RETOURNONS A L’ETERNEL / LET US RETURN TO THE LORD

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION

31 DECEMBRE 2021

Sermon par Past Marc E Simeon

RETOURNONS A L’ETERNEL

LET US RETURN TO THE LORD

LECTURE OSÉE 5 :15 ; 6 :1-3

Ho 5:15 Je m’en irai, je reviendrai dans ma demeure, Jusqu’à ce qu’ils s’avouent coupables et cherchent ma face. Quand ils seront dans la détresse, ils auront recours à moi.

Ho 5:15 I will go away, I will return to my place, till they acknowledge their trespass, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 6:1 ¶ Venez, retournons à l’Éternel! Car il a déchiré, mais il nous guérira; Il a frappé, mais il bandera nos plaies.

 2 Il nous rendra la vie dans deux jours; Le troisième jour il nous relèvera, Et nous vivrons devant lui.

 3 Connaissons, cherchons à connaître l’Éternel; Sa venue est aussi certaine que celle de l’aurore. Il viendra pour nous comme la pluie, Comme la pluie du printemps qui arrose la terre.

Ho 6:1 ¶ Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.

 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

INTRODUCTION

• In the last few years, natural disasters have caused a lot of unrest in the United States of America and around the world.
• Over one Billion dollars of damage have been caused in the US between 2010 to 2019.
• In the last two years, who knows what that figure is if we throw in the figures tagged in dealing with the pandemic Covid-19 and the wildfire and the tornadoes, and hurricanes.
• What strikes me always is the resilience of the survivors.
• There seems to be a daring attitude to go back and rebuild on the very same spot that was devastated.
• People are optimistic that they can beat the odds next time.
• They rebuild safer and stronger homes.
• They rebuild in ways to outsmart the last tragedy if nature revisits them in the same fury.
• People take great pride of the geographical corners where they live.
• God’s people are not found to be as clever in dealing with God.
• People have a tendency to walk away from God and never look back.
• Many people wander away from God until they die in their sins.
• Backsliders seem to forget the nature of God, or pride keeps them from seeking forgiveness from God.
• In the Book of Hosea the Jewish people were asked to return to God.
• This return was in the aftermath of some judgments from God.
• It was also on the eve of the big one.
• Although the Northern Kingdom of Israel was not yet destroyed, they had already sensed the heavy hands of God in judgment.
• The ministry of Hosea occurred between 750-722 B.C
• The destruction of Northern Israel happened in 722 BC, meaning that Hosea was an active prophet all the way to the dispersion of the 10 Tribes of Israel.
• God was launching an S.O.S. message in His last attempts to save Israel, but unfortunately, the effort was abortive.
• The pleas of the prophet fell on deaf ears and the Northern Kingdom was dissolved consequently.

THE PLEA OF HOSEA

Ho 6:1 ¶ Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. (NKJV)

 1 ¶ Venez, retournons à l’Éternel! Car il a déchiré, mais il nous guérira; Il a frappé, mais il bandera nos plaies. (LSV)

• A plea to return in fellowship with God.
• A plea to consider a brand new start with God.
• A plea to make up with God.
• A plea to renew their alliance with God.
• The hearts of the people were indifferent toward God because they sensed that the Lord had turned His head the other way and allowed their oppressors to close in on them.
• When troubles come, most people see God in a bad eye.

IL A DECHIRÉ

• Hosea identified God as the source of their predicaments.
• Yes, God is the One responsible for our nation being torn apart.
• Yes, God did it that we are so miserable.
• But, that’s not all that we should know about God.

MAIS IL NOUS GUERIRA

• Psalm 103 gives us a glimpse of the compassionate nature of God

Ps 103:2 Mon âme, bénis l’Éternel, Et n’oublie aucun de ses bienfaits!

 3 C’est lui qui pardonne toutes tes iniquités, Qui guérit toutes tes maladies;

 4 C’est lui qui délivre ta vie de la fosse, Qui te couronne de bonté et de miséricorde;

8 L’Éternel est miséricordieux et compatissant, Lent à la colère et riche en bonté;

 9 Il ne conteste pas sans cesse, Il ne garde pas sa colère à toujours;

 10 Il ne nous traite pas selon nos péchés, Il ne nous punit pas selon nos iniquités.

 11 Mais autant les cieux sont élevés au-dessus de la terre, Autant sa bonté est grande pour ceux qui le craignent;

 12 Autant l’orient est éloigné de l’occident, Autant il éloigne de nous nos transgressions.

 13 Comme un père a compassion de ses enfants, L’Éternel a compassion de ceux qui le craignent.

• It is necessary to know that God is a good God, even if He has to chastise us from time to time.
• He also heals / Il nous guérira.
• He dries our tears / Il essuiera nos pleurs.

Ho 6:2 Il nous rendra la vie dans deux jours; Le troisième jour il nous relèvera, Et nous vivrons devant lui. (LSV)

 2 After two days will he revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before his face; (DBY)

• While this verse is allegorical to death burial and resurrection of Jesus;
• While this prophetic statement unfolds the course of the nation of Israel that was going to be devastated starting with the 10 Northern Tribes in 722 BC and Judah 597 BC, some 125 years apart.
• This verse implies the mighty restoration power of God.
• This verse depicts the loving kindness of God toward His children.
• God is willing to revive us again.
• God is willing to elevate us again.
• We must do our part to seek God with full devotion

CHERCHONS A CONNAITRE L’ETERNEL

Ho 6:3 Connaissons, cherchons à connaître l’Éternel; Sa venue est aussi certaine que celle de l’aurore. Il viendra pour nous comme la pluie, Comme la pluie du printemps qui arrose la terre. (LSV)

 3 and we shall know, –we shall follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is assured as the morning dawn; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain which watereth the earth. (DBY)

• We need to seek to know God personally.
• We need to experiment God in a more intimate fashion.
• We need to understand the truthfulness of God.
• We need to know that God cannot lie.
• We need to place our faith in God in all our endeavors.
• Just as farmers have faith in the seasons of nature to know when to plant and when to harvest, so can we be certain of faithfulness of God

CONCLUSION

• As we approach this New Year 2022, it is time to do an overhaul in our lives.
• This is the time to get to know God a little better.
• This is the time to reach new heights in God.

AMEN!