Burnt Batter, Baffled Birds and Bent Bows
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-Introduction
-In a recent sermon, I said that much of Christianity can be discussed within the broad context of
God’s Will vs. the Ways of the World.
-We have to decide: Am I going to seek and follow God’s will? or Am I going to follow the influence
and ways of the world?
-James 4:4 - So, we need to be different. We must be different.
-It’s an “either/or” decision. We cannot have it both ways.
-We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to the sinfulness of society. We can’t let it wear
us down. We can’t grow comfortable with it. We cannot give in.
-Matt. 5:16, Phil. 2:15
-With these things in mind, I want to focus your attention on some things in Hosea 7.
-Hosea – Overview
-approx. date of about 750 B.C. – 722 B.C. (give brief history of Israel and her fall)
-At this time, things are not good at all in a spiritual sense in Israel.
-Hosea contains an unusual scenario – God’s prophet is instructed to marry an immoral woman, Gomer.
-The relationship between Hosea and Gomer represented God’s relationship with Israel.
-Even though Gomer cheated on him, Hosea was willing to take her back and even paid to do so.
Even though Israel had sinned against God, He was willing to take her back.
-Although Hosea contains harsh warnings against the sinfulness of the people and the punishment
that approached, we can see God’s mercy, compassion and love in his willingness to forgive.
Unfortunately, the people demonstrated an unwillingness to repent.
-Hosea 1-3 – Hosea and Gomer
-Hosea 4 - begins series of discourses focused primarily on the sins and approaching punishment
-Hosea 4:1, 6
-Hosea 5:1 – sinfulness swept through the nation – kings, priests, people
-Hosea 6 – continued sinfulness
-Hosea 7
-Again, the sinfulness of the people is being addressed. This continues down through verse 7.
-In verse 8, we see a little bit of a transition from what is happening within Israel to Israel’s involvement
with other nations. We might put it this way – It turns from the domestic focus to foreign policy.
-vs 8 – “mixes himself with the peoples”
-This had been the Achilles heel of God’s people since they came into the Promised Land.
-Ex. 23:33, Num. 33:55, Ps. 106:34-35
-They were to remember to serve God and to do so appropriately – Deut. 6:4-15.
-What about us? Matt. 6:33, Rom. 12:1-2
-Israel was giving an appearance of being in a relationship with God. In some ways they were still
going through the motions. But, sadly, they were only going through the motions (Hos. 6:6, 8:13-14).
-By mixing with the people and failing to keep their focus on God’s will, they had become like
burnt batter, baffled birds and bent bows.
-Burnt Batter – Hosea 7:8 – “cake not turned”
-example of pancake batter left unturned – burns on one side, the other is undone
-context of Hosea – Israel’s attempts at forming an alliance with Egypt and Assyria
-For our purposes, think of it in these terms: a partialallegiance to God and partial involvement in
the ways of the world.
-burned– (m-w.com) – “to subject to misfortune, mistreatment or deception”
-Following the ways of the world will burn you. It will deceive you and mislead you spiritually.
-By partially following the ways of the world, you are left undone spiritually.
-Hos 7:10 – danger of pride – We need to humble ourselves. Remember, God is the Creator,
we are the created. He is the potter, we are the clay. We are to conform our will to His.
It does not work in reverse.
-Eph. 4:12-15 – Let’s continue to focus on spiritual things (Col. 3:1-3). Let’s grow and mature spiritually.
-Baffled Birds – Hosea 7:11 – “dove, silly and without sense”
-Hosea’s context: Egypt and/or Assyria – The Israelites didn’t know which way to turn.
-Far too many people want to have one foot in the Lord’s church and one in the ways of the world.
But, these are conflicting sides. So, they get confused and don’t know which way to turn.
-Example of dove on the side of the road as car approaches
-Far too many end up turning the wrong way. They cross the fence into the world and then that fence
becomes more like a wall and they have a hard time climbing back over it.
-Hosea 7:13
-Bent Bows – Hosea 7:16 – “treacherous bows”
-KJV, NASB – “deceitful bows”; NI V – “faulty bows” – Let’s think in terms of a bent bow.
-If you have your eye on a target but are shooting at it with a bow that is bent, what will happen?
You’ll miss that target. You’ll miss the mark.
-Interestingly, that is the root meaning of the word translated as sin in the N.T.
-Sin is missing the mark.
-If you give God your partial allegiance, you will miss the mark. If, instead of following God’s will, you
follow the ways of the world, you will miss the mark!
-Now, we all miss the mark at times (Rom. 3:23). But, by following the ways of the world, your
life (spiritually) will simply be off the mark.
-Summary and Invitation
-Don’t be like burnt batter – burned on one side (the world), left undone on the other (spiritually).
-Don’t be like baffled birds – becoming confused or distracted and not knowing which way to turn.
-Don’t be like bent bows – missing the mark.
-Heb. 12:1-2, Rom. 12:1-2 – Put your focus on God and His will. Make that your priority and focus.
-Remember James 4:4. Now, notice verses 7-10. James describes the person with a divided focus
(one foot in Lord’s church, one in world) as double-minded.
-If that is you, submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, humble yourself.
-God will forgive you – thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. What a price He paid for you and me to buy
us back from the spiritually, deadly clutches of sin!
<Return to Sermon Outlines>
-Introduction
-In a recent sermon, I said that much of Christianity can be discussed within the broad context of
God’s Will vs. the Ways of the World.
-We have to decide: Am I going to seek and follow God’s will? or Am I going to follow the influence
and ways of the world?
-James 4:4 - So, we need to be different. We must be different.
-It’s an “either/or” decision. We cannot have it both ways.
-We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to the sinfulness of society. We can’t let it wear
us down. We can’t grow comfortable with it. We cannot give in.
-Matt. 5:16, Phil. 2:15
-With these things in mind, I want to focus your attention on some things in Hosea 7.
-Hosea – Overview
-approx. date of about 750 B.C. – 722 B.C. (give brief history of Israel and her fall)
-At this time, things are not good at all in a spiritual sense in Israel.
-Hosea contains an unusual scenario – God’s prophet is instructed to marry an immoral woman, Gomer.
-The relationship between Hosea and Gomer represented God’s relationship with Israel.
-Even though Gomer cheated on him, Hosea was willing to take her back and even paid to do so.
Even though Israel had sinned against God, He was willing to take her back.
-Although Hosea contains harsh warnings against the sinfulness of the people and the punishment
that approached, we can see God’s mercy, compassion and love in his willingness to forgive.
Unfortunately, the people demonstrated an unwillingness to repent.
-Hosea 1-3 – Hosea and Gomer
-Hosea 4 - begins series of discourses focused primarily on the sins and approaching punishment
-Hosea 4:1, 6
-Hosea 5:1 – sinfulness swept through the nation – kings, priests, people
-Hosea 6 – continued sinfulness
-Hosea 7
-Again, the sinfulness of the people is being addressed. This continues down through verse 7.
-In verse 8, we see a little bit of a transition from what is happening within Israel to Israel’s involvement
with other nations. We might put it this way – It turns from the domestic focus to foreign policy.
-vs 8 – “mixes himself with the peoples”
-This had been the Achilles heel of God’s people since they came into the Promised Land.
-Ex. 23:33, Num. 33:55, Ps. 106:34-35
-They were to remember to serve God and to do so appropriately – Deut. 6:4-15.
-What about us? Matt. 6:33, Rom. 12:1-2
-Israel was giving an appearance of being in a relationship with God. In some ways they were still
going through the motions. But, sadly, they were only going through the motions (Hos. 6:6, 8:13-14).
-By mixing with the people and failing to keep their focus on God’s will, they had become like
burnt batter, baffled birds and bent bows.
-Burnt Batter – Hosea 7:8 – “cake not turned”
-example of pancake batter left unturned – burns on one side, the other is undone
-context of Hosea – Israel’s attempts at forming an alliance with Egypt and Assyria
-For our purposes, think of it in these terms: a partialallegiance to God and partial involvement in
the ways of the world.
-burned– (m-w.com) – “to subject to misfortune, mistreatment or deception”
-Following the ways of the world will burn you. It will deceive you and mislead you spiritually.
-By partially following the ways of the world, you are left undone spiritually.
-Hos 7:10 – danger of pride – We need to humble ourselves. Remember, God is the Creator,
we are the created. He is the potter, we are the clay. We are to conform our will to His.
It does not work in reverse.
-Eph. 4:12-15 – Let’s continue to focus on spiritual things (Col. 3:1-3). Let’s grow and mature spiritually.
-Baffled Birds – Hosea 7:11 – “dove, silly and without sense”
-Hosea’s context: Egypt and/or Assyria – The Israelites didn’t know which way to turn.
-Far too many people want to have one foot in the Lord’s church and one in the ways of the world.
But, these are conflicting sides. So, they get confused and don’t know which way to turn.
-Example of dove on the side of the road as car approaches
-Far too many end up turning the wrong way. They cross the fence into the world and then that fence
becomes more like a wall and they have a hard time climbing back over it.
-Hosea 7:13
-Bent Bows – Hosea 7:16 – “treacherous bows”
-KJV, NASB – “deceitful bows”; NI V – “faulty bows” – Let’s think in terms of a bent bow.
-If you have your eye on a target but are shooting at it with a bow that is bent, what will happen?
You’ll miss that target. You’ll miss the mark.
-Interestingly, that is the root meaning of the word translated as sin in the N.T.
-Sin is missing the mark.
-If you give God your partial allegiance, you will miss the mark. If, instead of following God’s will, you
follow the ways of the world, you will miss the mark!
-Now, we all miss the mark at times (Rom. 3:23). But, by following the ways of the world, your
life (spiritually) will simply be off the mark.
-Summary and Invitation
-Don’t be like burnt batter – burned on one side (the world), left undone on the other (spiritually).
-Don’t be like baffled birds – becoming confused or distracted and not knowing which way to turn.
-Don’t be like bent bows – missing the mark.
-Heb. 12:1-2, Rom. 12:1-2 – Put your focus on God and His will. Make that your priority and focus.
-Remember James 4:4. Now, notice verses 7-10. James describes the person with a divided focus
(one foot in Lord’s church, one in world) as double-minded.
-If that is you, submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, humble yourself.
-God will forgive you – thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. What a price He paid for you and me to buy
us back from the spiritually, deadly clutches of sin!
<Return to Sermon Outlines>
