Episode Transcript
Hosea chapter 9, God willing, will be expounding verses 16 through 17. Hosea 9, 16 through 17.
The title of the message this morning is "A Dried Root." A dried root. And I am so glad to see Ms. Janice Brinker out there.
I haven't seen her in so long. What a blessing it is to see you, sister. Can I just come give you a hug real quick?
Will that be all right? I just want to come give you a hug. I haven't seen her. Huh?
Thank you, brother. I haven't seen her in so long. Well, you. Thank you. Well, that's all right.
I've missed you and it's good seeing you.
Right. Well, I hope you can. Don't forget your keys there. What a blessing that is to see her.
Week after week, month after month, we've been studying God's word to the northern kingdom of Israel,
which is referred to as Ephraim here in the book of Hosea.
Specifically, we've been studying here recently God's condemnation, his condemning words against Ephraim.
And when I, thank you, she got her bread. They got their bread. Thank you.
She calls them our little breads and juice. She got them.
You know, when I study through the book of Hosea and I look, you know, we go verse by verse and I look and I'm like,
man, here's God condemning them again this week.
I want to let you know that at first thought, one might look at those scriptures and think that, you know,
spending several months studying God condemning Israel may be a little overkill.
But the more we learn God's word, the more we learn that every word that proceeds from God's mouth is very important for us to know.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said it. In Matthew 4, 4, Jesus said, "It is written,
'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"
When we read in one verse where God is speaking about judging Israel and then we move to another verse and God is speaking about judging Israel in that verse too.
And then the next week it's another verse and another verse and God continues to speak about judging Israel.
God's not simply repeating the topic. He's enlarging upon it.
He's giving us greater detail, just like the extra camera there. He's giving us a different angle.
He's giving us greater insight for us to ponder so we can gain greater knowledge concerning his judgment.
This morning God tells us, look with me in verse 16, he says, "Ephraim is smitten."
Ephraim is smitten. Now I want you to notice that God did not say Ephraim shall be smitten.
He said Ephraim is smitten. They were smitten at that present time.
Now why is this so important? Because in some verses we read God talks about what is going to happen to Israel.
But in other verses God is talking about what has already happened. They're smitten for example.
Now look in verse 17, "My God will cast them away," future tense. So God had already smitten Israel.
He had not yet cast them away. Sounds kind of strange. Sounds kind of conflicting, doesn't it?
God had already smitten them with judgment but they were not yet experiencing the effects of that judgment.
Now if... How many of y'all have ever been punched in the nose before? Women too? Wow.
Did it feel very good? No. Now if you're standing here and your eyes are watering and your nose is throbbing
and it's painful and blood is coming down out of your nostrils and there's an angry person standing in front of you with their fists clenched like this,
that's a good indication that you just got punched in the nose.
But if you're like you are right now and you're jovial and you're comfortable and there's a smile on your face and everyone seems to be at peace around you,
everything seems to be good and then suddenly blood starts coming down your nose and your eyes start watering and your nose starts throbbing
and you're in great pain, that would probably really shock you, wouldn't it? That'd be very uncomfortable.
Here's the kingdom truth. When God judges, there's often a long delay between the smiting and the bleeding.
Repeat that again. When God judges, there's often a long delay between the smiting and the bleeding.
There's often a long delay between the time someone is smitten and the time they experience the pain of being smitten.
Though Israel was not yet experiencing the pain of their judgment, they had already been smitten.
They just didn't know it yet. If someone punches you in the nose, then you won't be surprised when your nose bleeds and swells.
But if you didn't realize that you had been punched in the nose, the sudden pain and bleeding would come as quiet, a surprise to you.
Now here is the divine order of God's judgment in the Old Testament. First, God warns.
Second, God waits. Third, God smites. Fourth, God surprises.
Repeat that again. You'll see this time and time again in the Old Testament.
And in the New, God warns. God waits.
You remember how he warned the people of Noah's day that he waited for 120 years?
God warns. God waits. God smites. That is, he quits waiting. He smites. And then God surprises.
God warns his enemies when they're wrong. God waits on his enemies to repent. He's long suffering to us.
We're not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.
God smites them when they don't repent, and then God surprises them when he judges them.
Because God often smites people secretly long before they suffer experientially,
their sudden suffering takes them by surprise.
Speaking of this very thing, there's a strange, really weird story in the New Testament about something Jesus did.
A lot of things he did are strange. I mean, when you spit and make mud and put it on someone's eyes to heal them, that's weird, right?
But a lot of the things he does, in fact everything he does that's weird to us or strange to us,
he does it to make an amazing point. He does it to grab our attention.
And speaking of this very thing, God warns. God waits. God smites. God surprises.
And speaking of this very thing, in Luke chapter 12, verse 46, Jesus said,
"The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware."
God surprises, see. "And will cut him in thunder, and will upon him his portion with the unbelievers.
The servant was smitten before his Lord came. The servant's nose bled when his Lord came."
You get that? The servant was already smitten before his Lord came. The servant's nose started bleeding when his Lord came.
That's basically what's happening. Now listen to this, again, this weird passage of Scripture that I was leading up to.
It's found in the Gospel of Mark chapter 11. Mark chapter 11, verses 13 and 14.
"And seeing a fig tree afar off," now this is Jesus, seeing a fig tree far off, "having leaves,
he came if happily he might find anything thereon.
And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves." Watch carefully now, "for the time of figs was not yet."
And Jesus answered or responded to the tree that gave it no fruit. Jesus answered and said unto it,
"No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever," and his disciples heard it.
So here's Jesus. He's hungry. He looks, he sees a fig tree far off. He takes the time to walk all that distance to that fig tree.
It's a long way away. He finally comes. His trip took a long time. He finally shows up to the fig tree.
All that's on the tree is leaves. There's no figs. And Jesus says, "Let no man eat fruit from you from now on."
But the interesting thing is this. Why were there no figs? It wasn't in season yet.
It says the time of figs was not yet. And you would read this and you would think,
"Number one, Jesus knew it wasn't time for the tree to have figs on it. He makes the seasons.
He knew it was not fig season. And number two, why would Jesus curse the tree for not having figs on it
when it's not time for the tree to have figs?" You're thinking, "Man, you kind of feel sorry for that
fig tree, you know? Jesus cursed the tree and it wasn't even fig season yet."
But think about what's happening here. Think about why Jesus did this and why the Holy Spirit
had this documented for us to read. Think about what's happening. Jesus came to the tree to get figs.
But the tree didn't have any figs for Jesus for the time of figs was not yet.
Do you see what the story is teaching us? Jesus came at a time when the tree was not expecting him.
Jesus came to an unfruitful tree at an unexpected time.
Mark chapter 11 verse 20. You go just a few verses down.
"And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."
Now the tree has dried roots and will thus have no fruit. In the same way,
God said Israel was already smitten. And like the fig tree, look back in your text now,
in Hosea, "their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit." Just like that fig tree.
Why? Because God warns. He warns us. God waits for us. God smites us. And then God surprises us.
Just like he surprised that tree. Do you know what the Bible tells Christians to be,
Brother Doug? He says you be ready in season and out of season. Think about it.
Be instant in season and out of season. Rebuke, reprove, resort with all long suffering and doctrine.
In season, out of season. Because our master demands fruit in both. He's Lord of all seasons.
He's Lord of the Sabbath. He's Lord of whatever. And this tree was not prepared
and got surprised when its creator came. That tree was a picture of Israel.
Here in Hosea, that tree was a picture of the world in the New Testament.
Jesus said, "The Son of Man comes in an hour when you think not." He says, "Look at Hosea,
their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit." Like a lot of people that fig tree thought it had
plenty of time. But the Son of Man came in an hour when the tree was not expecting him. Here's
a kingdom truth for you this morning. God visits unfruitful people at unexpected times.
God visits unfruitful people at unexpected times. Jesus explained to his disciples that believers
will not be like that fig tree. They will not be caught off guard by his coming. Why? Because
Christians are not fruitless trees. We do bear fruit unto God. The first fruit that you will
ever bear to God is faith in Jesus. That's the first fruit you'll ever bear. Only through the
Holy Spirit can a person rely upon Jesus Christ as their Savior. You remember what Jesus said,
I believe it was to Peter. He said, "Flash and blood has not revealed this unto thee,
but my Father in heaven's revealed it unto you." Was that Peter he was talking to there? I think so.
"Flash and blood has not revealed this unto thee." Why? "Spiritual truths are not given to us by
carnal flesh." When we understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and we put our hope in Him for our
salvation, that is the first fruit and that's faith, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. From
that everything else from that faith is just more fruit and it's all by faith. It's all by faith.
So Christians are not fruitless trees. It's impossible for a Christian to be surprised
by the coming of Jesus when you think about it. We will not be caught off guard by Jesus coming.
Why? We are waiting for Him to come. We are expecting Him to come. We are watching for Him
to come. We want Jesus to come because we are convinced that there is no hope in this sin-cursed
fallen world and we are depending on Him to come and make it right.
Israel rejected God as their king. They rejected His promised Savior and they yielded their fruit
to false gods and God's patience with them was over now. It was done. They had been smitten.
Too late. Their root was dried up like the fig tree. And you know what that means when the
roots dried up? It means all hope is gone. All hope is gone. They had no future. I have a fig tree
in my side yard right now. It's going on three years old and the first two winners killed the
top of that fig tree. But then in the springtime because the root was still alive, in the springtime
that fig tree has popped back up each spring. But you know something? If that root ever dies,
it will never sprout back up again. Its hope is over. But there's always hope as long as
there's a root. But when the root is dried up, all hope is gone. To this day, Ephraim,
that northern kingdom of Israel is still not a nation and it never will be again.
The royal seed that once sat on that throne of that northern nation is forever dethroned.
All their ungodly, worldly ambitions have dried up and died. God said, look back in your text,
yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.
Meaning they would have no future because their roots dried up. They'd have absolutely no future
for the propagation of their evil nation. Their ambitions were over with. They were done. They
were doomed. They were forever finished just like that fig tree that had dried up by the root.
Church, when you're thinking about this fig tree, whether it is the fig tree, whether it is the
ancient northern kingdom of Israel that we're reading about this morning, God is teaching us
a valuable lesson here. Namely this, the kingdom of this world has been smitten.
The kingdom of this world has been smitten. Now remember what God said in the Garden of Eden.
God told that serpent, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed,
it shall bruise your head. When Jesus died on the cross, do you know what happened?
This, the Satan in his world system was smitten. They've already been punched on the nose.
They're just not bleeding yet. But when Jesus died on the cross, when he was buried,
and when he rose again, he overcame this fallen world system. The devil has been smitten. His
head has been crushed. God is in the period of waiting now. He warned, right? He waited.
He smote. And now what's going to happen next, he's going to surprise.
In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, the last trump, he's going to surprise.
And that's when the nose starts bleeding, Brother Doug. That's when those plagues,
the wrath of God starts getting poured out on this world. But they're already smitten.
Judgment has already been made. Jesus, before he died on the cross, you know what he said?
Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
In other words, he smote the devil then when he went to the cross.
And now all the world's waiting on is the surprise.
But we won't be surprised because we know and we're waiting for our Savior to come back.
The world's root is dried up. There's absolutely no hope for a future in this world system right now.
Absolutely no hope whatsoever. Their root has been dried up. The kingdom of this world has
been smitten by God. Their hope is over. The only hope we have is in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who the Bible calls the root of David. See the difference? The root of David. We got two roots.
One root has been smitten and has dried up has no future. The other root is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And his kingdom has a bright eternal future ahead of it.
Revelation chapter 5 verse 5 says, "In one of the elders saith unto me, 'Weep not,
behold, the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to
loose the seven seals thereof.' Jesus is the root that will never dry because his kingdom will never
end. Those who have their faith rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ have an eternal hope,
but those who are rooted in this world have no hope at all. Verse 17 says, 'My God will cast them away.'
My God will cast them away. He'll say, 'Depart from me, you workers of iniquity I never knew.' He's
going to surprise them. They're going to belong to this fallen world. He's going to come back,
surprise the citizens of this world kingdom. He's going to cast them away, just like he did Ephraim.
He'll say, 'Depart from me.' Just as he sent Israel away from their homeland back then."
Why? Look back in your text in verse 17, "Because they did not hearken unto him."
The New Testament puts it this way, "Because they received not the love of the truth that they might
be saved." You see how this goes hand in hand? Absolutely fascinating. They refused God's word,
they refused his message to them, and now their hope was over. Even though they did not realize
it, all they had to look forward to was the fall of their nation and their children.
Or as the book of Hebrews puts it, "All they had to look forward to is fire, judgment, and indignation."
Same thing. Jesus on the other hand said, "He that hears his word and believes on him that
sent him has everlasting life." Israel refused God's word. So, Hosea said, "God would cast them
away," look back in your text, "and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Which they still are
today. Israel became wanderers among the nations, they lost their homeland, they got scattered across
the world, and the Jews are scattered all over the world still today. And even in that tiny little
sliver of land that they call the Jewish state today, they're still having to share their land
with Muslims that hate them. Everything God said would happen did happen, and as it happened to
Israel, so it will happen to all who do not abandon their hope in this world and believe on the root
of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're watching this morning, you had to be tuning in,
and we have a lot of folks that tune in, I'm so grateful. There is no hope in this world
at all. This world's coming to an end, but Jesus' kingdom is on its way, and only his citizens
will be saved when their king comes. You can either be smitten by God,
or you can trust in him who was smitten for you. That will go ahead and close in prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for your amazing Word. God, we put our lips to it, we drink of it,
we live by it, we're enlightened by it, and encouraged by it. Father, I pray that there's
anyone here today that has not believed in Christ as their Savior, who's not put their trust in a
city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. I pray they'll realize before it's too
late that this fallen sinful world is dried up root. But there's another root you've given us
that died on the cross for our sins and rose again so we could be forgiven and accepted by you,
and all who believe in him have a root that will never dry up. They shall not perish,
but have everlasting life. I pray for them, I thank you, and I pray for your blessing upon
this baptism. You receive great honor and glory. I pray for the food we'll receive afterward,
and I pray for the spiritual food at the communion time that we'll receive. It'll be a blessed,
precious time of communion together with the saints. We ask it in Jesus' holy name. Thank you. Amen.
