Returning to God: The Call to True Repentance

The story of Hosea and Gomer is a vivid picture of God’s relationship with His people—a relationship marked by both deep love and heartbreaking betrayal. In Hosea 2, the imagery of a husband pleading with his unfaithful wife is used to illustrate Israel’s spiritual adultery. Israel, like Gomer, has not only turned away from her true husband but has actively pursued other lovers, seeking from them what only God can truly provide. The passage is not just about outward actions, but about the inward delights and affections that have been misplaced. The call is not only to turn from public sin, but also from the private, cherished idols of the heart.

God’s plea is urgent and legal in tone, calling the children to confront their mother’s unfaithfulness. This is not a plea for mere reconciliation, but a call to recognize and account for covenantal infidelity. The hope is that by exposing sin, there might be repentance—a turning away from both the outward and inward forms of idolatry. Yet, if there is no repentance, the consequences are severe: exposure, deprivation, and public shame. The gifts that were misused—grain, wine, oil—will be taken away, and the false sources of joy and security will be shown for what they are: empty and powerless.

The tragedy is that Israel, in her pursuit of other gods, failed to recognize that every good thing she enjoyed came from the Lord. Instead of gratitude and worship, God’s gifts were attributed to idols and used in their service. This is a warning to examine not only the source of our blessings but also how we use them. Are we returning God’s gifts to Him in worship, or are we squandering them on lesser loves?

Yet, even in judgment, there is a glimmer of hope. The dissatisfaction of sin can awaken a longing to return to the true husband, even if at first it is only because life was better before. God often uses the emptiness of sin to draw us back to Himself. Ultimately, the passage points us to Christ, who bore the shame, deprivation, and punishment that we deserved. He is the faithful spouse who takes the place of the unfaithful, offering redemption and restoration. In light of this, we are called to forsake our idols, use God’s gifts for His glory, and rest secure in the love of Christ, who alone satisfies.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True repentance involves both public confession and private renunciation of cherished sins. It is not enough to change outward behavior; the heart’s secret delights must also be surrendered. God calls us to put away both the visible and hidden idols that compete for our affections. [16:58]
• 2. The gifts and blessings we enjoy are not earned by our own efforts or by serving false gods, but are graciously given by God. When we attribute our success or happiness to anything other than Him, we fall into the same error as Israel—misusing God’s gifts and forgetting their true source. This calls for humility and gratitude, returning all we have to God in worship. [28:49]
• 3. Sin promises satisfaction but always leaves us empty and unfulfilled. The pursuit of idols—whether pleasure, success, or approval—results in frustration and spiritual thirst. Only in returning to God do we find true fulfillment, for He alone is the fountain of living waters. [24:46]
• 4. There is a day of revealing and judgment when all hidden things will be exposed. The false lovers—our idols and sins—will not come to our aid; they are powerless to save. In contrast, those who are in Christ are secure in His hand, safe from condemnation and shame. [36:54]
• 5. The heart of the gospel is substitution: Christ endured the shame, deprivation, and punishment that our unfaithfulness deserved. He took the place of the harlot so that we might be clothed in righteousness and restored to joy. This grace compels us to forsake sin and live lives of thanksgiving and service to God. [47:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:34] - Introduction and Reading from Hosea 2
• [02:38] - Opening Prayer
• [04:04] - Hosea and Gomer: Illustration of Betrayal
• [09:10] - Hosea’s Plea and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
• [11:08] - Outline: Plea, Hope, Consequences
• [12:28] - Legal Language of the Plea
• [15:09] - The Hope of Repentance
• [16:20] - Outward and Inward Sin
• [18:48] - Consequences of Unrepentance
• [22:50] - God’s Hedge of Thorns
• [24:46] - The Emptiness of Sin
• [28:49] - Misattributing God’s Gifts
• [32:05] - God Removes Misused Blessings
• [36:54] - Judgment and Security in Christ
• [45:38] - Christ Bears Our Judgment
• [49:05] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Hosea 2:2-13 (ESV) —
> 2 “Plead with your mother, plead—for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband—that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts;
> 3 lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land, and kill her with thirst.
> 4 Upon her children also I will have no mercy, because they are children of whoredom.
> 5 For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
> 6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.
> 7 She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’
> 8 And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
> 9 Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness.
> 10 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
> 11 And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts.
> 12 And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.’ I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
> 13 And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord.”

Observation Questions

1. What are some of the specific things God says He will take away from Israel (or Gomer) as a result of her unfaithfulness? ([19:26])
2. According to verse 8, what did Israel fail to recognize about the source of her blessings? ([28:03])
3. What is the difference between the “whoring from her face” and “adultery from between her breasts” as described in verse 2? ([16:20])
4. What is the purpose of God “hedging up her way with thorns” and building a wall against her? ([22:50])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God use the imagery of a husband and an unfaithful wife to describe His relationship with Israel? What does this teach us about the seriousness of spiritual unfaithfulness? ([10:22])
2. The sermon points out that Israel not only sinned outwardly but also delighted in her sin inwardly. Why is it important to address both public and private forms of idolatry? ([16:58])
3. When God removes His gifts and exposes sin, what is He hoping will happen in the hearts of His people? ([15:09])
4. How does the sermon connect the consequences described in Hosea 2 to the work of Christ on the cross? ([47:41])

Application Questions

1. The sermon says true repentance involves both public confession and private renunciation of cherished sins. Are there “hidden idols” or private delights in your life that you have not surrendered to God? What would it look like to begin letting go of them? ([16:58])
2. Israel misused God’s gifts and attributed them to idols. Are there blessings in your life that you tend to take credit for, or use for your own purposes rather than for God’s glory? How can you intentionally return these gifts to God in worship this week? ([28:49])
3. The passage warns that sin promises satisfaction but always leaves us empty. Can you think of a time when pursuing something other than God left you feeling hollow or disappointed? What did you learn from that experience? ([24:46])
4. God sometimes allows us to experience the emptiness of sin to draw us back to Himself. Is there an area of your life right now where you feel dissatisfied or restless? How might God be using that to call you back to Him? ([26:43])
5. The sermon describes a “day of revealing” when all hidden things will be exposed. Does this reality affect the way you live or the choices you make in private? Why or why not? ([34:51])
6. Christ took the shame, deprivation, and punishment that we deserved. How does remembering this truth change your motivation to forsake sin and live a life of gratitude and service? ([47:41])
7. The story of Hosea and Gomer is ultimately about God’s relentless love. How can you rest more securely in the love of Christ this week, even if you feel unworthy or have failed in the past? ([48:20])