Justice and Mercy [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright is sounding slow is the according to Exodus 34, six and seven I am who I am. I am that I am God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but by no means will simply acquit the wicked pastor come to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.

I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In this series word and spirit of unity of balance as presented it were an old church in North Carolina that you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program to make sure you know how to get our special resource.

Right now it can be worse for your nation this month to Alan Wright mysteries. So as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you this resource. Today's special offer. Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor out.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright God is righteous and God is loving. He is holy and he is merciful. He is committed to doing what is right and he is committed to doing what is perfectly loving. How can both be possible attorney this morning to Hosea 1 of my favorite prophetic books in the Old Testament you turn to the middle of your Bible and just find Psalms your eyes and your mind will find Hosea to the right of that and we come today to chapter 11 in which you will see a dialog here, in which God is if you could if you could say such a thing about what you can, but you did say God is wrestling with in his own heart. So I take you in many ways into a journey into the heart of God. If there could be such a thing as a dilemma in the divine heart. You see it in Hosea chapter 11, when Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son the more they were called, the more they went away for Sacrificing to the balls and burning offerings to idols.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim woke them up on their arms. They did not know that I healed them. I let them with cords of kindness the bands of love. I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws have been down to them and fed them. They shall not return to the land of Egypt but exterior shall be their king really refused to return to me, the sword shall rage against their cities consume the bars of their gates and devour them because their own counsel. My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the most high shall not raise them up at all. How can I give you Ephraim.

How can I hand you over is how can I make you like mom.

How can I treat you like that we my heart recoils within me.

My compassion grows warm and tender.

I will not execute my burning anger. I will not again destroy Ephraim for I am God, and not a man, the holy one in your midst will not come in math, they shall go after the Lord he will rule more like a lion when he roars his children shall come trembling from the West patient come trembling like birds from Egypt and like this from the land of the Syria and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

There was a woman. She loved her husband and she became sick and after long illness.

He died and she went to heaven and she got to the pearly gates there was Peter and she saw how beautiful was he said not, what must I do to come in.

They said you need to spell a word he said was the words he see she said was what he said. Love, Susan LOV come into glory. And so she goes in heaven some years after that one day Saint Peter said I need to run a little quick Aaron and he told the woman he said, would you stand at the pearly gates and just take over for a little while and while she was there. Her husband, former husband, he appeared over the gates. He died as she saw him and she said will you are will. How have things been since I was gone is all I said is been amazing is that you know that young beautiful 24-year-old nurse was taking care of you while you were sick possesses. You know I married her side and then next they know I won the lottery at the Army. I know we had a humble house when you were there before we had a beautiful house and had three other houses got one amount is 11 on the lake that we have traveled the work world stay the finest hotels. Even the finest food sit in a matter fact we are at our ski lodge and I had an accident while skiing and that's why I'm here is to get in. She said you have to spell a word he said was the word Czechoslovakia little part of you that China likes that punchline to that story because you know you deserve the Littles. Okay, maybe I will let a man got a spell Czechoslovakia first. You know that little party. You that just kind of likes that. You know what that is in you justice. Every one of us and one would think this is crazy thing in this world we got this idea of moral relativism, like everything is relative is no really right or wrong. Yet, these people have driven in traffic and have somebody pull in front of this is a lie still your pocketbook. You'll find out right there something inside of us that just instinctively know wrong needs to be punished and right needs to be rewarded. That's justice the same time every single one of us has experienced at least at some level love and know that what we need ultimately his love is what we want to give and get this unbelievable die dilemma when love and justice are both equally real and equally important in this world and we see it in our human relationships when there's a wrong that suffered what you do about that where there is love and you want to love, to prevail, but you can't just turn a blind eye to make it either. And so it is with God. God is as the creator of the world, the one who is designed it and that's the way we feel the way we feel we need justice and we need to love and yet how can the two coexist only talk to you about the most beautiful part of the balance of God in which the ballots were not talking about the safe little middle place of the road.

We don't have any extreme where, what real balances is you can have the fullness of grace in the fullness of truth.

You can have expansive life in seemingly opposite directions, which are held in dialectical and dynamic tension and this is the nature of God and so we come to Hosea chapter 11 where you see God in the end it in the throes and maybe we maybe we have to see it through. Sort of a human portrait because we Really comprehend his godliness. But you see into his heart that his people are idolatrous they run after other gods they disobey him, though they promised that they would obey him, and God is in deep distress inwardly about what to do about this because they should be. They must be like all send punished and yet he loves them. He can't seem to even have the thought of letting go of them, what will he ever do about this dilemma because he must be just and not be made to be a liar and he said that sin must be punished and on the other hand, he is perfect love, abounding in perfect, slow to anger. He is the according to Exodus 34, six and seven I am who I am. I am that I am the God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but who, by no means will simply that talent will have more teaching moment from today's important series being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's word and God's spirit were never meant to be separated spirit always belong together to keep your abundant life in Christ knowing your Bible. The secret of being filled with the spirit, the answer is both word and spirit subjugation studying Scripture, and some traditions emphasize the spirit to real Christian growth is both word and spirit as someone once said Pollard spirit you dry all spirit. No word both word and spirit umbrella. When you make a gift to support this man will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit Airlines embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit realm like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well. And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God, 2000 every day, six 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.work days teaching now continues you once again is in order to understand Hosea 11 need to be familiar with the story of Hosea.

This is been a remarkable week for me because my family and I we went to the Waco Texas out to Baylor. Our son Bennett is a senior and he had a big surprise plan that we knew about and his girlfriends family knew about it but his girlfriend Amy didn't know about it and her son who had met Amy three years ago at homecoming at Baylor and they have a huge huge bonfire out and what they call the fountain ball along the big quad huge bonfire out there at homecoming and all kinds of special things going the way of fireworks and rise big huge brave big big deal at Baylor. That's where they first met, and they been seeing each other ever ever sense.

And so Bennett had a big big surprise all plan since it was homecoming weekend and their favorite restaurant. The first one ever had a date BJ's restaurant there in Waco and so he took her out to BJ's for for supper and then at the end of supper. He said you you've got a different ride and he excused himself and hastily jumped in his car to drive over to cash in building which is the one real building that's got a big room with glass on three sides were you could see out over the fountain lawn where they have the big bonfire and he had gone to great lengths to get in touch with the person who would give him permission to have that room for the night.

Set up one little table with some chocolate covered strawberries and a limo came and picked Amy from the restaurant and drove her over to cash in building where she made her way out of the limo and there. To her surprise was our daughter Abby standing at the door, saying, what are you doing here name you like what are you doing here and she says there's somebody waiting for you on the fifth floor and so they go into this fifth floor where they had first met. Watching this bonfire and the first dance ever went to was in this ballroom where they were and he got down on one knee and he asked her to marry him. So we have a new daughter-in-law soon to be June 3 in Waco, Texas, and then afterwords Amy didn't know it but we had come in her family from San Diego was there and about 30 friends or so it all gather back there rental house and we had a big big surprise party and so they are engaged in is just this is been a happy week and a proposal is a wonderful thing.

But our story today is a very different kind of proposal. I once conceived of Hosea, thinking what it really must've been like for him as a young preacher of the word and up-and-coming profit and like all young Jewish men look forward to the day that God would have a bride for him a grew up in a culture in which marriage was prearranged and this is the ultimate prearranged is he just knew God would speak to him about it is time for him to be wed.

Can you imagine the day the Lord comes to said as I have gotten wife for you. I can just imagine them saying all who is is it Susie in the choir that one who sings like an angel. I've had my owner and the Lord said no it's not her is is it is it Samantha, the one who just knows the Torah so well who prays with such faith is no it's not her. It is, it and Hosea's mine runs through all of the women he might have conceived that God would have for him to marry.

So finally the Lord says it's none of those hose I will who is God is well.

I want to go down to the bad part of town, on the other side across the railroad tracks. A place where you would never even go as a man of God you wouldn't want to be seen there.

That's where I want to go Hosea and there I have a woman who have picked out for you but yes the text says it plainly, and Hosea chapter 1, I have picked out for you a life of boredom, a life of unfaithfulness and adulteress a prostitute and so it was with breathtaking obedience that Hosea married Gomer. I wonder what it was like, and I imagine that Gomer when she said yes to this godly man who would take her into a life that she could have never imagined living. I would imagine that at first when she made her vow. She really meant it. We do mean our valves when we say them so so earnestly so eagerly just like the people of God.

After Moses came before them as their mediator and said the Lord God says that if you will obey me you will be my treasured people and the people of God. All said yes we will do everything the Lord has told us to do God's people have always been eager to make their vows to God. I imagine Gomer was just like that, yes I will marry you.

Yes I will forward to coming out of this life. Yes, I look forward to a whole different way of being. I never thought that a man like you would even be interested in a woman like yes I don't know what it was like how scandalous it was for the community.

I don't know what it did to Hosea's reputation but in a very real sense by being willing to marry Gomer. He took Gomer's shame and she got his honor and the first I imagine things were okay honeymoon. They had a son and everybody in that ancient culture rejoiced at the birth of a firstborn son.

What a delight it was. It was wonderful within Hosea chapter 1 quickly goes on the toes of two other children that are born and from the reading of the text and from the context that we learned in chapter 2, it seems likely that the next two children were not Hosea's what we learn in chapter 2, she gone after other lovers also wondered what it was like first time that Hosea came home to an empty house because his wife was off being unfaithful. Gomer, my darling Gomer, and somewhere in the stillness of that hollow moment. Perhaps God spoke to his prophet is sent Hosea how you feel how you feel to take everything of your reputation put on the line to make a commitment to a woman who didn't deserve you, only to have her now run after lesser logs. I want you to know how this feels because what I'm doing is I'm giving you a gift Hosea, I am giving you a glimpse into the heart ID is the heart of God feels he says to José when my people run after their idols in their balls and they make their golden calves and they cannot trust the one who delivered them out of their bondage in Egypt. The ones who are so eager to make their commitments and their vows say yes to obey everything that I ever told him to do yet that's cannot seem to contain themselves running after that which is vile and in adequate and less then everything that I could offer them. Do you see what this feels like my profit.

Do you see what this feels like I want to know what it is like to be married to someone committed to. She breaks the covenant over and over and over, to feel this because there is an unbelievable dilemma that happens when you love somebody you have committed yourself to somebody here she breaks your heart does something of great offense and everything within you knows I cannot simply tread upon is if this didn't matter because I'm not codependent I'm not just be walked on and I can't just turn a blind eye to this.

I can't just say okay to be some kind of justice, and there's a lot of overtakes me. Anybody's ever felt any of that. You've got a little picture of the heart of God Was Taking Pl. in Hosea chapter 11 is in a Mysterious Way, God is talking to himself when Israel was a child a lot is now shift the image to out of a father for love for a child. I any parent knows what he's talking. I called my son the more they were called. He said the more they they went away December 3 but yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them up in the arms.

It was a picture of a father taking his toddler's arms is learning to walk in walking by holding his little arms up because he knows it without him.

He would fall. I taught them how to wall. I taught my people what it is like to be free. I showed them live.

I showed them grace.

I just wanted them to be able to grow up with anniversary but they did not know that I healed him. They didn't know what I done for them. They didn't know all the mercy was I got understand that there people there human they can have the mind to build understand the same way their father is not too disappointed little Tyler doesn't understand what daddy did that day to go out and make a living, so that little one could have some food. It's all right but I do not want you to reject my love didn't know what I had done for them. I let him personal records of kindness right next today's teaching justice and mercy. Part two is on the way in the next broadcast in this series the beauty of balance and Allen Wright will be back here in the studio with us in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and the final word being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's word and spirit were never meant to be separated spirit always belong together to keep your abundant life in Christ knowing your Bible.

The secret of being filled with the spirit, the answer is both word and spirit subjugation studying Scripture, and some traditions emphasize the spirit to real Christian growth is both word and spirit as someone once said Pollard spirit you dry all spirit.

No word both word and spirit umbrella. When you make a gift to support this man will send you Allen Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit Airlines embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit realm like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well. And remember, when you partner with Allen Wright ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to thousands every day. The gospel is shared when you get Allen Wright ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get today.

We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him.

Allen Wright ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.org seems to be the big one.

This seems to be the one we see justice and mercy.

And sometimes we think they have to be separated but but our father has done this for us in such an amazing way. And even when you think about incorporate term did it is the most amazing and marvelous and joyous news that Christianity has offered is that God at the same time is both just and justifier that through the cross, God is bringing about justice because he said, sin would be punished, but he is demonstrating his mercy and his infinite kindness toward sinners by dying in their place.

So the justice and the mercy of God seemed to be to the natural mind something that would be in conflict and irreconcilable but instead the gospel how beautiful it is.

Brings justice and mercy together.

So God's wrath and his mercy meet in the cross of Jesus Christ. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries