In this week’s broadcast, we hear heartwarming letters from our listeners, reminding us of the powerful impact of sharing faith stories globally. As Dr. McGee leads us through Hebrews, he highlights the urgency of heeding divine warnings and the importance of brotherly love in the Christian community. Whether through the Bible bus, personal testimonies, or profound scriptural insights, discover how your faith can rest secure amidst the tremors of the modern world.
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellence.
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If you've ever been in an earthquake, then you know that they can be pretty frightening. Welcome to Through the Bible. I'm your host, Steve Schwartz, and I was born and raised here in Southern California, and I've felt an earthquake or two. It's kind of disconcerting. The ground shifts and the buildings sway, and there's this eerie rumbling sound that often goes before you even feel it. And I'm used to it, and yet still sometimes I'm a little spooked. Well, in our study of Hebrews 12 and 13 on Through the Bible, we learn that someday God's voice will shake the earth. And not only the earth, but the heavens as well. And that'll be some earthquake, right? Well, God has shaken the earth before to make a point both on Mount Sinai, where he gave the law to Moses, and at Calvary, when Jesus died for the sins of the world. I'm glad that you're aboard the Bible bus as we continue our study of the sixth danger signal in Hebrews. That's the peril of denying. Our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, will also encourage us about some things that are unshakable. One of those is a living faith in Jesus Christ. He's the rock that we rest on. He cannot be shaken. Before we begin, let's hear from a fellow Bible bus passenger, a few of them, in fact. First, we hear from Paulette in Maine, and she writes this. I have been listening since my children were small and I'm their only parent. They are now grown, married, and with children of their own. All those years, Pastor McGee was often the only adult I had available for biblical guidance. May there be many more years of future blessings and encouragement for so many others listening. Well, thanks for your letter, Paulette, and for your support that keeps the Bible bus rolling in your community and around the world. Now, next we hear from Timothy in Georgia. Today at work, I met a truck driver. I gave him a Bible bus pass. He was so appreciative. And as it turns out, he's a pastor in Macon, Georgia, who has studied Dr. McGee's lessons. He went on and on about how much he'd learned. We had a wonderful few minutes talking together, and he said, God made the whole trip worthwhile since we met each other, two Bible bus riders who finally found themselves together at the same bus stop. Thank you for all that you do for our Lord, reaching and impacting so many. Please send more packets of listen and share bus passes. I'm running low and need to restock for the encounters that God has prepared down the road. Well, that's great to hear from you, Timothy. And that sounds like you had a divine appointment between the two of you. William in Ohio is making good use of our bus passes too. Here's his story. Thank you for providing the Bible bus passes I requested to take to Paris for the Olympic Evangelical Outreach. They were very useful and successful. A brother and sister from Algeria were astounded when I shared the program in their heart language. They smiled and said, they are speaking in our language, which I thought no one could find. What a great report, William. And I'm so glad that you're out there flinging the seed along with us. Now, if you'd like us to send you a pack of free Bible bus cards to share this program with those that you meet out and about, call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE because we'd love to get them into your hands so that you can pass them on. And then here's a note. This one's from Troy in Arizona. The Through the Bible app has transformed my spiritual walk in ways I never anticipated, writes Troy. With every journey through Scripture, Dr. McGee's wisdom and relatable teaching bring the Word of God to life, offering new insights that are easy to grasp yet deeply profound. It's like sitting down with a friend who opens up the Bible in a way that makes it feel real and accessible. This app has been more than just a study tool. It's been a lifeline for my faith. guiding me through challenges, deepening my understanding, and helping me connect with God on a daily basis. Whether it's on a drive, during a quiet morning, or right before bed, Through the Bible has become an essential part of my spiritual routine, nourishing my soul with timeless truths and reigniting my passion for God's Word. Well, we're so glad that you're aboard, Troy. Thanks for the feedback on the app, by the way. I love it, too. And if you don't have it yet, I sure hope that you'll check it out. You can find it in your favorite app store. Now, what's your story? How has our time in God's Word benefited you? How are you sharing it with others? Well, you know we'd love to hear from you, so why don't you leave us a note in the feedback section of our app? You can also email us at BibleBus at ttb.org. You can call and leave a message anytime at 1-800-65-BIBLE. And you can always write to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C, 6B1. However you choose to be in contact, we're always glad to hear from you. And who knows, maybe soon I'll be sharing your letter to encourage others as they go through the Bible with us. Now let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this time in your word. As we study the book of Hebrews, would you remind us of the unshakable foundations that we have in Jesus Christ, even as you shake the heavens and the earth to reveal what truly lasts. Lord, may this time in your word deepen our trust in the rock of our salvation. In Jesus, whose name we pray. Amen. Here's more in our study of Hebrews 12 and 13 on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
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Now I'm coming back to this 12th chapter of Hebrews, and it's such a wonderful chapter, I'm reluctant to leave it, but we're going to have to do that today. Now, having told these Hebrews, you see, he said to them, Jesus is better than anything that God had ever done in the past, and he'd done many wonderful things. Better than the prophets, better than the Old Testament ritual, better than the law, And now he's urged them to turn to him and that he's a living savior. But we're in this section of the warning. And he says in verse 25, see that ye refuse not him that speaketh. And since he is so wonderful and since his words are very important, it pays you to pay attention to him. It'll be very profitable to you. For he goes on to say, for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Now, if you want to see what happened to a people under the law, look at the nation Israel even today. Are they living in peace today? They are not. And their story has been really a sad story, really for 1900 years. And why? Well, they refused to hear him, to hear Jesus. They also had refused to hear the law. And it was because of that that God has judged them. And therefore, it's a pretty serious business not to listen to this warning. Because you remember the Lord Jesus says, if any man willeth to do his will, he shall know. If you'll do his will, you'll find out whether it's true or not, my friend. But if you refuse, how are you going to escape, as he said before, if you neglect so great a salvation? Now, he says, verse 26, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised saying, yet once more, I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And you remember at the giving of the law, there was an earthquake, the mountain rent. At the crucifixion of Christ, there was an earthquake. And God says that the day is coming when he's going to shake everything. When I see these big, tall buildings in downtown Los Angeles, I look at them and I say, I want to get a good look today because you may not be there tomorrow. God says he's going to shake this whole earth and heaven itself. You know why he's going to do that? Let all of his created universe know there are some things that are unshakable. And one of those is a living faith in Jesus Christ. He's the rock that we rest upon, and he cannot be shaken. You want a secure place today? That's the place to go. That's the air raid shelter today that's safe. They want to make this world, they say, today safe. No man can make this world safe or no United Nations can make it safe. It's not even safe to walk on the street I live on. I don't know about your street, but I have a notion it's very much the same way. He's going to make it safe someday. And in order to do that, he's going to shake everything. Now, he says, verse 27, and this word yet once more signifying the removing of those things that are shaken as the things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. In other words, we better be very careful where we build our house today on sinking sand or we're building it up on the rock, which is Christ, because God's going to shake everything. And he's going to reveal that which is false and phony. And there's a lot of that. Verse 28, wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Now, you and I are moving toward a heavenly kingdom. And as we move, why we need to recognize that we down here should serve God. But how are we to serve him? Well, we're to serve him acceptably. Yes, but how can we serve him acceptably? With reverence and godly fear. My friend, Christianity is not playing church. It's not assuming a pious attitude. It's a living, vital, real relationship to Jesus Christ that affects your life, that transforms your life and anchors you in the Word of God. Now he says, verse 29, for our God is a consuming fire. And you can take that or leave it, but that just happens to be in the Word of God. This is a solemn reminder. It means that grace is available for you to serve God, but don't trifle with God, my friend. Don't think you can play fast and loose with God and get by with it. I remember when I first came here to Pasadena in 1940 as a pastor. I was asked by a lady to go see her husband. And they were a lovely couple, actually. But the husband was sick in bed at home. In fact, never got out of that bed. He died. And I went in and presented the gospel to him. And he heard me courteously. And he said this to me. He said, Dr. McGee, I would like to tell you right now that I accept Christ as my Savior. And I will do that. But he says, I have done it so much. I have trifled and played with God down through the years that I don't even know myself when I'm sincere and when I'm not. My friend, don't trifle with God. The day may come when you won't even know where you stand with him at all. I tell you, our God is a consuming fire, but he's a gracious, glorious, wonderful Savior. Now, that brings me to the last chapter, chapter 13. I said, you'll recall that chapter 11 is faith chapter. Chapter 12 was the hope chapter. What a hope it offers to you there. We're marching to Zion, but not over yonder in Israel. We're marching to a heavenly Zion. And it ought to be encouragement today to know that, friends, that that's the direction we're going. And so we have in chapter 12 a hope chapter. Now we come to the love chapter. And this brings us to something that I think is quite wonderful. Chapter 10, someone has called it Christian's privileges. Chapter 11, Christian's power. Chapter 12, Christian's progress. And chapter 13, Christian's practice. I don't exactly accept that as being actually a good outline. Other than chapter 13, here we come to the practice of the believer. And he begins by saying, let brotherly love continue. Now, if you have a Bible with good notes, you'll have a note on that. And the note is, brotherly love should be brother love. Brother love. It doesn't mean, friends, that believers are to love like brothers. They are to love because they are brothers. Now, if you're a child of God, You're my brother. I've received recently some letters with all these other letters that I've received. And somebody asked me, I know that you can't read all of them. Friends, when I was at home lying flat on my back, you don't know how wonderful it was to have all those letters to read. And that's what I did. I read every one of them. that came to me from all you folk out there. And somebody said they didn't think I did. But many of those letters came from somebody that in the letter or in the card would say, I'm a black woman or I'm a black man. But I listen to your program and I want you to know that I'm a believer and I love you. And you know, that did something to me. I want to say this to you. What difference does it make by the color of your skin? You're a child of God. He's given you a new heart and he's washed you white as snow. And believe me, I know a lot of white people today. They sure need to be washed white as snow. But you're my brother. You're my sister, and we're in the same family. Maybe you don't want to be in my family, but you're in my family. We love each other. May I say to you, this is something that's real. I have put in my notes a triangle. The Christian life can be put like a triangle. At the top, you can put God. At one side, you can put yourself. On the other, you can put others. And it's faith and love toward God. And it's love toward others. That's the way we manifest it. Let brother love continue. Now, here is stranger love. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers even, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Now, there have been those we are, I think, acquainted with them in Scripture. You remember Abraham entertained angels unaware. Actually, old Jacob did. He didn't do too much entertaining. He was too busily wrestling that night. And Joshua, you remember, that the angel appeared to Joshua. So that many have entertained angels unaware. We ought to be careful. Our love is to be exercised with judgment. But we need to recognize that there are folk around us that we could be very helpful to them. We could extend our love to them. And my, I tell you, we might meet some very wonderful people like that. And then it says, remember them that are in bonds that's bound with them. Paul, you see, was in bonds himself. He knew a great deal like that. Remember the needy and those in trouble. Show love to those who are in need. You see, the church is a body, and when one member suffers, all of us suffer. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourself also in the body. And we're all in a body of believers. And I sure had an opportunity to test that myself and forgive me for referring to it so much, but it's sure given me a marvelous illustration. I didn't know there was so many wonderful Christians around today. One dear lady, and I don't shed tears very easily, but I read her letter and shed tears. She said, Dr. McGee, I'm inactive now and I'm not able to do anything. I pray to God that I could just be able to come down and take your disease and And let you go on. May I say to you, you don't find that in every church today and every group of believers. And I must admit that that's what the writer here is talking about. We need that today. And there's a lot of it around. I thank God for that. Now he says, marriage is honorable in all things. And if you think that when he's talking about brother love and sister love, that you're to love the sisters, you're dead wrong. Marriage is honorable in all. And sex is to be exercised in the framework of marriage. God gave marriage to mankind for the welfare of mankind. And any time, and oh, I know I sound like a square, because today this idea of living together without being married is becoming very commonplace among young people. But I'll tell you this, young person, you will sure pay for it if you attempt to live outside the bonds of marriage, because the home is the very center of the whole social structure. And it's the very center of the church. Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Nothing wrong with sex, except today it's being taught too much. And when I was in London not long ago, I found out that they are going to cut down on teaching sex. It has led to more rapes in school than anything else. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid growing up in school, I was pretty ignorant at first. Well, I sure did learn a whole lot in a short time. And I think you don't need all this education today about sex. And also, according to this London report, it is responsible for this epidemic of venereal disease today. God is not mocked. Whatsoever you sow, my friend, you go in to reap. And you're not getting by with it. And how many in the church today think they are? Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. But whoremongers and adulterers, God will judge. You cannot escape. He'll judge you. Then he says, let your conversation, which means your manner of life, Be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. Isn't that wonderful to have him say that to you? And I don't care who you are or what you do. This is the response of faith to the word of God here. And it brings you to the place that you know that he's never going to leave you nor forsake you. Isn't that wonderful? I have a notion that I've got friends today that would forsake me. I may have relatives that would forsake me. But you know, the Lord Jesus, he's never going to forsake. It's wonderful to have him on your side, and I hope you have him on your side. Verse 6, so that we may boldly say, the Lord's my helper, and I'll not fear what man shall do unto me. These Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria were really going to face in the next few years punishment. And they were going to face trials. And those that were believers need to remember God wasn't going to forsake them. And they could say, in spite of what happened, God's my helper. And I'll not fear what man will do unto me. Then verse 7, remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. And I can't help but come back and make this statement. Isn't it interesting that we had a few of these radicals that during the war in Vietnam, they were all so interested in the POWs and they, my, they made trips over there and they led protest rallies. Then the POWs were released. Have you seen any of these folks show any interest in the POWs? You know why? Many of them came back and they said it wasn't a movie star, a former attorney general that helped me. It was Jesus. And many of them turned to Jesus. And it's interesting how the media, the news media, especially television, they turned that off. They didn't like to talk about the POWs. And it's interesting how this country has been made through the news media and all of these radicals. We've about forgotten that there were POWs that were released, friends. Many of them turned to Jesus. And may I say to you, what happened? He never forsook them. He stayed with them. And he's the one that will see you through. I don't think the radicals are going to help you much. I don't think any of these political parties are going to help you much. I don't think any of these politicians. I am tired listening to them. And I guess I'm as tired listening to them as they are listening to me. But I'm tired listening to them. May I say to you, I want to listen to Jesus. He says he'll never leave me nor forsake me. Now, will you notice here? Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. I'm not going to deal with that today, because I want to close by reading the next verse, and I'm going to talk about that next time. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the only thing I want to say right now is just the word, Jesus Christ. And I want to say this to you, that there's no accident in the word of God. That is, no words ever used carelessly. Now, Jesus was his human name. Christ is his title. That speaks of his deity. And oh, how wonderful this is. This speaks the name Jesus. That links him, if you please, with humanity. That links him with mankind down here. That links him with the most wonderful person in the world. And what you have here is a name and a title. Jesus, name of sweetness. Jesus, sound of love. Cheering exiles onward to the rest above. Jesus, oh, the magic of the soft love sound, how it thrills and trembles to creations bound. Now, Jesus, do you know how wonderful he was as a person when he was down here? I'm just not talking about his humanity. You know, people crowded around him. He was human. He was so human. Actually, the mobs followed him. They loved him. It was the teaching of Jesus they hated. It was not Jesus, the man. He was wonderful, friends. We're going to talk about him next time. Jesus, the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
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That's a great promise. And be sure to join us next time as we talk about Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we began these studies in Hebrews, we heard Dr. McGee say his one ambition was to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to get out his word. He said, To learn more about how you can partner with us to get the word out in your neighborhood and in more than 250 languages around the world, visit ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE. And if you want to dig a little deeper into Hebrews, why don't you download our free Bible companion at ttb.org. And as we've mentioned before, we're happy to now also offer Hebrews and any of our New Testament Bible companions in beautiful paperback editions. You'll find them on our website at ttb.org. I'm Steve Schwetz, and as usual, I'm going to meet you back here next time as we together go through the Bible. Today's study is always available, free to stream or download, thanks to the generous and faithful investments from your fellow Bible bus travelers. Just go to ttb.org or download our app to listen again anytime. As always, we'd love to know what's God teaching you.
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.
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
