The Door of Hope
Hosea: Return to the Lord and Remain Faithful • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Intro
Intro
As a boy, I used to steal donuts from a nearby store before church. One day, I got caught stealing a candy bar. With no money to pay and no way to return the eaten item, I was given two choices: involve the police or have my father resolve it. The thought of the police was terrifying, but so was facing my father, a church planter leading a small congregation. The half-hour wait for him to arrive was the worst experience of my young life, knowing he'd have to delay the service and lead worship after dealing with my misconduct.
II had created a problem, for which I was solely responsible, affecting not only me but also my father and the community. My actions brought shame upon my family and church and, importantly, I had sinned against God. This is a universal human experience, as noted in Job 5:7: "man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards." This refers to our inherent tendency to sin, to act contrary to God's commands. This is the legacy of Adam and Eve, who found themselves in deep trouble, a trouble that persists to this day.
There are some texts in scripture which contain the whole of redemptive history in just one verse, which is what we have in Hosea 2:15. It contains in brief, the story of Israel and God's promised-plan of redemption. So today I am going to trace the broad lines of that story to its fulfillment in Christ.
Hosea 2:15 (ESV)—15 And there I will give her her vineyards And make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, As at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
Valleys of Trouble,
Valleys of Trouble,
After Moses' death and Israel's victory at Jericho, Joshua leads Israel into the promised land. He sends spies to Ai, who report it's a small city. Unknown to Joshua, Achan's sin of keeping devoted things from Jericho's destruction has dishonored Yahweh. When Israel attacks Ai, they unexpectedly suffer defeat, losing thirty-six soldiers. This defeat deeply discourages Joshua and God's people, making Joshua worry about God's reputation as Israel's protector, unaware that Achan's betrayal is to blame.
Devoted to Destruction
Devoted to Destruction
The scriptures refer to "devoted things" or "devoted to destruction" in the context of Israel's Holy War and Canaan's conquest. Israel was to destroy the Canaanites completely, executing everyone and burning their cities. Nothing should remain of these civilizations. The term "devoted" signifies setting apart for God in destruction. [Important note: Israel was God’s minister of justice, this command was not repeated for other cultures & civilization]
Achan's error at Ai was keeping things meant for destruction. He took a cloak, silver and gold, and hid them in his tent. Usually, war spoils were for the victors, but in this case, they were instructed to devote these things to destruction.
The most troubling (pun intended) aspect of this story is the covenantal nature of sin. Our western individualistic culture scoffs at stories such as these. What kind of God would punish the whole nation for the sins of one man? The Old Testament scriptures often portray sin as uncleanness, which can be spread and contaminate the community. As a church underage, this was to show the far-reaching effects of sin on a community. And to show that God is covenantal. In Adam’s sin, all die. As our representative head, Adam brought the entire human race into an estate of sin and misery because he disobeyed the commands of God.
Romans 5:12–14 (ESV) — 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
Achan's disobedience led to Israel sharing the same guilty verdict as the Canaanites. Had they not cleansed the sin, God's discipline could have been more severe. Joshua identified the sin was Achan's, who confessed and was sentenced to death along with his family. His death, marked by a heap of stones, propitiated God's wrath. The place, named "the valley of trouble," reminded everyone of the impact one sinner could have on a community.
Sin, a silent killer, can devastate a community as it spreads unseen. It includes bitterness, anger, and even bad theology, which inevitably leads to poor practices. In 1 Corinthians, Paul repeatedly addressed this threat, urging the community to exercise discipline and expel unrepentant sinners - a key mark of a true church, alongside right preaching and sacrament administration.
In the new covenant era, church discipline differs. Churches Overseers lack the power of the sword but retain the authority of His word for discipline. Elders are responsible for enforcing discipline through admonition, suspension from sacraments, and excommunication for persistent, unrepentant sinners - a sobering responsibility.
However, individuals must also self-police, confessing and uprooting sin. Like Achan's example, we must learn the deadly effects of sin and the holiness of God. A single sin can invoke God's wrath and stall our journey toward the promised land.
The valley of Achor represents a place of trouble and repentance, where unchecked sin could ruin the community. Yet, it's also a place of restoration, as God promises through Hosea, making the valley a "door of Hope."
God turns into Doors of Hope.
God turns into Doors of Hope.
The Valley of Achor, once known for trouble, was the gateway to the promised land. It was a fruitful valley, tainted by the disaster of Achan, similar to how Eden was spoiled by our first father's sin. Yet, God, known for his reversals, would transform this ruined entrance into a door of Hope, a vivid image of the Gospel. We, as NT saints, have the privilege of understanding the whole story, including its end, in Christ. The rest of this sermon will illuminate how Jesus, becoming the valley of Achor (trouble), is our door of Hope.
Jesus Became the 'Valley of Achor'
Jesus Became the 'Valley of Achor'
Achan's story teaches us that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), raising questions about overcoming death and the nature of repentance. Throughout the Old Testament, it is hinted that God would pay the wages to save Israel from sin's penalty.
Numerous figures, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon, were called to save God's people, but their human failings and sins prevented them from bringing lasting salvation.
God's son, Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, fulfilled the scriptures' promises, leading his people to salvation through perfect obedience to God's commands. Yet, more was needed than a perfect leader because our race was tainted by sin, and the penalty of death had to be addressed.
To fulfill his promise of turning the valley of Achor into a door of Hope, God sent Jesus to take on the punishment deserved by sinners. Jesus stood in judgment, enduring the penalty for sin to remove God's wrath, thus eliminating the guilt and shame of sin. He experienced the darkest valley of trouble by remaining under death's power for three days.
Before we consider the result of this action, I want you to consider the character of the sending Father and the sent Son, who planned and executed such a marvelous work of salvation.
God wasn't surprised by Adam's sin, nor was his plan to rescue mankind and creation from sin and death an afterthought. The fall enabled the Father to send the Son as the savior of the world, deepening our understanding of God's character through Christ's salvation, more than if Adam had not sinned.
The character of God glistens all the more brightly for his work of redemption when compared to his works in creation. Sure, in creation, we see his 'eternal power and divine nature' (Rom. 1:20). We even get a glimpse of his love in the sun shining on your face and the rain that waters the ground, making it fruitful. But that pales in comparison with his covenant love on full display in the sending of His well-beloved Son to come and stand in your place in the valley of trouble and opening for you a door of hope.
We see in that act God's love, his faithfulness to his covenant promises, and his willingness to enter into the sufferings of sin and pay death tax pay himself, to free us from eternal-death. He is not a God who is aloof, who answers the problems we face in some far distant and removed way. He is a God who draws near; he becomes sin, putting himself in the place of the troublemaker even though he has never done anything wrong. What love, what marvelous and matchless love. Nothing can compare to it.
Jesus is the Door of Hope
Jesus is the Door of Hope
Jesus came and entered into the valley of Achor (trouble) so that he could become the door of Hope. He entered into human suffering right at the place of our greatest shame and sorrow, right at the place of death so that he could turn suffering into triumph, and pain into joy. He became a door of Hope.
John 10:7–9 (ESV) — 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
“I am the Door,” Jesus says, as he describes his role as shepherd. Those who enter by him will go into the green pastures of eternal life, otherwise known as “hope.” But the shape of this “door” is cruciform. What, then, is Jesus the door to?
Sin has created a barrier that keeps us from God. Banished as we were from His presence back in the Garden of Eden, we long to return, to be with God. We were created for this, and “our hearts are restless until we can find our rest in God.” Jesus becomes the door, opening the way for us to be reconciled to God, providing access to fellowship (Koinonia) with Him.
To teach us this, God, in the Old Covenant, instituted a sacrificial system. He gave Moses blueprints of the heavenly courts, so that he could make models that would typify sin, salvation, holiness, and the necessary sacrifices that would cleanse and remove sin. God’s house, the tabernacle (later the temple), stood in the center of Israel, teaching Israel that God was at the center of her civic life. However, no one was allowed access into His house, except the priests (mediators), and even they were not allowed access into His throne room (the holy of holies) except once a year on the Day of Atonement and after making purification for sin.
Through these elements of worship, Israel learned the nature of sin, that its wages were death. They also learned that this death could be satisfied by a substitute when the sacrificial animal was offered in their place. Through the death of another, the way was opened for them to have fellowship with God (peace offering). All of these ordinances prefigured Christ.
Jesus is the lamb of God, the sacrifice God supplied to be your substitute. In His death on the cross, He offered Himself, the spotless lamb, as a sacrifice for sin, paying its penalty (eternal death). God accepted His sacrifice by raising Him from the dead, and welcoming Him into the holy of holies, where He is seated at God’s right hand. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, symbolizing that the way was opened for us to go into the Holy of Holies, teaching us that Jesus had restored access to God. Jesus became the door of hope, opening the way to salvation, “through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Heb. 10:20).
Do you see that in this one verse is the whole story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation? The four-fold story of scripture distilled to its basic plot points of sin and salvation is the story of the first Adam’s fall in sin, creating a valley of trouble, and the second Adam’s redemption and restoration, creating a door of hope. It's a story of Achan’s sin, leading to Israel’s trouble, for which God would turn into a door of Hope, through the death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son Jesus. It’s a cosmic and covenantal story, but it is also your story.
Every one of us was born in the valley of Achor, troubled by sin that had spread to us all through our first father, and to which we quickly added all our own actual sins to the guilt of those we had covenantally received. But God, being rich in mercy, did not leave you in the valley, a smoldering pile of stones. Instead, He sent His Son to die in your place. He took on the full wrath of God for your sins, opening through His death and resurrection a door of Hope, so that you could enter into the promised blessing of eternal life in fellowship with God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Two things, as we conclude.
If you are here this morning, and as I have preached, your heart began to warm with affection as you considered your own life, and what a mess it is. You see in yourself much of the sins of Achan, desiring the detestable things of this world over a relationship with God. But as you considered the exceeding sinfulness of your life, that it is a valley of trouble, you begin also to see that God, in His love, sent His Son to take all your trouble, all your sin, on Himself and turn away God’s wrath. And you’re wondering, can Jesus do that for my troubles, my sin? Can He come and die in my place and open a door of Hope for me?
The answer is yes, dear friend, Jesus would gladly come and stand in your place. He offers this freely. There are no strings attached. You don’t need to rent a bulldozer to start removing the rubble of your sin. He’ll do that. All you need to do is confess your sin, and see them nailed to a cross, where Jesus pays their penalty. By looking, I mean trust that your sins, the valley of trouble that is your life, have been forgiven through the death of Jesus on your behalf. If you believe, trusting only in Jesus’ finished work on your behalf, then let me assure you He has made the valley of trouble a door of hope, opening the way for salvation.
For those here who have trusted Christ, and believe that He is the door of hope, then your response is a grateful embrace of the Gospel. No matter the elements used to tell the story, it’s always the same plot. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:23). Whether it is the allure of Canaanite plunder, or the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or your neighbor’s house, wife, car, or anything that belongs to your neighbor, sin will cost you your life. And what it offers is infinitely less than what your life is worth. Don't trifle with sin. Even one sin, just one little bite of the tree, or keeping for yourself one garment and some precious metal, or even one covetous thought, is more than enough to damn you to hell for all eternity. That should restrain you from sin. But more importantly it should teach you not to trifle with sin, because Christ suffered and died for each one. Far from creating license or the desire “to sin that grace may abound,” the result of God’s redeeming grace makes you see how hideous your sin is, and how costly a sacrifice it was for Christ to open for you a door of Hope in the valley of your troubles.
The response to God's redeeming grace is also the antidote to the allure of sin. It is gratitude. Cultivating gratitude means learning contentment. Why, when Adam had an entire forest of 'yeses', did he desire that one 'no'? It was because he was ungrateful for all the other trees, which led him to discontentment and a feeling that he was owed that one off-limits tree. Gratitude is the only fitting response to the good news that God has transformed the valley of Achor into a door of hope. It is also a fitting way to prevent a return to that valley, a method to keep you from troubling your life with the consequences of sin. Cultivate gratitude for what Jesus has done, and couple it with contentment as you await the possession of the promised eternal life. Faith has given you the ability to see Jesus as the door of Hope, but one day you will enter through that door into the joy of your inheritance. In heaven, faith gives way to sight, and you take possession of eternal life in all its consummate fullness. Amen.
Charge
Charge
Since God Transforms the place of our greatest sorrow and shame into a showcase of his redeeming grace, we must gratefully embrace the Gospel by faith.
