Thank you. Go back with me to
Hosea 11. Now Hosea chapter 11. We have a devotional, daily devotional
book, many of you have, by J. C. Pilcock, entitled Make Us
Veil. I've never seen a better one.
I enjoy it so much. And a week or so ago, he merely
quoted part of verse 9 and wrote a brief page upon that. I don't know if any of you remember
that. But it so blessed me. And just
that one line has stuck with me now for well over a week. And I wanted to deal with it.
I still want to deal with it. I don't know if I will successfully,
but it's a blessed thought. Read with me verses 8 And again,
chapter 11, the Lord is speaking to Ephraim. Now, Ephraim is another
name for Israel or God's people, one of the tribes of Israel.
Remember, it's Joseph's son, his youngest son, Ephraim Manasseh. So he speaks of Ephraim, he's
speaking of his chosen people. In verse 8, God says to them,
How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee? Israel, that is, to the enemy.
How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zoboam?
Those are names of two cities of the plains that God destroyed
along with Sodom. That's who those are. So he says,
how shall I destroy you? He says, verse 8, my heart is
turned within me. My repentance are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness
of my name." They deserved it. He said, I will not. I will not
return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man. That's what I want us to dwell
on this morning. He says, I am God. and I'm not man. And this is cause for great joy
and rejoicing that we as sinners are dealing with God and not
man. Now the reason God saves sinners
is found in himself, not in sinners. There's no reason why God should
have anything to do with the sinner people. It's not founded
there. But the reason is because he's
God. That's why. The reason God does
what he does. This isn't a point. Old Brother
Scott Richardson used to be so good at making a point and then
keep driving it home from several directions. Or that is, drive
a nail, set it, set the nail, and keep setting it, and keep
setting it, until it's a nail in a sure place. Now, the reason
God does what He does is because He is God and not man. We talk about God's attributes,
or that is, His characteristics, ways or things that describe
our God. I think it was Philpott. Did you read it, Jeanette? You
have that, don't you? Nancy, you have that, I think,
as well. Remember, Philpott said, God
really has no attributes. He said, what will you like in
me? No comparison. God is holy. God is just. God is love. And we're going to see by that
how that he does what he does, because that's what he is. He
must. If that's what he is, that's
what he must do. All right. God is holy. God is
holy. All he does is holy. It's pure.
Perfect. God is just. The word just means
right. The judge of the earth will do
what's right. He's never He cannot do anything
wrong because he's. The there is no Spanish word
equivalent for righteousness when I was down in Mexico, brother. Cody would translate, we'd say
righteousness, justicia, justicia, sound like justice, doesn't it?
Well, it is. That's the word. There is no
equivalent for righteousness, but justice and righteousness
are really the same thing. He does what's right. He'll do
what's right. When you see verses like he'll
deal with his people in judgment, that is, he'll do what's right.
You'll do what's right. God will do what's right. He
must. And he's God. He's just. God
is immutable, unchangeable. He cannot change. He will not
change. And boy, you sons of Jacob. In a changing world. Here's a place to go. And a place,
a rock solid place to stay. God says, I change not. I change
not. His love. God is love. And so he must love. Now listen. And whoever he loves, he must
love them forever. Because love never faileth. That's what God said that charity
love never fail a true love cannot quit loving the one in love.
God is love. Are you with me at elicited a
few smiles. He cannot. He must love and he
cannot fail in that love. God is merciful. That's it. That's who he is. Moses. I said, Lord, show me your glory.
And the Lord said, I'm going to proclaim my name. In Exodus
34, he said, I'm the Lord, the Lord God. And the first thing
he said was merciful. I remember years ago as a young
believer hearing a preacher say that God had to show mercy. Because
God is merciful. And I remember thinking at the
time, I don't I don't agree with that. Well, I do now, and I'm
real glad it's so. I used to be more concerned with
God's sovereignty. God is sovereign in his mercy.
He says, I will show mercy to whom I will. That's God's glory,
his sovereignty, and he saves whom he will, chooses whom he
will. But they go hand in hand. God's glory is showing mercy. That's what makes him God and
not man. Man is not merciful by nature. God is and he must show it to
be God. He must show it. And he did. And Patrick, whoever he shows
it to and promises it to. Now, if you're a sinner, That's
the best news you'll ever hear. He said, I will be merciful to
their iniquity. His mercy is from everlasting,
everlasting. Why? Because he's God and not
man. Scriptures and Proverbs says
that tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, or that is what mercies
they seem to have. There are no mercy at all. Oh,
but God, oh, and I get in way ahead of myself here. But God
is merciful, that's what he is. God is gracious, he's called
the God of all grace. Grace means gift. God is the
giver, he's the great giver. He doesn't need anything and
he really doesn't take anything. He said, if I were hungry, I
wouldn't ask you. If I were thirsty, I wouldn't
ask you. If I needed money, I wouldn't
ask you. It all belongs to me. He's the great giver, the God
of all grace. And Scripture says he delights
to give, and giveth, and giveth, and giveth, and giveth. He's
God, not man. Man's a taker. Right? What's in it for me? No, God
says, what can I do for you? He's God, not man. And so this
is for our great comfort, our hope that God is God and not
a man. Listen to this, one of my favorite
psalms, 103, says this, the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow
to anger. Man's not, is he? Slow to anger,
plenteous in mercy. It means he has a lot to go around,
never runs out. The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, plenteous in mercy. The Lord is merciful. Scripture
says he delights to show mercy. That's not man. That's not the
way of man. Man is not merciful by nature. God is. Scripture says he's ready
to pardon, ready to forgive, full of tender mercy. That word
tender mercy says that often. That's the word bowels, bowels. That means it's in his very the
depth of his person to be merciful, to be merciful. He says, I will
show mercy. And that's wonderful because
that's our greatest need. A sinner's greatest need is mercy,
and it's one of God's greatest glory. He said, I will be merciful. I will. And as I said, old Moses
asked the Lord to show him his glory. And the Lord said, this
is my name. Mercy. I'm merciful. I'm gracious. I'm long suffering. He said,
abundant in goodness, long suffering because he's God. He's not man. And he must show mercy. He's
God. And his mercy, like him, is everlasting. He cannot quit being merciful. I will be merciful. Hebrews 12
said I will be merciful to their own righteousness and their sins
and iniquity. I remember no more. I'm. And so to the simplest and
the chief of sinners and the worst, he says, I'm merciful. I'm God, not man merciful. You know, The there were some
enemy. Kings of the enemies of the of
Israel. And they were captured by Israel. And they knew that they were
destined to or deserve to die at the hands of the king of Israel.
And so what they did was they they knew they were about to
die. That's what. kings who would have another
king's throne desert. Like Adam, huh? Well, they what
they did was they took every one of them, took a noose, took
a rope and put it around their necks. And they all said, we
hear that the king of Israel is merciful. So they all went
to him with ropes around their neck. You know what happened?
He was merciful. Now, that's a man. God says,
I am God and not man. And everyone, the scripture says,
he delights to show mercy. It says he taketh pleasure in
them that fear him and them that hope in his mercy. All who go to him for mercy,
he delights. I hear that this king is merciful. Oh, he is. He sure is. And he shows mercy to everyone
that comes to him by Christ. Everyone. David, listen to this. Oh, this is a blessed passage. David said, Let me now fall into
the hand of the Lord, for the Lord is a very great God of mercy. But let me not fall into the
hands of man. So cast yourself on the mercy
of the Lord. He will show mercy, because he's
God. He's not man. God is love. I've told you before,
I'm not a topical preacher, and I'm doing
the best I can. Would you like to try this subject? God is love. That's what he says
it twice over first gone for God is love. John wrote the if
we love one another. God will. God is love he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God and God in him there is no real love
true love lasting love. Except in God because God is
love God is love. And therefore, whomever God loves,
they're loved. And I mean they are loved, they
shall be loved forever. And since love never faileth,
that is perfect love, then it can't end ever. My pastor said on the radio this
morning, we're not talking about human emotion here. We're talking
about the love of God. The love of God. God is love.
God is love. And God cannot fail, so he cannot
fail or quit loving. Now, we know God's love is sovereign. We know that. It must be so,
Barbara. Because there's nothing to love.
You know, we love those that love us, don't we? Love those
that are of us. Something is born from us. We
have to love it. It's us. We do. But it's not
in us to love our enemies, is it? Those that spitefully use
us. It's not our nature. Man, that's
not man. But God is love. We know his
love is sovereign, it must be so. He set his love and affection
upon a people, knowing what they would be. Knowing that they would
be rebels, enemies, ungodly. Knowing that they'd be unloved. You see, there's nothing in us
by nature to love. But God is love, so he must love. And whomever he loved, he said,
and here's what he said. God said, Jacob, have I loved? Boy, there's sovereign love in
it. Jacob and Esau, two sons. And God said, I loved them before
the world began, the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil that the purpose of God, according to
election, might stand. He was said unto their mother,
the elder shall serve the younger. Yea, Jacob, have I loved? Well,
they've done any good or evil. Esau, have I hated? They're both
going to be born sinners. They're both going to be born
not knowing God, not loving God. They're both going to be rebels
against God from birth. They're both going to hate God,
not know God, don't even care if God exists, but God. who is rich in mercy for his
great love, sovereign, eternal love, wherewith he loved Jacob.
He said, Jacob have I loved. When Israel was a child, I loved
him. He said to Jeremiah concerning
Israel, before I formed thee in the belly, I knew you, I loved
you. He said, yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love, an eternal love. That's not only
as long as it lasted when it began. Turn to the fact Jacob
have I love God loves his elect his people in Christ the beloved
he's the chosen one. Yet he loves them like he loves
Christ whomever he set his love upon their love just like Jesus
Christ. When Israel was a child oh my
and he grew up. Oh, behold, what manner of love
the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. When he grew up, Israel, Jacob
was a rebel, wasn't he? He was a rebel. The only reason
that Jacob didn't sell the birthright, and Esau did, was in the sovereign
restraining grace of God. It could have easily been Jacob
who sold the birthright, and Esau who did not. Who restrained
Jacob? God. Who constrained him? God, it's the love of Christ
that constrained him. I've loved you. How can I give
you up, Ephraim? How can I? I can't give you up. I won't give you up. Whoever
he loves, he won't give you up. Listen to this over in Isaiah
49. Listen to this. This is wonderful. Turn there
with me. Isaiah 49. You need to see this.
Oh, this is one Isaiah forty nine. And he loved Jacob before
he liked Jacob during he loved Jacob after. Jacob and I love
Isaiah forty nine, look at the verses thirteen saying, oh, heavens
be joyful or break forth in the saying, you know, mountains for
the Lord have comforted his people. He will have mercy upon his afflicted
Zion say. the Lord that forsaken me. The
Lord had forgotten me. Why am I in such trouble like
this? He must have forgotten me. He must not care for me. Anybody ever thought that? These
people. Do you remember when the disciples,
when they were in that storm and the Lord was sleeping in
the back of the boat? And they ran to him and being you know,
ignorant young children that they were. They said, Lord, carest
thou not? Don't you care that we perish?
We're going down, don't you care? Oh, my. Carest not? This is why it came,
that they wouldn't perish. He's not willing that any of
his people should perish, and they're not going to. Well, they said this is what
Zion said, and it's what we all say when we get into this self-pity
mode. Lord, don't you care? Have you
forgotten me? He said, verse 15, can a woman forsake her sucking
child? Huh? Hannah, could you leave
Lily to just leave her out in the field? Could you turn her
over to an adoption agency right now, an orphanage? Could you?
Women do it all the time. Don't they? Our Lord said, you
think it's unthinkable, don't you? Could she, would she not
have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may, but
I can't. I'm God, not man. You may, and they do, but I can't. I'm God, I'm not man. I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. Him that cometh to me, all that
the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me, and they all will, brother John. He said, I will be no wise
for no reason under any circumstances ever cast him out, because I
am God, not man. Oh my, we're dealing with God
and not man. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?
Huh? He said, I'll love them freely.
Down there, did you see that? Verse 4 of chapter 14, I will
love them freely. My anger's turned away. God is
propitious. Why has his anger turned away?
The son, the son of his love bore that anger. He made peace for us. God's not
angry with his people. Now, here's a mystery, isn't
it? God poured out his anger on his only beloved son. He said,
I can't get angry with you. It's turned away. Well, he says,
I'm the Lord God merciful. I'm gracious. I'm the Lord God
that is gracious, the God of all grace. That's what makes
him God. I thought about this. Since it's
more blessed to give, then receive you know what the Lord said it's
more blessed to give and receive since he's the blessed God. That's
what he does. Give it give it he's the great
giver. Like the great parent that he
is the father that he is he never asked for anything in return.
but just gives and gives and give. And you waste, James said,
though you waste what grace he's given you, he upbraideth not,
as for more he keeps giving. The God of all grace. The great
giver. God is the giver, man's a taker.
But he delights to show grace. And so he gives. And his gifts
are without repentance. And what is his unspeakable gift?
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Here it is, God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten son. There it is. John said in another place, and
this was manifest, the love of God toward us, because God sent
his only begotten son into the world that we might live through
him. Herein is love, not that we love God. but that he loved
us and fit his son to be the. Blood is. The likes of. How can it be we sing that you
know how can it be that God should love a soul like me because he's
gone and. And. We're talking about God's mercy
and God's love and God's grace and the character of God, it's
all seen in Jesus Christ and him crucified. The mercy of God,
the grace of God, the greatest display of God's love is greater
love hath no man than this. God commendeth his love toward
us. How? He put his son to death in our
blood. That's because he's gone and
not man. Would you die for somebody who
hated you? I wouldn't. Would you? He's God. This is what makes this act of
God, Christ crucified, truly of God. That's not in man. Let me give you a few illustrations
in closing. OK, if you illustrate a few ways
how that God is God and not man. All right, stay with me a few
minutes. God is God, he's not man, and man is not ready to
reconcile, or that is, be friends with those who offend him. He's
just not ready to do that, especially if that person is a bad person. Somebody that offends him, man
is not ready to reconcile or be friends with that person.
Listen to this. In time past, you, yes you, me,
we walked according to the course of this world, children of disobedience,
children of wrath, even as others. But God. But God. Would you make overture,
would you be ready to reconcile somebody that didn't want reconcile,
that didn't want anything to do with you? Would you? No, man's
not that. He says, I'm God and not man.
And Isaiah 1 talks about man being what he is, from the sole
of his feet to the top of his head. But God says, come now. Why would you want it because
I'm God and not. Listen to this these verses you
know over Colossians one he said you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked words yet now have he reconciled. He reconciled. Listen to this. Oh you know we might die for
we might do something good for a decent man. See, Christ died
to the ungodly. Scarcely for a righteous man
would one die. For adventure for a good man,
some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us, his people, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died. The man's not ready to reconcile
those who offend him, especially those who are real bad. But God,
he said, I'm a God ready to pardon. I'm ready to pardon. Listen to this. Some people are
willing to forgive. Some men, women are willing to
pardon and reconcile if that person asks for it. If they'll just come to me and
ask me for forgiveness, I might. I might forgive them. If they got asked for it. They
don't deserve it. Isaiah 65-1 is where it is, Jeanette.
He said, I am sought of them that ask not for me. I am found
of them that sought me not. Those that don't even ask for
me. He has to make them ask. Can
you think of that? They ought to be begging. They
ought to be pleading for mercy. But no, they're not even interested.
But God. Comes to be the goodness of God
leads us to repent. That's why Paul wrote that to
those fairies and oh despised the style the riches of his grace
oh man no it's not it's the goodness of God that leads us to repent. What a gift what a grace of God
oh my God always moves first. Because he's God and not man. He's not waiting. He's moving. He always moves. If we love him,
you know why we love him? Because he first loved us. If
we call on him, you know why we call on him? Because he called
us. If we repent, you know why we
repent? The goodness of God led us to that. He says, because
I'm God and not man. If he waited on us, it never
happened. Some men are willing to pardon
or reconcile if the defender doesn't do it again. We might be merciful and forgive
somebody if they just don't do it again don't repeat the offense. Somebody does something to us,
we've forgiven them for it already. We say, there he goes again.
He's up to it again. You know, a man can only take
so much. That's right. God says, but I'm God and not
man. How much can he take? How long
must I bear with you? He said to those disciples. How
long must I bear with you to make them stop and think what
grief they've caused him all those years? How long must he? Because he's God. That's why
he says, I'm Lord God, long suffering. Patience. I'm God, not man. How long will he put up with
his people? As long as necessary. As long until they're made perfect
in the image of Christ. Oh, my. God says I'm ready to
pardon man listen to the. Man sure wouldn't keep after
somebody who kept rejecting. You wrote a letter and said I'll
pardon anyone who comes in whosoever will no matter how I'll pardon
them that they come to me. And that person keep rejecting,
not interested. Year after year after year, keep
rejecting, huh? Wouldn't you finally give up?
He says, I'm God and not man. Whoever he loves, he's going
after. And he's going to get them. He's going to get them. This
is what we call irresistible grace. He's going to have his
bride. Hosea went after Gomer. She wasn't looking for him. She's
running from him, trying to hide from him. But he's looking for
her, and he found her. He found her. Listen to this. Man may forgive, but he can't
forget. And you know, there's really
no forgiveness at all. I forgive you, but I'll never forget what
you did. That's not forgiveness. Virgin
called it a one-legged forgiveness. It doesn't walk well. But God
says, their sins and their iniquities, I'll remember no more. He said
the iniquity of Israel shall be sought and it won't be found. But God who can forget nothing
said, I forget. But Lord, I did that. I forget. But Lord, it's written in your
book. No, it's not. It's blotted out. How can you
do that? Because I'm God and not man. We can't forget. We can't forget. It's not humanly possible for
us to forget what someone's done to us. God said, but I'm God,
not man. And the closest we can understand
that is our children. A rebellious child. The closest
we can get to understanding that is our children that have rebelled
against us, and later on they come to us and they say in repentance
and they say in sorrow and grieving over what they did, the grief
they caused us, their rebellion against us, and we truly from
the heart say, I don't remember. I know how I've forgotten all
that. Don't you? Huh? Well, how much more? He said, you being evil, how
much more may I'm God and not. He said, I forget and it's forgotten. It's forgotten, and lastly, man
may forgive a little bit, man may reconcile a little bit, man
may pardon somewhat. But he sure wouldn't take somebody
who has Tried his best to kill him. Tried his best to bring
his name down. Tried his best to get rid of
him. Ungrateful, unthankful. He sure
wouldn't take that person and adopt him into his family and
provide for him and leave all his inheritance to him from then
on as a son, as a child. He wouldn't do that, would he? But God says, I'm God and I'm
man. And that's precisely what he
did. Precisely what he did. How can I give thee up? Ephraim. My people. How shall I deliver thee? How
shall I destroy you? I didn't come to destroy you.
I came to save you. Because I'm God. And not man. Glory be to God. OK. Brother
Gabe, you come. Leave. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay.