Welcome to Wisdom Today with Bill Kelley. Today we will be going over Proverb 2. I will then key in on verses 16-19. These verses talk about the immoral woman and the seductress. Every month I tend to avoid these verses - as I really would prefer not to have to talk about them. But, we are in a study of Hosea - and Israel is doing the very things these verses are talking about. On today's podcast we will complete Chapter 4 of the Book of Hosea. The passage of scripture we will be going over today is entitled "The Idolatry of Israel." By the end of today's lesson there are three things I ask that you consider:
1. Harlotry, wine, and new wind enslave the heart.
2. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
3. Their drink is rebellion.
Call to Action - Have you ever given into the sin of adultery? I would like to think that everyone listening to this podcast would answer - "Absolutely not! Never!!!" But, the reality is that maybe one or two listeners have entered that temptation. May I suggest that I am speaking to you that you repent to God for your infidelity and pray for a renewed sense of love for your spouse and recommit yourself to them (and your wedding vows that you made to them on the altar).
[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] Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. 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.
[00:00:43] This is Proverb 2 beginning in verse 1.
[00:00:47] My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding,
[00:00:59] yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding,
[00:01:06] if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures,
[00:01:13] then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
[00:01:20] For the Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
[00:01:26] He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.
[00:01:31] He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.
[00:01:35] He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his saints.
[00:01:41] Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
[00:01:48] When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
[00:01:53] discretion will preserve you.
[00:01:57] Understanding will keep you.
[00:01:59] To deliver you from the way of evil.
[00:02:03] From the man who speaks perverse things.
[00:02:06] From those who leave the paths of uprightness.
[00:02:10] To walk in the ways of darkness.
[00:02:13] Who rejoice in doing evil.
[00:02:16] And delight in the perversity of the wicked.
[00:02:19] Whose ways are crooked.
[00:02:22] And who are devious in their paths.
[00:02:25] To deliver you from the immoral woman.
[00:02:29] From the seductress who flatters with her words.
[00:02:33] Who forsakes the companion of her youth.
[00:02:37] And forgets the covenant of her God.
[00:02:40] For her house leads down to death.
[00:02:44] And her paths to the dead.
[00:02:46] None who go to her return.
[00:02:50] Nor do they regain the paths of life.
[00:02:54] So you may walk in the way of goodness.
[00:02:56] And keep to the paths of righteousness.
[00:03:00] For the upright will dwell in the land.
[00:03:04] And the blameless will remain in it.
[00:03:07] But the wicked will be cut off from the earth.
[00:03:12] And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
[00:03:16] Friends.
[00:03:17] Today I'd like to take a closer look at verses 16 through 19.
[00:03:24] Now I'm not going to go over them right now.
[00:03:28] But these verses apply to today's teaching.
[00:03:33] So we will go over these four verses prior to closing today.
[00:03:37] But what I'd like to do is to continue our study of the minor prophet Hosea.
[00:03:44] And on Thursday's podcast we began chapter 4 and went over the first 10 verses.
[00:03:51] And let's just quickly review how we ended that podcast.
[00:03:55] We went over a portion of scripture that is entitled God's Charge Against Israel.
[00:04:04] And what God was basically charging the Israelites of is breaking the covenant that they had made with him.
[00:04:14] That they would follow him and he would be their God and they would follow his commands.
[00:04:21] And in this passage of scripture verses 1 through 10 we found out that that was not happening.
[00:04:30] So what we're going to do today is we will go over the remainder of chapter 4.
[00:04:36] And this portion of scripture is entitled The Idolatry of Israel.
[00:04:43] So we're going to find out that this was a major issue with the Israelites.
[00:04:48] They had stopped following God and following the commandments which he had given them.
[00:04:54] And instead they had turned to Baal worship.
[00:04:58] So let's begin chapter 4 beginning in verse 11.
[00:05:03] Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
[00:05:10] Now friends that's the first point I'm going to talk about today.
[00:05:15] And let's read it one more time.
[00:05:18] Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
[00:05:24] Now friend that's a powerful verse.
[00:05:26] And I'm going to break this down and just give you a little bit of what I am suggesting that this means.
[00:05:35] Harlotry means that basically you are comfortable having sex with other women.
[00:05:43] And we talked in a podcast last week and we were saying that they were having explicit sex in their Baal worship.
[00:05:53] So this was actually done as a part of the worship of Baal.
[00:06:00] Wine, of course, I don't need to talk to you about the effects of wine or any alcoholic beverage for that matter.
[00:06:09] It dulls the senses.
[00:06:11] And whenever you do that, whether it is alcohol or drugs, it kind of makes you relax a little bit.
[00:06:20] And things that you think are primarily important and they're very important.
[00:06:27] Once you start dulling the senses and start drinking a drink or two or three or four or five.
[00:06:37] And you just get into it.
[00:06:39] All of a sudden, you know, everything changes.
[00:06:42] And you're willing to do things that ordinarily you would never even think about doing.
[00:06:48] And I have never done drugs.
[00:06:50] I know a lot of people have.
[00:06:52] It's one thing I never was interested in.
[00:06:55] I never gave in to that temptation.
[00:06:59] And frankly, it was not even a temptation to me.
[00:07:03] I never even wanted to do it or wanted to try.
[00:07:06] So I feel fortunate because most people have indulged in that.
[00:07:13] But anyway, I like the word enslaves the heart here.
[00:07:18] And that's basically what has happened is you literally become a slave to these things.
[00:07:25] Whether it is sex, idolatry, wine, new wine.
[00:07:31] But anyway, what is happening is basically it allows you to let your guard down.
[00:07:39] And we're not talking about love anymore.
[00:07:43] So when you're having sex here, we're talking about fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
[00:07:50] And simply indulging in these things just for the sexual and physical gratification that you feel.
[00:07:59] And it's absolutely disgusting to God.
[00:08:03] It's disgusting.
[00:08:04] He doesn't want to think about it.
[00:08:06] And I can just imagine God being up in heaven and visualizing the Israelites doing this.
[00:08:13] And I'm sitting there thinking, I've got to put an end to these people.
[00:08:17] Let's go to verse 12.
[00:08:19] My people ask counsel from their wooden idols and their staff informs them.
[00:08:26] For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray.
[00:08:32] Now, friends, I want to hang out there for just a moment.
[00:08:34] I want to say that verse again.
[00:08:37] For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray.
[00:08:43] Now, friends, I really don't want you to think about this.
[00:08:48] But I picture this.
[00:08:50] I'm picturing men and women dressing very seductively here.
[00:08:57] And trying to tempt you into doing something that you know you should not be doing.
[00:09:07] Especially if you are a married person.
[00:09:10] But they're trying to lure you into doing evil.
[00:09:16] It's a spirit.
[00:09:17] And that spirit is evil.
[00:09:20] It is not a good spirit.
[00:09:24] Let's go on.
[00:09:26] And they have played the harlot against their God.
[00:09:31] They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops.
[00:09:35] And burn incense on the hills.
[00:09:37] Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths.
[00:09:41] Because their shade is good.
[00:09:44] Therefore, your daughters commit harlotry.
[00:09:48] And your brides commit adultery.
[00:09:52] I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry.
[00:09:57] Nor your brides when they commit adultery.
[00:10:01] For the men themselves go apart with harlots.
[00:10:06] And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot.
[00:10:09] Therefore, people who do not understand will be trampled.
[00:10:16] Now friends, let me say that again.
[00:10:20] Therefore, people who do not understand will be trampled.
[00:10:27] That is my second point today.
[00:10:30] What does that mean?
[00:10:32] Well, I am reading out of the Nelson Study Bible.
[00:10:36] And what I would like to do is go over the commentary for all four of the verses that we have just gone over.
[00:10:45] Wine was apparently used in Baal worship.
[00:10:50] Along with divination, sacrifices, and ritual sexual acts.
[00:10:56] Their staff refers to wooden idols that Baal worshipers consulted for guidance.
[00:11:06] Daughters and brides.
[00:11:09] Many of Israel's young women had participated in the sexual rites of Baal worship.
[00:11:17] But the men were just as guilty.
[00:11:21] Let's go to verse 15.
[00:11:22] Though you, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah offend.
[00:11:30] Do not come up to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Avon, nor swear an oath saying,
[00:11:39] As the Lord lives.
[00:11:41] Now friends, I'd like to go over the commentary for this verse.
[00:11:45] And what I really want to try to say is that, friends, as you're reading the Bible,
[00:11:51] and you'll read a verse or two or three, and you're asking yourself,
[00:11:56] What exactly does that mean?
[00:11:59] And that's why I would say it's imperative that you get a good study Bible that has commentary
[00:12:09] that can explain some of these verses to you.
[00:12:14] And this is a good example of that.
[00:12:16] In verse 15, it says,
[00:12:18] Hosea warned the people of Judah not to follow in the sinful footsteps of the northern kingdom Israel.
[00:12:28] Gilgal was an important religious center in the north, known in Hosea's time for its hypocritical religious practices.
[00:12:42] To me, that's key.
[00:12:45] Beth-Avon, listen to this, which means house of iniquity.
[00:12:51] And when I think of iniquity, I think of sin or evil.
[00:12:57] So Beth-Avon was a house of sin or a house of evil is a sarcastic reference to the important religious center Beth-El,
[00:13:12] which means house of God.
[00:13:14] So a lot of times people maybe thought that they were doing the right thing because this was a place of worship.
[00:13:25] But when you throw in the God Baal and begin to have temple prostitutes and begin to indulge in these things,
[00:13:37] believe me, friends, this is not church anymore.
[00:13:40] We're not really thinking about church here.
[00:13:43] We're thinking about seduction and evil and things that we have no business doing.
[00:13:52] Let's go to verse 16.
[00:13:54] For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf.
[00:13:59] Now the Lord will let them forage like a lamb in open country.
[00:14:05] Ephraim is joined to idols.
[00:14:08] Let him alone.
[00:14:10] Their drink is rebellion.
[00:14:15] They commit harlotry continually.
[00:14:18] Her rulers dearly love dishonor.
[00:14:23] Now, friends, I could make that entire last verse my third point,
[00:14:29] but I'm just going to stick to the very first part.
[00:14:32] Their drink is rebellion.
[00:14:35] Now, friends, if you get so off track that you not only forget about God,
[00:14:42] but that you're willing to go to the temple and you're willing to offer sacrifices
[00:14:48] and you're willing to take off your clothes and indulge in ritual sexual activity,
[00:14:56] and you throw in everything and you're worshiping an unknown God, Baal, who doesn't even breathe,
[00:15:05] and just sit there and think about how disgusted God is with all of this.
[00:15:12] No wonder God got fed up.
[00:15:15] No wonder God asked the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute,
[00:15:24] someone who would defile him and make him do things he shouldn't have done.
[00:15:31] Let's go to verse 19.
[00:15:34] The wind has wrapped her up in its wings and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
[00:15:42] Friends, let me read the commentary for verses 17 through 19
[00:15:47] before we go back to our verses of the day.
[00:15:51] Ephraim, one of the largest tribes of Israel,
[00:15:56] Israel is used here to represent the entire northern kingdom.
[00:16:02] Let him alone.
[00:16:05] These words have a tone of frustration and resignation,
[00:16:13] suggesting that Israel was hopelessly rebellious.
[00:16:20] Wow.
[00:16:21] Think about that.
[00:16:23] Hopelessly rebellious.
[00:16:25] And friends,
[00:16:28] sometimes I think I don't even want to admit this,
[00:16:32] but look at the United States of America today.
[00:16:40] Does this sound a bit like how many in our country are today?
[00:16:48] Open rebellion against God,
[00:16:52] against the Bible.
[00:16:56] I really want you to think about the state of America.
[00:17:03] Now, friends, it's not all bad.
[00:17:05] I mean, I go to church.
[00:17:06] Many people go to church.
[00:17:08] There's many, many good things going on.
[00:17:11] But I don't like the nature of where America as a whole is headed.
[00:17:21] Before we close today, let's go back to Proverb 2.
[00:17:25] And we are now in the 2nd of September.
[00:17:29] And I have selected four verses.
[00:17:31] And there are 16 through 19.
[00:17:34] Let me go over each of these verses.
[00:17:38] To deliver you from the immoral woman,
[00:17:42] from the seductress who flatters with her words,
[00:17:47] who forsakes the companion of her youth,
[00:17:50] and forgets the covenant of her God.
[00:17:54] For her house leads down to death,
[00:17:58] and her paths to the dead.
[00:18:01] None who go to her return,
[00:18:03] nor do they regain the paths of life.
[00:18:07] Now, friends, I'm going to be totally honest with you.
[00:18:10] Almost every month, I try to avoid going over those verses.
[00:18:16] I do.
[00:18:17] But we are in a study of the book of Hosea.
[00:18:21] And this is exactly what the country of Israel is practicing at this time.
[00:18:28] Let's go to the commentary for these four verses I just went over.
[00:18:33] The immoral woman is literally the strange woman.
[00:18:38] Adultery was foreign and strange to the ideal of God's law.
[00:18:46] Now, friends, it didn't matter if you were committing adultery with a woman outside of the temple,
[00:18:54] or if you're indulging inside the temple and doing ritualistic sex.
[00:19:00] Adulterists also connoted prostitution because the foreign women of the ancient Middle Eastern fertility cults
[00:19:11] included sexual practices in their worship.
[00:19:16] And friends, this is what is going on in this particular chapter.
[00:19:22] That's why I selected these four verses.
[00:19:24] Do I want to talk about these four verses?
[00:19:27] Absolutely not.
[00:19:29] But friends, sometimes we need to talk about things that we would prefer not to talk about.
[00:19:34] And the fact is, many people today are being unfaithful to their spouse.
[00:19:42] I never have been.
[00:19:44] I would never even think about doing it.
[00:19:48] But many people have said that and yet have fallen into that temptation.
[00:19:55] Many great ministries have collapsed because the leader of that work fell into adultery.
[00:20:06] Friends, my call to action today is one I'd really rather not say.
[00:20:14] But have you ever given in to that temptation?
[00:20:21] Have you ever committed adultery on your spouse?
[00:20:25] I would like to think that everyone listening to this podcast today would say,
[00:20:31] No, no, no, no, absolutely not.
[00:20:34] Don't talk to me about this.
[00:20:37] But there may be one or two of you listening today and you have taken that step.
[00:20:43] And if you have, I'd like for you to pray to God and ask him to take that sin of adultery,
[00:20:56] to repent of that sin, to return to your husband or wife and begin to follow the promises that you made them on your wedding day.
[00:21:12] Friends, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
[00:21:22] And if there is anyone listening today and you've never taken that step, today is your lucky day.
[00:21:30] Today is the day of salvation for you.
[00:21:33] So if you would, and God is tugging on your heart and you say, I want to follow him all the days of my life.
[00:21:41] Repeat this simple prayer after me today.
[00:21:44] Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God.
[00:21:47] I recognize that I am a sinner and in need of a savior.
[00:21:53] Jesus, you are that savior.
[00:21:57] By dying on a cross when you were on earth, you have already forgiven me of all of my sins.
[00:22:05] But Jesus, I still need your help.
[00:22:09] I ask that you come into my heart.
[00:22:12] I ask that you lead me and guide me from this point forward.
[00:22:16] I make you my Lord and Savior.
[00:22:20] Friends, if you said that prayer, go to my webpage, wisdomtodaybk.com.
[00:22:28] If you would, there is a contact tab.
[00:22:31] Simply click on that contact tab.
[00:22:34] Give me your information.
[00:22:35] Let me know your name.
[00:22:36] Let me know you said that prayer.
[00:22:39] I want to welcome you to the family of God.
[00:22:42] Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:22:46] The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:22:51] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
[00:22:56] Friends, tomorrow is Testimony Day.
[00:22:59] Please join me and a special guest as we further explore Wisdom Today.