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Join our engaging session where we tackle various theological and ethical dilemmas with insights drawn from scripture. From exploring the much-debated topic of judging who will enter heaven to interpreting the significance of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, our dialogue is enlightening. Furthermore, the ethical implications of end-of-life decisions and the role of personal choice and family consent are critically examined, offering a thoughtful perspective on contemporary issues faced by believers in daily life.
SPEAKER 01 :
If there was a man in your church who had the qualifications of a deacon but was divorced, could he still be a deacon? What if he was divorced and remarried? Well, stay with us to find out what the Bible has to say about this issue. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in God. This is Steve Schwetz, and I welcome you to another edition of the Question and Answer program with our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I hope that you'll be able to pull up a chair as we listen to his answers to the questions of his many listeners. This program is a ministry of the Through the Bible Radio Network. Our first question comes to us from a listener in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He writes, Does it really matter if a person is a Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian as long as they believe that Jesus is the Christ, born of a virgin, died, rose from the dead, and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father as our Savior?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, may I say to you that when you mention some of these here, Very frankly, today, even some of the denominations would not accept all of this. So the label that is on you really hasn't anything in the world to do with it. You will not be in heaven as a Methodist or a Baptist or a Catholic or a Church of Christ or what have you, or an independent. You'll be there because you've trusted Christ as your Savior. And that's the important thing. Labels are of no value. That's like an old preacher, a young couple came to him and said, we're moving our membership to another church. They have a lot of activity there. They have a basketball team and they have a volleyball team and they have banquets and we want to go there. So we'd like to have our membership move. And he thought for a moment and he said, well, I don't think it will hurt to change a label on an empty bottle. The label that's on you, friends, doesn't amount to a row of pins. Doesn't matter whether you're saved or not. The important thing is, have you trusted Christ as your Savior? Now, when you've done that, I believe you'll seek out a church that believes as you believe. And I think it's important to be in a church that believes as you believe. And I'm sure you can find one. So that the label is certainly not the important thing at all.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now here's a question from a listener in Wisconsin. It says, In view of the many passages in Scripture that speak against judging others, does a church or a pastor have the right to judge who will go to heaven and who will go to hell? It seems to me that we should leave the issue for God to judge. What do you think?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I'm not quite clear really what you're asking for because I think it's quite obvious that All of us have opinions. Maybe you wouldn't want to call it judging, or maybe you would call it judging. Those that are around us that we know, I hear it constantly. I hear a statement like this, oh, so-and-so is a real, genuine Christian. And I hear somebody else say, well, there's some question about that party. I don't think he shows any evidence of being a born-again Christian. Well, that is something that I think most of us are doing constantly. We do pass judgment on our friends, and we are concerned about those that we are not sure about, so that the way that you've asked the question, if you mean that there are some people who are a minister, you say a church or a minister makes a decision, I never heard of that before, but if they've got a list of those that are going to heaven and a list that are going to hell, well, that, to my judgment, is carrying it a little too far. To begin with, I don't think we know. Then if we think we do know, we have no right to make a judgment. And certainly a person is in the hands of God and not in our hands. And that's a true, especially those that have lived their lives. Now, I have heard people say concerning someone that is dead, pass a judgment on them. Well, after they're dead, it's for sure they passed out of our hands and we no longer can pass judgment on them because it's no longer in our purview at all. So that I'm not quite clear what you're getting at here. If there are churches and ministers that are making up lists, two different lists, I would say that's definitely wrong. But if we're in our everyday life where we live and meeting people, going in and out among the children of man, why, we form an opinion, but I don't think we're sitting in or attempting to come to any final decision. We just wonder in our own minds and express an opinion, and I don't think the average person I hear that speaks like that They're not attempting to form a judgment in the sense that what they say is QED, that it is final, and that that's the way that it's got to be. If they are, of course, they're sitting in the place of God.
SPEAKER 01 :
We come now to a question from a listener in Venice, Florida. It says, in Revelation 10 verse 11, John is told that he will prophesy again. I looked up the word prophecy and it means speaking. Would you please explain how John is going to preach or speak again to kings and nations when he's on the island of Patmos? Am I correct to assume that one of the witnesses in Revelation 11 could be John, since God told him he will preach to many nations?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I see what you're getting at, but And this, as far as I'm concerned, I knew. I never heard anyone suggest that one of the witnesses might be John. And I personally think that is entirely out of the question here. It's true John was on the Isle of Patmos, but he will speak through the word of God to kings and nations. And he certainly has done that in his gospels. in the epistles and in the book of Revelation. Now, you want the corollary to that. In Hebrews 11, 3, it says concerning Abel, "...he being dead, yet speaketh." So that in the time of the writer of Hebrews, here Abel was speaking. But how was he speaking? He was speaking in the Old Testament. And he speaks today. How does he speak in the Old Testament? How does John speak today in the New Testament? The record is quite clear, the books that he wrote. And so he speaks today. That's not out of line at all.
SPEAKER 01 :
Our next question comes to us from a listener in McBain, Maryland. She writes, Revelation 6 verses 9 through 11 mention the souls of the slain saints who were under the altar. Will these saints be at the marriage supper of the Lamb with the church? Could you also explain when the marriage supper takes place?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, they're going to be there, but not just like the church. The church is not a guest. The church is the bride at the marriage supper. Now, it is now the position of many of us that the marriage of the Lamb that John mentions in Revelation, the last part of Revelation, that that takes place in heaven. but that the marriage supper takes place down on this earth where many guests are invited. There will be not only the tribulation saints, but there will be the Old Testament saints. And we see that given to us in the 25th of Matthew, the first parable that's given of the five wives and five foolish. And these five wives were waiting for the coming of the bridegroom and the bride, that is, for the Lord Jesus and the church to come to the earth. And then there's to be the marriage supper. And we're told that five of these are are going to be present at the marriage supper. I'm sure the tribulation saints will be there. John the Baptist said he would be there. He says, he that hath the Bride is the bridegroom, but John said he was just a friend of the bridegroom, and he was going to be there and rejoice. So we have that understanding of what is meant there. And then you ask, when does the marriage supper take place? Well, I think that during the great tribulation period, there's great rejoicing in heaven with a church that has just come up. The marriage has taken place, rewards have been given, and now they come to the earth when Christ comes to establish his kingdom here upon the earth. Then the marriage supper takes place, and I would say that it takes place at the end of the great tribulation period and at the beginning of the millennial kingdom here upon this earth. That is the belief now of a great many of us. We, I think, are pretty much in agreement relative to these details, but we could miss some of the details, that's for sure.
SPEAKER 01 :
Here's a question from a listener in Fresno, California, who writes, Do you believe that a person should be allowed to die who is believed to have little or no hope of recovery? I'm thinking of an elderly man who was considered to be in a vegetative state.
SPEAKER 02 :
I believe that when a person becomes a living vegetable, that the relatives ought to be ready and willing to make a statement whether they would want him maintained in life. And it's all done by an artificial means, you see, at that stage. And I would say that it would be just the withdrawal of medicines that are keeping them alive in that state. And those medicines are artificial, they're not a cure, and they maintain that. There are others that are plugged into a machine. I would not want to live as a vegetable at all. I would not consider that a kindness on the part of my loved ones to just maintain life like that because that's not living at all. And I think that when a person comes to that state, then the relatives ought to make a decision. And then if a person in his right mind has reached a place where he's incurable and cannot recover, but a machine is keeping him alive. I think he's the one to make the decision of whether he's to go on with that, recognizing that there'll be no cure at all. I think that would have to be a decision for him to make. I don't think that's a decision for doctors to make. I don't think it's a decision for nurses to make or hospitals to make or for a judge to make. I think that it has to be entirely in the hands The individual, if they're able to make it, and if they become a vegetable, it'd have to be the relatives make the decision.
SPEAKER 01 :
Here's a question from a listener in Louisville, Kentucky, who asks, I have a complaint about some of the other radio and television ministries. It seems to me that as soon as they get your name on their mailing list, they shower you with requests for money to maintain their broadcasting. Now, I don't have this difficulty with Through the Bible, so I'm asking for your thoughts on my complaints.
SPEAKER 02 :
I thoroughly agree with you on that. I find that I'm on the mailing list of certain Christian organizations. I never ask to be on the list. No one asks that my name be put on. They just got my name from some mailing list that they bought or they exchanged theirs for someone else. I understand a great deal of that is being done today and that I get literature about work I know practically nothing about them. Some of them I know absolutely nothing about. I feel like it's a waste of money to send me the literature. I get some colored magazines that are very expensive. I know that because we've investigated whether we should issue a magazine, but we never sent it to anybody that didn't request it. But we decided not to go that route because of the fabulous expense that you incur in publishing literature like that. So we've steered away from it when I've been out of town for a week or maybe sometimes a month. And I come back, my secretary has it in a box. And I take it home and I sit down with a wastebasket and I dump it. I have sometimes gone through that second-class mail, junk mail, and put every last piece of it in the wastebasket. And what a waste of money it is. I estimated the other day that the literature I had would cost you around $50 just to publish it today. That is, publish an amount of it and me get just one piece of it. Why, how very expensive that is. And I consider that today a waste of the Lord's money, and it's an evidence that promotion is being used and trying to reach people that apparently are givers because they've given to some program and they get your name from that program. I know that one organization, and I support that organization, I believe in it. It's a missionary organization. I've been to their field. I know what they're doing. But they've made the mistake of trading their mailing list with another organization. I think it's entirely wrong. And I found myself on the mailing list of this other organization that I know nothing about. And I don't want to know anything about it because I've got all I can handle. And I'm sure that's a condition of most of you folks. So I must say it's, to me, junk mail. Now, we've attempted to avoid that by, you have to get on our mailing list because we just don't mail out just to be mailing out things. And we protect our mailing list. You can't get our mailing list. So we attempt to maintain that policy, and we've followed it down through the years. Now, this party says that they support their church. Well, that ought to come number one for you. And if you're in the kind of a church you can't support because they are not doing a work for God today, or they don't believe the Word of God, then you ought to get in a church that you can support, because you ought to support your church. Now, this party goes on to say that they give just a certain limited amount. to their work and also they give a limited amount to a certain radio programs in the view of the fact they didn't send any in this letter, I'm sure they don't support us, which is perfectly all right. Then the question this party has, do you think I'm too critical? No, I don't think you are. I thoroughly agree with you and that's what I've been trying to say. Do you agree with their methods? No, I absolutely do not. If I did, we'd be practicing them, and we do not practice them at all.
SPEAKER 01 :
Let me take a moment and recap for you the mailing list policy for Through the Bible. No person is added to our mailing list unless they personally request to receive our mailings, and no person on our mailing list will receive requests for financial support. Finally, our mailing list is for our use only, so information is never sold or given away to any other person or organization. Now, let's move on to our next question. It comes to us from a listener in Roanoke, Virginia, and they write, Would you allow an innocent party in a divorce to serve as a deacon or deaconess?
SPEAKER 02 :
May I say to you that a great deal would be determined by the rules and the policy of the church. Now, if you're asking me what I would do, I would say that if the innocent party in a divorce, I would allow him to serve as a deacon and her to serve as a deaconess. I would not use that because if before they were saved, they got married and got divorced, why, God has forgiven them if they are now a believer. And if they'd committed murder, I wouldn't keep a murder from becoming a leader in the church. Now, the other side of the coin is this. Certain churches have certain policies. And I would not go against the policy of the church. If you're in a church and the policy of the church is under no circumstances to let a divorced person serve as deacon, I would not make an issue of it because there's no reason to try to cause turmoil. That is on a certain person. It would be embarrassing for that individual, probably end up by that individual having to leave the church. Now, I had that happen in the church that I served. It was the policy. And I tried to change the policy while we were considering this individual. I wished that we would have gotten by that situation and then brought it up while tempers were down. people could think normally and see what the Word of God really had to say, but I didn't do that, and so as a result, why this party did have to leave the church, or didn't have to, but they felt embarrassed by it that they'd been turned down. Now this party asks, says, could you give scripture references to back up your opinion? Let me turn your question around, and can you give any scripture that would contradict what I've said. That's the important thing. I don't think that you've got a verse in Scripture that says the innocent party in a divorce can serve as a deacon or cannot serve as a deacon. And so apparently this viewpoint has come down through the years because there was a time when divorce was not permitted on any grounds whatsoever, you know. So I think that today we have a better understanding of the Scripture at this particular juncture that when it was all based at one time, man should be a husband of one wife. Well, a great many have used that. Well, the situation under which Paul gave that was that several men had several wives. One man may have two or three of them, you see, and the others would have maybe even more. And Paul is saying that a deacon should not have but one wife. So I think that that scripture has been pretty well straightened out. And then Paul speaks of the innocent one in a divorce in the seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians. And I think it's very clear. that if the unbeliever does not want to stay with the believer, they can go and the believer is not bound at all. So if the innocent party in a divorce, and I would say that would be the scripture that would cover it. Now, I do not think there's any scripture that contradicts that.
SPEAKER 01 :
A second query from the same listener brings us to our final question for today. He writes, would you allow an innocent party that has remarried that had been divorced to serve as a deacon or deaconess?
SPEAKER 02 :
Of course I would, because one follows from the other, that the purpose of getting a divorce is to remarry. And that's the reason that, of Christians, that I generally, if there's any hope at all of salvaging the marriage, I ask them not to get a divorce, but just a separation. and not a divorce because there may be a way of healing that. And a divorce means that a person wants to be remarried or can be remarried. And that's the only grounds that would be for a divorce would be to permit the other one. I remember I tried to get a lady in the church I last served to not get a divorce but separation. because she said to me that I do not want to marry, I just want to raise my boys and all that sort of thing. She put up quite a pitiful tale and so I told her I thought then if that's the way she felt and for the sake of the inheritance and legal matters that She wanted the divorce, and that is the reason. But that wasn't the reason. She wanted to get married again. And I always felt that she was wrong in that divorce, by the way. And probably she'd been wrong in the separation because she misrepresented things. The reason I tell that is because There are so many angles to this question today. And as I said, there's no verses of Scripture that just put it down just like you were asking for. There are no verses quite like that. Thou shalt not remarry if you have been divorced. It's not quite like that. The Lord Jesus made it very clear that there was a ground for divorce. And did Paul say that desertion would be one for a child of God? I think that that's probably what he's saying. But you need to know all the circumstances. There's so many angles to this. And I would suggest to this party that you consult some Bible teacher that is acquainted with the circumstances there and could give you, I think, a much more definite answer than I could. Mine is broad, I think, and all comprehensive. I don't mind facing up to it, but the point is you need specific advice for a specific case. I have a notion the way you ask it that it's been the policy of that church not to follow this. And if that is true, you would not want to make an issue on an individual. Wait later on and try to get the policy changed. When it hinges on an individual, you embarrass the individual and cause deep and hurt feelings.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you'd like to know more about the issue of divorce, you may want to consider getting Dr. McGee's booklet, When Divorce is Scriptural and Marriage is Unscriptural. or his hardback book, Marriage and Divorce. Listen for ordering information in just a moment. Now, if God has blessed you through the question and answer program, we'd like to hear about it. The only way that we know that God is using this broadcast is when our listeners let us know. So we ask that you take a moment out of your day right now and send us a brief letter or postcard and let us know if you're listening and enjoying this program. Now, for a deeper understanding of the word of God, and an increase in the growth of your faith, we'd encourage you to join us this week and every week on the Through the Bible radio program. We'll continue Dr. McGee's five-year journey through the whole word of God, book by book and chapter by chapter. If you're serious about your study of the scriptures, then we'd also like to invite you to be placed on our mailing list for our notes and outlines. To order a CD of today's program, request a resource catalog, purchase the materials I mentioned earlier, or to be added to our mailing list, simply call 1-800-65-BIBLE Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time. That number again is 1-800-652-4253. Or write to Questions and Answers. For those in the U.S., Box 7100. Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325. London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. Many items can also be found in our online bookstore at ttb.org, where you can also sign up for our e-newsletter and download the PDF version of our notes and outlines. Now we pray that our God will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.
In this episode of Through the Bible, we delve into the powerful teachings of the book of Hosea as Dr. J. Vernon McGee guides us through the trials of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ignoring God's word not only led to spiritual adultery but also brought about God's judgment in a dramatic and prophetic transition. As we reflect on the message shared by the evangelist D.L. Moody and stories from Dr. McGee's own ministry, we're prompted to consider the essential role of scripture in our everyday lives. Throughout Hosea chapter 4, we witness the consequences that befell Israel when they neglected their sacred texts. Dr. McGee draws parallels to modern times, illustrating how turning our backs on divine guidance can lead to moral decay and personal dissatisfaction. Whether through personal anecdotes or deep scriptural insights, this episode calls listeners to introspection and a return to God’s word. Join us as we uncover the inhibitors to spiritual fulfillment and the inevitable consequences of idolatry and sin. Whether you are a long-time believer, a part of our World Prayer Team, or someone in search of spiritual clarity, this study provides profound insights. Prepare to embark on this enlightening journey through Scripture with renewed understanding.
SPEAKER 1 :
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
SPEAKER 01 :
The evangelist D.L. Moody was right when he said, The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Listening to and obeying God's Word is a protection over our lives. And that's one reason that I'm so glad that you're here at Through the Bible, ready to get into God's Word with Dr. J. Verna McGee. And as you know, we're in the book of Hosea on our five-year journey through the whole word. And in this study, we're going to learn how the northern kingdom of Israel turned away from God because they forgot his word. Well, not only did they forget it, they wanted nothing to do with it. They completely turned their backs on God's ways. And you know, that's when God's man Hosea stepped up and said, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge of God's word. And then he relayed God's chilling consequence. Because you forgot the law of your God, I will also forget your children. I will change your glory into shame. Wow. I don't know about you, but that sobering pronouncement makes me sit up and listen. We're in Hosea chapter four. So as you open your Bible, let's listen to Dr. McGee's introduction on why God will judge his people.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now God says that he must judge the nation. And he says that he will change their glory into shame. Now the glory of Israel was actually the temple with the Shekinah glory upon it and his visible presence with the nation and his definite leading of them. And they're witness to the world of that day of monotheism. In a world of polytheism, they worship the living and the true God. That was their glory. It brought the Queen of Sheba from the ends of the earth. Now what is happening is this. God says, I will remove my glory from you. I'll remove my blessing from you. And I will judge you. I'll let the enemy come in upon you and take you away. And of course, the enemy is going to be able to say, look, they said they were God's chosen people. And look what's happening to them. And apparently their God's not a very strong God. Friends, we're seeing today in this land of ours something very similar to that. God is judging many churches and he's closing many doors today. You can look about you in this land of ours and see that God is still judging. And we are inclined to say, isn't it a shame to see a decline in a certain church? Well, maybe God closed the door. We need to recognize that only God today can afford to judge his own people, and he does that.
SPEAKER 01 :
Before jumping into our study, I invite you to join our World Prayer Team. Together we pray for listeners like Nora in the Philippines who writes this. I heard your message and want to know if you will really be forgiven. I have sinned in the past and I have thought that I am unforgivable. I got involved with another man and our entire village knows. I'm hurting and crying right now, but your words in my language of Locano comfort me and give me hope. For the first time, I feel as if God might accept me as I am. Please tell me what to do next. Please tell me more about Jesus and how I can be redeemed. Are you ready to join us for the journey? Well, hop aboard as we pray for millions of listeners like this one all over the world by signing up at ttb.org forward slash pray. And let's do that now. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Thank you for the privilege of hearing your word. Help us to turn what distracts us and do what pleases you. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of sharing your word with the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're off to Hosea 4 on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, we got down last time through the sixth verse of the fourth chapter of Hosea. And again, I'd like to say that this sixth verse here of this fourth chapter is considered one of the most familiar verses that we have. It's one that is quoted a great deal. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. And that's the way it opens. I went through it last time, and I'll not go any farther than that. But it was a lack of the knowledge of the Word of God that was the background of the sin of these people. The minute that Christian friend, you get away from the Word of God, you could not live a triumphant Christian life by any means. You could not live well-pleasing to the Lord. And I do not care how many of these method conferences you go to that have all these little gimmicks that if you do this and do that and do the other thing, that things are going to work all right for you in your home and in your place of business and in your social life, and everything will work out right. My friend, the Word of God makes it very clear that That's not by these little gimmicks, these little methods. It's by a knowledge of the Word of God. Now, that is as clear as the noonday sun in this book and certainly in other places. Now, will you notice as God continues to bring against the northern kingdom his judgment upon them, that is, he hands down a decision. He's going to judge them. And he has now proven that To them, his case, they broken the Ten Commandments. He went down the list and they had broken them. Now he says, as they were, verse 7, as they were increased, so they sinned against me. In other words, as the nation increased, God had promised to bless them by multiplying them. He told Abraham that. But all it did was just bring another sinner into the world. And after all, that's what happened when I came into the world. Just another sinner came into the world. But thank God, the grace of God reached down and somebody gave me the Word of God. And I was able to trust Christ as my Savior. But these people, they have an ignorance. They have no knowledge of the word of God. As they were increased, so they sinned against me. Therefore, will I change their glory into shame. God says, I'm going to turn your glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people. They set their heart on their iniquity. They not only sin, but they like to brag about it. As a young fellow, ran with a pretty fast crowd in the bank I worked in. And we always like, especially on Monday morning, to brag about our weekend, what we did. And you know what it was, either to get drunk or... some adultery or something like that. That's what you brag about. And they not only sinned, they bragged about it. And there, verse 9 now, chapter 4 of Hosea, and there shall be like people, like priests. The unfortunate thing is that the priesthood had sunk down to the level of the congregation. Now, I have always believed, and as you've heard me say, that I started out in the ministry. I wore a Prince Albert coat and a wing collar. I look like a mule looking over a whitewash fence. But I soon gave that up. I dress just like the man sitting out in the pew. And I'm no different than that man in the pew. But I want to say this, that I want in the pulpit to give out the word of God so that I don't sink down to the level of that which is the man of the world. And today there are many ministers. They're the good guys. one man boasted to me he says you know he says my preacher says you know he says he comes out to our golf club he plays golf and i'm for that i do that i think it's great to mix with folk like that says after the game says he goes in the bar room with us has a drink with us says you know said he's just one of the fellas says i sure do like him well I wonder what God thinks about him. Like people, like priests. And I'll punish them for their ways and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. In other words, famine is coming to the land. And who would ever have believed that this great land of ours, just last year, a few years ago, that there would be no scarcity. Whoever heard of it, that you couldn't buy meat at the meat market, you couldn't buy bread, that there would be a scarcity of anything. May I say to you, I'm not sure. I think God judged us in the dust bowl many years ago. That's when I entered the ministry. And nobody listened to God then. Then we had to fight World War II. God judged us. And we didn't come back to God even World War II. So we've been fighting somewhere ever since. Just can't give it up. They shall eat, not have enough. They shall commit harlotry and shall not increase. You know, there's one thing, friends, about adultery. And I know today that I'm talking to a great many people that have had this in their mind and their heart because we're living in this day. And you can take it from a fellow that one time in his life before he's saved, you can never, never enjoy in a way in which God really wants you to until you can enjoy it in marriage. And when you can put your arms around the woman that you have been loving and you can say to her, I love you. above everything else in the world. Now, I say when you can say that, my friend, then there'll be an increase. And it'll be wonderful. Oh, they were committing adultery then, and they're doing it today. But actually, there's really no satisfaction in it. It's just a sort of a temporary release. And you hate yourself after that. And I know that. And some of you know that, my friend. And God knows that because that's what he's saying here. God's spelling it out for you. They shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit harlotry, adultery, and they shall not increase because they have ceased to take heed to the Lord. Harlotry and wine and new wine take away the heart. Last time we gave you all these statistics about liquor in this country today. And nobody, and I mean nobody today, is lifting a voice against this. And I don't think I've said very much about it. But I sure have said a whole lot the past couple of days. And from time to time, we do mention it. Arlatrin wine and new wine take away the heart, my friends. And part of our problem in Washington today are these two sins, harlotry, adultery, and liquor. They're the two problems in our government today. That's the reason that men lie. That's the reason that men will do crooked things. And that is not confined to one party or just one group. The whole crowd is guilty today. One writer said that in Washington, you don't know who to trust. May I say to you, what a sad commentary on our nation today. Don't tell me the new morality is working. It didn't work for Israel. They got away from the word of God and they said, we try something new. And they went in for it. The northern kingdom, you see, they had sin galore. They put up two golden calves. And with that worship of Baal, I was connected with it, the grossest forms of idolatry and the Verse 12, my people ask counsel of their idols, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of harlotry hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot departing from under their God. Now he's speaking here of the harlotry, spiritual adultery, which is turning from God. They went to inquire of idols. And today, we find people running after the gurus of India. Well, they haven't done much for India, by the way. But yet, we've had a crowd running after them. And someone has said that one of them that came over here, he said that very candidly, he came for the money. And that it was nothing in the world but a religious racket as far as he was concerned. Yet people went after him. People are going off into this type of thing today. And there's actually the worship of Satan today. I have here a clipping that comes from Daytona Beach, Florida. A group of Satan cultists tortured and beat a 17-year-old youth to death, believing he was an undercover narcotics agent, police said Wednesday. May I say to you that worship of Satan today is certainly not helping morality by any means. And these people going into idolatry, idolatry was leading them into gross immorality. Now, let me keep reading here. And They sacrifice, this is verse 13 now, chapter 4. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burn incense upon the hills under oaks and poplars and elms because the shadow of them is good. That's where they put their idols, was on top of a hill under a grove. And you hear a great deal in scripture. And they found out today, archaeologists, that the center of worship of idolatry was in these groves. It was cool there, nice place to go. Therefore, your daughters shall commit harlotry and your spouses shall commit adultery. You see, the worship of idols, and we today have turned to idolatry, covetousness, All of this today, the greed of this country today has caused many a family to try to get on in the world. They want to move to a better neighborhood. They want a swimming pool. They want a boat to take down. And they say we're doing this for their children. And then all of a sudden their children take off and there are thousands. Thousands of young people today that are wandering up and down this country and all over the world. I saw them in Hawaiian Islands. I talked to three young people in Constitution Square in Athens, Greece. Two young men and a young lady. And I'm sure that none of them were beyond their teens. One of them could have been 20. And there they sat, and they were then under the influence of drugs. I tried to talk with them, and I tried to find out who they were. And they said, we're nobody. We don't count. We've dropped out. What's happened today, friends? What's taking place today? Why, the problem is back there in the home. We're idolaters. We're worshiping the almighty dollar. We've forgotten God. We've turned away from the living and true God, and we no longer worship him. And we've not turned to a savior that can redeem us and help us. Now, verse 14. He says, I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with harlots, and they sacrifice with harlots. Therefore, the people that doth not understand shall fall. God says ignorance, so the law excuses no one. And because these people have gone on, I'm not going to judge them for the sin they're committing right now. I'm going to judge them because they've turned from the living and true God and from his way. My friend, as I said to a man, and I met him on a golf course, by the way, and he said, joined our foursome he soon left us when he found out we were three preachers and this man made a statement well he said that he guessed that he was a sinner he'd done this that and the other said yes I guess I'll go to hell and I said brother you know you're not going to hell because you commit these sins he says what do you mean I'm not going to hell because I thought that's what you preachers said I said this preacher never said that I said you're going to hell because you've rejected Jesus Christ These people were being judged not because they had become harlots. They were judged because they've turned from the living and true God. Now, will you notice he says here, though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-Avon or swear the Lord liveth. God says, I'm going to hold Judah back. I'll not judge Judah yet. And Judah, don't come up and worship these calves that they put up here. Now we come to something that's quite interesting. Verse 16. For Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer. Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place. Now, friends, let's look at what really backsliding is. A great many people think backsliding means that you have become a Christian, joined the church, and then you drop back into sin, and that's backsliding. Now, may I say to you, that's not backsliding the way it's used here. And God illustrates it so you can't miss it. For Israel slideth back like a backsliding heifer. Now, I'm very happy the fact that as a boy, I had the privilege of living in the country and in a little town. And I think I've mentioned this before. There's a live next door to us in southern Oklahoma in a little town. We lived in a rancher. He had a big ranch and he had two boys and they were both about my age. And we three played together. We used to ride these heifers out in the lot and they would, you know, tie a rope around. As we said in that day, a belly band we'd put on them. We'd hold on to that. And then they'd buck us off. Now, every now and then, this rancher would load up. This was in the days before the automobile. In a wagon, he would load up these heifers to take them to market or take them out to the ranch. And he had a great big board. That is, it was a thing constructed out of boards that he put up at the back end of the wagon. It was a runway that you just try to run the heifer up back. Well, what they'd do, you'd put a rope around the heifer, and then you'd push her from the back. And as you'd get the heifer up, she'd go a part of the way, then she'd stiffen those front feet. She'd just put them out stiff. And you know what would happen? You couldn't pull her. She'd start sliding backwards. That's what backsliding is. Backsliding heifer. They were stiffening their front feet. And instead of being led of God, they were slipping backward all the time. And backsliding means when you turn your back on God and you step on that little neck of yours and that little mind of yours and you say, I'll have nothing to do with God. You're backsliding when you do that. You see, when you refuse to go the way God wants to lead you. Now he calls Israel here a backsliding heifer. There are a lot of backsliding heifers today and bulls also, by the way. Now, let me read the next verse. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. Now, we come to another word here. The word backsliding is mentioned three times in this book, and you'll recall it's only Jeremiah and Hosea, and they spoke to a nation ready to go into captivity, accused them of doing this, refusing to be led of God, refusing to come to God. Now, Ephraim, that name occurs 36 times. He picks out one of the tribes of the 10 tribes in the north and applies it to all 10 of the tribes. And I frankly have never been able to figure out just how God uses that term. Is he using it in a way that is the term of endearment or is it a term of ridicule? Now, this time through Hosea, I've come to the conclusion that it's a term of endearment. It's a pet name. You see, Israel in the north had really no name as a nation. Judah in the south was really the nation. And these 10 tribes had revolted, you see. And now God gives them, I think, a pet name. And you'll find all the way through, it'll occur 36 times, Ephraim. And he says this in, I would say, a longing sort of way, but with a note of finality. He says here, Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone. God says there comes a day in a man's life that if he keeps on being in a backslidden condition, refusing to listen to God, there'll come a day when God no longer can speak to that man. Now he says to them, your drink is sour. You'll become an alcoholic if you keep at it, brother. And it's not a disease. It's a sin. Their drink is sour. They have committed harlotry continually. Her rulers love shame more than glory. And the sad thing today is that we have men in government in high places instead of using a language that is clean. And chase. They love to cuss. And they love to drink. They love the shame more than glory. The wind hath bound her up in its wing. They're carried away by every wind of doctrine. And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. God says, I'm going to make them ashamed before it's over with. Well, that brings us to the conclusion of chapter 4. Begin chapter 5 next time. Until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Dr. McGee convinced me of the joy and peace found in living a quiet, righteous life before the Lord. How about you? We're midway through our study in Hosea now, so if you'd like to share these studies with a family member or friend, they're available on our app or at ttb.org. Or to purchase our Bible bus flash drive that conveniently holds all of Dr. McGee's five-year messages and also includes all of his notes and outlines for our studies and more than 100 of his booklets, you Shop our online store at ttb.org or call us at 1-865-BIBLE. And while you're at ttb.org, check out our new softcover Bible companions for the New Testament. Again, that's ttb.org or 1-865-BIBLE. And when you call us, please tell us how you listen. Is it by app or online? Is it YouTube, your local Christian radio station? There are so many different options. And you know, by sharing this little bit of information, you help us to be good stewards of the resources that God has so graciously provided through faithful listeners like you. Now, as we break for the weekend, join me for Dr. McGee's Sunday sermon. You can listen by app, online, or look at our radio station listing at ttb.org. I'm Steve Schwetz, and I'll meet you right back here next time as we continue to make our way through the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
We're grateful for the faithful and generous support of Through the Bible's partners, whom God uses to take the whole word to the whole world.
Join us on the Bible bus as we delve into the profound messages found in the book of Hosea. This episode uncovers the deeper meanings behind the prophet Hosea's life and name, emphasizing the theme of salvation through history and biblical context. Through a poignant letter from a listener in Oregon, we explore the difficult questions of morality, justice, and faith in our modern world, linking these struggles to the book of Hosea and its timeless counsel.
SPEAKER 03 :
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word.
SPEAKER 01 :
Here's an interesting fact for you. The name Hosea, who is God's spokesperson in the book that we're studying right now on the Bible bus, is another form of the name Joshua, which is the Hebrew version of the Greek name Jesus. Hosea, Joshua, Jesus. All their names mean salvation. The Old Testament men named Hosea and before him Joshua were pictures of what Jesus Christ embodied in the flesh, God's salvation. Welcome to Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I'm Steve Schwetz and I'm welcoming you aboard the Bible bus as we continue together our five-year journey through God's entire word. Now, Dr. McGee begins our program by sharing a letter from a concerned listener. No doubt we all will be moved by this issue we still deal with, and it all comes down to what we'll hear about in our study of Hosea 3 and 4, that people follow destructive ways because they don't know or understand God, and that individual tragedy naturally leads to despising the truth and withholding mercy. Let's listen now to this letter from Corvallis, Oregon.
SPEAKER 02 :
As the chairman of Corvallis Right of Life, I have been involved lobbying state legislators concerning several bills. One bill we are concerned with has to do with handicapped babies being denied food and water after birth to hasten their death. In talking to legislators, the feeling among them seemed to be that it is better to let the child die, whatever the methods, to spare the family the burden of a handicapped child. After talking to them, doubt began to creep into my mind. Maybe it's better for such a child to die. Maybe God would have it this way. But I still felt sure that starvation and dehydration weren't the way. As this was happening, a baby girl was born in an Oregon town severely deformed, right to life, knew she would soon die, but fought for nearly a week to legally secure food and water. It wasn't easy. The night the baby died, I was led to read in Lamentations. Before I went to sleep, this scripture made an impact. And it's from Lamentations 4, 3 and 4. Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young. But my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth. The children beg for bread, but none gives it to them. And that's the end of that quotation. The next morning at 7.30 a.m., I switched on the radio and there you were, reading the very same scripture. I took it as a sign from God to me, that this was indeed a heartless thing that is happening and removed any doubt I had. I thank you for your part in reaffirming to me what I am certain God was trying to impress on me. I also thank you for the words of your own that morning, denouncing abortion as a major evil of our time, You're probably not surprised to hear that the clergy in this community do not share your strong convictions against abortion. But with the help of God, we continue our fight against it. May God bless your ministry as it opens the eyes of many like me who are seeking answers in the Bible but stumbling along through it. We need your help so much. I appreciate that letter, as you can well understand. And may I just say this one word, regardless of the condition of the baby, to take that baby's life as murder and to say that you can take that baby's life, you're taking the place of God. And God doesn't like to share his place with anyone, by the way.
SPEAKER 01 :
Let's give the Lord his proper place in our attention now. Pray with me. Heavenly Father, thank you for your great love, for giving us what's best even though we don't always understand it. Please help your word to quicken our hearts to bring comfort and instruction and conviction. Thank you, Lord, for its truth that helps us discern truth and obey you. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, it's time. Let's open to Hosea 3 as we go through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 02 :
Now, friends, today as we come to the fourth chapter of Hosea, we're now coming to a section where we're leaving the private life of Hosea. It fades into the background, and the emphasis now is upon the Lord and Israel. But I would just like to back up for just a moment, therefore, to chapter 3 at verse 1, because this, I believe, is very important. Here we read again, "...then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love cakes of raisins." Now, four times in this little verse here, you have the word love mentioned. Great many people think you have to get to the New Testament before you find anything about love. I believe that if you'd examine it carefully, you'd probably find that there's more said about love in the Old Testament than in the New. That is because, of course, the Old Testament is much longer. And there's more of it than we have of the New Testament. But it is interesting to note that there's a great deal about love. Now, I was thinking after I made the broadcast last time that this first verse here is actually an equation, a mathematical equation. And it puts it like this. God's love equals Israel's sins. And I shouldn't say equal, but God's love times Israel's sin equals Hosea's love times Gomer's sin. So you see that we do have an equation here. And out of that home, he comes now to speak to the nation, and he knows how God feels about them. Now, everything up to this point has been in the way of generalization. God has said they've sinned, that they have played the harlot. They've been unfaithful to him. Now he's going to spell it out. And you can make a comparison actually between this particular chapter and the first chapter of Isaiah. And you ought to compare it there because Isaiah spoke to the southern kingdom and then he spelled out God's charge against the nation. Now, here again, God brings them into court. He makes certain charges and he proves them. That is the message of chapter 4. In fact, chapters 4 and 5, he's saying now to Israel, you are playing the harlot. And Israel in this chapter is guilty of lawlessness, immorality, ignorance of God's word, and idolatry. And we see here in this first verse, the Lord confronts Israel with the fact that they have no knowledge of God. And then in verse 2, he spells out their specific sins. Now, will you listen to it? Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Now, he says these three things here. There's no truth, there's no mercy, and there's no knowledge of God in the land. In other words, these people have been brainwashed with idolatry. And as a result, there was actually no mercy. And God had instructed them to be merciful. In fact, he said, when the stranger comes into your land and the poor, they are permitted to go in and glean. And God says, I take care of them this way and you're to do this. Why? Because he says, I am the Lord your God and I'm a holy God. They'd forgotten that. They were no longer being merciful. And there was actually no knowledge of God in the land. Oh, there's a great deal of religion, but no knowledge of God in the land. Now, they were breaking the Ten Commandments. Listen to this. By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break out and blood toucheth blood. Now, each one of these things that he mentions, they were breaking the Ten Commandments. Go back to the 20th of Exodus and read it. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery." And all of this was even among their relatives, blood touching blood. They were committing all of these sins. They actually were breaking the Ten Commandments. I want to say something very carefully at this time. And will you listen very carefully? God gave the Ten Commandments which is only part of the Mosaic system, to the nation Israel. But in that, God expresses His will. The church today is not put under the Ten Commandments as a way, that is, that is not living the Christian life if all you do is keep the Ten Commandments. Now, that doesn't mean you break them. It just simply means he's called you to a higher plane, and you're called to live in the power of the Spirit of God. Now, God is not asking the unsaved world anything, but he does have a great deal to say about nations. And the nation Israel that he chose and dealt with them furnishes a pattern to the other nations of the world. Now, we have had what has been so-called a Christian civilization in Europe. It never was really Christian, but it had the semblance of it. The laws were patterned after this. And these are laws for a nation. I shall not kill. I shall not commit adultery. Among those are other things. God condemned drunkenness. God condemned homosexuality. And he has the strongest language for that. He says when a people or an individual indulges in that, and I don't care what you call it, my friend, God says he gave them up. He gave up this nation. They were guilty of that. They were guilty of indulging in these sins. We today are guilty of the same thing. There's no knowledge of God in this land. Oh, I know there's a church on every corner, and Sunday morning you can hear church bells everywhere. But of course, a very small percentage of the population go to church, and very few are actually being reached with the Word of God. There is a Gideon Bible in every hotel room and motel room in this country. As far as I know, the first thing I do when I go to a new hotel or a new motel to stay, I look around for the Gideon Bible. And I've noticed recently it's been out on the table. That is, it's been out and opened up so you can see it. Now, I do not know how much it's being read. The Gideons say they receive many letters telling of conversions. But I'm sure that a great many of those Bibles are not ever opened. I know I've been to several places where I'm convinced that the Bible had never been opened before. We're a nation of biblical ignoramuses. We do not know the Word of God today in this land. But the Watergate hearings in Washington certainly turned the spotlight on our government and actually not the one political party but to both political parties that there's corruption in this land of ours. And I wasn't quite sure whether all of the liars were sitting in the witness stand or were on the other side on the committee. And I think you'll find them in both parties. I think that you will find corruption today in this land in both parties. And the chairman of the committee was greatly disappointed in him, the way he not only misquoted Scripture, he misinterpreted it and said that the four Gospels contradicted each other. And that went out on television. And may I say to you, I, for one, protest that. Because I felt like demanding equal time, everybody else demands equal time to answer that, that there is no contradiction in the four Gospels. And when a man says that, he reveals a woeful ignorance of the Word of God. Now, I'm saying all of this to say this, that our land is in the same kind of a condition that these people were in in that day. I'm going to take just one particular phase. We're told that a few years ago that in Washington, there were 128 cocktail parties every day. And again, the spotlight that's been turned on these hearings reveals that there's drinking probably in Washington. Couldn't be more in Los Angeles, but there's been a great deal of it there. Now, I want to share with you today some facts and figures, and there are a few brave editors today in this country, but most of it's the liberal press. They follow one particular line, and just like Israel was brainwashed, Our nation today is being brainwashed by nothing in the world but propaganda and liberalism. But down in San Diego, the local paper down there had a headline, and this goes back to January the 11th, 1972. It was on the front page of the paper, bottom of the page, but it was a headline, Alcoholics Cost Area Businesses $10 Million." May I say to you, people cry out about the high cost of living, cry out about the high cost of war and high cost of government. All of that is true. But who's crying out against liquor today? No one's crying out against it. What do you suppose that has to do with what you buy at the store today? They say, preacher, this is none of your business. It's my business in several different ways. And I wish there were more crying out against this sort of thing. The pulpits become extremely silent in these matters. And when I go to the store, I'm paying a higher price for things because government, And the nation, we are engaged in gross immorality today, breaking these Ten Commandments. You don't get by with it as a nation. These commandments have been the basis of every so-called Christian civilization. And I'm not going to debate that point with anyone. Now, will you listen to this? Today they're saying alcoholism is a disease. And this has been answered by a doctor. He says, alcoholism a disease? If so, listen to this. It's the only disease contracted by an act of the will. It's the only disease that is habit-forming. It's the only disease that comes in a bottle. It's the only disease causing hundreds of thousands of family disruptions. It's the only disease promoting crime and brutality. It's the only disease contributing to hundreds of thousands of automobile accidents. It is the only disease playing a major part in over 50% of the more than 50,000 annual highway deaths. It is the only disease which is sold by license. It's the only disease that's bought in grocery stores, drug stores, and Wellmark retail outlets. It's the only disease that is taxed by the government and on and on. There's more to this. I'll just read that to you today. May I say to you, our eyes are shut to this because we've been brainwashed and the liquor interests have this tremendous control today. And as a result, our nation sinks lower and lower because we have what's called a new morality. It wasn't new at all. Israel was practicing it way back yonder. In about 700 B.C., and I wouldn't call it new morality back there by any means, they were breaking all these commandments and God condemned them for it. And homosexuality was practiced even back as far as Sodom and Gomorrah. It's the reason he destroyed these places. He judged them. And today, actually, some of the legislatures filled with men ignorant of the Word of God ignorant of this thing which has been basic for this nation of ours, and they pass legislation that makes it so that two homosexuals can get married. The liberal church says that we should not consider them sinners, And I know I speak to many homosexuals. I'll get letters on this. May I say to you, the Lord Jesus Christ says that you've got to be born again. And he can deliver you from it. These things are not diseases today. But when they're treated as what they really are, sin, then God can deal with us. We are doomed as a nation, as much as Israel was condemned and sent into captivity. And after all, they were God's chosen people. We are not. By any stretch of the imagination, we can't make that claim. But this is the basis on which God judges nations. I spent a little time there and I got warmed up on that. I think somebody today needs to be saying something along this line. But the pulpit is strangely silent in this connection. Well, one reason they never study Hosea. You know, here's one of the forgotten prophets. Now I'm going to keep on reading. Verse 3. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field, with the fowls of the heavens, yea, the fish of the sea also shall be taken away." The land will languish. All of a sudden we found out that we're polluting everything today. When I was a boy, I went swimming in a swimming hole in a creek in southern Oklahoma that was as clear you could see, 25 feet to the bottom. My friend, may I say to you, it smells to high heaven. We polluted the land today. The land here is mourning. And then another very interesting thing is a few years ago, it was plenty. All of the granaries were filled with grain. It was plenty of everything. And may I say today, we're hearing something about scarcity. You see, when God judges a nation, the land is involved, and even the beasts and the fowls have to suffer for the sin of man. And they are suffering also today because of man's sin. Verse 4, Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another. For thy people are as they that strive with the priest. What has happened? Why, the priest in that day was not doing his duty. Not warning the people. And God had raised up the prophet. What about that? Verse 5. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. That is the nation. Why? Because now even there were the false prophets that were rising up and telling people, well, everything's going to be all right. This thing's going to work out. We live in a new day. The Bible is an old book in the Ten Commandments. They belong to the past, to our grandfathers and grandmothers. But we today have reached a very high plane. May I say to you, we are a dirty lot. We have sunk very low today as a nation and as a people. Now, verse 6 is probably one of the most quoted verses. It's considered to be one of the most familiar verses. I'm reading now Hosea 4, verse 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. That's the reason we're teaching the Bible today. That's the reason we're going into a book like this, is because, my friend, it's the ignorance of the Word of God. They're destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I'll also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me. You see, God intended the whole nation. to be priests unto him. And in the millennium, they will be that. But God says, you're not even going to have priests at this particular time. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. That is, even the people of the nation, now God says, I will also forget you. Because you've forgotten me. In other words, they've come to the time of judgment because they've gone through a long sordid history of departing from the Lord. Now, I'll have to leave off there today. But you can see how important this chapter is. And we hope, though, to finish it next time. Until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 01 :
It's a sobering reality that we see the people of Israel in Hosea's time and also in our culture turn their backs on God. Augustine said it so well. Spend some time thinking about what we've studied. And as you do, why don't you confess to the Lord how, at many times, you've forgotten Him as the priority of your life. And then tell Him that, as of now, He's first place again. You know, there's more to learn from this great book of Hosea. And as always, if you'd like to listen to this study again, or any other study from our five-year journey through the whole Word of God, all of Dr. McGee's studies are available in our app or online. Just visit ttb.org to listen now. to your many options. Or you can call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE for help in finding what you're looking for. Now as we go, I'd ask that you join me in reading through the rest of Hosea 4 before tomorrow's study. It always helps with the program to have read the passage in advance. to read ahead each day and prepare your heart for what God wants to teach you through His Word. You can download our free Bible reading schedule at ttb.org or just call us at 1-865-BIBLE to receive it by mail. Again, that's ttb.org or 1-865-BIBLE. You can also write to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. I'm Steve Schweitz. For all of us at Through the Bible, we're praying that you walk with God until we meet again. See you next time.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jesus came in all, all to be my own. Sin had left the prince unsaved. He washed it white as snow.
