Join us for an enlightening discussion as Dr. McGee tackles the age-old question: Why does God allow His children to suffer? Through personal anecdotes and scriptural insights, we explore the transformative power of trials and the various reactions Christians might have. Encouraging stories from around the world reinforce the message of perseverance and faith in the face of adversity, as believers learn to see God's purpose in every situation.
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Why does God allow his people to suffer?
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Why does he discipline his children? These are good and honest questions that are often asked through tears. So as we make our way through the Bible, Dr. J. Vernon McGee offers his perspective, saying, God just doesn't let you be disciplined for no purpose in the world. There's always a reason, and we can discover what that purpose is. In our last study, we learned seven reasons why God allows us to suffer. And in this study, we're going to learn four possible reactions. If you're in a trial right now, Hebrews 12 has an important message. Dr. McGee has been there too. Here's a quick intro from him on that period of time in his life.
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There is a word that I want to make clear to you at this time. I took the tape that I made before and listened to it. That tape I made at the time that I'd had two operations. My trouble had been misjudged by a doctor that I'd had. And therefore, I had to have two operations. And very candidly, I was feeling very low. And I came to this passage of scripture at that particular time, right after it, when the doctor permitted me for the first time to make tapes. And up to that time, I never thought I could make a tape on the discipline of the Lord. Well, I made it. And right now, I don't think I could make it again. And so I'm using this that came out of a real experience that I had, and I trust that it will be meaningful for you and will indeed have a message for you also.
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I appreciate Dr. McGee's sincerity, don't you? And after reading so many wonderful letters from our fellow listeners over the years, I've seen how one person's story often helps someone who's struggling with the same thing. So if you're struggling, I sure hope that these letters encourage you to press on. A faithful wife in St. Paul, Minnesota writes this. At present, I'm caring for an ailing husband who causes me to become tired. But after 60 plus years of prayer, he finally and joyfully knows the Lord as his Savior. Praise the Lord for the souls that are being won for him through your radio program. Tell others not to give up hope. Yes, if you're praying for a loved one to come to Jesus, don't give up hope. And then here's a word. This is from a listener in Henryville, Indiana. She says, He is our only hope for healing our very ill sons. I look back and can see God's hand in my life preparing me for what I now have to go through. I wish I had not wasted so many years worrying about earthly things. My husband and I listen to your program together every evening. And then finally, a listener of our Marathi program in the state of Maharashtra, India wrote this. My son is suffering from a dreaded disease. Four of the children in our area have died due to the same disease. Very depressed, I came across your program. When I heard it, my heart was filled with joy. I felt like I had discovered something new. I believe with all my heart that our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to save sinners like us. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I believe that Jesus will heal my son from sickness. Well, we're confident that God can and does heal. And we also are confident that God works all things together for good for those who love him, to them who are called according to his purpose. Even when it's hard, Dr. McGee has more to say about that in our study. Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your grace and your mercy and the healing that you bring to people's lives. It's for your glory, Lord, that we lift up to you those who are suffering and ask for a clear sense of your nearness. We thank you, Lord, for working out your purposes in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's go to Hebrews 12 on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McKee.
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Now, friends, last time we left off at the ninth verse of the twelfth chapter of Hebrews 12, And we were in this section where he is encouraging the child of God to go on and endure for the very simple reason that God does not send trouble to us as evidence of his displeasure. It may be one of the main reasons God sends troubles to us is to discipline us. And the word, as we've seen here, The word chasen means child train. And child train refers to children, the technon word they choose. And then weos refers to full-grown sons. And all of us need to be disciplined of the Lord. And as we said last time, we believe that God helped me up here and wouldn't let me do the 12th chapter of Hebrews, wouldn't finish it until I had this experience with hepatitis and I still am not free from it. But I am able now to move about. And my doctor gave me the permission to make one tape a day or two tapes every other day. And I'm grateful for that. That's all I ask the Lord to let me do. And he's heard and answered my prayer. And he's heard and answered the prayers of many of you others. And I'm convinced that the Lord has been chastening me, that he's been disciplining me. I mentioned seven reasons that God's children suffer last time. And I think that if you're an intelligent Christian, that when you are in trouble, if you're not sure why it's come, go to the Lord. Talk to him about it. And I'm sure that he'll get a message through to you and let you know why that you're in trouble. And the reason may be that he's not judging you. A judge judges us. He does that. That's punishment. But he's also our loving Heavenly Father. And he disciplines his children. In fact, he made it very clear, if he doesn't discipline you, we're an illegitimate child. Now, when I was a boy, I got in trouble and several other boys. And I saw one morning my dad crying. coming across the school yard. And when he got to the school, you know that there were several hundred children there. You know who he was after? He was after his son. And he took his son and disciplined him. He didn't discipline those hundred other children. They weren't his children. If they had been, they'd been illegitimate. But he disciplined the boy that's his boy and the boy that he loved, my heavenly father. Because my earthly father died when I was 14. And it took me a long time to get another father. And that father is my heavenly father now. And he does the same thing. He disciplines. And now this is important for God's children to know. And it's to help us endure. Now he goes on here and he says, furthermore. We've had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence. Believe me, I listened to my dad. I hadn't heard about the new psychology that you don't pay any attention to your parents or that they don't discipline you. My dad disciplined and I listened to him. Now he says, if we listen to our earthly parents, shall we not much rather be in subjection under the father of spirits and live? Now, I want to tell you, if you listen to your earthly father when he disciplines you, you better listen to your heavenly father. And he makes a suggestion here, and I think it's only a suggestion. He says, you listen, you be in subjection to the father of spirits and live. Now, what do you mean by live? Live it up? Well, I think that he meant to live the Christian life in all its fullness. But there's also the negative that's there. And that is the Heavenly Father disciplines in a very severe way sometimes. There is a sin under death. And that is a sin that a child of God can commit. And sometimes the Heavenly Father calls his child home. We're going to see that later on when we get to the epistle of 1 John, that the heavenly father sometimes takes a disobedient child home out of this world because he's disgracing him. Now he says, you better listen to your heavenly father. He's doing it in love. But if you possess him going on, he may take you home. If you want to live and live it up down here. My friend, that's the thing that I settled with the Lord when I had cancer. I said, oh God, I want to live down here. And he was good to me and he's let me live. And then when I had this last trouble, I went to him again and I knew that nothing is There are a lot of things wrong in my life. I'm sure not perfect. If you think I'm perfect, ask my wife. She can tell you differently. But I want to say to you that I want to live. And my Heavenly Father, I found out, he was just disciplining me. And I was learning a lesson. And he did it in love. And it changes the whole picture. Now, verse 10, for they, that is the earthly ones, they verily for a few days chasing us after their own pleasure. My dad died when I was 14 and no more was I under his discipline. And I think sometimes he got a little angry with me and vented his anger on me. But even then, but he did it for our profits. that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now, my dad did it for my prophet, I'm sure, but my heavenly father, he does it for my prophet down here. Now, when you listen to verse 11, and I want now to see what should be the reaction of a Christian to the discipline of God. And there are several reactions you can give. Verse 11, for instance. Now, no chastening for the present. seemeth to be joyous. And I'm willing to say that it not only doesn't seem to be joyous, it isn't joyous, but grievous. That is the experience. Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Now, he wants us to profit by it in order we might be a partaker of his holiness. And I believe, friends, that there's no way in the world to make you a full-grown, and I think that's the main thought and holding this year, a full-grown child of God, living in fellowship with him, except through the discipline of God. Now, down here, why may I say that he disciplines us, and no chastening at the time is fun, but afterward, we're told, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Now, God just doesn't let you be disciplined for no purpose in the world. Just like the man that was in a funny farm. And there was a visitor there one day, and this man was beating himself on the head with a baseball bat. And so the visitor went up to him. He says, why in the world are you hitting yourself on the head with a baseball bat? Well, he says, it feels so good when I quit. Well, my friend, God just doesn't do it to you. So you're going to feel good after it's over. Now, there is a purpose, always a purpose in the discipline of God for you and me today. And my friend, that is something that I want to dwell on now for just a few moments, because I think, again, I'm in a spot where it's very, very important indeed. Now, what is your reaction when God disciplines you? Well, actually, there are four things that are mentioned in this passage of Scripture here. And I'll have to go back and pick up the others that I passed over. Back in verse 5, he says, And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint. when thou art rebuked of him. Now, he mentions here, the first thing you can do, you can despise that. That can be your reaction. That is, that means that you treat it lightly, that you get no message from it at all. You become, I would say, a fatalist. Well, everybody has trouble. I'm having trouble. And it's not meaningful to you. You don't get God's message in it at all. You just treat it lightly. You don't recognize the fact that your Heavenly Father's disciplining you in all of this. Now, that's one reaction. You can just absolutely ignore it altogether. And a great many do that. They just take it in stride and say, well, yes, I'm sick. Everybody gets sick. This happens to the human family. And they don't see any purpose in it at all. Now, that's one reaction to it. Then he mentions here something else, nor faint, you see. And there are those that take that viewpoint. I would say this is the crybaby reaction to it. You begin to cry and say, why did this happen to me? It's not worth living the Christian life. I have served the Lord, and now he's let this happen to me. And you just faint away. And there are a lot of saints that take that attitude. I have been absolutely overwhelmed because I have received, since I've been sick, over a thousand, in fact, several thousand letters from people all over this country and out of this country, throughout the world. And some of these people, they're lots worse off than I am. And some of them made me feel ashamed of myself. They've been on beds of pain for months and several for years. And they write the sweetest letters that you've ever seen. And they come from folk They've got a real victory. I'll be very frank with you. I hear about these meetings where people go and they're healed and they talk about great victories. You want to know where the great victories are being won today? Go to the hospital or go visit some dear saint that's been on the bed for months, years maybe, and listen to them talk. They make me ashamed of myself. I'll tell you that. You can faint, though, but these people don't faint. I tell you, the Lord is strengthening them. Now, he has another message here, and this is a dangerous way because it's so close to that which is true. And that is, you can endure it. Well, somebody says, that's what he says, if ye endure chastening. Yes, but these are the super-duper pious saints. I like to speak of them as like the Indian faker. And I think they're a fake or two, but a different kind of one. Over in India, he crawls up on a board filled with nails and he lies down. He doesn't have to lie down there, but he does it. And a lot of saints today, they accept this in a passive way. Oh, this is the Lord and I will endure it. You know, he never asked you to take that pessimistic, that super pious attitude toward your trouble. Why don't you go to him and ask him, Lord, why did you send this to me? There's a lesson here, and I want to learn the lesson. And not accept it in that passive manner. And I've had a few letters like that. Oh, this is something that I have endured, and I'll just go on enduring it, you know, in a passive way and complaining all the time. Now, here is the fourth one, and he mentions that here in verse 11. He says, Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceful fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Now, you can be exercised by. Did you ever take setting up exercises? I play golf on a golf course where there's a man I've got more or less acquainted with him. He jogs around the course while I play golf. And he does that to lose weight. He is inclined to be a little chubby. And so he's doing that to lose weight. He exercises, you see. Now, I've thought of that in recent days. Are you exercise when you get in trouble? when you have to suffer, when your problem comes to you, even when an enemy comes across your pathway. Have you ever stopped to ask God, why in the world did you let that fellow come across my pathway? And you know God does it for a purpose. God does all these things for a purpose. And the thing to do is to be exercised by. Paul said that he wanted to keep under his body. He wanted to exercise. Because he didn't want to come before God's presence someday and be disapproved. My friend, I don't care where you are, who you are. It's time you're taking your setting up exercises. And I mean by that, the kind of exercises that are going to put you in a position where you don't go like verse 12, wherefore lift up the hands which hang down in the feeble knees. Don't walk around through life as a Christian complaining all the time. I used to have a friend that I learned to quit asking him how he felt because he always told me how he felt. And it took him 15 minutes to tell you how he felt. And I've never met him when he ever felt good. You see, going around all the time with his hands which hang down and his feeble knees. May I say to you, my friend, somebody's watching you. How do you endure the trouble that comes to you? Do you endure it? By being exercised by, that's the important way, and that's the way we are to endure it. We'd say, my heavenly father, he's chasing in me, and there's a purpose in it. I want to learn the lesson. We start, you're setting up exercises. One, two, three. One, two, three. Lord, I'd like to know why I'm suffering this way. Now, notice, he says, make straight paths for your feet. lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. And I'll be very frank with you, I've never been quite clear just what he meant by this. Make straight paths for your feet. Are you to walk the straight path that the weak saint might follow in your footsteps? Or are you to walk the straight path? So that you don't get in the habit of limping through life. And there are a lot of lame brain Christians today. They complain, they criticize, and they're no witness for God at all. And yet they appear very superposed. Now he continues on here, follow peace with all men. Be encouraged and be at peace with all men. That is, with all that you can be at peace. Because some people just won't be at peace. And holiness. Follow peace with all man, that is, with all Christian man. Make this a big cross-country race that we're in today, where a lot of us are running the Christian life today. And holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Now, if that means that I've got to produce holiness, then I'm going to give up, because I don't have any. But the peace that I've got came through the blood of Christ, being justified by faith. I have peace with God. And if I got any holiness, he's been made unto me righteousness. And he is my righteousness. And that's what I'm expecting to see. God, if I get in his presence, it'll be just because Christ died for me. And that's encouraging, friends. That makes me want to get out and run the Christian race. Now, he says, "...looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God." Now, the grace of God is available. And all the grace that you need, God has plenty as a surplus of it. But you've got to avail yourself of it. Have you gone to him, Christian friend, and talked to him? Talk to him, oh yes, reverently, but talk to him like he's your father and tell him about yourself. Tell him you need grace. I cried out to him for grace. Oh boy, did I need it. And I want to say to you, we all need grace. And it's available, but you've got to apply for it. You've got to. Ask him for it. It's available. Don't fail of the grace of God. And if you do, I'll tell you what will happen. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and there many be defiled. You know, one critical, ugly saint in a church can just spoil a whole church. Just like one apple in a barrel of apples just ruins all of them. And that is the thing that can happen. And the thing to do is you're to ask God for grace to endure whatever it is. And don't become bitter, Christian friend, toward anyone or any circumstance, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Now, my time is up today, but I'm going to finish this chapter, hopefully, next time. So until next time, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
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As Dr. McGee said, when suffering comes, ask the Lord to give you a glimpse into the purpose for which he's allowing this suffering in your life. Ask, how can I cooperate with you, Lord? If you want to explore this topic a bit more, why don't you download Dr. McGee's booklet, Why Do God's Children Suffer? It's available anytime at ttb.org. Another way that you can dig a little deeper in Hebrews is by downloading our free Bible Companion for Hebrews in our app or at ttb.org. And for those who have been waiting for our Bible Companions to be available in a printed format, wait no longer, my friend. We've heard your request. And you can now purchase Dr. McKee's New Testament Bible Companions in softcover at ttb.org or when you call 1-865-BIBLE. Again, that's ttb.org or 1-865-BIBLE. And when you get yours, why don't you tell us what you think, especially if you're using them for a small group study. They're perfect for that. Now, as we go, I want to remind you that your letters, they really do mean a lot to us. So why don't you take a minute and tell us how God's helping you through your daily study of His Word. You can leave your note through our app. You can email BibleBus at ttb.org. Of course, you can always write that letter to ThroughTheBible, Box 7100.com. Pasadena, California, 91109, or in Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. You can also call and leave a message at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Dr. McGee once again reminds us to get our eyes off the church, off our organizations, and off any other person. And instead, let's look to Jesus. Hear more next time as the Bible bus rolls along.
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All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.
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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.
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.
