Ken Druck in his book “The Secrets Men Keep” discusses six major secrets men have. At the top of the list is that "men secretly yearn for their father’s love and approval." The authors say: It may surprise us to know that the most powerful common denominator influencing men’s lives today is the relationship we had with our fathers.... Of the hundreds of men I have surveyed over the years, perhaps 90 percent admitted they still had strings leading back to their fathers. In other words, they are still looking to their fathers, even though their fathers may have been dead for years, for approval, acceptance, affection, and understanding.”
Are the men only ones with a yearning for their
father’s love and approval? In her book Like Father, Like Daughter, Suzanne
Fields presents the results of her interviews with hundreds of women. The
central thesis of her research was "Daddy hides, and we forever seek him,
only occasionally flushing him out of his hiding places.”
These two authors seem to highlight an inherent
need of both men and women for the love and approval of their fathers. This craving
for the affirmation, affection, discipline, protection, leadership, and
unconditional acceptance should primarily come from a dad, unfortunately for
many it may not have been the case. Hence we grow up with resentment and are unfulfilled,
yet we continue to seek to meet those needs.
The scriptures say that God is our Father, Let’s
see how God expressed his father’s heart to a group of people who though wanted
that love yet constantly turned away from the Father who loved them with an unconditional
and everlasting love. Read Hosea 11:1-12
BACKGROUND: Hosea was the last prophet in Israel. He preached during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753) B.C His mission was to call the nation of
Though the nation of Israel was turning away from
God; he loved them intensely. God’s father’s heart was broken by their constant
backsliding. In spite of all that God’s love was enduring and He never gave up
on them. The prophet Hosea so graphically illustrates God’s intense love, his
broken heart and His endurance with the nation of Israel in this chapter.
I. GOD’S INTENSE LOVE (Vs 1-4)
Vs 1. “When Israel
was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt Israel from its infant stage. The
words “my son” indicate an intimate father and son relationship that God wants
to enjoy not only with Israel, but also with all those who believes in His son
Jesus Christ. In John 1:12, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those
who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Just like a Jewish father God expresses His
intense love to the nation of Israel by teaching, providing, healing and caring
for all their needs. Vs 3-4 “I led
Ephraim. I rescued him from human bondage, But he never acknowledged my help,
never admitted that I was the one pulling his wagon, that I lifted him, like a
baby, to my cheek, that I bent down to feed him.”You may be wondering why five times the author had
to mention I, well without any doubt God wanted Israel to know that it was
indeed Him who had done the teaching, caring and healing all the way from Egypt
until they reached the Promised Land.
The author uses down to earth terms and portrays a
scene to express God’s fatherly love and concern for his people, such a scene
would be familiar to any family. A father who is absorbed in coaxing and
supporting the child’s first staggering steps. I am familiar with this kind of
fatherly role. I remember how I used to enjoy helping my three daughters when
they started to walk. I would hold them by their arms and walk with them. Pick
them up and comfort them when they fell and hurt themselves. I also remember
how I would carry them and coax them to eat. Not to mention the hours that I stayed at
their bedside when they were sick.
We
thank God for our fathers and mothers who loved us otherwise most of us wouldn't be here today. I understand that some of us may not have had such
loving parents as a result find it hard to relate to a loving heavenly father
who loves us intensely and unconditionally. Would it be possible even after
receiving love and affection from parents that some children turn their backs
on their parents? It happened to Israelites,
and it could happen to us too. V 5-7 shows God’s broken heart over a nation
that was backslidden.
II. GOD’S
BROKEN HEART (Vs 5-7)
In the passage we read, we see the hidden hand
of God from the inception of the nation of Israel, until today yet many have failed to recognize God as their
father. Over and over again they rebelled against Him, turned their backs on
Him, they served false gods that are not gods but demons. Vs 5-7 depicts the
broken heart of God over his obstinate children.
Vs 7 says, “My people are bent on turning from Me.” In the Message Bible
it reads, “My people are hell-bent on leaving me. They pray to god Baal for
help. He doesn’t lift a finger to help them.” Israel’s backsliding grieved
God’s heart. Malachi 3:7, “From the days
of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.
Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you
say, ‘How shall we return?”
Similarly, we too have taken God’s love for granted. Just because we do
not see him with our physical eyes it doesn't mean he is not involved in our
lives. God is the one who gave us birth and breath to live. He sends rain, and
sunshine for man to cultivate the earth and live. He gives wisdom and skills to
man so that through science and technology man can do wonders.
When we are sick he sends his word and heals us. Above all he sent his
only son Jesus to redeem us from sin and death so that we can live with him
forever in eternity. In spite of all these favors done to us isn't it shameful
that mankind continues to reject God’s love? When God calls them to turn to
Him, they ignore His call? How does God respond to this backsliding of the human
heart? Does he give up on his people forever? No, our earthly parents may stop
loving us but God our heavenly father never stop loving his children.
III. GOD’S ENDURING LOVE: (Vs 8-12)
These
verses bring forth the all compassionate, all loving father heart of God. In
spite of Israel
My insides churn in protest. And so I’m not going to act on my anger. I’m not going to destroy Ephraim. And why? Because I am God and not a human. I’m The Holy One and I’m here—in your very midst. In spite of all their stubbornness and rebellion the nation of Israel still exists today, it is because of this promise God made to them through the prophet Hosea.
My insides churn in protest. And so I’m not going to act on my anger. I’m not going to destroy Ephraim. And why? Because I am God and not a human. I’m The Holy One and I’m here—in your very midst. In spite of all their stubbornness and rebellion the nation of Israel still exists today, it is because of this promise God made to them through the prophet Hosea.
Similarly,
if only God moved in anger and executed His wrath upon us for all our rejection
of Him and stubbornness, none of us would be here today. Then what is it that holds
his wrath back from us? It is his enduring love, it is his compassion and it is
his mercy. The entire Psalm of 136 talks about God’s enduring love.
No
doubt His love endures forever; it doesn't mean that he is going to put up with
us forever for our nonsense and mess that we have created for ourselves. There
will come a day God’s patience will come to an end. That’s is then Jesus will come
back to this world for the second time but this time not to save the world but judge
the living and the dead. Most of us have known Jesus as the good shepherded, but
we have not yet seen the other side of Him, for He is the roaring lion.
The Prophet
Hosea rightly describes God’s wrath towards his obstinate children in Vs 10,
“He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar; and His sons will come from the
west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt ,
and doves from the land
of Assyria
What can we learn from this
passage? Firstly God is our father and He loves us intensely. Secondly his
heart is broken when we turn our backs on Him. Thirdly instead of dealing with
us as our sins deserve, He is patient with us and loves us with His enduring
love. What should be our response to such a loving father? Where are you today
in your heart? Are you in need of a touch from a loving heavenly father? He is
pleased when his children say to him, father we are sorry for our rebellion,
selfishness, disobedience, pride and independence, and we want to come back to
you and follow you with all our hearts, please accept us back again. Amen
