Okay, open your Bibles if you
would to the book of Hosea. Hosea chapter 11 tonight. The
name of the message is called out of Egypt. Called out of Egypt. So open your Bibles to the book
of Hosea chapter 11. We'll continue our study in this
wonderful book tonight. We'll look at verses one to five.
With verse one being our main text. And we'll continue to look
at how Israel pictures the church of the living God. And after
this message, my hope and prayer is that we'd be filled with even
more awe of who the Lord Jesus Christ is, of what he's done
for us. You know, we're just sinners
born dead in trespasses and sins. And in order for us to be saved,
God Almighty himself, the word of God, became a man and dwelt
among us. And that's so wondrous, I'll
tell you, that's so wondrous that God himself did that, the
Word of God did that, the second person of the Trinity. So may
we be filled with awe at how merciful our God is, how merciful
the Lord Jesus Christ is with we who are sinners, and may we
be in awe of the fact even more of the fact that we are saved
through his blood and his righteousness. He gave his life for us. He became
a man to save us from our sins. It's absolutely incredible. Absolutely
incredible. And so, again, may we be filled
with awe at how merciful our Lord Jesus is to his born-again
blood-washed bride. That's who he came to save. He
didn't come to save everybody. Scripture plainly declares in
Matthew 121, he came to save his people from their sins. Now, who's his people? Well,
his people are all those who the Father gave him in eternity. We see that in Ephesians 1. Verse
four, so plainly and clearly brought forth that were chosen
in Christ before the foundation of the world. So let's read Hosea
chapter 11 verses one to five. When Israel was a child, then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. As they called
them, so they went from them. They sacrificed unto Balaam and
burned incense to graven images. I taught Ephraim also to go,
taking them by the arms, but they knew not that I healed them. Oh, my. I drew them with cords
of a man, with bands of love. See, we're drawn with cords of
love, beloved. Cords of love by the Holy Spirit
to Christ. Oh my, bands of love. And I was
to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I
laid meat unto them. He shall not return into the
land of Egypt, but the Assyrians shall be his king, because they
refused to return. Now our text is gonna be in verse
one tonight. Look at this. When Israel was a child, note
that's singular, Then I loved him, note that singular,
and called my son out of Egypt. Again, it's singular. Marvel
at this text before us. And marvel at, as we go through
this message, and we just read there how Israel just goes off
and does their own thing, and that's how we were in our natural
state. But marvel, remember, be in awe of how long-suffering
God was with us in that state. He never left us. He never forsook
us. And He loved us even when we
were dead in trespasses and sins, which is absolutely amazing.
See, it is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance,
to think that God himself gave his life for me, an unworthy
sinner. is absolutely incredible. And note here that God didn't
just cast away Israel, either. He didn't just say, well, that's
enough of you guys. I'm done. He didn't cast away Israel, despite
her unfaithfulness. Let's think of how we were in
our natural state, how unfaithful we were, and how even unfaithful
we can be in our born-again, blood-washed state. Yet God will
never cast us away. He'll never say, I've had enough
of you. Isn't that wonderful? People may abandon us in our
lives, family and friends, but God will never abandon his people,
ever. People may say, I want nothing
to do with you. But God always has his eye of love upon his
people. My. And knowing that he is like
that with us doesn't make us feel like we can go out and live
a life of just utter destruction. No, it
actually binds us to him, knowing that that love compelled him
to go to Calvary's cross, that everlasting love that he has
for his people, compelled him to go to Calvary's cross to manifest
his love for us by dying on the cross. Shedding his blood for our life,
eternal life. Living the perfect life that
the law of God would be fulfilled and our room replaced. That we
might be clothed in his perfect spotless righteousness. It's
absolutely stunning. And if you read this chapter,
you will see a gracious amount of divine love and the fact of
human ingratitude. See, think of how we didn't know
God loved us before we were saved. And think of how we lived on
his earth. We enjoyed the things of the
world. We enjoyed the things that he's
provided for us, but we never gave him thanks. We lived a life of ingratitude.
That's what struck me today as I was putting this message together.
I lived a life of ingratitude. Now I thank him for everything.
I thank him when the road's clear and I cross the highway. I thank
him when we get a parking spot somewhere close to the doors. I thank him even if I get one
far away. I thank him for each day. I thank
him for the sunlight and the snow and the beauty of his creation
all around us. Thank him for you all. the saints here in Almonte. Thank
them for saving my soul. See, now we live a life of gratitude. Isn't that amazing what the Lord's
done? And we see here, we see here
God's divine love and then the fact of human ingratitude We
who are the redeemed can rejoice because there's much of the Lord
Jesus Christ in this chapter. As a matter of fact, this first
verse is not about the nation of Israel, although it could
be applied to it. This verse is about the Lord
Jesus Christ. My, let's read this verse again,
Hebrews, or Hosea, I mean, 11, chapter one. When Israel was
a child, then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. Now,
again, what is said here could maybe apply to the calling of
Israel out of Egypt, but let us always remember that the Lord
Jesus Christ told us that the law and the prophets, they testify
of him. they testify of him. And Hawker,
I was loving reading Hawker today because he said, he said, so
easily we can get distracted about historical events and all
that, but we need to keep in mind in reading the Old Testament
that it's pointing to Christ. It's pointing to Christ. We see
the things that Israel went through, but all those sacrifices pointed
to Christ. And as Israel struggled and went
through things, God continually took them through things, didn't
he? What's he do for us? And you know, he took us out
of Egypt. You know, this world is referred to as Egypt by a
lot of believers. We were in bondage, right? It's
a sin. We're free now, aren't we? The
Israelites were in bondage in Egypt. It's a picture of the
world. They were in bondage. God took them to the promised
land, didn't he? Where's he gonna take all his blood-washed saints?
All the elect of all the ages. Gonna take us home to the promised
land, didn't he? I'm bound for the promised land.
I'm bound for the promised land. Who will go with me? I'm bound
for the promised land. And that's by the grace of God,
in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, my Look at this. When Israel was a child, then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. So let us keep
an eye to Christ here. Turn, if you would, to the book
of Matthew, chapter two, keeping this verse in mind. When Israel
was a child, then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt.
Here is a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ before us. As I
was reading Hawker, He said here in the middle of
Israel being shown how depraved they were is mercy, is mercy. My. It's a prophecy of the Lord Jesus
Christ coming just as everything in the word of God points to
Christ. In type and picture and shadow, all the Old Testament.
that we must be given eyes to see, right? And ears to hear
the things of the word of God. See, even the things we see in
the word of God, we can't glory in them, because God's the one
who revealed them to us. Now, we're in awe, aren't we?
We're in awe when he does that. We're just in awe. You know,
the Lord Jesus Christ told the Pharisees, you search the scriptures
in them, you think you have eternal life, but they are they which
testify of me, he said. And Christ proclaimed that Moses
wrote to me. And Abraham rejoiced to see my
day. Remember the end of John 8? He
says, Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And they said, you're
not even 30 years old yet. Yeah. Oh my. But they testify of Christ. saw Christ, looked to Christ.
Moses wrote of Christ. The Old Testament prophets, the
law and the prophets, they testify of Christ. All of the Old Testament
sacrifices, they point to Christ. There's pictures and shadows
all through the Old Testament which point to Christ. Look at
this in Matthew chapter 2, look at this. Verses 13 to 15 is the
first portion we're going to read. And when they were departed,
verse 13, Matthew 2, and when they were departed, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise,
take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt. And
be thou there until I bring thee word, for Harold will seek the
young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young
child and his mother by night, departed into Egypt. There they
go. Okay. And look at this, verse 15. And
was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet? And we just saw
that's Hosea saying, out of Egypt have I called my son. Look at
that. That was a prophecy of the Lord
Jesus Christ about him. Note that in verse 15, chapter
2, Matthew, that it might be fulfilled what was spoken of
the Lord by the prophet, again, that's Hosea we just saw, saying,
out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea is talking about the Lord
Jesus Christ, beloved. He's talking about his Israel,
his spiritual people whom he loved. whom he poured out and
he showed his love for them by calling his son out of Egypt."
See, God... God showed his love for his people
by all these things that came to pass that were prophesied
of old about the Lord Jesus Christ. Because he sent the Messiah to
save us from our sins. Isn't that wonderful? It's absolutely
amazing. And think about what happened next. Look at verses
19 to 23 of Matthew chapter two. We see this. We see now the return
of Jesus to Nazareth, but notice where he is when he gets called
out back to Nazareth, or to Nazareth. Matthew chapter two, verses 19
to 23. But when Herod was dead, look
at that, the enemies of God always end up dead, don't they? Yeah,
and this was not very long after they left. Behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, arise
and take the young child and his mother and go into the land
of Israel, for they are dead, which sought the young child's
life. And he arose, took the young child and his mother, came
into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus
did reign in Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid
to go hither or thither. Notwithstanding being warned
of God in the dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. He came and dwelt in a city called
Nazareth. That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene. My,
oh my, look at that. Everything that was predicted
about Christ is coming true Because the law and the prophets
they testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, so let's go back again
to Hosea chapter 11 verse 1 When Israel was a child then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt Now, Israel being
called out of Egypt is a picture of God's elect being called out
from the world, which is a picture of Egyptian bondage. See, when
we were dead in trespasses and sins, it was a picture of how
the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt. And what was our captive? What held us captive? Sin. Amen, sister. Sin. Sin is what
held us captive. We were bound up by it. My, it was our master. That's
why it's so incredible that God takes us from the kingdom of
darkness, which we're born naturally into it, into the kingdom of
his dear son. And he tells us, Paul writes
in Galatians, right? Be not again entangled with the
yoke of bondage. Right? Stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made you free, and be not again entangled
in the yoke of bondage, Galatians 5.1. Don't be entangled in that
again. No, and that's speaking of religious
ceremonies and things like that. My. The Israelites were slaves to
the Egyptians and we were slaves to sin. Listen to this Exodus
20 verse 2. I am the Lord thy God. What a
statement by our God. What a statement. I am the Lord
thy God. Exodus 20 verse 2. Which have
brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of
bondage. Now he's speaking to Israel there.
That's true of us too, isn't it? He took us out of the house
of bondage, didn't he? As several of the old timers
used to say, we were on the slave block of sin. My, my. We were in the prison house of
sin, locked up. Couldn't get out. The Lord came
in and opened the door. And our chains fell off, didn't
they? My. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter two. We'll see a description of our natural state here. And how we were in bondage to
our sin. And you know what we also were
in bondage to? Death. We were terrified of death
before the Lord saved us. Now we realize death is just
a doorway to get to glory, to be with the king. The sting of
death is gone for the believer. Look at this, Hebrews 2, verses
13 to 15. And again, I will put my trust
in him. And again, behold, I and the children which God giveth
me. My, God gave Christ the people. Look at that. For as much as
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same. Christ became man. The word of
God became man. Look at this. That through death
he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the
devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. See, that's where Christ found
us. Our whole life, we were subject
to bondage up until the day that he saved us. We were regenerated.
Now, he saved us 2,000 years ago, but up to the point where
we were born again by the Holy Spirit of God and given faith
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The work was already
finished 2,000 years ago. Isn't that wonderful? And what
has he done? He delivered us from our sins,
hasn't he? Yeah. He delivered us from the law
of God that had a rightful claim on us. He delivered us from the
wrath of God. He delivered us from hell. My. He delivered us from bondage,
beloved. Now we still struggle with sin
and we will to the day we die. But it doesn't have the power
it once had over us, does it? Now we repent of our sin when
we never did before. That's just amazing. And this is applicable to all
believers, for without hope in Christ, death is certainly a
fearful experience. It's terrifying. How can any person who has no
hope of pardon, forgiveness, and eternal life look upon death
without fear? How? My. But this scripture is especially
spoken concerning the Jews under the law of Moses, which was a
bondage and constantly spoke of death, right? Because what
does the law do? Well, it slays us. Shows us we
can't save ourselves. It's a minister of death, the
scripture says. And life comes through the Lord
Jesus Christ and his blood and righteousness. So the law speaks of death. And think of this, they were
daily transgressing the ceremonies in the law, so they were in bondage. Without Christ, the law of God
offers no hope. This is why I can't wrap my head
around people who trust in the law to save them. Now, before
I was saved, I trusted in myself. and my own works. But these folks,
some folks out there trust in the law and actually think that
they can fulfill the law. When we learn, when we become
believers, that we can't keep the law. And if you offend in
one point of the law, you broke it all. Well, that means we're
all a bunch of lawbreakers. Even the people who say they
can supposedly fulfill it, they're liars and they're breaking the
law too. My, do you see how the human
heart, like the scripture says, is deceitful and desperately
wicked? It makes us think that we can
gain acceptance with God by something we do or something we follow. The only acceptance with God
comes in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And we follow him
because we've been given faith to believe on him, beloved. Isn't
that wonderful? Oh my. It's absolutely wonderful. Listen to this in Romans chapter
8. Verses 14 to 15. For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. You're
born again? You're a son of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again. See, Paul's saying, you've not
received the spirit of bondage, which is try to do this to be
saved. Try to do that to be saved. Something
you got to do to be saved. And people make a law out of
that, don't they? It's also speaking of the law of God. People thinking
they can fulfill the law of God on their own. They're deceiving
themselves. They're deceiving themselves.
Romans 8, verse 15, for ye have not received the spirit of bondage,
again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption. Oh, beloved,
whereby we cry, I have a father. Our hope is not in ourselves.
Our hope is in Christ. We cry, Abba Father, oh my Father,
you're so wonderful. Send in the Lord Jesus Christ
to die for my sins. So may we contemplate how important
the call of God, God's beloved Son from Egypt was, which the
Lord has here in our text represented. Let's read again, Hosea chapter
11, verse 1. When Israel was a child, then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. When Israel was
a child, then I loved him, said Jehovah. When was this? When
was this? Not surely in the beginning of
the forming of the church, right? No. Not surely when the Israelites
came out of Egypt, right? No. Not in the first giving of
the covenant to Abraham or the promise to Adam that the seed
of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. No. The Israel mentioned in our text
here is the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what it says. When Israel
was a child, then I loved him and called my son out of Egypt.
My oh my. My oh my. How long has God the
Father loved the Lord Jesus Christ? Isn't this amazing? He loved
him from eternity, didn't he? My. Turn if you would to Proverbs
chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8. So marvel,
beloved of God, as it was before the foundation of the world. How long has God loved the Lord
Jesus Christ? when there was never a time.
Isn't that amazing? And do you know what? There was
never a time when the Father did not love the Son. And this
is something to blow our minds away here. Marvel at this. That God the Father loves God's
people that he gave to Christ as much as he loves the Son.
Oh my. That's what the everlasting love.
We're gonna look at that later on too. My. There never was a time when God
the Father did not love Christ. He's the second person of the
Trinity, the Word of God. Who was with God the Father and
was God. Look at this in Proverbs chapter
8. We read verses 22 to 31. The Lord possessed me in the
beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up
from everlasting, from the beginning, wherever the earth was. When
there was no depths, I was bought forth. When there was no fountains,
abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, was I bought forth. Well, as yet, He had not
made the earth. Look at that, look at that, mine. He had not made the earth nor
the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When
he prepared the heavens, oh, I was there. My, isn't this wonderful? I was there. When he set a compass
upon the face of the depth. when he established the clouds
above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep, when he
gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his
commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth.
Do you note that in verse 29? People are always saying the
oceans are going to overflow and flow in. Look at that. Look
at verse 29. When he gave to the sea his decree
that the waters should not pass. his commandment, when he appointed
the foundations of the earth. Then I was by him as one bought
up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always
before him. Look at the love and the unity
that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit have. Rejoicing in
the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the
sons of men. Remember, he walked without them
in the garden. Oh my. Now consider that he who was
God and attorney, the word of God, is born into this world in a body prepared by God. And
his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. And he gloriously condescends
to take the name of his people. He's bone of our bone and flesh
of our flesh, and has graciously allows his people to call themselves
after him. Isaiah 49.3, here's a couple
texts for you to write down. Isaiah 49.3, and he says unto
me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then in Ephesians chapter three,
verses 14 and 15. For this cause I bow my knee
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named." Wow. We're the Israel of God,
aren't we? And then the Lord Jesus Christ
is He who is declared to be the Son of God with power. Romans
chapter 1, verses 1 to 7. Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God, which
he promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning
his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which is made of the seed of
David according to the flesh. She's bone of our bone beloved
flesh of our flesh And declared to be look at this and declared
to be the son of god with power according to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead He rose from the grave. He was he was he died was buried
and he rose from the dead among whom Are ye also the cause of
jesus christ? To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Romans chapter
one, verses one to seven. So the believers in Christ are
said to be the sons of God by adoption. John 1 and 12 says
this, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
So let us marvel, beloved, Let us consider this wonderful thought. If Jesus be called out of Egypt,
so are we, his people. How? By sovereign grace. By sovereign
grace. Called out of Egypt, called out
of our fallen estate, called out of the bondage of our dead
nature to life in Christ, and called by Christ The effectual
calling of God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. So marvel,
beloved of God, we are saved in and through the blood and
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn, if you would, to
John chapter 17. We are saved through the blood
and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And beloved of
God in Christ, by the Father, as the Father has loved Christ,
who is the God-man mediator, So the Father loves Christ's
bride. John 17, verses 20 to 23. Neither I pray for these alone.
So he had just made a statement that he was praying not for the
world, but for the apostles. And then look what he says here.
John 17, 20. Neither pray I for these alone,
that being the apostles. But for them also which shall
believe on me through their word. Now think of that. That was including
Paul. And you and I, beloved. Isn't that amazing? Christ is
praying for us. God in the flesh is praying for
us. Look at what was he praying?
Verse 21. That they all may be one. As
thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee. that they also may
be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them,
that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou
in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me and has loved them as
thou has loved me. God sending Christ to die for
our sins, beloved, was a manifestation of the fact that he loved us. And look what it says there again.
That the world may know, verse 23, that thou hast sent me. He's the sent one of God, isn't
he? He's sent by God. And has loved them. That's all
the elect of all the ages. This is just incredible. Should
leave us in awe. as thou has loved me. God the
Father loves the people he gave to Christ as he loves Christ. And that's with an everlasting
love, isn't it? An agape love. A love that's foreign to we human
beings. My, it'll never change. His love
for us through the ages will never change. He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever. And so is his love for his people. Precious Lord Jesus, oh, how
blessed it is for us to behold, behold our King, behold you,
Lord Jesus, in all your preeminent stature, in all your preeminency by God-given
faith. We praise thee and we thank thee.
for saving our souls. Amen.