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?

Ask a Question
Send Encouragement

|||| Take a Next Step ||||
SOAP Bible Study Method.
Bible Reading Plan.
Free Weekly Newsletter.

|||| Social ||||
Facebook.
Instagram.
X.
YouTube.

The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Hosea Chapter 7
• 2:03 You Had One Job: Return
• 4:39 Israel's Rebellion Described
• 7:11 Breaking Down Our Isolation from God
• 9:24 Taking God's Hand: Simple Not Easy

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, hosea, chapter seven, and today's title is 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's complicated, you're right, it is, but they had one job and that is take the first step, and they did so. We'll get into all that in just a second. So, as always, get out that next bag of popcorn, get your Bibles ready for Hosea, chapter seven and while you're doing that, as always, take just a moment. Make sure to like, share and subscribe to YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure to leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you go into the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook.

Speaker 1: 1:07

There's an amazing group of people doing a wonderful job and I want to encourage everybody who's listening to this. If you read the Bible Breakdown Discussion, leave us a comment. It is really encouraging to our team to see that you are connecting with the content. They're writing that because they want to engage and it is just wonderful to see people who are learning and growing and developing. And please, there's no shame there. If you have questions, ask questions, because you may know something we don't and we want to learn. We didn't get in this thing to do anything other than bring glory to God and just geek out about the Bible together, so make sure you are joining us in that. Okay, all right? Well, once again we are in he Hebrews. My goodness, we are in Hosea, chapter seven, and remember, the overall goal of Hosea is God's reckless love and over the past, about three chapters, God is just telling us what's up. He's saying, hey, listen, no more shallow promises, we want deep promises. I want commitment. Is what I want? No, all of you who've been bringing my people or taking my people further away from me. I'm gonna mess up with all y'all because y'all have taken away my bride.

Speaker 1: 2:11

And then today we're going to talk about this idea of you have one job, and that is he has constantly been talking to Israel and he's telling them I need you to come back to me, listen, we'll figure out the details. It's almost like when Hosea and Gomer are married and Hosea goes to get Gomer. It would have been like her saying Hosea, you don't understand, I don't work for me, I have a pimp, I have somebody who's in charge of me. It's complicated. I got issues, I got stuff. It's not so simple, hosea, and and I just see in my mind Hosea looking at Gomer with his hand out and he's saying, actually it is, you can take my hand and we can leave. And yeah, there's a thousand things that's going to have to happen on the backside of your decision, but it starts with the decision. You got one job, and that's like that's what God is saying to the nation of Israel you got one job, I'll help you take care of the rest, but I need you to do this one thing.

Speaker 1: 3:09

So here let's read this Hosea, chapter seven, verse one, says this. Here it is in verse one I want to heal you, israel, but its sins are too great. Samaria, that was the capital city of Israel after they left Jerusalem, city of Israel after they left Jerusalem. Samaria is filled with liars. Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside. His people don't realize that I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them and I see them all.

Speaker 1: 3:35

The people entertain a king with their wickedness and princes laugh at their lies. They are all adulterers, always aflame with lust. They are like an oven that is kept hot, like a baker is kneading the dough. On royal holidays, the princes get drunk with wine, carousing with those who mock them. Their hearts are like an oven, blazing with intrigue. Their plot smolders through the night and in the morning it breaks like a raging fire, burning like an oven. They consume their leaders, they kill their kings, one after another, and no one cries to me for help.

Speaker 1: 4:13

The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake. Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don't even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don't even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don't even realize they're old and weak. Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don't return to the Lord, their God, or even try to find him. The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help.

Speaker 1: 4:45

But as they fly about, I will throw my net over them and bring them down like a bird from the sky. I will punish them for all the evil they do. What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me? Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me. They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves begging foreign gods for grain and new wine, and they have turned away from me. I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. They look everywhere, except to the most high. They are useless as a crooked bow. Their leaders will be killed by their enemies because of their insolence toward me. Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them. So God's got some words for them, and those words are you had one job. You had one job, and that is to return to me. You come to me and we'll figure out the rest. But nope, you were literally turning to everything else but me, and that's why it's not working out for you. So you still got one job, and can I tell you, I see the parallel so much, and what I've done in my life before. Maybe you have too.

Speaker 1: 6:08

And that is the idea of for some reason, for a thousand reasons, we isolate ourselves away from God. Maybe we thought God should have went left and he went right. Maybe we thought he should have answered 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 and we were waiting. We knew we could, we knew we would, we knew we should. And then he didn't. And so now we're wounded, now we're hurt, now we're wondering God, why would you, how could you? Just all the things right? So we isolate ourselves away from God and then, after we do, we still need God, we need the comfort of the Lord, we need his salvation, we need the fruit of the spirit in our life. But instead of turning to him, we turn to everything else, only to realize for the thousandth time that it doesn't satisfy. And then God comes to find us. Like, god reaches out to us, we, someone invites us to church, someone you know.

Speaker 1: 7:07

We hear a podcast with this crazy guy who literally in front of you is. His hair is turning gray and he's talking about the goodness of God and he stumbles over his words, but yet he keeps telling you that God loves you and he has a plan for your life. And you're like you know, I want 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 I got this and I got that, and I wonder if God has his hand out to me and you both. And he's saying actually it is Now. You're right.

Speaker 1: 7:36

After this first decision, there's going to be a thousand other decisions going to take place, 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 the water under that bridge. I'm not worried about all the things you've done. Let's not call them what they what they're not. They're not mistakes. It was sin. We turned our backs on God, I am aware, but I still love you. That's the reckless love of God. That's how much he loves me and you, and that's what he is mourning.

Speaker 1: 8:09

And Hosea, chapter 7, he's saying guys, you have one job just take my hand, just come back to me. But you didn't, and that's why all these bad stuff is happening. And so, like the very beginning of chapter 8 is so sound an alarm, like You're not coming, but sound an alarm, so it's going to get bad. But even then, he's still pulling them, pulling them, and I think God's doing that to you, he's doing it to me. We go through difficult seasons and bad things are happening. He's still got his hand out. And I wonder who is listening to this today? And the Lord is saying this to you. It really is that. Simple Doesn't mean it's easy. Simple does not mean simplistic. Simple does not mean easy Simple as in it really is as easy, or simple, rather as saying, yes, lord, I will take your hand, I will turn my heart back to you.

Speaker 1: 8:54

And then here's the amazing thing you think you're going to have to make all those other hard decisions by yourself. You think you're the one who's going to break off that unhealthy relationship. You think you're the one who's going to have to go tell your boss you can't do that anymore. You think you're the one who's going to have to go tell your boss you can't do that anymore. You think you're the one who's going to have to say no to those addictions. Here's the thing You're not going to have to do that by yourself. God's going to be with you. The Holy Spirit is going to walk with you. He's going to make a way where there is no way he's going to start doing things. You're not going to do any of that by yourself.

Speaker 1: 9:24

Now, it's going to be hard, but he's going to be right there holding your hand, because God's word says though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid. That means we're going to walk through valleys. We're going to walk through dark valleys that look like death, but fear will not overtake us. Why? Because you walk close beside me. So, yes, the enemy will tell you you can't turn your life over to God.

Speaker 1: 9:42

You realize how many things you're going to have to do. Maybe there's an atheist listening to me right now and you know God's real. But you're ashamed to turn your life over to God because you're going to have to go tell all those other people that you were wrong. First of all, who cares? Second of all, you're not going to have to do that by yourself. You're going to become the greatest testimony some people have ever heard. It's the enemy who's lying to you and you can't turn back to God.

Speaker 1: 10:04

Today's your day. He's one prayer away from your life. You are one prayer away from your life being different forever, and that is taking God's hand. God, I repent of my sin. I return to you. Watch what happens. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much that you are with us and that you are for us. I'm thankful that your word is true and that you are for us. I'm thankful that your word is true and that you fight for us. Oh, the amazing, reckless love of God. May we never get used to watching what you can do. In Jesus' name. We pray amen. And then what God's word says in Hosea 6, verse 6, he says I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. God's word is saying I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. God's word is saying I want to have a relationship with you. I want you to experience my reckless love. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. Hosea, chapter 8.