Hosea 4,5,&6

Sir Brian and Friends continue with the minor profit Hosea. God is not happy with Ephriam and Hosea is letting them know. However as always God shows grace even when Ephriam and Judah are being spoiled brats . Join us as we unpack more of Gods word. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:28

I learned that the very first time I held Harper. Um was you know, she wasn't expected to live, and I didn't get to hold her, like hold her, hold her till many weeks after she was born. But then I had this little child that fit perfectly, like in my arm. She was tiny, and there was nothing I would not have done to protect and still to keep her from being hurt.

SPEAKER_10 0:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

And I realized that that's and that also helped me clarify like, like, well, I suck at praying because I fall asleep. And I'm like, what a better place to fall asleep than in your father's arms. You know, that's that that clicked with me, and that's really resonated with me that we are children, and God sees us for that, but we often think of ourselves as adults, and we're like everybody else but us as children, so we point the finger. Like, why did you do that dumb thing you did? I don't know. I did it last week, but I'm gonna point the finger now.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Isn't isn't that funny? Like the necessity to to grow older than like I I think I tried to strive for adulthood when I was way too young. And and uh and I think that's a product of the secular world. What we are what we're all discussing presently. So uh I know I just think it's interesting. Like the little traps of uh of uh the secular world. So I think how we're supposed to focus on time as often as we do, you know?

SPEAKER_03 2:03

I don't know. Well it's like uh there was an island I was saw a thing, it's like in one of the Nordic countries, and when you choose to live there, you have to hang your watch on the bridge into town.

SPEAKER_12 2:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

Because they make it a point that time doesn't matter in the sense like obviously, you know, time and dates and years do matter, but in that sense of like.

SPEAKER_07 2:41

As usual, we have me Tommy, we have our reader, Sir Brian. Hello, and then we have our new leader of this particular chapter. He's also the leader of our congregation here. Don't hold that against him. Please don't say your name. My name is Scott Johnson. We are definitely very casual around here.

SPEAKER_09 3:01

We also have some special guests with us. Yeah, I'm back. It's um uh Sir Jacob. Paul. I'll be Sir Jacob. Sir Jacob, okay.

SPEAKER_07 3:11

And of course, as always, I'm Nathan. Here he is. He's always here to be. Um how's everybody's week started out so far? Everybody good? Everybody anything exciting to happen? Anything to report for our community? No, I had a good week. No. I think everything went really well. We had a baptism Thursday, yes. That was a cool thing. That was a very cool thing. At the gathering? At the gathering, yes. Um poor little thing was kind of lost and confused and dealing with some issues, and she decided that baptism was the first step in getting on the right track, and you all agree with that. Uh Scott was able to get that taken care of. Ew. Yes, it was good stuff. Um, and then we had our caseworkers work with her on her issues that she had, so yeah. There to go, she's a fantastic opportunity there that we have. And how many people we've been able to get into housing and treatments and everything else. It's it's been a very blessed uh ordeal. Yeah, I mean really. I mean, the fact that we brought them in is just fantasti or that God led them to us, actually. Because they found us. And that's usually how it works down there. They find us and then they never leave. Which is a fantastic way to get people help and to get people volunteering and serving in the community. So we had to hang out with Brian all day. Well, yeah, yeah. I mean learn about it. Even this afternoon at lunch, the poor little girl was starstruck by his we we talked about that being maybe a derogatory term, remember?

SPEAKER_03 4:41

Oh.

SPEAKER_09 4:42

What?

SPEAKER_03 4:43

He's trying to set you up for a hate crime that's not real.

SPEAKER_07 4:46

Yeah, it sounds like it. I had to edit it out that one time. Oh, okay. Yeah, that's the funny thing. Me, the guy that needs the most editing, is the one that's editing this thing. That's divine justice. That's the way you want it. Oh, is this divine justice or I I will I I will absolutely admit that the situations that we are in is just God and his sense of humor. Agreed, yeah. I mean, it it's he he I have a certain way of thinking, and it doesn't necessarily agree with everyone. I hadn't noticed. I know, right? Wow, not that I'm the controversial around, yeah. But God in his infinite comedic wisdom put me in a situation that has helped me with that, and it's also I'm seeing it in the community that we serve. I've had to get on them for their language specifically. I know everybody's shocked. I'm not sure. Me getting on some language because I I've worked I've worked in a still bill for 30 plus years. My language has not always been the best. But God put me in a situation where I'm the one going, hey, watch your language. We're at church. Which is it's again, God's we're growing. That's what we want. Yeah. If you ain't growing, you're dying. And really, when we first started this Bible study, it was like we should do a podcast, but I would have to be the one that got edited. We wouldn't do it because it was my fault. So again, God's comedic humor and even me on the at the perfect time.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Tom censored himself. Yeah, I know. It's Galatians like 84 or 12. I don't think Galatians has that necessary.

SPEAKER_07 6:32

Exactly. So, all right, let's get on with it. We got Hosea chapter 4. Sir Brian, give us our reading.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Listen to the word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel. For Yahweh has a contention. I'm gonna sorry, I need to I need to come on with my little Bible? No, my Bible.

SPEAKER_07 7:05

Oh, okay. I thought you had to eat a little reprint. No, no, no. I'm over here with sky visible.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Yeah, you can see it from an airplane. Sorry, I'll start again. Listen to the word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel. For Yahweh has a contention against the inhabitants of the land. Because there is no truth or loving kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing of oaths, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They break forth in violence, so that bloodshed follows the bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns. And everyone who inhabits it languishes, along with the beasts of the field, and the birds of the sky, and also the fish of the sea disappear. Yet let no man contend, and let no man offer reproof. Indeed, your people are like those who contend with the priest. So you will stumble by day, and the prophet also will stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. The emphasis. Since you have forgotten the law of your God.

SPEAKER_07 9:05

Okay. Again, another little smacks you in the face chapters, isn't it like James was?

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Yeah, this is where uh chapters one through three are like the 30,000 feet zoom of the beautiful redemption arc of the story. Now we're gonna get into the what does God specifically have against these people? And it starts off not good and it doesn't get a whole lot better for a while. So I like how Brian's uh trans it wasn't legacy translation that uses Yahweh. Um but mine says, Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel, the Lord has brought charges against you, saying there's no faithfulness, no kindness, and no knowledge of God in your land. Like this is where it starts reading like it's written right now. And so you have to go back to the Ecclesiastes thing that we always say, there is nothing new under the sun. However, God has a problem with it every time it rehappens under the sun. So um, but that that's a pretty big charge. There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land, and they're not talking about the Gentiles. No, they're talking about the Jewish people, right? Right. And he says in verse 2, you make vows, then you break them, you s kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere, one murderer follows another. That is why your land is mourning, everyone is wasting away, even wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. That's like the headlines.

SPEAKER_07 10:30

Yeah, it really is. And it's interesting because I get a lot of questions from people wanting to understand why things are the way they are, why that God will allow certain things to happen. And I I know the textbook answer is because of the fall. But I think what we need to see here is therefore the land mourns. Like that fall not only affected mankind, it infected the entire world. Right. So it's Rhodes chapter eight. Yeah, so it's like like storms that happen and volcanoes and earthquakes and all those things. It's all part of the land mourning for the fall and the loss of what we had in Shalom.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

True. But they're also the laws, like those things aren't bad in of themselves because they're laws of nature, right? Like like your water heater needs a pressure release. That's what volcanoes and weather serve for.

SPEAKER_04 11:31

I'm sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:31

You know, but those would not exist had the fall not happened. Right.

SPEAKER_07 11:36

Which is you know, so it's like Yeah, everything was perfect before the fall. And I think we focus a lot on mankind in this situation. Like it's you know, why do we have these things? We know why we have sin and why we we as people are flawed, but it also affects so much more than just us. It and and it it encompasses our entire environment.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

Yeah, and uh I think Paul hits it in Romans eight, where he talks about um the creation. He says in verse 18, yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory or reveal, for all creation is waiting eagerly for a future day when God will reveal his children against its will. Creation was subjected to God's curse, but with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know the creation has been growing, groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Exactly. So, like, even like sin is not just like this, oh, you did it and it's a tentacle virus. You know, sin is the disease, the symptom, but also affects it on a subatomic level.

SPEAKER_07 12:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

Right? Like the ground stopped producing always fruitful plants and begin to bring out thorns and weeds and thistles and things that were not there. Vegetables. Yeah, vegetables. Just cauliflower because it it failed.

SPEAKER_09 12:59

Tomato's a fruit, Tom, so you can't.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

I know.

SPEAKER_09 13:00

That's why I like tomatoes. It's a fruit.

SPEAKER_03 13:02

And it's a vegetable. I mean, it works either way. I'm cool with it.

SPEAKER_07 13:06

What is it? Veggie Tales? Veggie Tales? And what is what is the tomato's name?

SPEAKER_03 13:12

Bob.

SPEAKER_07 13:12

Bob.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

I knew there'd be somebody who knew it. But see, like, you make vows and break them. This this is almost like Sermon on the Mount stuff. Jesus says, Don't make oaths. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Because the point is you shouldn't have to add weight to your words. You could either say I'm going to do something or I'm not, and that's enough. But these people are like, I swear by the temple and 33 high priests on Perim that my mom is where she's supposed to be, or whatever. But that's not what's happening. They're doing, they're promising things breaking. You kill and steal and commit adultery. And then here's the cycle right here. There's violence everywhere, one murder after another. That's what happens with violence. Violence begets more violence. Exactly. You know, like, and I don't the people can't get that, but I get it because we're people. But then it goes in this, like you said, I think that's important. It's not just you all, us people who are feeling this, it's the entirety of creation on earth.

SPEAKER_07 14:09

And I think that right there is key when you say creation. Yes. And I went down a rabbit hole uh with uh God so loved the world. Gotcha and I. And in that context, it's his creation. Because the world is wicked and evil, and we're not supposed to be of this world. We're just here for a short spell. So I got, and this is maybe just me thinking too much about it or not thinking about it enough, but God so loved the world could I think be misinterpreted as well, he loves this world, as in the way it is.

SPEAKER_06 14:47

Difference between the the world is in creation and the world is in like Babylon.

SPEAKER_03 14:52

Yes. So in John's sense, it's the Babylon version. Exactly. The government, like the people, the spirit of antichrist. Yes. So that's what John is saying, God so loved the world, and that point is it's people.

SPEAKER_10 15:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 15:07

Any like every person.

SPEAKER_10 15:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

But in any other time John uses that word, it's the systems against God, the spirit of Babylon that we hear about.

SPEAKER_07 15:16

I think that's why I like creation better, because he created everything and he loves what he created.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

Right, and he does love the very good creation, but also understanding the world is the systems that are in place that are anti-God. Which is where the air comes from. Or all forms of peopling.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

You can't. You can also just as well say the secular world as well, too. Yeah, that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

And that's what Paul later calls the powers and principalities of the air. Right. The world and the demonic have a vested interest in keeping you away from God. And it even includes down to the creation itself. Yeah. Like think about it like the other day they had that half a mile wide tornado in Oklahoma. Only two people died, thank God. But I mean, like, that's a big tornado just out of nowhere. It wasn't even forecast, just popped up. I mean, a half a mile wide tornado. That's yeah. That's something you don't want to mess with. I mean, 300 mile an hour wind, that could pour your lungs out, you know, yeah. On the outside.

SPEAKER_04 16:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

And so um it's all this. So I love in Hosea, if we move on to verse 4, how he says, here's the situation in verses 2 and 3. Now he says, now before you start pointing at everyone else, right? He says, don't point your finger at someone else and try and pass the blame. My complaint is you, priest. So narrowing it down from the holy people to the holiest of the holy people, God is saying, the problem is my people are so corrupt from within that even their leaders are corrupt. And there's a whole chapter on Ezekiel 34, I believe, about corrupt shepherds. And that's not just a priest of Israel, that's leaders in charge of anything. Oh, yeah. And that.

SPEAKER_07 16:55

Absolute power.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

So they're listening to like, you tell us this what we want to hear, right? And some of these other minor prophets will actually see this play out where they're like, no, you go away because we don't like what you say. We want the prophets, we pay a lot of money to tell us what we want to hear. But Hosea is not that yet, but he he's calling out my complaint is with the priest, and he says in verse 5, basically he says, You will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you. He's thinking that they're walking by, you know, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, that they've got a grip on this. And he says, No, you're so blind, you're going to fall in broad daylight. And then your false prophets will fall at night, and I will destroy Israel, your mother. And then he says, My people are being destroyed because they don't know me. And since your priest refused, like, think of that. Like the priesthood to this point, even, hadn't been corrupted by the Romans yet. So it was still like following its pattern, but he says, You've become so gross that even the priest refused to know me. And then he says, So I refuse to recognize you as my priests.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 18:01

Yeah, that's mic drop right there. And again, this is just, you know, it nothing new under the sun. We keep doing the same thing over and over again. We see this in the New Testament with the Pharisees. It's the same situation. What have you done for the people? They're out here starving and in squalor, and you're sitting in your, like you said, rings in a suit and all that other stuff. You know, so even like it it's like a broken record, but unfortunately, as mankind, we need to hear the broken record over and over again. Right. Like quit messing up, guys.

SPEAKER_08 18:34

I need to remember. It's I think part of for me the difficulty with the walk is every single day I have to remember and put myself in this in this place of remembrance because it's easy to forget.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

Well, yeah, agreed. And it's easy to want to tune out. Yeah. That's my biggest thing is I'm not. It's like I just flip the channel or I don't need to know. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, no, but sometimes you do.

SPEAKER_10 18:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:56

And you know, I think this goes beyond just the Hosea context because he says the more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They've exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols, which Paul pulls out in Romans chapter 1 and 2. And so they were worshiping idols. We saw that with Gomer and all that in the first three chapters, but at the same time, what is the application has to be direct to us too. Like, obviously, we're not under Levitical priesthood. We can't look at that, but we do have ministers, we do have church leaders, we do have Christian leaders. So doesn't this passage then directly apply that we should pay attention to those?

SPEAKER_07 19:36

And I was going to say, like, and this is just more proof in the pudding that it is the living word of God. Because you could take everything we just read and apply it today, like you said, like the headline.

SPEAKER_03 19:47

And there would be no misinformation.

SPEAKER_07 19:48

There would be no misinformation in it.

SPEAKER_03 19:50

Yeah, there's no j conjecture or guessing. Maybe the circumstances are different, but other than that.

SPEAKER_07 19:57

Yeah, yeah. But it's the same. Yeah, 22,000 years later, it's still the same thing over and over again.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

And so um it's interesting, though, in the Masoretic text, which is a Hebrew tradition from the Syriac, um, it's in that where it says they have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols, it says, Um, I will turn their glory into shame. You know, like you thought you were the priesthood, but you're not. Like, I'm gonna chop you down. And so they've exchanged it, and they're worshiping, as we saw in the first three chapters, two plus gods at the same time, mostly themselves. And so God's pulling it out, like saying, It starts in my temple. This is where all this crap started, right?

SPEAKER_07 20:43

Correct me if I'm wrong. Um that is a very cultural uh issue as far as shame and honor.

SPEAKER_11 20:53

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 20:54

Like it it's almost like our what is it, guilty and innocent type scenarios today. Yes. If it was shameful, it was really bad, like you were guilty of something. You could be stoned or cast out or you know, ostracized. So it's interesting how that it it has gone from shame and honor to guilty or innocent.

SPEAKER_03 21:17

And that's the Western culture, like because we don't have that idea.

SPEAKER_10 21:22

Right.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

Like we have right and wrong, black and white, yes, innocent or guilty.

unknown 21:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 21:27

Over there, shame and honor. Very different like motivators and cultural, you know, mores, as Martin Luther King would call them, that they're anchored to. And I think the shame culture is a pretty powerful one because we have it. Yeah, it's just internet based and picky. It's not as it's point of the finger.

SPEAKER_07 21:47

Yeah, it's not as bad as what it would be in in pretty much every other culture, I think, isn't it? Like is the Western culture the only ones that Yes. 'Cause if like there are cultures that if they're shame, you'd like to.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Like the Asian, like uh like Japanese and what's that called? Yeah, yeah. And I mean, but they even had that in the Roman Empire. But that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_07 22:10

Like you even we don't have that here. But with King Saul, didn't he? He didn't fall on his sword. No.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

He was that. The armor bearer did help him, and then he got in trouble.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

To a degree we used to have things like this. Agreed. A man was only as good as his word. That doesn't exist in the world. Right. Especially when the word can be edited in a school and they taught me that you were supposed to lie. Right. It's expected to be a good idea.

SPEAKER_07 22:38

Situational ethics. Yes. That's a good one. Situational ethics.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

That completely ate the church in like the 1980s. People were crazy about that. Like there's these moral gray areas where it's okay to make stupid decisions. As long as it benefits me, it doesn't hurt anyone else.

SPEAKER_06 22:52

Right. It's weaponized in a different sense. Like we we definitely have people who are out there trying to cancel other people because of the something that said like fifty years ago. Right. Some mistake that they made, which might have been a legit mistake that or might not have been, it might just have been like a some perceived thing, like, hey, you crossed some cultural norm and that's against my cultural views. So it's it's not like based on the Bible anymore, usually.

SPEAKER_03 23:25

It's based on what made me offended in that moment. Right. And I'm going to shame you for it publicly. It's more of a tarred feathering approach.

SPEAKER_07 23:32

And again, I may be wrong and I may have to take this out. I don't know. But uh and and again, I I'm just kind of going by what I remember of the time, the Michael Vick incident. Yeah, but wasn't that culturally okay for his where he came from?

SPEAKER_03 23:51

I mean, it's always been part of America like rooster fighting and dog fighting, but like then we got rid of it. It's kind of like you realize, hey, this isn't smart. It's like this isn't helping anyone, nor is it good for anyone. So we eventually eliminated, passed laws against it as normally happens. But at that time, that was still a pretty big market, but you have to punish the guy because he broke the law. He's a high profile guy.

SPEAKER_07 24:15

Again, that goes into the Western culture. No, not excusing.

SPEAKER_03 24:18

Right.

SPEAKER_07 24:19

Not excusing that he did it here.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

Right.

SPEAKER_07 24:22

He could have done it in his wherever, and it would have been fine. But just because it's not a law there doesn't mean that it's a law here.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Right. But we can all, I think, agree that dog fighting is terrible.

SPEAKER_07 24:33

Well, yeah, absolutely. It is.

SPEAKER_03 24:35

But like. So it's just one of those things that people are shaming. But nowadays it's not stuff like it's like you used a word I didn't like. Which, yeah, we should be sensitive to how we say. Paul says our great speech should be seasoned with salt and grace. So I get it. But like we we worry so much about who offended me and how I can get retribution that like we're combing social media from 30 years ago to get people in trouble. Which maybe they need to if it was a crime and it was there. But like just saying, oh, when you were 15, you said this out-of-pocket thing, and now you're like 60 and we're gonna bring it back.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Yeah. But but again, it also goes back to that judge not less you be judge, because a lot of those people are hypocrites when they do these things.

SPEAKER_07 25:21

So um and it's funny because thinking about that, like I I knew a gentleman that had to go do something to basically prove his innocence or his guilt. And they brought up something that happened like thirty years beforehand as some kind of uh what's the word I'm looking for? Um precedent or like computer. Yeah, precedent of well, he's wrong because he did it thirty years ago. Well, thirty years ago was a little bit more than a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

If it's like murder or something like that, yeah, you you there's no statute of limitation. I get that. But if you say something stupid as a kid, right, which one of us hasn't done that?

SPEAKER_07 26:00

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

But we learn and we do better, right?

SPEAKER_07 26:02

Yeah. Even what we're talking about, uh first three chapters. Yeah. I mean, if if he didn't forgive Gomer, and if God doesn't forgive Israel, we're not here.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

We're wasting our time.

SPEAKER_07 26:15

Yeah. I mean, it's all about the forgiveness and letting the past be the past and moving forward.

SPEAKER_08 26:21

Otherwise, bloodshed will be bloodshed. Be gotten more bloodshed.

SPEAKER_07 26:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 26:26

Very good. It will become a nationalized policy.

SPEAKER_03 26:29

Beyond the running man, without the running man. So let's so keep all that in mind, but then let's go through verse eight through um, well, wherever Brown wants to stop reading. Because I was gonna zoom in in even more. Yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against me. I will change their glory into disgrace. They eat the sin of my people, and lift up their soul toward their iniquity. And it will be like people, like priests. So I will punish them for their ways, and cause their deeds to return to them. They will eat but not be satisfied. They will play the harlot, but not break forth in number, because they have forsaken Yahweh to keep harlotry. Harlotry, wine, a new wine to take away a heart of wisdom. My people ask their wooden idol, and their diviner's wand declares to them, for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played the harlot, departing from their god. The offer, sorry, they offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oak, popular, and terrible, because their shade is good. Therefore, your daughters play the harlots, and your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, or your brides, when they commit adultery, for the men themselves go apart with harlots and offer sacrifices with cult prostitutes, so the people without understanding are ruined. Though you Israel play the harlot, do not let Judah become guilty. Also do not go to Gilgal, nor go up to Bethaven, and swear the oath as Yahweh lives. Since Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn heifer, can Yahweh now feed them like a lamb in a large field? Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone. Their drink gone, they play the harlot continuingly. Their rulers dearly love disgrace. The wing binds them up in its wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Yikes.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

Just gets more positive, huh? Yeah, that's what you said last week that it gets into calling them heifers. Yeah. This isn't even the part where God calls the women heifers. Yeah. That's on a different prophet. What's interesting, I think, about this is talk about the priest and the sin offerings. So the priests are glad here when people sin. Why do you think that is in the context? Because they have to give more offerings. And they get more what? More food. Yeah. So they're glad. So the more people sin, the more priests receive. So you can see how this sets itself up because they couldn't eat all the offerings themselves. They would sell them and give it to their relatives. And the priests, when sin increased, profited and it gave them wealth, power, and prestige.

SPEAKER_07 30:46

If I remember correctly from our earlier study, isn't there something very, very, very bad about anyone eating other than the Levites? Yep. Eating of that. They're the only ones. They're the only ones that are able to eat of it. And sometimes their family can, but it's direct family, I think. It's like the household. Yeah, yeah. Like it wouldn't be like selling to your cousins or your whatever. But if it was like you, your wife, your children.

SPEAKER_03 31:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 31:13

You know. You you could eat that.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

But there were some that those were not allowed to eat. Right.

SPEAKER_07 31:18

Exactly. Yeah. So it's like, again, you know.

SPEAKER_03 31:21

So God's saying you may be glad that people are sitting and you're getting more food, but look what he says they will eat in verse 10 and still be hungry. Yeah. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing, for they have deserted the Lord to worship false gods. And then he says, Wine is rob my people of any knowledge. They ask a piece of wood for advice and they think a stick can tell them the future. I mean, we laugh at that, but like that's playing out in real time. Like the occult and neo-paganism and all these things are very much prevalent. And God points to the source of these, but again, the source isn't necessarily the people, it's the leaders of the people who are supposed to know better. Right? And I the I I hope that you can see like the top-down function here. Like whatever's going on with the people who should be representing God is going to trickle down to whomever is below there, and they're going to exhibit the same behaviors. Which is not. But then you get that vicious cycle of, oh, you're so sinful. But that's because it fills our belly more and the temple treasury goes up. Yeah. Because you're making all his offerings, the temple's busy. So it's like uh Prototella evangelism, is what we'll call this. Protela? But then he just says you're foolish, like you're heifers, you're stubborn cows, and what can I do for you? And then he warns uh in verse 15. Well, let me go back to 13. He says, This is why your daughters turned to prostitution and your daughters-in-law could commit adultery, but I'm not going to punish them. Why? You men do the same thing. Finally, someone holds men accountable and not just women. But, like, I mean, there it is. It's like, why would I judge them when you do it? He says, You're sinning with whores and shrine prostitutes. Let the audience understand that part of ancient worship in this time to make a revelation complete in those temples was to have sex with that male or female prostitute. That sealed the oracle or the revelation. You know, you can see what if Satan invented a religion, how this takes off. I mean, it appeals to every possible thing that makes us happy and instant gratification.

SPEAKER_07 33:31

Yeah, desire to be a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

You know, we got food, we got drink, we got sex, we got prostitutes, we got worship however you want.

SPEAKER_07 33:37

Yeah, I think it's interesting because it says shrine prostitutes. I'm like, why are prostitutes in the shrine at all?

SPEAKER_03 33:43

These were pagan shrines. Yeah. Israel was leaving the temple and then going to sleep with pagan shrine prostitutes.

SPEAKER_07 33:49

Yeah, which is in Jesus is so, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, what have you done? You know, with the it wasn't shrine prostitutes, but it's the It's the violence and rejection of God. Yeah, it's the exchanging of the money and selling people and killing every prophet. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 34:07

I mean, it's just Yeah, and so he says, You're you're foolish and you refuse to understand. And then verse 15, though Israel you are a prostitute, may Judah not be guilty of these. So remember, we're in a civil war situation in the divided kingdom. Judah hasn't been in trouble yet, but they're not exempt. There's other prophets getting them in trouble at the same time, just not Hosea. Um he says, Should the Lord feed her like a lamb in a lush pasture, leave Israel alone, because she's married to idols. Um then he says, When the rulers of Israel finish their drinking, they go to find prostitutes. They love shame more than honor, so a mighty wind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices to idols will bring them shame. Again, back with the shame.

SPEAKER_12 34:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:53

You know. Um, one of the things that I was looking at too was uh will not be filled, right? And how many times have we talked about it and said we're trying to fill a hole in us that only God can fill?

SPEAKER_08 35:12

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says, uh, just as man invented an engine to run on petrol, so God invented us to run on him. Yeah, I like that in the marriage.

SPEAKER_07 35:23

Um but yeah, and and that was one of the defining moments for me in my journey here at Crosspoint is it's exactly right. What am I trying to fill my emptiness with? And that's when I started realizing that my identity was in Christ, my identity is not in the world and other things of the world. Like again, Paul says to be content in whatever you have, whether it's plenty or less. And I have been plenty and less. And again, I I am much happier with less. I'm much happier with less things and better relationships, better personal relationships. Having these groups, and it all started from our prayer thing at the old building. I was asked to read a book, and I started reading the book, and the thing I got out of it was how important having these studies, having these small groups, having something to give you a foundation. And if you have this foundation, use it. And we've used it a lot in the support group that we have here. You know, if a brother or sister is struggling or in need, reach out. How many times have you sent a prayer to somebody? How many times have I sent a prayer to somebody because they ask for prayers? You know, write out, even if it's in a text, write it out because the person will read it, and it'll be a prayer that they say that you said.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

Or you can even make voice notes sometimes. I'll do it's like me praying for them while they listen.

SPEAKER_07 36:59

Yeah, we've done that before too. Yeah. And and it's so prevalent to have that support system. And that's what I love about what we do at the gathering. We are a support system. I mean, granted there are bad eggs in the match, there always will be, but for the most part, we are there as a support system to give a leg up. True, true. It's a it's it's a it's an opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

We provide that opportunity.

SPEAKER_07 37:22

Yeah. And like I said earlier, I've seen so much change where even our community is saying, hey, this is a church. Reminding other and you know how gratifying that is? Yeah. That's like one of your kids doing exactly what you told them to do. Before you had to tell them. Yeah, exactly. Like clean your room and it's already clean. You're like, oh wow, you know.

SPEAKER_03 37:44

It's like, what do you want? Not kidding.

SPEAKER_07 37:46

Yeah. What are you about to ask?

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Yeah, I mean But without that. They just did it because they wanted to.

SPEAKER_07 37:52

Right. Because they're starting to understand and they're starting to respect everything that they have and everything that you've done for them, that you've shown them, you know.

SPEAKER_01 38:01

And I think that's agree, agree, or or like with our our gatherings perspective, they go to a lot of places like-minded. Yes. Or that we think are like-minded, yes, and they are not. Yeah. Uh, and and and they hear a lot of the same things, and just who means it? So then they start coming and they realize day after day that it's like, no, these guys actually mean it. This could be that place.

SPEAKER_07 38:25

So I think I said it one of our other podcasts, you know, telling them that we love them. Yes, how many times have we de-escalated something just by saying, Brother, I love you, or sister, I love you. And then all of a sudden it's like they're like, oh my god, he they really do. They really do. They really do, you know. And I think that is one of the biggest keys to making that transformation. Showing them that God loves them, that we love them, because we are all image bearers of God. So yeah, it starts at the top and trickles down. It does.

SPEAKER_03 38:55

And they're not doing a good job in this part of the neither are we, like sometimes.

SPEAKER_07 39:01

But you know, well talks about, I think your version said sticks, and it it's basically just talking about the idols. It's the statues, the the whatever it is that they're nothing, and they're putting all this trust and faith in, like you said, a stick. Because that's really what it is.

SPEAKER_03 39:20

Because God wants them to see how ridiculous that is.

SPEAKER_07 39:22

Yeah, that's the one we laughed at it in in and when we read it, because that's how we see it is like that idol or that golden calf or that wooden doll, the one who was it that sat on the house idol and hit it? Was it patriarchs? Ruth wife.

SPEAKER_03 39:39

It wasn't Ruth. I think it was it was uh Rebecca or Rachel or whoever.

SPEAKER_07 39:45

I'm starting to see a trend there. It was our Rig Bow album, too, isn't there?

SPEAKER_03 39:50

Yeah, he's uh not a good king.

SPEAKER_07 39:52

Oh, that was a good guy. Okay, I thought that was a female, okay. All right, let's go on with five, Brian. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_01 40:01

Hear this, O priests. Give heed, O house of Israel. Give ear, O house of the king, for the judgment is for you. For you have been a snare at Nizbar, and a net spread out at Tabor, and the revolters have dug deep into slaughtering, but I will chastise all of them. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot. Israel has defiled itself. Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know Yahweh. Moreover, the pride of Israel answers against him. And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity. Judah also has stumbled with them. They will go with their flocks and herds to seek Yahweh, but they will not find him. He has withdrawn from them. They have dealt treacherously against Yahweh. For they have borne the children of strangers. Now the new moon will devour them with their portions. Blow the horn of Judea, the trumpet of Rama. Make a loud shout at Beth Aven. Behind you, Benjamin. Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of reproof. Among the tribes of Israel, I will make known what is true. The princess sorry, my apologies, I'll say that again. The princes of Judah have become like those who have who move a boundary. On them I will pour out my wrath like water. Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to walk after man's command. And therefore I will like a moth to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah. Then Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his sore. So Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jerob, but he is unable to heal you or to cure you of your sore, for I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. I will go away and return to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In the refliction, they will seek me earnestly.

SPEAKER_07 43:43

I like the uh the title of this particular chapter in the LSB. It says Yahweh withdraws from Israel. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 43:53

Think about the the significance of that. Israel is only Yahweh's and Yahweh leaves them.

SPEAKER_07 44:03

Yikes.

SPEAKER_03 44:04

If God says I'm leaving.

SPEAKER_07 44:05

Yeah, yeah. Like I'm giving you up to your your vices and let you basically ruin yourself within. And until you're flat on your back and nowhere to turn, that's when you'll come back to me. Which says a lot about the grace.

SPEAKER_03 44:21

Yeah, I was gonna say there's a lot of grace in there.

SPEAKER_07 44:24

Like it sounds really harsh, but he also gives that room there. Like, I'm gonna go away until you completely mess it up, and then I'll be here when you come back.

SPEAKER_03 44:34

Yeah, it's not even like he's going, it's like the prodigal son almost. Like, I'm still here. Yeah, I'm just not answering you.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

Because until you acknowledge the truth, I won't acknowledge you. And I think this, again, I love this book because it's so much like Romans, because this part, like verse 4 of chapter 5, like the persistent sin, like hardens a person's heart, making repentance from that sin difficult. So the more you do that sin, the more you get comfortable with it, the harder it is for you to repent because it gets so ingrained. And eventually God says in Romans 1, Paul says that God will give you over to the desires of your flesh and the lust and all of that stuff, right? Um, but we have to remember because of this, some theologies will say, Well, that's it, you're done for. But here, what you just brought out. There's grace at the end, like verse 15. Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, then they will earnestly search for me. God knows we use him as a fire extinguisher a lot. And so that's I think why C.S. Lewis uh talks about God using pain as his megaphone to people because it's going to get your attention, not because God's mean, but you've brought the pain upon yourself, and that's what gets your attention. And so that's what I think God is saying this is gonna happen. You're going to see what you did, you're gonna call on me, and when you finally do the right thing, I will be there. But until then, no.

SPEAKER_07 46:04

That's wild. Oh, yeah. And again, I I I I'm going back into what I have seen and and learned. It's like these are all examples of parenthood. Yeah. And he is our father, and he gives us stewardship to be a dad and a mother, to be able to care for the people. Okay. So how many times have you know my I'm Gen X growing up? It's like we they let us put our finger in the light socket. They let us touch the hot burner, you know. It wasn't like we tried to shield them and protect them beforehand. Because we figure once you learn it that way, you won't do it again. Which here we have the example of God saying, I'm gonna leave you to your own devices, and when it finally gets to be enough, you'll come back and I'll be here. So I kind of feel like there's a lot of similarities in that where maybe we've taken that away and maybe we need to go back to more of the because we need to learn the hard way. We're stubborn. I mean, most of our rebellion is about being stubborn.

SPEAKER_03 47:16

It always is. About selfishness or meeting an instant need that we feel needs gratified in that moment. No matter how noble we can make that sound.

SPEAKER_07 47:25

Right. And that's definitely uh what I see as a dad, and I think God as well, is there is no instant gratification in children. Right. It's the long game, which is why he is so patient with us, and he gives us the opportunity to return, to go ahead and do it your way, and then when it messes up, I'll be right back. Right. And, you know, I talked about that yesterday, you know, abiding in his presence, dwelling in his presence, you know, being with God. When God is first, everything else is going to be so much easier and better. Not that you won't have trouble, but you'll know that God is with you.

SPEAKER_03 48:13

It's like the stage my kids are in, 10 and 13, they think they know everything. And I'm like going in there and I'm like, I'm trying to give you the cheat codes, guys. I'm telling you exactly what to do to not meet the same consequences. And they're like, cool, let's just do it again.

SPEAKER_07 48:27

And I'm glad you said that because it brings me to even another point. As a dad and a mom, and I've got some dads in the room, you know exactly what the kids are going to do that's gonna set mom off. And the last thing you you want is mom coming to you saying, do something with your children. Because they're always our children when they're bad. Yes. Yep. So rightly so. We we we go to them and say, please, please don't do this. Please don't upset your mother.

SPEAKER_03 48:58

It's like just take the trash out. This is backpack B.

SPEAKER_07 49:01

This is the Konami cheat code. And like you said, it's the cheat code. We give them freely the cheat code. God gave us the cheat code.

SPEAKER_03 49:09

And they're like, Yeah, I'm gonna do my way. That's exactly what's happening. Exactly.

SPEAKER_07 49:14

Nothing new. I had never put those two together until he said that, which is fantastic to me. The cheat code you like. The Bible is the cheat code. It is.

SPEAKER_03 49:23

But how about listen to it? But how many times are we reading you like, yeah, I don't like that way, God. I'm gonna switch over to the New Testament, something lovier. You know, and then you read it's like Revelation that was blood to the horse's mane. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_07 49:38

Yeah, maybe I don't want to go to the house. Maybe I don't want to go there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:41

Um But it's but it's right, because we are children all the time before God. No matter how smart we think we are, no matter how old we are, we're still children.

SPEAKER_07 49:50

My favorite scene in the red one red one, the rock and I love that movie.

SPEAKER_03 49:58

It's awesome, isn't it? Everybody's like, that's lame. I'm like, that's the coolest Christmas movie I've seen. It is.

SPEAKER_07 50:03

You've got Rock, you've got Chris Evans, you've got J.K. Simmons, I think is his name. Yeah. The guy that played Jake Jones.

SPEAKER_06 50:09

J.K.

unknown 50:09

Simmons.

SPEAKER_07 50:10

So at the end, the Rock.

SPEAKER_03 50:14

We're about to do a spoiler alert, because if we're doing a podcast, you have to say spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_07 50:17

Spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_03 50:18

If you haven't seen this movie, you're gonna want to skip.

SPEAKER_07 50:20

Yeah. At the end, The Rock decides not to retire because he sees people the way that Santa in this particular movie sees them. How God sees us, his children. And the show The Chosen, there's a scene where it's the same situation. Jesus sees them as children. And once you can look at people like children and realize, and I said this yesterday, forgive them they know not what they do. Yeah, agree, but they are children. Even you could be 96 years old. You're still a child of God, and he sees you that way. He sees you with that same, oh, they're so cute and loving and everything else.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

You know, I learned that the very first time I held Harper. Um, she wasn't expected to live, and I didn't get to hold her, like hold her, hold her till many weeks after she was born. But then I had this little child that fit perfectly, like in my arm. She was tiny, and there was nothing I would not have done to protect and still to keep her from being hurt.

SPEAKER_10 51:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:25

And I realized that that's and that also helped me clarify like, like, well, I suck at praying because I fall asleep. And I'm like, what a better place to fall asleep than in your father's arms. You know, that's that that clicked with me, and that's really resonated with me that we are children, and God sees us for that, but we often think of ourselves as adults, and we're like everybody else but us as children, so we point the finger.

SPEAKER_11 51:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:53

Like, why did you do that dumb thing you did? I don't know. I did it last week, but I'm gonna point the finger now.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

Isn't that funny? Like the necessity to to grow older than like I I think I tried to strive for adulthood when I was way too young. And and uh and I think that's a product of the secular world. What we are what we're all discussing presently. So uh I know I just think it's interesting. Like the little traps of uh uh the secular world. So I think how we're supposed to focus on time as often as we do, you know?

SPEAKER_03 52:38

I don't know. Well it's like uh there was an island I was saw a thing, it's like in one of the Nordic countries, and when you choose to live there, you have to hang your watch on the bridge into town.

SPEAKER_12 52:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:48

Because they make it a point that time doesn't matter in the sense like obviously, you know, time and dates and years do matter, but in that sense of like a scheduled busy rush, you can work your job whenever you want. If it's three in the morning in the dark, fine. Yeah, yeah, you know, that kind of thing. But I think that's kind of neat.

SPEAKER_07 53:06

Yeah, I think I've seen that. Uh and that reminds me of the story of the miners. There were miners that were trapped, and I think only the one guy had a watch. And they would ask him how what time it is, how long has it been? And the guy with the watch lied to them. It had been two hours, but he said it'd only been an hour. Everyone survived except for the guy with the watch. Because he knew the truth. Because he knew the truth. And I don't know if that's a wives' tale, if that's true or not. I've heard that. I will honestly tell you, I stopped wearing a watch after that. I have not worn a watch since then, and that was when I was in high school 30 some years ago.

SPEAKER_03 53:45

They just didn't have digital yet.

SPEAKER_07 53:47

I mean, I've bought the smart watches, I've had but they are annoying. For some reason, I have like I have to look at watches when I see watches. I want to go look at them. And I love the fact that we had swatch watches. Yeah. I know they're like old now, but I think they started to come back maybe. I'm not sure, but I would love to have one of my swatch watches again, but at the same time, I would never wear it.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

It's like um the opposite side of that for another reason, but same point is the Japanese uh kamikaze pilots in World War II would one of the things I remember reading was he was like, I removed my watch and looked at it one more time for where I was going, I wouldn't need to know anymore. And it's like that's dark, but it's but like he understood the assignment, like he knows he's not coming back. Yeah, but like he's like, and then I learned time really didn't matter at all, and it was too late.

SPEAKER_07 54:39

And that's something that we've touched on here a lot is we're so focused on eternity that we forget that eternity starts with baptism.

SPEAKER_11 54:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 54:52

Giving yourself over to Jesus, to to walking in his light, his world. Eternity starts then. I'm of I'm a guilty as charge. I said that when I retired from my job, I was gonna start this walk of ministering and helping people. And God broke my shoulder, and now I'm doing it right here in my backyard, you know, and doing it right now. I didn't have to wait the five years to retire. The kingdom of heaven is a present reality. It is, it absolutely is. Again, it's a living word. And it's eternal.

SPEAKER_03 55:24

It doesn't end and it doesn't begin.

SPEAKER_11 55:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:26

That's incomprehensible to us. It is the side of eternity.

SPEAKER_07 55:29

And I I always refer back to that great doctor who's Gordon, here's a who. You know, a speck on a puffball. Right. You know, when you look at that and you see that there's a whole world inside of that little puffball, then it zooms out to the puffball. And then even in the last scene of Men in Black, he kicks the locker door open and there's giant aliens walking around in there, you know. Galaxies with the galaxies.

SPEAKER_03 55:57

Yeah. It always has been. That's why they push everything off.

SPEAKER_08 55:59

Yeah, and it funny enough, I think in that scene in Men in Black, he opens the locker door and they're worshiping a watch.

SPEAKER_03 56:06

Yeah. I think you're right. Yeah. Cue the wild music. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 56:14

Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 56:16

Technically sounded like Doctor Who. So in six here, he's gonna tell them how to come back.

SPEAKER_07 56:22

Now, something else before we move into that, I want to I want to bring up. In the very first part of five, it says, Give heed, O house of Israel, and there's a lot of emphasis on Israel. We need to make it very clear that it's the people. Israel is the people. Yes. Jacob, right, gets to renamed as Israel. My people Israel. It has nothing to do with the geographic location. Right. It's a people. And I think that's important. Well, that's really important to me.

SPEAKER_03 56:55

Yeah, yeah. I mean I mean, you know, you're told you have to support this country that's only existed since 1948. Yeah, yeah. And it caused its its very existence, not because it's Israel, but because the United Nations just chopped up a bunch of tribal lands and said, let's slap this here.

SPEAKER_07 57:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:12

It's been in a constant war ever since.

SPEAKER_07 57:15

Yeah. And I think something else to note here is remembering we talked about creation, all of creation is God. Yeah, it's not bound by geography. Not bound by geography, flat, round, hot dog shaped, whatever you want to call it. So I just think that's an important thing to note. Yeah. And in today's culture, today's and even when I was in high school was the same way.

SPEAKER_03 57:38

Well, it's like I I said yesterday I sent that to a censorship group because I had seen so many Christians posting like, you have to do this, or else you're not a good Christian. You have to support this. And it's like, no, that Israel is, and and people would disagree. It's not the same. It's not the same at all. Paul makes the case the church became the fulfillment of Israel because Christ was the fulfillment of Israel. Therefore, God has no geographic boundaries anymore. It's not a place. God loves Israel's people just as much as he loves Iran's people. Yeah. Just as much as he loves Saudi Arabia's people, just as much as he loves the people of Papua New Guinea. There is no like no differential. And I mean Jonah makes that clear. Yeah. You know, God really has that. And a lot of these other prophets are going to be like that. And Jesus even says, I have sheep you know nothing about. Absolutely. You know, like God is not bound by land and borders, which comes into play big in the New Testament with Paul's theology because the gods lowercase G that are actually demons are bound by geographic borders because God disinherited them at the Tower of Babel.

SPEAKER_07 58:39

Absolutely. And it's interesting because you said there um the people of Israel and the locations, and it's just that is definitely something that we need to make sure that we make sure everybody knows that they understand that we are all his. Yeah. There is no like I know that Halloween is a contention point. You know, oh, that's Satan's day. No, Satan doesn't get a Satan's Satan doesn't get a day. Satan gets his judgment. Yeah, he doesn't get a day. It's not like a king, a prince.

SPEAKER_03 59:13

He's not getting a special send-off. God didn't Hell is invented for him.

SPEAKER_07 59:18

Yeah, and his demons. Yeah, and that's and again, I like how you said that the lowercase Gs are the demons. Yeah. And to me These are the sticks that Israel is bowing down to worship. Yeah, exactly. To me, it's so prevalent and it makes so much sense in the world to me, but again, that's me and my journey. So Right.

SPEAKER_03 59:36

Well that's a good point to bring up. I'm glad you did.

SPEAKER_07 59:39

All right. On to six, Mr. Brian. Well.

SPEAKER_01 59:44

Come, let us return to Yahweh. For he has torn us, but he will heal us. He has struck us, but he will bandage us. He will make us alive after two days. He will raise up. Sorry, he will raise us up on the third day that we may live before him. So let us know, let us pursue to know Yahweh. His going forth is established as the dawn. And he will come to us like the rain. Like the light rain watering the earth. What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loving kindness is like a morning cloud. And like the dew which goes away early. Therefore I have hewn put them in pieces by the prophets. I have killed them by the words of my mouth. And the judgment is on you. For I delight in loving kindness rather than sacrifice. And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering. But like Adam, they have trespassed against the covenant. There they have dealt treacherously against me. Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity with a track of blood. And as raiders wait for a man who saw a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem. Surely they have committed lewdness in the house of Israel. I've seen an appalling thing. Ephraim's horatory is there. Israel has defiled itself. Also, O Judah, there is a harvest set for you. When I restore the fortunes of my people.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:29

Well, verse 4 says, What should I do with you? Because your love vanishes like the morning mist, disappears like the dew. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces, to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:45

That's heavy. Yeah, I I like that because we go back into talking about everything is his, you know, and if you really dissect the Old Testament, anytime there is a war or a uh conquering of things, God does it first. Yeah, usually nobody else has to. Nobody else has to. And right there it says, I have killed them by the words of my mouth.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:12

Like if he can speak all of existence into the creation, he can definitely erase it as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:19

And then also that sword thing comes into play again as this is not a physical sword. No. This is the word of God. Word of God. Right? Like when Jesus comes, he's not going to hack down everyone in a valley of blood called Armageddon. Yeah. You know, it's he's going, it says he will judge the nations by the sword that comes out of his mouth. Yes. Which is his words, right? And that's what God says. I sent my word to you. You cut the prophets apart, right? Like I sent them to cut you to pieces, you slaughter to slaughter you with judgments as inescapable of light. But then Jesus picks up on this part. This next one is Jesus quotes to the Pharisees, I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:08

I love that this is the Old Testament because so much of the New Testament is absolutely paramount to the Old Testament because again, Jesus says it and quotes it. And that's just more, you know, there where he says that. You know, it's like it it all fits into place. There is forgiveness and grace in the Old Testament where most people focus on the destruction and the conquering and all those things. But it it's there is grace in the Old Testament, but for some reason, as always, as humans do, we focus on the misery. It's easier to do. But why, though?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:48

I don't understand why. It's just because we're in it more. I think we hear it all the time. It's just whether we're directly in it, we're still hearing, seeing, and you know, dealing with bits of it. So I think it's easier for us to look at that than to. I mean, even psychology says if you say one bad thing about yourself, you're supposed to say ten things to reaffirm that negative thing. Which is crazy. Because that's how quickly negativity and anger and hatefulness rewire God's chemistry of your brain and how you're supposed to fake.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:19

Yeah, and and we went to the Winterfest, and I know the state of the world. And as we're walking around Winterfest, I didn't see the state of the world there. No. Everybody was going about their business as usual, everybody was enjoying their time, they were sightseeing, and I mean people were still being people.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:42

It's like I said this morning, anger and rest cannot coexist at the same time. So when you're together with God's people, it's often a rest and you forget the troubles of the world, right?

SPEAKER_12 1:05:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:52

Like, so there's nothing to be offended at in those moments because you're getting as close to heaven as you can with all those people worshipping. God, even you're in the tourist trap of the East Coast, you're in Gatlinburg, you can still find joy there. You know, and if Gatlinburg isn't for you, go out to the mountains.

SPEAKER_10 1:06:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:08

But it I think the point is you have to be intentional to not let your default be negative. That's the point there. People don't think that's it. And that's the mental fight because everything is so freaking negative. And I disagree with you. But I mean it's not really. It's just how we see it. It's how we perceive it. It's our perception. We have to learn to set up like the the the walls to block that.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:32

Yeah, and and a lot of times I'll hear people say, Oh, I'm sick all the time. And they're really only sick maybe a week, maybe two. It's like you know we have doctors year year round. Right. 365 days, 52 weeks a year, and you might have two or three where you don't feel good. Yeah. But you focus so much on that, and again, going back into the concepts of time and how we look at it. Uh, if you're sitting at work, you know, your 10-minute lunch break goes by in like two seconds. Right. Right. You know, but when you're off of work, you got like 16 hours off of work. But at some point, you start dreading hours before you have to go to work, and then you you sit there and stare at the clock going, please hurry up, please hurry up, please hurry up.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:18

I'm envy I'm envious of you guys. Well, because uh my my ADHD, uh like I have no time perception. Uh sometimes people like you like you said, you can you sometimes it's minutes have gone by or uh or sometimes uh you feel as though it's been hours and it's only been minutes and stuff like that. That's me all the time. Because I I I don't. I really just don't know. Uh and I and I can't really perceive it well. So uh that's why I wear a watch. And and it's and it's generally to look down it and like, okay, good. I don't have to be a lot of time. Seven hours passed.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:56

And you know, it's it's it's interesting how that is, though, you know, because we know that God is outside of time and space. We know that one second is like a thousand years, or a thousand years is like one second. But he also gave us time. Exactly. You know, he gave us the grace period, wouldn't you just day and night, night and day. Yeah, you know, it's it's fantastic that we have that. But again, we focus too much on the negative. I have said that for years. Oh, yeah. We focus on the misery. We never we don't really go with gratitude. Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:29

And gratitude rewires your brain.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:31

Yeah, and I think that's been my biggest change over the last four years now. Yeah. Being grateful even in the struggles. You know, even though there are times that it's hard or it's rough, I'm able to praise and realize that I am dwelling with God and God will see me through this. And that there is a lesson, stubborn as I am, to be learned in what I'm going through. Like, again, how many times have I said it to you and you and you, you know, I would not be the man I am today had I not been through some of the hardships that I've been through. I would be the self-inflicted ones. Yeah, I mean, in a way, they're kind of almost all self-inflicted ones. I mean, yeah, because you're not following God's will. But at the same time, it's like, what would my life be like? Like sometimes in my prayers, I'll say, Thank you for not giving up on me.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:36

Because you chased after me recklessly. Recklessly chased after. And that's why I love the prodigal son. The father runs out. And if you know anything about how that plays out, the father would not be running. More than likely, he would have had to hold his robes and hold his robes on. Yeah, his ankles would have been showing, which all of these things would have been shameful to him. But he doesn't care. He doesn't care, but it takes away from the shamefulness of the sun. It's him protecting the sun even when he went off and squandered everything. Which is just, again, examples of what God does for us, what Jesus did for us. He took it to the cross so that we don't have to.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:28

It's like a church sign I saw many moons ago before I was even a Christian, but then clicked in later and said, If you thank if you went to bed tonight and thank God for everything you had today, what would you wake up in the morning with if you only received what you thanked God for? And I was like, oh. Like so many of our thanks are like tertiary things, like money in the and those are all good things, right? But like I I make it a point, you know, yeah, we have a house, like kids, I thank God, and I teach my kids like thank God for your your clothing, your food, transportation, even something as silly as getting gas is an obstacle to to perhaps billions of people. And we just get to freely do it and don't even think about it. We flip a switch, light comes off, we turn a tap, water comes out. We're in the minority of that. Like around the world, there are so many other places where that just doesn't happen. And if you do, you're gonna get some disease. Um and yet here we are taking it for granted. Yeah. But I think that's where verse six and seven come in here, and that ties it together. It's like the Holy Spirit is working. I want you to show me love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want your burnt offerings.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:44

Which is fantastic because of the correlation it has with the New Testament. And we've talked a lot about it is uh the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, and the Pharisees and even the priest, I mean the priest here are train wrecks, but the Pharisees are so caught up in the letter of the law, and Jesus tells them that. And he quotes this very passage. Exactly. You know, the the spirit of the law. The fact that he's saying here, I want loving kindness and not sacrifices.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:12

And I want you to know me, but I more than I want your burnt offerings.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:16

Yeah, like wow. And I I I love the fact that we do have that outlet. We can know him. And that's why, again, this is the living word, because even today, reading it in 2026, it it does, it slaughters you with his words and it cuts us to pieces.

SPEAKER_10 1:12:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:38

And only God can do that without hitting all the living tissue that's not to be affected, right? Like the surgeon's scalpel is a more you know, he's precision-based. Whereas oftentimes in our judgment, we want to be blanket-based and just blast the whole thing. But but then this last part, and we'll wrap it up, he's talking about even the priests are forming bands of robbers in verse 9 to murder travelers on the road to worship the idols after getting off duty at the temple.

SPEAKER_10 1:13:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:07

And he's like, Yeah, I've seen something horrible. He's like, Imagine being the priest, like, I bet God didn't know about that, and then that comes out of Hosea's mouth, and like, oh no.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:18

Yeah. I'm glad you said that. I bet God didn't know about that. Yeah, he does. So many times we think we're hiding from him. Oh, yeah, no kidding. You're not hiding. He's standing right behind you.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:29

You just don't have anybody to go standing right behind me, aren't they? It's like the Undertaker meme.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:34

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:35

Where he appears.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:36

Yeah, and my mom would get on me all the time about don't say this or don't say that in front of certain people or whatever. And and and I will be completely honest here. I would say, Mom, if I'm gonna say it in front of God, if I know God hears me and knows what I'm doing, why would I not do it in front of that person? What does that person hold more than God? If I'm willing to say it in front of God and not be afraid, why do I need to worry about that person?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:06

Amen for all the honest heathens out there.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:09

I mean, you know, kind of. I mean, I was a heathen for sure, but and something else in the last chapter that it kind of came up. Uh again, going back into everything is God's and God is grace and forgiving. What was one of the points of Jonah? What was his contention with going to Nineveh? He knew God would forgive them.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:31

I knew you were a gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. And I don't want you to forgive them. So I'm gonna go put up a popcorn stand and watch the apocalypse anyway. And God's like, nah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:42

No, not gonna happen that way.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:44

But then to keep this up and to wrap it, verse 11, because I can guarantee people from Judah are reading this like Yeah, God's not mad at us. He says, Oh Judah, a harvest of punishment is also waiting for you, though I wanted to restore the fortunes of my people first.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:59

So I want I want I'm trying to fix Israel, but your day's coming.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:02

Yeah, yeah. And everybody has their faults and whims, and I think that's again, such as this harshness and this uh uh disciplinary, I guess maybe, um, is to get to Jesus. Is Jesus is to come from Judah, but he's gonna have to smack him and get him in line first before that can happen. And I think it's just fantastic that And now he's smacking us and getting us in line before he returns. Uh you might be right about that, to be honest with you, because I've seen a lot of people lately that are I think it's starting to shift more towards Christianity than towards the whatever else is out there going on. I don't even know. Neopaganism, pluralism, just making up whatever you want to believe.

SPEAKER_08 1:15:50

Yeah, flying spaghetti monsters.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:52

Yeah, yeah. Isn't that what they said in Judges?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:55

Yeah, the people uh everyone was evil because they looked out for their own says basically they did what they wanted. Yeah, didn't care about anyone else or not.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:04

Yeah. All right. Good one. So we'll start with uh seven next episode. Nate, you didn't get to say much. You want to pray us out?

SPEAKER_06 1:16:12

Sure, I can pray us out. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for another chance to read through Hosea. We pray that the words that we've studied today will kind of sink into our brains and that we'll be able to take this knowledge that we've um that we've discussed and apply it as the week goes on and um and further in our lives. We uh pray, pray for safety, pray for safety for those around us as the weather changes a little bit. We've got lots of storms coming in, lots of people who maybe don't have adequate shelter, so we want to make sure that they um they're as safe as they can be. We ask that you figure us for our sins, and in Jesus' name, amen. Amen.