two in there. And if you don’t put too many in there, you’ve got to thin them out later on, you know. And boy, you start thinning them out. You’ve got problems there sometimes.

And this little boy, he knew what to do. Dad told him how to do it, and he began to plant the seed and all that. Pretty soon he said, I’m not going to get it done. So he started putting that hole in there, and they would just put a handful of seed in there covered over. But Dad never knew about it. I mean, you can’t see, you know, through the dirt. You covered it over. We’re good. Dad came home, did you get that corn planted? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Aren’t we good at justifying? He got it planted, right?

Well, man, good job, good job, little junior, you know. And he said, how many rows? And he told him how many rows. He said, well, I thought that corn go farther than that. You know, well, I’ll be, you know. And the boy thought, man, I’m good. No problem at all. And I kind of forgot about it. And dad forgot about it until a little while later.

Those seeds started popping up. And it wasn’t one here, one on each side of the row. I mean, they started popping up. I’m talking about a whole lot. And when you have to thin a garden too much, you pretty much uproot everything. And pretty soon dad figured out what happened. And it wasn’t a good day for that boy, I’ll tell you for sure, you know. I mean, that dad applied the Board of Education to the seed of knowledge, amen.

I mean, you know, they say canoes are best paddled from the rear. That’s what that boy got that day, you know. Took care of business, you know. And we’re like that. Hell, I got by with that one! Until those seeds start coming through.

And God said, no, no, I want you to name your son, Jezreel. And he’ll be a living illustration to the nation of Israel. And if they just got right, God had mercy, but they did not.

Let’s keep going. Let’s keep going, if you will, here in Hosea. Let’s jump down to verse number six, if you would please. Verse number six. Y’all still out there? Y’all still with me tonight?

Good, good. Verse number six, and she conceived again and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah. If you can say that better have had it, amen. For I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away. Now, Lo-ruhamah means no pity or unpityed or no more pity. She was a living illustration that Israel in the sight of God had said, hey, God said, you’ve crossed the line that I’m not going to show you more pity. My mercy’s gone. No more of that.

Let’s just talk about that for a minute, just for a minute here. Y’all with me here? Kind of like God is, or you’ve crossed the line. A man or a lady, a person can cross the line with God. Genesis 6, I believe it’s verse number 3. Right before the flood there, he says, my spirit will not always strive with man. Someone can cross the line. God says, all right.

I think about the verse. I’ll read it for your, Proverbs 29, verse number one. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed. Here’s the sad part. And that without remedy. So sad.

Let’s try to bring it down. Okay, let’s try to break it down a little bit. For a lost person, someone that will not get saved and will not get saved and will not get saved, they can reach a point where they have committed what the Bible calls the unpardonable sin. They blaspheme the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit has knocked at their heart’s door so many years, so many times. And it comes to a point where God says, I’ve knocked and I’ve knocked and I’ve knocked and I’ve knocked. And you said no and no and no. And God says, all right, I’ll leave you alone. It doesn’t mean that the blood of Jesus cannot forgive them for the sin. He laid on him. The iniquities all. It’s already been shed for that sin, but they’ll never come to Jesus to be forgiven because the Holy Spirit will not draw them. The Holy Spirit says, I’m finished. It’s unpardonable sin.

Many of her me tell the story, the one that always comes to my mind along that line of the preacher years that go back of the day and who was preaching him. And they could tell the balcony, he could tell a young man was convicted him. And so the invitation time, even motioned for the, won’t you come down, had people bow their heads and tried to get him come down. And the young man stood up and the preacher’s thought, woo, it’s just great, he’s going to come forth. And he stood up and he turned around and he walked out.

A little while later, that young man got some kind of disease. I don’t know what it was. Back of the day, maybe tuberculosis that comes to my mind, I’m not sure. And it was going to be his life and terminal. And so the preacher said, I’m going to go visit that boy. And so the preacher went to visit that boy. Young man, I say boy. I mean, he was a young man. And he began to witness to the young man. He said, you need to get saved, you know. And the young man wouldn’t get saved.

And he said, son, you realize you don’t have much time, this is it. And the boy said, preacher, I understand. And I know what you’re doing, and I appreciate it. He was at Meena Roo. He said, but you don’t understand that day when I was in church and you kept pointing at me. And I knew God was working at my heart. And he said, I had all my friends around me. And I was battling it. And I stood up, and my side of my heart, I said something like this, I’d rather go to hell than walk forward in front of my friends.

And he said, when I said that preacher, something died inside. And I know what you’re doing, I know what you’re about, and I appreciate it. I know you mean well. But I just, they’re just dead inside and I just, I can’t get saved. And of course, the preacher tried to encourage him to do it. But there comes a point, and God says, all right, all right.

For a lost person, it can be the unpardonable sin. For a person, it can be what the Bible calls of the destruction of the flesh. If you look over in 1 Corinthians, would you please, chapter number 5, 1 Corinthians chapter 5, 1 Corinthians chapter 5, but can cross the line.

1 Corinthians chapter number 5 would you look at verse number 5 if you would please 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse number 5 here and um

He says to deliver. Remember, this is the man in the church. They were very sinful, very wicked. He was having fornication and looked like with his stepmom, maybe, his incest, very wicked. He says, not reported out in the world to see. And he gets on to the church. Actually, verse number two, he says, you’re puffed up, you’re so proud, you’re looking down your nose at them, and then you’ve not rathered mourned how to break our heart. And then at the bottom of verse number two, he says, it might be taken away from among you. You ought to be doing something about this. Not let it just go on.

But then he describes a little bit more of it in verse number five, the reasoning of it. Verse number five, he says, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. And someone, they’ve just, Proverbs 1 calls it the prosperity of the fool. And they’ve crossed the line and God says, all right, I’m just going to turn you over to the devil for a while and let him wreck your flesh. And it’s so sad sometimes. They see their life’s just physically so often just ruined. But God says it’d be worth that if they turn around and get right with God. It seems like this man did later on, second Corinthians don’t know.

But there’s a line where someone can cross and God says, all right, you want to live that lifestyle, you want to go out and that sin, and I’ll let you go out there and ruin your life. Hopefully at the end you’ll get your heart right with me after you see what that sin does.

Then one other sin or excuse me crossing the line. If you look over in 1 John, 1 John chapter number 5, just talking about we can cross the line. God told me, hey, no more pity, Israel. I’ve dealt with you for years and years and years and no more pity. My judgment is coming. And a man can cross the line, the unpardonable sin if he’s not saved, destruction of the flesh. Then I want you to see this, 1 John chapter 5, 1 John chapter 5.

And 1 John 5, which will look down in verse number 16, verse number 16, 1 John chapter 5. Not in the book of St. John. John, I think most of you know that, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. This is over in 1st, 2nd, 3rd John in Jude Revelation, right towards the end of the Bible. 1st John chapter 5, look at verse number 16, if you would. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.

By the way, you see someone in sin, what’s the first thing to do? Pray for. Pray for. Before he criticized, talking about it, pray for. But notice this what he says here. There is a sin unto death. I do not say that he shall pray for it. All in righteousness and sin. And there’s a sin not unto death.

I was at a funeral at Woodfinns and Smirley, oh, several years ago, and can’t remember who it was. I was not preaching. And the preacher got out. I was surprised. I was pretty happy with it. And the preacher told the story, he said, this man, I was, he said, I believe he was born and a Christian. I know a lot of you look at me because he lived a sinful life, and he said, I’m actually the one that had the privilege to lead him to the Lord. And he said, I believe there was some change for a while, but it just fell back into the sand, and he was living a very sinful life. And in pretty clear words, he said, I think the Lord just took him home because he would not get right. And he had committed the sin unto death. Yes, for him.

Even the Bible talks about it when someone takes the Lord’s supper unworthily, he said, hey, many have been sick and some have slept. They went to a grave early. And there is sin unto death that a Christian could commit. It may not be the same thing for every person as different individuals, but friend, this thing living in sin is such a serious thing. It’s always a sad thing when you see someone, and I don’t know, only God’s the judge. You think, wow, I wish I’d have got back in church. And they can cross that line where God says, all right. It’s almost like a dad and a mom and a child somewhere, and that child just misbehaved and acts up. And finally, mom or dad says, you’re coming, you’re sitting right by here. And God said, you’re not going to get right. I’m just going to take you home early. And then crossed the line. And God is using this child, this girl, no more pity. No more pity.

Let’s go back over here to Hosea, Hosea chapter number one. Y’all still with me tonight? Go over in Hosea chapter number one. Y’all are, praise Lord, you are still with him, but you’re quiet sometimes tonight. I’m not sure if you’re just tired or thinking or I haven’t seen any smoke in my ear, so you’re not thinking too hard, you know.

Let’s keep going. Let’s keep going, if you would, please. We’re in verse number seven. Verse number seven, but I will have mercy upon the house of Judah. I was talking to Israel, verse number six, no more pity. Verse number seven, but I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow, nor by spear, excuse me, sword, nor by battle by horses, nor by horsemen.

Now, here’s the thing we’ve mentioned before. Israel, the two kingdoms, remember that, Israel and Judah. Help me how. Was Israel, was it in the south or the north? Good. You’re on the ball. Judah, of course, down south. And I remember the north, Israel, they backslid in the way for God quicker. And God said, your days are numbered. But Judah stayed right for longer. And God said, all right. I got some mercy for you. You’re going to win some battles.

But notice how God wanted them to know, it’s not you that wins a battle. Boy, the emphasis of God said, now, Judah, I’m going to have mercy on you. But it’s not your bow. It’s not your sword. If you will, it’s not your military. Personally, you know, for us, it’s not… It’s not your strength, your energy, your intelligence. No, it’s God. Do you realize every good thing we have is from God? Well, I worked hard for that. Friend, there’s a whole lot of people work real hard in a third world country living in a cardboard shack.

God put you in America. God gave you the ability to work hard. These hands have earned it. Well, God gave the hands. He owns it all. God’s very clear to Judah. Now, Judah, I’m going to bless you, but I want you to realize, I want you to remember those blessings are for me. Every good and every perfect gift is from above. And coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no shadow of turning. Wonderful verse. If you want to look over, just keep your finger there. Look over in Proverbs 21, Proverbs 21 about this, how all the blessings are from God. Proverbs 21. Boy, I wish our nation would realize we’re not great by our own power. You said, the Revolutionary War? Yeah, you’re right, but every other war too. Any war we won. God.

Proverbs 21. And when you look in verse number 31, Proverbs 21, well, we’ll just start in verse number 30. Proverbs 21, verse number 30. There’s no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. No, you can’t go against God when God laughs. Have some derision. Here’s the verse. The horse is prepared against the day of battle. But safety is of the Lord.

You can do all you want to be the safest person in the world. You can take every shot they have and wear a mask. You can do whatever, whatever it may be. Yet if God wants to let you slip and fall, I think of a man years ago. He came one time. He sat back over here. Big man. I’m talking about, man, you look at, he’s intimidating. Woo, wow, I hope I don’t know. I don’t want to make this guy mad at me today, you know. We’re going to preach a nice message today, you know. And it came one time. And a big fellow back there. And I’m not talking about big like this. I’m talking about just big and muscular and strong. And it was just a little while after that. There’s a little ice storm. And he had stepped out and he slipped and fell, hit the back of his head. Didn’t think anything of it. And…

Somebody wanted to go to the store for something, and then he went. He said, oh, I’m fine. I feel a little bad, but I’m all right. He went to the store, came back. First time I met him after that, he was in ICU over here, and bleeding on the brain. And they had all the monitors set up on him, and I witnessed to him. I was there. I don’t know saved or not. One of his family members got saved, but you’d have never dreamed of looking at that man. Wow.

I don’t want to say anything against that guy, but just one fault. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety, that’s of the Lord. And Judah, you’re going to have some victories, but I want you to know, I want you remember where your victories are coming from.

Now let’s keep going. We’re back over here in Hosea. Back over here in Hosea, we’re going to try to get this chapter done. Amen. Wow. You don’t believe we’re going to finish the chapter, do you? We’re going to do it. We’re going to try. Verse number eight, we’re in verse number eight, Hosea one, and verse number eight, if you would, please.

Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi, for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Wow.

God’s telling Israel, I’m taking my hands off of you. I’ve been putting up with it long enough, God’s saying. Can I just say this? You can’t walk over God repeatedly? Comes a point, God says, all right, all right. God’s telling Israel, you’re going your own now, I’m not your God anymore. And go off and do your own thing now. A very sad thing.

Can I just say this? And I understand things change, and I’m not trying to preach, and lose your salvation. In the book of Hosea’s wonderful books, you teach you can’t when you read it all. But let’s just stop and talk about this. This is Bible here. And he said, no, you’re not my people. I’m not your God anymore. And let’s just talk about for just a moment here how God deals with Israel, Israel’s people.

Can I just say this in relationships and situations? Forgiveness is given. You ought to forgive. If I don’t forgive someone, God’s not going to forgive me. I’m still his son. Matthew 6. Now you’re still saved on your way to heaven. But your father, your father, which is everyone, won’t forgive you. You won’t have close fellowship. You won’t be close to your heavenly Father. Still saved.

But God says, look, all right. And so forgiveness, I’m to forgive anybody, but trust is something you earn. And Israel just kept going against God, keep going against God, keep going against God, and finally God said, all right. And I said you’re on your own. And there’s sometimes with situations, it’s just not that you don’t forgive someone or a situation, but friend there’s a time. You say, hey, you know, I’m not going to be a fool and keep walking in there and getting killed every time. You understand what I’m saying?

And you say, I’m forgiven, yes, and I’ll forgive them, but trust is something they got to earn. And even God dealing with Israel said, hey, not your God right now, you’re not my people. And there’s some times in situations, you’ve got to say, hey, back away from there. I’m not going to keep getting hurt repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, into where I’m bleeding out, if you will. God said, all right. I want you to think about that a little bit. Maybe, Lord, help us in that learn how to deal with situations sometimes.

But it doesn’t end there, doesn’t end there. Let’s end this chapter. Praise Lord, doesn’t end there. Would you look down, and would you look down to verse number 10? And God just told him, now you’re not my people, I’m not your God. But look at this. In the midst of this, God gives wonderful promises to Israel in the future. Would you look at this in verse number 10?

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbered.” He’s given him four-part promise. He said, one day Israel, yes, judgment’s coming. But one day you’re going to be so big, it’s just going to be a huge nation. God says, it’s going to come one day. Let’s the first thing, first of four promises.

Let’s keep going. “And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto thee, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”

Let’s just talk for a minute here with Israel. It was God’s promises. I had someone we were over here working on these trailers years ago, and a man of our church at the time said, hey, pastor, what about these promises to Israel? Is that for the people or for the land? I said both. Meeting for the people, a million for the land. It’s talking about here, the land, the place.

Friend, yes, God let Israel be scattered all over the world. It’s amazing how God has kept that race of people. It’s amazing. Just that you can study through history. Amazing. But they lost that land, but God said, no, no, they’re going to have that land, that place. And it began to be fulfilled, of course, in 1948 when Israel came back and they became a nation again there in that land. And then, 1967, the Six-Day War was amazing. The Six-Day War was just amazing. I love to study about it. It was Egypt and Jordan and Syria and maybe a little bit of other countries, but those three major countries and their power, how many much… multiplied planes they had in Israel and so on and so on and yet in less than a week Israel just wiped them off the map and just everybody’s kind of jaw was dropped open and Israel gained more land they gained Jerusalem was a very significant at that time.

And they’ll gain more land. They’ll gain all the land that God has given them at one point. They’re not there yet. But let me just say something. We as Americans and as our presidents must be very careful when we start talking about a two-state solution and dividing the land that God said, no, that land is for Israel. We must be very, very careful with that. And God said Israel is going to have that land. And we’ll go against God. See, and no other land is Israel too. And he says, now Israel, this place, right now you’re going to be dispersed than they were. But you’re going to come back, you’ll get the land. It’s your land. These are some of the promises God’s giving them even while his judgment is on them. He’s foretelling of these blessings.

Let’s keep going over here. We’re in, well, I think it is, verse number 11, verse number 11. “Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together.” God said, one day Israel, you’re going to be one nation again. I’ve been divided. God said one day, you’re going to be one again. By the way, that’s fulfilled. I don’t know about fully fulfilled, but it will be. And appoint themselves one head. You won’t have two divided kingdoms. You’ll have one leader. Eventually that will be Jesus Christ. And he’ll set on the throne of David here on the earth in the millennium reign.

“And upon themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.”

Now remember the very beginning we talked about the word Jezreel. It has to do with God scattered or God was sowing seed. It’s almost as if God’s saying, look, it’s going to be a great day when I plant Israel back in that land that I’ve given it in. Great is the day of Jezreel. God’s going to sow. He’s sown his people there in that land.

Now just for a moment here, let’s just try to apply this for a little bit here. Remember, this is time. He’s saying judgment’s coming, but God even in his wrath looks ahead. So there’s times for you and I that we get chastened by God. In fact, if you never get chastened, if God never spanked you, God says you’re not my son, my daughter, because everyone, everyone, every son whom I receive, I chasten. See, Hebrews 12. None of us are always right. We all sin. My truth is all of us sin every day. Whatever not of faith is sin, we all do something out of lack of faith every day. And we all get chastened.

And during this time of chastening, well, you just feel so empty. You don’t have the joy. You’re not having answers to prayer. You’re not getting the things accomplished for God like you want to. Your life just seems like it’s coming unraveled and you’re not happy and you’re miserable because you know you’re not right with God, and he’s chastening you, and you’re trying, hopefully you’re at least trying to get back there.

Can you just stop for a second at that time? So what’s God like? He’s looking ahead when you’re close to him again. He’s looking ahead to when you get back right for God. He’s looking ahead when he’s hearing you in the prayer closet and you have sweet, warm time together. He said, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, Jeremiah, that’s talking about times when they’re getting judged. They said, they’re not thoughts of war and hatred. They’re thoughts of peace. Isn’t it wonderful? Even when you and I, we all go through those stages. And God says, hey, I’ve got something out there for you in the future. I want to get back close to you. I’m going to use you again. I’m going to have joy in your life again. We’re going to have peace in your life again.

Friend, the best thing we can do is say, hey, Lord, I want to keep my eyes on that right there. I want to work towards that. Now I want to get back where we have that sweet fellowship, that warm joy again. God Almighty is talking to Israel. He says, oh, I’m not going to have any more pity, but one day I’m going to bless you again, we’ll use again. It’s a wonderful thing. And even when we’re far from God, yes, God chastens. God says, I’m looking forward to the day I put my hand on you again. The glorious day.

Would you do this? Would you do this? I think I’ve got it marked or closed up in my Bible. Would you look over in Hosea? We’re there. Look in chapter number 10, if you would, please. Just a quick formula. You’re right, preacher, I’m there, maybe right now, and I’m far from God. How do I get back close to God?

I like to get back where I have those blessings again. It’s a great formula right here in Hosea, chapter number 10, wonderful formula from God he gives us. Verse number 12, Hosea 10:12 is a wonderful formula right there. Y’all there, Hosea 10:12? Amen. It’s a great formula. Here it is. How do you get right with God? How do you get his blessings, his hand back on your life?

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, and reap in mercy.” I mean, get your Bible back out, start reading them. Start confessing your sins. I don’t feel like praying, you pray anyway. I don’t feel like reading my Bible, you read it anyway. You start memorizing verses again. You try to start passing out the gospel. You just sow to yourselves in righteousness. That’s what happens. You reap in mercy.

“Break up your fallow ground.” Watch that fallow ground. That’s ground that once was plowed up. And once was tilled up and all the grass and weeds and everything was out of there, but we’ve let all the grass grow back over it. And it’s got weeds and grass, and it’s like hardened ground. And he says, all right, first of all, sow to yourselves in righteousness. You’ll reap in mercy. And he says, break up your fallow ground. Go back over there and till that land back up. Just start going through your life and getting things right. Start letting the Holy Spirit go through your life with a fine-tooth comb. Break up your fallow ground.

Then what does he say? He says, “for it is time to seek the Lord.” You’re not seeking His blessings. You’re not seeking all the answers to prayer. You’re just seeking the Lord. You’ve got to have you, God. I don’t live without you, miserable without you. I like to have your hand again. I like to know the warmth of knowing you get. I like to feel your heart beating. Lord, you’re seeking God. Seeking in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep and you get up in the morning. Lord, I’m tired. I need you this morning. At work, when everything’s going on, you whisper prayer and you’re just seeking the Lord at nighttime and you out in public and you just, Lord, I need you. You seek the Lord.

Is seeking. What does it say? “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, ye reap in mercy. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and reign righteousness upon you.” You get that sweetness restored. Joy is restored. The habit of problems all around you, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve got God’s presence. He’s reigning righteousness upon you.

So yes, when God does, he does chastening us, friend. Think about it. He’s thinking ahead when you get back close to it again. The best thing we do, I’m going to get right with your God. I want to get back close to your God.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes to now? Our heads bowed, eyes closed.

Maybe you’re there and you say, you know, I’m going to set my eyes on the day when I’m fully close to him again. I’ve not maybe did some horrible thing, but it’s just not close to him like I used to be. And there’s some things that just, I don’t have God’s hand to me like I used to. The first step of chastening of God is we just lose joy. I don’t have a joy anymore. But I like to get back and I’m going to set my eyes on the days when I’m fully close to him. I’m going to go that way with all I can. God spoke to my heart about that. I am, I’m so thankful when he’s chastening me, he’s still looking forward to that day when he’s blessing and using me. God spoke to my heart about that. If that’s you tonight, you just lift your hand and preach. That’s me. I’m going to go for that day when I get back close. I get to know me. Not that I’m drifting far, but oh, I’m not where I want to be, not where I used to be. God bless you. God bless you.

And I’m going to do my best. God’s thinking about that day when our fellowship is fully restored. I want to think about it and go for that, shoot for that. Thank you. Thank you for that little work in your heart. That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. Maybe here tonight, you say, I just want to thank God for loving me even when I’m being chastened. He still loves me. Now I don’t want to miss an opportunity to love him back. The greatest command of all the Bible, just love him. Now I just want to love him and thank you for loving me. Even when I’ve drifted from him, and yes, he’s chastening me, but he still loves me. I’m so thankful for that. And I just want to love on God back. God spoke to my heart about that tonight. That’s you, just lift you in the brain. That’s me right there. That’s me. God bless you. Me too. Me too. Oh, what a blessing. We have a wonderful loving God.

Would you please stand? Would you please stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer and our instruments will play. Would you come and spend some time of the Lord? Would you do that? Let’s don’t miss just loving on him for a little bit tonight. Thank you and get close to him again. Would you do that?

Father, help us to learn from the book of Hosea. Thank you for sharing and showing us your heart. Lord, too many times I strayed from you, not as close as I like to be as it should be. And yes, Lord, you’re chastening me, but you’re looking ahead to the blessings in the future. Father, help us to shoot and go after that, being fully restored to you. Thank you, thank you, Lord, for loving us, and we don’t deserve it. We love you, Lord. In Jesus, and we pray. Amen.

Would you come? Would you come? Would you come? Maybe you’re here tonight, and our heads bowed, eyes closed. You say, you know, I’m going to take that challenge from Hosea 10-12. And I’m going to sow to myself in righteousness, just reap in mercy. And maybe you’re here tonight. I’m going to put a direct challenge. You say, I’m going to memorize Hosea 10-12, and I’m going to try to put it into practice. That’s going to be one of my verses I have in my quiver, one of the arrows. I’m going to memorize Hosea 10:12, and I’m going to try my best to put it in the practice. That’s going to be one of my verses. I’m going to do that, the best of my will. I’m going to do that. That’s you down there, heads bowed and eyes closed. Just lift your hand, preach. I’m going to put that verse in there. I’m going to get it. Oh, God bless you. Oh, God bless you. Oh, God bless you. Oh, God bless you. Oh, God bless you. Oh, God’s God’s God’s word. How to just get back. To come and reign righteousness upon you. Oh, that’s wonderful. That’s himself. He is righteousness. He showers you with blessings of himself. Nothing like it. Amen.

Thank you so much. Amen. Thank you for being in church tonight. I hope we grow and learn from the book of Hosea. I’m excited about studying more. I need it and looking forward to it. And glad you’re in church on a, oh, not so beautiful Wednesday night. We’ll say it that way. Amen. And we’re glad you’re good to see everybody out tonight. And praise Lord for what was.

Original File: Hosea - Make his name Jezreel - Pastor Paul Chisgar Wednesday 22322