Title: What is your choice for suffering?
Contents
Title: What Are Your Choices for Suffering?
(Sunday service on February 4, 2007, Hosea continuous expository sermon, main text: Hosea 11:12-12:6)
These days, historical dramas 'Jumong' and 'Yeongaesomun' are recording great viewer ratings. In particular, in the case of 'Jumong', the ratings are maintained at a whopping 50%. Originally, it should have been over already, but it's so popular that it's been extended. Not long ago, President Roh Moo-hyun gave a state-of-the-art speech during the ‘Jumong’ time, and the public outcry was great. It was partly because of the content of the speech, but it was probably because of the reason why it was done during the ‘Jumong’ time. The two historical dramas have something in common. It all captures the past, but it reflects today's reality. Drawing on the process of embracing the hope of ‘restoration of the former Goguryeo territories’, we are looking at ourselves today through the mirror of the past. ‘History’ is a record of the past, but it is very valuable because it is a ‘mirror’ that reflects the present day. It becomes an important tool to examine today's 'me' and renew the 'me'.
Today's text compares the present Israel (Judah, Ephraim) with the past Jacob. It is to examine the present Israel through Jacob of the past, and to learn important lessons from it.
Then, what are the commonalities and differences between the present ‘Israel’ and the ‘Jacob’ of the past? First, what do they have in common?
② Both the present ‘Israel’ and the former ‘Jacob’ have in common that they suffered for their sins. There are three main reasons for suffering. These are suffering for no particular reason, suffering due to sin, and suffering for doing good (Pet 2:19-20). However, today's Israel and former Jacob both suffered because of their sins. Jacob fled to his uncle Laban's house when his brother Esau tried to kill him. However, there, he was deceived by Laban and worked there for more than 14 years. Now, when he leaves Laban and tries to return home, Laban chases him from behind, and Esau from the front leads his army to kill him. For nearly 20 years, Jacob suffered great hardship through his uncle Laban and his brother Esau because of his ‘lying and deceitful actions’. Look at verse 2 of today's text. “The Lord will contend with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to what he has done, and recompense him according to what he has done” (verses 2, 12).
However, there is one difference between the present Israel and the former Jacob. What is it? It is a ‘response to suffering’ (verses 3-5). Jacob suffered because of his sins, but through it, he returned to God and prayed, and eventually met God. However, the people of Israel today do not understand no matter how hard they suffer. They make up their minds and do not come to God. This is the difference between Jacob of the past and Israel of today.
This is a true story that happened in America. One Sunday evening two young men, determined to be corrupt, went to a gambling house. However, there was a small church near the gambling house. The title of the sermon that day was 'The wages of sin is death', and a young man saw the title and was pierced in his heart. So I asked another young man to go to church and worship instead of going to a gambling house. However, one young man refused to the end. Eventually, one went to the gambling house and the other to the church. And 30 years have passed since then. At that time, Cleveland, a young man who went to church, was inaugurated as the President of the United States, and another young man in prison heard the news of his friend's inauguration through the newspaper. Today, God is appealing to God to return to God by using the “Jacob” of the past as a mirror (verse 6). What choice will we make in the face of the Lord's earnest appeal?