| THE HEIFER Hosea 4:15-19 |
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| The language used in this passage is very graphic. It is the picture of teh heifer that refuses the yoke. Every time that an attempt is made to place the yoke on her shoulders, she slides back out of reach. This is an excellent picture of the backsliding saint. You will note that the heifer is a clean animal by Old Testament standards which accords with one who has been cleansed by the blood of Christ. As the backsliding heifer, the backsliding saint does not want to be yoked together with the Lord Jesus. He does not want the restraint of a consecrated life of service in pulling the plow for Christ. I. The Backslider is reluctant to continue his commitments to Christ. We understand that salvation is not of works, yet for one who is saved these works must inevitably show up. See James 2:14-16. "Faith without works is dead!" This is not a salvation of works, but a salvation that works. In order to backslide, you m ust be somewhere to slide back from. Peter followed the Lord afar off, but he followed. HIs reluctance lead to standing by the devil's fire and eventually to his denying the Lord. You may not fall immediately into a pit of sin. More likely you will just trail off in faithfulness to your obligations and commitments to Christ (i.e. giving, praying, witnessing, attending church, etc.) The tendency will be to let the affairs of this life take precedence over the affairs of God. See Luke 9:57-62 II. The Backslider is prone to return to worldly company. PS. 1:1 warns against ungodly company and its adverse effect upon one's life spiritually. The backslider, like the heifer, prefers the mixed company of the barnyard to the sometimes lonely service of the field in bearing the yoke of service. Something is always wrong with the Christian who prefers the company of the unsaved and wordly to that of the godly. III. The Backslider comes to a place of rejection of Bible commandments. A believer who is in fellowship with God is obedient to the light which he has from the Word of God. See John 14:15 and 1 John 5:1-3. The inevitable result of the backsliders condition of heart is a rebellion against the authority of God in his life. The commandments of God become grievous to him as the yoke galls the shoulders a rebellious heifer. You cannot be fully right with God and rebellious about the truth of the Word of God. This explains the behavior of many professing Christians. They are like the backsliding heifer that refuses the restraint of the yoke of the scriptures. |
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