Sermon #1311
Title: A PORTRAIT OF SOVEREIGN GRACE
Text: Hosea 1:2-3; 2:5 - 3:1-3
Reading: Hosea
1:1-11
Subject: Hosea And Gomer: An
Illustration Of God’s Grace
Date: Sunday Morning - January , 1998[1]
Tape # T-80
Introduction:
When
we read the Book of Hosea, it is always heplful to remember what the names of
the people mean. Their names are not accidental, but purposeful and
instructive.
·
Hosea
means “Savior.”
·
Gomer,
his wife’s name means both “consumption” and “consummation.”
·
Gomer
was the daughter of Diblaim, which means “dried.”
·
Jezreel
means “seed of God.”
·
Loruhamah
means “no mercy.”
·
Loammi
means “not mine, or not my people.”
Hosea 1:2-3
"The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said
to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for
the land hath committed great whoredom, departing
from the LORD. (3) So he went and
took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son."
Hosea 2:5 "For
their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done
shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my
flax, mine oil and my drink."
Hosea 3:1-3
"Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according
to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods,
and love flagons of wine. (2) So I
bought her to me for fifteen pieces of
silver, and for an homer of barley,
and an half homer of barley: (3) And
I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the
harlot, and thou shalt not be for another
man: so will I also be for thee."
God
moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in
the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep
in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright
designs
And works His sovereign
will.
Ye fearful saints fresh
courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and
shall break
In blessing on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble
sense,
But trust Him for His grace,
Behind the frowning
providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen
fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter
taste,
But sweet will be the
flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to
err,
And scan His work in vain:
God is His own Interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
The title of my message today is A Portrait of Sovereign Grace. Our Lord, by his own example, taught
us that one of the best ways to teach the doctrine of the gospel is to
illustrate it. After all, “One picture is worth a thousand words.” So today, I
want to give you a picture, a portrait of God’s sovereign, saving grace in
Christ Jesus. We have many pictures of grace in the scriptures. And this
message could be preached from any of them.
·
The
Lost Sheep
·
The
Lost Coin
·
The
Lost Son
·
The
Woman at the Well
·
Lazarus
·
Zachaeus
·
Ruth
and Boaz
·
Isaac
and Rebecca
·
Onesimus
·
Daniel
in the Lion’s Den
·
Lydia
·
The
Philippian Jailer
The list could go on and on.
But if I had to choose one Bible story or parable from which to preach about
and illustrate the whole message of the gospel, I believe it would be the story
of God’s prophet Hosea and his chosen, loved, harlot wife, Gomer, which I have
read in your hearing.
Without question, the Word of God plainly teaches us that
salvation is altogether, from start to finish, the work of God’s free,
sovereign, unconditional, effectual and irresistible grace in Christ. The works
of the sinner and the will of the sinner have absolutely nothing to do with the
accomplishment of salvation.
·
Psalm
65:4
·
Psalm
110:3
·
John
1:12-13
·
John
6:63
·
Romans
3:23-24
·
Romans
6:23
·
Romans
9:16
·
Romans
11:6
·
Ephesians
2:5, 8, 9
·
2
Timothy 1:9
·
Titus
3:4-8
All God’s saints freely and
gladly confess, with the apostle Paul, “By
the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10). But what do we mean when
we say that we are saved by grace alone? What does God mean when he declares
that salvation is by grace? This story of Hosea and Gomer will give us the
meaning of grace.
Proposition: Grace is the boundless,
free, effectual goodness of God toward fallen sinners, by which he has elected
and redeemed, by which he regenerates, calls, justifies, sanctifies, and
glorifies the objects of his everlasting love for the glory of his dear Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Someone
made this distinction between the mercy of God and the grace of God: “Mercy is
God not giving us what we do deserve. Grace is God giving us what we do not
deserve.” We all deserve to be in hell right now. It is the mercy of God that
allows us to live upon his earth. Life is mercy; but eternal life is grace.
None of us deserve eternal life. That is the free gift of God’s grace. Anything
short of hell is mercy. Salvation and eternal life in Christ is grace. We
deserve wrath; but God has saved us by his grace.
Divisions: This portrait of sovereign
grace plainly sets before us seven characteristics of the grace of God by which
we are saved. The grace of God is...
1.
Sovereign,
Electing Grace.
2.
Undeserved,
Undesired, Unconditional Grace.
3.
Prevenient,
Preparatory Grace.
4.
Distinguishing,
Effectual Grace.
5.
Costly,
Redeeming, Sin-Atoning Grace.
6.
Preserving,
Persevering Grace.
7.
Immutable,
Covenant Grace.
I.
First, I want you to see
that the grace of God in Christ, by which we are saved, is SOVEREIGN, ELECTING GRACE (1:2-3).
Hosea 1:2-3 "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the
LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of
whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. (3) So
he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a
son."
God
told Hosea to go love a woman, not just any woman, but a fallen woman, a
harlot, not just any harlot, but a particular harlot. “So he went and took Gomer.” Why did he do that? What was the
purpose of this? It was to show us a picture of God’s grace toward us. Hosea
loved Gomer, “According to the love of
the Lord toward the children of Israel” (3:1). Remember, Hosea means
“Savior.” Gomer means “consumption” (which is what were are by nature). Gomer
also means “consummation,” indicating that the consummation of God’s purpose in
all things is the salvation of his elect by Christ.
A. There are many in this world to whom God is not
gracious.
I know that men talk about “common grace” and
“special grace.” But there is nothing common about the grace of God. God’s
grace is always special and particular. He sovereignly bestows his grace upon
some and refuses to be gracious to others (Matt. 11:20-27). God will be
gracious to whom he will be gracious. And whom he will he hardens.
Illustration: Israel and Egypt - For four
thousand years
Israel alone had the light of Divine
Revelation.
1.
Most
of the people who live in this world have never heard a man preach the gospel.
2.
Most
of those who hear the gospel are not called to life and faith by the Spirit of
God. “Many are called; but few are
chosen.”
3.
Most
of those who profess faith in Christ do not persevere in the faith. Some who
seek him find him, but not others: Esau, The Ruler.
There
are few to whom the strait gate is revealed, fewer still who enter it, fewer
still who walk in the narrow way, and fewer still who walk in that way unto the
end. There are many in this world to whom God is not gracious.
B. But, blessed be God, he has chosen to be gracious to
some!
There are some men and women in this world
who are loved and chosen of God, whom he is determined to save. To them he is gracious, always gracious,
gracious in all that he does. For those elect sinners, whom God has
chosen to save, there is a sovereign, unchangeable, eternal purpose of grace,
by which he rules the world (Eph. 1:3-6).
Ephesians
1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ: (4) According as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love:
(5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the beloved."
1.
We
were chosen in Christ and predestinated to be like Christ before the world
began.
2.
The
basis and cause of our eternal election was and is the everlasting love of God
toward us.
3.
Our
election in Christ gave us an eternal, immutable acceptance with God. God said,
from eternity, “I will love them freely;
for mine anger is turned away from him” (14:4).
The
only person who does not love and rejoice in God’s sovereign, electing grace is
the one who has not received grace (John 10:26). Every saved sinner gladly
acknowledges...
`Tis not that I did choose
Thee,
For, Lord, that could not
be;
This heart would still
refuse Thee,
But Thou hast chosen me.
II.
Secondly, the grace of God,
by which we are saved, is UNDESERVED, UNDESIRED, UNCONDITIONAL GRACE.
Gomer was a common strumpet, a whore, a
prostitute, a hooker, a street walker. She was not looking for a husband. She
did not want a husband. And she did not deserve a husband. But Hosea chose her.
Hosea loved her. Hosea wanted her. And his heart could not be satisfied until
he had her. That is the picture of God’s grace toward us.
A. God’s grace toward us in Christ is altogether undeserved.
B. The grace of God in Christ was totally undesired.
C. And that grace by which we are saved is absolutely free and
unconditional.
·
We
were chosen unconditionally.
·
We
were redeemed unconditionally.
·
We
were called unconditionally.
·
We
are kept unconditionally.
III. Thirdly,
the grace of God by which fallen, ruined, helpless sinners are saved, always
begins with what we might call PREVENIENT, PREPARATORY GRACE.
It is impossible to tell when the grace of
God begins to operate upon the hearts of his elect. Sometimes we can tell when
the quickening, regenerating converting grace comes, but not the grace itself.
We cannot tell when God begins to work for his elect. Grace always works for
us. God’s grace is exercised for his elect long before we are aware of it. Let
me show you what I mean.
A. Prevenient grace precedes God’s saving grace,
following, providing for and protecting God’s elect until the time of their
calling (Jude 1; Hosea 2:5-8).
Jude 1:1 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to
them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:"
Hosea 2:5-8 "For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived
them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my
flax, mine oil and my drink. (6) Therefore,
behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall
not find her paths. (7) And she shall
follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek
them, but shall not find them: then shall
she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. (8) For she did not know that I gave
her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal."
Grace
separated me from my mother’s womb, followed me and directed me throughout the
days of my rebellion, and then brought me to the place where Christ was
revealed in me.
Illustration: Onesimus!
The Prodigal!
1.
God’s grace begins in our
earliest years as Formative Grace.
·
He
sovereignly puts us in our homes.
·
He
molds our dispositions.
·
He
forms our thoughts.
2.
Grace follows us through
life, and, following us, it secretly orders our steps as Protective Grace.
·
God
provided for our needs, even when we despised his goodness (Hos. 2:8).
Hosea 2:8 "For
she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her
silver and gold, which they prepared
for Baal."
·
God
protected us, even when we hated him (Heb. 1:14).
Hebrews
1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
3.
In later years, God’s grace
was upon us as Preventive Grace.
He has graciously kept many of you from the
depths of open profligacy and sin. The evil that other men do is in your heart.
But God has mercifully prevented you from doing the evil things you have
imagined, plotted, dreamed about and secretly cherished.
·
Not
all women are harlots in deed, but all are harlots at heart.
·
Not
all men are whoremongers in deed, but all are whoremongers at heart.
·
Not
all are murderers in deed, but all are murderers at heart.
·
Not
all are blasphemers in deed, but all are murderers at heart (Matt. 15:19).
Matthew
15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies:"
NOTE: If
God has prevented you from any form of outward evil, give him thanks. But do
not glory in personal goodness. You have none.
4.
For others grace is evident
as the marvelous Restraining Grace of
our Heavenly Father.
He
allows many to walk in the paths of open sin and run the course of profligate
rebellion, only that he might bring them down to be gracious to them. Yet, even
with us, he restrained the evil we would have done. How I rejoice in those
words of my God - “Hitherto shalt thou
go, and no further!” (Read Psalm 107:1-31).
Parents: God may be bringing them down!
B. Then, this same grace prepares the hearts of God’s
elect for his saving grace (Matt. 13:3-9).
Matthew
13:3-9 "And he spake many things unto them in
parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; (4) And when he sowed, some seeds
fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: (5) Some fell upon stony places, where
they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no
deepness of earth: (6) And when the
sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered
away. (7) And some fell among thorns;
and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
(8) But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. (9) Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Grace
prepares the heart and makes a way for grace. This preparatory work of grace is
beautifully illustrated by the story of Hosea and Gomer.
1.
Gomer was a harlot, but Hosea loved her.
The
godly prophet brought this harlot into his house and made her his wife. Hosea
lavished his affections on Gomer. He gave her everything her heart could
desire. He gave her three children: Jezreel, Loruhaman, and Loammi. It would
seem that Gomer would be very happy and grateful. But she was not.
Hosea
had taken Gomer out of the Red Light District. But he had not taken the Red
Light District out of Gomer. She was still a harlot at heart! She lusted for
her old companions. She was religious, but not redeemed. Correct, but not
chaste. Dutiful, but not devoted.
One
day she looked out her window and saw one of her old lovers. He winked at her.
She called him to the door. And there they made their desires known to one
another.
NOTE: Young people, hear me now.
Keep far away from temptation. “Flee
youthful lusts!” A permissive word, or unguarded moment may bring you into
the misery of hell itself. “Blessed is
the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sitteth in the seat
of the scorners, nor standeth in the way of sinners.”
Gomer’s stupidity was great. She had
hearkened to the counsel of the ungodly, for she hearkened to the counsel of
her own heart. While she slept in the arms of her loving husband, she thought
only of her lovers.
2.
One day Hosea came home, and Gomer was gone.
·
Gomer
had gotten into the gutter again.
·
Though
she was fallen, by willful and malicious transgression, Hosea loved her!
·
And
he sought for her everywhere.
No doubt, Gomer saw Hosea
and heard his voice. But she hid from him. Finally, Hosea found his beloved
Gomer. He went to her room every night and secretly provided for her. He wanted
her more than life itself. He loved that worthless woman. He had every right to
take her by force. But he would not
bring her home again, until she was willing to come. And he was determined to
make her willing! (Psa. 65:4; Hos. 2:9-17).
Psalms 65:4 "Blessed is the man
whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of
thy holy temple."
Psalms
110:3 "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."
Hosea
2:9-17 "Therefore will I return, and take away
my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover
my wool and my flax given to cover
her nakedness. (10) And now will I
discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her
out of mine hand. (11) I will also
cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths,
and all her solemn feasts. (12) And I
will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given
me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. (13) And I will visit upon her the days
of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her
earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith
the LORD. (14) Therefore, behold, I
will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto
her. (15) And I will give her her
vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she
shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came
up out of the land of Egypt. (16) And
it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that
thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. (17) For I will take away the names of
Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their
name."
3.
God graciously prepares his people to receive his
grace and makes each one willing to come to Christ in the day of his power.
He
creates in us, by one means or another, a dissatisfaction with ourselves. He
strips away our joy. He destroys our peace. He turns our pride into corruption.
He brings us into misery. Oh, may God do that for you! Like Gomer, we have to
be brought down. Gomer sank into the dunghill of iniquity and learned by bitter
experience that “the way of the
transgressor is hard.”
·
She
came to poverty.
·
She
grew old.
·
She
was an outcast of society. The “good” folk despised her and the other harlots
mocked her. She was helpless and worthless.
·
At
last, when she was no good for prostitution, she came to the slave market to
sell herself into bondage and servitude, if anyone would have her. Nobody loved
Gomer. Nobody wanted Gomer. Nobody but Hosea! Now, she was ready for his love,
mercy, and grace.
That’s the grace of
God! Even when we were in the arms of another, we belonged to Christ. He loved
us. And he was, even then, preparing us for grace!
·
Grace
gave us a tender conscience at last.
·
Grace
made us willing to hear the gospel.
·
Grace
wrought conviction within us.
·
Grace
brought us down!
IV. Here is a fourth characteristic of God’s saving
grace: It is DISTINGUISHING, EFFECTUAL GRACE (2:19).
Hosea 2:19 "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will
betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness,
and in mercies."
The
grace of God brings salvation. It is always distinguishing, effectual, and
irresistible. Everything Hosea did, he
did for Gomer alone, that he might have Gomer. And he got her (Rom. 9:16).
God the Holy Spirit turns the eyes of the prodigal to his Father’s house, seeks
the lost sheep and calls the adulterous wife.
One
day Hosea was walking in the streets. When he came to the slave market, he
stopped. There were many slaves, who were sold for many purposes. But, among
the most derelict and abominable of those slaves, Hosea saw Gomer! He called
her, “Gomer.” She hung her head in shame. He called her again, “Gomer.”
Down in the human heart,
crushed by the Tempter,
Feelings lie buried that
grace can restore.
Touched by the loving hand,
wakened by kindness,
Cords that were broken can
vibrate once more.
Hosea bought Gomer
(3:2).
Hosea 3:2 "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an
homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:"
He went over to the slave
block, kissed her, embraced her, took her hand and tucked it under his arm. And
he walked proudly down the streets with Gomer at his side. He was not ashamed
of her. And she certainly was not ashamed of him.
Children
of God, this is what our Lord has done for us by his matchless grace.
A. He came to us when we would not and could not come to him (Ezek. 16:6-8).
Ezekiel
16:6-8 "And when I passed by thee, and saw
thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. (7) I have caused thee to multiply as
the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art
come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts
are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. (8) Now
when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my
skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered
into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine."
B. He called us and brought us to Christ.
C. He brought us into his house and owned us as his bride. - “He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner over me was
love.”
V. Be sure you see that the grace of God is COSTLY,
REDEEMING, SIN-ATONING GRACE (3:2).
Hosea 3:2 "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an
homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:"
Before
Hosea could have Gomer, he had to redeem her. He did not buy all the slaves. He
did not want them all. He loved Gomer. He wanted Gomer. He bought Gomer. And
having bought her, by lawful ransom price, he could not lose her.
This
is what our Savior says to us: “I have
bought you with the silver of my sweat and the gold of my blood. And you are
mine” (3:3).
Hosea 3:3 "And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days;
thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I
also be for thee."
·
Christ
redeemed us by costly, but legal price.
·
Christ
redeemed us particularly.
·
Christ
redeemed us effectually.
·
Now
we belong to Christ (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Illustration: The two black birds.
VI. Sixthly, I must make mention of the fact that God’s
grace is PRESERVING, PERSEVERING GRACE (2:20-23).
Hosea
2:20-23 "I will even betroth thee unto me in
faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
(21) And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I
will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; (22) And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil;
and they shall hear Jezreel. (23) And
I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had
not obtained mercy; and I will say to them
which were not my people, Thou art my
people; and they shall say, Thou art my
God."
·
Grace
perseveres toward us.
·
Grace
preserves us.
·
And
grace causes us to persevere in grace.
VII. And in the last place, I want you to see that the
grace of God, by which we are saved, his electing grace, his undeserved grace,
his prevenient grace, his effectual grace, his redeeming grace, his preserving
grace, is IMMUTABLE, COVENANT GRACE ( 2:18).
Hosea 2:18 "And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the
beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow
and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down
safely."
In
the covenant of grace God not only resolved to save us, but he also made all
things to be instruments of mercy and grace to us (Rom. 8:28).
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Application:
The Touch of the Master’s
Hand.
1.
What
God has done for us by his grace, he can do for you.
2.
Let
us ever praise God for his grace! (1 Cor. 1:26-31).
[1] Danville 4\10\88; New Caney, TX 6\26\88; Jacksonville, NC 4\7\88; Houston, TX 8\21\88, St. Marys, GA 14-97