639. Hosea - Chapter 7 (#1) - They do not Return to the Lord Their God - September 12, 2024

[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.

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: When in prayer, Father God I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that they would sense your spirit and that they would learn some new material today, that they will eagerly hang on to.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And Father reminded everyone listening today that when they hear the word that they become doers of the word as well.

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. This is Proverbs 12 beginning in verse 1,

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: A good man attains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions he will condemn.

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Amen is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_00]: An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the councils of the wicked are deceitful.

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The words of the wicked are lie in weight for blood, but the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Amen will be commended according to his wisdom that he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Better is the one who is slided that has a servant than he who honors himself but lacks bread.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: He who kills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows foravality is devoid of understanding.

[00:02:22] [SPEAKER_00]: The wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_00]: The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth and the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_00]: The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heads counsel is wise.

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: A fool's wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_00]: He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness deceit.

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00]: There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_00]: The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a line tongue is but for a moment.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Decet is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_00]: No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Line lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_00]: A prudent man can seal's knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Anxiety and the heart of man causes depression that a good word makes it glad.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_00]: The righteous should choose his friends carefully for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00]: The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man's precious possession.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_00]: In the way of righteousness is life and in its pathway there is no death.

[00:04:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends today I'd like to take a closer look at verse 1, and proper 12 verse 1 says this, whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends we will take a closer look at that verse prior to closing today, but what I'd like to do is to review our lesson yesterday and we are in a study on the book of the minor prophet, Josea.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And yesterday we finished chapter 6, and what I'd like to do is just to review quickly the three points that I made in yesterday's podcast.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_00]: So number one I have slain them by the words of my mouth.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And I really didn't go into a great deal of detail yesterday on those words, but basically I believe what Josea is telling us and that verse is simply the fact that if we are not living the right way.

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And they certainly weren't at that time. The Israelites were actually serving the God-Bale and actually performing ceremonies and they were doing idol worship.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: So they definitely were not listening to what the Word of God says, but at that time had they read what was available to them at that time and most of the time back then it was basically scrolls.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: But if they had read those scrolls I believe that's what we would be talking about now that they basically would have killed them.

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I have been slain by the words of God because the words of God, the Bible is it's alive. It's like a two-edged sword and it cuts to the joint and the moral. The Bible tells us.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're not living right, these words are going to sting and they can literally hurt you.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And let's go to our second point yesterday. I desire the knowledge of God more than bird offerings and if you happen to miss yesterday's podcast, you may want to check out first Samuel chapter 15.

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And I went over verses 20 through 23 and we talked about that disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft. And God is only really concerned with obedience. He's not all that concerned with sacrifice.

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go to verse 3 yesterday. Israel is defiled and basically from the beginning of Jose until now, basically we hear that the country of Israel is not following God.

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_00]: God opened the door a crack and a couple chapters ago when he said he at that time, and he's prophesying that the people will literally come back to him.

[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_00]: But we are not seeing it and we're certainly not going to see it in our lesson today. So we're going to begin chapter 7 today and we're going to go over the first 10 verses, but let's begin in verse 1.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_00]: When I would have healed Israel, then the endiquity of Ephraim was uncovered and the wickedness of Samaria.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_00]: For they have committed fraud, a thief comes in a band of robbers takes spoil outside.

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_00]: So friends basically what this is telling us is that if one country sinned, then another country basically would follow suit.

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And all the countries in that area at that time basically were not following God.

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And it seems like every once in a while a certain sect of people might turn to God, but somebody else would start doing something wrong.

[00:08:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what these verses are telling us. Let's look at verse 2, they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness and princes with their lies.

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Now friends I am reading out of the Nelson study Bible and what I'd like to do is go over several verses in commentary in my Bible because this is all very important.

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: It's all historical that we really get a glimpse of what the people of Joseos' time are thinking. Let's look at the commentary for verses 1 and 2.

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Hardened sinners typically do not consider that God will hold them accountable for their deeds.

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And friends this is happening a lot in our world today and I know with the United States we see people like this but friends we're talking about basically any where in the world there are people that are doing evil things.

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: They are not considering whether God cares what they're doing. They're not even thinking about God. Many people I would even venture to say, do not even believe that there is a God and that he exists.

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Many people are actually demonizing people and they're actually you know worshiping Satan. I mean it's really bad not only are they turning away from God but they are doing what he Israelites at that time did and turning to foreign gods or idols. Let's look at verse 3.

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_00]: They make a king glad with their wickedness and princes with their lies. Now the first point that I want to talk about is they make a king glad with their wickedness.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_00]: And you're sitting there thinking how can the ruler of a country actually be glad if the people are wicked? Let's look at the commentary.

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_00]: While kings should promote justice and be appalled by wickedness Israel's ruler actually approved of the people sin.

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Now friends I would even venture to say that that is what is happening in our country today.

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I know it's hard to believe if you are a Christian and you go about life always trying to do the best you can try to help people out trying to encourage people and lift people up with your words with the actions you do.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_00]: You want God to be pleased with everything that you do and yet you see people that are so bent on evil.

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean it's amazing how evil some people can be. It truly is. Let's look at verse 4.

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_00]: They are all adulterers like an oven heated by a baker he ceases stirring the fire after needing the dough until it is left.

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_00]: In the day of our king princes have made him sick inflamed with wine. He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_00]: They prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in weight. Their baker sleeps all night.

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_00]: In the morning it burns like a flaming fire. They are all hot like another and have devoured their judges. All their kings have fallen none among them calls upon me.

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Now my second point I chose is that he ceases stirring the fire after needing the dough.

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_00]: My second point very easily could have been that last comment in verse 7. None among them calls upon me.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think I'm actually going to change that second point to that.

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_00]: What I'd like to do is go over the commentary for these verses verses 4 through 7. Listen to this commentary.

[00:13:41] [SPEAKER_00]: The background for these verses is the political turmoil of the Northern Kingdom. During a 20 year period between the years 7.52 to 7.32 BC.

[00:14:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So we're all talking about 3,000 years ago. Four is real-life kings were assassinated.

[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you really are interested, you can look at the book of 2nd Kings and read the entire 15th chapter.

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: The dangerous, uncontrollable perpetrators of these crimes are described here. These conspirators were like a large bakers oven that has been heating up for several hours while the bread dough rises.

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_00]: By morning, the flaming fire within can be quite destructive. Now friends what happens sometimes is certain people can act this way.

[00:14:50] [SPEAKER_00]: They get upset about something and instead of letting it out, they will let it build up and build up and build up over hours or days or weeks or even years.

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And then they absolutely, totally lose it. These are the type people that go on today's killing sprees and they go out and say, I am going to kill some people.

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And you sit there and think, how on earth can they do that? Before I go on, what I'd like to do is talk about the end times.

[00:15:32] [SPEAKER_00]: So I am talking about 2nd Timothy here, chapter 3, what I'd like to do is read the first 7 verses because these 7 verses sound an awful lot like many of the people in our country today.

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_00]: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasible, slanderous, without self-control,

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_00]: brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God.

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power, a void such people, duh, let's go to 6 and 7.

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_00]: For among them are those who creep in the households and capture weak women.

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Burdened with sins and let us stray by various passions, all was learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, I know our country is a mess. A lot of people right now are leading these types of lies. A lot of people are angry about a lot of things going on in our country. And when they are angry and upset, they are capable of doing violent things.

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go to verse 8. F. R. I. M. has mixed himself among the peoples. F. I. M. is a cake unturned.

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's enter the commentary for verse 8. Instead of depending on the Lord for political stability, Israel formed alliances with surrounding nations.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_00]: The destructive outcome of this policy is compared to a cake that has been placed over a fire and left unturned. In other words, it is burnt at the bottom.

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Let's go to verse 9. Aliens had devoured their strength, but he does not know it. Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he does not know it.

[00:18:41] [SPEAKER_00]: They are not shocked or they would have turned off their TV as little as 30, 40 years ago. They show such things on TV now. It's absolutely amazing.

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they before 30, 40 years ago they didn't show anything having to do with sin or adultery or things like this. Those things were not portrayed on TV. Look at how far away from that we have gone. Let's go to verse 10.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, but they do not turn to the Lord their God. Nor seek him for all this. So my third and final point before we close is they do not return to the Lord.

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_00]: The friends Israel is in trouble. Now the good news is knowing the Bible we have six more chapters for the Israelites to figure this out. And of course, in chapter 14, we're going to find out that the Israelites do indeed turn from their wicked ways and embrace God again. So that's the good news.

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_00]: But we still have to go through five chapters of turmoil. Before we close today, I'd like to go back to our verse of the day and it's a very powerful verse, proper 12 verse 11 says whoever loves instruction loves knowledge.

[00:20:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Now friends, that should be each and every one of our desires today. We should love instruction. We should want and be open to learning new material. How can I be better at what I'm doing? How can I learn to be a better husband or wife or a better father or mother or a better son or daughter to my parents?

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_00]: But listen to the last thing that he who hates correction is stupid. Friends at that time, the Israelites were just plain stupid. They hated correction.

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_00]: They wanted to do what they wanted to do and they didn't want anyone to tell them differently. So friends, my call to action today.

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Gosh, I hate to get into your face. I mean, if you've been in this entire study of Jose, I'm asking you some very difficult questions here. But I want you to ask yourself and be blatantly honest with yourself.

[00:21:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Are you stupid?

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you hate correction?

[00:21:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you not like it when you're spouse or your boss or your best friend, corrects you and tells you your flat out wrong about this? Are you okay with that?

[00:22:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Think about it. It's vitally important.

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive a Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_00]: If you would like to take this opportunity and earn your way and to heaven and we can do that.

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_00]: It's not by anything we do, but it's what Jesus did on the cross. So you'll get a free pass in the heaven.

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_00]: It's nothing that we do. It's simply based on Jesus dying on that cross for you. If you would like to repeat a prayer after me, you can now be joined into the family of God.

[00:22:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus, I recognize that I am a sinner and indeed of a Savior. I ask you come into my heart.

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I ask that you lead me and guide me from this point forward in my life. I make you my Lord and Savior.

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, that's all you have to do. Welcome to the family of God if you said that prayer.

[00:23:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make us say, shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

[00:23:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Friends, please join me again tomorrow as we close out the week with wisdom.