The Cure for Emptiness

INTRODUCTION: It is time for them to seek the Lord. Yet, they are the children of God. They must have fallen far from where the Lord would have them to be. How did they get in such a state? First, we will go back to the first six verses of the chapter to see Their Fallen Condition. Then, we will come back to verse 12 to study Their Final Chance to return to the Lord.

1. THEIR FALLEN CONDITION (Hosea 10:1-6)
1. An Empty Vine (Hosea 10:1)
1. Acting on felt needs, he seeks to satisfy those needs
2. In doing so, he brings forth fruit only unto himself (Philippians 2:21)
3. This leads to an empty vine and emptiness (Isaiah 29:8)
4. To ease the emptiness, he builds great altars and images (Hosea 8:11)
2. A Divided Heart (Hosea 10:2)
1. Now he finds his heart divided between self and God
2. Though he tries, he cannot find peace in either (Matthew 6:24; James 1:8)
3. He loses confidence in his religion of altars and images
3. A Rejected King (Hosea 10:3)
1. He rejects the rule of the Lord over his life (John 19:15)
2. He claims that he has no king over him
3. He does not know who his king is (John 8:34; Romans 6:16)
4. A Broken Covenant (Hosea 10:4)
1. He has broken his commitment to the Lord (Galatians 3:1-4)
2. His words about God mean nothing now
3. Judgment on his life begins to spring up all over
5. A Departed Glory (Hosea 10:5)
1. His imagined security begins to fall apart
2. The glory of the Lord departs from his life (1 Samuel 4:21-22)
6. A Sense of Shame (Hosea 10:6)
1. He is taken captive by evil forces (2 Timothy 2:26)
2. Shame becomes the fruit of his life (Jeremiah 2:26-27)
3. He becomes ashamed of his own counsel
2. THEIR FINAL CHANCE (Hosea 10:12)
1. Sow in Righteousness
1. Instead of bearing fruit unto self, he must sow the seed unto himself
2. The seed he sows is righteousness (Psalm 126:5-6)
2. Break Up the Fallow Ground
1. He must recognize the fallow ground in his life
1. Fallow ground was farm land that had laid untouched for a period of time.
2. It would become hard and could not be used for growing crops until the hard clods and dirt had been broken up by the plow
2. He must put forth the effort to break up the fallow ground
3. Seek the Lord
1. He must determine to seek the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:11)
2. He must seek the Lord now it is time
3. He must seek the Lord faithfully till he come
4. He must seek the Lord expectantly rain righteousness

CONCLUSION: Are you going down the path that leads to shame? Has the glory already departed from your life? Or perhaps you have rejected the Lord as your King and broken your covenant with Him. Maybe you are only in the first stages where you are bearing fruit unto yourself and your heart is divided. Wherever you are, now is the time to repent and come back to the Lord. Break up that fallow ground and sow in righteousness as you seek the Lord.