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Unveiling Deception: Lessons of Love and Justice

Explore the parallels between external charm and internal decay in the story of Israel's betrayal in Hosea. Reflect on God's mercy, human rebellion, and the consequences of sinful decisions. Dive deep into the themes of trust, waiting on God, and avoiding worldly allure.

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Unveiling Deception: Lessons of Love and Justice

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  1. Pursue Loveand Justice Lesson 14

  2. Introduction • Rotten at the Core • Lesson Context

  3. Rotten at the Core • One hot summer day, the cool green watermelon was as appealing as gourmet ice cream. • A swift stroke of a knife later, though, and everyone gathered around the table winced in disgust. • The watermelon had rotted from the inside out. • The rind was perfect, but the dead white insides reeked of decay.

  4. Rotten at the Core • The beautiful fruit was rotten at the core. • When have you had a similar experience when something looked good on the outside, but was bad on the inside?

  5. Rotten at the Core • The northern kingdom of Israel of the mid–eighth century BC looked beautiful on the surface as well, like the nation had it all together. • But it too was rotten at the core. • In today’s lesson God had had enough of Israel’s revolting behavior.

  6. Father’s FaithfulnessHosea 11:1, 2, 7-10 • God’s Action (v. 1) • Israel’s Reaction (vv. 2, 7) • God’s Decision (vv. 8, 9) • Israel’s Future (v. 10)

  7. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 11:1, 2. Then enter each verse under the corresponding category. (Your answers may differ from those given.) 1. The Mercy of God 2. The Foolishness of the People 3. The Rebellion of the People 4. The Demands/Punishment of God

  8. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 11:1, 2. 1. The Mercy of God 11:1 2. The Foolishness of the People 3. The Rebellion of the People 11:2 4. The Demands/Punishment of God

  9. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 11:7 and 8-10. 1. The Mercy of God 11:8-10 2. The Foolishness of the People 3. The Rebellion of the People 11:7 4. The Demands/Punishment of God

  10. What Do You Think? • How can you use this text to encourage those who feel that their bad decisions cannot be forgiven? • Digging Deeper – What other texts have you found to be valuable in this regard?

  11. Lord’s ResolutionHosea 12:1, 2, 6-14 • Charges of Sin (vv. 1, 2) • Direction for a Return (v. 6) • Persistence in Wickedness (vv. 7, 8) • Plan for Reconciliation (vv. 9, 10) • Resistance to the Plan (vv. 11-14)

  12. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 12:1, 2. 1. The Mercy of God 2. The Foolishness of the People 12:1 3. The Rebellion of the People 4. The Demands/Punishment of God 12:2

  13. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 12:6-8. 1. The Mercy of God 2. The Foolishness of the People 12:8 3. The Rebellion of the People 12:7 4. The Demands/Punishment of God 12:6

  14. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 12:9, 10. 1. The Mercy of God 12:9, 10 2. The Foolishness of the People 3. The Rebellion of the People 4. The Demands/Punishment of God

  15. Mercy, Sin, and Punishment • Read Hosea 12:11-14. 1. The Mercy of God 12:12, 13 2. The Foolishness of the People 3. The Rebellion of the People 12:11 4. The Demands/Punishment of God 12:14

  16. What Do You Think? • How can we guard against allowing our trust in earthly covenants to supersede the new covenant we have in Christ? • Digging Deeper – What early warning signs have you noticed to be important in indicating that this is happening?

  17. What Do You Think? • What techniques can you pass on to others to help them wait for God? • Digging Deeper – Which mistake are Christians more likely to make: failing to wait for God, or waiting too long and therefore failing to keep up with Him? Why is that?

  18. What Do You Think? • What do the text’s frequent references to Egypt suggest to you about what to be on guard against in human nature, generally speaking? • Digging Deeper – What practices have you found useful in overcoming this human tendency? Be specific.

  19. Conclusion • Fruit for the Harvest • Prayer • Thought to Remember

  20. A Proper Response • Using principles from today’s text, how would you respond to the following statements? • “Our country’s best hope for security lies in a strong military and good foreign policy.” (See 12:1.) • “Sure, there are areas for creative interpretation of the contracts we give customers. If they don’t read the fine print, that’s their problem!” (See 12:7.)

  21. A Proper Response • “I go to church, take Communion, put money in the plate, and show up at fellowship dinners. With all those boxes checked off, I’m good with God.” (See 11:2; 12:11.)

  22. Thought to Remember Let love and justicecharacterize your life.

  23. Listen to God’s Wisdom Next Week’s Lesson

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