HOSEA'S MESSAGE TO THE BACKSLIDERS

www.babylonforsaken.com

Hosea 11:1 ¶ When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Let's look at these passages spiritually, in reference to the New Testament Church [the true Israel of God].

All men are born into Spiritual Egypt, which is the world of sin. They are born and live as Egyptians, that is as sinners.

Yet God, in his love and affection calls us as Children, as his very own Children. He calls us to come to him, to come and worship him outside of the land of Egypt. Yes, God calls us, he calls all saying: "Whosoever will let him come"... "Whosoever will come, I will in no wise turn you away!"

We must only answer the call, and make the decision in our will, that we are willing to come, we are willing to leave the land of Egypt behind us. The whole work then hedges on our decision. Shall we heed the heavenly voice and come? Shall we leave Egypt behind us? If the decision is made, and the answer is YES, then God moves us.

Hosea 11:3 "I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them." -NKJV

You see, as long as we are Egyptians, we cannot walk toward God, in fact as long as we live in this tabernacle of sinful flesh, we cannot perform the works of GOD. Everything must be accomplished through the Spirit of GOD. Even our repentance is a work of God, which is explained by the Apostle Paul:

It is written: Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? - Romans 2:4

And here God shows us how he accomplishes it: When we hear the call, and respond with a decision of the will, God comes to us, and he takes us by the arms, as with a very small child and causes us to walk out of Egypt. Isn't that a wonderful picture of our God? Can you imagine Jehovah reaching his big ole' loving hands down and empowering us to walk?

The 'knowest not' Illustration

When you take a small child who is just learning to walk, and you hold him up by his arms, how does that child feel? He is excited. He wants to run, he thinks that he is walking on his own power.

And sometimes that is how we are: Some times we forget or don't know, that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. It is the goodness of God that actually moves us out of the Egyptian bondage.

Sometimes we give credit to ourselves. We give credit to a strong will, or to our tears and prayers, but this walk out of Egypt, this freeing from the bondage of sin, is wholly done by the grace of GOD and the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Yes the Will must answer the call of God, the Will must purpose to be free from the chains of Bondage, but it is God who comes and carries us out of the pollution. It is God who breaks the chains of sin and vice. It is God who empowers our walk.

REPLACING THE YOKE OF SIN, WITH CORDS OF LOVE

Hosea 11:4 "I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them." - NKJV

Jesus said that no man can come to him except his Father draw him. How does God draw men to him? By the gentle cords of love, made known to the heart by the blessed Holy Spirit.

Notice the illustration again of a Father and a small child, here God stoops and feeds the children that he is leading out of Egypt. As you may stoop down to reach a very young child a piece of bread, And no doubt he is feeding them with the "Bread of Heaven", the precious word of God.

Also notice what comes off of the child as they are drawn closer to God and fed.... It is the yoke of bondage. God takes it from off their neck. It is the yoke of sin, that satan had placed there, and it is removed. The child ceases to be a servant of sin, and becomes a servant of righteousness.

But also note that the child is not without any cord to hold him, for the cord of love is still about him. As Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for My yoke is easy and my burden is light". The child that leaves Egypt is not without a Master, but has a much better Master, one that deals with them as an ever wise and loving Father.

THE BACKSLIDING CHILDREN

1. BACKSLIDING IN HEART

Only if this was the end of the story! But it is not, the word of the Lord does not stop with those few verses, but it continues. Here is the picture again, God stooping over and holding the hands of his children, leading them further from Egypt, on toward the promise land. He feeds them and clothes them, and draws them with gentle bands of love. But now listen at the cry of a Father in pain.

Hosea 11:7 "My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him." - NKJV

Here is the first step in their backslidings, and it is the backsliding of the heart. They are still calling on the 'Most High', but they are not exalting him in their hearts. He is slowly losing his place as Father and GOD over them. They are slowly being blinded to their total reliance upon him.

They are forgetting that he healed them, that it is by the strength of his arms that they walk, that is by his hand that they are fed, and that it is by his very life that they have breath.

We have all seen children reach a certain age when they harden against their parents. Where maybe they think that they have it all figured out, that they don't need the guidance or directions of their parents? The Children of God will often go through the same deception. And if this condition is not checked, it will lead to them leaving home, and finally to their own destruction.

2. Backsliding in Life

Hosea 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

Here the 'pasture' is the world around them. So often the Backsliders in heart will begin to fill themselves with all the things of the world. They begin to make provisions for the flesh, and the lusts of the flesh soon consume them, and their Father is forgotten. Now they are wandering in the wilderness of life, heading right back to the bondage of Egypt; their hearts have hardened and pride has blinded them spiritually and they cannot see the way or the dangers before them..

WALKING HEADLONG TOWARD DESTRUCTION

Hosea 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

In this Backslidden condition they are twice dead, they are heading toward destruction. Why? Is it the fault of God? Absolutely not! Whose shall they blame? No man, for no man could pluck them from the Father's hand. It is their own doing! The freedom of the will remains in the Child, if he chooses to pull away from God, and run into the arms of doom, it is his choice.

Hear me dear Christian, if you place your trust on another besides Christ, then you shall fall from Grace. If you refuse to let Christ have his rightful place as Lord over your life, then you set up Satan himself as your Master.

RECEIVING A NEW KING

Hosea 11:5-6 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

If the backslidings of the heart is not soon taken care of through repentance, a new king will soon be received over your life. So often the Backslider thinks that he is ruling himself, that he is running his own life, but it is not so. When you reject Christ as Lord, you receive another king, who is the god of this world.

And how is life under this king of Assyria? This devil that deceives you into wondering from God?

There is sword, that is there is great trouble. It is promised to the backslider that: there is no rest for the wicked says the Lord, and the way of the transgressor is hard.

Then there is the consuming of the life. That is Satan will steal from you. All your goodly branches shall be cut off, and you shall lose much more than you could ever hope to gain.

And then there is destruction. Where Satan devours the one he has deceived. Where by he kills them and laughs as they die in their sins. Doomed to the hell prepared for him.

THEY MAY BLAME GOD, BUT IT IS NOT GOD WHO DESTROYS THEM.

Hosea 11:9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

Remember: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help"

GOD DOES NOT GIVE UP QUICKLY

Hosea 11:8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred" -NKJV.

It is not the Father's will that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. And here God promises not to give up, for his heart is churning for his lost children and he has sympathy for them. Not for their sin, which he hates and despises, but for their souls, and current sufferings. He wants them to be in his kingdom.

He is married to the Backslider, and he sets forth to regain them. He leaves the 99 safely in the fold, and he goes about in search of the one who is lost. He walks the dark hills, in the valley, and over the troubled waters searching for the one that has went astray.

Calling them by name as he did with the first backslider, ADAM. "Adam, where art thou?" Will you not come home to me? There is no place that they can hide, where his voice does not reach them.

GOD CALLS FOR THEM TO RETURN

Hosea 14:1-2 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Here are the words of God to the backsliders: "Return unto thy God". He calls them to come home. And their travel back home is made up of one decision.

Just as their original flight from Egypt began by their decision to come to God and to leave Egypt, so is their return to GOD from their backslidden state.

How shall they return home? He urges them to realize that it is by their iniquity that they have fallen, and it is by laying down their iniquity that they shall be restored. There must be decision in the mind made, a conscious decision of the will, to forsake iniquity and to return to God. Once the decision is made, they can cry out to God "Take away our iniquities and receive us by thy grace".

As the prodical son who was in the hog-pen of life made the conscious decision to return home, so must the backslider. When the decision is made, it is GOD himself who will remove the filthy rags and clothe us in white raiment. But any attempt to hold to the sin will void the offer, they must make the decision to give up the idol of the heart for God to receive them: NOW TURN TO HOSEA 12:6

RETURN TO GOD AND CONTINUE WITH HIM.

Hosea 12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

Here are the directions for those who return, so that they will not stray again. Return to GOD wholeheartedly, forsaking the evil, and having your heart renewed by the Spirit.

Then 'keep' or continue in mercy, that is be merciful to your neighbor and to all men, as your Father has been merciful to you.

Next Continue in Judgment or justice. That is continue to do what is right, according to the Word of God. Be just to yourself and to all men.

And of course, wait upon God continually, that is to seek him continually, by prayer, by fasting, by the study of scriptures and meditation. It is to seek him whole heartedly, until full communion is established, and then seek diligently to continue in that communion, do not let anything hinder in any way.

And then we shall close with the promises that God makes to the Backsliders that return to him and does such.

Hosea 14:4-7 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

Do you see? There is healing and full restoration offered. He will love you as you if you had never forsaken him, if you return to him. Will you not return to your God?