The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1467 Hos kc 16-2

There are some Christians who run around with just a New Testament, perhaps with Psalms and Proverbs included.

The question is, "How much understanding can they possibly have?"

Hosea 9:15 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 revolters.

The example is that if one does not know what "Gilgal" is or what happened at Gilgal then he or she will not fully understand the depth of this verse and therefore not understand the depth of our Father's feelings in view of the fact that He just said He will "drive them out of His house"!

This is an important principle because not only have we seen references to other events in this chapter of Hosea, but we find many, many references even in the New Testament to events which happened and are recorded in the Old Testament. And without the proper foundation, i.e. the knowledge concerning those events (or places or persons) referred to, one will surely fall short in his or her understanding. For instance, Jesus Christ said in Mat. 24:15 and Mark 13:14, "When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (where he ought not)", He made the Book of Daniel part of Matthew and Mark.

You see, Daniel makes it clear that the "abomination of desolation" is an entity, a person, even the abominable one who makes desolate the souls of men, i.e. Satan as the coming antichrist. Therefore one cannot really understand those words of Christ without reading Daniel, can they? Nor can one understand the apostle Paul who constantly made reference to the words of the prophets.

Here is an example of Paul giving back to back references to two different OT books, one of which is this great Book of Hosea! Romans 9:25-27 "As he saith also in Osee [Greek for Hosea], I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. [26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. [27] Esaias [Greek for Isaiah] also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved".

There are some Christians who run around with just a New Testament, perhaps with Psalms and Proverbs included.The question is, "How much understanding can they possibly have?" Think about it! Paul and the other apostles preached Christ and they did not even have the New Testament; It wasn't written yet!