Welcome to Wisdom Today with Bill Kelley. Today we will be going over Proverb 5. I will then key in on verses 3 & 4 - For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Friends, every month when I get to Proverb 5 I try to bypass these verses. However, when we are studying the Book of the Hosea, we need to consider carefully what these verses are telling us. On today's podcast we will continue our study on the minor prophet Hosea. I will begin the lesson by reviewing the three points from yesterday's lesson. By the end of today's lesson there are three points I ask that you consider:
1. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke.
2. I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
3. They they will seek My face.
Call to Action - Do you every find yourself tempted by people of the opposite sex trying to allure you into promiscuous sex (whether you are a man or woman)? We need to not allow ourselves to be tempted by these people - or the thought of entering into illicit sex. There will be consequences you may have to answer for if you indulge in these types of activities.
[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_00]: 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.
[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's open in prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today.
[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord, I pray that you give everyone ears to hear and a heart to receive everything you have in store for them today.
[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. This is Proverbs 5, beginning in verse 1.
[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_00]: My son, pay attention to my wisdom, lend your ear to my understanding that you may preserve discretion and your lips may keep knowledge.
[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: For the lips of an immoral woman, drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is bitter as warm wood.
[00:01:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Sharp as a two-edged sword, her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.
[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Lest you ponder her path of life. Her ways are unstable, you do not know them. Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth, remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.
[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Lest you give your honor to others, and your ears to the cruel one. Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and you mourn at last when your flesh and your body are consumed, and say, how I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction.
[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me. I was on the verge of total ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation.
[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Drink water from your own sister, and running water from your own well should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets. Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and always be enraptured with her love.
[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_00]: For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress, for the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and be ponderes all his paths, his own iniquities and trap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin.
[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly, he shall go astray.
[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, I would like to take a closer look at verses three and four today, and proper five verses three and four say this, for the lips of an immoral woman, drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.
[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Friends, we will revisit those two verses before we close today, but what I'd like to do is to review by three points from yesterday's podcast.
[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, we are in a study of the book of the minor prophet, Josea, and yesterday we began chapter five. We went over the first seven verses, and what I'd like to do is go over the three points that we went over yesterday.
[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00]: First of all, Israel is defiled. And what we learned yesterday is that Israel had turned away from God, and first began in the northern country of Israel, and then it actually settled in to the southern kingdom of Judah as well.
[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: And they also became idolatrous and began worshiping the God-dale. But let's look at number two, they do not know the Lord. They had become so enraptured with their pagan worship that they actually forgot the Lord God.
[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_00]: They stopped praying to Him, they stopped seeking Him in their everyday lives. And finally, on number three, He has withdrawn Himself from them.
[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_00]: So it's almost like God has washing his hands and he's cleansing his hands, and he's saying no more. I'm just not going to put up with this anymore. But today we're going to find out there's a little bit of hope.
[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And we're going to find out, we're going to begin Hosea chapter five. Let's look beginning at verse eight.
[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Below the ram's horn in Ghibya, the trumpet in Rama, cry aloud at Beth Avan. Look behind you, O Benjamin.
[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of revoke, among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
[00:06:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The first point I'd like to bring up is Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of revoke. Now, friends, I am reading out of the Nelson study Bible.
[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And what I'd like to do is go over the commentary for verses eight and nine. And it begins below the ram's horn.
[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, the ram's horn at that time is known as the show far. So if you're not Jewish, you're not familiar with that but it's an instrument that you blow into.
[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: And it makes a really, really loud sound. It can be heard probably from miles away just a beautiful instrument and if it's played correctly, boy, it's loud.
[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: But anyway, it says the act signaled and emergency and mustard the fighting men to defend the land. So whenever you heard the ram's horn, you are getting ready basically to go to battle.
[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: The towns mentioned here were north of Jerusalem within or near the borders of Benjamin.
[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_00]: The implication is that the enemy army had already swept through the north and was ready to invade Judah. So as I mentioned earlier, Israel basically was considered the northern kingdom.
[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_00]: So what this verse is implying is that basically the armies had already swept through the northern part and were now coming into the southern kingdom, which is referred to as Judah.
[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_00]: What is sure? The Lord affirmed that the announced judgment was an unalterable decree. Now, friends, what that means is it's almost like going to court.
[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And all of the evidence has been brought in and you have been declared guilty. So it's just a matter of sentencing at this time.
[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what this commentary is implying that has already happened.
[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: God is declaring his people Israel guilty, basically of not following his commandments.
[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And yesterday, we found out that he no longer wanted anything at all to do with them. But let's go on to verse 10.
[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.
[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, I know that this was written by the prophet Joseah.
[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_00]: But when I read the second part of verse 10, I believe this is literally God himself speaking.
[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, we know in the Bible that everything that is written in the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: So here, the Holy Spirit is talking through the prophet Joseah.
[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But literally God is saying, I will pour out my wrath on them like water.
[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And that is my second point for today. God, as I mentioned yesterday was fed up with his people Israel. He's thinking about just totally divorcing them and having nothing at all to do with them.
[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's look at the commentary for verse 10.
[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Stones were used to mark the boundaries of property. I want you to listen to this next part.
[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_00]: A thief could steal a part of someone's land by moving the landmark.
[00:09:59] [SPEAKER_00]: The law warned that altering a boundary in this way would bring a special judgment from God.
[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, one point I want to make perfectly clear. And I don't talk about it all the time.
[00:10:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But God watches everything that we do today.
[00:10:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And now at this time, God always watches everyone.
[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_00]: But I want you to be aware of that because many times, we don't sense the presence of God in our lives.
[00:10:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And we go about our everyday lives basically doing as we please.
[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully, if you've received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your primary motivation as life is to please God.
[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_00]: And you're trying, you're going about your business, you are making every effort to please God to do if you're working, to please your boss, to do what you are supposed to be doing and to have integrity.
[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_00]: That's basically what I think life should be, living by integrity showing the love of God in all that you do.
[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go on to verse 11.
[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked by human precept.
[00:11:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, I will be to Ephraim like a moth and to the house of Judah like rottenness.
[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, let me read the commentary for verse 12 as a moth destroys clothing.
[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_00]: So, the Lord would destroy Israel.
[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_00]: The word rottenness, I want you to listen to this.
[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Rotteness elsewhere refers to bone or tooth decay.
[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, I want to mention a moth here.
[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, I'm going to give you personal example of something that's going on in my yard right now.
[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00]: So, right now I am having some difficulty with part of my grass and the grass is thinning out and it's not nearly as thick as I'd like for it to be.
[00:12:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And it's really kind of funny because when you look at it from a distance, it looks green, it looks beautiful, it really does.
[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_00]: But when you literally stand on the grass and are looking down, there are patches of grass that are not very thick.
[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And actually what has happened, these are called sob worms.
[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_00]: So basically, what these worms do is literally what is they actually lay eggs.
[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And when they lay eggs, moths are the byproduct.
[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_00]: So, when I'm walking in the grass and I'm mowing my lawn, I see moths just fly all over the place.
[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_00]: So, in this particular example it's saying that moths eat clothing.
[00:13:12] [SPEAKER_00]: So, if you find moths in your closet at home, you know it's not a good thing.
[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_00]: And you can suspect that if you look at a certain pieces of clothing, they may have damage because the moths may have eaten them.
[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_00]: But moths are not only damaging to clothing, they literally can eat grass as well.
[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, just throw that out there but any way moths can be very destructive.
[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So, let's go to verse 13.
[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_00]: When F.R.I.M. saw his sickness and jimdha saw his wound, then F.R.I.M. went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb.
[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Yet he cannot cure you nor heal you of your wound.
[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, listen to the commentary for that verse verse 13.
[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Both Israel and Judah saw protection through alliances with Assyria.
[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_00]: But the cruel Assyrians were more interested in exploiting God's people politically and economically.
[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_00]: King Jareb probably refers to Taglith Poliser III, with whom both Israel and Judah formed alliances.
[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you want to find that story, it is found in 2 Kings, chapter 15, verses 19 and 20, and then in to chapter 16, verses 7 through 9.
[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go to verse 14.
[00:14:55] [SPEAKER_00]: For I will be like a lion to F.R.I.M.
[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And like a young lion to the house of Judah, I even I will tear them and go away.
[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I will take them away and no one shall rescue.
[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, I don't know about you but that is God talking and I don't like the idea that it's going to be like a lion.
[00:15:27] [SPEAKER_00]: When I think of a lion, I think of a large cat.
[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And the male lion sometimes can be between 4 and 500 pounds.
[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And when I look at the arms or limbs of a lion, I see limbs that are literally bigger than my arms.
[00:15:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And I can just imagine the strength of a lion.
[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_00]: When you sit there and think a lion probably can jump 16 or 20 feet at one time if it really catapults itself.
[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And just the thought of a lion digging in its claws in my back, it really kind of makes me a little bit leary.
[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to be too close to lions.
[00:16:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's look at verse 15.
[00:16:15] [SPEAKER_00]: I will return again to my place till they acknowledge their offense then they will seek my face.
[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_00]: In their affliction, they will earnestly seek me.
[00:16:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, the third point that I'd like to go over today is then they will seek my face.
[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go over the commentary for verses 14 and 15.
[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Attacking like a ferocious, invincible lion.
[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_00]: God will scatter his people as judgment for their treachery.
[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_00]: But the purpose of the Lord's discipline was to drive the people to earnestly seek him.
[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_00]: The Hebrew verb for earnestly seek suggests eager, longing and desire.
[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So friends, the very ending of that chapter 5, tells me that God is desiring.
[00:17:24] [SPEAKER_00]: His people is real to come back to him.
[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_00]: So I think there's a chance that God is considering having mercy on his people.
[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And as we continue the book of Hosea, you will see that that is indeed what happened.
[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, before we close, let's go back to our proverb of the day.
[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_00]: We are in, proper five, as today is the fifth and seventh hammer.
[00:17:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And the two verses I had today were for the lips of an immoral woman, dritt honey.
[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And her mouth is smoother than oil.
[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, friends, we have been talking the past several podcasts about the fact that inside the temple,
[00:18:17] [SPEAKER_00]: when the Israelites and then later the people from Judah would go in and do bail worship,
[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_00]: we found out that they had shrine prostitutes and that they were literally having a list of sex in the temple at that time.
[00:18:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And here this is what we're talking about.
[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_00]: When you are doing this bail worship, we're talking about an immoral woman.
[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_00]: So you were in, in tithes by the lips of an immoral woman.
[00:18:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And this particular verse it says, the lips of an immoral woman dritt honey.
[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_00]: In other words, they're enticing.
[00:18:59] [SPEAKER_00]: They're sweet.
[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_00]: They're, they're alluring you and you're being sucked in.
[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And her mouth is smoother than oil.
[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Wow, you know, my gosh, we need to, we need to stop ourselves from being tempted by that.
[00:19:14] [SPEAKER_00]: But listen to verse four, but in the end, she is bitter as warm wood, sharp as a two-way jutsort.
[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And friends, what that first means is if you indulge.
[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And especially if you're married, but I'd say even if you're not married.
[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're just doing, you know, being seductive.
[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_00]: If you're doing having sex with anyone outside of the marriage bed, that it will come back to you.
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_00]: It will come back and haunt you.
[00:19:52] [SPEAKER_00]: It can and it can have a serious repercussions on your integrity.
[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_00]: If people find out about you having this wrong day, though, with a woman like this.
[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_00]: So, friends, consider this.
[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, before you ever enter in to a situation like this and allow yourself to be lured in.
[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about the possible consequences if you literally indulge in what you're thinking of
[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_00]: about doing.
[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And friends, my call to action today.
[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Once again, it's a hard one.
[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_00]: But are you enticed by this?
[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I know people and, and friends, I'm not just talking about women here.
[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, it could be on the other side because there's guys that do this as well.
[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_00]: And there are guys that try to aluear women.
[00:20:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And there are guys that are awfully handsome.
[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And they have strong bodies with muscles and stuff.
[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And women can be enticed just like men can.
[00:21:07] [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, there's two ties to this coin that don't just sit there and blame women for doing this because guys do it too.
[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_00]: But anyway, do not allow yourself to do that.
[00:21:18] [SPEAKER_00]: It's all I'm saying.
[00:21:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Before I close today, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
[00:21:30] [SPEAKER_00]: If there's anyone listening today, you've never taken that step.
[00:21:34] [SPEAKER_00]: I invite you to repeat a simple prayer after me today.
[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm going to make it very short today.
[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Father God, I recognize that I am a sinner and a need of a Savior.
[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_00]: I ask that you come into my heart.
[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I ask that you come in and lead me from this point forward in my life.
[00:21:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I make you my Lord and Savior.
[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Prince, it's as simple as that.
[00:21:58] [SPEAKER_00]: If you said that prayer, you are now in the family of God.
[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the family.
[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_00]: The Lord make its face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_00]: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Prince, please join me again tomorrow as we close out the week.
[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_00]: With wisdom today.