Hosea 07: You Had One Job

Ever feel like your relationship with God is complicated? That returning to faith requires solving a thousand problems first? Hosea chapter 7 cuts through these excuses with a powerful truth: "You had one job."

Through this remarkable ancient text, we discover God's heart toward a wayward Israel who looked everywhere except to Him for help. Like a baker kneading dough or an oven kept hot, their hearts burned with schemes and desires for everything but their Creator. Despite their gray hair and weakening strength, they remained oblivious to their spiritual condition, becoming "like silly, witless doves" flying first to Egypt, then to Assyria, seeking help from everyone but God.

The parallel to our modern spiritual journeys is striking. We too isolate ourselves from God when He doesn't meet our expectations or timeline. We seek comfort, purpose and fulfillment in relationships, achievements, and pleasures that ultimately leave us empty. Yet all the while, God stands with hand extended, saying simply, "Come back to me." Not because the journey will be without challenges, but because He promises to walk every step alongside us.

This episode unpacks the profound simplicity beyond the complexity - the truth that while returning to God initiates a thousand decisions, none of them will be faced alone. The enemy whispers that the cost is too high, that we can't possibly manage all the changes required. But God's invitation remains: you are one prayer away from transformation. Will you take His hand?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, hello everybody , welcome back to the Bible
Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, hosea,
chapter seven, and today's titleis you had One Job, you had one
job.
We're gonna see how, really,israel had one job, and that is
come back to the Lord.
Well, pastor, that'scomplicated, you're right, it is
, but they had one job and thatis take the first step, and they

(00:23):
did so.
We'll get into all that in justa second.
So, as always, get out thatnext bag of popcorn, get your
Bibles ready for Hosea, chapterseven and while you're doing
that, as always, take just amoment.
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(00:45):
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(01:06):
something we don't and we wantto learn.
We didn't get in this thing todo anything other than bring
glory to God and just geek outabout the Bible together, so
make sure you are joining us inthat.
Okay, all right?
Well, once again we are in heHebrews.
My goodness, we are in Hosea,chapter seven, and remember, the
overall goal of Hosea is God'sreckless love and over the past,

(01:29):
about three chapters, God isjust telling us what's up.
He's saying, hey, listen, nomore shallow promises, we want
deep promises.
I want commitment.
Is what I want?
No, all of you who've beenbringing my people or taking my
people further away from me.
I'm gonna mess up with ally'all because y'all have taken
away my bride.
And then today we're going totalk about this idea of you have

(01:49):
one job, and that is he hasconstantly been talking to
Israel and he's telling them Ineed you to come back to me,
listen, we'll figure out thedetails.
It's almost like when Hosea andGomer are married and Hosea
goes to get Gomer.
It would have been like hersaying Hosea, you don't
understand, I don't work for me,I have a pimp, I have somebody

(02:13):
who's in charge of me.
It's complicated.
I got issues, I got stuff.
It's not so simple, hosea, andand I just see in my mind Hosea
looking at Gomer with his handout and he's saying, actually it
is, you can take my hand and wecan leave.
And yeah, there's a thousandthings that's going to have to
happen on the backside of yourdecision, but it starts with the

(02:34):
decision.
You got one job, and that'slike that's what God is saying
to the nation of Israel you gotone job, I'll help you take care
of the rest, but I need you todo this one thing.
So here let's read this Hosea,chapter seven, verse one, says
this.
Here it is in verse one I wantto heal you, israel, but its
sins are too great.
Samaria, that was the capitalcity of Israel after they left

(02:57):
Jerusalem, city of Israel afterthey left Jerusalem.
Samaria is filled with liars.
Thieves are on the inside andbandits on the outside.
His people don't realize that Iam watching them.
Their sinful deeds are allaround them and I see them all.
The people entertain a king withtheir wickedness and princes
laugh at their lies.
They are all adulterers, alwaysaflame with lust.

(03:19):
They are like an oven that iskept hot, like a baker is
kneading the dough.
On royal holidays, the princesget drunk with wine, carousing
with those who mock them.
Their hearts are like an oven,blazing with intrigue.
Their plot smolders through thenight and in the morning it
breaks like a raging fire,burning like an oven.

(03:42):
They consume their leaders,they kill their kings, one after
another, and no one cries to mefor help.
The people of Israel mingle withgodless foreigners, making
themselves as worthless as ahalf-baked cake.
Worshiping foreign gods hassapped their strength, but they
don't even know it.
Their hair is gray, but theydon't even know it.
Their hair is gray, but theydon't even realize they're old

(04:04):
and weak.
Their arrogance testifiesagainst them, yet they don't
return to the Lord, their God,or even try to find him.
The people of Israel havebecome like silly, witless doves
, first calling to Egypt, thenflying to Assyria for help.
But as they fly about, I willthrow my net over them and bring

(04:25):
them down like a bird from thesky.
I will punish them for all theevil they do.
What sorrow awaits those whohave deserted me?
Let them die, for they haverebelled against me.
I wanted to redeem them, butthey have told lies about me.
They do not cry out to me withsincere hearts.
Instead, they sit on theircouches and wail.

(04:46):
They cut themselves beggingforeign gods for grain and new
wine, and they have turned awayfrom me.
I trained them and made themstrong, yet now they plot evil
against me.
They look everywhere, except tothe most high.
They are useless as a crookedbow.
Their leaders will be killed bytheir enemies because of their

(05:07):
insolence toward me.
Then the people of Egypt willlaugh at them.
So God's got some words forthem, and those words are you
had one job.
You had one job, and that is toreturn to me.
You come to me and we'll figureout the rest.
But nope, you were literallyturning to everything else but

(05:30):
me, and that's why it's notworking out for you.
So you still got one job, andcan I tell you, I see the
parallel so much, and what I'vedone in my life before.
Maybe you have too.
And that is the idea of for somereason, for a thousand reasons,
we isolate ourselves away fromGod.

(05:50):
Maybe we thought God shouldhave went left and he went right
.
Maybe we thought he should haveanswered this prayer, but he
answered that prayer.
Or we thought God was late,which he wasn't late.
He just wasn't on our timetable.
But we thought he was late andwe were waiting.
We knew we could, we knew wewould, we knew we should.
And then he didn't.
And so now we're wounded, nowwe're hurt, now we're wondering

(06:13):
God, why would you, how couldyou?
Just all the things right?
So we isolate ourselves awayfrom God and then, after we do,
we still need God, we need thecomfort of the Lord, we need his
salvation, we need the fruit ofthe spirit in our life.
But instead of turning to him,we turn to everything else, only
to realize for the thousandthtime that it doesn't satisfy.

(06:34):
And then God comes to find us.
Like, god reaches out to us, we, someone invites us to church,
someone you know.
We hear a podcast with thiscrazy guy who literally in front
of you is.
His hair is turning gray andhe's talking about the goodness
of God and he stumbles over hiswords, but yet he keeps telling
you that God loves you and hehas a plan for your life.

(06:54):
And you're like you know, Iwant to come back to God, but
it's not that simple, brandon.
It's not that simple.
I got this and I got that and Igot this and I got that, and I
wonder if God has his hand outto me and you both.
And he's saying actually it isNow.
You're right.
After this first decision,there's going to be a thousand

(07:14):
other decisions going to takeplace, but the first decision is
the most important decision.
Will you come with me?
Will you let me save you?
I'm not worried about all thewater under that bridge.
I'm not worried about all thethings you've done.
Let's not call them what theywhat they're not.
They're not mistakes.
It was sin.
We turned our backs on God, Iam aware, but I still love you.

(07:37):
That's the reckless love of God.
That's how much he loves me andyou, and that's what he is
mourning.
And Hosea, chapter 7, he'ssaying guys, you have one job
just take my hand, just comeback to me.
But you didn't, and that's whyall these bad stuff is happening
.
And so, like the very beginningof chapter 8 is so sound an
alarm, like You're not coming,but sound an alarm, so it's

(08:02):
going to get bad.
But even then, he's stillpulling them, pulling them, and
I think God's doing that to you,he's doing it to me.
We go through difficult seasonsand bad things are happening.
He's still got his hand out.
And I wonder who is listeningto this today?
And the Lord is saying this toyou.
It really is that.
Simple Doesn't mean it's easy.
Simple does not mean simplistic.

(08:26):
Simple does not mean easySimple as in it really is as
easy, or simple, rather assaying, yes, lord, I will take
your hand, I will turn my heartback to you.
And then here's the amazingthing you think you're going to
have to make all those otherhard decisions by yourself.
You think you're the one who'sgoing to break off that
unhealthy relationship.
You think you're the one who'sgoing to have to go tell your
boss you can't do that anymore.
You think you're the one who'sgoing to have to go tell your
boss you can't do that anymore.
You think you're the one who'sgoing to have to say no to those
addictions.
Here's the thing You're notgoing to have to do that by

(08:49):
yourself.
God's going to be with you.
The Holy Spirit is going towalk with you.
He's going to make a way wherethere is no way he's going to
start doing things.
You're not going to do any ofthat by yourself.
Now, it's going to be hard, buthe's going to be right there
holding your hand, because God'sword says though I walk through
the valley of the shadow ofdeath, I will not be afraid.
That means we're going to walkthrough valleys.
We're going to walk throughdark valleys that look like

(09:10):
death, but fear will notovertake us.
Why?
Because you walk close besideme.
So, yes, the enemy will tellyou you can't turn your life
over to God.
You realize how many thingsyou're going to have to do.
Maybe there's an atheistlistening to me right now and
you know God's real.
But you're ashamed to turn yourlife over to God because you're
going to have to go tell allthose other people that you were
wrong.
First of all, who cares?
Second of all, you're not goingto have to do that by yourself.

(09:32):
You're going to become thegreatest testimony some people
have ever heard.
It's the enemy who's lying toyou and you can't turn back to
God.
Today's your day.
He's one prayer away from yourlife.
You are one prayer away fromyour life being different
forever, and that is takingGod's hand.
God, I repent of my sin.
I return to you.

(09:53):
Watch what happens.
Let's pray together right now.
God, thank you so much that youare with us and that you are
for us.
I'm thankful that your word istrue and that you are for us.
I'm thankful that your word istrue and that you fight for us.
Oh, the amazing, reckless loveof God.
May we never get used towatching what you can do.
In Jesus' name.
We pray amen.
And then what God's word saysin Hosea 6, verse 6, he says I

(10:15):
want you to show love, not offersacrifices.
I want you to know me more thanI want burnt offerings.
God's word is saying I want youto know me more than I want
burnt offerings.
God's word is saying I want tohave a relationship with you.
I want you to experience myreckless love.
I love you.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Hosea, chapter 8.