661. Hosea - Chapter 11 (#2) My People are Bent on Backsliding From me - October 14. 2024

[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] And 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.

[00:00:43] This is Proverb 14 beginning in verse 1.

[00:00:48] The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

[00:00:54] He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.

[00:01:03] In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

[00:01:11] Where no oxen are, the trough is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

[00:01:19] A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.

[00:01:25] A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands.

[00:01:33] Go from the presence of a foolish man when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.

[00:01:41] The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

[00:01:50] Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.

[00:01:56] The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.

[00:02:03] The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

[00:02:10] There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

[00:02:17] Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief.

[00:02:24] The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.

[00:02:33] The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.

[00:02:40] A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.

[00:02:48] A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.

[00:02:55] The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

[00:03:02] The evil will bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

[00:03:08] The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends.

[00:03:15] He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

[00:03:23] Do they not go astray who devise evil?

[00:03:27] But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

[00:03:31] In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.

[00:03:39] The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly.

[00:03:46] A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

[00:03:52] In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have a place of refuge.

[00:04:00] The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.

[00:04:08] In a multitude of people is a king's honor, but in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

[00:04:16] He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.

[00:04:25] A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.

[00:04:32] He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who honors him has mercy on the needy.

[00:04:41] The wicked is banished in his wickedness, but the righteous has a refuge in his death.

[00:04:47] Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known.

[00:04:57] Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

[00:05:04] The king's favor is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against him who causes shame.

[00:05:12] Friends, today I'd like to take a closer look at verse 3.

[00:05:17] And Proverb 14, verse 3 says this,

[00:05:21] In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

[00:05:29] Friends, we will come back and take a closer look at that verse prior to closing today.

[00:05:35] But as we begin a new week, I would like to review the three points I went over on Thursday's podcast.

[00:05:44] Now Thursday was October 10th, and that was episode number 659.

[00:05:51] And if you did not get a chance to check that out, I invite you to do so either right now before you listen to today's lesson,

[00:06:01] or you can listen to it later after this lesson.

[00:06:05] This lesson stands alone.

[00:06:08] But let's look at the three points I made on Thursday.

[00:06:12] Number one, when Israel was a child, I loved him.

[00:06:16] And friends, this is God speaking.

[00:06:19] And God would say the same thing about us today.

[00:06:23] When you were a child, God loves you.

[00:06:26] And God loves you still today, regardless of how old you are, and regardless of how you've lived your life.

[00:06:33] God loves you, and he's waiting for you to come to him.

[00:06:37] Number two, I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms.

[00:06:43] And when I think of that last comment, I think about when you pick up a small child.

[00:06:49] Sometimes you pick them up underneath the arms.

[00:06:52] Sometimes you pick them up by their forearms, and you can pick them up.

[00:06:57] And it doesn't hurt them as long as you're careful with how you do things.

[00:07:01] Number three, I stooped and fed them.

[00:07:05] Now, when I think of this picture, I think of God bending down on his knees and literally scooping you up.

[00:07:15] God wants us to be that close to him.

[00:07:19] We are his children.

[00:07:21] So friends, let's begin today's lesson in chapter 11 of the book of Hosea, beginning in chapter 5.

[00:07:29] He shall not return to the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refuse to repent.

[00:07:39] So friends, my first point of today's lesson is,

[00:07:43] He shall not return to the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king.

[00:07:51] Now friends, I am reading out of the Nelson Study Bible.

[00:07:55] And what I'd like to do is go over the commentary found in my Bible for verse 5.

[00:08:01] The word repent as used in context in verse 5 is the same Hebrew word translated return earlier in the verse.

[00:08:13] Israel could not remain stationary.

[00:08:16] It had to return either to the Lord or to bondage.

[00:08:22] Israel's refusal to return to the Lord would result in a return to slavery.

[00:08:29] So friends, if you recall last week when we went over chapter 9,

[00:08:34] that I had told you that the Israelites had been taken away captive back into the land of Assyria.

[00:08:43] And it says the Assyrian shall be his king.

[00:08:47] And that only means one thing is that the Israelites were being taken captive into the land of Assyria.

[00:08:58] And friends, if you were taken away captive,

[00:09:00] and if that country happens to have a king, which Assyria did,

[00:09:06] then you are under the authority of that king.

[00:09:10] Let's go to verse 6.

[00:09:13] And the sword shall slash in his cities, devour his districts, and consume them because of their own counsels.

[00:09:24] So friends, my second point of today's lesson is the sword shall slash in his cities.

[00:09:32] Now, let's go over the commentary for verse 6.

[00:09:36] It says, devour is the same Hebrew word translated fed in verse 4.

[00:09:43] The people of Israel had rejected the gentle master, meaning God, who fed them and provided for their needs.

[00:09:54] As a result, they would be devoured by the swords of the invading Assyrians.

[00:10:01] So friends, we don't want to be taken away captive.

[00:10:06] We don't want to be slashed with a sword.

[00:10:10] So obviously, the choice was to be taken away captive.

[00:10:16] I would rather be taken away captive than to be slashed with a sword and killed.

[00:10:22] That doesn't sound like very much fun to me.

[00:10:25] Let's go to verse 7.

[00:10:28] My people are bent on backsliding from me.

[00:10:34] Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt him.

[00:10:40] Now friends, I took the liberty to find out exactly what the word backslide means.

[00:10:48] And I went to BillyGraham.org.

[00:10:51] And so I'm going to give that organization credit.

[00:10:54] But the question is, what does it mean for a Christian to backslide?

[00:10:59] The Old Testament uses the term backsliding to speak of those who have been near to God, but have allowed sin to take them away from him.

[00:11:13] The prophet Jeremiah said in chapter 14, verse 7, he said,

[00:11:19] Our backsliding is great.

[00:11:22] We have sinned against you.

[00:11:25] So basically, backsliding in scripture is always seen as a very serious matter.

[00:11:35] And when I think of backsliding, I can't help but think of the third chapter of Revelation.

[00:11:41] So I'm going to read a passage of scripture entitled, The Lukewarm Church.

[00:11:48] So this is chapter 3, beginning in verse 14.

[00:11:53] And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, write,

[00:11:58] These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

[00:12:07] And friends, that means we're speaking about Jesus here.

[00:12:11] And these words are in red, meaning that Jesus actually spoke these words.

[00:12:17] I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

[00:12:23] I could wish you were cold or hot.

[00:12:27] So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.

[00:12:36] Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.

[00:12:43] And do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

[00:12:51] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

[00:13:12] As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

[00:13:17] And friends, that is a promise of God.

[00:13:20] If he loves you, he will rebuke and chasten you if he sees that you are not doing the things that he has asked you to do.

[00:13:33] Therefore, be zealous and repent.

[00:13:37] And listen to the words of Jesus.

[00:13:40] This is what he wants from each of us.

[00:13:44] Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

[00:13:48] If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.

[00:13:56] To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne.

[00:14:02] And I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne.

[00:14:09] So friends, that is an invitation from Jesus.

[00:14:14] He wants us to open the door of our heart to him and let him in.

[00:14:21] So friends, before we close today's lesson, what I'd like to do is go back to our verse of the day.

[00:14:28] And we are in Proverbs 14.

[00:14:30] And I asked you to consider verse 3.

[00:14:35] In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

[00:14:43] So friends, we are very likely talking about the Israelites of this time period when Hosea was the prophet assigned to that country.

[00:14:53] Let's look at the commentary for verse 3.

[00:14:58] It says, a rod of pride.

[00:15:02] Now friends, I often mention on this podcast that the Bible tells us both in the fourth chapter of James,

[00:15:09] as well as the fifth chapter of 1 Peter, that God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.

[00:15:17] So that is what has happened here to the country of Israel, is they become prideful.

[00:15:24] They've fallen away from God, that they have actually backslidden away from God and actually gone on to worship the god Baal.

[00:15:35] This proverb addresses the dangers of foolish speech and the rewards of sensible speech.

[00:15:45] The words of the fool shape themselves into a rod that is ready for his enemies to use on him.

[00:15:54] This proverb calls to mind that many people are their own worst enemy.

[00:16:01] Given enough rope, they prepare a noose for their own hanging.

[00:16:07] And friends, I often refer back to Proverb 18 verse 21.

[00:16:12] And that verse tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

[00:16:20] And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

[00:16:24] Friends, our words can bring forth life or they can bring forth death.

[00:16:31] Our words are so much more meaningful and can have more impact than many of you listening today realize.

[00:16:43] We need to be mindful of our words.

[00:16:46] Our words should lift people up.

[00:16:49] They should make people feel better.

[00:16:51] And they should not tear people down and make people feel bad about themselves.

[00:16:58] So friends, my call to action today is a simple question.

[00:17:03] And I want you to ponder this and think about this.

[00:17:07] And, you know, sometimes we make mistakes in life.

[00:17:11] But my question is, how mindful are you of the words that you speak?

[00:17:16] And, you know, I could ask and break this down into people that are in authority over you, like your boss.

[00:17:25] Or sometimes we need to be careful of the words that we speak with our spouse so we don't want them to get upset with us.

[00:17:32] But friends, it doesn't really matter who we're talking to or what the context is.

[00:17:37] Our words should be powerful and they should have meaning.

[00:17:43] And you should think carefully before you speak any words to anybody.

[00:17:49] Because words will have consequences.

[00:17:53] And they can bless people.

[00:17:56] Or they can confuse people.

[00:17:59] Or they can anger people.

[00:18:01] You know, a lot of it has to do with our temperament as well.

[00:18:04] And if we have a smile on our face.

[00:18:06] And the demeanor we have when we deliver those words.

[00:18:09] So friends, just something to think about.

[00:18:12] They're so powerful.

[00:18:13] Our words are.

[00:18:15] But our words are also tied to the expression that is on our face.

[00:18:21] So if we're going to bring good news, try to have a smile on your face.

[00:18:25] If you want to share the gospel and talk about the goodness of God, be happy.

[00:18:31] Look like you have something good to offer people.

[00:18:36] Put a smile on your face.

[00:18:38] Relax.

[00:18:39] Enjoy life.

[00:18:41] Do not be so uptight.

[00:18:43] Friends, I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive Jesus

[00:18:50] as their Lord and Savior.

[00:18:52] If there is anyone listening today and you've never taken that step,

[00:18:55] I invite you to repeat a simple prayer after me today.

[00:18:59] Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and in need of a Savior.

[00:19:05] I ask you to come into my heart.

[00:19:07] I make you my Lord and Savior.

[00:19:10] And friends, it's that simple.

[00:19:12] That's all you have to do.

[00:19:14] If anyone repeated that prayer, I ask that you go on to my webpage, wisdomtodaybk.com.

[00:19:22] There is a contact tab.

[00:19:24] If you can, click on that contact tab.

[00:19:27] Give me your name.

[00:19:29] Give me your information.

[00:19:30] Let me know your phone number.

[00:19:32] I want to get back with you and share the goodness of God.

[00:19:36] Welcome to the family.

[00:19:38] Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you.

[00:19:41] The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

[00:19:46] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

[00:19:51] Friends, tomorrow is Testimony Day.

[00:19:55] Please join me and a special guest as we further explore wisdom today.