Expounds on Hosea 7:8-8:7, highlighting Israel's spiritual adultery and rebellion against God. It details how Ephraim, a name for Israel, mingled with the heathen, becoming like an unturned cake, unfit for use. The message emphasizes the spiritual decay and loss of strength that results from this unfaithfulness, illustrated by the metaphor of gray hairs appearing without recognition. The sermon warns against pride and the folly of seeking help from Egypt or Assyria instead of God, likening Israel to a silly dove fluttering between false hopes. Ultimately, it concludes that their actions lead to divine judgment, serving as a stark warning against disobedience and a call to true repentance and reliance on God.
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thank thee that in the precious name and through the merit of the Lord Jesus only we can come into thy holy presence and thou hast given us the high and holy privilege of being gathered together around thy holy and blessed word we bless thee for every occasion that we have been together around thy precious book we do thank thee we found within the pages of it the revelation of the greatest person who is the dearest to thy great eternal heart, thy well-beloved Son. We do thank thee, Father, for making known to us and sending down to us by the way of Bethlehem's manger, the blessed Son of God.
O how we thank thee that every type, every shadow, that we've ever noted in the Old Testament teaching has become a reality, all of them pointing to the person and exalting the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for him, or we pray for one another that we may see his person and glory in his work as we study the Word. We thank you for every phase of teaching that thou hast given us in the class in the past years. And now we're looking at the pages of thy holy word relative to the sad, the deplorable conditions of thy people long ago.
What solemn but what eternal lessons we can learn in this. We do pray by the Holy Spirit today that thou will reveal to us more of thy truth. Most of all, blessed God, we thank thee. We see thyself. We've been realizing a little bit. We trust we shall do it more. We realize the blessing of thy holiness, the character of thy holy being, the justice of thy person, and yet together with thy great love. And so we pray, illumine our hearts and minds today. We give thee thanks for answered prayer.
Thank thee for helping Julie. We pray for others that need our prayers. Many whom thou lovest to seek. Some have been raised up. Some may be yet in affliction. And we pray thy comfort and blessing upon them. For all thy people throughout the world we pray. We know contrary to the expectation and even the demands of humanity, there will be no peace upon the earth. until the Lord of Peace comes back, and then He will reign, and righteousness and peace will be the portion of the world below. But until then, Father, we fully believe that you are speaking, speaking very loudly, in the affairs of the nation, and in all the events that are taking place, speaking to the hearts, to the consciences, and to the souls of men and women, So many like the people we are studying about, rebelling and refusing to listen and refusing grace today.
Wherever preach, wherever proclaim, whether by native believer or whether by servants who have gone for us, use the gospel to the saving of precious souls. Now we commend ourselves to be taught by thy Holy Spirit as we go to thy word in the name of the Lord Jesus, asking it all for his honour and for his glory. Amen. Chapter seven in the book of Hosea we're at. We come to the section that we stopped last week in chapter seven. We close with verse seven. We shall continue in chapter seven at verse eight. Your lesson sheet will be page number eight, I believe. And God willing, we hope we should continue today and get into chapter nine.
But in chapter eight, we would like to read beginning at verse eight, the rest of the chapter, where Paul, or rather Ozea, writes by the Spirit, Through the Spirit of God, the words of God is speaking to his people, Israel. Ephraim, another name for Israel, he hath mixed himself among the people. Ephraim is a cape, not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not. Yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him. Yet he knoweth not, and the pride of Israel testifies to his face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.
Ephraim also is like a silly dove. Without heart, they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them. I will bring them down as the fowls of the heavens. I will chastise them as their congregation has heard. Woe unto them, for they have fled from me. Destruction unto them, because they have transgressed against me. Though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds.
They assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. Though I abound and strengthen their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, that is outwardly, but not to the most high. They are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This shall be their derision. in the land of Egypt. May God bless the reading and the hearing of its precious word. Let us continue to recall and remember the outline of this book of Hosea. We have noted in the first three chapters how particularly the beloved prophet Hosea was experiencing a marital situation that was symbolic of that which God in a greater way was passing through in his affection and relationship to Israel, his earthly people.
How they were in spiritual adultery away from him, the one to whom they had been redeemed and brought as their nation to be his peculiar people. But after the illustration of the marital situation with Ozea, then we found the words of God spoken by the prophet and through the prophet directly to the people. Now let me particularly be clear and make mention of the fact the main burden of this prophecy is against not the whole nation of Israel but particularly the ten tribes that seceded from Judah and Benjamin in the days of Rehoboam.
Though we have found we still will find there is an occasional mention of Judah in relation to their situation and condition to. But mainly It is the ten tribes of Israel. You may wonder even at the opening of verse eight which we began reading, he addresses them as Ephraim. We repeat again with no apology for the repetition. Ephraim in the history of the tribe, whether you go back to the book of Joshua, whether you go back to the book of Judges, and on other occasions, particularly in those two books, they were manifesting and did show rebellion against God and even opposition to their beloved fellow men in the other tribes of Israel.
And they were strong, but in their pride they rebelled against not only their companions, but also against God himself. And yet it was one of the strongest tribes in Israel. Numerically it was the tribe that Joshua that man of God came from. And yet how strange, but often true, pride enters. You'll find the sin of pride is one of the great downfalls of human history, whether it be a people or whether it be a person. Pride was the very cause of Satan's fall, as we well know from the Scriptures. So with Israel and the Ten Tribes.
And so we come to the place, as God continues bringing before them... the moral depravity of their people as a nation. Now note particularly as we look at verse eight, how, if you will refer to your lesson sheet, right in the center of page eight, you will find under number two, we find that God next describes how they will be mingled among the heathen nations in judgment. Now note your comment on your lesson sheet before we read further. The Lord called Israel to be a consecrated and a separated nation. But Ephraim rebelled, and Ephraim mingled themselves with the heathen around, and it is compared to a cake, not turned, not fit, to eat, but to be thrown away.
Note the words, and I think the words of verse Saint are very significant. He hath mixed himself among the people, meaning it's not amongst their own people. with other people. Now I don't know, but I will confess, there is very little preaching today to Christians regarding the truth of separation from the world. And you'll find in your New Testament, just as God separated Israel to be a nation for himself to support and obey his word, and to be an example in obedience to the word of God, Likewise the Christian is called to do the same.
Paul writing to the Corinthians in Second Corinthians chapter six, you may read from verses fourteen through eighteen, and even down into chapter seven and verse one, how Paul calls the believers to be separated, come out from among them, and be ye separate, set the Lord God Almighty. What fellowship is light with darkness, unbelief with belief, and infidelity with truth, And Paul calls for separation. Now may I state, tell a believer, you and I will have a better testimony for God if we live and walk in separation and in obedience to God. Not mingling ourselves.
Someone said many, many years ago, I wonder what they'd say now. For I read it in my younger days. When I look for the church, I see it in the world. When I look for the world, I can see it in the church. speaking of the profession of Christianity. Well, you look at what God said of his people. Know what he says. He had mixed himself among the nations, and eat him as a cake, not turned. What's he mean? Well, you ladies, they make pancakes. If you never turn it over, what are you going to have? Something to throw away. You know that. It'll be so damn you won't be fit to eat.
Now please let the truth of what God says come into our house. Ephraim, you're like a cake that is not turned. Unfit, useless, worthless. Beloved, let me say this. It is possible for a Christian in his and her testimony to be the same, if not careful. Oh, may I command and commit to your heart and mind to a walk of separation with God in fellowship. and set from the character of the world. Look, said the Lord Jesus in John seventeen, as he prayed for us, Father, they're in the world, but they're not of it.
You get the distinction. We're not taken out of it. I often wish I were already out, but nevertheless, we're in it. But we're not to be of it. Not to be of it. And may I say lovingly, or may I say it carefully, it's more easy for the world to rub off on you today than it was fifty years ago. The character of the world under Satan is manifested more than ever in full display. Let me quote John's words, first John two fifty and so on.
Love not the world. Now this is the world under Satan. This refers to the satanic order that's controlling mankind in their disobedience against God. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Please note two things. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, The lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passes away. It's going to go. But he that doeth the will of God abides forever. Oh, beloved, may I say, very, very frankly, today we will be considered prudes by many Christians if we walk separately in our godly conduct and behavior with the Lord.
Make your choice, fellow believer. If you and I turn to the world in our interest, we're going to be like a burnt pancake on set for any use. Oh, beloved, let me say, give me a few questions. Can you or should you ever feel the need of apologizing for godliness? Never. But you'll have to apologize as a Christian for worldliness. And God saw his people gone that way. But go further that. Notice he goes on verse nine.
Strangers have devoured his train. And know it. Notice it. He knoweth it not. Yea, grey hairs are here and there upon them. Yet he knoweth it not. Will you emphasize and underscore those words? I've done it in my scriptures before me. The strength is gone, but he doesn't know it. Moral and spiritual decay is evidenced by the gray hairs, but they don't know it. And I'm going to be very frank with you. There are many professing Christians in the world today, and dear believers, whose strength spiritually is gone, and whose spiritual life has decayed by the evidence on the material that signifies death.
I want you to notice something. It's in Proverbs, I believe. Proverbs chapter sixteen, verse thirty-one. I want you to get the contrast. These words came to me in contrast. And I want you to notice something. Yet the Proverbs writer wrote in chapter sixteen in verse thirty-one. And you can recognize the distinction between the two scriptures. In chapter sixteen of Proverbs and verse thirty-one, the wise man has wrote these words. The holy head, the gray head, is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness. Now there's, there may be gray heads, but ah, they become a crown of glory.
Why? Walking in the way of righteousness. So they can signify when properly fulfilling God's will and living for His glory. They can be a crown of glory. But, if your life is decaying spiritually, and gray hairs are among you, spiritual life is ebbing in its flow. And sad to say, whether the strength is decreasing or whether the life in its evidence is decreasing, they know it not. Now, beloved, very frankly, do I need to tell you, I believe, and I say this advisably, but I believe I'm truthfully speaking that in the general profession of Christianity today, the profession, and when I say the profession, I mean everything that professes to be representing Christ and can name all kinds, but generally speaking, they do not have spiritual strength.
They do not manifest spiritual life. There is spiritual strength that is declined, and there is spiritual life and moral life that is also evidence of spiritual decay. The flow of spiritual life, the flow of God and his life. For, beloved lady, let me apply it, my own personal heart, your personal heart, too. What a responsibility. Oh, my beloved, please let me say, most of us are here, or perhaps in advancing years, but nevertheless, whether younger, whether older, How we can recognize God's earthly people declined in their testimony, their strength faded, and their spiritual moral testimony decayed.
God grant. Well, I was listening to a broadcast last Saturday. I noticed a friend of mine in the North who was speaking on it, and he made a reference to George Muller, thy great servant of God. And what he stated, I recalled knowing it. that when he was an old man, he prayed, God, keep me from being a wicked old man. And one can recognize the spirit and the need of dependence to be kept. And my beloved look, take the example. Hosea tells of the people of Israel long ago, for now we know You have on your lesson sheet, very simple explanation of that verse, the strangers with whom they mingle, devour their...
Can I say something? Carefully, look, the world will take your spiritual strength away if you mingle too much with it. It will take your spiritual strength away. You don't get your spiritual strength from the world. You know where you get it, as we're gathered together here. through the Word of God, fellowship with God. Spiritual strength doesn't come from the world. The world is in opposition. Jesus said, the world hated me. It shall hate you. And the Lord Jesus said, I've overcome the world. In the world you shall have tribulation. But may I repeat, may I say this principle once more with emphasis, don't expect the world in its character to enlarge your spiritual growth.
and empower you with spiritual strength. You don't get it that way. Said Jeremiah, thy words were found. I did eat them. They were to me the joy and the rejoicing of mine heart, for I am called by thy names. Beloved, please let me say, I cannot get my strength spiritually from the world. I can only find in the Lord his word by his spirit. and in fellowship with him. But, oh, as you look at verse ten, furthermore, the prophet goes on to say in verse ten, And the pride of Israel testifies to its face.
They do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this. Do you have the opposite? Yes. Though spiritual decay was there, and though spiritual strength was like it, yet they were proud, oh, we're the people. We're the people. Wisdom will die with us. We're the people. That's what Job said to his miserable comforters. We're the people. Wisdom is going to die with us. Look. And yet Hosea is declaring from God that even Israel, Ephraim, proud. Again, may I say again, the word pride still again emphasizes why God called those ten tribes Ephraim.
For they were particularly noted for the manifestation of their selfish greed and pride of being the strongest tribe in the nation of Israel. And pride testified to his faith. And they don't return unto them. Look, let me tell you something. Can a proud man come to the Lord as the wise man in Proverbs has written? God hates among them. But all things he hates pride. He hates pride. He hates pride. Oh, may I quote the words of another? What, ah, what a terrible curse pride is, but what power there is in humility.
And oh, beloved, please let me say, oh, you've got, you can even have not only pride of race and pride of faith and so on, and pride of grace, you can have too. Don't ever feel proud about your Christian character. No, get a fall. Let the Lord take care of it. Pride. There's no room for pride. Let me ask you a question. Was there any pride in the life of the Lord Jesus? Nothing but that beautiful humility from the manger to the cross.
He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. God deliver us from the sin of pride. And it can even be so. I must confess I found it in some of my fellow Christians. I had one occasion that troubled me to see a dear fellow believer, a preacher friend, who was really publicly humiliated. He brought it on himself. He made statements that someone had to challenge. And if they hadn't, I probably would have done it. But when he was so challenged, it upset him. He was inappropriate as I am right now, seeking to speak.
But he made a statement that one brother challenged him immediately. And yet I recognize too what he said would have hurt the congregation. He found when he was so humbled by it, he couldn't go on. He says, this is the worst place that I've ever been in. I tried to encourage him. Brother, I said, you read some scriptures. He did. He had a good scripture for me. He was one of those preachers that read the scriptures and then he departed from it and preached something else everywhere else, which was unfortunate. I said, you've read the word of God and we'll take anything from the word of God. And you know, I went to where he was staying before he left town to chat with him and control him and tell him how sorry I was for the event that had happened.
And you know what he told me? Brother, don't feel sorry for me. God's taken all pride out of my heart. I said, Lord, he's proud of his humility. I can't help him. I couldn't. Oh, beloved, don't make a statement like that. pride what a terrible curse pride is and what tremendous power there is in humility and I have every reason to believe the Lord permitted it to happen in order that he could be humble and should be humble how effectively it was I never knew afterwards but oh may we learn the lesson even from here and yet he doesn't seek God nor return to him now please note verse eleven And I'd like to read verses ten and eleven, verse eleven.
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria. Now, will you please notice on your lesson sheet, I'd like to read what we have, the comment on verses ten and eleven. Furthermore, like a silly dove without understanding, instead of flying back to Jehovah for help and rest, They followed or fluttered between Assyria and Egypt, not realizing the net of destruction was spread for them. Now here you have the likeness of a silly dove given to the people of Israel. A silly dove.
Not knowing which way to go. You know where a dove ought to go. You ought to find its home, its rest, where it finds its comfort and protection. that like a sin. Look the words, silly dumb. You know, God doesn't mind calling people silly. You ever notice in chapter two or three, rather, of Second Timothy, Paul refers to silly women who are trying to find, learn the truth, never coming to it, never able to find it. Seeking false teachers instead of the truth of God. One dear sister one night said to me at the closing of the meeting, she said, well, the problem.
I used to be one of those silly women. I used to go after Christian science. I said, praise the Lord. He got out of it. He says, I am happy too. Well, you know, look, if the heart doesn't turn to God, it's going to turn to something else. There's one thing true about the human heart. It'll find something or someone in order to set its interest in. But how terrible. when in uncertainty and in flight, knowing that there's danger, instead of going to the one who could help them, Israel went, Assyria, Egypt, the nation in the north, the nation in the south.
All they have to do is come to Jehovah. Oh, beloved, let me please be reminded, the Lord is my helper. I shall not fear what man can do unto me, wrote the psalmist and quoted again in Hebrews chapter thirteen. God should have been the one to whom they returned, and found in him their rest, their deliverance. But no, they acted like a silly dog, and sought the help of others. in Egypt. Now notice what God goes on to say as you read on. He'll only bring them to the net of destruction as you go to verse twelve. When they shall go, whether to Egypt or Syria, I will spread my net upon them.
I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven. I will chastise them as their congregation effort. And one may realize the inability of Fleeing from God's judgment. Now let me please remind our hearts once more of these prophets. All these major and minor prophets we have emphasized they have one great theme, or may I say two great themes. One judgment, the other mercy. Now let me repeat that again. I want to emphasize it relative to the people and the nation of Israel.
We shall see something about their condition, but the wall has no use for Israel. That God, who is judging them, will yet show them mercy. And in every prophecy, whether it's Isaiah through Malachi, you will find not only on failing judgment because of their disobedience, but you will find that the mercy of the Lord will ultimately be manifested for their blessing. As well as it has been in times past, Throughout the ages of their history. Again and again. Judgment and mercy. God is saying. Alright. They go to Assyria. They go to Egypt. And wherever.
Whichever way they go. I'll spread my net. He won't recognize. They're going to be caught in his net. I want to tell you something. Don't you be afraid of God's enemy. It's not getting caught in his net. They'll get caught in it. And when the children of God wander away from him, they get in the net of his chastening hand and of his destruction. I bring them down as the fowls of the heaven. Oh, beloved, can I humbly say, do I need to humbly say faithfully, has not God brought down his earthly people?
Literally, he has done it. Spiritually? I don't know. They still apply. Running away from their Jehovah. My fellow believer, if you and I flee to the world for our comfort, for consolation, for our interest, for our desire, for our affection, we're running away from Him. We're turning from Him. And as God says here, they fled from Him. Can you imagine? God has to say to his earthly people, you're running away from me. And then he goes further.
Destruction unto them because they are transgressed against me. And we've seen much of their transgressions revealed against his word and his authority. And he goes further. Though I have redeemed them. Did he not redeem them out of Egypt? You know, God never had a redeemed people as a nation until he redeemed Israel out of Egypt. And that blood of the Paschal land that brought them out of Egypt, shouted by that blood bearing the life from judgment, God redeemed them to be his earthly people. I have redeemed thee, he writes in Isaiah.
Thou art mine. And yet that nation which he had redeemed and brought to himself, yes. They have spoken against me. Will you please know something in this one verse? They use their feet to run away from him. They use their hearts to transgress against him. They use their lips to speak against him. Oh, sad is the commentary. And yet you go to verse fourteen to find. And yet they have not cried unto me with their hearts. Oh, beloved, they may have done it with their lips, but they have not cried unto me with their heart.
Have we not already seen in chapter six, I believe, when they repent and call upon him with their heart? He will respond. But here he asks us, say, they have not cried unto me with their heart. And one thing, I think of the words, I think it's of Ezekiel. When God said to the prophet Ezekiel, he said, Lord, look, Ezekiel, they love to hear your voice. You've got a pleasant voice. They're delighted to hear you speak. But he says, though they speak with their lips, they are far away from me with their heart in their heart. And well, you remember what Samuel was told when he was looking for the consecration of God's king from the family of Jesse the Bethlehemites?
As he saw the stalwart sons of Jesse brought before him, and God says, no, not any of them. Remember, man looketh on the outward appearance. God looketh upon the heart. And it was the heart of that young lad, David, that was God's choice. They have not cried unto me with their heart. No, no. When they howled, oh yes, they complained of what was happening, and they howled about it upon their bed. They didn't like it. And he says, when they assemble, when they come together for corn to have a good time feasting and drinking, they rebel against me. And God saw not only the heart, but the life of his earthly people, Israel, in rebellion against him.
Now note in verse fifteen, as we go, further, though I abound and strengthen their arms, again and again, had not God helped them, as well as bound them, whether for chastening or whether for deliverance, but yet Do they imagine mischief against me? I hope you know in those verses thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, the expression against me, against me, against me. God personally felt the affront that his people were manifesting against him. Now you look in verse sixteen and here's the conclusion that God arrives at, the summary.
They return, ah, but not to the Most High. Yes, they'll make the motion of returning. They'll go through the outward ceremony of sacrifices, or which we shall see something later on, but they return not to the Most High. They are like a deceitful bow in their uncertainty. And yet their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This should be their derision in the land of Egypt. May I read the closing paragraphs on your lesson sheet number eight, and particularly the last two, as we have noted in verse fourteen and then in fifteen and sixteen. They cried and howled with their mouth in their destruction, but not with their heart.
And then they were like a deceitful bow, on which the archer could not depend. Neither could the Lord depend on Israel. God had to apply the symbol, bend Israel as his own bow against evil and idolatry, but they turned themselves against it. Can I enlarge upon that last statement? Look, all you need to do is read Exodus chapter nineteen, verse five and six, and you'll see God's purpose for Israel. His purpose of calling them and establish them as a nation. To be his representation amongst all the nations of the earth.
To thus show what God there Jehovah was. To the nations around them in his character and in his person. In other words. Like an archer of a bull. Making known. The glory of God. And shooting straight. You've got to confess. Unfortunately, Israel became a deceitful bull. Let me illustrate it. Look. My responsibility, now listen very carefully. And I'm using myself as an example. My responsibility is to take the word of God and shoot it, so to speak, accurately, truthfully.
And if I do it deceitfully, the fall will be walked. And deceit will go further. Now what Israel did? They were to reveal what the other was. Well, what happened? They took their brawl and they began manifesting idolatry, worshipping the pagan gods, setting up idols and altars for the idol gods. was not that deceitful practice. Oh, beloved, let me refer again to the example. Oh, that men of God and those who take the sacred book to open its pages and unfold the truth that God would realize, beware of being a deceitful book.
But at the arrows of the Almighty, from his own quiver may be thus sent forth with the truth of God to penetrate the heart and to penetrate the conscience. Oh, beloved, what a disgrace. I sing it lovingly. And what a disgrace it was. Here was the most favored nation in the whole world. Redeemed, delivered, and placed in the land of promised blessing. brought them out of Egypt. He brought them across the sea. He brought them through the wilderness. He brought them into the land. They conquered it. Then the next thing you know, their bow became cooking.
They turned to the idols of the nation. Here again, let me please remind you, when thus we turn to the world, we effectively ruined the testimony of our lives for the glory of God. As Israel as a nation did that. Now chapter nine, if you please. We have time to go into chapter nine and begin that. Let me read the first seven verses. Yeah, the first seven verses of chapter nine. For then what we find, as the lesson sheet says, apostasy will be followed by judgment. Set the trumpet to thy mouth. Will you note the solemnity of these words?
Set the trumpet to thy mouth. I'm sure we're all familiar with the constant repetition and use of the word trumpet in the Old Testament, quite frequently in the prophecies, as well as in the days of Israel. The people were called together to worship by the blowing of the trumpet. They were called to march forth to fight their enemies by the blowing of the trumpet. And the blowing of the trumpet brought them together on many occasions according to the purposes of God. And then you find in the prophecies, Israel and on through to the Malachi, quite frequently the use of the trumpet, an alarm. It was to be blown into a danger, as well as gathering them together to meet around the Lord Jehovah.
And you've got the word trumpet in the New Testament, true. But please note these words. Set the trumpet to thy mouth. Blow it. Indeed, God shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord. because they have transgressed my covenant and trespassed against my Lord. I want you to notice something. What a characteristic is illustrated in the way of an eagle. Please note. He, meaning God shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord. So why an eagle? You got your New Testament? Go to Matthew chapter twenty-four, if you please.
Matthew chapter twenty four and if you'll turn to Matthew chapter twenty four I want you to note something for the the use of the word you know one wonderful thing about the Bible God uses words that we can understand and if you'll follow the words through in their use from one scripture to another there's much that can be learned but in chapter twenty four now let me please state what we're looking at in chapter twenty four of Matthew is very similar but much greater and more serious for what the Lord has been doing and we'll show well we'll read it right away look in verse twenty one if you please and I want you to notice in this twenty fourth chapter of Matthew what the Lord says in I hope I've got my scripture right No, verse twenty-eight.
Verse twenty-eight, not verse thirty-two. I beg your pardon. Now let me go back a little further. And I want you to know these words. Let me get the context with you in verse twenty-one, down through verse twenty-eight. The Lord Jesus speaking regarding that coming great tribulation, then shall be great tribulation, such it was not since the beginning of the world, to this time no, nor ever shall be. except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened, then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Behold, I've told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he's in the desert. Go not forth. Behold, he's in the secret chambers. Believe it not. Now let me pause for just a moment before going further. We have read words that describe the period of the Great Tribulation preceding on the threshold of the coming again of the Lord Jesus back to the earth after the rapture. the condition and if you take the context the Lord Jesus was speaking to his earthly people in particular in Matthew twenty four and twenty five and here he is telling and if you note the context even proceeding from where we read he speaks of the day when they worship the beast and his image in the temple of Jerusalem as prophesied by Daniel when you see his prophecy come to pass And the iron was set up in the ten balls to be washed.
What have you got? You've got the consummation, the ultimate consummation of Israel's apostasy in the great tribulation, even greater than in the days of Hosea and in the days of many of the prophets. And their great act of apostasy. And may I add this, by way of explanation. Ever since their Babylonian captivity, Israel has never worshipped idols. But the greatest worship of idolatry is coming, as it will be for the whole world when they worship the image of the beast. Now the Lord, in the context where we have read as described, false Christ, false prophets, there you can recognize everything false around.
and many saying I'm Christ. And of all the gullible dumb people in the world, they believe it. As you well know from recent experiences in history even in our city, as that fellow from India called himself God. Now, I want to say very frankly, if I was a commentator, I'd never call him God. He's not even on the newscast. But there'd be many of them. No, they won't you fight. universally and especially in Israel in that coming day you're going to find in a greater character the apostasy of God's earthly people let me give you this illustration again from the lips of the Lord Jesus he speaks of a demon being cast demons being cast out of the house the house is cleansed from the worship of demons and the nation of Israel nationally has been cleansed of the demons they once worshiped, for when they worshiped idols they were worshiping demons.
But said the Lord Jesus in that parable, but after a while the spirit that's driven out of the house comes back, he finds it clean, he finds it swept, he finds it empty. He goes and gathers together more demons, greater than himself. And they come into the house and they take over. And I want to say, Israel's apostasy is going to be greater still in the Great Regulation. All right, what's going to happen? Now want you to know this. Because of apostasy, there's coming judgment. Now let me look in verse twenty-seven with you. In twenty-eight. And here you see the judgment that's coming. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
It's coming suddenly. Found a trumpet. The judgment is at hand. Just as the lightning comes from the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Now know the next words. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will be the eagle, be gathered together. Oh, beloved, I want to tell you, what do the eagles mean? What does the carcass mean? The dead apostas of Israel, as well as the dead apostas of the whole world, in moral and spiritual death. Let me literally believe with you.
What destruction there's going to be of life. Writing in the words of Zechariah by way of illustration, I think in the end of chapter thirteen, as Zechariah writes of the same event, he declares that a two-thirds of Israel will be destroyed. and only one third comes through the fire. You know what the Lord Jesus said in the context? For the elect's sake, for those who will be the remnant, those days will be limited. And there will be such conditions that even the elect could be deceived. But thank God there will be a small remnant, though in the minority, who will recognize the danger, who will listen to the voice of the trumpet, who will realize judgment is inevitable.
and they turn to the Lord. But the rest, they're going to be devoured. The very picture is this. The eagle looks at it, sees his train. One of the strongest and the mightiest of the birds of the fowls of the heavens. For strength. For its ability to see and to penetrate with its... Well, you know this, I think they say, that an eagle has a double eye. And in an eye and as well as an outer eye. And that's why he can soar up against the sun. He can look the sun straight in the eye because of the eyes that God has given to him. But that eye can penetrate. Whether it be a mile off in the air, he can see all the way down whatever victim he desires to catch.
It's praying. and beloved the Lord Jesus. Oh, what a picture, Sam, that many of its earthly people and the people of the unsaved world of that day are going to be the prey of destruction. Now go back to Isaiah. See the application in regard to that time. And one can recognize it's not as great as it will be in the day that we have noted in Matthew. Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant and trespassed against my Lord. And yet please note something as you go on.
Oh, Sad. As you look at verse two. Israel shall cry unto me. My God, we know thee. Note your paragraph on your page. All their spurious profession, their false claim, my God, we know thee, will mean nothing to God. They broke his covenant. They transgressed. Don't tell me that you know me. You've broken the covenant I made with you. You've rebelled against the law that I gave you. Don't tell me and say, I know God. Ah, beloved, please, may I say, how important it is to be able to say, I know God and be truthful. And oh, granted, you and I may realize anyone that makes a profession of knowing God and yet is contrary to the way of salvation that God has provided in his conviction or her conviction, God says, don't tell me you know me.
You know, remember the Lord Jesus telling the parable, how in that day the foolish virgins will come knocking at the door and the door will be shut? Lord, Lord, open unto us. You know, I want to say bluntly, one of the dearest writers I've ever enjoyed for Christian literature, a man in England many years ago, he interpreted the parable of a foolish virgin that the foolish ones were saved. I couldn't understand how he, he didn't make it clear at all. The evidence was the opposite.
For when they knocked at the door and said, Lord, open unto us, what's the Lord saying? Depart from me, for I never knew you. Dear mother, please let me say that what you've got there is a wonderful illustration of the great profession of Christianity. They are the wise who have oil in their lamps saved by God's grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And then you've got, thank God, they know him. But then you've got many who profess. Yeah. You've got many who've got lamps. Sure. Well, Christians. Look at the lamp we got. Yeah, but what about the light? What about the oil? If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his.
God says to Israel long ago, Don't tell me you know me, you broke my covenant and you transgressed my laws. Now, and if you please note in verse three, you see the continued judgment in verse three and four. Israel has cast off the things that is good, and the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I knew it not, of their silver and their gold that they made them idols, that they may be cut off. Can I pause for just a moment? I'd like to again remind our hearts of the testimony of the profession of Christianity. You remember the study of the book of the Revelation? Recall the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia.
Do you remember the last letter? Laodicea. Laodicea. Thou art rich. I'm rich. I'm bestowed with many goods. boasting of her riches, boasting of her gold, boasting of her condition and power. And the Lord said, you don't even know you're miserable, you're naked, and you're blind. Their condition to him was just the opposite. So it was in Israel. Look, God said, you set up your own king. I didn't set him up. You picked your own.
You got some lemons too. Jeroboam, Ahab. Name so many of them. I didn't set them up. I didn't know them. You made princes and you took the silver and gold and you made idols of them that they may be cut off. Oh, beloved, please may I say, God, let me again repeat, God is a God of judgment and justice. If I recall, let me again repeat, again and again there are three great truths in the book of Hosea. One is God is holy. Second, God is just. Lack of all we shall see at the end, God is love. And God will never go contrary to his affidavits and the qualities of his being.
And so here he says, you're only worthy to be cut off. Now note verse five, if you please. As you look at verse five, particularly in six, now he speaks of the calf that they built. If you may remember, please remember that in Jeroboam, when he took the ten tribes and seceded, he made a calf at Bethel and one at Dan. Jesus, thy God, O Israel. Remember, it's the same thing that happened in the desert. When Moses was on the mountain top, the people said to Israel, to Aaron, Robert, we don't know what happened to Moses. He hadn't been here for a while. Where is he? Make us a God. Listen.
The seeds of idolatry were in the nation's heart before they ever gone to promised land. I cannot emphasize too greatly that seed of apostasy can be found even in the midst of God's power being manifested. And God says, let me go with these words, Thy calf, O Samaria, has cast thee up. Mine anger is kindled against them. How long will it be ere they attain to innocence? For from Israel was it also the workmen made it. Therefore it is not God that the calf of Samaria shall be broken in peace for him.
And there's God's judgment. Let me read the message you have on your lesson sheet. In Bethel, and we have a mention of it, they erected the worship of the calf instituted a false priesthood, God rejects their corrupt worship and declares the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces like the golden calf their fathers made in the wilderness. Then closing, if I may, in verse seven, please note, they have sown the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind. It hath no star. The bud shall yield no meal. If so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. And they have sown the wind and will reap the whirlwind. They sowed vanity and evil. The tempest of destruction would be their reaping.
No fruit would remain. Beloved our... What are those words of the Apostle Paul? Galatians six. Whatsoever a man what? Soweth. That shall he also reap. If it's to the flesh, destruction. Or to the spirit, life eternal. Oh, beloved, how we need to be careful how we sow. In our hearts and in our lives, the good seed of the Word of God in obedience and faith to bring forth through. Oh, my beloved, let's take humbly, faithfully to the heart this example.
Let me remind you once again, these things were written for our learning, upon whom the ages the end of the ages has come. They are examples to warn us not to be like God's earthly people, disobedient and rebellion against His Word. When the obedience and trust walk with Him. In the words of the old hymn that we all know well, when we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. While we do His goodwill, He abides with us still. and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
May God bless his word, shall we pray. Oh, Father, we think of the words of thy servant, the psalmist, when he uttered saying, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thought. and see if there be any way in me or way of pain or grief in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Father, we bow in thy presence. We pray for each other. Keep our hearts close to thyself. We're living in difficult times. They're perilous according to thy word. We see the seeds of apostasy coming and budding and coming to their fruition.
And blessed Lord, The eagles will be gathered together to devour the destroyed carcasses of men and women who have rebelled against thee. Oh, blessed God, for nearly two thousand years, thou hast been speaking in the gospel of thy grace to this world. And now we see that apostasy and rebellion seems to be the chief characteristic of the human race. We thank thee for those of us who were saved. For everyone that's sheltered by the blood of Christ, and for all who know and can say, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest rain, but holy lead on Jesus' name. On Christ that solid rock I stand, all of the ground is sinking sand. Oh, Father, open the eyes of many today, around us. sometimes even perhaps the monsters who know not the truth of redemption in Christ and in Him alone. And may they by faith lay hold upon that drop foundation and be sure forever of their eternal blessing. Father, the world is fast-tasting.