Welcome to Wisdom Today with Bill Kelley. Today we will be going over Proverb 26. I will then key in on verse 11 - As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. In today's lesson we will put the Israelite people (living in the land of Israel during the time of the Minor Prophet Hosea) in the "dog" posture, and that they returned to their own vomit (worshipping the god Baal). On today's lesson we will continue our study on the Book of the Prophet Hosea. We will go over the remainder of Chapter 2 (verses 14-23). By the end of today's lesson there are three things I ask that you consider:
1. The Israelites will call me "My Husband, and no longer call Me "My Master."
2. I will betroth you to me forever.
3. God will declare, "You are My People, and they Shall say, "You are Our God!"
Call to Action - How often do you neglect the call that God may have placed on your life (and you become fools?)
[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley, and I'll be your host. In this podcast, we will be exploring the book of Proverbs.
[00:00:21] In prayer, Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you would reveal to everyone listening how much you truly love each and every one of them.
[00:00:33] In addition, I pray that everyone listening would have favor with both God and man. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
[00:00:42] This is Proverbs 26, beginning in verse 1.
[00:00:46] As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
[00:00:53] Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.
[00:01:02] A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool's back.
[00:01:09] Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
[00:01:23] He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
[00:01:32] Like the legs of the lame that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
[00:01:38] Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool.
[00:01:45] Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
[00:01:52] The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
[00:02:01] As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
[00:02:09] Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
[00:02:13] There is more hope for a fool than for him.
[00:02:17] The lazy man says there is a lion in the road.
[00:02:22] A fierce lion is in the streets.
[00:02:25] As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy man on his bed.
[00:02:31] The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl.
[00:02:35] It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
[00:02:39] The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than the seven men who can answer sensibly.
[00:02:47] He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel, not his own, is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
[00:02:56] Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says,
[00:03:06] I was only joking.
[00:03:07] Where there is no wood, the fire goes out.
[00:03:11] And where there is no tail bearer, strife ceases.
[00:03:16] As charcoal is to burning coals and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
[00:03:25] The words of a tail bearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.
[00:03:33] Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
[00:03:41] He who hates disguises it with his lips and lays up deceit within himself.
[00:03:49] When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart,
[00:03:56] though his hatred is covered by deceit.
[00:04:00] His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
[00:04:04] Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
[00:04:13] A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
[00:04:21] Friends, today I'd like to take a closer look at verse 11.
[00:04:27] And Proverb 26 verse 11 says this,
[00:04:31] As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
[00:04:38] Friends, as we begin a new week, I would like to continue our study on the book of the minor prophet Hosea.
[00:04:48] And we began chapter 2 on Thursday's podcast, and we talked about a passage of scripture that was entitled,
[00:04:59] God's Unfaithful People.
[00:05:01] And friends, the entire book of Hosea is about the unfaithfulness of the country Israel during the time that the prophet Hosea roamed the earth.
[00:05:14] God was frustrated with the Israelites.
[00:05:17] They had turned to Baal worship, and they had basically turned their back on God.
[00:05:24] What we're going to find out today, beginning in chapter 2 of verse 14,
[00:05:30] this passage of scripture is entitled, God's Mercy on His People.
[00:05:36] So let's begin chapter 2, beginning in verse 14.
[00:06:05] Verse 14.
[00:06:08] Now, friends, I am reading out of the Nelson Study Bible.
[00:06:13] And what I'd like to do is go over the commentary for these two verses.
[00:06:19] First of all, in verse 14.
[00:06:21] Having separated Israel from her lovers,
[00:06:26] the Lord would seek to win her back by making romantic overtures
[00:06:32] and wooing her with tender words of love.
[00:06:36] The word wilderness, what does that mean in context?
[00:06:41] The coming exile from the land is compared to the wilderness wanderings of Moses' time.
[00:06:50] And of course, back in the book of Exodus,
[00:06:53] these people were actually in the wilderness for 40 years.
[00:06:57] Now, that's not going to happen here in the book of Hosea,
[00:07:01] but it is going to happen.
[00:07:04] Now, let's look at verse 15.
[00:07:07] The valley of Achor, meaning valley of trouble,
[00:07:11] was a reminder of the sin of Achan
[00:07:15] and God's discipline of the nation of Israel for his sin.
[00:07:21] This place would be transformed into a door of hope
[00:07:27] when the returning exiles passed through it on their return to the land.
[00:07:34] Now, let's look at verse 16.
[00:07:48] So, friends, that is my first point of today.
[00:07:53] So, my first point for today is,
[00:08:03] Now, friends, this is an important point that I am making today.
[00:08:12] God is always merciful.
[00:08:15] And sometimes it seems like he is rejecting his people,
[00:08:20] but this is an example of him once again demonstrating mercy on his people
[00:08:27] and giving them a chance to turn away from Baal worship and coming to him.
[00:08:35] Let's look at verse 17.
[00:08:47] Now, let's look at the commentary for verses 16 and 17.
[00:09:10] Now, friends, they were steeply entrenched in worshiping Baal.
[00:09:18] And Baal was an awful god.
[00:09:21] Baal did not do anything for the Israelite people.
[00:09:26] It was in the minds of the Israelites that this was someone who might benefit them in some way.
[00:09:34] But as we find out many times throughout the Bible,
[00:09:38] people who worshiped gods other than the one true God of Israel
[00:09:45] never really earned anything by doing that.
[00:09:50] Now, let's go to verse 18.
[00:09:54] In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field,
[00:10:01] with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground.
[00:10:06] Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth to make them lie down safely.
[00:10:15] I will betroth you to me forever.
[00:10:19] Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in loving kindness and mercy.
[00:10:29] I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know the Lord.
[00:10:37] Now, friends, my second point on today's lesson is I will betroth you to me forever.
[00:10:45] So basically here, through the Holy Spirit, Hosea is basically acting as though he is God here.
[00:10:55] So basically he is prophesying this over the country of Israel.
[00:11:01] And it says, I will betroth you to me forever.
[00:11:06] Now, this hasn't happened yet.
[00:11:08] He needs for the people at that time, the Israelites, to repent and turn back to God.
[00:11:16] And once they do that, then God will have mercy on them and will betroth them again.
[00:11:26] Now let's go to verse 20.
[00:11:28] I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know the Lord.
[00:11:36] Now let's look at the commentary for verses 19 and 20.
[00:11:41] Betrothed.
[00:11:43] Betrothal was a binding commitment.
[00:11:47] The last step before the wedding and consummation forever.
[00:11:53] The Lord emphasized that the new marriage between himself and Israel would be permanent.
[00:12:00] Loving kindness means devotion and commitment.
[00:12:05] You shall know.
[00:12:07] Israel would respond positively to the Lord's love and acknowledge that he is her husband and benefactor.
[00:12:19] Now let's go to verse 21.
[00:12:23] It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer, says the Lord.
[00:12:29] I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth.
[00:12:34] The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine and with oil.
[00:12:40] They shall answer Jezreel.
[00:12:43] Then I will sow her for myself in the earth.
[00:12:49] And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy.
[00:12:55] Then I will say to those who were not my people.
[00:12:59] You are my people.
[00:13:02] And they shall say, you are my God.
[00:13:08] So friends, my third and final point for today's lesson is, God will declare, you are my people.
[00:13:17] And they shall say, you are my God.
[00:13:22] Now, at this point, let's go over the commentary for verses 21 through 23.
[00:13:30] The heavens would provide rain for the earth.
[00:13:35] The earth would produce its fruit in turn.
[00:13:39] Israel is called Jezreel, meaning God plants because the Lord would replant Israel in the land.
[00:13:51] Now, friends, today's story is a story about grace and mercy.
[00:14:00] And God is abundant in grace and mercy.
[00:14:06] And this passage of scripture we went over today exemplifies the true nature of God.
[00:14:14] And how he wants his people to repent and turn away from evil and come to him so he can be their God.
[00:14:27] Now, before we close today, I'd like to go back to our verse of the day.
[00:14:32] And today is the 26th of August.
[00:14:36] And my verse for today was verse 11.
[00:14:39] As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
[00:14:47] And friends, in context, I would like to associate this verse with our passage of scripture today.
[00:14:55] Now, the Israelites of the time when Hosea was on earth, they had turned away from God.
[00:15:05] They had resorted to Baal worship.
[00:15:07] And so in this particular verse, we could call them fools.
[00:15:14] In this particular verse, they also basically are dogs and they are vomiting on what God has asked them to do.
[00:15:25] And they are repeating their folly since they were foolish to turn away from God.
[00:15:33] But as is God's nature, God was merciful and had grace on his country, Israel,
[00:15:40] and basically allowed them to enter back into his good graces.
[00:15:48] So friends, my call to action today is really quite simple.
[00:15:53] How often do you act foolishly?
[00:15:58] How often do you neglect what God has called you to do on a regular basis?
[00:16:06] If he asks you to do something, are you foolish enough to not do what he has called you to do?
[00:16:15] I want you to think about it.
[00:16:17] In our society today, we get so entrapped with the ways of this world.
[00:16:24] And many people are doing things and living life without God in their life.
[00:16:32] And so when he does come knocking on the heart of their soul and he's asking you for help and help me with this,
[00:16:42] many people turn their back on him.
[00:16:46] And I really would like to suggest that if you are doing that,
[00:16:53] that you repent and turn back to God as the Israelites at that time did.
[00:16:58] But anyway, it is an important lesson.
[00:17:02] Today was very useful, but because it talks about the grace of God.
[00:17:07] And that's something I want everyone understanding and listening to this podcast to know that that is the true nature of God.
[00:17:17] He's merciful and he always dispenses grace on us.
[00:17:22] And above all, he will always be faithful.
[00:17:26] Friends, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
[00:17:35] If there is anyone listening today and you've never taken that step,
[00:17:39] I invite you to repeat a simple prayer after me today.
[00:17:43] Jesus, thank you for coming to earth and dying on a cross for everyone listening to this podcast today.
[00:17:51] Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and in need of a savior.
[00:17:56] I believe that by dying on that cross, you have put me back in right standing with God.
[00:18:04] However, Jesus, I still need your help.
[00:18:07] Sometimes in life, I'm confused.
[00:18:10] I don't know how to do certain things.
[00:18:13] I don't know which direction to go.
[00:18:15] And I know, Jesus, that you can help me in every area of my life.
[00:18:20] I make you my Lord and Savior.
[00:18:24] Friends, if you repeated that prayer, I want to welcome you to the family of God.
[00:18:29] If you would, go on my web page, wisdomtodaybk.com.
[00:18:34] There is a contact tab.
[00:18:37] If you would simply click on that tab, enter in your name.
[00:18:41] Let me know you said that prayer.
[00:18:43] I want to get back with you as soon as I can.
[00:18:47] Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:18:50] The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:18:55] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
[00:19:00] Friends, tomorrow is Testimony Day.
[00:19:04] Please join me and a special guest as we further explore wisdom today.