DOOR OF HOPE THE (Hosea 2:1 - 15)

I. Introduction A. The prophet begins delivering a message of severity in verses 2-6. 1. In his disowning of Gomer, he was in perfect agreement with the severity of God against Israel.

2. Suddenly the prophet introduces a new note - from the language of severity, we

pass to the language of tenderness.

3 We find God's tenderness expressed in verses 14 and 15.

B. Up until now, Hosea had learned the necessity of the severity of God toward a sinning people.

1. Now God introduces a new note, the note of restoration.

2. Presently he will be commanded to an action which will interpret this in hit own experience. (3:1)

C. We have two matters to consider:

1. First, the Revelation of God.

2. Secondly, its interpretation to Hosea

II. The Revelation of God is Found in verse 15 Valley of Achor For a Door of Hope

A. Here God places before us two ideas and declares them to be inter-related. Humanity

rebels at the very thought of putting these two things together.

1. What are those two things? Troubling and hope.

2. We rarely ever put those two things together, we express it this way; in spite of my trouble I am hoping for the best.

3. Hope is the expectation that we will escape from trouble.

4. But the declaration here relates them to each other, only God has the wisdom and foresight to do that.

5. God is saying the troubling is the reason of the hope.

6. The valley of troubling for the door of hope.

B. Lets consider the ideas in separation.

C. First, the Valley of Achor or Troubling

1. We come face to face with God's severity with sin.

2. When we sin, the inevitable consequence is trouble.

3. Stanley Jones once said; "We do not break the laws of God, we break ourselves

upon them."

4. God has structured the universe in accordance with that truth.

S. Sin and trouble is the consequence.

6. Put your hand in the fire - the pain is the troubling.

D. Trouble is the inherent necessity of sin.

1. The way is hedged (verse 6) and hindered, thorn bushes to cut and hurt, what a

picture of the Valley of Trouble.

2. Jesus said; Wide is the gate, broad is the way that leads to destruction - root sense of word destruction is narrowness.

3. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life.

4. The way of sin is easy, the gate is open wide, the highway broad.

5. But watch out, it is narrowing until life is crushed and cursed.

6. That is always the way of sin - whether it be drugs, alcohol or any addictive

element. It always narrows to hurt and death.

7. Narrow is the way of life in the beginning but remember it broadens out into the

spaciousness of life.

E. Now We Come to the Way of Grace - Door of hope.

1. The troubling that comes in the wake of sin is the result of Divine law

2. It is our troubling that opens the door of hope.

3. Because of all her troubles, Gomer will soon say; "I will return to my husband

(verse 7)

4. Remember the prodigal son, when all was spent and famine set in, and the

troubling came, he said; "I will arise and go to my Father.

5. It was the door of hope for him. The very disciplines of God create for mankind

the door of hope.

III. The Figure of a Door Suggests Responsibility

A. An open door is of no value unless I pass through it.

1. It is of no use unless we return to the One who opened the Door.

2. It's when I make the decision that I will return to my husband, I will arise

and go to my father.

3. My troubles then have been my friend. They have brought me through the valley

of Achor to the Door of Hope.

IV A Whole New Way of Thinking For Hosea

A. The severity of God he understood and agreed with because he knew how he felt about Gomer.

1. But now he is introduced to something foreign to his experience. He is told to:

2. Go love a woman beloved of her friend. What a strange word to come from God

(3:1)

3. To love a woman who had betrayed you, must have run counter to all of his

natural feelings.

4. In spite of his feelings he obeyed God (3:2). She was still loving another man

and having affairs with many men.

B. But the message of grace said; love her even though she is unlovely. Rom 5-6 While we were helpless, Christ died for the ungodly.

1. Does this not sound familiar - While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(Rom 5:8)

2. Rom 5:10 - While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death

of his Son.

3. Eph 2:5 - Even when we were dead in sin, God made us alive together with Christ.