Sowing the Wind - Reaping the Whirlwind

by Dennis Michelson
(Novelty, Ohio)

Hosea 8

Introduction: There is an axiomatic truth in Scripture that whatsoever a person sows - they will reap. For the past generation the evangelical/fundamentalist movement has planted bad theology and watered it with bad methodology and we are now in a time of reaping.

Fred Brown used to tell me, "Dennis, bad doctrine will ultimately lead to bad behavior." The "chickens" of salvation without sanctification have come home to roost. After forsaking the fundamental truths of the Bible for many years we learn again that when God finally moves, then He moves finally.

I fully expect that there will soon be a new program called "Ichabod Church Growth Strategies" and I expect it to sell well at your local Christian outlet. For those who still yearn for a God-centered progam; focused on spiritual fruit and not merely natural results - read on . . .

1. The Reasons for the Warning (8:1-4)

(a) Broken principles and broken promises (8:1)
Remember that what begins as ommission will soon become commission and will ultimately lead to obsession. Those who find it easy to break the "law" of God will later find it to their advantage to break the "covenant" with God. Think of the marriage covenant and how it has been broken repeatedly over the past generation.

(b) Adopting worldy substitutes (8:3)
For years we have seen the church "cast off the thing that is good" and trade it in for the "new and improved" approach offered by the world. Please understand that the "world" is not the problem. The problem is the church - "Israel hath cast off the thing that is good."

(c) Political and religious idolatry (8:4)
We have set up political leaders after our own opinion polls but with no regard for God's opinion.
We have brought many things into the house of God after our own invention and not God's ordination. If you do not believe fundamental churches have erected their own idols then try to remove a few of them.

2. The Response to the Warning (8:2)

"Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee."
Sounds pretty similar to "Why call me Lord, Lord and do not the things that I say?" It is one thing to say "we know thee" but quite another to say "we love thee and obey thee."

That is precisely where we are today. When professing believers are confronted with their lack of present dedication they simply recall their past decision. Thus the warnings fall on the deaf ears of those who say "peace, peace when there is no peace."

3. The Results of Ignoring the Warning (8:5-14)

(a) Rejection (8:5-6)

(b) Reaping (8:7)

(c) Retribution (8:8-11)

(d) Religion (8:12-14)

When man replaces God's righteousness with human religion then three results are inevitable:

(1) They rejected His Word (8:12)

(2) They rejected His Atonement (8:13)

(3) They rejected Him (8:14)

Conclusion:

"Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. . . and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Brother, be sure your seed is going in the ground and not just blowing in the wind.