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E-Pistle

FreeWay Foundation            November 29, 2013

 

"Pancakes, Gray-hairs, Doves, and Bows"

(Hosea 7:1-16)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

            1.  Hosea continued speaking for the Lord, saying that God wanted to heal

     Israel's sickness (wickedness, robbery, lies, adultery, and drunkenness),

     but the rulers scoffed at the Lord and refused to call upon Him for help;

     the nation had mixed its moral values with the immoral practices of the

     surrounding heathen nations, and they had become like a "cake unturned",

     vv. 1-8.

2.  Hosea compared the nation to an old man who had become unaware of

     his diminished powers and abilities, vv. 9-10.

3.  Hosea called the nation a "silly dove, without sense," which had been easily

     lured away and trapped, vv. 11-12.

4.  Hosea pronounced woe and destruction upon Israel because she had

     transgressed God's laws and rejected His redemption; the nation had failed

     to respond properly to the Lord's discipline and had become useless for

     accomplishing His divine purposes, vv. 13-16.

II.  Meditation:  on Hosea's word-pictures of Israel's condition

            1.  The nation was like a half-baked pancake with a mixture of good and bad

                 ingredients . . . inedible!!        

            2.  The nation was like a weak and senile gray-haired old man who didn't know

                 that he had lost his strength and who was trying to ignore the tell-tale signs

                 of deterioration . . . just fooling himself!

3.  The nation was like a stupid dove (a "bird brain") caught in a net, flopping

     around trying to escape, but getting itself more hopelessly entangled every

     minute.       

4.  The nation was like a " treacherous bow" (slack or loose bowstring), which

     could not shoot arrows accurately at a target . . . thereby failing to accomplish

     its main purpose for existence.  

III.  Revelation and Applications:

            1.  Persons who fail to follow the Master Baker's (God's) divine recipe make a

                 Mess of their lives! 

     I need to follow the Lord's divine "recipe" for my life and work!

            2.  Persons who are blind to their own faults and who try to carry in their own

                 human strength fail miserably. 

                 I need to see myself as God see me (James 1:22-25), and call upon Him

                 for divine strength.   

            3.  Persons who foolishly depend on worldly sources for help and security come

                 under spiritual bondage, and they live lives of frustration and disappointment.

                 I need to seek wisdom and protection from the Lord to avoid Satan's

                 oppression and bondage.

            4.  Persons who stray from the Lord's will and way for their lives miss the joy and

                 peace of accomplishing God's purpose for their lives.

                 I need to find, follow, and fulfill God's divine vision of destiny for my life.

 

 

 

Open your hearts to us

(II Corinthians 7:1-16)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on Paul's plea to the Corinthian Christians (vv. 1-3)

            "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all

            filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God," v. 1.

            "Open your heart to us" because . . .

            1.  We have wronged no one, v. 2

            2.  We have corrupted no one, v. 2

            3.  We have exploited (cheated) no one, v. 2

            4.  We have condemned no one, v. 3.

            (Consider the positive side of each of the negatives listed above)

II.  Meditation:  on Paul's feelings toward the Corinthian Christians (vv. 4, 13-16)

            1.  I have great confidence in you, vv. 14, 16

            2.  I take great pride in you, vv. 4, 14

            3.  I am greatly encouraged by you, vv. 4, 15

            4.  I am boundlessly rejoicing over you, in spite of all our troubles, vv. 4, 13

III.  Revelation:  on godly sorrow . . .

            " . . . which produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted,

            but the sorrow of the world produces death," v. 10.

            Godly sorrow (v. 11) produces salvation . . . plus

            1.  Diligence (earnestness to find and do the will of the Father

            2.  Eagerness to clear oneself (to establish character and reputation)

            3.  Indignation (righteous wrath at Satan's attacks)

            4.  Fear (alarm over the possibility of back-sliding)

            5.  Vehement desire (deep longing to fulfill God's destiny for me)

            6.  Zeal (concern for personal effectiveness and salvation for others)

            7.  Vindication (readiness to see justice done)

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Carefully guard my influence so that I do not harm others; rather, that

                 I may assist them in their spiritual journey.

            2.  Express freely my appreciation and thanksgiving to other Christians

                 who have been blessings to me.

            3.  Recognize the spiritual benefits of God's discipline, which leads to

                 repentance and restoration.

            4.  Rejoice in the confidence that the Lord is in  charge of everything . . .

                 including my life and work. (See v. 16)

           

            "Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything."  v. 16.

 

"There are two types of people – those who came into a room and say,

"Well, here I am," and those who come in and say

"Ah, there you are!"

--Frederick Collins

 

 

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