A Divided Heart

(#862, Imperial, 1959, 1968)

Read Hosea 10:1-12.

Israel offers many lessons to the Church in their failures and shortcomings.  Israel is not to be confused with the Church, but what happened to Israel is for our instruction and admonition.

Scripture frequently compares Israel to a vine.  John 15 speaks of the vine in relation to the Christian.  Here in Hosea Israel is called an "empty vine".

ƒ      The indication of an empty vine, v1

w    The vine had leaves and fruit, but still it was empty.  It was empty toward God.  Christians can be a similar picture: having leaves and fruit, but none toward God.

w    There was a perverted use of prosperity (v1).  God had blessed Israel with abundance, but it was abused.  It was used without a supreme regard to the claims of God.  Material prosperity can be dangerous, resulting in idols of materialism rather than the glory of God.

w    Fruit unto himself (v1).  The fruit was not for God's glory.  Do you remember the story of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21?  The rich man spoke of my fruits, my barns, my goods, my soul.  Self-glory, self-gratification and self-enrichment result in an empty vine toward God.

ƒ      The reason for an empty vine, v2.

We find here the cause of Israel's sin was her divided heart.  This was Israel's trouble all along.  Elijah had called upon Israel, "How long halt ye between two opinions."  This is our trouble too.

w    God has made one heart in man.  To divide it is injurious to the man's life.  A church divided becomes weak and useless. A Christian divided becomes faulty in his character.

w    The effect of a divided heart is that God is not loved.  God is not loved at all when he is not wholly loved.  Thus we become spiritual adulterers and adulteresses (James 4:4).  The divided heart leads to a weak and useless life.

ƒ      The solution for the empty vine, v12.

We must seek God alone.  The heart must be withdrawn from God's rivals and yielded without reservation and delay to Him who has the right to possess it.

Prone to wander Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

Psalm 18

The historical setting of this Psalm is made clear both from the title and from the fact that it appears originally in the narrative of the life of David in 2 Samuel 22.  The setting in 2 Samuel is that it is somewhat of a summary of God’s deliverances of David over the course of his life.  David is ascribing faithfulness to God for not one but for a lifetime of deliverances.  From David’s experiences we too are encouraged to trust in the faithful God.  While David speaks of receiving deliverance from his enemy in the future his faith in placed in His God who has delivered him in the past.

Here is an outline with brief comment of this lengthy Psalm.

·        v1-2: we can be confident because of who God is.  Identify 8 thoughts about God.  The “Rock” is one in which we hide.  The “Horn” is an emblem of power.

·        v3-6: we can be confident because God hears us.  We are emboldened to cry out to God and to believe that He will hear the cry of faith.

·        v7-19: we can be confident because God delivers those who call on him.  David’s description of God’s great movement on his behalf is likely describing the totality of God’s many deliverances as king.  David experienced deliverance from Saul, and then from the Philistines, Ammonites, Syrians and other surrounding nations.

·        v20-29: we can be confident because God is faithful.  This passage is not a denial of grace.  The point is that David was God’s anointed, given a special covenant whereby God would establish his throne.  Of course we are aware of his sin with Bathsheba and the overwhelming consequences.  But even in that situation God forgave and gave David victory over Absalom and the rebellious tribes.  

·        v30-36: we can be confident because God equips us.  Again, note 8 ways God enables us to be useful in His hands to bring about victory over the enemy.  In v30 David notes that God’s way is “perfect”.  In v32 God makes David’s way “perfect”.  This refers to being complete or whole.  God misses nothing; His plan will prosper.  Thus the way He lays out before us is also complete.  That is something for David to say as he had his shortcomings.  Furthermore the years of God’s deliverance from Saul were a “path” that often had danger.  David found himself in tight spots from time to time.  He is saying that while God’s way for him was not the easiest in the sense of being free of trouble, it was the easiest because God always delivered.  Think about this.  Since God’s way is perfect, the way He has planned for you is also perfect!

·        v37-45: we can be confident because God gives overwhelming victory.  The point here is that when God gives victory, it is amazing.  David understood what Paul understood when he worshiped God for giving us more than we ask or think (Eph. 3:20).  

·        v36-50: we can be confident!  The hymn ends as it began.  It is a strong exclamation point that God can be trusted!!  He will not disappoint us.  We will never be ashamed who put their trust in our Rock!  This term “Rock” is different than the hiding place of v2.  This is the boulder on which we can stand firm.  David’s use of it in this summary of God’s deliverances is interesting in that the references to God as Israel’s “Rock” are in Deut 32 (v4,15,18,30,31).  Deut. 32 (The Song of Moses) speaks of God’s relationship to Israel in her times of trouble, exactly the thing for which David gives praise.  What “rock” are you standing on?  Is it a solid foundation?  Do you have confidence in times of distress?
* * * * * * * * * *
 (Additional thoughts from April 1, 2018.)
First, for those living by the Western Calendar, may the glory and power of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ be increasingly real to you on this  Resurrection Sunday.  Isn't every Sunday "Resurrection Sunday"?

The beginning and end of this Psalm need to be emphasized.  David begins by saying, “I will love You, O LORD, my strength.”  This term for love is not the one used, for example, in Deut. 5 (Thou shalt love the LORD your God with all your heart …) nor the one in Jer. 31:3 (I have loved you with an everlasting love).  This term has more the sense of mercy and compassion and might be seen to be more of an emotional expression.  Gesenius relates it to the idea of cherishing, soothing, a gentle state of mind.  In Psalm 18:1 it tells us what the entire Psalm is: it is an expression of this deep feeling of David as he considers what God has been for him throughout his life.  We ought to deeply feel love for God when we review His perfections and His perfect work in our lives.

At the end of the Psalm we cannot miss what really is driving David to love the LORD.  It is the fact that God is fulfilling the promise, the covenant promise, He made with David.  Read both the historical statement of God’s words to David (2 Samuel 7:12-17) and the testimony of David about those words (in Psalms such as 2, 16 and 17).  David frequently praised God for victories over the nations and over his enemies; this was what God promised and he was seeing it before his very eyes.  David did not experience defeat as he led Israel, and this was what God promised.  At the same time, when we read those Psalms we see the Messiah, the Son of David.  We understand that the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises to David will be seen in his descendants forevermore (v50). 

Here is one of many things to think about from this Psalm.  David’s life is driven by the word of God, the covenant promises; David lives on the basis of God’s revealed will.  David’s emotions are a response to seeing this as it plays out.  He knows God will be his strength and shield; when it happens he is moved to love.  It should be thus for us as well: living lives out of the word of God; loving God as He faithfully keeps His word.