Rejecting the Giver by Rejecting His Gifts
Text: Hosea 7:11-16 Date: 8-9-26
A bird illustration
During the time of Hosea, Israel became caught between two competing foreign powers: Egypt and Assyria. Recognizing that they were no match for the surrounding empires, Israel chose political compromise over loyal dependence on God, even though neither empire was a true friend of the Jews.
God calls Ephraim a silly dove without heart. What makes a dove silly? The word silly (potah) means be simple, naïve, lacking mental capacity, subtle, deceive, be enticed, gullible.
Ephraim is like this dove, deceived and senseless with no desire in body, mind, or spirit to make right and wise choices. Their lack of the knowledge of God has resulted in a lack of wisdom, and thus they are now making foolish decisions.
Just as a dove is easily captured, so will Israel be captured by God Himself, but not in a good way. Since God has been left out of Israel’s political choices, He will have no choice but to insert Himself by way of discipline, pictured in this verse as the Lord spreading a net over them and capturing them.
2. Rejection of the Lord’s provisions: the stupidity of rebuffing the Lord’s gifts (Hosea 7:13-16)
**Rejecting God’s redemption (Hosea 7:13)
The nation had wandered far from God without any hope of a final destination. Any time a person wanders from God will be a time of no real goal, no ultimate objective, and no eternal hope.
Israel renounced their former allegiance with Jehovah in lieu of an allegiance with idols.
Israel’s problem was not God's unwillingness to save but their unwillingness to trust Him.
The nation’s rejection of God’s provision led to their destruction from His judgment.
**Rejecting God’s heart (Hosea 7:14)
The nation not only went their own way in following idols and other nations, they also rejected God and refused to pray to Him for help.
Their pride blinded them to the Lord who could help them out of their predicaments.
Truth: To desire material possessions more than God is to rebel against the One who alone is able to give what is truly good and eternally satisfying.
**Rejecting God’s righteousness (Hosea 7:15)
God had trained and instructed His people in the ways of righteousness. Ex. 18:20; Deut. 4:5-8; Deut. 6:1-2; Psalm 32:8
Application: God’s goodness in teaching His people these spiritual truths should have been received in a manner that brought God glory and a fear of His name. Instead, Israel turned this training and strength into a mischievous plot of evil against God. This mischief was morally objectionable behavior.
**Rejecting God (Hosea 7:16) - A bow illustration
What began as a rejection of God’s heart, His redemption, and His bountiful offer of righteousness and strength ended with the nation rejecting God altogether.
Conclusion
God had given Himself as Israel’s Guide, Protector, Provider, and Husband. Yet the nation exchanged Him for dumb idols that could neither see, hear, nor save. They rejected the Giver of every good gift for powerless imitations.
Sin always trades God's perfect gifts for cheap counterfeits that can never deliver what it promises.