and seek his faith together. Our blessed Father, we thank thee that we can come into thy holy presence once again, breathing only the merit of the Lord Jesus, our blessed Savior and thy beloved Son. We thank thee for him. We thank thee again for the work that he has done. We praise thee that he could, and he did say to thee, I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do. And we thank thee we rest our souls for time and eternity on that finished work, saying in the words of thy dear servant of old who wrote, I know that whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it nor anything taken from it, and God doeth it that men may fear before him. How we bless thee! We bow our hearts together and say, we appreciate what our Lord has done. We bless thee that he came specifically to the earth to do that work, whereby he glorified thee, and then he redeemed us when we put our faith and trust in him. We thank thee for what he is doing, upon the throne of grace above. And we are so grateful to us who are thine. It is not a throne that we can fear, but a throne to which we can draw near. And we take the encouragement of thy word, telling us that we should indeed draw near to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And upon this occasion, as we mention that, we commend to thee the loved ones in the family of God, some of our members of the class, some that have been sick for quite a while. others that may be even today. And then we pray for the ones who need thy help and thy guidance and thy strength. And if it be thy will, thy recovery in their present situation of physical disability. But it's all in thine hands. And we pray today, Lord, minister in comfort and encouragement to all thy people in their trials and afflictions. Deaths of all, we thank thee not only for what our Lord has done, and what he is doing, but for what he will yet do when he comes again. We bless thee, Lord Jesus. The future for thy people is bright. We recognize and acknowledge. We see two sides of it. We recognize from our study of thy word there is a side that speaks of judgment to the unsaved. But, oh, there is a side of that blessed truth of thy return that reminds us nothing but glory and blessing. will be the portion of the redeemed. And yet what can we do, should we not pray, that thy spirit, by the word, the gospel of thy grace, may open many blind eyes to see the Savior and receive him before it's too late? And then we commend all thy people to thee. Thou knowest the need of thy church, Lord Jesus, better than we do. And we thank thee, Lord, thou hast made a promise Yet, more than that, an assurance, upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. What men have failed to do, Lord, thou will never fail to do, completing thy blessed bride. In this manner we would remember the loved ones we represent in our families who may yet be out of Christ. Grant thy salvation will be there. before thy coming again. Speak to them even today. Convict and save. Now once more we turn to thy precious word. Make the book live. Make the Lord Jesus more precious. And most of all, apply to our own hearts and consciences and lives the truth that we study. We ask of giving thanks in the Savior's precious and worthy name. Amen. Chapter ten is our chapter in the book of Hosea today. The tenth chapter of the book of Hosea, your lesson sheet is page eleven, and we shall study the chapter in the will of the Lord from the beginning to the end in our study this morning. If you may note the title on your lesson sheet, we continue in the sad commentary the prophet brings before us relative to Israel. And you find in your page ten on the letter heading concerning chapter ten, it refers particularly to God's punishment upon and of Israel. And may I be reminded, before we go further, that we can apply some of these precious truths, that we can find principles of divine righteousness and judgment, we can apply them to our own day. And in First Corinthians chapter ten and verse eleven, the apostle wrote, these things were written aforetime for our learning. May I give you the encouragement. I need it too. What has been written aforetime has been written for our learning, even in the present day. So may God, by his spirit, teach us today as we look at our lessons. May I begin reading verses one and two, and we'll follow the outline on your lesson sheet. Chapter ten of Hosea. The prophet writing, and really what he is writing are the words of God. Israel is an empty vine. He bringeth forth fruit unto himself. According to the multitude of his fruit, he hath increased the altar, according to the goodness of his land, They have made goodly images. Their heart is divided. Now shall they be found faltering. He shall break down their altars. He shall spoil their images. Now recognize, first of all, tis God himself speaking through the prophet concerning as well as to the people of Israel, particularly as we well know from our study, the ten tribes who are often called Israel as well as Ephraim. Now if you will note particularly as the opening verse is before us, I'd like to refer to your lesson sheet as we look at these two verses one and two, and you have it brought before us that God speaks concerning the fruitlessness of Israel and the division or the dividing of their hearts. No, verse one. Israel is what? an empty vine now when you and i think of these words with familiarity with the new testament we can be reminded of what the lord jesus said in chapter fifteen of john's gospel when he declared i am the true vine now in the implication of those words that the savior spoke he was indicating that israel in that day when he was upon the earth and become a fruitless vine. And he alone the true vine. Now this is God's accusation of Israel in the days of Hosea. Israel has become a fruitless or an empty vine. I think I remember reading in the, some correct and maybe it might have been the Septuagint version of the translation of the Old Testament. Israel has become a vine that has not been pruned. And you have the same thought in John chapter fifteen in relation to the believer today. And the Lord Jesus speaks of the fact that the Father prunes the branches that are his. And you and I can recognize if a believer today does not get any pruning he doesn't become very fruitful or she doesn't become fruitful. So may I remind you, we don't like to have the pruning knife much, but a good horticulture is. He uses the pruning knife. And the pruning instrument is that which, as he removes those empty branches or those empty springs that are fruitless, that it might become one. The Lord Jesus said, may I remind you what he said in John, he speaks of bearing fruit. He also speaks of bearing more fruit. He also speaks of bearing much fruit. And how does it happen? My father is the husband man, he said. He does the pruning. And you know, the pruning experience may not be happy, but it can be profitable. But now God had not been able to prune Israel long ago. They rebelled against his testimony. He rebelled, as we have noted. But please note this. Instead of being fruitful to God, he bringeth forth truth unto himself. And then you have the picture that the nation was living for itself and only for himself. And that doesn't prove spiritually profitable to the glory of God. I wonder how many Christians like that. Oh, beloved, please let me say, what a joy to realize the dealings of God in our experiences. And please let me re-emphasize it. I find many Christians rebel against God's dealings with them in their life. But the safest thing is to recognize whatever happens. I quote Romans eight twenty eight. We've quoted very glibly oftentimes. All things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, and so on. And God's own children can prove that even in a sovereign grace that he may deal with us in unpleasant manners, all the experiences are just to make us more fruit. And may I add the words of another? When one Christian said to me one time years ago, John, your darkest experience can become your greatest spiritual blessing. In other words, finding a Christian that doesn't need pruning. We all need it. And Israel rebelled against it. We've seen that in our study thus far. They rebelled against his laws. They rebelled against his prophets. Not only did they break his laws, as we have already noted, in this book they broke his heart. And may I point out to you, the grief it must be when God, who knows and loves his children, is unable to prune them. They resent. And you've got the same thought in Hebrews chapter twelve, whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, scourges every son whom he receiveeth. and you have in that chapter you've got if I recall correctly you've got three things in Hebrews chapter twelve whereby a Christian can manifest his or her attitude to God's chastening dealing you can resist it and if you resist it you'll get more spanking and you not only not only resist it you can despair in it but then the thing that that writers of the Hebrews declares we should do, is endure it. Let me give you this thought. When chastening comes and pruning experiences, it can bring you and me into the barren land where we try to run away from it. It can bring us into the bitter land where we rebel against it and a bitter against. May I say this? I say it lovingly, but I know it to be true. unfortunately true that some believers are bitter when God puts them through trial that's wrong to go to the bitter land and then you can go not only you can go to the barren land when you you want to go to the other end of the world get away from it all look how many Christians I know many and meet them constantly They wish they could fly away. Well, I've often said that. Even a psalmist said, wish he had the wings of a dove. He could fly away. But you can go to the better land. And the better land is when you bear the trial and endure it for his glory. But now go to the verse again. Israel, truthful. Now, I think God is speaking. They've got outward fruit in the land, but only for themselves. And living for themselves, know what he goes on to say. And according to the multitude of his fruit, they give no glory to God for those blessings he may have given. He has increased what? The altars. Now let's get the expression clear in our minds. We've already noticed some of the altars. What were they? Altars to idols. They were the altars to the idols, gods that they were worshipped. And the heathen gods. And they multiplied them. Let me remind you again, do I need to remind you, where was the place they should approach God in those days long ago, Jerusalem? The altar was there. The house of God was there. The priesthood was there. And then you can recognize, departing from the word of God and the laws of God, when they became fruitful materially, they just built their own altars. more idols to the even gods they were worshiping. And then you go further. And according to the goodness of this land, they have made more images. More images. The more they prospered materially, the more they gave themselves to the spreading of their images in the land. And one can recognize why they were untruthful. Now look at verse two, if you please. And you can recognize the source of it all in principle. Their heart is divided. Their heart is divided. And if you note on your lesson sheet, let me read the sentence we have there. Material prosperity multiplied their idle altars, manifesting a dividing heart and resulting in divine destruction of the altars and idols. As you note down in verse two. Their heart is divided. Now shall they be found faulty. And God shall break down their altars. He shall spoil their images. Now let me raise the question in application. Do you and I have a divided heart? Remember the words of the wise man in the book of Proverbs. My son, give me thine heart. I think of the words of David. I think it's in the hundred and eight Psalms. My heart is thick. Please let me plead with you, and may my own heart be pled with through this thought. God doesn't want his children to have a divided heart. A heart for the world and the things of the world, and just part of the heart for himself. And oh, God would then divide his spirit, speak to us, and help us not to have a divided heart. Oh, our precious... Okay, literally, think of the marital home problems today. What's the trouble, divided heart? It touches, that fact touches the whole situation. And even in relation to the Church of our Lord Jesus, the people of God, oh how God desires we should not have a divided heart. And I commend to you as well as to myself to take home to your heart as I should to mine, and our heart shall be fixed upon him. I think of the words of the dear old hymn I cherish. Oh, fix our earnest gaze, so holy Lord, on thee, that with thy beauty occupied we elsewhere none may see. Now go with me to verse three, and we'll go down through verse seven on our lesson sheet. Let me read the word. For now they shall say, we have no king. because we feared not the Lord. What then should a king do to us? They have spoken word, God says, swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment is come unto them. Judgment bringeth up as a hemlock on the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth Avon, for this people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it departed from it, it shall be also carried into Assyria for a presence of king J.Rab, and that was a Gentile king. Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. And as for Samaria, her king has cut up, has fallen upon the water." Now, as we look at your lesson sheet, please, follow very carefully. The lamentation that seems to be the chief thought in this section over the loss of their king. You may remember that when you look at Israel, and especially in the days of which the prophet was writing and days preceding, they were the days of the kings, as you have it, whether in Judah or whether in Israel, the ten tribes that were separated from Judah and Benjamin. And you have to confess, when you look at Israel's history as a nation, when they came out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan, God was their king. He was their potentate, and in His grace He led them on. But there came a day, and we should see more of it as we go through this chapter, when they depended less upon God and more upon them. And there came a day in the history particularly, you may remember, of Saul, the first king of Israel, when the elders came to Samuel the prophet and said, give us a king, like the nations around us. And Samuel was greatly grieved. He's not God enough. Or we want to be like the nations around us. Give us a king. And God gave them a king. He said, Samuel, go ahead. You see, my purpose, they deserve it, they'll learn lessons from it. And he gave them the first king, Saul. And Saul turned out to be a big failure. He was more head than heart, so he towered over the people, but he was the first king. And when you read the history of the king, or may I say, put it in this manner, when they turned away from God, Then they turned away from the teaching of his word, which by the priest was to be communicated for them. Then they put their trust in the king, to be their leader, to be their guide for the nation. And we've got the sad history. All the kings ultimately came to failure. And God had to raise up the prophet. And he raised the prophets up, as we have noted. Because of the failure of the priest, and because of the failure... of the king. In other words, if I may put it broadly, the executive head of the nation, even though God gave them that kingship and permitted it, and set them into it, they failed. Generally speaking, as kings, there were only a few exceptions where they had good, righteous kings, and especially in Israel, and the priesthood had failed, the king had failed, and the prophets came on the scene. seeing to bring the nation back to God. And they were unable to bring that nation back as we well know, for they slew many, if not all, of the prophets in those days long ago. So as we look at the scriptures that we have before Rizia, we can see their loss of their king is manifested. First of all, if I may read in verse five, verse, let me see if I can get them. Verse three, For now they shall say, We have no king. Why? Because we feared not the Lord. What then should a king? What can he do? What can anything do for us now? Oh, beloved, what you see is a complete failure of the judicial system, reigning over the land of Israel. And in that failure, the people come to the situation where they realize he can't save us. from the dilemma that we are in. And then, please know what God says. They've spoken a lot of words. They have spoken a lot of words. Yes, they had. Please, may I note with you on your lesson sheet, please note what we have there. They confessed the cause of the loss of their king and the inability of the king. Then they multiplied idle words and made false covenant. That's what the Lord is saying. They have made false covenants. Can I say something very carefully? It has a political application. When any nation makes a covenant or a treaty with another nation, gives their word, God doesn't forget what they have said. And what covenant they may have made between each other. Put it in the... in the present day situation, you take all the treaties that have been made in this present century, for instance. All of them have failed. They will fail. But I want to tell you, God doesn't overlook it. When a nation makes a covenant, a promise to another nation, God expects that nation to keep the word that they've given. And you can find in Scripture especially in the writings of the prophets Isaiah Jeremiah and so on you can find in scripture God holds the nations responsible when they make a treaty with another nation in his moral glory over the universe as the God of the universe he holds them responsible for the moral treaties that they may make and if they break it he doesn't fail to visit in judgment Now I want you to note the scriptures we have here. We have a scripture, if you may note, in Second Kings chapter seventeen and verse four. And I want you to note here is one occasion where they made a false covenant. And you can recognize how God by the Spirit refers even on this occasion, Second Kings chapter four, chapter seventeen rather, in verse four. And I want you to note the words, second king, chapter seventeen, and verse four, where the Spirit of God declares, very concisely regarding a covenant, verse four, note these words, and the king of Assyria found conspiracy. Now this is the king of the Gentile nation north of Israel, with whom Hoshia, who's mentioned, Hoshia was the king of Israel, and the spirit lights, the king of Assyria, found conspiracy, a rebellion in Hoshia. He made a pact with the king of Assyria, what he would do. For he had not, he had sent messengers to Saul, king of Egypt, and brought no present, meaning what he had promised to pay to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Now please let me say, there was not only the human side to that covenant. Assyria gave his word to pay tribute to the king with Syria and the under-subjection to his rule. Then he makes a false covenant down in Egypt to see if the king of Egypt could deliver him. Really got into trouble. And he got into prison. And thus you can reckon God holds them responsible. And God was saying you've made many false covenants. You've got others. We'll not turn to them. You've got them in Amos chapter five and chapter six. You can look it up at your convenience. But when such a covenant was made, God expected them to keep the word. You've got the same thought in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar. And in the book of Jeremiah, particularly you find it illuminated. Where in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, he put certain men in Jerusalem and in Israel to oversee the country during his reign. And yet they turned again to Egypt. Poor Jeremiah. He pled with them not to disobey the covenant that they had made. But they would not listen to him. And they even asked Jeremiah, what does God want us to do? And God told them. May I point out these words in Jeremiah chapter thirty, I believe it is, in verse fifteen. Jeremiah said to them, In quietness and in confidence shall be your rest. And what Jeremiah was telling them, Stay where you are. Be quiet and trust the Lord. And you know, sometimes I've got the text on the wall in my living room. In quietness and confidence shall be your rest. Just stay where you are under your present situation. Did you ever know the rest of the verse? Nobody ever remembers the rest of the verse. Jeremiah said, but you would not. You would not. They went down to Egypt. And Jeremiah told them, you die there if you go. Which came to pass. Beloved, please let me say. God recognizes those people when they gave their word as a nation a promise. They broke it. And he calls it a false covenant. Look at our chapter in Osiris. He goes on. Thus, because of this, judgment spring upon us, and long, as weeds in the furrow of the field. And one can recognize the illustration. Just as weeds and pistols and nettles come up, fruitless, troublesome, as they come up in the furrow that has been plowed for the production of fruit. and grain. He says, you're just going to recruit from it. What beloved can I say? Well, let me quote the New Testament. Here's the principle in chapter six of Galatians. Whatsoever a man sower, that shall he also reap. Let me try and obliterate it. Whatsoever a nation sower, that shall he also reap. Now let me give you a little thought. a serious consideration. What do you think our nation is going to reap? There's a sowing time, there's a reaping time. Beloved, I say it earnestly and lovingly, the nations have been sowing much that is going to bring a terrible harvest. No exception. Much as I delight and gladly rejoiced to be where I live in this favored land as it has been. What's going to be the harvest? What's going to be the harvest? Now, beloved, let me say that. You and I are just, well, we're nobody's in relation to the government and the powers that be, but as believers in the Lord Jesus, God has given to you and to me His Word. whereby we can learn some of the principles whereby he was, even among the nations. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear, because of the calves of Beth Avon, for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. Note your lesson comment, please, under that letter C, I believe. Because Because Bethel, please note that, you note the name in verse five of Samaria and Beth Avon. Now Beth Avon was a place that was very close adjoining in the land of Canaan, adjoining Bethel. It is on the east of Bethel. Now please let me, well let me read the paragraph first. Bethel, the name of it is changed in our scriptures at Beth Avon. Bethel means the house of God. Bethaven means now it's become the house of vanity and departed glory over the northern kingdom and carried into captivity they will be. Now I want to speak a little word about that expression, Bethel and Bethaven. You remember the story of Jacob, and we've referred to it before, when in chapter twenty-eight of Genesis, where God appeared to him, And in that dream of the ladder from earth to heaven, and the angels of God ascending it and descending upon it, and God speaking to him, God making a promise to be faithful to him, and show his grace and mercy to him wherever he went. And you recall Jacob called the place Bethel, and made an altar there. And Bethel means the house of God, where Jacob said, this is a terrible place. This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. Now let me please make an application carefully for our benefit. Bethel means the house of God. But in the days of Hosea, there was no actual likeness morally, spiritually, that God was dwelling there. That God was dwelling there. Now if you think of your New Testament, I quote one verse especially as many others, but I think of First Timothy chapter three in verse fifteen. When Paul wrote to Timothy saying, These things relay unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave or to conduct thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, and the pillar and the ground of the truth. Now when Jacob built that altar and called it Bethel, he took the stones that he laid on, and he made a pillar, a monument to God's manifestation and revelation to him on that occasion, and he called it Bethel, House of God. Remember in Jacob's life, we mentioned it last week, he was twenty years in exile. And boy, did he get bitter lessons. He had a father-in-law was just about as shrewd as he was. And he spent twenty years working for his two wines. His father-in-law kept cheating him, kept reducing his wages, putting more work upon him. Until at last Jacob, well, he began cheating his father-in-law. But oh, God disciplined Jacob. And when he came back from the land where God had driven him for those twenty years of exile, when he came to Bethel, You recall, I think we mentioned it last week. He rebuilt that altar, and he poured oil upon the sacrifice he made there, which was typical of the joy of being back where God dwelt to enjoy his presence. And there's no question about the life of Jacob, the last part of his life, was the most spiritual, when he got back to Bethel. Now, let me translate the thought in modern terms. of this dispensation of the church. The church, according to Scripture, is the habitation of God. God dwells here. It's not the building that makes the dwelling place. But the presence of God, where two or three are gathered together in my name, said the Lord Jesus, there am I in the midst. I think of the words of dear Paul, as he wrote to the Corinthians, who were very much away from the truth that they should have been practicing. and filled with carnality in their testimony, and even some gross immorality. And Paul, as he speaks of how they were gathering, how they conducted themselves in chapter fourteen. He says, if an unbeliever comes in, your conduct should be. He will say, God is here. God is in the midst of you. Let me just ask a simple question. How many gatherings in the professing church today Could it be said God is in the midst? Manifesting his blessing, his power, his blessing. In general, beloved, we've got to confess, as even in the days of Hosea and before his days, the children of Israel, they departed and made Bethel instead of the house of God. Beth-Avon, you know what it means? The house of vanity. the house of vanity. Can I say a word very carefully, kindly, all that you and I would remember when we gather together as God's dear children, His presence is there. And conduct ourselves accordingly to the acknowledgement, this is the house of God. Oh, beloved, I'm afraid... We've gotten away from even old-fashioned practices that we knew in our early days as children. Regarding gathering, and again may I make clear it's not the building, but the fact that God promises to meet with His people. And oh, beloved, I have a letter this week in the mail from someone out of town. complaining of the fact he went visiting. He said, I visited every church in this city where I live. And he said, all I found is coldness. Well, that's bad, isn't that? How God wants to see the warmth of his presence and joy so that as Paul said of the Corinthians, an unbeliever comes in, he has to say, God is here. God is in the midst of you, a veteran. Oh, beloved, I commend to you. how careful we should be, and I say it to my own heart, our conduct in the fellowship amongst the Christians. But go further. Paul rather, Jose goes on to say, as you look in verse five there, let me read the paragraph on your sheet please. I've got a little comment there under that verse, as you may notice. But please note, regarding Bethel, they changed the Bethel The house of God, they became the house of vanity, and departed glory over the northern kingdom. They carried into captivity. We're carried into captivity, as verse five, six, and seven says, and the king cut up all idols and all altars to be demolished. No, verse five, six, verse six, and seven, please. It shall be also, in verse six, you have five, rather, you have the people, the priests, and you have the altars, and the glory of it destroyed. And it shall be also carried into Assyria, for a present a king, Jerem. And this was the Gentile king of Assyria. And Ephraim, now please remember Ephraim, as the same meaning of the ten tribes, shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of its own counsel. As Samaria, her king is cut off, as the foam upon the water. And one can recognize how God's judgment came upon even the kings of Israel subsequently. Now look with me in verses nine, going further on. Let me read if I may, as we go to verses down through, as we go into verses nine and ten. Now note these words. The high places also of Avon, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle shall come up upon their altars. They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us. O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gidea. There they stood, the battle in Gidea against the children of iniquity, did not overtake them. It is in my desire that I should chastise them, and the people shall be gathered against them when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows. No, if you're less than sheep, please, we'd like to go over very carefully these words. But you have in the first comment on the letter number three and letter A. God reminds them of their horrible abomination in verse ten in Gibeah. This is the second. But let me go back to verse eight, please. There's something very similar in verse eight that you read in chapter six of the book of Revelation. know what God says regarding his judgment, and because of their sin. Those high places, and the high places meant the places of idolatry. They would be destroyed. In their place thorns and fissils would grow, and cover up their altars, and they shall say no these words, to the mountains, carverans, and to the hills, falleners. Days of terrible judgment would be experienced. You remember in Revelation chapter six, where you have the beginning of those judgments that are yet to come upon the world, and beginning of the sealed judgment, as the lamb in heaven opens the book, and the seals are open, and the judgments begin to come, and the sixth judgment, as it is thus pronounced, causes men everywhere to say, to the hills, to the mountains, and to the rocks, falleners, and hide us from the face of him and from the wrath of God and the wrath of the land that is over the world. Beloved, may I say, this is only one isolated case. The land of Israel where they cried that God, they could flee to the mountains and to the rocks would cover them from the judgments and protect them from what disasters they were to go through. May I say then, How sad to realize in a worldwide character it's going to come upon the whole earth. You've got it in Revelation. And one can realize the propensity of that day when God's judgments will fall. And men will cry. And they'll cry to the rocks and to the mountains. Fall on us. Deliver us from the wrath of the land that has come. And oh, sad is the commentary. As you look at Moses. Let me point out something. You can find the explanation of much prophetic truths in your New Testament, typified in your Old Testament. And the prophecies of the minor prophets, as one of the major prophets, they not only point backward to the time of Israel's history in the past, they point forward to God's history upon the whole world, and in the prophecy of Job particularly. In chapter three, Joel particularly writes in the closing of his prophecy, that God says, I have a controversy with the nations, not just Israel, the nations. Please, can I say, although we could take it in, the propensity, the magnitude of disaster that's going to fall upon all nations of the earth in that coming day. and build Christ for deliverance. And why? In verse nine, Israel thou ascend from the days of Gideon. Now, again, this is a third, I believe, at least a third reference to Gideon. Note on your lesson sheet, I've got to mention of it again. He reminds them of Gideon, which we read about and spoke about from Judges nineteen, when the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out. And the people... had become as wicked and guilty as Benjamin at Gibeah in the days of Ozea. And God would now use the nations to punish Israel as you have in verses nine and ten. But I want you to go to verse ten. Because of the fact, just like the days, may I point out again, perhaps I should remind you that the days of Gibeah, read chapter nineteen in the book of Judges yourself. And this is the story. that a Levite with a concubine stopped overnight on a journey back to his home at a certain place, and it was a Gibeah in Benjamin, and the men of Gibeah took his concubine and ravished her, and even abused her until she died. The Levite himself, who was unable to protect her, nor his host had taken an end, took her body as he saw it then at the door of his host house, and he cut it in pieces, and he sent it to the different parts of it to the tribes of Israel. That was when they had not been too many years in the land of Canaan. And he made known the terrible atrocity that if it had happened in Israel amongst God's earthly people. And all the tribes gathered together and came against vengeance. fought against it, and Benjamin was the powerful tribe. And the tribes of Israel were defeated. Ultimately, they called upon God, should I go against my brother Benjamin? And after the third time, God said, go. And they went. And they left only six hundred men of Benjamin alive when the battle was finally over. And those six hundred men, as you read the account, Their families were gone. They were not, they had no wife. And later on, they wondered if their tribe was going to perish, should it be maintained? And the men of Israel, the tribes of Israel, gave them permission that from out of the other tribes they should get for themselves a wife. And there they go and escorted, they take her out, you know. That's how they got it. But the tribe was almost wiped out. And what God is suggesting, look, I have to wipe out Benjamin. I'm going to have to do the same to you, the way things are going. Now please note in verse ten, it is my desire that I should chasten them, and the people shall be gathered against them. That means the nation, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows. Now I want to translate, which I believe is more original from the Hebrew text, That one verse, especially the last part of the verse, when they shall bind themselves, when they will abound themselves in their, I mean literally in the Hebrew text, in their two iniquities or in their two transgressions. Now let me point out, and we'll see it very clearly, I'm going to use two scriptures and we'll find them, illustrating what they have done. And God claims, Israel is like a field. And he said, you've just isolated yourself into two particular furrows. And two special iniquities that you're guilty of. And what were they? Well, I want you to go to two scriptures with me. You find Jeremiah, first of all. Jeremiah, if you please. Jeremiah chapter two and verse thirteen. Jeremiah chapter two and verse thirteen. The Jeremiah. In his day had to warn the children of Israel as to what they had done. Chapter two and verse thirteen. Note these words. For my people have committed two evil, two iniquities. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters. That's the first evil. They forsook God. Remember we saw in Ozea? He accused them. The cross said, you've forsaken me. Israel has forsaken her maker. And near Jeremiah is saying to me, one iniquity, you've forsook me. And then second, yet they hewed them out, sifting broken siftings that can hold no water. Now, beloved, may I point out, When men and women forsake God, they're going to build their own systems. They're absolutely fruitless, profitless, whole nother sustaining life and blessing. And Israel as a nation had done so. But it's something else I want you to know. Also, there may be an application of these two iniquities. And it's back in the book of Kings again. If you find your Bible, I'd like you to read it. First Kings chapter twelve and reading verse twenty-two and twenty-three. The first book of Kings again, chapter twelve and verses twenty-two and twenty-three. And this goes back to the original act of the children of Israel, the ten tribes committed of iniquity that they followed through with. As we read the chapter please, chapter twelve verses twenty-two and twenty-three. and I'm sure you'll recognize it as you read the word. Verses twenty-two and twenty-three, telling us what they had done long ago, reading and saying, but the word of God came unto Shemiah, the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, speak, speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Jacob and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the tribe of Israel. I beg your pardon, let's see. I haven't got the right one. See if it's in... Twin, let's see. No, it's not twenty-four. You see, it's in first... Let's see if I've got the reference down right. Well, no one. Yeah, I've got to read it. I read it. I've probably been writing it down right. But it's where they built the two calves, golden calves. One at that. Huh? Twenty-eight. Oh, yeah. You know, it's got to be blind in one eye and death in the other. Uh-oh. Twenty-eight. All right. Where? Yeah, twenty. Yeah, that's right. Whereupon the king took. And this is Rehoboam. No, I think it's Rehoboam. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Now, you may remember the incident well. Jeroboam was the one who was made king of the ten tribes when they seceded from Judah and Medina. And Jeroboam knew that if the people of Israel went up to Jerusalem to worship, they may be led back into to be joined back again to Judah and Israel. And he instituted a false system of worship, a false system of priesthood, He raised false altars, and he gave them false gods. And at one end of the country, at the southern end, he placed a golden calf, and at the northern end of the kingdom, he placed another golden calf. And then he said, these are your two gods. Now let me take the words of Isaiah. As you have it in that tenth verse, when they abound themselves in their two furrows, and one can recognize We, then, we know from Jeremiah, in principle, what they did, they forsook the one who was the true fountain of living waters. They caused themselves to build broken systems, and they began worshiping the two golden calves. God didn't forget. God didn't forget. You bound yourself to worship those golden calves. And, of course, my desire, God says, is to be against them. Now, know verse eleven as we go on very quickly. and finish the chapter. Ephraim is as an Ephraim that is taught and loved to tread out the corn. But I passed over upon her firmness. I will make Ephraim to ride, and Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clon, and one can recognize. The metaphor that God is saying in verse eleven, as in Hepha the tread of the corn, you know, in Hepha, a cow are enough the tread of the corn. It was the easiest job they had because they were given the privilege from the book of Deuteronomy to feed upon what they were treading and enjoy the fruit of the corn that they were treading. And one can realize Israel was lazy and enjoying the fruit of the land and treading out the corn. But God says, I'm going to pass over a fern egg. I'm going to make her to rise. And Judah shall plow. And Jacob shall break his clods. Now look to verse twelve. So to yourselves in righteousness. Reap in mercy. Break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek the Lord. Till he come. And reign righteousness upon you. Now this is the only verse in the chapter where God pleads with them. And he's speaking to them. Regarding your fallow ground needs to be broken up. You know what it means. You know the picture of a farmer, and he has to, he wants to set seed in his field, and the ground has been idle. He has to plow it. He has to break up the soil and crush it, so that the seed can be planted and properly fertilize and then grow. Now God is telling the Israel, he says, you're just like a field with hard ground. Your ground needs to be plowed up. Spiritually, the nations need to be plowed up. broken up so that the trees of righteousness can be sown. And I can show you mercy. Well, I guess you've got a lot of hard conditions today, haven't we? In the world. And what God is insisting upon, repentance to be broken up that he might bless. Oh, may I say, God says, a broken, as David confesses it, a broken and a contrite heart, thou wilt not despise. And though David had sinned, God broke his heart. And in his contrition, he was restored. And in his repentance, God continued to bless him and use him. Now, beloved, how we can apply that truth today so necessary? And then in verse thirteen, know what he said. But you plowed wickedness. You've wreaked iniquity. You've eaten the fruit of life. Because thou did trust in thy way, and in the multitudes of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people. All thy fortresses shall be spoiled. And shall man, this is an Assyrian case, shall man eat this? For as he spoiled Beth Arbo in the day of battle, when the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children, so shall battle do unto you because of your great wickedness. In a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut up. Note your lesson, please. Let me go on the last section of it. Number five. As God pleads with Israel to return from their evil ways, in verse twelve, as we have read, the only time in this chapter... that God pleads with his people. They are exhorted to return and escape judgment. If they do, they would show righteousness and reap mercy, but their fallow ground must be broken up, indicative of true repentance. And then, but Israel's condition was different. as you have in verse thirteen, and the Lord rebukes them. They had sowed wickedness and reaped iniquity. They trusted in their own way, and their mighty men, not in Jehovah. And then finally in the closing section of verse fourteen and fifteen, you have their inevitable punishment. The noise of war is heard. Shalman or Shalmanessa, king of Assyria, was on his way to destroy all their fortresses as he destroyed Beth Arbaugh. Now an example of the awful disaster that was to come, and an example of the extreme cruelty awaiting Israel, the prophet states that as in the days of battle of Beth Arbaugh, the mothers in that day, now notice carefully, you can read the reference in the scripture. when their mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. This practice was widespread by the Syrians. You have an example in Second Kings, H.L. It was widespread amongst the Assyrians as well as the Syrians, chapter thirteen of our book, verse sixteen. It was also true of the Medes, and you've got that in Isaiah thirteen and sixteen. The Babylonians later on Under Nebuchadnezzar, you've got the reference in Psalm. One thirty-seven, eight, nine. And thus they dashed the women and children in peace. The cruelty. I wonder if you ever remember. You remember Jonah, don't you? Do you know why Jonah ran away from God, refused to go to Nineveh? He knew it had been prophesied. that the Assyrians would conquer it. And Jonah was a prophet in Israel, this same group of tribes. That he knew God had prophesied that the nation of Assyria would come under judgment. And yet God wanted him to go to that wicked capital of Assyria, Nineveh, preach, repent. And Jonah had the idea. If I don't go, God will have to punish them. and destroy them. He didn't want to preach a message of repentance. He wanted them to be destroyed. He knew from experience the cruelty of the Assyrians that God sent them, made them go of God. And you'll find in chapter five, when God showed mercy to Nineveh, he turned to God. He got mad at God. They knew you were a merciful God. Why do you want to go? Do you want to see them? repent. And he sat on the hillside even so waiting to see what was going to happen to him. And then God had to beat his servant. He said, sure, he said, I've got some love for my creatures, even though you don't. A hundred years later, and you have Obediah prophesying it, that judgment did come upon Assyria. But Jonah knew the wickedness of the Assyrians. And all the nations that captured Judah and Jerusalem as well as The nation of Israel, that's the peace of the women and the children. The cruel it is. Horrible. And sad to realize it had to be done to judge his own earthly people. My. Makes me grateful I didn't live back there.