We are going to turn today to the fourth chapter of the prophet Hosea. And I'd like you all to turn to this prophet, the minor prophet Hosea. In Hebrew, his name is Hosea. And we have already dealt with the first three chapters of that prophet, and we have arrived today to chapter 4. Now, if you would ask me, I would be very glad if the prophet Hosea's message so far with what we have been studying would be the end of the book and will be ended right now because it's really very wonderful to know that at the end of chapter 3, we read that the children of Israel shall abide many days without king and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without image, and without an effort, and without trafim, and afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

If you would ask me, Brother Gideon, what do you think, wouldn't it be lovely if the book will end right here, and we would find out that this is the climax of the books, that Israel as a nation will finally be restored. They will seek their God, they will seek David their king, and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness. And what a wonderful ending that would be of this book if this book would end right here. But of course, the truth of the matter that the book does not end here, because now, beloved brothers and sisters, from chapter 4 of Hosea, all the way to the end of chapter 13, we have the judgment that are coming by God upon the nation of Israel.

Israel, this is the northern kingdom of Israel, because of Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord. And all chapters, chapter after chapter, is dealing with God's judgment upon his beloved nation Israel, the nation of Israel. Now remember that in the first three chapters, we have learned that God has requested from Hosea to do something very unusual. He said to Hosea, "Hosea, you go marry a prostitute. You take this prostitute and her children and bring her to yourself and take her to be your wife. She is going to give you three children. The name of the one is Israel. The second one is Huchama. And the third one, Lo-Ami.

Those three children will represent what Israel, as a nation, have done and what is the results of what they have done. God will sow them and will scatter them away. God will have no mercy on them. And God will call them not my people. Those are the meaning of the three names that we have given by God to the children of Hosea. But it's not only that we have learned from the chapters before, in chapter 2, that even after this, in chapter 3, that the wife of Hosea will forsake him, and that she will go away from Hosea, and she will commit adultery, and she will live with other men.

And Hosea, and she will commit adultery. And with so much love, with so much love that he had towards his own wife, he would go and ultimately will buy her with money from the place where she was sold as a prostitute to others. And Hosea went and he purchased her with money. And he paid back to get his wife to come back home. And he told her, as we have read this before, he have told her, you see, he said unto her, you shall abide for me many days, he said to his wife in chapter 3 and verse 3, and you shall not play the harlot anymore, and you shall not be for another man.

And so I will be for you. What we have really learned, beloved brothers and sisters, in the first three chapters of Hosea is the practical act of Hosea that God requested from him to marry a prostitute who will be unfaithful to him, and yet he will have to buy her back again after she had left him, And to bring her back to his home, and to love her, and it is according to the love of God towards the nation of Israel. So now we come to chapter 4. And in chapter 4, all the way to the end of chapter 13, we have the judgments of God upon Israel, because of Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord.

Now I want you to distinguish between the first three chapters and the next four chapters, because what happened in the first three chapters is an act that this man by the name of Hosea had to act and to do because of what God wanted to teach him and to teach the nation of Israel. Now in chapter 4 and on is no longer an act of Hosea, but it is actually a message that Hosea is giving the nation of Israel, a message from the Lord. And this is very sad, beloved brothers and sisters, and you will see this as we study today, chapter 4, and you will see that God has a controversy with the nation of Israel.

The word dispute or controversy in Hebrew is riv. When two people are fighting and argue against each other, God is now has a fight, a dispute, a controversy with his own beloved nation, the nation of Israel. And so I want you to understand that chapter 4 divides itself into four sections, and we are going to take them one section at a time. The first five verses is God's controversy with the whole nation as a nation. In verses 6 to 10, we have the Lord's controversy with the priests, with the leaders of Israel. In verses 11 to verse 14, we have the Lord's dispute or controversy with the people themselves. And in the last verses, verses 15 to 19, we see that there is a warning to the tribes of Judah, to the southern tribe, not to follow the practices of the northern part of Israel, the nation of Israel.

So let's begin with dealing with the first five verses of Hosea chapter 4, and I'm reading those verses. In verse 1, we read, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel. For the Lord has 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 everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the heaven. Yet 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, shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night. And I will destroy thy mother." In these first five verses, we have a general message that the Lord asked Hosea to give to the nation of Israel. And a general controversy, a general giv, as we say in Hebrew, a dispute that God had against the nation of Israel. You know, brothers and sisters, you can just imagine why God would have a dispute with the nation. It is an elected nation.

It is a beloved nation that was chosen by God. They belonged to Him. They were the people that He brought historically out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the promised land. And now they end up to be unfaithful to Him. It is very well similar when the Lord Jesus will have a controversy with the church whom He purchased with His own blood. He has a right that we, as believers in the Messiah, that we will live for Him, that we will follow Him, that we will be close to Him, that we will honor Him in our lives. But when we don't, He has a right to say, "I have something against you." "I have a dispute against you." And He will remind us of what He has done for us historically, how He purchased us with His own blood, and how He brought us to be part of the body of Messiah.

And He has a right to have a dispute with His own people, just like God had a dispute with the northern tribes of Israel, just before He had allowed them to be taken captive by the Assyrians. And so in verse 1, "Hear the word of the Lord." "Hears Hosea." He is speaking and he says, "Listen." Chapter 4 verse 1. He is saying to Hosea, "Hear." Hosea is speaking for the Lord. He says, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel." This is the northern ten tribes of Israel. We just read in the book of Kings, 1 Kings chapter 12, how the nation had been divided. The northern tribes and the southern tribes, and the northern tribes did not want David to be their king anymore.

And they departed and they began false worship. They began false worship in Bethel and in elsewhere, a place where God at first has set His name there. They have began false worship and worshiping idols. And so the word of the Lord came unto them. And the Lord said, "I have controversy with the inhabitants of the land." And look what is the reason. Why? Because there is no truth, there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land. No wonder there was such a condition as this. No wonder that there is a condition of departure from the Lord when there is no knowledge of the word of the Lord.

There is no knowledge of God. In fact, in the book of Proverbs, King Solomon, which failed so much, it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. No wonder many of us, even the people of God, have not knowledge of the Lord, because we have no fear of the Lord, no honor to the Lord, and we end up to be scattered and divided. And what happened in the land of Israel is exactly this thing, beloved brothers and sisters. There was no truth, there was no mercy, and there was no knowledge in the land. Now, this is so amazing, because knowledge of the Lord is very important in the life of the believers, in the life of the people of God.

It's not only to know about God somewhere there. It is one thing to know about Him, but it is another thing is to know Him. You remember what Apostle Paul, who already knew the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who already knew Him as His Lord and Savior and Messiah, but he said that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and to be conformed to His suffering. You know, the Apostle Paul wanted to know Yeshua more and more and more and more. Why? Because the more knowledge of the Lord is in the mind and the hearts of the people of God, the more conformity to His image is in the life of the believer.

But, when there is no knowledge, there is no truth, there is no mercy. If we don't know God, the results of it, there will not be any truth. And even when we have intellectually only the truth, the truth is not in the heart, there is also no mercy. And it is all as a result of the people of Israel who departure from the Lord and the lack of the knowledge of the mind of the Lord. There is a verse in Jeremiah chapter 4 and verse 22. We read this. Jeremiah 4 verse 22. For my people is foolish. They have not known me. They are sottish children and they have none understanding.

They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. In chapter 5 and verse 4 it says, Therefore I said, surely these are poor. They are foolish. For they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, why is it that we teach the Bible? Why is it that we need to read the Word and to learn about the Lord? It's because the knowledge of the Lord helps us in our lives as believers. So we will enjoy the truth of the Word of God and that we will enjoy the mercy of the Word of God.

But when there is no knowledge of the Lord, there is no truth and there is no mercy. And God had a controversy with his own nation, the nation of Israel. And he said to them, I want you to hear what I have to tell you because there is no knowledge of the Lord. There is no knowledge of the Lord. Therefore, there is no truth and there is no mercy. How sad when you think of the necessity today to correct all the time things. Because the truth of the Word of God is being set aside. Some truths should be clear to believers. The fact that the Word of God is infallible.

The deity of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. The sovereignty of God. The divine nature and the human nature of Yeshua the Messiah. His virgin birth. And all these fundamental truths of the Word of God. This is the same thing what happened here with the people of Israel. There was no truth anymore. They could go on and worship other gods as if those other gods are the true and living gods. No truth. And therefore there is no mercy. Because there is a lack of the knowledge of the Lord. Now notice the consequences or the results. In verse 2. Notice. In verse 2 the results of not knowing the Lord.

Look what happened. In verse 2 it says, They are swearing, lying, killing, stealing, committing adultery. They break out and blood touches blood. Apparently beloved brothers and sisters what happened. When there is not the knowledge of the Lord. There is not truth and not mercy. What we find out. That there is a habitual continual practices. That is really a violation of the law that God had given to the nation of Israel. Swearing, lying, killing, stealing, adultery. And then blood touches blood. That means that there is constant wars and fighting. That there is constant blood. He speaks of life and people shed blood. And it's like there is no end.

There is continual on and ongoing and ongoing wounding and killing and fighting among the people of God. If we will talk about this spiritually and apply it for a moment to the church of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. In this present day which is very important. Because all these things happen unto them, Israel, for our learning. When the people of God are away from the Lord's things and for the word of God. You notice what is going to happen. There will be friction among the people of God. There will be division. There will be lying. There will be constant swearing. And the killing may not be physical.

But it will be in a sense of constantly denying our brothers and sisters. Setting them aside. Pride and ego come in. And there is divisions among the people of God. That's what happened to Israel in the past. And that's what God is dealing with them. And he is just about to send them by the Assyrian away from the land because of such an activity. In verse 3, we can see the land mourning because of it. And you see that the land is like, the land is being personified as if the land is a person. And notice he says, therefore shall the land mourn. The land that God had given our own nation Israel began to weep and mourn.

It's like God is saying that the land is as a person personified. And everyone that dwells therein, you know the effect of sin, beloved brothers and sisters, affects everybody. Everybody is being affected. Even not only the human race, but the animal kingdom is being affected by the kind of lifestyle that they have lived. Notice he says, the beasts of the field, the fowls of the heaven, and the fish of the sea also shall be taken away. You see, the results of sin and of lifestyle that is not knowing the Lord and not following the Lord resulted in affecting everybody else. You and I might say, well, whatever I do does not affect somebody else.

But apparently, what they have done affected the animal kingdom. He is taking us to the three areas where animals are found. They are found in the field, the beasts of the field. They are found in the fowls of the heavens, they are the birds of the air. And even the fish, which is in the sea, had been affected because of the violation of the word of God by the nation. These constant results, you know, cancer spreads. Sin spreads. It's defiling. It's defiling. And that's why God desires to stop sinning, obviously, but not to spread it. Because everybody will be affected by that. And he has a controversy with Israel, and he's saying to Israel, listen, the result is that not only this happening by men, by people, but it resulted in affecting the animal kingdom as well, that the beast of the field, the fowls of the heaven, and the fish of the sea shall be taken away.

He using the word language, he says, all the one that dwell in that land shall language. It's the Hebrew word umlal. The Hebrew word umlal, it was somebody is so miserable. His so sad state is a person that we call him in Hebrew, umlal. This person is umlal. This animal is umlal. He's languishing. He's in a poor and sad state. That's what happened when Israel have turned away from the Lord. So, we find out in the next verses, verses 4 and 5, that the Lord had a dispute against Israel, but he didn't want them to dispute with one another. And he's saying to them in verse 4, "Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another." In other words, don't start to blame one another.

That's what we're usually inclined to do. We're usually inclined to begin to blame the other instead of blaming ourselves. And he's saying, you know, "Don't strive, man." He says, "No reprove one another, but thy people are as they that strive with the priest." In other words, the people should not strive, but what happened? They are striving. They are like, as a person, strive against the priest. And then he says, because of it in verse 5, "Therefore, you shall fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother." You know, this expression, "Thy mother." The mother, you know, it's the country as a whole.

You know, when we live in a certain country, we say, "This is my mother's land." But what we mean, this land and these people all, she, with her name, Israel, in a sense, was the mother of all the individuals Israelis. The mother. In other words, God's saying, "I'm going to destroy thy mother. I'm going to deal with the nation of Israel. I'm going to discipline your mother. I'm going to discipline the one that I love so much." And so in the first five verses, beloved brothers and sisters, God has a dispute with the whole nation of Israel. But now he's breaking it down into these other three areas.

First of all, the priests, then the ordinary people, and ultimately in the end of this chapter, he's speaking to the tribes of Judah, to the southern tribe, not to do what Israel have done. So now he's dealing with the sections of the priests. In verses 6 to 10, we have the Lord's controversy with the priests, with the leaders of Israel. So let's begin dealing with verses 6 to 10 of Hosea chapter 4. And I'm reading those verses. And so notice, he's speaking to the priests right now in verses 6 to 10. And he's saying to them, speaking to the priests, he says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me.

Seeing thou has forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me. Therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin offering of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be like people, like priests. And I will punish them for their ways, and reward them in their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough. They shall commit hudom, and shall not increase. Because they have left off to take heed to the Lord." In these verses, he's directing his attention directly to the leaders of Israel.

The leaders of Israel are the priests. The priests' responsibility is to lead the people in worship to the Lord. You know, we have what we know in also New Testament, we have a holy priesthood, and we have a royal priesthood. The holy priesthood going to the presence of God to represent the nation before God. The royal priesthood has come out of the presence of God to represent God before the nation. And that is the responsibility of the priests. The priests need to be faithful in representing the nation before God, and setting an example before the nation themselves. But you know, beloved brothers and sisters, if the leaders have no interest in the knowledge of God, what do you expect from the people to have?

If the leaders do not take their responsibility and seriously in the knowledge of God, then the people themselves will have nothing to feed on because the leaders haven't taught them the word of God. And that's why in verse 6, look what he's saying. God's people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. Now I want you to understand, it's not the lack of knowledge because they did not understand and they wanted so much to understand. No. It is that they did not want the knowledge of the Lord. Willful rejection of the knowledge of God. And that's why verse 6, God is saying to the priests. He said, my people.

And I want you to feel the heart of God. He doesn't call them the people. He called them my people. They were his people. They were purchased by the blood when they came out of the land of Egypt. They were people that he had chosen for himself. And he loved them so much. And he says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. There is destruction is coming to the people of God. When the priests do not teach them the ways of the Lord. And the people are losing out at the end. So it was the lack of knowledge that they received. They did not receive knowledge.

It's because the priests willfully did not want to know the mind of the Lord. And God is accusing them. He has controversy with the priests here. And that's why he's telling them, brothers and sisters. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge. I will reject you. And thou shalt be no priest to me. God is saying to the priests. Seeing you have forgotten the law of thy God. And I will also forget thy children. You see, there are consequences to the priests unfaithfulness to the Lord. Is that the people ending up to lose out. Again, I want to make an application to the church age in which you and I live in.

Because it's really applied for us today. We also have to realize the responsibility that spiritual leaders have. The apostle Paul said to Timothy, preach the word in season and out of season. When the people of God are gathered together. It's not to gather as a club to have some kind of activities. They are gathered together to learn about the person of Yeshua, the Messiah. And to be focused on Him. And to learn from Him. And that's what we all need. We have to realize that we gather together to focus on Yeshua. To learn from His word. And to encourage the people of God. To build each other up.

That's what he is saying. But the people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. It is like a spiritual destruction. Which leads to practical destruction. And he's telling them. This lack of knowledge of spiritual truth will lead one astray. You know what happened. I don't know who. One of our sisters here. We talked today earlier. And we said when I come to the meeting. And I want to be in a meeting. When I want to hear about the word of God. There is an effect upon my life. The word of God is like water that come through me. And wash me clean. That's what the word of God does.

Knowledge of the Lord. Hold us another day for sinning less against the Lord. Because the natural man's inclination is to go away from the Lord. And when we come to the presence of the Lord. As brothers and sisters. And we study the word of God. And we sing to Yeshua the Messiah. It has effect upon our lives. And it keeps us a little longer closer to the Lord. And a little less sinning against the Lord. And that's what we learn here beloved brothers and sisters. They have been destroyed. Because they had lack of knowledge. Willful desire not to learn about the Lord. Will affect others in the life of the people of God.

And God says I will reject you for being a priest unto me. I have a verse that I would like to read again in the prophet Jeremiah. This time in chapter 9 and verse 23 and 24. We read these beautiful verses. Thus sayeth the Lord. Let not the wise men glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty men glory in his might. Let not the rich men glory in his riches. But let him that glory glory in this. That he understands. And that he knoweth me. That I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness. Judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight saith the Lord.

What he's really saying. Don't let the wise men glory in his wisdom. Don't let the strong men glory in the strength that he had. Don't let the rich men glory in his riches. Don't be proud in what you have. Even if you have it. But you know what you are to glory in. He's saying through Jeremiah. Glory in that you understand. And you know me. God is saying. I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness. And judgment. And righteousness in the earth. If there is anything we can glory in. Beloved brothers and sisters. Is to glory in our knowledge of the Lord. It was the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

Who said in the upper room. In John chapter 17. If you remember. He said that in his. High priestly prayer. He said this before his disciples. They may have heard him. Saying this. Beautiful words. He said. And this is eternal life. That they might know thee. The only true God. And Yeshua the Messiah. Whom you have sent. To know the Lord. And to know of the Lord. Is the real true glory. That we can glory in. That is the importance. Beloved brothers and sisters. And that's what he's saying. He's saying that my people are destroyed. Because of lack of knowledge. They willfully. The priests. Did not want to know more.

About the things of the Lord. And were not doing. That which God have entrusted them. To do. And therefore he's saying to them. You will not be my priests. Anymore. In verse 7. The priests increased. And sinned even more. And he says. As they were increased. So they sinned against me. Therefore will I change their glory. Into shame. See the more they have increased. The more they sinned. Against the Lord. You know pride. In increasing. Perhaps in numbers. Or perhaps in ways of life. Is ending up leading. Even the leadership. Into more sinning. Against the Lord. And the Lord said. Listen. I'm going to change. What was their glory.

What was their glory. I'm going to change it. Into shame. And you know what was their glory. When you think about this expression. Their glory. In Exodus chapter 19. God called the nation of Israel. As a nation. To be a holy priesthood. As a nation. This is the glory of Israel. To be a holy priesthood. A nation that is chosen by God. The whole nation was chosen in this way. As a nation. And by the way. They will be. At the end of the tribulation. In the millennial age. Israel as a nation. Will be a priesthood unto the nations of the world. They will be the one that God will use.

As a channel of blessings. To the nations of the world. In the future. But when they have departed. From the Lord. Their glory. Was taken away. And he says. I will change. Their glory. Into shame. And that is exactly. What God. Have intended to do. In the next verse. Eight. The priest ate. Of the sin offering of the people. And it is interesting. You notice that it says. It's a bit difficult verse to understand. He said. They eat up. The sin of my people. And they set. Their heart. On their iniquity. Interesting verse. It doesn't mean that they ate. The sin of the people. But they ate.

The sin offerings. Of the people. You see. When the people of Israel. Would sin. They would bring. Chataat. That is the sin offering. To the altar. And when they would bring. The sin offering. To the altar. The priests. Had a right. To eat of it. If you will read. In the book of Leviticus. Chapter 6. You will notice that. The priests. Had a part. In eating. Of the portion. Of the animal sacrifices. That had been offered. Upon the altar. But you know. What happened. The priests. Wanted the people. To sin more. So the people. Will sin more. They will bring more offerings. And they will bring more offerings.

They will have more food. For themselves to eat. And it's really. So selfish. It's really. When he says. They eat up. The sin offerings. Of my people. And they set. Their heart. On. Their. The people. Iniquity. In other words. Sin more. So we can get more. Sin more. That we will benefit more. You think. God will be pleased with it. God will have to judge. This is where. He judge it. Among the people. Of Israel. He judge it. Among the church. Of Jesus. The Messiah. God will deal with it. God. Found no pleasure. In the sin. Of these people. And. You see. In the next verse.

In verse 9. The Lord. Will punish the priests. For their doings. And there shall be. Like people. Like priests. And I will punish them. For their ways. And reward them. For their doings. You see. The people learn. From the priests. Like people. Like priests. Like priests. Like people. You see. There is. In effect. Upon the others. And God says. I am going. To judge them. And reward them. Because. Of. Their. Deed. He says here. In verse 9. The priests behave. Like the people. The people behave. Like the priests. And God. Going to end up. Dealing. With. The priests. So. Verse 10. In the section. Of the Lord's. Controversy.

Against the priests. In verse 10. We find out. That the priests. Will eat. But. Will have. Not enough. It says here. In verse 10. For they shall eat. And not have enough. They shall commit. Hudam. And shall not increase. Because they have left. Off. To take heed. To the Lord. In other words. God is saying. I'm going to deal with you. Priests. I mean. You're going to eat. But you're not going to have enough. You're not going to be satisfied. You shall commit hudam. And you will not increase. In other words. There will be failure. Every area. In the discipline of God. God will discipline. The people.

Of Israel. Because. And here. Specifically the priests. Because. Of their action. Imagine. To eat. And to eat. And to eat. And to eat. And not to be satisfied. To commit hudam. And go on. And not increase. That's what God is saying. I. Will. Give you the discipline. I. Will. Judge you. Love. To take. Heed. To the Lord. When one departs from the Lord. They will end up to. Face the consequences. And that's what God. The Lord is telling. About. The priests. At that time. Now we are moving on. To the next section. And in the next verses. Verses 11 to 14. Is the dispute. Or the controversy.

Of the Lord. Against. The people. This time. He spoke. In general. The first five verses. He particularly. Centered. His message. To the priests. In verses 6 to 10. But now. In verses. 11 to 14. He is speaking. Against. The people. Themselves. So. Let's begin. Dealing with. Verses. 11 to 14. Of Hosea. Chapter 4. And I'm reading. Those verses. Hudam. And wine. And new wine. Take. Away. The hearts. My people. Asked counsel. At their stocks. And their staff. Declareth. Unto them. For the spirit. Of Hudam. Has caused them. To err. And they have. Gone. Hurring. From. Under. Their. God. They. Sacrifice. Upon the top. Of the mountain. And they burned incense. Upon the hills.

And the oaks. And poplars. And elms. Because. The shadow. Thereof. Is good. Therefore. Your daughters. Shall commit. Hudam. And your. Spouses. Shall commit. Adultery. I will not punish. Your daughters. When they commit. Hudam. Nor your spouses. When they commit. Adultery. Theirselves. Are separated. With horse. And they sacrifice. With harlot. Therefore. The people. That. Do not understand. Will ultimately. Fall. So. Let's begin. And notice. That he began. First of all. In verse. Eleven. And he. Notice something. He mentioned. That thing. That. Hudam. And wine. And new wine. Take. Away. Your heart. Now. What he's telling them. Where is your heart? He's speaking. To the people. Now.

And he's telling them. Listen. People. Also. To the priest. To everybody. He says. Where is your heart? Those kind of things. That your mind. Is filled with. Takes away. Your heart. And lead you. In another direction. You remember. It's very similar. To what the Lord. Jesus. Said. In Matthew. Chapter 6. In verse. 21. Jesus. The Messiah. Said. To the disciples. When he was speaking. There. In verse 21. He's saying. To them. He says. For where your treasure. Is. There will your heart. Be also. In other words. Our heart. Can be led. Astray. And be taken away. And the people's. In the visual. Heart. And hearts. Have been taken away.

Would them. Wine. New wine. Take away. The heart. Take away. The heart. To where. Take away. The heart. From whom. Well. The heart. Instead of being. Centered. On God. Is being taken away. Elsewhere. The heart. Instead of being. Filled. With the. Things of the Lord. Is being taken away. And beloved. Brothers and sisters. Isn't it true. That what we. Filled. Our mind. With. Lead. Our heart. Away. In other words. If our mind. Are filled. With the things. Of the Lord. Like Paul said. In Philippians chapter 4. Whatsoever. Is good. Whatsoever. Is pleasant. Whatsoever. Is lovely. Is a thing. On those things. Why? Because when we. Think.

On good. Things. Our heart. Led. In that direction. But when our heart. Is. Occupied. With hoodum. Wine. New wine. And we can. Make a list. What happened. It takes. Away. The heart. From the things. Of the Lord. And we end up. Led. In directions. That are not pleasing. To the Lord. We know it. By experience. Every one of us. Truly. Knows. In some small measure. Our own hearts. We know. How little. How quick. Hearts. Can be set. On other. Things. We get quickly. Discouraged. We get quickly. Drawn. Maybe it is. By friends. Maybe it is. By. Certain things. To do. Maybe it is. People. And so on.

And we end up. It could be. Things that take away. Our heart. From the things. Of the Lord. And we are being. Drawn away. And our heart. Being taken. From the things. Of the Lord. Away. And ending up. And empty. And hungry. And not being satisfied. And so the people. As he is saying to them. In verse 11. The heart. Is taken away. Through hoodum. That is what really. Happened there. To the children. Of Israel. There is a verse. Also in. Ecclesiastes. Chapter 7. In verse. 7. That says. Surely. Oppression. Makes. A wise man. Mad. And a gift. Destroyer. The heart. The heart. Is also. Can be taken away.

By. Gifts. And by things. That are. Been pulling. Away. The believer's heart. Because. Of. Where he set himself up. Against. Instead of focusing. On the things. Of the Lord. So the people's heart. Being taken away. Through. In this case. It was through. Hudum. Wine. And new wine. In verse 12. The people ask. For counsel. From idols. Instead of asking. For counsel. From the Lord. Of glory. From the God of Israel. You look at it. My people ask. Counsel. Counsel. At their stocks. This is the wooden idols. And their staff. Declareth. Unto them. For the spirit. Of hudum. Has caused them. To err. And they have gone.

A hurry. From. Under. Their. God. You know what? The people. Started to ask. Question. And to ask. For advice. From sticks. And woods. Instead of asking. Advice. From the Lord. From the God. Of Israel. They ask. Advice. From wood. And sticks. And idols. Can you imagine. How shameful. It must have been. That the people. Who knew. The true and living God. Now go to a piece of wood. And saying. Could you give me. Your advice. What should I do now? What should I do now? Well this is by the way. What happened. When they came out of Egypt. You remember. When Moses went up. To the mountain.

And Moses delay. His coming down. And the people of Israel. Say. Where is this Moses? Where is he? So. They said. Let us make. Gods. And end up. To worship. To make this golden calf. And this golden calf. They said. This is the God. That have taken you. Out. Of the land. Of Egypt. You know. You can't even believe. That something like this. Can happen. But you know. Brothers and sisters. We can do the same thing. We also. Can have idols. In our lives. In fact. The last. Verse. Of first John. Chapter five. John said. To the believers. To whom he wrote. Little children. Keep yourselves.

From idols. We can have idols. In our lives. As well. Beloved. Brothers and sisters. And that's why. He's saying. To them. And he's saying. That the people. Asked counsel. From. Those. Idols. To whom. They have been. Offering. Sacrifices. I want to read. Another verse. If you don't mind. Please. In Psalm. 115. I'll read. More than one verse. Just listen. Very interesting verses. Psalm 115. In verse one. Says. Not unto us. O Lord. But unto thy name. Give glory. For your mercy. And your truth. Sake. Why should. The heathen say. Where is now. Their God. But our God. Is in the heavens. He has done. Whatsoever. He pleased.

But then listen. What the psalmist. Is saying. Their guards. Are silver. And gold. The work. The work. Of man's. Hands. They have mouth. But they cannot speak. They have eyes. But they cannot see. They have ears. But they hear not. Noses. They have. But they smell not. They have hands. But they handle not. They have feet. But they walk not. Neither speak. They through their throat. They that make them. Are like unto them. So is everyone. That is trusting. In them. And then he's speaking. To the people of Israel. O Israel. Trust. Thou. In the Lord. He is their help. In their shield. O house of Aaron.

Trust in the Lord. He is their help. And their shield. Yeah. Ye. That fear the Lord. Trust in the Lord. He is their help. And their shield. Idols. They have. Mouth. But they can't speak. They have eyes. They can't see. Ears. They can't hear. They have legs. And feet. And hands. They cannot walk. They cannot. Move. They cannot handle. The ones they make them. Are just. Like. Them. But here we see. That a people. Now the people. Now the people. Take counsel. And they ask counsel. Of their stocks. Of their wooden idols. They ask for advice. From them. And their staff. Declareth unto them. For the spirit of whodom.

Has caused them to err. And they have gone a whoring. From under their God. You know what this. Their heart. Has been taken away. By this. Whodom. Worshipping of idols. This is a spiritual. Fornication. Spiritual. Whoredom. And they end up. So far away. From the Lord. That instead of now. Talking to the living God. They were talking. To those idols. Made. By men's. Hands. And so. The Lord. Is. Not happy. With the condition. There. So in verse. Thirteen. The people. Now. The people. The daughters. And their wives. Commit. Hudom. And God. Is now. Is speaking. To the. Fathers. And to the leaders. And he's saying.

To them. Listen. Look. Your daughters. And your. Spouses. Shall commit. Adultery. Now. The people's. The daughters. And their wives. Commit. Hudom. And God. Is now. Is speaking. To the. Fathers. And to the leaders. And he's saying. To them. Listen. Look. Your daughters. And your spouses. Commit. Adultery. And then. Verse 14. He says. I'm not going to punish. Your daughters. When they commit. Hudom. Nor your spouses. When they commit. Adultery. For themselves. Are. Separated. With whores. And they. Sacrifice. With harlords. Therefore. The people. That do not. Understand. Shall fall. In other words. I'm not going to punish them. But the results. Of this kind of. Lifestyle. Will end up.

In their fall. Anyway. He does not say. He doesn't change. The fact. That whatsoever. Men sow. He will also. Rip through it. He doesn't change it. But what he's saying. He's telling. To those. Who's responsible. Of the heads. Of the homes. He said. Look. Whatever. Going to happen. To your daughters. And to your wives. Is because of. Your responsibility. That you didn't take. That's what he's really saying here. The ones. Who are responsible. And if you will read. In the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 23. God said. This. To the nation. Of Israel. And so. Finally. In connection. With the people. In verse 14. The people. Who do not understand.

Will end up. Ultimately. Falling. By themselves. I will not punish. Your daughters. When they commit. Huda. Nor your spouses. When they commit. Adultery. For themselves. Are separated. With horse. And they sacrifice. With harlot. Therefore. The people. That. Do not. Understand. Will ultimately. Fall. And that is the result. That's going to happen. To the people. So he spoke to the people. At large. To the whole land. Then he specifies. Specifically. Dealing with the priests. Then he moved. A little bit. Closer. And he spoke. About the people. In verses. 11 to 14. And now. In the last. Section. Of chapter 4. He is giving. A warning. To the southern tribes.

The tribe of Judah. See Judah. At that point. Of time. Was still. In some measure. Still walking. In obedience. To God. To the Lord. And even though. Hosea's message. Was directed. To the ten. Northern tribes. Of Israel. And not specifically. To the southern tribes. Of Judah. Yet nevertheless. He is giving. A warning now. To Judah. So let's begin. Dealing with. The last verses. Verses 15 to 19. Of Hosea chapter 4. And I'm reading. Those verses. Though thou. Israel. Played. The harlot. Yet. Let not. Judah. Offend. And come. Not ye. Unto Gilgal. Neither. Go ye. Up. To Bait Avin. Nor. Swear. The Lord. Liveth. For Israel. Slide his back.

As backsliding. Heifer. Now the Lord. Will feed them. As lamb. In a large. Place. Ephraim. Is joined. To idols. Let him alone. Their drink. Is sour. They have committed. Hudam. Continually. Her rulers. With shame. Do love. Give ye. The wind. Has bound. Her. Up. In her wings. And they. Shall be ashamed. Because. Of. Their. Sacrifices. So let's begin. And look at the warning. That he gives. Verse 15. Judah. Do not go. In the way. Of the people. Of Israel. Though. Thou. Israel. Played. Harlot. Yet. Let. Not. Judah. Offend. And come. Not. Ye. Unto. Gilgal. Neither. Go. Ye. Up. To. Now.

verse because there are two names that i mentioned here the name is gilgal and bait oven it is interesting beloved brothers and sisters you remember in our bible study in the book of joshua that the first place when israel came after they crossed the jordan river into the promised land they went and they have find themselves in a place called gilgal it was in gilgal that they celebrated the passover it was in gilgal that they cut their foreskin they have made a circumcision of those that haven't been circumcised it was in gilgal area that joshua have seen that just before jericho he has seen that vision of that man he saw that man the captain

of the armies of the lord gilgal was a place when every time they needed to come back to fight another war they were coming back to gilgal it speaks of place of self-judgment it speaks of place when they have really been remembering the lord's passover how he has taken them out of egypt in other words it was a place of worshiping the true and leading god and then the other place called bait oven is another name for bait el bait el is the house bethel is the house of god and he changed here the name of bait el to bait oven bait oven is a place of waste a place that is really vanity in

other words what really happened is the two locations which was so unique where one of them called the house of god and one of them were the nation and remember how god had delivered them out of egypt it was a place of worship of the lord it ended up to be desecrated to be a place of worshiping of idols and if you remember what we read again today in first kings chapter 12 and how jerob am the king of israel what he have done in bethel and you remember what he have done there he have set up a false worship in bethel you remember that in first kings chapter 12 and i'm going to just

read it whereupon the king took counsel and he made two calves of gold and he said unto them it is too much for you to go up to jerusalem behold your gods see he's saying these calves are your gods don't go to jerusalem to the temple stay here here is your gods he said oh israel which brought thee out of the land of egypt and he set one in bethel and the other one he set in dun that's what he did beloved brothers and sisters and he instituted false worship he instituted in the place where the name of god bethel was there he instituted a place an altar and a false god and a false

worship can you imagine and that's why god's saying to judah judah don't go don't go to gilgal don't go to beth not bethel but beth aven the house of vanity don't go there don't follow the deeds of the northern tribes judah don't go there don't swear there in the name of the lord don't do that what a challenge is to judah it's a challenge it's a challenge we can learn from this ourselves today when we see where believers go astray where there is false teaching where there is false doctrine being introduced where there is false practices don't go don't allow yourself to be influenced by that which is not honoring to the lord that's what

he's really saying that's what he's saying to judah not to follow israel by the way it's the same nation they are the people of god israel judah divided they are the people of god he doesn't say to judah hate them he doesn't say to judah fight them but he says don't follow their path which will lead you unto destruction as well that's the lesson beloved brothers and sisters and how sad it is later on we find out that judah also gone astray and they ended up taken by Nebuchadnezzar into babylon and they're in babylon you remember the song by the rivers of babylon there we sat down and we wept as we remember zion and

they remember the good days that they had when they had the word of god when they had the temple they can worship the lord in truth but they find themselves in babylon and they wept then they say oh jerusalem if i forget the jerusalem my right hand will forget her cunning they remember but they should have remembered earlier before they end up going astray and god in his love for his people you know this is amazing those chapters we don't like to read them because there's so much judgment upon judgment upon judgment and sins you don't want to read about that you want to just talk about love and talk about all these things but

the reality is right here is this human heart of ours the believers are no different than the heart of the unbelievers the heart is deceitful we are capable of doing the very same thing what unbeliever does because our hearts the human nature is sinful that's why yeshua had to give us a new nature when he died for us on the tree and then he said and I'm going to conclude with this he says in verse 16 Israel slideth back Judah just look at Israel for Israel slideth back as backsliding heifer now the Lord will feed them as lamb in a large place in verse 17 he says Ephraim is joined unto idols Judah don't follow

this Ephraim is joined to idols let him alone don't follow him Judah in verse 18 he says they have committed hudam continually Judah don't follow them in verse 18 their drink is sour they have committed hudam continually her rulers with shame do love give ye he says give them over don't follow them and then in verse 19 they shall be ashamed he is saying the wind has bound her up in her wings and they shall be ashamed because because of their sacrifices you see there is an important lesson that we can learn from these beloved brothers and sisters when today when a Bible teacher lead us and teach us to stay close to the Lord

and to stay close to the things of God we should listen to the voice of the word of God and we should kind of get closer to the Lord and not end up being taken away and being ultimately judged by the Lord because disobedience and the lesson is applied to us I believe as well today dear brothers and sisters so here is chapter 4 chapter 4 is divided for us into these four sections a general controversy with the people with the nation specifically dealing with the priests and then specifically with the people and final warning to the tribes of Judah not to follow the ways of Israel said but at the same time you see

the love of the Lord towards his own people Israel he loves his people to that extent that he will judge them and discipline them and not allow them to have their own way whatsoever man soweth he will also reap may the Lord help us to learn from this and to ultimately seek to follow after the Lord can you say amen to that amen