with liberty and boldness, not in self-confidence, but through the merit of thy dear Son, the merit of his blessed person, the one who is the perfect object of thy great eternal heart, who has ever been thy delight, who will ever be thy great delight, and how we bless thee that through him, and particularly that work that he did for thee upon the cross. For when he died it was not only for us, but it was to do thy will that we might be saved. And through his merit we enter into thy holy presence. We thank thee we not only talk with thee, but we know that he himself seated in majesty on thy right hand bears all upon his heart and upon his great eternal shoulders the weight and the trials and the cares of his people. We do thank you for what he bore upon the cross. There upon the cross he bore the sins of the whole world. But now in glory he bears the troubles and the trials, the infirmities, the difficulties of his saints upon the earth. We thank you for those words cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee. Casting all your care upon him, for we care for you. And blessed, Lord, we can only, and we do, place thy dear people with their infirmities in thy blessed hands today. We pray for those that have been mentioned. Oh, not only those that have been named, but, oh, there are so many others. And the hospital, the homes of the land, are filled with many suffering saints. We hold them all up to thee. We believe if it's in thy will thou art able to heal and strengthen and restore. But then we also know it may not always be thy will. For thy people can be trained and also disciplined to be brought by their trials and infirmities closer to the Lord. So we pray, very wisely would we pray, that according to thy will, whether to heal and to restore, whether to comfort and strengthen in the trial, that they may glorify thee through passing into the waters of difficulty, they will never overflow them. May they glorify thee. And then, Lord, we know, too, some may be going home to be with Christ, which is far better. What can we say? Lord, We would not even dare to say, Only thy will be done. But in thy grace, remember them all, that then we have even greater burdens. Not the physical infirmities, the spiritual infirmities of thy people. And if we study thy word, or how we are dealing from thy precious word, more importantly, with the spiritual difficulties, of thy people. And, Father, we confess their difficulties that were physical, their difficulties that were economic, their troubles that were great, even in a physical material way, were often caused because of their spiritual condition. Now, Lord, we're not exempt. We are not immune from these same manifestations of thy chastening hands. to discipline and draw us back and closer to thyself. Lord, we want to thank thee. There's none a trouble in the life of thy dear children, but what it can, if they will permit it, draw us closer to thyself. For this we pray for our dear ones that are upon our hearts. We think of those father who may be loved ones away from thee. Spiritually, having perhaps turned away from the ways of God they once walked in. How to fellowship? Lord, bring them back to thyself. We pray. Then we pray for the whole world that is lost in sin. We recognize the day of judgment is gradually, oh Lord, perhaps we should not say gradually, but even swiftly drawing near, and the coming of the Lord is nigh. Unexpectedly, Thy word says, Fodden, destruction shall come upon them. Dear Lord, every day we look around us and see the people are not aware of it. Ignorant and willfully oftentimes may be the case. Shall we not pray for this world, that today, wherever the gospel of thy grace and the testimony of the gospel through thy dear children anywhere and everywhere, will bring some to thyself. And we want to thank thee, Lord Jesus, thou art coming, coming for thy gnome. And we say, even with sincerity of heart, even so come, Lord Jesus, even so come today. Even so come, Lord Jesus, taking thy bride away. Oh, how my heart is yearning, longing for thy returning. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so come today, we would say together, as thy dear children, we do want to see thee, and long for thee to come. And thus we wait, and give us the patience, the endurance, the love, and the grace that we need, while waiting for thee, as we ask it as we commend ourselves to the study of thy word. In the name of the Lord Jesus, by the help of the Holy Spirit for his glory. Amen. We're in chapter nine of the book of Hosea. Hosea, what a wonderful book it is. I was well reminded of it in my visit down to Atlanta. I've got a good friend down there. His name is Hosea. He's very, he's very happy to have such a name. But once in a while he gives him some trouble. But Hosea, what a prophet he was. and how he suffered for the Lord to be the servant of Jehovah. Can I make a comment, one that I need in my own heart, and I'm sure you'll appreciate it too. I have noticed, and you can and you will, whenever you read or whether you hear of any servants of God that are greatly used, I'm sure you will find that in their experience there have been testing, there have been trials, There have been difficulties that have indeed mellowed them. And through suffering, they have been disciplined by God to be the vessel. For instance, give you the illustration, as you have it, by the prophet Isaiah. He went down to the potter's house. He saw the potter shaping a vessel. He saw the vessel was not perfect, and the potter broke it, and he reshaped it. And of course... The prophet made the application under God's direction, God saying, Why can I do that for you, Israel? And how God has to take his servant, and I say you also, each one of you who belong to him, and like you're on the potter's wheel, he seeks to mold you and mold me according to the vessel he desires to form, for his beauty and for his glory. We sing that, dear old hymn, Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter. I'm the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while in thy presence yielded and still. May I encourage you, your own life, my own life, the circumstances, the difficulties, the trials, they're all a part of the molding of God's purposes for our hearts and for our lives to be lived for his glory. So, I hope every one of you turn out to be a beautiful vessel for him. Hosea was. In chapter nine, we continue on. In fact, I'd like to read the whole chapter through, if you don't mind, and follow it carefully on your lesson sheet. We did touch last week upon verses one and two. But let's get the connection. Rejoice, not, O Israel, for joy, as other people, for thou hast done a whoring from thy God. Thou hast loved a reward upon every corn floor. The floor and the wine press shall not feed them. and the new wine shall fail in herds. They shall not dwell in the Lord's land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt. They shall eat unclean things in Assyria. They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him. Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourning. All that eat thereof shall be polluted. For their bread, for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? For lo, they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up. Memphis shall bury them. The pleasant places for their silver. Neville shall possess them. Thorns shall be in their tabernacles. The days of visitation are come. The days of recompense are come. Israel shall know that the prophet is a fool. The spiritual man is mad. And that implies the one who professes to be a prophet is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God, but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways and hatred in the house of his God. They are deeply corrupted themselves. And how terrible the condemnation. As in the days of Gidea. Therefore he will remember their iniquity. He will visit their sin. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first rite in the victory at her first time. But they went to Baal-Piore and separated themselves unto that shame. And their abominations were according as they loved. and ask for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth and from the womb and from the conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I believe them, that there shall not be a man left, yea, woe also to them when I depart from them. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, but Ephraem shall bring forth his children to the murderer. Give them, O Lord, what will thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breath. All their wickedness is in Gilgal. For there I hated them. For the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house. I will love them no more. All their princes are revolted. Ephraem is smitten. Their root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit. Yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him, and they shall be wanderers among the nation. God bless the reading of this portion of his word. I feel very solemnly. We have certainly read. one of the saddest descriptions of God's judgment and condemnation and accusation against his own earthly people. May I just add in comment to that statement, how little we realize God feels, and how the Lord Jesus, the great Savior and the head of the church, may feel in relation to the conditions of his own people today upon the earth. And I would suggest for myself as well as for any burdened Christian heart. Try to take in not what you may feel, but what God and Christ may feel, as well as the Holy Spirit, is relative to the condition amongst the people of God on the earth. And God is really giving vent to his own heart feeling. I think we mentioned at the beginning of our study, Israel not only broke his laws, They broke his heart. And what we have just read, frankly, don't take them from the words of the prophet Isaiah. They come from the heart of the God of Israel, as he thus accuses, condemns, and chastens his people. Last week in the opening of our chapter, as you noted upon your lesson sheet page ten, as we have noted that in this chapter we see more of Israel's catastrophic judgment coming. But we noted, first of all, just verses one and two. And we just repeated, as you've got it on your lesson sheet under column one, there we found there would be loss of joy. And I'm sure God gave by his spirit the needed application for us. When we stray away from the Lord, when we get away from the God who loves us, the Savior who died for us, and depart unfortunately in disobedience away from it. We lose our joy. And nor may I commend to you as well as to myself. Help us not to lose the joy. You remember David. Now let me give you an illustration. I may have mentioned it last week. But David, as you read Psalm fifty-one, in great and deep conviction, because of his own sin of adultery and of murder in the case of Uriah the Hittite, and his wife Bathsheba, David was brought under conviction to the heart of God to confess his great crime against the old God of thy sin and undeceivable in thy sight. But in that prayer of penitence in chapter fifty one of the Psalms, he prayed, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. And there are many believers today that have lost the joy of their salvation. Now may I state this? Now be careful now and take it in. No believer can lose his or her salvation. I give unto them, said the Lord Jesus, eternal life. They shall never perish. And, beloved Christian, take it in. Believe it. Some quote the text as meaning they shall never, never perish. One old saint that I knew, a friend of mine, she says, all I need is one never. That's enough. Sure it is. But you can lose your joy. And we noted, did we not, in John's epistle, the desire that our fellowship with the Father and the Son is that we should have fullness of joy. So there was the loss of joy. And God grant, pray for those that need restoring, that they may have the joy of their salvation again within their hearts in happy fellowship with the Lord. I'm glad that you and I will keep that joy walking in fellowship. But then we go on, if you please, to verses three and four in our chapter. You note on your lesson sheet, and I want you to note carefully as we follow these verses three through six, rather, that they would be exiled from their land. Let me read verse three and four. Verse three, God says, they shall not dwell in the Lord's land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt. They shall eat unclean things in Assyria. May I point out something to you? You know it's a strange, but it's a true thing when you read the word of God regarding the land of Israel. It's called His land, meaning God's land. It's also called the pleasant land. And it was. To God it was to be the same to his people Israel. But when they got away from him, it was not the pleasant land anymore to them. And it was not his land in their hearts as it should have been. But I want you to note something in our verse. God says they're not going to dwell in the land. They'll be out of fellowship with me. Where will they be, Egypt? Where will they be, Assyria? Beloved, look, what? happens to a Christian who turns away from the Lord. He or she can only turn to the world. And you'll never have a more perfect type of the world as when you read of Egypt in the Word of God. Wherever you read in the Old Testament, that which relates to Egypt in relation to God's earthly people, it was a place where they were away from their own land. Now we can recognize believers can turn to the world. Let me quote the words of John in warning in first John two. Love not the world. Verse fifteen through seventeen. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And John warns. You read that family letter, that family epistle of John, lovely letter. And in that chapter two, beginning at verse twelve and down through to the end of the chapter, he covers the family divisions. Those that were matured fathers, those that were young men, and those that were little children. And he shows the, he reveals the grades of spiritual growth. Matured believers called fathers. They've gone on. faithfully for the Lord. Then young men coming along fine. But he warns the young man. Be careful. The world is always a snare. Love not the world. And then he gives more words of warning for the little children who were subject to being led astray by false teaching. And so there's the warning about the world. Egypt. And Assyria. Another nation north of Egypt. Can I point out something? How significant is it? You note the land of Israel. If you look at a world map, if you could have it all laid out, virtually, maybe not actually, but virtually, that middle land of Israel is in the center of the world. The Mediterranean Sea on one side, the eastern nations on the other side, the northern nations above them, and the southern below them. Surrounded. I call a believer, don't forget that you and I are surrounded by this world. Always a danger. Always a danger. When the Lord saved me, I never realized I had dangers. I was just happy I wasn't going to hell. And I was happy I was going to heaven. And I said, Oh, I said to myself, Johnny, you're going to be the best boy to ever end. I said, Johnny, you're not even going to have any more troubles anymore. Johnny, the devil will never bother you. And I tell you, he's bothered me more since. But you can realize. ignorant of course I soon learned we soon find out there's still dangers and may I please say take it in just as Assyria and Egypt were dangers for God's people to wander into so it is for the Christian today to get into the world and one can recognize what a picture God says they are so sinful they're not fit to dwell in my land Let me just mention something. I think you can find it. Look with me if you're pleased in First Timothy. I want you to notice something. I think it would be very appropriate to mention this particular fact. In First Timothy, or it might even be in Second Timothy, but particularly in this pastoral epistle, I want you to notice, well, I think in chapter one of First Epistle of Timothy, you'll find it also. And let me read these words. And I'd like to begin reading in verse thirteen, if you please. Eighteen, I beg your pardon, verse eighteen. This charge I command thee, Saint Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before thee on thee, that thou by them shouldest warrant a good warfare, and no, holding, meaning, maintaining faith. Hold to the truth of God. Hold it. And then he goes on to say, and a good conscience. In other words, as you kick the truth of God, deal with a good conscience, knowing I'm obeying the word of God. And then he goes on to say, and which some, now please note, some haven't done it. Having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck. Now read the next verse, which was in my mind. Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may not learn to blaspheme. Now what does Paul mean? Here are two men that he names. And according to my conviction, which I believe the word of God substantiates, they were men of God. Paul doesn't name people that he didn't know. But somewhere along the line, what happened? The details are not mentioned. But they strayed away from the truth of God. And they did not have the good conscience. Whatever may have been their act. It was a personal situation with them. In such a degree of going away. As Paul said, concerning which some, not everyone, but some, have put away a good conscience in regard to the faith. They're not true to the Word of God. And then he gives two examples. And then he declares, whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may not learn to blaspheme. Now what does he mean? Just this. Let me ask you this question. Who do you believe, according to the Word of God, is the God of this world? The Lord Jesus called him the prince of this world, Satan. Paul calls him, in Second Corinthians, the God of this age. John writes in First John chapter five, the whole world lieth in the wicked one. Now, let me ask you a question. Don't you believe, and I'm sure you do, the devil's running the world? Sure he is. All right. Now, says Paul. These two men who have disobeyed the word of God and personally wrecked their testimony, I've pushed them out. And this is what God's discipline does. He pushes them into that world to which they have turned. And he causes them to be under, I tell you frankly, they got under the influence of Satan's dominion. Let me have a wrap up. Let me go back to verse one and two. When any Christian loses his and her joy, they're down in the wall. They don't have joy. They have trouble. Let me please state that whenever there is a real born-again Christian who turns away from his or her Savior, they come under the discipline of God. You don't have to discipline them. You may rebuke them. You may encourage them. You may do what you can. But don't forget. They're under the discipline of God. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourges everyone whom he receives. And one can recognize they're out of fellowship. But they're in that world. And there they learn. It doesn't pay. Oh, I can name some dear believer. Who in turning away from the Savior who was there. they came into sorrow and trouble. It comes. Don't worry. It may take time sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't. But it comes. It's inevitable. God says of Israel, they're not going to stay in my land. I'm going to put them out. And as you have in the verse, he says, note the end of verse three. They shall lead unclean things in Asheria as well as in Egypt. And one can recognize. I tell you frankly, I don't know whether you agree with this, but I think the most miserable person that you could find in the world would be a real Christian who's away from the Lord. Unhappy. Unhappy. Unhappy. The world. That's not the place that they find their food for their soul. And if you have the Lord saying, they're going to eat, they'll actually eat what they have down there. Unclean things. Oh my, you have to pray, Lord, keep me close to thee. God granted he will. And then go on further in verse four. They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord. And every offering to the Lord in the days of Israel that was so offered upon the authors was the symbol of their joy. As you may remember that Jacob, now here's a good illustration. There's no question Jacob was twenty years. You look at the life of Jacob. You divide it into three sections. For the first part of his life he was in the land with Isaac his father, Rebecca his mother, and Esau his brother. Then you know the circumstances whereby he deceived his father as well as his brother Esau by getting the birthright in an unscriptural way. God had promised it to him, but he stole it instead of waiting for God to give it to him. And then he was twenty years out of the land. And when he came back to Bethel, where God had met him, on the way out, and promised to be with him. And he built the altar at Bethel again. And then he did an unusual thing when he built that altar and sacrificed. He poured wine upon the offering. That wine offering was the symbol, I'm glad to be back at God's house with the Lord. Now may I point out, In passing, in Jacob's life, you've got the outline of Israel's history as a nation. In the land, for many centuries, out of the land, many centuries more. And someday, when they're restored, they're going to be restored with joy. But while they're away, No joy? No joy, as God says here. Neither shall they, now no, neither shall they be pleasing unto him, that is, unto God. Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners, as those that are mourning for the bread. Let me point out something. You find it in Jeremiah, I'm not sure. I think it's chapter nine or chapter sixteen. You find the one particular practice in Israel, when anyone died, Their friends, their relatives would come. They'd bring bread. And may I point out to you, they also would bring wine. And together they would share that bread as a symbol of their sympathy and mourning with the bereaved ones. And drink that wine in sympathy and remembrance of the one who had died with their loved ones and friends and relatives as the case may have been. And of course you've got a beautiful symbol there of the Lord's Supper. When the Lord Jesus said, this is my body, if he broke the bread and gave thanks for it, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me, as well as the wine, it was typical. In Israel, when someone died, their friends, their loved one would come and share their sorrow by bringing what they call the bread of mourning and drinking the wine of consolation. And the Lord Jesus used that very time to set up the precious meaning of