Hosea 15 – Rolled Shame

Hosea 9:10-17: The Judgment and the Witness of Christ

 

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe figs on the fig tree in its beginning. But they went to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to that shameful thing, and became abominable like the thing they loved. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception! Though they bring up their children, I will bereave them, so that not one shall be left. Woe to them when I depart from them! I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the murderer. Give them, O Lord—what will you give them? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts! 'All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds, I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more. All their leaders are rebellious.' Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth children, I will kill the beloved fruit of their womb." Because they did not listen to Him, my God will cast them away; and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Amen.

 

The Attitude Towards the Judgment Passage: Scripture Testifies to Christ

Truly, there are verses that make it difficult to say "Amen" with a light heart. When we read the Old Testament or the prophetic books, they always contain the voice of God's warning and judgment. This often leads us to ask, "What is God trying to give us through this?" and "Did all these events truly cause Israel's ruin?" Yet, as we read this Scripture, especially the Old Testament, we must always remember the words of Jesus: "These Scriptures testify about Me." This means that even within these verses, we must remember what Christ has done for us, and always contemplate the meaning that any Old Testament passage carries within Jesus Christ.

 

God's "Build-up" in the Book of Hosea

Hosea 9:10 marks, in a sense, the continuing "build-up" of God’s narrative. Just as we will soon build up to Christmas, the Lord's coming, this chapter forms a build-up. The way God accomplishes this build-up is quite astonishing.

 

Those who enjoy watching movies or dramas sometimes encounter a scene in a romantic story where the opening title appears, announcing: "This is how they met, and this is how love began." Then the screen may shift to black and white, showing the two characters bickering while buying coffee in a café, only to fall in love at first sight—this is how the drama begins.

 

Despite the severe nature of the passage we read today, this very story contains such a "build-up."

 

The Start of the Build-up: The Encounter at Gilgal

The prophet Hosea is developing the narrative in two ways. He begins by recounting the ancient story between God and the people of Israel, building up the narrative from there. Like the opening scene of a movie with the camera rolling, the title card appears: "This is how they met, and everything began at Gilgal." This immediately sparks curiosity in the listener: What happened at Gilgal?

 

Grapes in the Wilderness: A Precious and Treasured Existence

First, the Scripture records the event of God meeting them. Today's text states that God met Israel in this way: "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness."

 

Upon hearing "grapes in the wilderness," one might simply think, Oh, grapes grew in the wilderness. However, grapes do not naturally grow in the wilderness; what desert yields grapes? The phrase "found grapes in the wilderness" emphasizes extreme rarity, which highlights their immense preciousness. Secondly, it implies the presence of an oasis, as grapevines cannot grow without water. Thus, a place with a grapevine in the wilderness is an oasis.

 

In other words, while the text says God met them, a more accurate translation is that God 'sought' them. God came seeking them, bringing an oasis of love, and there He found this grapevine. Without the oasis, the grapevine could not have survived there.

 

Therefore, when we look at God's first encounter with Israel, we see that God first sought them out with the love of an oasis. To speak more dramatically, God was searching for His eternal bride. He found His bride and fell in love with her, expressing this love by calling her "like grapes seen in the wilderness." To taste grapes in the wilderness is a deeply treasured experience. Moreover, as we all know, how sweet are grapes? The Lord is expressing His heart here: "I found My bride, and she is so precious and so sweet to Me." That was God's heart when He met Israel.

 

God's Heart When He Met Us

Do not regard this as merely someone else's story. This is the very heart of God when He meets you. In this human society where everything seems to be perishing, everything is fading away, everyone appears to be turning away from God, and hostility and hatred toward God are rampant, God entered one person's life like an oasis. When He met that person, He felt: "My precious daughter, My precious son, you are so sweet." God's heart was filled with such sweetness.

 

This is further revealed in the following expression, which is not confined to Hosea but also appears more specifically in Isaiah and Micah.

 

The First Ripe Fig: An Object of Utmost Love

To understand God's heart, one might expect some visible sign or response upon receiving such a "love letter." God calls Israel "like the first ripe figs" on the fig tree.

 

The first ripe fig usually appears around the end of May. This does not refer to the first harvest of the year, but the very first fruit the tree produces when it is newly planted. Do you know how small the first fig fruit is? It is barely visible, the size of a thumbnail, like a small bead used in a necklace. This tiny fruit gradually grows to the size of a child's fist. And how sweet is it? What fruit is higher in sugar content than a fig? The sweetest figs drip with honey on the outside.

 

God says that just like that first fig, "When I saw you, you were like that first fruit." He expresses how sweet, how lovely, how delectable, and how pleasing and delightful they were in His sight.

 

Therefore, God pours out His astonishing love in this narrative. "I regard you as a sweet grape, and I regard you as a lovely and beautiful first ripe fig." The prophet Micah thus states that God sees Israel: "They are the first ripe figs which I crave." What a magnificent expression.

 

God is confessing this to you as well: "Who are you to Me now? You are like the first fruit of the fig tree whom I deeply love and crave." This was the way God looked at His children, and this was His heart.

 

God's Love, the Greatest Comfort

Friends, the fig tree is without a visible flower (無花 - muhwa in Chinese characters). In fact, the flower is the fruit itself, so when we eat the fruit, we are eating the flower. How meticulously God nurtured this entire fruit! God led, protected, and loved you when you were only the size of a thumbnail, helping you grow into a beautiful fruit.

 

God delights in all these things; He finds them so lovely and so precious. When we are weary, tired, and in need of God's comfort, the greatest comfort God can give you is this: "I love you." It is as if He is saying, "When I meet you, it is like meeting grapes in the wilderness, and honey is dripping from you like a fig." Even in God's eyes, when He looks at you, honey drips. Because He loves you so much.

 

Therefore, the day God sought you out was a day of the climax of love, a day like spring, a day overflowing with God's affection.

 

The Tragic Turnaround: The Baal-peor Incident

However, a miserable reversal occurs in the wilderness. Today's text refers to it as the Baal-peor incident: "What did you do at Baal-peor?" The first name that comes to mind with "Baal-peor" is likely 'Baal,' the name of the deity, while 'Baal-peor' is the place name.

 

This incident took place when Israel, after wandering in the wilderness for forty years, finally arrived in the land of Moab, across the Jordan River. Balak, the king of Moab, feared Israel, thinking, They will kill us all if they enter our land. He desperately wanted to stop Israel from entering. Who did King Balak summon? He summoned Balaam.

 

Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but it did not go as planned. Instead, Balaam ended up blessing them. Despite being a false prophet, he could not turn the prophecy into a false curse.

 

Balaam's Scheme and the Fall

However, Balaam did not stop there; he consulted with Balak and devised a cunning scheme. He set up a terrible snare, a trap: to corrupt the Israelite men through the Moabite women.

 

The Moabite women were those who lived and farmed in Moab, likely soft and beautiful. In contrast, the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness for forty years without a fixed home. Think about it: were the Israelite women appealing? Scripture records that their clothes did not wear out for forty years. While this is a good sign, how frustrating must it have been for the women? They had to wear the same clothes every day when they wished for new ones. Their food was the same, and after walking in the desert wind for forty years, what charm could they possess? Then suddenly, the Moabite women appeared.

 

Ultimately, Balaam's scheme succeeded. The men became corrupt before God.

 

Israel Becomes Nazirites of Baal

The story did not end there; they followed these women and began to worship idols. That idol was Baal.

 

We often say, "Men seem to ignore their wives, but in the end, they listen to and follow their wives." However, the story Hosea is telling is not merely about following a woman because she is beautiful or desirable and bowing down once in the temple. Hosea states that you not only actively went there but you 'loved' Baal. "You gave your body and soul entirely to Baal."

 

The word 'dedicated' used here signifies absolute devotion. A Nazirite in the Bible, like Samson, was a person set apart from birth, dedicated to God.

 

The entire nation of Israel, in God's eyes, was a collective Nazirite, not just a collection of individuals. They were a people set apart for God. God established them as a kingdom of priests with the great mission of God to save all humanity. Therefore, they should have been Nazirites of God. But what did they do? They declared, "We will be Nazirites of Baal." They decided to give everything they had to Baal. This is a story that is fundamentally different.

 

Our Easily Falling Nature

Friends, how are we any different from them? We sometimes look at the story of the Israelites and think, "How could the people who saw the Red Sea part and whom God helped in the wilderness do such a thing?" But what do we see when we look at ourselves?

 

What do we often confess to God after meeting Jesus? "Since the day I met You, You have loved me, and I have loved You. That love deepens and grows deeper every day. When I first met You, I thought I gave all my love to You. But as the days pass, that love deepens..." We confess this through hymns.

 

Yet, we collapse with a single blow.

 

If something that benefits us slightly appears, we quickly push God to the back burner. If things we wanted are about to be fulfilled, God is pushed aside. We say, "I can find God later." And yet, shamelessly, we rarely even worry about it. "Oh, God will understand everything," seems to be our mindset.

 

However, we, too, so easily, just as the Israelites became Nazirites of Baal, become Nazirites of money, Nazirites of success, Nazirites of our own comfort, Nazirites of our inner wounds. How often do we let our hearts be so easily stolen by things other than God?

 

Becoming Abominable Like Baal

Hosea expresses this by saying that the thing they loved was 'Baal,' and they became abominable like Baal. That is, they changed into the likeness of the object they served and loved.

 

Their hearts, attitudes, and thoughts changed, yet they did not realize it. Despite dedicating their bodies and giving everything to the idol, they were unaware that they had become abominable. The Hebrew word for 'abominable' is shiqquṣ, which is closest to the meaning of becoming a defiled corpse. So, what happened to the fig and grape fruit that God called sweet? It became a decaying corpse. It gives off an odor, but only they are unaware of it.

 

Loving Baal—it seems nonsensical, but we do this without knowing. We often pass by false pleasures and false promises without discernment, thinking they are ours.

 

"If you just have this, you can be happy. If you just solve this problem, you can get better." We fall for these words so easily.

 

The Attitude of Seeking Something Other Than God

Friends, do the things you think will "change my life," "make me a little happier," or "make things a little better" truly make you happy? You are too easily lowering your standards.

 

Weren't you and I the people who found satisfaction in God? Weren't we the people whose hearts pounded because Jesus Christ was with us? Yet, we frequently see ourselves collapsing so easily.

 

Israel was like this while passing through the wilderness. At every opportunity, they would demand, "Give us water." If God didn't give it, they would say, "We won't go." "What are we supposed to eat? Give us food." If God didn't give it, "We won't go." Then God would coax and comfort them, giving them manna and bringing water from the rock. But then what did they say? "The garlic and spices are insufficient." Otherwise, "We will return to Egypt." This seems truly absurd.

 

How about us? I acknowledge that the problems you have now are significant and difficult. The same goes for the wounds and pain in your heart. Past hurts often hold us tight. Our tempers, personalities, and tendencies often trouble us. We struggle with the 'self' that we cannot overcome. All those things sometimes hold us and refuse to let go.

 

But because of these things—because we indulge in ourselves, cling to solving them somehow, or think "they must be gone," and thus fight with them—what do we forget?

 

We forget the fact that God is with us now. Just as they wanted to return to Egypt because of garlic and spices.

 

Jesus Christ, Who Is Our Everything

Friends, no matter how serious your problems are, no matter how deep your pain is, if you consider the grace of Jesus Christ, who loved you, pulled you out of hell, and entered that hell for you, and His love that promises to guide you all the way to the Kingdom of God—what could possibly shake you?

 

Are you astonished that Israel demanded garlic in the wilderness? Then how great is the difference between them and us when we say, "Just heal my wounds here"?

 

The One who is already our everything and our eternal life says, "Don't worry. This life is not the end. I am with you and I will go with you forever." Is it possible that we simply don't hear that voice well?

 

We are, therefore, living before God, threatening Him, ready to return to Egypt at the slightest provocation.

 

Friends, God is the One who has been comforting and at times disciplining us, leading us through all this. But we became Nazirites of Baal. Ultimately, it became a story of betrayal.

 

Gilgal Across the Jordan: The Climax of Grace and Covenant Renewal

The camera does not stop after filming the miserable events in the wilderness. Instead, it subtly pans across to another city on the other side of the Jordan River. Before crossing the Jordan and entering Canaan, one might think, "Yes, they could throw tantrums before God; they could say, 'I'll go back to Egypt,' because they hadn't entered Canaan yet." But what happened after they entered Canaan? The scene that reveals the entirety of our nature begins there. And the location of that scene was Gilgal. It was the starting point for everything Israel did after entering Canaan. If the Baal-peor incident occurred before Canaan, the starting point for everything after entering Canaan was Gilgal.

 

The Crossing of the Jordan and God's Unchanging Love

Gilgal is a city across the Jordan River. Despite all the troubles and the Baal-peor incident, God did not abandon Israel. Instead, just as He led them across the Red Sea, He led them across the Jordan River. Israel experienced the Red Sea event again.

 

The Scripture interprets it this way. In the Book of Joshua, it is written: "For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over." That is, the event of crossing the Jordan is interpreted as being the same as the event of crossing the Red Sea.

 

Joshua said, "that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." God is teaching them: "Despite your disobedience, your rebellion against Me, and even your becoming Nazirites of Baal, I did not give up on you, and I fulfilled all My promises. That is the meaning of My leading you across the Jordan and into Canaan. I am the God of power and the Almighty God. I am the very God who loved you and rescued you." Friends, we can see that God's perspective on Israel had not changed.

 

Israel's Contempt for Grace and God's Warning

At this point, it would be understandable if God hated them, abandoned them, or did anything to them, and they would have no grounds to complain. Yet, God continued to warn them: "You are heading for disaster. If you live like this, it will be a major catastrophe, and I may have to forsake you." But even so, God accepted them and led them onward.

 

Because of this incessant grace of God, Israel behaved as if they had grown "thick-skinned." Since God continually guided them, they kept testing Him, thinking, "Let's push a little further." This is precisely why we say they despised God's grace. God always warns against those who despise His grace or take His long-suffering patience for granted.

 

It is the same today. Because God's vision has not changed, He says: "I gave you water, I gave you manna. When you were struggling and in difficulty, I gave you answers and helped you find solutions. I did not ignore your prayers; I answered them. I did everything." This is how God leads them to the very end.

 

A People Who Do Not Know God Himself

Now, you must understand. You must realize why I did what I did, what My heart is like, and how I treat you. You must realize that I am not merely a problem solver, but your God and Father. This is a story that continues from Genesis chapter 1.

 

We may offer worship, money, Bible study, and prayers to God, but we lack interest in loving and knowing God Himself. We do not seek to understand who God is, what His heart is like, why He yearns for us so passionately, and why He cannot let go of us when we betray Him.

 

Gilgal: The Place of Covenant Restoration

Gilgal was the place where the practice of circumcision, which had been halted for forty years, was carried out. It was also where twelve stones were taken from the Jordan River and set up as a sign that God had kept His promise. Following this, God commanded them to observe the Passover.

 

Both the Passover and circumcision are stories related to blood. The Passover Lamb, the true circumcision—all point to Jesus Christ. Through one Son, the people of God are shown to be constituted by the Covenant, not by fleshly tradition. This is why Israel is called the Covenant People. Gilgal, in its entirety, symbolizes the story of blood, God's grace, and Jesus Christ.

 

Though the people of Israel at that time did not know Jesus, they understood what God intended to accomplish through the meaning of circumcision and the sacrifices. The reason for placing hands on the offering to transfer sin, the reason an animal had to die—as the writer of Hebrews says, these all ultimately pointed to the perfect blood, Jesus Christ, that would be given to us.

 

Neither Moses nor David explicitly said, "I am the way and the life." Moses said, "I am a prophet," but pointed to a greater Prophet who would come. David said, "I am a king," but pointed to the true King who would come. By pointing in this manner, the true Passover, the true circumcision, and the Christ who crosses the Jordan and the Red Sea ultimately came.

 

A Failed Nation and the Remnant

Friends, the nation of Israel certainly failed, but there was a remnant within it. That is clear. The remnant consisted of those who saw what the rituals pointed to, who realized, "We live by relying on this very thing." However, Israel as a nation clearly failed. The prophets continually proclaimed that they were no different from the Gentiles.

 

They never abandoned the arrogance of thinking they were safe because they were circumcised, had the Law, and observed the Passover. Later, Deacon Stephen spoke about this, saying that they were so preoccupied with the fact that they were the circumcised, the observers of the Passover, and the recipients of the Law, that they forgot why these things were given and what they pointed to, and thus they became those who resisted the Holy Spirit.

 

The Sin of Resisting the Holy Spirit

The Israelites were people who had experienced God's miracles, who could speak about who God was, and who had learned to recognize God's hand. They were people who knew, saw, and experienced God. Yet, despite this, they did not cut the idol out of their hearts. They did not fail to cut it out; they refused to cut it out.

 

This is what the Bible refers to as the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit and resisting the Holy Spirit, which we often inquire about. It is akin to the sin of Satan. Satan knew God. He knows Him better than we do. He met Jesus Christ and knows why Christ came. He also knows the power of Christ's blood. Furthermore, he heard and knew countless stories about how God's marvelous work would conclude. He knows the magnitude of God's mercy and love. Yet, he rejects that God.

 

To know that God, to share in that experience, and to know what it is, yet to utterly reject God and cling to the idol to the very end. This is the dreadful sin of Satan, the sin we call resisting the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, it is the form of the unforgivable sin about which we say, "Ah, this is the sin that cannot be forgiven."

 

When We Remember What We Received from God

The unforgivable sin is not about whether we have committed the greatest or most profound sin in the world, but about knowing God, knowing who God is, having shared in that experience, and knowing what it means, yet utterly rejecting God and refusing to cut out the idol, clinging to it to the very end.

 

I hope you do not participate in that, are not stained by it, and are not shaken by it, even in the slightest degree. This is because it makes us remember how much we have received from God, and it makes us understand "how I should live and what God's love is like."

 

Gilgal and Baal-peor, Two Symbols

Therefore, the Scripture shows you these two things—Gilgal and Baal-peor. It reveals how much grace God poured out. Gilgal is the climax of grace. It can be called the 'Place of Blood,' and the blood of Christ covers that entire place.

 

Yet, in that very place, as we read in today's text, all the sins occurred, and God says, "The reason I hated you began there." This is because they abandoned God, created a god according to their own will, and—as the prophets continually warned, "Do not go to Bethel and Gilgal"—they left God. They turned their hearts to something other than God, even though they knew God, and they denied that God. They gave their hearts to something other than God; they became Nazirites of Baal.

 

Friends, it is right here that we once again see the warning and judgment that they, Israel, were bound to receive. However, as we observed earlier, God's love does not end there.

 

The True Israel, Jesus Christ

Both Moses and David pointed to something greater. Not the circumcision they received, not the Passover they observed, but the true Passover and the true circumcision they absolutely needed were already spoken of by Moses and David. "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart. Write the law on your hearts." This was declared to be the true circumcision and the true Law. Israel did not know this precisely. Or perhaps they did not want to realize it. They thought the Law they possessed and the circumcision they received were the ultimate things.

 

But then, the promise of God met not the failed Israel, but the True Israel. The promise met the True Messiah, the True Son. He Himself was the Circumcision. He Himself was the Passover. He Himself was the Passover Lamb, and He Himself was the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the Passover came to an end. The Passover was no longer necessary, because the genuine one had come. The Reality had arrived. It didn't stop at manna; the true Passover came to an end, and the Feast of Tabernacles, Pentecost, and all those things also finally came to an end. Why? Because the Reality had come. The very Reality to which all those things pointed has come to us.

 

They ate manna and still died. This was because, although it was clearly God's grace, it was not the eternal bread. They observed the Passover and still went astray. They bore circumcision on their bodies and still disobeyed God.

 

The Circumcision of Christ and Eternal Life

But Paul now declares that even if we perform circumcision by hand, even if we bring sacrifices to serve God, and even if we approach God in that manner, all these things will be in vain if we do not rely on this fact.

 

The one thing they pointed to is this: "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."

 

What does this mean? The true circumcision of Christ has come; it is not our circumcision, not something we created, and it is not that the ancient Israelites were saved by the circumcision they performed. The circumcision of the heart, the true circumcision by which God truly saves me, is about relying on Christ, about relying on Him, who died for me, in that Passover, in that Lamb. The those who realized this became the remnant, and it is the same message spoken to us now. Christ came and accomplished this work.

 

Now, the Passover Lamb who came for us, the eternal Son of God who was slain for us—the incredible work of giving us the life of the Son of God, not the unnecessary blood of animals, has been given to us. It is not the manna they ate and died from, but the manna that does not die eternally, the bread of heaven and the drink of heaven, which is Jesus Christ.

 

The Rock of Ages Is Cleft

Friends, the Lord prayed, "Give us our daily bread." That prayer is a prayer of love from Jesus Christ, who guides and preserves us in the struggles of our daily lives. This is being fulfilled in our lives every day. But would that prayer not also include the essence of Jesus Christ Himself as our food? How can we miss that Christ is our true drink, and Christ is our true bread? That is why we live by eating and drinking Christ. We are the people who live by eating and drinking Christ even today. Therefore, we find strength in Christ in our lives.

 

Friends, as we discussed God's Word, asking, "How are we justified?" we also sang the hymn, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me," a hymn often sung in our church. We know the Korean lyrics as, "Rock of Ages, open for me, I enter," but the English lyric is "Rock of Ages, cleft for me." It means "You are cloven open for me."

 

The Rock of Ages is Jesus. Jesus was cloven open for me. Blood and water poured out from there. The cleft made by the spear that pierced the side of Christ on the cross, making Him pour out water and blood, the crack in His body, the place where His body was torn for us—that is where I enter. That saves me, that is where I live, and that is where I find life. I am hidden there, and the Lord holds me in His embrace there. That is the content of the hymn.

 

We Are God's Jewels, His Masterpiece

You and I now live in that place, within the embrace of Christ. Earlier, God called Israel the 'grapes in the wilderness' and the 'first ripe figs.' Do you know what He calls us now? God calls us jewels. In the Book of Revelation, He speaks of us as a road made of gold. All kinds of jewels appear: rubies, amethysts, emeralds. God speaks of you as such a shining jewel.

 

The Bible also describes us as poiēma (걸작품 - masterpiece). It says that you are God's masterpiece.

 

God finds you so good, so much like a masterpiece that He loves and wanted to own, like a favorite painting or photograph. God desires to possess you. He wants to keep you close to Him. The masterpiece that God created is so good that He cannot sell it, cannot give it away, and is even reluctant to show it to others. God has embraced you, His masterpiece, and holds you in His arms. He takes you with Him. And first and foremost, He calls you and me His beloved sons and daughters.

 

The Depth of the Name 'Sons and Daughters'

Friends, of course, the poetic phrase 'grapes in the wilderness' is wonderful. But I believe we cannot substitute those titles.

 

Which is better for you: the words, "You are my son, my daughter, whom I love and to whom I give my everything," or the words, "You are the grapes of the wilderness"? Which is better: the words, "You are my child, for whom I will die, like my own life," or the words, "You are a fig fruit"?

 

I believe these cannot be compared. How could we compare them? Yet, the name God gives you now through Jesus Christ has an astonishing depth and breadth. How do you feel? Is the phrase "Beloved Son" thrilling? Or is "Grapes of the Wilderness" more thrilling?

 

The path of faith we have arrived at is not the land of Canaan. God Himself has become our eternal inheritance.

 

Eternal Security in the Holy Spirit

The path that you and I have reached is not merely about going there and drinking milk and honey in the land flowing with milk and honey. It is about being united with Jesus Christ and eating and drinking all that Christ is. This place we have reached is God's dwelling place, where the Holy Spirit is alive and active within us, where the sun will not harm us by day, nor the moon by night, a place where we enjoy eternal life and security.

 

Because this incomparable event has occurred, you can speak with true boldness in Christ:

 

"Satan, where are you? My past, where are you? All my self-pity that chases me, troubles me, and holds onto me to the end, where are you? Loneliness, where are you? My physical pain, where on earth are you? The power and grace given by Jesus Christ, my Lord, overcome all these things!"

 

Worship the Lord Alone

Therefore, you shall worship the Lord alone and exalt the Lord alone. Isn't that what Jesus said to Satan? And shouldn't that be what we say? Kneel before God and exalt Him alone. He is the King of all these things. Wouldn't that be right to say?

 

My problems are not king, my wounds are not king, my sickness is not my king, my health is not my king, my possessions are not my king, and no earthly possession I enjoy is my king. Only you shall kneel before my God and worship Him. Wouldn't that be what saves us?

 

The History of Sin and Death Being Divided

My beloved friends, what we experienced was not the dividing of the Jordan River, but the dividing of sin and death. It was not entering Canaan to receive circumcision and observe the Passover; it was the unspeakably marvelous work of entering the torn body of Jesus Christ and being cleansed by His blood. This is not an earthly event; it is a heavenly event that has happened to us.

 

A Path Not Traveled Alone, the Church

Furthermore, do you know this? Do you know that we are going through all this together? Do you know that we are crossing the sea of life, that Red Sea, together and not alone? Many believers sometimes forget this fact. But does that change reality?

 

If one of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea says, "I have no connection with you. I will walk alone. It's enough for me to survive alone," how could he possibly be alone in that place? It is a path that must be traveled together. No matter how much we shout, "I won't care. My faith is the best," we cannot be alone while crossing the Red Sea together.

 

Friends, think about it. Did they drink water in the wilderness alone? They drank it together. Do they give thanks to God alone? They give thanks together. If one of us is struggling and we pray together, who benefits from that answer? We all benefit together. If someone is hurting, don't we cry together? It has to be that way. If we hear someone's story, pray for them, or rejoice with them, we must rejoice together. Because we are crossing the Red Sea together. We are in the wilderness together.

 

A Community That Looks Out for One Another

Friends, when a baby is born, don't we all rejoice? And when that child is sick, the Gwon-sa-nim (senior deaconesses) are the first to be pained. They constantly ask, "I heard the child is sick, what happened?" Who is worried? Is the mother worried alone? No.

 

That is what the church is. No matter how much we struggle alone, the church is the place that makes us walk together. That is the reason we look out for and think of one another. When we briefly separate, our hearts ache. Even at the mention of leaving for a short while, we are capable of shedding tears together. Why is that? It is because the life of each person is intertwined with the time, pain, and joy we have shared together. That is why we gather those who have been away for a while and sing the hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." We have wept together, hurt together, and struggled together. This shared time and memory is the Church.

 

Everyone's Pain, Everyone's Joy

But how can we, who have shared in this place of grace, collapse alone? How can we sink down alone? How can we end up giving up when faced with a struggle? How can we remain in despair alone? We are leaning on each other's shoulders, holding onto one another. We are crossing this Red Sea together, drinking water together in the wilderness, crossing the Jordan in Canaan, and we are together in Jesus Christ. So, how can you say, "That pain is not my pain"?

 

It is everyone's pain, everyone's tears, everyone's joy, and everyone's heart. It is something that cannot be denied. We may have moments when we say no, or when we do not feel it, but is it not still ours? No. When crossing the Red Sea, did they look at the faces of the person in front and the person behind them? Yet, they lived and died together. Why do you not know this?

 

Friends, there is no such thing as "That's not my business" in the church. It is not something the elders or departmental heads take care of alone. The church is everyone's business. This is because when one person hurts, we hurt together, and when someone prays, we share in that answer together. When one child succeeds, we all rejoice. When one family struggles, we grieve together. Because we are the Church. It is easy to forget it, we may not remember it, and we may be shaken, but the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit, which makes us one in Jesus Christ—that oneness cannot be destroyed or shaken.

 

Victory is More Than Conquerors

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, please hear this word of the Lord once more: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 

The Apostle Paul speaks of the Lord's word in Romans this way: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

 

Friends, it may seem like we are losing. It may seem like we are falling backward. It may look completely dark, like a pitch-black night. But doesn't Scripture say? In all these things—no matter how great my wound is, no matter how difficult the situation seems to be, no matter how long it seems to take to be resolved, whether it is a matter of my business, my family, my life, or even my physical weakness—in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us, more than conquerors.

 

Friends, is God's Word correct, or are our calculations correct?

 

Prayer

In this multitude crossing the Red Sea, Jesus was also present. We thought we were walking this wilderness road carrying our pain, hunger, and difficulties, but in fact, Jesus was in our family. God, who is my Elder Brother and my Father, was also with us. This marvelous family is with us. Lord, thank You. Truly, thank You.

 

We will not be defeated by evil. Lord, do not let us be defeated by hatred. Lord, do not let us be defeated by fear. Lord, we will not be defeated by failure. This is because Jesus Christ, who is our Elder Brother, our Lord, is walking with us.

 

Lord, give us strength. Lord, make us stand up. Lord, help us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.