Hosea 12:7–14 | Heed the Bygone Years, Pt. II

We gathered to bless the Lord who reigns over the nations and to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. We prayed for those grieving and those rejoicing, for our leaders, and especially for Parker and Natalie serving among refugees near Heathrow—that God would establish elders and strengthen the gospel witness there. Then we opened Hosea 12:7–14, looking back through Israel’s story so we could see our present clearly and return to the Lord with whole hearts.

Jacob’s journey became our mirror: once a deceiver, later humbled, he could say, “The Lord has been my shepherd all my life.” That testimony called us to return—by the help of our God—to love, justice, and patient waiting. We faced a painful evaluation: Israel had become “Canaan,” the very people they were meant to replace. God had redeemed them for a purpose—to live visibly under his good rule so the nations would see the wisdom of his ways (Deut 4). When redeemed people refuse their purpose, they should not presume their privileges will continue.

We also faced Israel’s self-deception: “I am rich…you can’t prove my guilt.” But the Lord searches the heart. He warned, “I brought you out of Egypt; I can send you back,” and the imagery of the Feast of Booths became an enacted threat of exile. Yet God had not been silent. He spoke by the prophets—indeed, in these last days he has spoken by his Son. Ignoring his word leaves the field of our lives covered with stones—idol-altars that choke out fruitfulness.

Still, grace shines. As Jacob shepherded to win a bride, so the Lord shepherded Israel by a prophet to claim a people for himself. And in fullness, Christ the Good Shepherd has loved the church, given himself for her, and is preparing a bride without spot or wrinkle. Revelation holds out our future: the marriage of the Lamb and a Bride adorned—not with our merit, but with Spirit-enabled righteous deeds that will not be wasted. The invitation still stands: “Come.” If you are thirsty, come to Jesus. He will wash, nourish, and cherish you. Let us clear the stones, live our redeemed purpose, listen when God speaks, and return to the Shepherd who loves us.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Live the purpose of redemption God does not redeem us merely to enjoy blessings but to display his wisdom and goodness before a watching world. Privileges are sustained as we inhabit the calling they were given to support. Examine where your life proclaims God’s excellencies—and where it doesn’t—and align practice with purpose. Joy grows where obedience and mission meet. [28:51]
• 2. Beware the ease of self-justification Ephraim’s boast—“I am rich…no guilt here”—shows how prosperity can mask spiritual rot. The most deceptive thing in your life is not the world but your own heart. Invite Scripture and trusted saints to contradict your self-story, and keep short accounts with God. Mercy is near, but only to the honest. [44:22]
• 3. Clear the stones to grow fruit Hosea pictures altars as stones strewn across plowed fields—no seed can root or flourish there. Idols today may be respectable habits or hidden loyalties that silently crowd out prayer, purity, and love. Name them, remove them, and cultivate the furrows with the Word and repentance. Fruit follows a cleared field. [60:32]
• 4. Listen when God speaks today If Israel was accountable for heeding prophets, how much more are we accountable to the Son? Jesus is the radiant Word; neglect is not neutral but drifting. Attend to Scripture with humility, respond quickly, and let obedience be the measure of whether you’ve truly heard. Reverence is proven in responsiveness. [54:10]
• 5. Return to the Shepherd-Bridegroom God shepherded Israel to win a bride, and Christ has loved the church to the uttermost. He nourishes and cherishes us, clothing us in Spirit-born righteousness that will one day adorn the marriage feast. Repent of rival loves and take the water of life without price—his arms are open. [72:49]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:28] - Call to Worship and Prayer
• [11:33] - Corporate Prayer & Mission Focus
• [21:32] - Scripture Reading: Hosea 12:7–14
• [23:35] - Prayer for Illumination
• [25:09] - Review: Jacob and Call to Return
• [27:40] - Be Warned by the Wilderness Years
• [29:32] - Painful Evaluation: Israel as “Canaan”
• [44:22] - Dangerous Self-Deception Exposed
• [48:14] - Looming Judgment: Back to Tents
• [51:32] - Return to the Shepherd Who Speaks
• [60:32] - Stone-Heaped Fields and Fruitlessness
• [72:49] - Marriage of the Lamb and Our Adornment
• [82:28] - Closing Hymn and Benediction

Bible Reading

- Read Hosea 12:7–14 (ESV) together. —

Observation Questions

1. Hosea 12:7–8 records Ephraim’s proud claim, “I am rich…they cannot find in me iniquity.” Where in the passage does this self-justification appear, and how did the preacher show the danger of that attitude? ([44:22])
2. Verse 11 pictures altars “like stone heaps on the furrows of the field.” What concrete image does the passage give, and how did the sermon explain what those “stones” do to spiritual fruitfulness? ([01:00:32])
3. The sermon compared Jacob’s early life (a deceiver) with his later testimony that “the Lord has been my shepherd.” How does Hosea use Jacob’s story here, and what specific change in Jacob is emphasized in the sermon review? ([27:01])
4. Hosea’s indictment gains force because Israel had been given a public purpose in the land (Deuteronomy). What was that purpose according to the sermon’s reading of Deuteronomy, and why does that make Israel’s failure worse? ([32:06])

Interpretation Questions

1. Hosea calls Israel both a dishonest “merchant” and, by wordplay, “Canaan.” How does this double-meaning deepen the indictment—what is the prophet actually accusing Israel of becoming? ([29:32])
2. The text insists, “I spoke to the prophets,” and the sermon pointed to Hebrews to show a greater responsibility because God has now spoken in his Son. What principled difference did the sermon draw between ignoring prophets then and ignoring Christ now? ([54:10])
3. Verse 9 warns, “I will again make you dwell in tents as in the days of the appointed feast.” How did the preacher interpret this Feast-of-Booths image as an enacted threat of exile? What does that threat imply about God’s patience and judgment? ([48:54])
4. The “stone-heaped” altars are described as covering plowed fields. What does Hosea’s metaphor imply about the nature of idolatry’s effect on a people’s life (not merely isolated sins but structural damage)? How did the sermon unpack that implication? ([01:00:32])

Application Questions

1. The preacher urged: “If you don't live out the purpose for which God redeemed you, he is not obliged to sustain your privileges.” Where in your life are you enjoying privileges (family, reputation, comfort, religious membership) without living with gospel intentionality? What one concrete change will you take this week to align that area with God’s purpose? ([28:51])
2. Name one “stone” in your personal field right now—an attractive habit, a respectable idol, or a private loyalty that crowds out prayer, purity, or love. What specific, measurable step will you take in the next seven days to remove or weaken that stone (e.g., delete an app, set a boundary, confess to one trusted brother/sister)? ([01:00:32])
3. The sermon warned how prosperity can produce self-justification (“I have found wealth…you can’t prove my guilt”). Where has material comfort or success tempted you to excuse or hide sin? Who is one trustworthy person you will invite to read Scripture with you and speak truth into that area this month? ([44:22])
4. The preacher stressed listening when God speaks, especially now that the Son has spoken. What concrete rhythm will you set up this week to “hear” God (specific times, passages, or a listening/prayer practice)? How will you test responsiveness—what will obedience look like by next Sunday? ([54:10])
5. The sermon held out the invitation from Revelation: “If you are thirsty, come…take the water of life without price.” If you find yourself spiritually thirsty or distant, what specific next step will you take to come to Jesus (confession, meeting with a pastor, baptism class, public profession, joining a home group)? ([01:18:48])
6. Hosea’s charge was communal as well as individual: the nation’s fields were full of idol-stones. What is one thing this small group could do, in the next month, to help “clear stones” in our church life (a targeted repentance time, hospitality for a struggling family, a short-term service project, a focused prayer campaign)? Who will take responsibility for starting it? ([32:06])
7. The sermon affirmed that believers’ righteous deeds (Spirit-enabled) will adorn the Bride. Identify one specific act of gospel-shaped service or witness you can do in the coming week that would be a small “garment” of righteousness—who will you serve, and what will you do? ([01:12:49])