Do not be fools

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 48:1-3, 9-11
• Hymn — How Great Thou Art (#44)
• Catechism Reading — Westminster Shorter Catechism, Questions 53–54
• Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (#296)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — Hosea 13
• Prayer of Illumination
• Sermon
• Hymn — Like a River Glorious (#699)
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: Do Not Be Fools

Scripture: Hosea 13

I. The Foolishness of Trusting in Position (Hosea 13:1-3)

A. Ephraim was exalted and favored by God — not because of their own greatness, but by God's sovereign choice

1. Ephraim, the younger son of Joseph, was raised to represent the whole northern kingdom of Israel
2. Their exalted position was a gift of God's grace, not their own achievement

B. Pride swelled as they contemplated their favored status, and they fell into idolatry (Hosea 13:2)

1. They incurred guilt through Baal and died spiritually
2. They sinned more and more, making metal idols — worshiping the creature rather than the Creator
3. Like weeds in a garden, pride must be vigilantly fought or it overtakes the heart

C. The Lord's verdict: they are like morning mist, dew, chaff, and smoke — utterly insignificant apart from him (Hosea 13:3)

D. Wisdom requires knowing who we are in light of who God is

1. To be an image-bearer is not an end in itself — we bear the image of the Triune Creator
2. We must not worship the image-bearer but the one whose image we bear

II. The Foolishness of Trusting in Provision (Hosea 13:4-8)

A. The Lord identifies himself as the God who redeemed Israel from Egypt and intimately knew and provided for his people in the wilderness (Hosea 13:4-5)

1. The "knowing" here is like the intimate knowledge between husband and wife — a caring, mutual provision
2. Their clothes and sandals never wore out; their stomachs were never empty

B. As they became full, their hearts were lifted up and they forgot their Provider (Hosea 13:6)

1. They missed the Provider for the provision — they saw the gifts but forgot the Giver
2. They believed themselves to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining

C. Application: affluence is one of the greatest spiritual dangers in the Western world

1. Teaching children to say "thank you" and "please" is meant to cultivate awareness of dependence on another
2. Praying before meals is a discipline to remind us that all provision comes from the Lord
3. The gospel begins with our need — those who believe themselves self-sufficient cannot hear it

III. The Foolishness of Trusting in Princes (Hosea 13:9-11)

A. The Lord mocks Israel's confidence in earthly rulers: "Where now is your king to save you?" (Hosea 13:10)

1. This alludes to Israel's demand for a king in 1 Samuel 8 — they wanted a king like the nations to lead them in battle
2. The Lord had been their king, but they sought another

B. The temptation is to trust the seen over the unseen — to place full weight of trust in leaders whose faces we can see

1. The issue is not with earthly leaders themselves, but with misplaced ultimate trust
2. Earthly leaders cannot bear the full weight of our trust, just as an extension cord cannot tow a car

C. We are to pray for our leaders, but prayer for them is meant to reinforce that they serve an unseen King

1. Mayors, senators, presidents — all are under-rulers who serve at God's pleasure and according to his will
2. Prayer trains our hearts to remember who is truly King and who truly provides

IV. The Foolishness of Trusting in Permanence (Hosea 13:12-16)

A. Israel began with great promise and hope, but foolishness has brought that promise to a bitter end

1. Israel is called "an unwise son" who does not present himself at the right time (Hosea 13:13)
2. Israel is a fountain once full and overflowing, now run dry
3. The sword brings swift judgment — death is the culmination of their foolishness

B. The sobering message of Hosea 13:14 — the Lord has sovereign power over death

1. Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 15 to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the defeat of death
2. In Hosea's context, however, the controlling phrase is "compassion is hidden from my eyes" — the One who can defeat death will not withhold death from his guilty, foolish people
3. Paul's use of the verse is meant to be ironic and surprising — the words of judgment are transformed into a shout of resurrection triumph
4. Foolishness has a cost; Proverbs 1–9 repeatedly connects the path of foolishness with Sheol and death

C. Nations, empires, and dynasties rise and fall — nothing earthly is permanent; to trust in permanence is folly

D. Merciful closing note: this is not the final word — Hosea 14 follows with a call to repentance and a promise of restoration

1. "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things" (Hosea 14:9)
2. Where there is breath in the lungs, there is hope for the heart
3. The Lord is a keeping God — for those who repent and trust in him, there is always more