Hosea
There is something dangerous about deception. A lie may seem small when it is first told. Perhaps it is an attempt to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, protect our reputation, or gain something we want. But lies rarely remain isolated. One lie requires another, and then another, until the person who began the deception finds himself caught in the very web he has woven.
Sir Walter Scott captured this truth in his famous line from Marmion: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” In the poem, Lord Marmion's deception sets in motion a chain of events that ultimately leads to his ruin and death. What seemed at first to be a way of securing what he wanted became a web from which he could not escape.
This is the picture Hosea gives us in our passage for this Sunday. Israel had become a people marked by deceit. They lied, cheated, pursued their own wealth, and turned to false gods. Their deception was not merely a moral failure; it was destroying the foundations of justice, abundance, and life itself. This Sunday we will consider what happens when we build our lives on lies, and why God's people must learn to live by the truth. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Hosea 11:12-13:3, Isaiah 59:15, Jeremiah 7:28, Psalm 119:160, Proverbs 12:19, John 14:6, and this article on Truth
As we gather to worship our loving Father this Lord’s Day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” the Acclamation of Praise “And Can It Be That I Should Gain?” and the Hymn of Response “How Great Thou Art.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Information
Text: Hosea 11:12-13:3
Title: Live Not by Lies
Outline:
- To Have Justice, You Must Speak Truthfully (11:12-12:6)
- To Have Abundance, You Must Deal Truthfully (12:7- 14)
- To Have Life, You Must Worship Truthfully (13:1-3)