Okay, Shalom everyone. We are going to turn back today to the prophet Hosea to continue in our ministry and meetings on the writings of Hosea as he was communicating with the nation of Israel in a time when Israel was in a great decline, just before they were taken by the Assyrians, and how God was appealing to his people Israel, seeking to have them restored to him. But he knows very well that the time of judgment was ready to be coming upon the nation of Israel. And when we are talking about the nation of Israel in this context of the prophet Hosea, we are talking about the northern ten tribes which were the division of the total twelve tribes of Israel.

Later on, God would deal with the southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin. So, Hosea chapter 9. It's a rather sad chapter which deals with warnings after warning concerning punishment that is going to come upon the nation. So, Hosea chapter 9. So, listen to that, beginning from verse 1. "Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people. For thou hast gone a whoring from thy God; thou hast loved a reward upon every corn floor. The floe and the wine-press shall not feed them; and the new wine shall fail her. They shall not dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

They shall not offer wine-offering to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him; their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners. All that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. What will ye do in the Solomon days, and in the day of the feasts of the Lord? For, Lord, they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; and Memphis shall bury them; the pleasant places of their silver; metals shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tabernacles, or in their tents. The days of visitations are come; the days of recompense are come.

Israel shall know it. The prophet is fooled; the spiritual man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred. A watchman of Ephraim was with my God; but the prophet faced snare of the fowlers in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Giva. Therefore, he will remember their iniquity; he will visit their sins. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. And I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time. But they went to Baal Peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird; for their birth, and from the womb, and from their conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left. And I will bear woe also to them when I departed from them. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. "Give them, O Lord, what wilt thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them for the wickedness of their doings. And drive them out of mine house.

I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters. Ephraim is smitten; their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit; yet though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Now, if you will ask me about reading such a chapter, I will tell you I prefer rather not to read such a very strong chapter that we have here in Hosea chapter 9 concerning the nation of Israel. But bear in mind, brothers and sisters, as we are studying this chapter, that God is a gracious God.

God is a loving God. God knows the need of every one of his own people. God, we just sang earlier, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." God loved his people Israel. God loved the body of Messiah, the body of Christ, the believers in this present-day dispensation. But also, beloved brothers and sisters, love never goes on expense of light. Love never goes on expense of holiness. The same God who is love is also the same God who is holy and just. And therefore, he will deal with mankind in accordance with his light and in accordance with his love.

And therefore, he says, in Hosea, he says, "Hosea, we have consistently, we have the response of God towards a failing people." "Response of God towards a sinning and a sinful people." And he is responding to them because he must deal with a nation that have gone astray. Can you imagine? When you created a nation, you brought a nation to yourself, you provided for them everything, and all what they have done in response to him was disobedience, was following after other gods, were going astray from him and dishonoring him. What is left for this God to do except to judge his own people, but always in view of restoration in a future day.

Just like a parent. A parent who loves his child will never truly be a good parent if he will allow his child to do as they please. Especially when they are under accountability. But when they grow up, they are responsible to their own doings. When they are under responsibility, correction and discipline must be given. Otherwise, the parent is really not acting in the right way. And that's what we see here in these chapters. Chapter after chapter, he is responding to the nation of Israel for their sin. In the previous chapter, chapter 8, which we have covered in our last meeting, together, we saw the idolatry of the nation of Israel.

How sad, how sad a nation that knew God, knew the true and living God, been following idols, worshipping idols, giving sacrifices to idols. That dishonored God so much that he had to judge them. Now, in chapter 9, now of Hosea, he gives them these warnings in view. Very soon, they will receive their punishment from the Lord. And so, there are four things that we learn here in this chapter. The first thing we learn in the first four verses is warning Israel not to rejoice because judgment is going to come very soon. You see what he's telling them in verse 1? He's saying to them, Hosea 9:1, he says, "Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people.

For thou hast gone ahoring from thy God. Thou hast loved every word upon every corn floor." You see, he's telling them, "Rejoice not, Israel." You see, Israel may have been rejoicing because there was a temporary relief. They may have had a temporary agreement with someone. And they were kind of rejoicing and said, "Oh, great, now I have a measure of relief." And God says, "Listen, Israel, listen, people of God." He's saying, "Do not rejoice because you have a temporary relief, because there is soon coming judgment that you will have to face." Now, when I was reading the word "rejoice not," it reminded me of various verses in the Bible that God says to Israel the exact opposite of what he told them in Hosea 9:1.

In Isaiah 66:10, he said, "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, love her, rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her." Here's the opposite. He was saying to the prophet Hosea, in viewing of the restoration of Israel in the coming days. He said, "Look, I want you to rejoice with the nation of Israel." And he wanted the nation of Israel themselves to rejoice because he was going to restore them. He was going to bring them back to the place that he had in mind for them. But here he is exactly saying the opposite to the nation of Israel. "Don't rejoice," he says.

"Rejoice not, O Israel." In the Hebrew word for "rejoice" means "simcha," "lismoach." It speaks about joy and rejoicing and celebration that the nation could enjoy because of what the Lord had provided for them. In Sephaniah chapter 3 and verse 14 we read, "Sing, O daughter of Zion," "Shout, O Israel," "Be glad and rejoice with all their heart, O daughter of Jerusalem." He's speaking about the future day when Israel will be rejoicing, "simcha," "smachot" will happen among the people of Israel because they are going to be restored. And now he's telling them in verse 1 of Hosea 9, "Do not rejoice, O Israel." And he tells them, "Don't rejoice or don't have joy with the other peoples." "You know why, Israel?" In verse 1, he says, "For you has gone a hurry from your God." He says, "You have loved reward upon every cornflow." He's saying to them in verse 1.

In verse 2 he's telling them, "The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her." What he's saying to Israel, he says, "Look, do you think that now you're going to have some relief, and you're going to have some easy time for a moment, and you're going to cover all your ongoing lifestyle, Israel?" He's saying, "No. This temporary relief that you may have is only temporary because judgment is coming, because you have gone a whoring from your God. You have loved reward upon every cornflow." You know, that is telling us that God is not forgetful in a sense, when someone ongoing displeasing Him and living a life that is contrary to Him, God knows that.

He's willing to forgive if the nation will return, if the believers will return, if the sinful world will return to Him. If the world reject Him, if God's people continue to reject Him, God says, "Listen, don't you rejoice in this temporary relief, because you will see what is coming ahead." And that's why in verse 2 He's telling them, "Listen, the washing floor and the winepress will actually not provide any help for you." You see, it says, "The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in here." In other words, they will think that they will have some provision, but that provision will really not going to come their way.

In verse 3, the Lord is telling them that "Israel shall not dwell in the land that belongs to the Lord," because He is ready to remove them from the land. He says here in verse 3, "They shall not dwell in the Lord's land." Notice that? It is the land that belongs to the Lord, beloved brothers and sisters. "But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria." See, Assyria is in the north of Israel, Egypt is in the south of Israel, and what's going to happen? They will try to find relief either from the south Egypt or from the north Assyria, and they will find out that they will go to those places, seek to find a relief, and God will ultimately remove them from His very own land.

Now that is a very important verse here in verse 3. "They shall not dwell in the Lord's land," "in Jehovah's land," "in Jehovah," "that which belongs to Jehovah." You see, over the generations that we are living here, whether from the time that Israel came out of Egypt 3,500 years ago, even up till today, people ask the question, "Whose land?" "To whom does this land belong?" Well, the Bible clearly teaches us that the land belongs to the Lord. The land belongs to the Lord, and the Lord has given this land to the people of Israel. But even the people of Israel, as long as they are occupying the Lord's land, they must submit themselves to the Lord's guidance, to the Lord's ways, because they are in the Lord's land.

Let me show you a verse, if you please turn with me, to the book of Leviticus chapter 25. Leviticus chapter 25 deals with the land that the Lord has given to the nation of Israel. And He said to them in chapter 25 and verse 23, He says, "The land shall not be sold forever. For the land is mine," God said to Israel, "For ye are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession, ye shall grant redemption for the land." See, God said to Israel, "The land belongs to Me. And you are moving about. You are strangers with Me. Wherever I go, you are going with Me.

And I have given you this land. The land that is Mine, I have given you. I have entrusted the land to you. But what have you done in the land? How you have treated the land? Did you bring other idols to this land that belong to Me? What did you do in this land?" That is what God is saying to the nation of Israel. And He is telling them right now in Hosea chapter 9 and verse 3, He is giving them the importance to remember not to rejoice for temporary situation. He is saying to them, "Listen, you will not dwell in the Lord's land." He is going to remove you out of the Lord's land because of your sins.

In Deuteronomy chapter 11 and verse 11 we read, "But the land whithersoever ye go to possess it, it is a land of hills and of valleys, and it drinks water of the rain of heaven, a land which the Lord thy God cares for. The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, upon this land, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year." See, the Lord's eyes are upon this land. And He gave, you see, it's very clear that He said to them that He had given to them, "The Lord thy God give this land to you. You are going to possess this land which the Lord had given to you." Listen, "My eyes is upon this land." How do you behave in the land that I have given to you?

How do we behave? And that's what God is saying to Israel, "I'm going to remove you now from this land because of your sins." And look, beloved brothers and sisters, look at the history of Israel today. Look at the history of our own people Israel today. The vast majority of the people of Israel, the ten tribes, also some of the two tribes are scattered throughout the nations of the world. Scattered! Up to this day they are scattered. And when we come back to the land, and some have returned to the land, and in 1948 God had given the nation of Israel the land back, only trials and problems is going on from year to year in this very land that God had given to the people of Israel.

And they are waiting the day when God will restore the whole nation and give them the land of their possession fully, totally. But it's never going to come about unless Israel is turning back to the Lord. And that's why God said to them now, notice that, he's saying to them in verse 4 that he says, that they are scattered will not enjoy the Lord even in their own souls when they are scattered. It says in verse 4, they shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him. Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mornings. All that eat thereof shall be polluted.

For their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. You see what God is telling them? That their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. You know if you will ask any Israeli today, who really have a heart for God, he will love to see Israel restored, the temple is being established, the people of Israel coming and offering sacrifices in the temple, and enjoying the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You see, when Israel is scattered and dispersed, they cannot enjoy to bring sacrifices to the Lord. There is emptiness, brothers and sisters. There is shallowness in a state like this.

They cannot offer wine offering. They cannot bring sacrifices. God is not pleased with wherever they are. He's not pleased with them and therefore they have no joy in their soul. There is emptiness and there is something that is missing in the life of the nation of Israel. And so God gives them a warning here in these verses. Remember in the first four verses Israel was not yet being taken captive. They are waiting the Assyrians to take them captive and to disperse them. And he gives them warning. Listen, if you're living this kind of lifestyle of sin and violation and disobedience to God, I am telling you, you do not rejoice, O Israel, there is coming a time where you are going to be scattered, when you are going to be judged because of your violation and sins against me.

You see, it must have been very much grieving the heart of Hosea the prophet as he has to pen this down, as he has to speak this to the nation. Judgment after judgment after judgment. Accusation and exposing the condition of the nation of Israel. Well, look at the next verses. Verses 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. He gives them a second warning. And here he is giving warning to Israel because of their deep corruption that existed there. Listen, we have to realize that God is a holy God and he demands from his people a response to him. He demands from his people a response to him. And when there is no response and there is violation, he exposes us and he judged it.

And so in verses 5 to 9, he gives the second warning because of the deep corruption. Look what he is saying to them. God is actually asking Israel a question and he is saying to them in verse 5, What are you going to do in a solemn day? What are you going to do in the feast of the Lord, in the day of the feast of the Lord? What are you going to do? What are you going to do when those appointed feasts that I have given to you? What are you going to do in that solemn day? He may be speaking about the day of atonement. He may be speaking of any other solemn day that he has given to the nation.

He is saying to them, what are you going to do during these days? How are you going to react? What are you going to do when you have gone astray so much? You know, it is like in the church age. People like to be a little bit religious, you see. A time coming, call it, you know, the Easter season maybe or the Christmas season or whatever. You know, all of a sudden everybody becomes religious. All year round they have gone away from the Lord. All year round they have displaced the Lord. But all of a sudden everybody becomes religious in the days of those feasts.

Very similar in the history of Israel, very similar in the history of the church. We become religious kind of for a season, but we don't want to live for the Lord. We don't want the Lord in our life, but we are going to be religious a little bit for a season, isn't it? Now we are coming to the day of atonement very soon. We are coming to the day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur very soon. And you know, a lot will go to the Senagogues. All of a sudden become very serious about their life for a season. And they are going to be going attending the Senagogues and maybe some are even fasting.

But what does that mean in the heart for the Lord? What does that mean for God? He is saying to them in verse 5, He says, "What are you going to do in the day of the Feast of the Lord?" "What are you going to do, Israel?" "What are you going to do in this time?" And so we read in verse 6 that Israel will be gone because of this destruction in their life. They'll be gone in those types of days, he says in verse 6. So they are gone because of their destruction. Egypt shall gather them up. And then he says, "Memphis," which is mop, it is in a lower Egypt, "shall bury them, the pleasant places for their silver." Then he says, "Hermosh," or it is metal, it's like a thorny plant, "shall possess them, and thorns shall be in their tents." You see what he is telling them?

"What are you going to do in the feast time?" "Instead of coming to Jerusalem and enjoy a relationship with the Lord?" "Look where you are going to be." "You are going to be taken away." "You are going to be scattered." "You are going to be away." "You are going to be gone from the place where you should be." "Because of what is going to happen." "Because of the destruction that is going to come upon you." "You see, God is being very realistic with the nation." "What are you going to do in the feast day?" "And you know for Israel, the feast day, the appointed seasons are very important." "And what are they going to do

in a time when they are going to be scattered abroad and dispersed?" "What are they going to do in this time?" "You are going to be telling them, 'Look in your tents, you are going to have their all kind of thorns and thornies there shall be in their tents." "You are going to be taken by Memphis and so on and Egypt shall gather them up and so on." "They are going to be dispersed and they are going to be totally and completely in a time of destruction." "That's what's going to happen." "You remember the psalm that I really love to read in the psalm that speaks about when the southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, when

they had been taken by the Babylonians." "You remember, by the river of Babylon, there we sat down and we wept as we remembered Zion." "And there those that took us captive said unto us, "Sing unto us one of Zion's songs." "And they said, 'How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?'" "It is funny, isn't it brothers and sisters?" "When we have all the privileges we can have, and have all the blessings that God had given to us, we take it for granted." "And we neglect to enjoy what God has for us, and we somehow harden our hearts, turn away from the Lord, live a life of sin, and expect God to bless

us." "And when God have allowed us to experience the consequences of our sin, then later on we remember." "Wow, what we have had." "Why didn't I enjoy it then, and there when I had it?" "Why did I go astray?

Why did I sin against the Lord?" "Why everything is thorny? Everything is briar? Why everything is so empty in my life?" "That's the human race." "Israel, and you and I, the church, part of the church, are not different, beloved brothers and sisters." "It is the cycle that is going on in every generation, and everyone needs to learn it for himself or for herself." "And we need to ask the Lord to help us to say, 'Lord, no, I'm not going to live this kind of life. I will repent before you and I will turn to you so I will be blessed by you." "I don't need to have Memphis bury them, and to have their silver is gone and wasted, and their tents are full of thorns and briars, to leave this kind of emptiness in my life." "That's what God is saying to the nation." "In verse 7, he is telling them about the day of visitation." "A day that the retribution is coming, the day of visitation." "Notice in this verse 7, he said to them, 'The days of visitation are come.

The days of recompense are come. Israel shall know it. The prophet is full, the spiritual man is made for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred.'" "You see, what happened with Israel, he says, 'Look, I'm going to visit you. I'm going to recompense you exactly for what you have done.' "The day of visitation is coming.'" "You know, we often say this expression, 'Payday come someday.'" "Days of judgment will come." "And you know what they were saying? They were saying in verse 7 that the prophet is a fool." "Apparently when Hosea was preaching to them, they said, 'The prophet, what does he know?

He's a fool.'" "And then the second part of verse 7, he said, 'The spiritual man is crazy, he's mad. What does he know?" "Isn't it similar to the days of Laodicea that we live in today?" "When those men of God who preach the word and teach the people of God to be restored to the Lord?" "The professing church says, 'Wow, the prophets of the Lord.'" "The men, the spiritual men, what do they know? They are mad, they are fools. What do they know? We know better." "When they are preaching the word and giving us warning after warning, listen, the day of visitation will come." "The day of judgment will come and therefore be careful because those days are going to come and they are giving the warning to the nation." "Instead of listening to the counsel of the man of God, the counsel of the prophet, they end up rejecting the message and they are calling the spiritual man as mad." "In Isaiah 10:3 we read, "And what will ye do in the day of visitation?

And in the desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?" "And what will ye be saying to the nation?" "Isn't it amazing? Actually, when we have trouble in our life, we usually like to come back to the Lord and say, 'God, help me.'" "But where was God in a time when He sought after His people?" "When He wanted to bless them and to draw them after Him?" "Where was God at that time? Men did not want Him. Israel did not want Him." "And often time in the body of Christ, in the body of Messiah, we say to the Lord, no." "By the way, Revelation chapter 3, the Lord Jesus speaks to the church and He says, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.'" "Why does He knock, do you think?" "Because He's on the outside." "They put Him out." "And He's knocking at the door and He says, 'If any men come unto me and open the door, I will sup with him and he with me.'" "They put Him out." "And He's calling individuals to respond to Him." "And you see, the day of visitation will surely come." "And where, to whom they will seek for help." "You notice that He's telling them, if you remember, if you read the law that God had given to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 5." "God says, 'I will visit the iniquities of those that will violate my word.'" "You read it very clearly in Deuteronomy 5 from verses 7 to 11." "He promised to visit the iniquities of those that will violate His word." "And I'll just read that in Deuteronomy chapter 5 where the Lord says, "Thou shalt not bow thyself unto those idols, the graven images.

You shall not serve them.

For the Lord your God is a jealous God." "He is visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation on them that hate me." "In other words, God will visit the father if he hates God." "And the son if he hates God." "And the son's son if he hates God." "And the son's son son if he hates God." "And the son is going to deal with those that reject him and despise him." "That's what he's going to do." "And so he's telling them in verse 7, the days of visitation are come." "And the days of recompense, or in other words, of retribution are come." "They're telling that the prophet

is a fool and the spiritual man is mad." "And so now in verse 8, continuing with the warning because of this deep corruption." "Israel's watchman, the prophet, experienced much snares." "You know, Hosea was the prophet that prophesied to the nation of Israel." "And look what we find out." "He was like a watchman." "It says in verse 8, the watchman of Ephraim was with my God." "In other words, the watchman, this is the prophet and those that care for the nation of Israel." "They were watching for the nation." "They were appealing to the nation." "But look, it says in verse 8b." "But the prophet faced snare of the fowl in all his ways." "What did the

prophet experience?" "Is snare after snare after snare." "Rejection." "Not accepting his message." "They experienced hatred." "The house of his God." "In verse 8, the house of his God means the people of God among the people of God." "Hatred among the brethren, among the people of God." "And you know, that is not different than from generation to generation." "We see it throughout the history of Israel, the history of the church." "You remember?" "When David, the king of Israel, sought to bless the nation of Israel and to lead the nation of Israel." "The nation themselves rejected their king." "Absalom sought after his own father to take away the kingdom from him." "And the nation followed Absalom." "After

his own father to take away the kingdom from him." "What about Joseph?" "His own brethren took him and put him in a pit." "And sold him to Midian, to the Ishmaelites, to Egypt at the end." "Look at this, what we see in the history of Israel and also when you think about the history of the church." "How often time, many of the leaders, many of those who sought to be a blessing to the people of God, are being rejected." "I heard all kinds of stories of spiritual leaders and local pastors." "They end up to be chastened by the very people that they sought to minister to." "And destruction came at the end." "And the discouragement

that came." "The prophet, who was the watchman for the nation." "Facing snares, facing hatred by their own people." "In fact, we read of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah." "When he came, he came unto his own." "And his own received him not." "He was a man of sorrows." "We read of him in Isaiah chapter 53." "He experienced grief among his very one." "He was in the world that John won, and the world knew him not." "Rejected the Lord.

He was despised." "The foxes have holes," he said. "The birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man have nowhere to lay his head." "You know, sometimes we hear that we shoot the wounded in the feet." "We shoot our own self in the feet." "We hurt our own self." "The nation hurt themselves by rejecting the message that the prophet sought to give them concerning restoration." "Instead of helping him, strengthening him, accepting the word of the Lord," "They became a snare to him, and hated him, and ended up to face the day of visitation." "The same story, beloved brothers and sisters, are repeated again and again throughout the history of the people of God." "And now notice in verse 9, what he is telling them in verse 9." "Here is where I said there is a warning because of the deep corruption." "Israel corrupted themselves as in the days of Givaah." "Therefore he will remember their iniquity and he will visit their sins." Now if you know from history, and I'm not going to read everything there, but he is speaking about a little town by the name of Givaah, which is not too far from the city of Jerusalem.

We read of it in the book of Judges in chapter 19 and 20. This city, the story going on about the city of Givaah, that in Givaah, you know what happened in the city of Givaah? There was a certain Levite that in chapter 19 and verse 1, a certain Levite, his journey, and on the side of Mount Ephraim, he took him a concubine of the city of Bethlehem, Judea. And this Levite, actually the Levites were called to be separated to the Lord, but nevertheless he took a woman, a concubine it says here in chapter 19, he took her, and then later on this concubine went back to her own family in Bethlehem, and after four months he came to take her back.

And when he took her, and we read about him in Judges 19, I'm going to go now past all these verses up to verse 22, he took the woman and he came to that area, to the place that is called Givaah. And so look what happened there in Givaah, because you can see how sad what happened in the city of Givaah. In verse 22 it says this, Now as they were making their hearts merry, he went in Givaah, he finally got himself into a house there, and behold the men of the city, these were the people of Givaah, that certain sons of Bilial, they beset the house round about, and they bit at the door, and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, he is the one who hosted them, these Levites and his concubine, and they said to this man, "Bring forth the man that came to your own house that we may know him." See, apparently these people of Givaah wanted the man, this Levite, that all the men who host him will allow him to come out, so they will know him, there was homosexuality there.

"Bring him out, that we may know him," they said. So if you read on, and you can see the master of the house went out to them, and he said to them, "No, brethren," he said to them, "Nay," he said, "I pray you, do not so wickedly." Don't do that. "Seeing that this man is coming to my house, do not this folly," he says, "Look, here is my daughter. Take my daughter." And look what we read here. And it says here, "Them," he said, "I will bring out now," he says, "Humbly them." In other words, "Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine, them will I bring now out, and humble ye them." In other words, "To bring my daughter and bring this concubine of this Levite, and do with them it seemeth right in your eyes." And you know what they did, this wicked man?

It says in verse 25, "But the man would not hearken to him, so the man took his concubine, and he brought her forth to them, and they knew her and abused her all night until the morning, and when the day began to spring they let her go. Then it came that the woman in the dooring of the day, she came and she fell down at the door of the man's house where her Lord was until it was light, and her Lord rose up in the morning, and he opened the doors of the house, and he went out to go his way, and behold, the woman, his concubine, was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

And he said unto her, "Up, and let us be going, but none answer." Then the man took her up upon a donkey, and the man rose up and got him up to his place, and when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and he laid hold on the concubine, and he divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces. And he sent her into all the coasts of Israel. And it was so that all that saw it said, "No such did done no sin from the day that the children of Israel came out up of the land of Egypt unto this day.

Consider of it, take advice, and speak your mind." Now these men of Giva, what they have done to this concubine, what they have done to her, who's there, left her there dead, that this Levite took her, and what he wanted to show the nation of Israel, all the nations, look at the abomination that happened among the people. He cut her into twelve pieces, and he sent her to all the coasts of Israel. Now do you think God forgot that? That happened in the day of Judges, and if you read in the day of Judges, "And it came to pass in the days when there was no king in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes." That was the day of Judges.

And God knows that he remembered that. And he's saying to Israel, "What you have been doing now, it is very much similar to what happened in the days of Giva, wherefore I will remember their iniquity, and he will visit their sins." This Levite, when he spread throughout the coast of Israel the parts of the body, was a testimony to the wickedness that have happened in the place that is called Giva. And God's saying to the nation of Israel, "Look what happened today. That's why I will have to visit you, because there is no repentance. There is an ongoing life of sin, and God will have to judge us.

The men of Giva have sinned, and the nation of Israel right now sinned, and there is no repentance, and judgment is going to come." And so, the warning not to rejoice, verses 1 to 4. The warning to Israel because of deep corruption, verses 5 to 9. Notice that now in verse 10 to 14, there is a warning to Israel of upcoming penalty because of this sin. And so in verse 10, now he continues and he says, "God found Israel like grapes, but Israel gone after other gods. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in a fig tree at her first time, but they went to Baal Peor, and they separated themselves unto that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved.

God found Israel, as it says here in verse 10, like grapes in the wilderness. And he took Israel. And you remember many times we find out that Israel is being looked up in Scripture as a vine, and Israel is often looked up as that which is supposed to bring fruit for God. God found them, and he brought them to himself, but instead of following the God who found them, they followed the Baal Peor. In verse 11, Ephraim's glory shall be fade away, shall fall away. He said to them, "As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception." You know, the glory here, it speaks of offsprings.

It's a real blessing. The glory of the nation is their descendants. The glory of the nation is the children. God had given children to the people of God. God had given us children. He given Israel children. And the children are the glory of the people of God. What he's saying to them, that their glory will fly away. Right from conception, he's telling them. In verse 12, look at the tough words that God is giving us here, that are very hard to read when you think of it. They can't punish Ephraim by taking their children away from them. Look at the judgment of God. It says now in verse 12, And therefore they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them.

That there shall not be a man left. Yea, woe also to them when I depart from them. You see, when he's going to leave, to depart from Israel, they're going to end up losing the offspring. We're supposed to bring a blessing to them and joy to the nation of Israel. In verse 13, he's telling them that Ephraim will bring his children, but they're going to end up to be slain. So sad, you know, when you think of it. In verse 13, Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraim shall bring forth children to the murderer. In other words, they will be slain ultimately.

The enemies will come and take away their children. And isn't it so when you think of what happened throughout the history? You know, just recently, when we were visiting Israel, we went to the Holocaust Museum. And you cannot walk through that Holocaust Museum, especially to the children museum. And when you see how the names of the children are mentioned one by one, one by one, as you walk through this dark area there, and you can hear the name of the children are mentioned. And you think those children were murdered. Those children were taken away by what happened in the time of Hitler. And you can see throughout the history of Israel how many children were lost because God had to allow the enemy to come in and to discipline the nation.

You read Jeremiah and the cry of Jeremiah, when the cry of Jeremiah, when the children Judah at that time were taken captive. And the mourning and the weeping because the children are suffering along with the rest of the nation. Look at the time of Daniel when Daniel and Hananiah and Azariah and Mishael were there in Babylon. The children who were supposed to be in the city of Jerusalem worshiping God, they end up to be in Babylon because they have been taken captive. And the children bear consequences well because of their parents' deeds and action. Look in verse 14, a cry to the Lord to give what He will.

And that is actually a very, very sad statement that you hear. It says here, It's almost like a cry of judgment against the nation that was violating the Word of God. A cry of judgment against the nation. And you notice we read that even in the Psalms and elsewhere. There are some prayers, if you will, which are very hard to understand. It's hard to understand that there is almost like a cry to discipline a disobedient nation. As He says here, Give them, O Lord. What will you give? Give them the miscarrying womb and the dry breasts. And you know, every mother who brought child into this world, want to love this child and cherish it and nourish it, and help it to grow, to develop.

And here we see it's almost like a prayer, like a request. Give them what they deserve. And thank God that He is gracious. Sometimes He is spank, but then He is embracing. Sometimes He judges, but then He is forgiving. He does everything right. Even though sometimes we don't understand, but this God is a gracious God who knows what to do in due time. We don't understand, but we need to learn to accept what God says in His Word. Now look finally, beloved brothers and sisters, in the last verses, verses 15, 16, and 17. Here's the result. The result of the sin that is not judged. Here's the result.

Look what He says, verse 17. There are four things that He mentioned here in this. When the Lord left the nation, as He says in verse 12, "When I depart from them," look what the result will be in verse 15, the first part. "Israel will suffer divine hatred because of sin." "All their wickedness in Gilgal, for there I hated them." Look at the statement. It is amazing to read such a statement. We have to remember, it's not so much God hating the people, but He hates their wickedness. That's why He's mentioning it. "For all their wickedness in Gilgal, for there I have hated them." So there will be divine judgment, displeasure from the Lord.

Look at that verse 15b. "Israel will be driven out," it says in the second half of this verse. "I will drive them out of mine house. I will love them no more. All their princes are revolters." Now again, such a statement, strong statement, that I will drive them out and I will love them no more. Now again, I would like to remind you that God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love," He said to the nation. So obviously He doesn't speak here of an eternal or everlasting hatred, but there is a season in which His action towards the nation looked like as if He is hating them.

It is a divine judgment against the nation that He has chosen. Verse 16 is the third result of Israel's sin. "When God has left them, Israel will be smitten by God Himself." Look, it says in verse 16, "Ephraim is smitten, their roots is dried up, they shall bear no fruit, yet though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb." Look at the divine judgment of the Lord because of this sin, unrepented sin. And finally, the conclusion of this chapter, in verse 17, "Israel will be ultimately rejected." "My God." Look at that, actually, it's the prophet himself who is speaking here in verse 17 and he says, "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations." Doesn't it truly depict the condition that is existing today among the nations of Israel, the scattered nations?

Aren't they wanderers, you know? When I first came to Canada, somebody showed me a plant, and that plant is called the wandering Jew. And he's like spreading and wandering. And it's so true. When you look today in the world in which we live in, the nations of Israel are wanderers. Jewish Israelis, every tribe, some of the tribes are scattered and are wandering in the nations of the world. In every area of the world they are wandering. And as it says here, they wanderers and they are hated. They are being cast away. And all is because of the discipline of God, because of their sin and unrepented sin.

And so, brothers and sisters, the lesson is very important for us. Sometimes we get tired to listen to those kind of verses and chapters in the prophet Hosea. And truly, rightly so, because we prefer to hear about grace and peace and love and care and so on. It is true that we like to hear this, but the reality is that God will have to deal with that which is contrary to Him. And He will have to judge and then later on He will restore ultimately His own people Israel. And you will see that. Ultimately, God is going to restore, but not before. Israel will look upon Him whom they have pierced.

And they will mourn, they will confess. And then there will be such a wonderful restoration for the nation. And God will present His people before the world. And He will say those that I have chastened and I have disciplined. And He will restore them and bring them to the place that He has in mind for them in the coming days. And may this day will come soon. We long to see that day. Because the years after years of judgment and blindness to the Messiahship of Yeshua brought about a lot of sorrows and a lot of sadness. But soon, and very soon, Israel will be restored to the place that God has for them.

And we too, brothers and sisters, God will chasten us. When we violate His word and live away from Him, He will deal with us. As a father, deal with his own children. He will spank us and He will seek to restore us back to a path of walking life that is pleasing to Him. Let the Lord help us in this as we wait the day of the coming of the Lord. Can you say amen to that? Amen.