WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 At this point in the history of Israel, there's two kingdoms. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.119 There's a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom. 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:13.580 Ephraim was the most populated tribe or region in the Northern Kingdom. 00:00:13.580 --> 00:00:30.760 And so sometimes Ephraim is just like a pseudonym for not a pseudonym, but a label or a representative title, a representative tribe for all of the Northern Kingdoms. 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:37.359 So you've got a split here between Judah and Israel, or the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:45.579 And Hosea has been mentioned a couple of times now through the series, through our teaching through this book. 00:00:45.579 --> 00:00:47.979 He's native to the Northern Kingdom. 00:00:47.979 --> 00:00:57.520 He's native to maybe not Ephraim particularly or specifically, but that's where he's from. 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:00.340 He's a member of the Northern Kingdom. 00:01:00.340 --> 00:01:07.599 He's very familiar with the cities and places and customs of which he speaks. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:17.799 So in chapter nine, I think we get a little clear insight into exactly what kind of idolatry or syncretism has taken place here. 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:24.040 Syncretism being the blending of religions. 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:45.920 So it was in our text here, we're gonna see that the people were still celebrating the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles at the time of harvest, but they were also participating in fertility rituals that were part of Baal worship or part of the religion of Baal. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:49.799 And so you've got a syncretized people here. 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:52.120 They're worshiping two gods. 00:01:52.120 --> 00:02:02.439 And we know that the Lord Yahweh, the Lord, the one true God has said that there shall be no other gods before me. 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:04.040 That's what he has told his people. 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:06.099 That's what he has told us. 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:41.159 But yet we find the people of Israel, both in the Northern and Southern kingdoms, but in chapter nine, it's focusing on the Northern Kingdom here, judging them for that syncretism, that accepting in part of, at least part of another religion or at least accepting the opportunity to practice another religion while trying to carry out the rituals and faith of their fathers at the same time. 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:42.879 So let's begin. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:54.139 Chapter nine, rejoice not, O Israel, exalt not like the peoples, for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. 00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:59.139 You have loved a prostitutes wages on all threshing floors. 00:02:59.139 --> 00:03:05.680 Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them and the new wine shall fail them. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:15.620 They shall not remain in the land of the Lord, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt and they shall eat unclean food and Assyria. 00:03:16.620 --> 00:03:27.900 Already this chapter is jam packed and we see very dire words, very harsh words from the Lord through the prophet Hosea. 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:32.539 But don't think that these are inappropriate words. 00:03:32.539 --> 00:03:40.979 Rather they are very much appropriate for exactly what Israel is partaking in. 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:44.939 Why does he start out saying rejoice not, O Israel? 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:51.659 Well, because there's a current prosperity that they are living in in the Northern Kingdom. 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:54.680 They're fat, happy and healthy. 00:03:54.680 --> 00:04:01.300 And yet Hosea's proclaiming on them, prophesying to them, coming judgment. 00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:04.520 And it's hard for them to believe because things are going so well. 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:10.699 It's hard for them to believe because they live in what seemingly is such a land of prosperity. 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:19.180 And so this is why it opens up with rejoice not, O Israel, there's no reason for you to be rejoicing. 00:04:19.180 --> 00:04:23.420 You may be able to have these great feasts. 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:25.240 You may be living in great prosperity. 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:31.699 You may be able to cultivate much wealth, but there's no reason for rejoicing. 00:04:31.699 --> 00:04:35.740 You should not exalt yourself as the peoples. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:38.180 You should not be prideful. 00:04:38.180 --> 00:04:44.139 You should not be thinking of yourself as good or great in the world. 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:45.480 Why? 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:48.519 For you have played the war forsaking your God. 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:52.660 And this is what, this isn't new to the book of Hosea. 00:04:52.660 --> 00:04:54.560 We've been reading about this. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:04.959 But in the explanation of you have loved the prostitutes wages, this is in reference to Hosea chapter two, verse four. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:11.980 Chapter two, verse four shows us all the way at the beginning of Hosea's prophecy here. 00:05:13.060 --> 00:05:27.819 It says, or beginning in verse four, I should say, upon her children also I will have no mercy because they are children of Hordom. 00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:29.439 For their mother has played the war. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.839 She who conceived them has acted shamefully. 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:43.980 For she said, I will go after my lovers who give me bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my dream. 00:05:43.980 --> 00:06:10.199 So this is why that's in reference to the threshing floors as well in verse one is because we see in Israel or the Northern Kingdom's prosperity, the picture that's being painted here is like, okay, you've gone and bought in and worshiped Baal and worship even other gods beyond that. 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:14.579 And the connection is being made here is for prosperity. 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:18.939 Where did they get this economic opportunity? 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:25.300 Where did they get the prosperity that they found on the threshing floors? 00:06:25.300 --> 00:06:29.100 Well, it's through their Hordom of religion. 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:31.019 It's through their false worship. 00:06:31.019 --> 00:06:41.860 It's through their assimilating and syncretizing into the culture and the faith and religion of the surrounding cities, the surrounding nations. 00:06:41.860 --> 00:06:53.259 Verse three, they shall not remain in the land of the Lord, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 00:06:53.259 --> 00:07:01.180 This is a just can't even stop here, but this is allusion to Ephraim shall return to Egypt. 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:05.699 Of course, Ephraim was one of Joseph's sons. 00:07:05.699 --> 00:07:09.699 And so this is saying Ephraim's going to return to Egypt. 00:07:09.699 --> 00:07:14.420 So it's a connection to the story of Joseph, the exodus out of Egypt. 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:18.540 So this is judgment and saying, look, you're going to find yourself back in Egypt. 00:07:18.540 --> 00:07:35.420 You're gonna be cast away back into Egypt where Ephraim, the nation itself, which is the tribe of the son of Joseph who was the deliverance of his people through Egypt now they're going to be returned to Egypt. 00:07:35.420 --> 00:07:39.699 And they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:50.740 This is also a reference to the political situation here where the Northern Kingdom was doing political deals between Egypt and Assyria as a war was going on here. 00:07:50.740 --> 00:08:05.500 And they were finding their hope, their shelter of not only prosperity, but survival or kind of, let's make sure we get on the right team here in this war. 00:08:05.500 --> 00:08:14.699 And so they were looking to these foreign nations instead of looking to God for success, survival, and even the victory in times of conflict here. 00:08:14.699 --> 00:08:17.560 This is a running theme through through Hosea as well. 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:20.259 That's the political context. 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:21.939 Let's move on here. 00:08:21.939 --> 00:08:31.100 Verse four, they shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord and their sacrifices shall not please him. 00:08:31.100 --> 00:08:34.179 It shall be like mourners bred to them. 00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:39.500 All who eat of it shall be defiled for their bread shall be for their hunger only. 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:44.299 It shall not come to the house of the Lord. 00:08:44.299 --> 00:08:52.379 What will you do on the day of the appointed festival and on the day of the feast of the Lord for behold they are going away from destruction. 00:08:52.379 --> 00:08:54.379 But Egypt shall gather them. 00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:56.379 Limphists shall bury them. 00:08:56.379 --> 00:08:59.379 Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver. 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:03.220 Thorns shall be in their tents. 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:10.899 So this is really where I'm gonna key in on on this chapter, okay? 00:09:10.899 --> 00:09:13.820 I think this is the thrust of this chapter. 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:17.659 This is the, we see the substance here. 00:09:17.659 --> 00:09:21.980 We see the golden treasure, the golden nugget here. 00:09:21.980 --> 00:09:26.980 Let's turn to Isaiah 6, chapter 6, verse 6. 00:09:26.980 --> 00:09:38.419 Chapter 6, verse 6, I think really helps us understand those two paragraphs there. 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:47.539 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrificed the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 00:09:47.539 --> 00:09:49.299 Let me read that again. 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:59.019 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 00:09:59.019 --> 00:10:01.139 This is a key truth. 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:04.059 This is a key thing that Hosea said to preach. 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:05.899 Hosea said to prophesy. 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:21.340 This is something that we see throughout the Old Testament but also more fully revealed or not more fully revealed but kind of like it could not be more fully revealed in the New Testament. 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:32.419 That that truth is that God desires steadfast love and knowing him over sacrifices. 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:42.179 We think of things in, we think of places in the book of Hebrews that when the writer of Hebrews says the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins. 00:10:42.179 --> 00:10:44.860 So what is God actually after here? 00:10:44.860 --> 00:10:55.740 This is why God is so offended is because Israel is still pouring out drink offerings of wine to the Lord. 00:10:55.740 --> 00:11:00.779 They're still offering up their sacrifices but yet they mean nothing. 00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:05.259 They are meaningless because they're worshiping other gods at the same time. 00:11:05.259 --> 00:11:07.059 This is the theme of the book of Hosea. 00:11:07.059 --> 00:11:09.700 This is worship idolatry. 00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:11.679 This is worship adultery here. 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:16.919 The Lord will not, we see here that the Lord will not receive their worship. 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:19.399 The Lord will not receive their drink offerings. 00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:22.759 The Lord will not receive their sacrifices. 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:26.120 It shall be like mourners bred to them. 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.159 What is that reference to? 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:34.600 It's a reference to a food being in the home of someone who died would be marked as unclean. 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:45.519 You can't eat it and surely you cannot or you should not eat it and surely you cannot sacrifice that you cannot bring that bread to the offering table. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:49.879 And so their offerings were viewed as mourners bred. 00:11:49.879 --> 00:11:57.700 Their offerings reviewed as unedible, unholy, unclean bread because of the state of their hearts. 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:00.340 Because they were worshiping after other gods. 00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:03.840 Because they had other gods they were viewing. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:11.120 Maybe not even on the equal plane as God but they were worshiping them as gods nonetheless. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.580 So the Lord will not receive their worship. 00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:16.899 He's not receiving it. 00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:24.759 So and because of that in verse five, what will you do on the day of the appointed festival? 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:31.000 If the Lord's not going to receive your worship, what are you gonna do on the day of the appointed festival? 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.679 This is a reference to either the feast of Boos or the feast of the tabernacle. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:37.580 And on the day of the feast of the Lord. 00:12:37.580 --> 00:12:42.039 For behold, they are going away from destruction. 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:52.279 So this is the part where he starts to talk about the coming, they're in great prosperity but he's like, things are about to get bad. 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:55.879 You're about to be destroyed. 00:12:55.879 --> 00:13:00.240 This prosperity that you're enjoying, you're going to have no longer. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.860 You're going to be carried away back into Egypt. 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:05.519 You're going to be conquered by Assyria. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:08.799 So there's a coming invasion here. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:12.240 They're going away from destruction but Egypt shall gather them. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.259 Memphis shall bury them. 00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:19.899 Memphis was a city in Egypt known for its cemeteries and tombs. 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:24.480 So look at that kind of word picture there. 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.440 Memphis shall bury them. 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:34.620 After reading this, I realized why Memphis, Tennessee has a pyramid in it now. 00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:39.200 I'm sure it was biblically inspired. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.159 That's what I'm thinking. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:44.679 Back at Bass Pro was reading Hosea 9 when they decided to buy it. 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:48.759 All right, back to seriousness. 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:52.000 Metals shall possess their precious things of silver. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.620 Thorns shall be in their tents. 00:13:55.620 --> 00:14:06.240 Okay, here's the direct word of application here in Hosea 9 is that false worship leads to ruin. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:11.299 False worship leads to ruin. 00:14:11.299 --> 00:14:17.440 In your own lives, we can think of cities, states, nations. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:21.399 False worship leads to ruin. 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:25.440 The psalmist writes often, why does it look like the wicked are prospering? 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.320 David writing that is not living in the same day as Hosea. 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:39.519 This was many years after, but this is what I think about when I read this. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:52.519 It looks like the idolaters of Israel are prospering and Hosea's main message is to say your prosperity is like vapor and the wind. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:57.000 And the Lord is not overlooking this. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:02.100 Brothers and sisters, it's easy for us to think of this in terms of idolatrous Israel. 00:15:02.100 --> 00:15:27.159 But when our heart creeps into loving something, loving something above what it should be, when we find ourselves with something in our life that we're either willing to sin to get or sin to keep, we found ourselves in a state, in a position of idolatry. 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:32.440 This is where we find our own hearts, even as Christians oftentimes. 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:36.919 Let's not think ourselves better than the people of Israel here. 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:41.419 It's easy to look back and think of how ridiculous they were. 00:15:41.419 --> 00:15:48.960 But how many times in our own hearts, in our own life, do we find ourselves needing to hair down and alter? 00:15:48.960 --> 00:16:01.120 Needing to tear down our own idol, little idol that we've built in our own mind, in our own heart, in our own life. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:05.899 And the Lord is not okay with that. 00:16:05.899 --> 00:16:07.519 I mean, he's okay with us tearing it down. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:09.279 That's what he wants, that's repentance. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:16.539 But he doesn't look lightly on the little idols that we build in our lives. 00:16:16.539 --> 00:16:18.799 He's going to bury them. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.320 He's going to destroy them. 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:26.779 And oftentimes, we're so grateful for that. 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:33.700 The days of verse seven, the days of punishment have come, the days of recompense have come. 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:35.720 Israel shall know it. 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:37.240 The prophet is a fool. 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:39.559 This is starting to sound like 1 Corinthians here. 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:41.159 The prophet is a fool. 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.659 The man of the spirit is mad. 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:49.120 This sounds like people making fun of Moses while building the ark. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:56.220 Or it sounds like 1 Corinthians where the gospel is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews. 00:16:56.220 --> 00:16:57.759 The apostles are ridiculous. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:00.480 The prophets are ridiculous. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:01.519 Prophet is a fool. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.159 The man of the spirit is mad. 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:05.759 Because, why do people view it that way? 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:09.880 Because of your great iniquity and great hatred. 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:20.880 It's the people's own wickedness that caused them to view the truth of God, the revelation of God as foolish, as mad. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:26.619 The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God. 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:31.200 Yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:37.440 So, Jose is here saying, look, I'm calling to be a prophet, a watchman of Ephraim with my God. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.640 God sent me a message for your good. 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:45.960 And yet, you seek to ensnare me, trap me, hunt me in all my ways. 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:50.960 And hatred is in hatred in the house of his God. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:58.740 He's pointing out that because of their wickedness, because of their idolatry, that they actually hate God. 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:02.440 And it's because they hate the words of his prophet. 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:07.319 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah. 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:09.160 He will remember their iniquity. 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.240 He will punish their sins. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:15.440 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:21.299 Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. 00:18:21.299 --> 00:18:24.079 This is a reference to God's delight. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:34.559 And what I have just written in here, an unlikely providence, that he said that he found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:36.420 That's not a common theme. 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:38.460 Let's put that into Arcanzan. 00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:43.000 It's like finding a blackberry bramble in the woods. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:52.660 You can pick of it's surprising delight, because usually those aren't found so easily. 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:55.740 Like the first fruit on a fig tree in its first season. 00:18:55.740 --> 00:19:03.599 Usually a fig tree does not bear fruit in its first season, or it bears little fruit in its first season. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:10.400 But yet, this is the way that God viewed Ephraim, Israel's forefathers. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:12.920 But they came to Baal-Pior. 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:16.940 This is a city that's just across the way from Gilgal. 00:19:16.940 --> 00:19:19.759 In verse 15, it talks about Gilgal. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:27.279 And Gilgal was the first encampment that Joshua settled or encamped at as he was conquering the land of Canaan. 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:32.279 So Gilgal was just across the Jordan River of Baal-Pior. 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:36.900 And so this is showing us where the influence came from. 00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:46.900 They were very close to the city of Baal, and they began to probably trade with the city next to them. 00:19:46.900 --> 00:19:58.259 And yet, before long, they began to share cultures and intermarry and begin to worship each other's gods as a result. 00:19:58.259 --> 00:20:03.140 They consecrated themselves to the theme of shame. 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:08.299 And it became detestable like the thing that they loved. 00:20:08.299 --> 00:20:11.140 Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird. 00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:14.779 No birth, no pregnancy, no conception. 00:20:14.779 --> 00:20:21.500 So Ephraim, again, was the great tribe in the Northern Kingdom. 00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:23.740 They were the most populous tribe. 00:20:23.740 --> 00:20:26.420 And God is going to judge them accordingly. 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:29.480 And here's a piece of information that you need. 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:35.420 Is that part of their idolatry, a large part of their idolatry, was participating in the fertility rituals. 00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:38.960 These were sexually immoral acts in Baal worship. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:45.259 And so God is judging them according to the very sin that they are committing. 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:48.319 And so he's gonna take away their fertility. 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:59.500 He's going to take away their children as they have been gained via idolatry, via spiritual adultery. 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:05.960 Even if, these are hard words to read, even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:09.059 Woe to them when I depart from them. 00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:15.140 Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow. 00:21:15.140 --> 00:21:19.380 But Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. 00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:24.279 Give them, oh Lord, what will you give? 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:28.980 Give them a miscarrying womb and a dry breast. 00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:43.920 These are very hard words to read, but this is the extent that God takes his worship so seriously. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:49.980 You cannot go to Baal for your infertility. 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:56.420 You cannot go to Baal to learn how to raise your children. 00:21:56.420 --> 00:22:01.019 You cannot raise your children in the nurture and admonition of Baal. 00:22:01.019 --> 00:22:07.099 God takes his worship this seriously. 00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:23.299 But go to the Lord your God, your gracious, heavenly Father, with your miscarriages, with your infertility, with your troubled children that you are trying to faithfully raise. 00:22:23.299 --> 00:22:27.019 Do not turn to other gods. 00:22:27.019 --> 00:22:32.579 God's calling you, worship me. 00:22:32.579 --> 00:22:36.099 Worship the Lord who has been faithful to your forefathers. 00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:44.759 Worship me who has offered you perfect and complete salvation in the promise seed which is Jesus Christ. 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:52.019 Do not go to the world, brothers and sisters, with your troubles. 00:22:52.019 --> 00:23:06.539 Do not go to the world, brothers and sisters, with your pursuit and ambition of prosperity, but serve the Lord, serve the Lord above all else and serve no other God. 00:23:06.539 --> 00:23:10.480 This is the message of Hosea 9. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:17.839 This is the great calling of repentance and it's because the Lord takes his worship this seriously. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:29.740 Now, just to finish, every evil, verse 15, every evil of theirs is in Gilgal where I began to hate them. 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:32.299 Remember Gilgal is right across the river Jordan. 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:35.759 This is where all this seemingly started. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:40.700 Because of the wickedness of their deeds, I will drive them out of my house. 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:43.000 I will love them no more. 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:45.420 All their princes are rebels. 00:23:45.420 --> 00:23:50.359 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up. 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:52.579 They shall bear no fruit. 00:23:52.579 --> 00:23:57.400 So the most fruitful tribe is now going to rot. 00:23:57.400 --> 00:23:59.500 It's now going to be dried up. 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:03.039 It's not going to be the fruitful garden that it has been. 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:07.059 Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. 00:24:07.059 --> 00:24:12.859 My God will reject them because they have not listened to him. 00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:17.579 They shall be wanderers among the nations. 00:24:17.579 --> 00:24:22.880 My God will reject them because they have not listened to him. 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:26.200 Now brothers and sisters, hold on. 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:31.339 In a few weeks, we're going to get to a great chapter of hope. 00:24:31.339 --> 00:24:44.859 But it is true that if we do not listen to God, if the nations do not listen to God, God will reject them because of that. 00:24:44.859 --> 00:24:47.779 Because we have not listened. 00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:49.140 We have not bowed the knee. 00:24:49.140 --> 00:25:02.460 We have not received, received the calling and wisdom and admonition of the very God, of very God. 00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:06.019 This is why he's rejecting them. 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:10.619 This seems dire, but I don't want to leave you without hope. 00:25:10.619 --> 00:25:12.779 Keep coming. 00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:16.359 A great chapter of hope is upon us. 00:25:16.359 --> 00:25:21.099 And the Lord does provide a way of salvation. 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:24.500 The Lord does provide this way of hope. 00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:33.339 Ephraim is in the end, not left with these dire and grim curses of the Lord. 00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:52.980 But yet there is a coming Savior, Jesus Christ, that all hope for Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, and it turns out all the nations, every tribe, nation and tongue, believes upon this man, Jesus Christ. 00:25:52.980 --> 00:26:03.180 Therefore, listening to the Lord and being not only removed from his judgment, but brought in to his blessing. 00:26:03.180 --> 00:26:12.779 That's the, not necessarily the message of Hosea 9, but that's the ending message of Hosea and truly all the New Testament. 00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:15.440 Praise God, thank you.