Hosea 4 reveals God's controversy with Israel due to their pervasive lack of truth, mercy, and knowledge of God, leading to widespread sin and impending judgment. The sermon highlights how the people, and even their priests and prophets, had abandoned God's ways, turning to idols and immoral practices, resulting in spiritual blindness and a loss of their relationship with God. The core lesson emphasizes that true knowledge of the Lord is essential for spiritual life and that rejecting this knowledge leads to destruction and God's abandonment. The message concludes by urging listeners to heed God's word and keep their hearts devoted to Him, lest they too fall away.
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Blessed Father, we lift our hearts to thee in the name, through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, the only safe and perfect ground of coming before thy great eternal heart and in thy blessed presence. We thank thee for the entrance, wide open through the precious blood of our Saviour. He himself within thy presence, carrying all that we are and all that we have, upon His great eternal shoulders of strength, and upon His great eternal heart of love, our great high creed, touched with the feeling of our infirmity, having passed through this scene and tasted all, and perhaps even more, than we can comprehend in relation to the things of this scene.
But we bless and thank thee most of all for what he tasted upon the cross. There as we read in thy word he tasted death for everyone. And we who were thine, how we blessed thee he tasted it for us, the good shepherd giving his life to redeem the sheep. And we rejoice together. He's not only the good shepherd in death, he's the great shepherd in resurrection now. and he's the chief shepherd who's coming again. And we thank thee for him. We thank thee for one another. We pray for one another. We pray for Julie and ask thy remembrance of her. And if it please thee, and be thy will, give her encouragement even in this situation.
But there are many of thy dear people whom thou lovest to us sick. We commend them all to thy care and thy keeping. Thy healing, if it's thy will. If not thy will, the grace that is so often needed to bear the infirmity. And if they're going to be home to be with Christ, going home to be with him, may they know the presence of the good shepherd in that valley. And now we thank thee again. We're around thy precious and thy holy word. We thank thee for thy sacred word. Thy word is the lamp unto our feet. It is the light unto our path. And we pray that the moral and the spiritual lessons that is so deeply embedded together with the literal truth in the studies before us will be blessed and sanctified to our heart and to the enrichment of our lives.
We ask thy remembrance as we pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus, that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher in this hour, in our Savior's name for his glory. Amen. We're in chapter four of the prophecy of Ozea this morning. We have covered the first three chapters, and we do thank the Lord for the lessons that we have found within the pages of those first three chapters of Ozea. May I briefly review and very quickly the outline of the whole book could be mainly divided into two great sections, the first three chapters and all that follow. But we have made other divisions for our convenience as we continue the study from chapter four.
But don't forget what we have learned in the first three chapters. We found the Prophet himself passing through marital experiences of deep sorrow and grief. And they were typical, symbolical. and only symbolical, they could never be in their fullness as real as what God Jehovah was going through himself. For what the Prophet passed through in relation to his marital experiences represented in type what Jehovah was passing through in the grief and the sorrow of his heart because of his people, people Israel, who were defecting from him.
and wandering away from Jehovah himself. Now when we come to chapter four, if you will notice the opening of the chapter, very briefly, the opening words. Notice what it says. Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel. The first three chapters were directly, particularly directed to the prophet himself. Now we come to the great section that brings the words of Jehovah through the prophet, to his people. Let me just reflect for a moment to realize we can apply this principle to ourselves that we who are the people of God today let us listen to what the Lord has to say even in these words that were written concerning his people long ago that we may profit also.
But I would like to read first of all as you have on your lesson sheet page number four The first five verses, rather, of this chapter, which we shall consider first of all. And you note in your title, on your lesson sheet, this chapter concerns the Lord's controversy with his people. It is not often realized, as we should do, that the Lord can have, and often may have, a controversy, complaint to make regarding his people. One may recognize he has a right, a sovereign right, to be pleased or to be displeased according to the character and conduct of his people with them.
But let me read the words and listen to them carefully. They're very solemn because they describe the moral and the outward and spiritual state of the people of Israel. Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel. For the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break out and blood touches blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field, with the pounds of heaven, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
Yet let no man strive nor reprove another, for thy people are, as they that strive with the priests. Therefore shall thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. Now you will note, I'm sure, in your Bible as well as I can and do in mine, that you have the end of a paragraph. All your paragraph marks in your Bible are really original. They divide the reading of the scriptures in that particular way. Now your verse numbers, as well as your chapter divisions, they are not from the inspired original writings, but they have been made so that we can conveniently read the scriptures as we well know with more and better discernment.
But as we look at this particular portion, we find, as you note your heading, the condition of the people, the condition of the people. And we can recognize God himself is stating, please note the opening word, hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel. Now please let me say, this is not what the prophet thinks of them, though I believe he agreed with what God said, but it's what the Lord says about them. And beloved, may I say frankly, it's not what you and I think of God's people that it's as important as what God thinks of them, and what God says concerning them.
Now you note your outline, please note in under the letter A, We first notice the negative side of this emphatic declaration. And you will note very carefully in the negative what the Lord says in verse one. Because there is no truth, there is no mercy, there is no knowledge of God in the land. Now let it drink very deeply into our hearts. that God is thus showing the controversy that he has with his people of old on this occasion was due to that fact the denial and the non-existence of these precious qualities of divine approval which were missing.
And you note them carefully. Note, first of all, important, no truth. In other words, and we shall see it down further in the chapter, the knowledge of God was not known in the land. Now these were God's people. And yet they were not enjoying nor even seeking God's truth. There is no truth. And beloved, when you recognize that, then naturally what follows there is no mercy. And then as of course they fulfill the fact there is no knowledge of God in the land. Now this can be exemplified even in our situation of today in the world.
At large, there is no truth. There's a lot of false teaching. And we've had the reminding of it this week in the city of Charlotte, have we not? And the amazing fact is, how many gullibly follow what is not truth? Where do you find truth? Remember that the Lord Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the Father but blinding. And let me state that. Whatever you hear, if it does not point you to Christ, it's not the truth.
It's not the truth. No matter what claims there may be regarding the proclamation and the doctrine that may be proposed. Now here's the sad fact. How many today are following what is not the truth? When Pilate examined the Lord Jesus, you remember he said sarcastically as the Lord Jesus spoke of the truth, what is truth? And yet right before him was standing the embodiment of all truth. Let me repeat it again. Let me please suggest. Cast everything you hear. as to whether it points you and leads your heart and your soul to God himself and to Christ.
And if it doesn't, throw it out. All truth will lead you to the person of Christ and the person of God the Father. But then, follows, we recognize there's no mercy in the land shown. And we shall see that more clearly when we look at the positive side of things in the next verse. And of course it completely shows there is no knowledge of God. Oh, how sad to realize it's a commentary of even today's condition, even among Christendom, in its profession as well as all the nations.
But now look at the second verse rather. Here you come to the prominence. May I point out something. Verse two is the result of what took place in verse one. When truth was abandoned, when mercy was abandoned, when the knowledge of God was abandoned, what does it lead to? Now here you have a divine principle of what we see today morally in the world. All the sin and the moral depravity that prevails in the world today is the result of departure from God. And here you have the positive. As God says, there is swearing, and one can recognize the Bible language, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery.
They break out, and blood touch a flood. Now when you recognize God speaks thus, we must realize, solemnly realize, he's telling the truth, how he knew exactly what they were doing. And do I need to say, is not this taking place today? One has made the statement, I don't know who originated it, it's often repeated, and history repeats itself. And you have the same fact throughout all the ages, in regard to the human race. You see the depravity of the human race from the beginning to the end of time, as you look at the Word of God and as you see it in history.
And one can recognize them, please let me say, Don't deny the depravity of the human race. It's exhibited by the conduct, the sin, the vile conditions that prevail. And God describes it clearly, what he saw and what was taking place. There was, as he said, swelling and lying and killing, as well as stealing and committing adultery. All the moral sins of a depraved nature. Now, as we go down the chapter and maybe further in the book, we see why they turn from the living God to worship what?
Idol. Now let's read on. And here you find God's judgment certainly declared as you read in verse three. Therefore, this is the result, the inevitable judgment and the destruction. Therefore, shall the landmorn Everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, with the fowls of heaven, yet the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. And may I point out something very carefully. God's judgment not only permeates among the people and upon the people, but the very land itself, and the beasts.
of the field, and you may note it, and the fowls of the heavens, and even the fishes of the sea. May I point out a fact, whatever you see drastically taking place in nature, whether it's among the animal creation, vegetable creation, and a little creation at large, you can remember God is behind us. And the effect of His judgment not only touches upon the people who have sinned, for the corruption that they have brought upon even the literal or the natural creation around. Well, you can talk all you want to about ecology, but who caused it all?
Men caused it all. The conditions that prevail, and the conditions that are getting worse. And one can recognize, from the hand of God, these judgments were to come upon Israel, and we know they did. Now yet we go to verse four and five, and you will notice, as you go to verse four and five, he said, Now let no men strive against it, nor reprove another, for thy people are as they that strive with the peace, with the priests. Oh, the sad fact, now here we have something brought in, that it's very important to realize and we'll see furthermore down the chapter more real the fact that the great failure of the priests in Israel was the primary cause of the people's strain we have a verse we'll see it sometime in our reference I believe down further as you find in Malachi chapter in the I think of the book of Malachi where God accuses at the end of the Old Testament his priests, saying by the priests the people should
have had knowledge. Can I say the fact, the responsibility of men who profess to be the ministers of God is a tremendous responsibility. It is their responsibility to impart the knowledge of God. And I must confess with sadness, there are many in the pulpits of this land and other lands who do not lead the people godless and point them to him. I remember years ago a man said to me, he said, brother, I went to a certain city on business. I didn't know what church to go to, but I picked out some church.
I thought I would perhaps hear the word of God. And he said, I never heard the word of my Lord Jesus' name mention one. One sure thing, he's got a bunch of wood, hay, and stubble, whatever he did here. But here you recognize the divine principle. The priests abroad in the condemnation to recognize, no matter what man may say, or reprove one another, thy people, they are as they that thrive with the priests. Therefore, now note, shalt thou fall in the day, the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
Now you've got embraced in these words, you've got the nation itself, Israel, the ten tribes, you've got the priesthood, and you've got the prophet, and you've got the people. So when you look at Israel, there you find their nucleus was around the ministry of the priest and of the prophet, and they should have listened to the voice of God through both as they saw. But the priests were failing. And one thing we are sure in the study of these prophecies, they refused to listen to the prophets. Now God raised up the prophets because the priests were failing.
Due to the failure of the priests to impart the knowledge of God, when Israel as well as Judah declined away from Jehovah, God raised up prophets. Prophets were not in the curriculum, as you might say, of the Levitical economy. The priesthood of Israel was in the tribe of Levi, and through that tribe, the knowledge of God was to be imparted, and they were given the commandments to carry out all the ways of God, according to their worship and service of Jehovah, to represent him in the world. but they fail and when decline and apostasy came in then God raised up the prophets and as you look at the prophecies Isaiah to Malachi they all had a rough time every one of them perhaps well Jesus said this through all the prophets and again and again these prophets came to the people with their words and yet they were rejected but says the Lord the nation will fall in a day and I will destroy thy mother, which unquestionably would represent the nation as the mother of Israel, the ten tribes.
Now as we go, we find it emphasized even further from verse six through eleven. And we find the loss of their priestly relationship with God is emphasized and enlarged upon. Please know verse six. Let me read through verse eleven. Well, look at verse six. My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge. Now, let's stop for just a moment. Don't forget the source of the knowledge. It's not about what they know about the world, what they know about business, what they know about things that are literally upon the earth. The knowledge is God. Go to chapter six for just a moment. Let me give you a contrast here. In chapter six, I want you to listen more.
Now, here is a little section in the opening of chapter six, which you will recognize will be true of Israel when repentance and restoration takes place. And I just want to read, if I may, verse one through three. Let us return unto the Lord. For he has torn. He will heal us. He has smitten. He will bind us up. After two days will revive us. In the third day he will raise us up. We shall live in his sight. Then, verse three. Then shall we know. If we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning.
He shall come unto us as the rain. as the latter and former reign unto the earth. And note the opening of verse three. If we follow unto no who? The Lord. The Lord. Please may I emphasize. Cannot be done too greatly. Too emphatically. True knowledge. Knowing the Lord. Knowing the Lord. How important is this? Let me give you an illustration from Elijah. A beloved servant of God I knew intimately, had led a certain family in the Middle West to the Savior, the Father of the family, and all the family.
But on one occasion as he visited them, he found that the Father was in an institution, mental institution. He knew no one. He acknowledged no one, not even the intimate relations of his family. And when he heard it, he said to one of the boys, said, Oscar, I'd like to go and visit your dad. Well, he said, Brother Cap, he said, he won't know us, but he says, I want to go. But they went. And so when they drew him into the man's bedside, the boy himself said, Papa, do you know me? I don't know you. And the boy just cried to realize that the father would not even recognize him.
My preacher friend asked the same question. He said, Brother Soso, you know me. I'm Brother Soso. I don't know you. And how much they tried, there was no recognition. And just before they were about to leave, my friend said, Pastor, let me try again. He said, Brother Soso, you remember me, my cap, don't you? He was a converted Jew. I don't know you. Do you know the Lord Jesus? He asked. And I sat straight up in bed. I know my Lord Jesus. Now, if you can explain it to me, do it. There was a divine intuition.
Mentally, he knew no other. But there was the presence of the knowledge of the Lord. I don't mind dying when I've got that. You can recognize the knowledge of the Lord. And you know that even in life, what's the greatest knowledge? John writing in first John chapter two and verse three, I believe it is, there are three little words right in that third verse, right in the center. And he says, we know him. We know him. Knowing the Lord. and its people were perishing because they knew not the Lord.
I remember a dear soul, her memory failing, and yet she tried to retain as much as she could, or she could no longer read with her eyes the scriptures that she so fondly enjoyed. But until at last there was only one verse that she could remember. Second Timothy, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. And then suddenly she began to realize, one by one, the words were getting away from her mind from that one verse that she could have only been able to remember.
And one by one, the words of that verse she cherished left her memory. So she had just one left. And she thought of that one word left him. Oh, thank God, she says, I've got him left. You know what she meant. The Lord, the Lord, the Lord. My wife said one night to me, she was in tears. I've forgotten my song that she loved so dearly. I said, the shepherd's song for anything. I said, have you forgotten the shepherd? No. No. The Bible, please let me say frankly, deeply. Israel, not knowing their Lord.
Jehovah, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, knowledge of him, because thou hast rejected knowledge. And God says, I will also reject thee. And then he goes on to say, that thou shalt be no priest to me, seeing thou hast forgotten the Lord of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Oh, beloved, how solemnly. You know it on your lesson sheet. There is a reference. We won't turn to it. If people suddenly destroy for lack of knowledge, and you've got the scripture in Malachi where God repeats it in chapter two verses seven and eight, for the priests of Israel failed in their responsibility.
Can I say this? I do it to my own heart. I need it. When it comes to speaking and preaching and teaching, speak to the word. to reveal the Lord. I never forget, Brother A.C. Gable, I one time in my hearing saying, Are there any young preachers in the audience? Let me encourage you. When you preach, put the word of God into your message. God has not promised to bless what you say, but he has promised to bless his word. And that's what the people need. And any other words? I know we waste the time.
We waste the time. Sometimes I get impatient on the radio, and when I hear the preacher, it takes him so long to get to his message. Then, Albert, look, the people are perishing. The people need the word. And here in Israel, they've forgotten the word of the Lord. And so, of course, you forget me? I'll forget you, your children. And he goes on to say, as they were in Crete, so they sinned against me. Therefore, will I change their glory into shame. And may I point out as you, I hope you can see it, the result not only of forgetting the Lord and not being taught the word of the Lord, not only came upon them, but upon their children too.
Upon their children too. Back in the book of Deuteronomy, you may well remember that God told them to write his word upon the threshold of their doors. And in fact, Even to have it upon the philacteries as they call them, wrapped around their wrists and even on the skirts of their garments. The printed words. I know there's one thing that pass away today. In my young days you could go into many Christians over them and you'd see Bible texts on the wall. You don't see them today as much as we did back then. The Word of God. And there's no question of doubt.
The prominence in the family life of the Word of God minister to the children is important. When their young life, their memories can retain better what they learn in their childhood than if they were neglected and did not hear the Word of God. Oh, may God help us to see the value and the importance of the Word of God. so that the glory of the family will not be turned to shame. Now know what he goes on to say in verse eight. The lack of the knowing the Lord forfeit, forfeit their place of nearness to Jehovah, and so on.
And we find as you go to verse seven, and verse eight rather, they eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be like people, now note this, like people, like priests. and I will punish them for their ways and reward them for their doings. Note your paragraph, will you please, on the letter B on that second section. The lack of knowing God and His truth forfeits their place of nearness to Jehovah. The priestly character of the nation was as corrupt as the people.
Like people, like priests. Oh, God missed that distinction that should have been there at least, the priest knowing Jehovah. But it was a united condition. Priests and people were the same. And so, therefore, they would be rejected to be no longer in priestly relationship to Jehovah, to be punished for their ways and their doings. Notice we go to verse ten and eleven, closing that second section. For they shall eat, not have enough. They shall commit whoredom, shall not increase, because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.
I'm not sure. I think it's in this prophecy of Isaiah we find later. It might a minute be in the backers. I'm not sure. But God, one of the punishments that God gave upon the earthly people for their sins, he took away the birth of children. They didn't have to practice birth control. God says, I'll control it. You won't have any children. Best to leave it in God's hand, isn't it? But God took it away. You'll be birthless, be childless for a season, and they were. And then furthermore, no, why?
and shall not increase because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. Oh, that's that commentary. They have left off to take heed to the Lord. Remember while the chapter began, Hear the word of the Lord, O Israel. But unfortunately, they would not listen to the Lord. Pace to listen to the Lord, does it not? My, even we ourselves have to realize the importance of listening to the voice of the Lord. Remember, Lord Jesus said in John ten, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
But when people refuse to take heed to the word of the Lord, it will only lead them into judgment and chastening. as they do with Israel. But note the characteristic that prevailed in verse eleven. Hordom and wine and new wine take away the heart. Ah, beloved, how you can recognize. Let me say again, I think we have emphasized this. Israel not only broke the laws of God, they were breaking his heart. For what they were doing, the direction they were going in, their characteristics of wickedness in the land, refusing to hear the word of the Lord, they were getting away from him in the heart.
All that was going on was taking away their hearts from the Lord. Can I speak just a word of encouragement as well as admonition here? How you and I must be careful not to let anything or anyone take our heart away from the Lord. Did you ever notice, I'm sure you may remember the study in Revelation and the seven churches to Asia that the Lord sent those letters, first of all to Ephesus. Do you remember what he said in his accusation of Ephesus? He commended them. It was the most powerful testimony that was prevailing at that day.
But in his accusation he said, Thou hast left, not lost. Thou hast left thy first lost. May I point out something that is true. And a little straight here. Remember the parable of the prodigal son. When did the prodigal son first become a prodigal? before he left home, in his heart, in his heart. And it's the same way we believe it. If we pray for the Lord, where's the departure begin?
Before it's even known outwardly, it begins in the heart. And so God ever accuses people, that their pathway was taking him, taking men away from him in their heart. Let me quote a verse in application. Psalm one-nineteen, verse eleven. Verse nine says, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word? And then verse eleven says, Thy word have I laid up in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Can I say this frankly, lovingly, as well as joyfully and personally?
In my own heart, I find I've got to keep in the Word of God. I've got to keep in the Word of God. It's the Word of God. They can control the heart as we speak to follow. And we need that word. Thanks for coming this morning for this very ministry. As we enjoy together... is by the Spirit of God used for our own blessing of heart. And may the Lord keep us in his way that we might know his word. Now please know verse twelve to nineteen as we go on to the end. Now here we'll read the summary of Israel's idolatry, as God seesaw it.
Now note, my people ask counsel of their stock, and their staff declareeth unto them, For the spirit of whoredoms hordoms hordoms have caused them to stray. They have gone a whoring from under their guard. Now, will you please note something in the opening of that verse twelve? Where were the people seeking counsel from the very idols that they were worshipping? From those dumb idols they were seeking counsel. It's amazing. Let me give you a reminder of what it meant to Israel, to seek counsel of the Lord. I go back in the story of Joshua, back in the book of Joshua.
You may remember the great victory that Joshua and the people of Israel won by God's grace and power in Jericho and destroying the great city and overcoming it. The next city of conquest was the city of Ai. But they didn't take counsel of the Lord. They went against it in their own strength, and they failed. Later on in the book, you find against the Gimeonites who deceived them and made them think that they come from a far country outside the land of Canaan. Yet they were but neighbors near where they were, but they were so dressed in old clothes, and food that was old and decayed as they were carried, as if they traveled far, and they deceived the people of Israel, Joshua and the princes and the people by making a covenant that they would not be destroyed.
And the reason for the deception was that Joshua and the princes of Israel did not exist. Clearly they did not take counsel of the Lord. Oh, beloved, may I suggest to you? May I suggest it personally. For you and for me, take counsel of the Lord. I love this thought. You have it in Isaiah chapter nine, verse six, the names of the Lord Jesus. He shall be called wonderful counselor. Now, let me tell you something. I say it in love, but in truth. He's the best counselor you can go to. Better than all the psychiatrists and psychologists that you might find in the world.
Take counsel of the Lord. Take counsel of the Lord. How precious a real life. We sing in... Well, I think you're my old friend, Van Sandel, one saying it. He said, Christians sing more lines than they tell. You know, we sing our hands, you know. Does we really mean what we're singing? Is it true? And we can recognize we've been much regarding how much we depend upon the Lord, leaning on the everlasting arms and so on. I think that the story determined as a young Christian, the dear old woman, back in the old country. She had to walk to the village to get her food, and she had to travel back.
And one of the ways she had to go was across the brook right near her home. And even those days it had stepping stones, you know, so they could step from one stone to another across the brook safely. and as she was making her way back home with a little basket of groceries she slipped and all the groceries went in the little bro oh they got nothing left but lord they're all god almighty well i thought we sometimes act that way nobody left but lord ah beloved we have everything in him we have all We need to realize this. Paul, writing to the Corinthians and St.
Corinthians said, Our sufficiency in all that he was passing through with his companions, evangelists and teachers and apostles. Our sufficiency is of what? God. God. And beloved, we should realize, take counsel of God. Take counsel of God. And in everything, little or small, may you and I learn to do that. So what was Israel doing? Taking counsel of these dumb idols. And we should see there were even sacrificing their children to those idols, God. and the spirit of whoredom had caused them to pray.
They've gone a whoring from under their God. Now look at verse thirteen. He says, what you're doing? You're not sacrificing to me, but upon the tops of the mountain, you're burning incense upon the hills, under the oak, under the poplar trees and the alms, because the shadow thereof is God. You're just worshipping those idols. You're putting your sacrifices. Not on the altar, mine altar, but on the altars of the idol God. Therefore, your daughters shall commit whoredom and your spouses shall commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit adultery. I'll let them go on. No, your spouses when they commit adultery.
For themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with harlot. Therefore the people that do not understand shall fall. May I point out something very solemn, very sad. The death of the pastor as they worship the idol. Now you well know this, you think of the history of the children of Israel. God brought them out of Egypt. God brought them across the Red Sea and through the wilderness and then planted them in the land. But be reminded, when Joshua, before he died, gave his farewell address to the people of Israel, he warned them of those idols and their dangers, that if they worship and follow them, They would come under the judgment of God.
Remember one thing that he said greatly, Jews, ye whom ye will serve, hath for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. But all the children of Israel as a nation fail. And thus they ain't so doing. They lost their understanding of God. And God says they're going to fall. They shall be under my judgment. Now, as you go to verse fifteen, if you please notice it, you find their abominable idol worship brings them for God to leave them alone in their vile. Let me read the paragraph C under the last section on your lesson sheet. Let's note it.
The Lord threatens to leave them alone in their vileness and not correct them, that they might be brought back. The first chapter of Romans is illustrated by verse fourteen. Let me read that fourteen first. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for themselves are separated with whores. They sacrifice with harlots, therefore the people that does not understand so far. Will you go to Romans chapter one, please? Do you have your Bible? I'd like you to note with me what the beloved Apostle writes.
I don't want to read all part of the chapter that's involved, which could begin from verse twenty. Well, we can, yeah, we can, let me go to verse twenty-one. And here you've got the origin of heathenism, the history of it. Let me read in verse twenty-one of chapter one, though they had been little creation. No, let's take verse nineteen and twenty in. I want you to know something. that which may be known of God is manifest to them. For God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.
Now very briefly, take the idolatrous nations which Israel followed. Take the source of idolatry. As you read the first chapter of Romans, it was the time in human history, men knew God. You see, how? Well, they knew him in two ways. First by tradition. Adam and his descendants, those godly men, they passed along their knowledge of God verbally. Not in writing, but verbally. But then, as Paul writes in Romans, one, twenty. Creation itself, the invisible things of God are revealed by the very creation of the universe.
Reveals the greatness and the character and the person of God. Now, if we please note, if you look in verse twenty-one, yet at the end of verse twenty, so that they are without excuse. Any person, anyone that denies God is without an excuse. He may call nature God. I remember one time in the city of Raleigh walking down the Fayetteville Street with a good friend of mine. I know somebody coughed at a man and, oh, one of my friends along with me gave the fellow a plaque. The fellow said, I don't want it. I'm a pantheist. My friends took it there. How the world is that? I said, well, he just believes in nature. The natures is God.
That's all. Pharaoh and all of the Egyptians were pantheists. They worship nature. They worship nature. Look, Nature was the very revelation of God's personality. Beyond that creature and creation, there was the existence of God. There without excuse. Now read on, if you please. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened. Now see, you've got morally and spiritually the history of Israel, as we're reading it in Hosea. But now note the next verse. There's one I want you to know.
professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image, made light to corruptible man. Now see how they descend. Worshiping a man, then a bird, four-footed creatures, creeping things. You see, man goes down till he gets down in the dust with the creatures that crawl there. and it's just like them. But then as you follow on, wherefore now it's the word I want to remember in verse twenty-four, wherefore now no, God also gave them up. He gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own heart to dishonor their own bodies between themselves and so on.
Now I want you to think of those following words. God gave them up. God gave them up. That's a solemn fact to realize. It's more solemn to realize God's earthly people descended that law in Israel. And God said, I'm going to give you up. And there I said, let me just ask you one question. Hasn't we given them up for a long time? Not recognizing nor honoring them as this nation? until the ultimate restoration, as we shall see in the prophecy, comes. Now listen, God gave them up.
Now go back to our chapter, please. And let's go quickly cover the end of the chapter from verse fifteen. And here you find, as you come to verse fifteen. Though thou is real, pray the harvest, yet let not do the offence. Now let you know something. Now this brings up something. Let me read down through verse seventeen, please. I want to explain something that's very interesting. Go now Israel, play the hall of yet let not Judah offend. Come not ye unto Gilgong. Neither go ye up to Beth Avon, nor swear the Lord liveth. For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer. Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb, who's all alone in a great large place wandering around.
Ephraim is joined to his eyes, to idols. Lay them alone. Now I want you to think, in verse fifteen, there's a reference to Judah. Now it's necessary to remember that the nation at large was divided after the death of Solomon and in the reign of King Rea, born his son. You may remember ten tribes seceded from Judah and Benjamin. And of course, chiefly these prophecies that we're covering here relate to the ten tribes, of whom God calls them Israel. But the other ten tribes are two tribes, Judah and Benjamin.
They're called Judah. Now, let me explain this first. You find in verse seventeen the name of Ephraim, applied to the ten tribes. In verse fifteen, Judah applied to the two tribes. Now God has done that. And you find it in the script. When he refers to Judah, he does include Benjamin. When he refers to Ephraim, it's the name that is given to the ten tribes. Well, you may ask him. I know some of you do ask. Why does he call them Ephraim? Well, may I say, you go back to the book of Joshua and Judges too. The tribe of Ephraim was one of the strongest.
In fact, Joshua came from the tribe of Ephraim. And in the book of Judges, you find Ephraim very prominent, but unfortunately prominent because of their pride and their rebelliousness. Let me give you two, three examples. Remember Gideon in his three hundred? How he routed the Midianites, thousands of them with his three hundred men, and then followed them to destroy them? and others of the tribes around came and helped him. But there was one tribe that didn't come to help him.
And that was Ephraim, one of the strongest, one of the proudest. They were in that part of the land that they exercised best. They manifested their pride. We're the biggest. We're the strongest. And yet they didn't drive out their enemies as they should have done. But when Gideon had this victory, they came to him angry. Why did you call us? Well, Gideon was a smart man. He very wisely answered them to appease their wrath and complimented them on what they were. And, well, that made them feel a little better. But later on, there was a man by the name of Jephthah, whom God raised up to deliver his people from the enemies that were around them in the land that day.
They fell into their hands with their enemies, Philistines and so on. And Jephthah was raised up of God to deliver the people from that bondage in his day. Well, Ephraim again rebelled and responded in hatred against Jephthah for not calling them. But Jephthah had called them. But they refused to go. They refused to go. They were not only proud, but they were rebellious against their fellow tribe. Later on, They wickedly acted against the Gileadites and drove them out of the land.
And the Gileadites never forgot it. And God's judgment came upon Ephraim on one occasion when the Gileadites got the men of Ephraim who came down, tried to invade their land, and they tested them to find out if they were men of Ephraim. And this one test, the test was missed. The word Shibboleth. How do you say it? Well, they couldn't say it. They always said, Sibylleth, instead of Sibylleth. And everyone that said Sibylleth, off went his head. And they flew forty-two thousand of them. Now, what I'm leading up to is this. The character of that one tribe Ephraim illustrated to God, the whole nation at this time.
Ephraim! Ephraim, I can call all of you. And then as you know particularly, as you look at verse eleven, Ephraim is oppressed, broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment. Therefore will I bring on to Ephraim. Wait a minute, where am I? I got in chapter five. I turned my page. Excuse me. Go back to verse sixteen of chapter four. For Israel slided back as a backsliding heifer. Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large bread. Let me illustrate the needy. A lamb in a large bread. Think of it. They're going to be like a lonely lamb in such a wide space. They don't know where to go.
Remember those scriptures? Let me give you this thought. Isaiah fifty-three says, If you read Isaiah fifty-three, you'll have the concession of Israel when they'll restore to the nation to the Lord Jesus. Those godly remnants are coming then. And they will say, All we like sheep have gone astray. God drove us out, and like a lamb in the lost world, like a lamb in the lost world. Go to this way. Where did the Jews? Where were they driven to? You can find Jews in every country in the world. like a lonely land, as it were, in a lost place, unprotected by their Jehovah.
And then, if you look at verse eight, seventeen, notice God says, if him is going to his idols, let him alone. Let him alone. Oh, beloved, I say it's sad to realize God's controversy was such because of their character, their idolatrous worship and their immoral conduct. They'll let him go. Let him go. Let him go. Let him go. And suffer the consequences. Now then you have in the closing verses. Their drink is sour. They have committed whoredom continually.
Her rule is with shame, do love give thee. The wind is bound her up in her wings. They shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Let me read the last paragraph on your lesson sheet in closing, please. Let me read that summary at the bottom of the page. Jehovah's Summary, verse sixty through nineteen. Israel, like a backsliding heifer, kicking, rebellious, now an insignificant lamb in a large or wide place. Israel, some attachment, Ephraim, another name for Israel, is joined to his idols, led him alone, too far gone, and further remonstrances would be unavailing.
The evil would be permitted to continue unchecked. to run its full course and to judgment. The rulers have fallen in love with, notice this, shame. The rulers have fallen in love with shame. Can I make a comment? I do it very sadly. I am just ashamed at the publicity in the media. are things that should make us blush. They've fallen in love with shame.
Beloved, surely the coming of the Lord in judgment must be near for this world. One almost hates to listen to the news, because let me finish the reading of it, by their immoral, idolatrous practices, and someday says the Lord, they will be put to shame. Such was God's controversy with Israel. Shall we pray? Beloved and blessed Father, Solomon has been our lesson today. And yet, Lord, we live in a time far from that occasion long ago, but are not the days very similar, not only in one particular locality, but in all the world.
and even in our own environment where we are. We pray, dear Father, most of all, that this lesson today will draw our own hearts and consciences closer to thyself, and cause each one of us to walk with the Lord in the light of his word. For we ask it in our Savior's name, giving thee our thanks. Amen.