Sunday, February 23, 2020

The Valley Of Chastisement

Temple Baptist Church - 2-23-2020
Hosea 2:1-23 (vs. 14-15); Hebrews 12:5-13


Introduction:  THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD: OUR DOOR OF HOPE!

A.  The Valley of Chastisement is one that each child of God goes through at one time or another. 

1.  We all continue to be sinners though saved by God’s grace.

2.  We all suffer the consequences of or sin at times.

3.  At this point, I want to say that I thank the Lord for parents who cared enough for me to chastise me betimes.  The older that I get, the more that I love and appreciate my parents!

b.  The Valley of Achor means the Valley of Trouble.  It was there that Achan sinned against the Lord and was stoned with all his family and animals. 

1.  At the Battle of Jericho, Achan took the accursed things: “a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight.”  He hid them in his tent.

2.  The Lord punished Israel for Achan’s sin.  36 men died and Israel fled before Ai!

3.  Israel stoned and burned Achan and all that was his in the Valley of Achor.

4.  Achan sinned; God killed Achan!

c.  The reality of the “fierceness of his anger” against sin was manifest that day in the Valley of Achor. 

D.  In Hosea 1:2, Israel departed from the LORD: “for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.”

1.  Verses 1-2 – God’s Condemnation.

2.  Verses 3-13 – God’s Chastening.

3.  Verses 14-15 – God’s Compassion.

E.  In Hosea, chapter 2, God’s grace through chastisement to Israel is shown.

Hosea 2:14-15  Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.  (15)  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

1.  God will Allure her.  To attract of to charm.  An “alluring” woman; to use a lure to attract fish.

Song of Solomon 1:2-4  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.  (3)  Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.  (4)  Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

2.  God will Bring her.  Guidance into a barren place where there is nothing to do but look up to God.

Ezekiel 20:35  And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

3.  God will speak Comfortably unto her.  God’s compassion; God’s gentleness; God’s goodness in restoration.

Hebrews 5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

4.  God will Give her.  God’s goodness in restoration. 

Psalms 103:10  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

5.  God will Restore her.  “valley of Achor for a door of hope.”

Joshua 7:26  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.


6.  The Valley of Achor is a “door of hope” for us all.

Hebrews 12:5-13 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  (6)  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  (7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  (8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  (9)  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  (10)  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  (11)  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  (12)  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;  (13)  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.  

1.  Chastening Is A Sign Of God’s Love – “whom the Lord loveth”

Jeremiah 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

2.  Chastening Is A Guarantee Of Sonship – “every son whom he receiveth”

2 Timothy 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

3.  Chastening Is A Purposed Process – “if ye endure chastening”  “corrected”

Romans 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

4.  Chastening Is A Progressive Process – “chasteneth…scourgeth”

1.  It can cost you a loved one – 2 Samuel 12:14  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

2.  It can cost you your temporal blessings - John 21:3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

3.  It can cost you your health - Psalms 51:8  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

4.  It can cost you your joy - Psalms 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

5.  It can cost you your life - 1 John 5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

5.  Chastening Is A Blessing – “it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness”

Job 5:17  Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

Psalms 94:12  Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

                        a.  The Exhortation Of Chastening – vs. 5

                        b.  The Exercising Of Chastening – vs. 6

                        c.  The Encouragement Of Chastening – vs. 6-8

                        d.  The Example Of Chastening – vs. 9-10

                        e.  The Effects Of Chastening – vs. 11-13

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