Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need

The Spirit of Whoredoms

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-04-30

Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Hosea 4:12 and 5:4 to show that the 'spirit of whoredoms' is a pervasive, perverse, and erroneous spirit of spiritual adultery—idolatry—that leads God's people to err by rejecting His authoritative Word. He argues that physical immorality is a consequence of theological immorality, and that professing Christians who refuse to submit to Scripture are guilty of this spirit. The sermon calls for repentance and turning to God's Word as the only remedy.

[John Weaver] Hosea chapter 4 verse 12. Listen carefully. You will see the title of the message in the verse. The title of the message is the spirit of whoredoms. And it may not be exactly what you think. But look in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. We will come back for the context shortly. God says, my people ask counsel of their stocks. And their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God. Then if you will look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4, the Bible says this, They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord. One prevalent spirit that manifests itself in every sphere of life And in the world is a spirit of whoredoms.

[John Weaver] It's not just in America or England or Europe or Asia or Africa. It's everywhere and it's in every one of the nations. We see it daily. We hear of it often and we have become insensitive to it. In fact, we have become so sensitized in the sense of the word that we tolerate this, and simply because we tolerate it, then we tend to think that it is normal and therefore it is acceptable as well. And so to understand what I'm going to be preaching tonight, all you have to do is just simply look around and you can see for yourself.

[John Weaver] Now, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 19 and verse 14, God speaks about the spirit of whoredoms, but it is here called a perverse spirit. The Bible says the Lord had mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. But note, if you would, This perverse spirit has caused every man to err in every work. In other words, here is something that is so pervasive and so perverse, it actually affects everything. Now in that passage, the Hebrew word for perverse actually means that which is perverse, that which is distorting, and that which is warping. So there are multitudes then of warped, distorted, perverse people in this world and in America.

[John Weaver] And I tend to think that a lot of them probably congregate around Washington, D.C. as well as some of the state capitals as well.

[John Weaver] Now, there's another verse in 1 John 4 and verse 6 where the Bible calls this the spirit of error. So listen to this verse just for a moment. The Word of God says, We are of God, He that knoweth God, heareth us. He that is not of God, heareth us not. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. So the spirit of truth, then, is those that hear the word of God. The spirit of error would be those who do not hear the word of God. So I want you to connect, if you would please, a spirit of whoredoms. with a perverse spirit and with a spirit of error. And so what he is saying is that the spirit of whoredoms is a perverse, distorted, erroneous spirit that leads multitudes astray. Now, when you and I hear the spirit of whoredoms, The very first thing we think of is usually adultery, fornication, and every lust of the flesh.

[John Weaver] We think of prostitution, both male and female, pedophilia, sex trafficking that abounds not only in the world, but in the state capitals, in our national capital also. And by the way, if you've been paying attention to the news lately, there's a whistleblower saying that sex trafficking now, that our government is the middle man. in all of this, which I would not doubt at all. So, that is normally what we think of.

[John Weaver] But it may surprise you to learn that in the Old Testament, the word adultery only refers to the physical act about six times, and two of those times it has the implication of spiritual adultery as well. Usually, the Old Testament word adultery refers to what you and I would call spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, or simply idolatry. In the New Testament, the word does rely more on the physical, but the spiritual is there as well. So, the spirit of whoredoms deals directly with fornication and adultery against God and His law because it involves idolatry. So, idolatry is spiritual fornication and adultery against God. It is a perversion. It is a spirit of error, because it is a denial of God and His authority.

[John Weaver] It is a denial of His Creatorship, of His Lordship, of His ownership of the world and everything therein. Now, go back to Hosea 4, verse 12, and let me show you the context. Look at this. My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, For the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God.

[John Weaver] They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under the oaks, and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good. Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredoms, and your spouses shall commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots. Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall." In other words, what God is saying here is the people as a whole are given to idolatry.

[John Weaver] Now, here is A good illustration of what is known as the Lex Talionis. The Lex Talionis is the law of retribution It is where God makes the punishment fit the crime. When God says, I'm not going to punish your daughters and your spouses when they commit adultery because they're separated with whores, with adulterers already. In other words, what God is saying, what you're doing to me, your spouses and your daughters are going to do to you as well.

[John Weaver] Now, here is something that is very important. I want you to see. Once he talks about spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, it is spiritual adultery and spiritual fornication that lead to physical adultery and physical fornication. So, to spell it for you, here it is. If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, How much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse? You see what I'm saying? So, if someone is not afraid to sin against God openly, blatantly, violently, they're certainly not going to be afraid to sin against their spouse as well.

[John Weaver] So, let me say this again. The physical immorality that is rampant in this country, whether you talk about adultery, fornication, pedophilia, transgenderism, I don't care what you're talking about, but the rampant physical immorality in this country is a consequence and result of theological immorality. The spiritual always precedes the physical.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look, if you would, momentarily, at the book of Zechariah. Hold, Hosea. Zechariah is right before the book of Malachi, next to the last book in the Old Testament. So if you look in Zechariah chapter 13, look if you would please at verse 2, because here God talks about an unclean spirit, and that unclean spirit happens to be the spirit of whoredoms, which is a perverse spirit, which is a spirit of error. He says in Zechariah chapter 13 in verse 2, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. So the unclean spirit then is connected with the idols and the names of the idols, which of course then would go to the spirit of error and the spirit of perversion and then also the spirit of whoredoms.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at a verse that I know that you could quote. I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding Hosea, But I want you to turn to 2nd Chronicles chapter 7, and I want you to look at verse 14. There's a purpose for asking you to do this, and I'm sure that everyone in this room could probably quote this verse. It's been quoted multitudes of times by many people, and here's what it says. Look carefully. 2nd Chronicles 7 verse 14. If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways.

[John Weaver] Then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Now, I want to emphasize something right now. Note if you would, he said, if my people. So he's not talking about the wicked, he's not talking about the ungodly, he's not talking about the unsaved. He said it's my people. If my people, he said, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then I'll hear from heaven and I'll forgive their sins and heal their land."

[John Weaver] Do you realize in one sense of the word how simple this is? How easy this is? And you almost have to ask yourself this question. Why in the world are Christians not humbling themselves and praying and seeking his face and turning from their wicked ways? So that God will hear from heaven and heal our land and forgive our sins.

[John Weaver] Now I'm going to answer that before I close. But there's a good reason why 2nd Chronicles 7 verse 14 is not being applied. I told you that most of you know this verse. Most of you could quote this verse. But may I point out there's a vast difference between knowing and quoting and doing and applying.

[John Weaver] Now, look if you would one more time. He said in verse 14, if my people. Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Hosea chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 12. This is astounding. God said, look at it. My people. Ask counsel of their stocks and their staff. declared that my people the same wording in 2nd Chronicles 714, the same Hebrew word for my people is exactly the same Hebrew word here in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. So the point I'm trying to make in Hosea chapter 4, it is God's people who are the idolaters. It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms. It is God's people who have the perversion of spirit. It is God's people who have the spirit of error. It is God's people, according to Zechariah, that has the unclean spirit.

[John Weaver] Now, in our text, of course, we're talking about Israel. You have to remember that Israel was the covenant people of God. God had entered into a covenant with them. God had given them His law. God gave them the priesthood. God gave them the Levites. God gave them the prophets. But by extension, of course, this would refer to all of God's people. Practically speaking, today, it would be the people of God who profess His name, who claim to be Christian, who at the same time have the spirit of whoredoms, who wander from Him, who refuse to obey Him, and treat Him as if He had no authority over their lives.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to pay close attention to verse 12 again, and I want to call your attention specifically to the latter part of verse 12. Watch what he said. My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, Now here it is,"...for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." They have gone a-whoring from under their God. So as painful as it may sound, and as painful as it really and truly is, what God is actually saying here, it is His people that have left the yoke of obedience, It is His people that left His precincts, His protection. It is His people that are committing spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication against Him. And He's using the illustration as a wife who would wickedly depart from her husband and commit adultery and fornication as well. But God is saying, That is what His people are doing to Him. Now, look in verse 15. Hosea 4 and verse 15.

[John Weaver] Though thou Israel, play the harlot. Let not Judah offend, and come you not to Gilgal, neither go you up to Beth-Avon, nor swear the Lord liveth. In other words, don't mix my name with your idolatry. Don't claim to be mine while you're worshiping your idols. And of course, idolatry was very prevalent at Gilgal and Beth-Avon as well. So, here is Israel, the covenant people of God, who have the spirit of whoredoms.

[John Weaver] Let me give you a quote from Matthew Henry. Listen carefully. It's just one paragraph. He writes, so Hosea 4.15, Israel has played the harlot. Their conduct in the worship of their idols was like that of a harlot, wanton and impudent. And Hosea 4.16, Israel slid back as a backsliding heifer, an untamed heifer, or some, or as a perverse or refractory one, so others. As a heifer that is turned loose and runs madly about the pasture, or if put under the yoke, which seems rather to be the illusion here, will draw back instead of going forward, will struggle to get her neck out of the yoke and her feet out of the furrow. Thus unruly, ungovernable, untractable were the people of Israel. They had begun to draw on the yoke of God's ordinances, but they drew back as children of Belial that will not endure the yoke. And when the prophets were sent with the goads of reproof to put them forward, they kicked against the pricks and ran backwards. The sum of all of it is Hosea 4 and verse 17, Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.

[John Weaver] That is, Ephraim is perfectly wedded to them, his affections are glued to them, and his heart is upon them. And then he goes on to say that God has given us two instances of their idolatry in this case, which I'm going to point out just momentarily. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, holding Hosea chapter 4 back to the book of Jeremiah chapter 10. I want to point out a truth, and then I'm going to show you this truth throughout the book of Jeremiah before I make the application to Hosea. So if you'll look in Jeremiah chapter 10, And before we read the scripture, I want to go ahead and just set the stage for you.

[John Weaver] Because when people leave God and abandon His law, the only direction they can go is in the direction of error and untruth. That's why they would have the spirit of error. That's why they would have a perverse spirit. That is why they would have an unclean spirit. That is why they would have a spirit of whoredom.

[John Weaver] Now, when you stop and think of the fact that the Torah, usually, which refers at least to the first five books of the Bible, the books of the law written by Moses, but sometimes the word Torah is applied to the totality of God's Word because the word Torah means authoritative instruction and direction. So when you leave God's authoritative instruction and God's authoritative directions, the only place left for you is error and perversion and a spirit of whoredom. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] Now, look in Jeremiah chapter 10, if you would please, at verse 23. Here it is. Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23. Jeremiah says this, O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."

[John Weaver] Now stop and think about that. Jeremiah said, Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. You and I by nature will not come up with the best route, the best direction, the best instruction. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. How many of you heard people say and how many of you have said, well, I know what's best for me and I know what's best for mine. And the truth of the matter is you really do not know what is best for you. You really do not know the best way.

[John Weaver] But you remember the passage in here's why. And Jeremiah, chapter 17, in verse nine, where it says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. So when you think you know the best way and when you have the best idea, your heart can deceive you so easily. And there are multitudes of people. I've heard pastors say this. I've heard Christians say this. Well, if I know my heart, the truth of the matter is you do not know your heart. It is deceitful. You may think you know your heart, but you do not know your heart. There have been times in my life I really, really thought I was doing something for the Lord, until the Lord opened my eyes, and I saw I was doing things for myself, not for Him. You know, the heart's deceitful.

[John Weaver] It is, all the time. Now, as you turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 7, holding Hosea chapter 4, I want to give you a verse. In the book of Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 18, the Bible says, an heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift to running to mischief. So once you have a heart that devises wicked imaginations, once you have thoughts in your mind that are wicked and that's what you want, then you have feet. You put plans to those thoughts. You have feet then that run into mischief that you can't wait to get into mischief.

[John Weaver] So let me show you what is happening, because when you reject God, when you refuse to walk on his law and his commandments, the only thing left is the imagination of your own heart. So if you look in Jeremiah, chapter seven, and let's begin reading there with verse twenty three. Look what God says. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk you in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may go well with you. Here it is. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. So anytime you reject God's Word for what you think, you're going to go backwards and not forward. Look at Jeremiah 9, and let's begin reading there with verse 13. Jeremiah 9, verse 13, And the Lord said, Because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, neither walked therein, but have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Balaam, which their fathers taught them."

[John Weaver] So, any time you refuse God, you're going to walk after the imagination of your own heart, and the imagination of your heart, you're going to end up in idolatry. Look in Jeremiah chapter 11, if you would, Jeremiah 11, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Jeremiah 11 verse 7, God says, For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even in this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart, Therefore, I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, that is, the curses of Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 26. I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.

[John Weaver] So if they will not be blessed, they will be cursed. But note, if you would, they were walking after the imagination of their own heart. Look in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 10, what God calls His people. Jeremiah 13 verse 10, He said, this evil people which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to worship them shall even be as this girdle which is good for nothing. So he talks then about this evil people who walk in the imagination of their own hearts and walk after other gods. Someone is going to object and say, but look, I don't see any Christians walking around trying to worship Balaam or trying to worship Baal or trying to worship Zeus or trying to worship Mohammed or trying to worship whoever. I don't see that among Christians. What you don't understand is this. You don't have to bow down before an idol or have a false idol to be an idolater.

[John Weaver] All you have to do is place your will ahead of God's will, your word ahead of God's word. God said, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. And what you do is you cast God down and set yourself up. And you're saying, I'm going to do what I want and what I will, regardless. So very clearly, you don't have to bow down before an idol.

[John Weaver] Now, look in Jeremiah, chapter 16, Jeremiah 16. And notice, if you would please, verses 11 and 12. Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law, and you have done worse than your fathers. For behold, you walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me. So anytime you walk after your own imagination, your own will, your own way, you are refusing to listen to God.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want you to see today is this. I want you to turn back to Hosea chapter 4, because I want you to see the absolute stupidity and insanity that's in the heart by nature. You cannot trust your own heart. Your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And so when we're talking about Hosea 4 and verse 12, we're talking about a covenant people. We're talking about a people who've been given the law of God, the ordinances of God, the priesthood of God, the prophets of God. They had everything.

[John Weaver] And yet here's what happened. Look in verse 12. God says, my people ask counsel at their stocks. and their staff declares unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." You have to ask yourself when you read this, what in the world are God's people doing? You know, the truth of the matter is, I'm afraid that most Christians If you want to just use the word professing Christians, or just most Christians, never really read or study the Bible. There are Christians who will read and then get up and forget. I mean, they never apply the truth. They never really study to find out the truth. They'll read horoscopes. They'll listen sometimes to these false prophets. They'll do all kinds of things to gather information, to get direction, to get insight as they think. Let me show you how stupid, how insane people become when they refuse God in His Word. He said, My people ask counsel at their stocks. You know what a stock was?

[John Weaver] A stock was a wooden statue or idol that was consulted either by these people or by a priest in order to obtain help, instruction or direction. Now, the interesting thing is this, the Hebrew word For stocks is the word eights, which literally means a tree, a stick, a stump, a piece of wood or timber. How dumb must you be? To ask a stump for directions. or a piece of wood for help.

[John Weaver] I want you to see this insanity. Here was a people that's supposed to be God's covenant people. They would not hear God speaking from heaven, but they would listen to a spirit speaking from a stump.

[John Weaver] A plank, a piece of timber. Now, I could understand an ornately carved piece of wood. I could even understand a piece of wood covered in silver, covered in gold, at least be a little more expensive. But both of them are absolutely worthless because it doesn't matter. They are dead. They are dumb. But people just consulting with a piece of wood. Maybe these were the first greenies, I don't know.

[John Weaver] But I want you to turn in your Bibles. Oh, Hosea, we're coming right back. But I want you to turn to Psalm 115. And look at this. Psalm 115. And let's begin reading there in verse 4. So it doesn't matter if it is a stump or an ornately carved idol or one made of silver or gold. Look what God says. Solomon 15, verse 4. Their idols are silver and gold.

[John Weaver] The work of men's hands. Men made them. They have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but they walk not. Neither speak they through their throat. Now watch verse 8. They that make them are like unto them, dead, dumb, insane, worthless, useless. Hang on.

[John Weaver] So is everyone that trusteth in them. So is everyone that trusteth in them. You're insane. That's what he's saying. You're dumb. You can't speak. You can't think. You can't walk. You can't talk. You're insane. So clearly then, God is saying, My people have forsaken Me. They've whored against Me. They've played the harlot against Me because they've run out from under My law. So it does not matter how ornate an idol is or how beautiful or how costly or how expensive or whether it's just a plain piece of wood. The only reason that something like that is looked upon and worshipped is because of the depravity of the heart and the rejection of God and His Word. Can you imagine bowing down before an idol, which people do? Can you imagine kissing an idol? Offering to an idol? which men had made and had to put in its place because it couldn't walk there. It was worthless.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to Hosea chapter 4, because here is another illustration of their insanity. He says in verse 12, My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them. What? They're consulting their walking sticks, their staff in their hands. They will not believe God speaking from heaven, but they'll believe an evil spirit speaking from a staff. We know that our God is in the heavens. That's what he said in Psalm 115, verse 3. But our God isn't in the heavens.

[John Weaver] He's done whatsoever He is pleased. But seeking counsel from a staff or a stump is insane. You don't even know who's holding the staff. I did not even know a staff could speak. And if it did speak, what language would it speak in? And who would interpret? And how would you know what was being said? And how would you know that the interpretation would be correct?

[John Weaver] Now, this consulting of staffs and stick And eras is called rhabdomancy. Rhabdomancy is an odd way of divining from things like an era, or a stick, or a staff. And sometimes it's used in combination with other ways. For instance, if you'll hold Hosea and turn back in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel chapter 21, This is essentially what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. God told Ezekiel to prophesy, and he said this is what Nebuchadnezzar was going to do. Ezekiel chapter 21, beginning there in verse 18. The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, Also thou son of man, appoint thou two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come, both twain shall come forth out of one land, and choose thou a place, choose it as the head of the way to the city. In other words, there's a divided way. Appoint a way that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah and Jerusalem the defense. You can go one of two ways. Now look what he says about Nebuchadnezzar.

[John Weaver] For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. How did he divine which way to go? He made his arrows bright. He was using them. He consulted with images, that is his Gods that he brought with him, and he looked into the liver. So he killed an animal and looked into the liver. So, you know, it's an odd way, obviously, to make a divination, but that's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar did, and of course he went to Jerusalem, not because the Ara told him to, or the liver told him to, or his idols told him to, but because God corrected it against that city for correction and for judgment.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18. I'm getting ready to tie things together for you. I want you to see this. I want you to listen carefully. Deuteronomy chapter 18. Any time you seek knowledge, Anytime you seek information over and above and beyond the Word of God, you have gone into idolatry, you have a spirit of whoredom, and what you're doing is condemned by God. OK? So hang on. I want you to look at this. Deuteronomy chapter 18.

[John Weaver] And let's begin reading there with verse 9. Deuteronomy 18, verse 9. God says, when thou come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abomination of those nations. God says you cannot mimic them. You cannot learn from them. There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire that is giving your child as an offering to Molech.

[John Weaver] either as a sacrifice or as a dedication. Sometimes the passing through the fire was just dedicating the child for the use of Molech and for idol worship. So he says, there shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination. Divination is any method of trying to ascertain truth, direction, instruction, help other than from God. He says, or observer of times.

[John Weaver] Well, the stars are in their right courses right now and the planets are in their right places right now. Horoscopes. Or an enchanter, a murmurer or a witch. And while I'm at it, there's no such thing as a good witch or a charmer. or consulter with familiar spirits, that spiritism. I suppose you know that Abraham Lincoln. And his wife, Mary Todd, held seances in the White House. Yeah, and some of our modern day presidents have done so as well. He says, or a charmer or consulter with familiar spirits or wizard or a necromancer, you know what a necromancer is.

[John Weaver] Necross is the Greek word for dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead. That's these seance witches who try to contact the dead and ask them to show themselves and speak and all this kind of stuff. God says, no, that's not to be done. Look in verse 12. For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, remember, an abomination is a stench in God's nostrils. For all that do these things are an abomination of the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. That's one reason why God casts out all those nations before them. Then he says in verse 13, Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. Lord, you're not to engage in any of this by any stretch of the imagination. For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken unto observers of times, and unto diviners. But as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee to do so." Wow! Do you realize the sovereign protection of God?

[John Weaver] I told you this before, and my father told me this, and it stuck with me as a child. I've never ever been to a fortune teller. Neither of I would ever go to one. But my father told me when he and mother had just been married, they were went to a county fair. They were holding hands. And they walked by the tent of the fortune teller. And the fortune teller said, Come on in. And I'll tell you when you're going to get married.

[John Weaver] That said, As he looked at her, if you knew anything at all, you'd know we already were. And they just kept right on walking. I read one interview where this newspaper reporter was supposed to interview this fortune teller and spiritual instructor. And the journalist was wondering if this was really real, but the fortune teller had to call her and cancel because of unforeseen circumstances. So, you know, they don't know anything at all either.

[John Weaver] But hang on, watch this now. God says, no, you're not to do anything like that.

[John Weaver] Now, look in verse 15. Here's what I want you to see today. Watch carefully. The Lord thy God, this is what Moses said. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me. Unto him shall you hearken." Now Moses said, I'm a prophet. He is, and he was. And now he says, God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me from among your brethren. Now watch verse 16. according to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, they have well spoken that which they have spoken."

[John Weaver] Now, let's stop right there. Because Moses just said, God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me. Because you ask in that day for a prophet, you ask for someone to be a mediator, to be a go-between, and that's me. And God's going to raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren. Watch.

[John Weaver] Now look what God says in verse 18. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee. God's answering Moses, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Now, what did God just say?

[John Weaver] You don't need a diviner. You don't need an enchanter. You don't need a wizard. You don't need a witch. You don't need a necromancer. You don't need a spiritist. No, no, no. God said, I have raised up a prophet. I've given him my words. He will declare all of my words. He will give you everything that you need to know. And if you will not listen to him, I will require it of you.

[John Weaver] Now, if you will turn in your Bibles, to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. I hope that you already know that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed that prophet. Jesus Christ is not only prophet, he is priest and he is king. But in Acts chapter 3, look if you would please, Let's begin reading there with verse 18. Acts 3 verse 18. But these things are those things which God before hath showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. We're talking about Jesus Christ. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me.

[John Weaver] Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among his people. So Jesus Christ is that prophet.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 7. Acts chapter 7. And look if you would please. Beginning there with verse 37. He says concerning Moses, this is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear. This is He that was in the church in the wilderness.

[John Weaver] with the angel which spake to him in Mount Sinai, and the Lord Jesus Christ was there, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto them, to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." So they refused Moses, but the reason they refused Moses, they refused the one who gave the law to Moses, who would have been the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, you remember that passage, In Deuteronomy 18 and verse 19, God said, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee. I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

[John Weaver] And in Acts 3 he said, he that will not hear shall be destroyed. You remember what our Lord said in his High Priestly Prayer in John 17? He said concerning his disciples, I have given them the words which thou hast given me, and they have believed that I have come from thee. I've given them the words which thou hast given me. God gave us Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. Jesus Christ is the living word, according to John 1, 1-3. The Bible is the written word, according to 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. And what God is saying, I've given you everything that you need. And I've given it to you through the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you understand that God holds us accountable? God holds us responsible and answerable to hear all the words of this book. And he holds us accountable and responsible to obey all the words of this book.

[John Weaver] That is why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25 we read this, see that you refuse on him that speaketh, for if they escape not, Him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven. So Jesus Christ has spoken once on earth. They turned their back. They were destroyed. Now, he said he's speaking from heaven. He is a exalted son of God. See that you refuse not him that speaketh. So. We have the word of God.

[John Weaver] How did this message start? The spirit of whoredoms. How is it that we're willing to hear anything and everything but the Word of God? How is it that people will follow false prophets so easily, so quickly, and never read the Word of God for themselves. Do not err from the Lord Jesus Christ. To err from Him is the spirit of whoredoms. It is biblical harlotry. It is scriptural and spiritual adultery.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications. Think about this. Here's a good question. Has it ever really dawned upon you or have you ever really considered or thought about the fact that when you refuse to follow the Word of God, when you refuse to submit to the Word of God, and you're going to do your own thing, what you think best and what you want and what you desire, regardless of what God has said, that you're playing the harlot, that you have the spirit of ordos. That's what He said. They've gone a whoring from their God. That is, they've run out from under his authoritative instruction. They run out from under his commands. They refuse to obey. And moreover, you've got to think about this. When you hear or when you know or when you read or when you see the word of God and you refuse to obey it in one sense of the word, you're in competition with God.

[John Weaver] And what did he say in Isaiah 42 and verse 8? My glory will I don't share. And I'm not going to give my praise to another. Because when you are saying, no, God, I'm not going to do this, here's what I think best. Here's what I want to do. Here's what I'm going to do. You're dethroning God and inferring yourself. You're an idolater. That's exactly what he's saying.

[John Weaver] In other words, it is a denial. of Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7. What does the Bible say? Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil. So when we're wise in our own eyes, when we lean to our own understanding, guess what?

[John Weaver] It's the spirit of ordeals. We're not depending upon the Lord. Here's the second thing. In one sense, the word, the spirit of whoredoms is a spirit of independence. I don't need God. I don't need his word. I don't need his law. I don't need his direction. I don't need his instruction. I know what is best for me. And this is what God said in Hosea chapter four, it is the spirit of whoredoms which have caused them to err.

[John Weaver] It is that which causes us to go astray. Anytime and every time we do not submit to the Word of God, we err. Anytime and every time we do not obey, we go a-whoring from under our God. As His people, when we do that, we're running out from under His authority, His jurisdiction, we think, and we're claiming our own authority and our own jurisdiction, and we're saying, in essence, that we are God, we can do what we want to do. Here's the third application.

[John Weaver] Many churches have the slogan where everyone is someone and Jesus Christ is Lord. I know a number of churches that have that slogan. They have that motto printed on their doors or over their doors. However, when the churches refuse to preach and teach the whole counsel of God, they're going astray from their God. When they refuse to obey and submit to that word, they go awry from their God. When they refuse to walk in His ways, how is He their Lord? You remember that passage in Luke 6 and verse 47 where our Lord said, Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you?

[John Weaver] The truth of the matter is, in Christianity today, most of us have erred. We've gone to whoring because of the spirit of whoredoms in our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you something. I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea. This is my last application, but I want you to see this. I asked a question earlier in this message. Before I read this passage. I'm going to quote another passage and ask the same question again.

[John Weaver] Second, Chronicles 714, where God said, if my people. Which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. Then while I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. So here's my question. If in reality, we wanted our land healed. And we wanted to be revived, and Jesus Christ honored and glorified. Why would we not do something so absolutely simple? Why would we not humble ourselves before God?

[John Weaver] Why would we not acknowledge that everything we are, everything we have, is because of Him and His grace? Why would we not acknowledge that He is the Creator and we're the creature? He's the Lord and we're the servant? He's the God and we're man. Why would we not do that? Why would we not pray? Why would we not seek His face? Why would we not want more holiness, more righteousness, more obedience?

[John Weaver] Why would we not be willing to turn from our sins? It's really, really very simple. You would think Christians all over this country would say, hey, I'm so sick of the perversions. I'm so sick of the spirit of error. I'm so sick of the spirit of horror. I want holiness. I want righteousness in our land. I want what we were when we were founded. Why won't we do that? Well, here's the answer.

[John Weaver] Look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4. Hosea 5 verse 4. God says they will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord. God said they will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. Why? Because the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst. In other words, Even professing Christians are not going to frame their actions, to frame their attitudes, to frame their conduct, to turn to the Lord because of a spirit of whoredoms. In other words, that spirit of whoredoms has to be dealt with before we can ever consider 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14. And unless it is, We will never, ever turn. Unless it is, we will never pray like David prayed in Psalm 143, verse 10, when he said, Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy spirit is good.

[John Weaver] Lead me in the land of uprightness. Have you ever prayed, Lord, teach me to do thy will? Have you ever prayed, Lord, make me holy as thou art holy, Lord, make me righteous, make me godly. Have you ever prayed, Lord, give me a greater obedience, give me a greater humility, give me a greater prayer life, give me, Lord, a greater turning from sin unto thee, Lord, work in my life.

[John Weaver] So let me put it like this, immorality is rampant. Because idolatry is rampant. Spiritual idolatry always precedes physical adultery and fornication in immorality. Once we turn theologically from God, then we turn culturally and practically and morally into declension on every hand. If a man is unafraid to sin against God, he certainly will not be afraid to sin against his fellow man. God said, My people, Ask counsel of their stocks.

[John Weaver] And their staff declare it unto them. People are willing to listen to the news. They're willing to listen to their neighbors. They're willing to listen to TV, to movie theaters, to newspapers, to horoscopes. But they're not willing to listen to the word of God. That's the spirit of hordes. And until it's repented of, There will never be a second Chronicle 714 in our lives. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And Lord, I pray that you would indeed enable us to deal with our own lives and help us, Lord, with the lives of our family and the lives of our neighbors. And may, Lord, we turn unto Thee with our whole heart and seek Thee, Lord, in Thy will and Thy Word and Thy way in every area of our lives. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we ask. Amen.

The Spirit of Whoredoms

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	532313281991
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-04-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	82

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Spirit of Whoredoms Defined

The message introduces the 'spirit of whoredoms' from Hosea 4:12 and 5:4, linking it to a perverse spirit (Isaiah 19:14) and a spirit of error (1 John 4:6). It is a pervasive, distorting influence that leads people astray.

Hosea chapter 4, verse 12. Listen carefully. You will see the title of the message in the verse. The title of the message is

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"The Spirit of Whoredoms."

And it may not be exactly what you think. But look in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. We will come back for the context shortly. God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God."

Then if you will look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord."

One prevalent spirit that manifests itself in every sphere of life and in the world is a spirit of whoredoms.

It's not just in America or England or Europe or Asia or Africa. It's everywhere, and it's in every one of the nations. We see it daily. We hear of it often, and we have become insensitive to it. In fact, we have become so sensitized in the sense of the word that we tolerate this, and simply because we tolerate it, then we tend to think that it is normal and therefore it is acceptable as well. And so to understand what I'm going to be preaching tonight, all you have to do is just simply look around and you can see for yourself.

Now, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 19 and verse 14, God speaks about the spirit of whoredoms, but it is here called a perverse spirit. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 19:14

"The Lord had mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit."

But note, if you would, this perverse spirit has caused every man to err in every work. In other words, here is something that is so pervasive and so perverse, it actually affects everything. Now in that passage, the Hebrew word for perverse actually means that which is perverse, that which is distorting, and that which is warping. So there are multitudes then of warped, distorted, perverse people in this world and in America. And I tend to think that a lot of them probably congregate around Washington, D.C., as well as some of the state capitals as well.

Now, there's another verse in 1 John 4 and verse 6 where the Bible calls this the spirit of error. So listen to this verse just for a moment. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 4:6

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

So the spirit of truth, then, is those that hear the word of God. The spirit of error would be those who do not hear the word of God. So I want you to connect, if you would please, a spirit of whoredoms with a perverse spirit and with a spirit of error. And so what he is saying is that the spirit of whoredoms is a perverse, distorted, erroneous spirit that leads multitudes astray. Now, when you and I hear "the spirit of whoredoms," the very first thing we think of is usually adultery, fornication, and every lust of the flesh.

Spiritual Adultery Precedes Physical Immorality

The Old Testament often uses 'adultery' for spiritual unfaithfulness (idolatry). Physical immorality is a result of theological immorality; if one is unafraid to sin against God, they will not fear sinning against a spouse.

We think of prostitution, both male and female, pedophilia, sex trafficking that abounds not only in the world, but in the state capitals, in our national capital also. And by the way, if you've been paying attention to the news lately, there's a whistleblower saying that sex trafficking now, that our government is the middle man in all of this, which I would not doubt at all. So, that is normally what we think of. But it may surprise you to learn that in the Old Testament, the word adultery only refers to the physical act about six times, and two of those times it has the implication of spiritual adultery as well. Usually, the Old Testament word adultery refers to what you and I would call spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, or simply idolatry. In the New Testament, the word does rely more on the physical, but the spiritual is there as well. So, the spirit of whoredoms deals directly with fornication and adultery against God and His law because it involves idolatry. So, idolatry is spiritual fornication and adultery against God. It is a perversion. It is a spirit of error, because it is a denial of God and His authority.

It is a denial of His Creatorship, of His Lordship, of His ownership of the world and everything therein. Now, go back to Hosea 4, verse 12, and let me show you the context. Look at this. "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." "They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under the oaks, and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good. Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredoms, and your spouses shall commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots. Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall." In other words, what God is saying here is the people as a whole are given to idolatry.

Now, here is a good illustration of what is known as the Lex Talionis. The Lex Talionis is the law of retribution. It is where God makes the punishment fit the crime. When God says, "I'm not going to punish your daughters and your spouses when they commit adultery because they're separated with whores, with adulterers already." In other words, what God is saying, what you're doing to me, your spouses and your daughters are going to do to you as well.

Now, here is something that is very important. I want you to see. Once he talks about spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, it is spiritual adultery and spiritual fornication that lead to physical adultery and physical fornication. So, to spell it for you, here it is. If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, how much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse? You see what I'm saying? So, if someone is not afraid to sin against God openly, blatantly, violently, they're certainly not going to be afraid to sin against their spouse as well.

So, let me say this again. The physical immorality that is rampant in this country, whether you talk about adultery, fornication, pedophilia, transgenderism, I don't care what you're talking about, but the rampant physical immorality in this country is a consequence and result of theological immorality. The spiritual always precedes the physical.

The Unclean Spirit and Idolatry

Zechariah 13:2 connects an unclean spirit with idols. The spirit of whoredoms is this unclean, perverse, erroneous spirit that leads to idolatry.

Now, I want you to look, if you would, momentarily, at the book of Zechariah. Hold Hosea. Zechariah is right before the book of Malachi, next to the last book in the Old Testament. So if you look in Zechariah chapter 13, look if you would please at verse 2, because here God talks about an unclean spirit, and that unclean spirit happens to be the spirit of whoredoms, which is a perverse spirit, which is a spirit of error. He says in Zechariah chapter 13 in verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 13:2

"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land."

So the unclean spirit then is connected with the idols and the names of the idols, which of course then would go to the spirit of error and the spirit of perversion and then also the spirit of whoredoms.

Now, I want you to look at a verse that I know that you could quote. I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding Hosea, but I want you to turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 7, and I want you to look at verse 14. There's a purpose for asking you to do this, and I'm sure that everyone in this room could probably quote this verse. It's been quoted multitudes of times by many people, and here's what it says. Look carefully. 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,

God's People Are the Idolaters

2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12 both use 'my people,' showing that it is God's covenant people who have the spirit of whoredoms and commit idolatry. This applies to professing Christians today.

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Now, I want to emphasize something right now. Note if you would, he said, "if my people." So he's not talking about the wicked, he's not talking about the ungodly, he's not talking about the unsaved. He said it's my people. "If my people," he said, "which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll forgive their sins and heal their land." Do you realize in one sense of the word how simple this is? How easy this is? And you almost have to ask yourself this question: Why in the world are Christians not humbling themselves and praying and seeking his face and turning from their wicked ways, so that God will hear from heaven and heal our land and forgive our sins?

Now I'm going to answer that before I close. But there's a good reason why 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14 is not being applied. I told you that most of you know this verse. Most of you could quote this verse. But may I point out there's a vast difference between knowing and quoting and doing and applying.

Now, look if you would one more time. He said in verse 14, "if my people." Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Hosea chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 12. This is astounding. God said, look at it. "My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." "My people"—the same wording in 2 Chronicles 7:14, the same Hebrew word for "my people" is exactly the same Hebrew word here in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. So the point I'm trying to make in Hosea chapter 4, it is God's people who are the idolaters. It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms. It is God's people who have the perversion of spirit. It is God's people who have the spirit of error. It is God's people, according to Zechariah, that has the unclean spirit.

Now, in our text, of course, we're talking about Israel. You have to remember that Israel was the covenant people of God. God had entered into a covenant with them. God had given them His law. God gave them the priesthood. God gave them the Levites. God gave them the prophets. But by extension, of course, this would refer to all of God's people. Practically speaking, today, it would be the people of God who profess His name, who claim to be Christian, who at the same time have the spirit of whoredoms, who wander from Him, who refuse to obey Him, and treat Him as if He had no authority over their lives.

The Insanity of Idolatry

Hosea 4:12 depicts God's people asking counsel from wooden stocks and staffs—inanimate objects. This is rhabdomancy, a form of divination. Psalm 115:4-8 shows that idolaters become like their idols: dead, dumb, and insane.

And yet here's what happened. Look in verse 12. God says, "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." You have to ask yourself when you read this, what in the world are God's people doing? You know, the truth of the matter is, I'm afraid that most Christians—if you want to just use the word professing Christians, or just most Christians—never really read or study the Bible. There are Christians who will read and then get up and forget. I mean, they never apply the truth. They never really study to find out the truth. They'll read horoscopes. They'll listen sometimes to these false prophets. They'll do all kinds of things to gather information, to get direction, to get insight as they think. Let me show you how stupid, how insane people become when they refuse God in His Word. He said, "My people ask counsel at their stocks." You know what a stock was?

A stock was a wooden statue or idol that was consulted either by these people or by a priest in order to obtain help, instruction or direction. Now, the interesting thing is this, the Hebrew word for stocks is the word 'ets, which literally means a tree, a stick, a stump, a piece of wood or timber. How dumb must you be to ask a stump for directions, or a piece of wood for help? I want you to see this insanity. Here was a people that's supposed to be God's covenant people. They would not hear God speaking from heaven, but they would listen to a spirit speaking from a stump.

A plank, a piece of timber. Now, I could understand an ornately carved piece of wood. I could even understand a piece of wood covered in silver, covered in gold, at least be a little more expensive. But both of them are absolutely worthless because it doesn't matter. They are dead. They are dumb. But people just consulting with a piece of wood. Maybe these were the first greenies, I don't know.

But I want you to turn in your Bibles. Oh, Hosea, we're coming right back. But I want you to turn to Psalm 115. And look at this. Psalm 115. And let's begin reading there in verse 4. So it doesn't matter if it is a stump or an ornately carved idol or one made of silver or gold. Look what God says. Psalm 115, verse 4. "Their idols are silver and gold,

the work of men's hands. Men made them. They have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but they walk not. Neither speak they through their throat." Now watch verse 8. "They that make them are like unto them, dead, dumb, insane, worthless, useless. Hang on.

So is everyone that trusteth in them." So is everyone that trusteth in them. You're insane. That's what he's saying. You're dumb. You can't speak. You can't think. You can't walk. You can't talk. You're insane. So clearly then, God is saying, "My people have forsaken Me. They've whored against Me. They've played the harlot against Me because they've run out from under My law." So it does not matter how ornate an idol is or how beautiful or how costly or how expensive or whether it's just a plain piece of wood. The only reason that something like that is looked upon and worshipped is because of the depravity of the heart and the rejection of God and His Word. Can you imagine bowing down before an idol, which people do? Can you imagine kissing an idol? Offering to an idol? which men had made and had to put in its place because it couldn't walk there. It was worthless.

God's Provision: The Prophet Like Moses

Deuteronomy 18:9-19 forbids all forms of divination and promises a prophet like Moses. Acts 3 and 7 identify Jesus Christ as that prophet. God holds us accountable to hear and obey all His words through Christ.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18. I'm getting ready to tie things together for you. I want you to see this. I want you to listen carefully. Deuteronomy chapter 18. Any time you seek knowledge, any time you seek information over and above and beyond the Word of God, you have gone into idolatry, you have a spirit of whoredoms, and what you're doing is condemned by God. OK? So hang on. I want you to look at this. Deuteronomy chapter 18.

And let's begin reading there with verse 9. Deuteronomy 18, verse 9. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"When thou come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abomination of those nations."

God says you cannot mimic them. You cannot learn from them.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,"

that is giving your child as an offering to Molech. either as a sacrifice or as a dedication. Sometimes the passing through the fire was just dedicating the child for the use of Molech and for idol worship. So he says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination."

Divination is any method of trying to ascertain truth, direction, instruction, help other than from God. He says, "or observer of times."

"Well, the stars are in their right courses right now and the planets are in their right places right now." Horoscopes. "Or an enchanter, a murmurer or a witch." And while I'm at it, there's no such thing as a good witch. "Or a charmer, or consulter with familiar spirits," that's spiritism. I suppose you know that Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, held seances in the White House. Yeah, and some of our modern day presidents have done so as well. He says, "or a charmer or consulter with familiar spirits or wizard or a necromancer." You know what a necromancer is. Necros is the Greek word for dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead. That's these seance witches who try to contact the dead and ask them to show themselves and speak and all this kind of stuff. God says, no, that's not to be done. Look in verse 12. "For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord."

Now, remember, an abomination is a stench in God's nostrils. "For all that do these things are an abomination of the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." That's one reason why God casts out all those nations before them. Then he says in verse 13, "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God." Lord, you're not to engage in any of this by any stretch of the imagination. "For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken unto observers of times, and unto diviners. But as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee to do so." Wow! Do you realize the sovereign protection of God?

I told you this before, and my father told me this, and it stuck with me as a child. I've never ever been to a fortune teller. Neither would I ever go to one. But my father told me when he and mother had just been married, they went to a county fair. They were holding hands. And they walked by the tent of the fortune teller. And the fortune teller said, "Come on in, and I'll tell you when you're going to get married."

He said, as he looked at her, "If you knew anything at all, you'd know we already were." And they just kept right on walking. I read one interview where this newspaper reporter was supposed to interview this fortune teller and spiritual instructor. And the journalist was wondering if this was really real, but the fortune teller had to call her and cancel because of unforeseen circumstances. So, you know, they don't know anything at all either.

But hang on, watch this now. God says, no, you're not to do anything like that. Now, look in verse 15. Here's what I want you to see today. Watch carefully. "The Lord thy God," this is what Moses said, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me. Unto him shall you hearken." Now Moses said, "I'm a prophet." He is, and he was. And now he says, "God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me from among your brethren." Now watch verse 16. "According to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken."

Now, let's stop right there. Because Moses just said, "God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me. Because you ask in that day for a prophet, you ask for someone to be a mediator, to be a go-between, and that's me. And God's going to raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren." Watch.

Now look what God says in verse 18. "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee," God's answering Moses, "and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Now, what did God just say? You don't need a diviner. You don't need an enchanter. You don't need a wizard. You don't need a witch. You don't need a necromancer. You don't need a spiritist. No, no, no. God said, "I have raised up a prophet. I've given him my words. He will declare all of my words. He will give you everything that you need to know. And if you will not listen to him, I will require it of you."

Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. I hope that you already know that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed that prophet. Jesus Christ is not only prophet, he is priest and he is king. But in Acts chapter 3, look if you would please. Let's begin reading there with verse 18. Acts 3 verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:18-23

"But these things are those things which God before hath showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

We're talking about Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:18-23

"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me.

Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among his people." So Jesus Christ is that prophet. Now, look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 7. Acts chapter 7. And look if you would please. Beginning there with verse 37. He says concerning Moses,

Scripture Reading — Acts 7:37-39

"This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear. This is He that was in the church in the wilderness,

with the angel which spake to him in Mount Sinai, and the Lord Jesus Christ was there, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto them, to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." So they refused Moses, but the reason they refused Moses, they refused the one who gave the law to Moses, who would have been the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you remember that passage, in Deuteronomy 18 and verse 19, God said, "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee. I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

And in Acts 3 he said, "He that will not hear shall be destroyed." You remember what our Lord said in His High Priestly Prayer in John 17? He said concerning his disciples, "I have given them the words which thou hast given me, and they have believed that I have come from thee. I've given them the words which thou hast given me." God gave us Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. Jesus Christ is the living word, according to John 1:1-3. The Bible is the written word, according to 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. And what God is saying, "I've given you everything that you need. And I've given it to you through the Lord Jesus Christ." Do you understand that God holds us accountable? God holds us responsible and answerable to hear all the words of this book. And he holds us accountable and responsible to obey all the words of this book.

That is why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25 we read this,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:25

"See that you refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escape not, him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven."

So Jesus Christ has spoken once on earth. They turned their back. They were destroyed. Now, he said he's speaking from heaven. He is the exalted Son of God.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:25

"See that you refuse not him that speaketh."

So, we have the word of God.

Applications: The Spirit of Whoredoms Today

Refusing to submit to God's Word is playing the harlot and competing with God. It is a spirit of independence. Churches that refuse the whole counsel of God err. The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning to God as in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Now, let me make some applications. Think about this. Here's a good question. Has it ever really dawned upon you or have you ever really considered or thought about the fact that when you refuse to follow the Word of God, when you refuse to submit to the Word of God, and you're going to do your own thing, what you think best and what you want and what you desire, regardless of what God has said, that you're playing the harlot, that you have the spirit of whoredoms? That's what He said. They've gone a-whoring from their God. That is, they've run out from under his authoritative instruction. They run out from under his commands. They refuse to obey. And moreover, you've got to think about this. When you hear or when you know or when you read or when you see the word of God and you refuse to obey it, in one sense of the word, you're in competition with God.

And what did he say in Isaiah 42 and verse 8? "My glory will I not share. And I'm not going to give my praise to another." Because when you are saying, "No, God, I'm not going to do this, here's what I think best. Here's what I want to do. Here's what I'm going to do," you're dethroning God and enthroning yourself. You're an idolater. That's exactly what he's saying.

In other words, it is a denial of Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7. What does the Bible say? "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil." So when we're wise in our own eyes, when we lean to our own understanding, guess what? It's the spirit of whoredoms. We're not depending upon the Lord. Here's the second thing. In one sense, the word, the spirit of whoredoms is a spirit of independence. "I don't need God. I don't need his word. I don't need his law. I don't need his direction. I don't need his instruction. I know what is best for me." And this is what God said in Hosea chapter 4, it is the spirit of whoredoms which have caused them to err.

It is that which causes us to go astray. Anytime and every time we do not submit to the Word of God, we err. Anytime and every time we do not obey, we go a-whoring from under our God. As His people, when we do that, we're running out from under His authority, His jurisdiction, we think, and we're claiming our own authority and our own jurisdiction, and we're saying, in essence, that we are God, we can do what we want to do. Here's the third application. Many churches have the slogan where everyone is someone and Jesus Christ is Lord. I know a number of churches that have that slogan. They have that motto printed on their doors or over their doors. However, when the churches refuse to preach and teach the whole counsel of God, they're going astray from their God. When they refuse to obey and submit to that word, they go awry from their God. When they refuse to walk in His ways, how is He their Lord? You remember that passage in Luke 6 and verse 47 where our Lord said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you?"

The truth of the matter is, in Christianity today, most of us have erred. We've gone to whoring because of the spirit of whoredoms in our lives. Now, I want to show you something. I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea. This is my last application, but I want you to see this. I asked a question earlier in this message. Before I read this passage, I'm going to quote another passage and ask the same question again.

2 Chronicles 7:14, where God said, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land." So here's my question. If in reality, we wanted our land healed and we wanted to be revived, and Jesus Christ honored and glorified, why would we not do something so absolutely simple? Why would we not humble ourselves before God? Why would we not acknowledge that everything we are, everything we have, is because of Him and His grace? Why would we not acknowledge that He is the Creator and we're the creature? He's the Lord and we're the servant? He's the God and we're man. Why would we not do that? Why would we not pray? Why would we not seek His face? Why would we not want more holiness, more righteousness, more obedience?

Why would we not be willing to turn from our sins? It's really, really very simple. You would think Christians all over this country would say, "Hey, I'm so sick of the perversions. I'm so sick of the spirit of error. I'm so sick of the spirit of whoredoms. I want holiness. I want righteousness in our land. I want what we were when we were founded." Why won't we do that? Well, here's the answer.

Conclusion: The Need for Repentance

Hosea 5:4 explains why people will not turn: the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst. Until this spirit is repented of, there will be no revival or healing. The sermon ends with a prayer for grace to turn wholly to God.

Look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4. Hosea 5 verse 4. God says, "They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord." God said they will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. Why? Because the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst. In other words, even professing Christians are not going to frame their actions, to frame their attitudes, to frame their conduct, to turn to the Lord because of a spirit of whoredoms. In other words, that spirit of whoredoms has to be dealt with before we can ever consider 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14. And unless it is, we will never, ever turn. Unless it is, we will never pray like David prayed in Psalm 143, verse 10, when he said, "Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness." Have you ever prayed, "Lord, teach me to do thy will"? Have you ever prayed, "Lord, make me holy as thou art holy, Lord, make me righteous, make me godly"? Have you ever prayed, "Lord, give me a greater obedience, give me a greater humility, give me a greater prayer life, give me, Lord, a greater turning from sin unto thee, Lord, work in my life"? So let me put it like this, immorality is rampant because idolatry is rampant. Spiritual idolatry always precedes physical adultery and fornication and immorality. Once we turn theologically from God, then we turn culturally and practically and morally into declension on every hand. If a man is unafraid to sin against God, he certainly will not be afraid to sin against his fellow man. God said, "My people, ask counsel of their stocks,

and their staff declareth unto them." People are willing to listen to the news. They're willing to listen to their neighbors. They're willing to listen to TV, to movie theaters, to newspapers, to horoscopes. But they're not willing to listen to the word of God. That's the spirit of whoredoms. And until it's repented of, there will never be a 2 Chronicles 7:14 in our lives. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And Lord, I pray that you would indeed enable us to deal with our own lives and help us, Lord, with the lives of our family and the lives of our neighbors. And may, Lord, we turn unto Thee with our whole heart and seek Thee, Lord, in Thy will and Thy Word and Thy way in every area of our lives. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we ask. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Spiritual Adultery as Idolatry

Summary: The 'spirit of whoredoms' is primarily spiritual unfaithfulness—idolatry—against God, not just physical immorality. It is a perverse, erroneous spirit that leads people away from God's authority.

Evidence: In the Old Testament, the word adultery only refers to the physical act about six times... Usually, the Old Testament word adultery refers to what you and I would call spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, or simply idolatry.

Theological Immorality Precedes Physical Immorality

Summary: Physical sins like adultery and fornication are consequences of first committing spiritual adultery against God. If one is unafraid to sin against God, they will not fear sinning against a spouse.

Evidence: If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, how much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse?

The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart

Summary: The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Rejecting God's Word leads to walking in the imagination of one's own evil heart, resulting in idolatry and error.

Evidence: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? So when you think you know the best way... your heart can deceive you so easily.

The Sufficiency of Christ as the Final Prophet

Summary: God has spoken fully and finally through Jesus Christ, the prophet like Moses. We are accountable to hear and obey all His words; seeking other sources is idolatry.

Evidence: God gave us Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God... Do you understand that God holds us accountable? God holds us responsible and answerable to hear all the words of this book.

The Spirit of Whoredoms Hinders Repentance

Summary: Hosea 5:4 shows that the spirit of whoredoms prevents people from framing their doings to turn to God. This spirit must be dealt with before revival can occur.

Evidence: They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

Key Arguments

The spirit of whoredoms is a pervasive, perverse, and erroneous spirit.

Summary: The sermon connects Hosea's 'spirit of whoredoms' with Isaiah's 'perverse spirit' and 1 John's 'spirit of error,' arguing it is a distorting influence that leads multitudes astray.

Evidence: So the spirit of truth, then, is those that hear the word of God. The spirit of error would be those who do not hear the word of God. So I want you to connect... a spirit of whoredoms with a perverse spirit and with a spirit of error.

Physical immorality is a consequence of spiritual idolatry.

Summary: The rampant physical immorality in society is a result of theological immorality—rejecting God's authority. Spiritual adultery always precedes physical adultery.

Evidence: The physical immorality that is rampant in this country... is a consequence and result of theological immorality. The spiritual always precedes the physical.

It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms.

Summary: Both 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12 use 'my people,' indicating that the idolaters are God's covenant people. This applies to professing Christians today who refuse to obey God.

Evidence: So the point I'm trying to make in Hosea chapter 4, it is God's people who are the idolaters. It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms.

Rejecting God's Word leads to walking in the imagination of one's own heart.

Summary: Jeremiah passages show that when people forsake God's law, they walk after the imagination of their evil heart, which leads to idolatry and going backward.

Evidence: But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.

Consulting idols is insane and makes one like them.

Summary: Asking counsel from wooden stocks and staffs is rhabdomancy, a foolish divination. Psalm 115 says idolaters become dead, dumb, and worthless like their idols.

Evidence: They that make them are like unto them, dead, dumb, insane, worthless, useless. So is everyone that trusteth in them.

Jesus Christ is the prophet like Moses; we must hear Him.

Summary: Deuteronomy 18 promised a prophet; Acts 3 and 7 identify Him as Jesus. God holds us accountable to hear and obey all His words; refusing is the spirit of whoredoms.

Evidence: For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning to God.

Summary: Hosea 5:4 explains why people will not humble themselves and pray as in 2 Chronicles 7:14: the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst, and they have not known the Lord.

Evidence: They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

Scripture References

Hosea 4:12

Context: Primary text: God's people ask counsel from stocks and staffs; the spirit of whoredoms causes them to err and go a-whoring from God.

Hosea 5:4

Context: They will not frame their doings to turn to God because the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst and they have not known the Lord.

Isaiah 19:14

Context: The Lord mingled a perverse spirit in Egypt, causing them to err in every work; the Hebrew word means distorting or warping.

1 John 4:6

Context: Distinguishes the spirit of truth (those who hear God's Word) from the spirit of error (those who do not).

Zechariah 13:2

Context: God will cut off the names of idols and cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land; connects unclean spirit with idolatry.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Context: If God's people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wicked ways, He will heal their land; used to show it is God's people who need to repent.

Jeremiah 10:23

Context: The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man to direct his steps.

Jeremiah 17:9

Context: The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?

Proverbs 6:18

Context: A heart that devises wicked imaginations and feet that are swift in running to mischief.

Jeremiah 7:23-24

Context: God commanded obedience, but they walked in the counsels and imagination of their evil heart and went backward.

Jeremiah 9:13-14

Context: They forsook God's law and walked after the imagination of their own heart and after Baalim.

Jeremiah 11:7-8

Context: They obeyed not but walked in the imagination of their evil heart; therefore God brings the curses of the covenant.

Jeremiah 13:10

Context: This evil people refuse to hear God's words, walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods.

Jeremiah 16:11-12

Context: They have forsaken God, walked after other gods, and done worse than their fathers by walking after the imagination of their evil heart.

Psalm 115:4-8

Context: Idols are silver and gold, made by men; they have mouths but speak not; those who make them are like them, and so is everyone who trusts in them.

Ezekiel 21:18-23

Context: Nebuchadnezzar used divination (arrows, images, liver) to choose his path, but God directed him to Jerusalem for judgment.

Deuteronomy 18:9-19

Context: Forbids divination, child sacrifice, witchcraft, etc.; promises a prophet like Moses whose words must be heeded.

Acts 3:18-23

Context: Peter identifies Jesus as the prophet like Moses; every soul that will not hear Him shall be destroyed.

Acts 7:37-39

Context: Stephen recounts Moses' prophecy of the coming prophet and Israel's refusal to obey.

Hebrews 12:25

Context: See that you refuse not Him that speaks; if they escaped not who refused Him on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn from Him who speaks from heaven.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Hosea 4:15-17

Context: Quoted to describe Israel as a backsliding heifer, unruly and ungovernable, joined to idols.

Rhabdomancy

Context: An ancient method of divination using sticks, staffs, or arrows, as practiced by Nebuchadnezzar in Ezekiel 21.

Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln's seances

Context: Mentioned as an example of consulting familiar spirits, noting that some modern presidents have done similarly.

Important Quotes

My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God.

Significance: The central text of the sermon, defining the spirit of whoredoms as causing God's people to err through idolatrous counsel.

If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, how much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse?

Significance: Key argument that spiritual adultery leads to physical immorality; the root of societal decay is theological unfaithfulness.

They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

Significance: Explains why people cannot repent; the spirit of whoredoms must be dealt with before revival is possible.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might professing Christians today exhibit a 'spirit of whoredoms' by seeking counsel from sources other than God's Word?

Context: The sermon argues that consulting stocks and staffs is like modern reliance on horoscopes, false prophets, or personal imagination instead of Scripture.

How does the principle that 'spiritual adultery precedes physical adultery' challenge our understanding of moral decline in society?

Context: Weaver states that theological immorality leads to physical immorality; if one is unafraid to sin against God, they will not fear sinning against others.

Why is it significant that God addresses 'my people' in both 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12? What does this imply about the need for repentance among believers?

Context: The sermon emphasizes that it is God's covenant people who are the idolaters, not just the world.

How does the deceitfulness of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9) contribute to the spirit of whoredoms, and what is the remedy?

Context: Weaver warns that trusting one's own heart leads to walking in imagination and idolatry; the remedy is submission to God's Word.

In what ways does Jesus fulfill the role of the prophet like Moses, and what does it mean for us to 'hear Him' today?

Context: The sermon identifies Jesus as the final revelation of God; refusing His words is the spirit of whoredoms.

According to Hosea 5:4, why are people unable to 'frame their doings to turn to the Lord'? How can this spirit be overcome?

Context: The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning; the sermon implies repentance and seeking God's grace are necessary.

Applications

Examine your sources of counsel

Summary: Evaluate whether you seek guidance from God's Word or from worldly sources like media, horoscopes, or personal feelings. Consulting anything other than Scripture is idolatry.

Evidence: People are willing to listen to the news. They're willing to listen to their neighbors. They're willing to listen to TV, to movie theaters, to newspapers, to horoscopes. But they're not willing to listen to the word of God. That's the spirit of whoredoms.

Repent of spiritual adultery

Summary: Recognize that refusing to submit to God's commands is playing the harlot against Him. Repent of placing your will above God's will.

Evidence: When you refuse to follow the Word of God... you're playing the harlot, that you have the spirit of whoredoms?

Humble yourself before God

Summary: Acknowledge God as Creator and Lord; humble yourself, pray, seek His face, and turn from wicked ways as 2 Chronicles 7:14 commands.

Evidence: Why would we not humble ourselves before God? Why would we not acknowledge that everything we are, everything we have, is because of Him and His grace?

Submit to the whole counsel of God

Summary: Churches and individuals must preach, teach, and obey all of Scripture. Refusing any part is going a-whoring from God.

Evidence: When the churches refuse to preach and teach the whole counsel of God, they're going astray from their God.

Pray for a teachable spirit

Summary: Pray as David did: 'Teach me to do thy will' (Psalm 143:10). Ask God to work holiness, obedience, and a turning from sin in your life.

Evidence: Have you ever prayed, 'Lord, teach me to do thy will'? Have you ever prayed, 'Lord, make me holy as thou art holy...'?

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:55:16Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:09:53Z

Clean Transcript

The Spirit of Whoredoms

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Hosea chapter 4, verse 12. Listen carefully. You will see the title of the message in the verse. The title of the message is "The Spirit of Whoredoms." And it may not be exactly what you think. But look in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. We will come back for the context shortly. God says, "My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." Then if you will look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4, the Bible says this: "They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord." One prevalent spirit that manifests itself in every sphere of life and in the world is a spirit of whoredoms.
#1 | 0:00 to 0:57 | cleaned
It's not just in America or England or Europe or Asia or Africa. It's everywhere, and it's in every one of the nations. We see it daily. We hear of it often, and we have become insensitive to it. In fact, we have become so sensitized in the sense of the word that we tolerate this, and simply because we tolerate it, then we tend to think that it is normal and therefore it is acceptable as well. And so to understand what I'm going to be preaching tonight, all you have to do is just simply look around and you can see for yourself.
#2 | 0:58 to 1:37 | cleaned
Now, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 19 and verse 14, God speaks about the spirit of whoredoms, but it is here called a perverse spirit. The Bible says, "The Lord had mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit." But note, if you would, this perverse spirit has caused every man to err in every work. In other words, here is something that is so pervasive and so perverse, it actually affects everything. Now in that passage, the Hebrew word for perverse actually means that which is perverse, that which is distorting, and that which is warping. So there are multitudes then of warped, distorted, perverse people in this world and in America.
#3 | 1:38 to 2:38 | cleaned
And I tend to think that a lot of them probably congregate around Washington, D.C., as well as some of the state capitals as well.
#4 | 2:39 to 2:47 | cleaned
Now, there's another verse in 1 John 4 and verse 6 where the Bible calls this the spirit of error. So listen to this verse just for a moment. The Word of God says, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." So the spirit of truth, then, is those that hear the word of God. The spirit of error would be those who do not hear the word of God. So I want you to connect, if you would please, a spirit of whoredoms with a perverse spirit and with a spirit of error. And so what he is saying is that the spirit of whoredoms is a perverse, distorted, erroneous spirit that leads multitudes astray. Now, when you and I hear "the spirit of whoredoms," the very first thing we think of is usually adultery, fornication, and every lust of the flesh.
#5 | 2:48 to 3:55 | cleaned
We think of prostitution, both male and female, pedophilia, sex trafficking that abounds not only in the world, but in the state capitals, in our national capital also. And by the way, if you've been paying attention to the news lately, there's a whistleblower saying that sex trafficking now, that our government is the middle man in all of this, which I would not doubt at all. So, that is normally what we think of.
#6 | 3:56 to 4:24 | cleaned
But it may surprise you to learn that in the Old Testament, the word adultery only refers to the physical act about six times, and two of those times it has the implication of spiritual adultery as well. Usually, the Old Testament word adultery refers to what you and I would call spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, or simply idolatry. In the New Testament, the word does rely more on the physical, but the spiritual is there as well. So, the spirit of whoredoms deals directly with fornication and adultery against God and His law because it involves idolatry. So, idolatry is spiritual fornication and adultery against God. It is a perversion. It is a spirit of error, because it is a denial of God and His authority.
#7 | 4:25 to 5:25 | cleaned
It is a denial of His Creatorship, of His Lordship, of His ownership of the world and everything therein. Now, go back to Hosea 4, verse 12, and let me show you the context. Look at this. "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God."
#8 | 5:26 to 5:51 | cleaned
"They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under the oaks, and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good. Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredoms, and your spouses shall commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery, for they themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots. Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall." In other words, what God is saying here is the people as a whole are given to idolatry.
#9 | 5:52 to 6:31 | cleaned
Now, here is a good illustration of what is known as the Lex Talionis. The Lex Talionis is the law of retribution. It is where God makes the punishment fit the crime. When God says, "I'm not going to punish your daughters and your spouses when they commit adultery because they're separated with whores, with adulterers already." In other words, what God is saying, what you're doing to me, your spouses and your daughters are going to do to you as well.
#10 | 6:32 to 7:06 | cleaned
Now, here is something that is very important. I want you to see. Once he talks about spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication, it is spiritual adultery and spiritual fornication that lead to physical adultery and physical fornication. So, to spell it for you, here it is. If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, how much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse? You see what I'm saying? So, if someone is not afraid to sin against God openly, blatantly, violently, they're certainly not going to be afraid to sin against their spouse as well.
#11 | 7:07 to 7:56 | cleaned
So, let me say this again. The physical immorality that is rampant in this country, whether you talk about adultery, fornication, pedophilia, transgenderism, I don't care what you're talking about, but the rampant physical immorality in this country is a consequence and result of theological immorality. The spiritual always precedes the physical.
#12 | 7:57 to 8:28 | cleaned
Now, I want you to look, if you would, momentarily, at the book of Zechariah. Hold Hosea. Zechariah is right before the book of Malachi, next to the last book in the Old Testament. So if you look in Zechariah chapter 13, look if you would please at verse 2, because here God talks about an unclean spirit, and that unclean spirit happens to be the spirit of whoredoms, which is a perverse spirit, which is a spirit of error. He says in Zechariah chapter 13 in verse 2, "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." So the unclean spirit then is connected with the idols and the names of the idols, which of course then would go to the spirit of error and the spirit of perversion and then also the spirit of whoredoms.
#13 | 8:28 to 9:31 | cleaned
Now, I want you to look at a verse that I know that you could quote. I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding Hosea, but I want you to turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 7, and I want you to look at verse 14. There's a purpose for asking you to do this, and I'm sure that everyone in this room could probably quote this verse. It's been quoted multitudes of times by many people, and here's what it says. Look carefully. 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,
#14 | 9:32 to 10:14 | cleaned
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Now, I want to emphasize something right now. Note if you would, he said, "if my people." So he's not talking about the wicked, he's not talking about the ungodly, he's not talking about the unsaved. He said it's my people. "If my people," he said, "which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I'll hear from heaven and I'll forgive their sins and heal their land."
#15 | 10:14 to 10:45 | cleaned
Do you realize in one sense of the word how simple this is? How easy this is? And you almost have to ask yourself this question: Why in the world are Christians not humbling themselves and praying and seeking his face and turning from their wicked ways, so that God will hear from heaven and heal our land and forgive our sins?
#16 | 10:46 to 11:09 | cleaned
Now I'm going to answer that before I close. But there's a good reason why 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14 is not being applied. I told you that most of you know this verse. Most of you could quote this verse. But may I point out there's a vast difference between knowing and quoting and doing and applying.
#17 | 11:10 to 11:32 | cleaned
Now, look if you would one more time. He said in verse 14, "if my people." Now, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Hosea chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 12. This is astounding. God said, look at it. "My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." "My people"—the same wording in 2 Chronicles 7:14, the same Hebrew word for "my people" is exactly the same Hebrew word here in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. So the point I'm trying to make in Hosea chapter 4, it is God's people who are the idolaters. It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms. It is God's people who have the perversion of spirit. It is God's people who have the spirit of error. It is God's people, according to Zechariah, that has the unclean spirit.
#18 | 11:33 to 12:41 | cleaned
Now, in our text, of course, we're talking about Israel. You have to remember that Israel was the covenant people of God. God had entered into a covenant with them. God had given them His law. God gave them the priesthood. God gave them the Levites. God gave them the prophets. But by extension, of course, this would refer to all of God's people. Practically speaking, today, it would be the people of God who profess His name, who claim to be Christian, who at the same time have the spirit of whoredoms, who wander from Him, who refuse to obey Him, and treat Him as if He had no authority over their lives.
#19 | 12:42 to 13:26 | cleaned
Now, I want you to pay close attention to verse 12 again, and I want to call your attention specifically to the latter part of verse 12. Watch what he said. "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." Now here it is, "...for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." They have gone a-whoring from under their God. So as painful as it may sound, and as painful as it really and truly is, what God is actually saying here, it is His people that have left the yoke of obedience. It is His people that left His precincts, His protection. It is His people that are committing spiritual adultery, spiritual fornication against Him. And He's using the illustration as a wife who would wickedly depart from her husband and commit adultery and fornication as well. But God is saying, that is what His people are doing to Him. Now, look in verse 15. Hosea 4 and verse 15.
#20 | 13:27 to 14:47 | cleaned
"Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah offend, and come you not to Gilgal, neither go you up to Beth-Avon, nor swear the Lord liveth." In other words, don't mix my name with your idolatry. Don't claim to be mine while you're worshiping your idols. And of course, idolatry was very prevalent at Gilgal and Beth-Avon as well. So, here is Israel, the covenant people of God, who have the spirit of whoredoms.
#21 | 14:47 to 15:20 | cleaned
Let me give you a quote from Matthew Henry. Listen carefully. It's just one paragraph. He writes, "So Hosea 4:15, Israel has played the harlot. Their conduct in the worship of their idols was like that of a harlot, wanton and impudent. And Hosea 4:16, Israel slid back as a backsliding heifer, an untamed heifer, or some, or as a perverse or refractory one, so others. As a heifer that is turned loose and runs madly about the pasture, or if put under the yoke, which seems rather to be the illusion here, will draw back instead of going forward, will struggle to get her neck out of the yoke and her feet out of the furrow. Thus unruly, ungovernable, untractable were the people of Israel. They had begun to draw on the yoke of God's ordinances, but they drew back as children of Belial that will not endure the yoke. And when the prophets were sent with the goads of reproof to put them forward, they kicked against the pricks and ran backwards. The sum of all of it is Hosea 4 and verse 17, 'Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.'"
#22 | 15:20 to 16:44 | cleaned
That is, Ephraim is perfectly wedded to them, his affections are glued to them, and his heart is upon them. And then he goes on to say that God has given us two instances of their idolatry in this case, which I'm going to point out just momentarily. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, holding Hosea chapter 4, back to the book of Jeremiah chapter 10. I want to point out a truth, and then I'm going to show you this truth throughout the book of Jeremiah before I make the application to Hosea. So if you'll look in Jeremiah chapter 10, and before we read the scripture, I want to go ahead and just set the stage for you.
#23 | 16:44 to 17:35 | cleaned
Because when people leave God and abandon His law, the only direction they can go is in the direction of error and untruth. That's why they would have the spirit of error. That's why they would have a perverse spirit. That is why they would have an unclean spirit. That is why they would have a spirit of whoredoms.
#24 | 17:36 to 17:58 | cleaned
Now, when you stop and think of the fact that the Torah, usually, which refers at least to the first five books of the Bible, the books of the law written by Moses, but sometimes the word Torah is applied to the totality of God's Word because the word Torah means authoritative instruction and direction. So when you leave God's authoritative instruction and God's authoritative directions, the only place left for you is error and perversion and a spirit of whoredoms. It's just that simple.
#25 | 17:59 to 18:39 | cleaned
Now, look in Jeremiah chapter 10, if you would please, at verse 23. Here it is. Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23. Jeremiah says this, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."
#26 | 18:39 to 19:03 | cleaned
Now stop and think about that. Jeremiah said, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself." You and I by nature will not come up with the best route, the best direction, the best instruction. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. How many of you heard people say and how many of you have said, "Well, I know what's best for me and I know what's best for mine." And the truth of the matter is you really do not know what is best for you. You really do not know the best way.
#27 | 19:04 to 19:39 | cleaned
But you remember the passage in—here's why. And Jeremiah, chapter 17, in verse 9, where it says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" So when you think you know the best way and when you have the best idea, your heart can deceive you so easily. And there are multitudes of people. I've heard pastors say this. I've heard Christians say this. "Well, if I know my heart..." The truth of the matter is you do not know your heart. It is deceitful. You may think you know your heart, but you do not know your heart. There have been times in my life I really, really thought I was doing something for the Lord, until the Lord opened my eyes, and I saw I was doing things for myself, not for Him. You know, the heart's deceitful.
#28 | 19:39 to 20:32 | cleaned
It is, all the time. Now, as you turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 7, holding Hosea chapter 4, I want to give you a verse. In the book of Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 18, the Bible says, "An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief." So once you have a heart that devises wicked imaginations, once you have thoughts in your mind that are wicked and that's what you want, then you have feet. You put plans to those thoughts. You have feet then that run into mischief, that you can't wait to get into mischief.
#29 | 20:33 to 21:13 | cleaned
So let me show you what is happening, because when you reject God, when you refuse to walk on his law and his commandments, the only thing left is the imagination of your own heart. So if you look in Jeremiah, chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 23. Look what God says. "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk you in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may go well with you." Here it is. "But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward." So anytime you reject God's Word for what you think, you're going to go backwards and not forward. Look at Jeremiah 9, and let's begin reading there with verse 13. Jeremiah 9, verse 13, "And the Lord said, Because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, neither walked therein, but have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them."
#30 | 21:13 to 22:41 | cleaned
So, any time you refuse God, you're going to walk after the imagination of your own heart, and the imagination of your heart, you're going to end up in idolatry. Look in Jeremiah chapter 11, if you would, Jeremiah 11, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. Jeremiah 11 verse 7, God says, "For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even in this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart. Therefore, I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant," that is, the curses of Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 26. "I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not."
#31 | 22:42 to 23:36 | cleaned
So if they will not be blessed, they will be cursed. But note, if you would, they were walking after the imagination of their own heart. Look in Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 10, what God calls His people. Jeremiah 13 verse 10, He said, "This evil people which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart and walk after other gods to serve them and to worship them shall even be as this girdle which is good for nothing." So he talks then about this evil people who walk in the imagination of their own hearts and walk after other gods. Someone is going to object and say, "But look, I don't see any Christians walking around trying to worship Baalim or trying to worship Baal or trying to worship Zeus or trying to worship Mohammed or trying to worship whoever. I don't see that among Christians." What you don't understand is this. You don't have to bow down before an idol or have a false idol to be an idolater.
#32 | 23:37 to 24:40 | cleaned
All you have to do is place your will ahead of God's will, your word ahead of God's word. God said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And what you do is you cast God down and set yourself up. And you're saying, "I'm going to do what I want and what I will, regardless." So very clearly, you don't have to bow down before an idol.
#33 | 24:41 to 25:02 | cleaned
Now, look in Jeremiah, chapter 16, Jeremiah 16. And notice, if you would please, verses 11 and 12. "Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law, and you have done worse than your fathers. For behold, you walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me." So anytime you walk after your own imagination, your own will, your own way, you are refusing to listen to God.
#34 | 25:02 to 25:49 | cleaned
Now, what I want you to see today is this. I want you to turn back to Hosea chapter 4, because I want you to see the absolute stupidity and insanity that's in the heart by nature. You cannot trust your own heart. Your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And so when we're talking about Hosea 4 and verse 12, we're talking about a covenant people. We're talking about a people who've been given the law of God, the ordinances of God, the priesthood of God, the prophets of God. They had everything.
#35 | 25:49 to 26:29 | cleaned
And yet here's what happened. Look in verse 12. God says, "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God." You have to ask yourself when you read this, what in the world are God's people doing? You know, the truth of the matter is, I'm afraid that most Christians—if you want to just use the word professing Christians, or just most Christians—never really read or study the Bible. There are Christians who will read and then get up and forget. I mean, they never apply the truth. They never really study to find out the truth. They'll read horoscopes. They'll listen sometimes to these false prophets. They'll do all kinds of things to gather information, to get direction, to get insight as they think. Let me show you how stupid, how insane people become when they refuse God in His Word. He said, "My people ask counsel at their stocks." You know what a stock was?
#36 | 26:30 to 28:10 | cleaned
A stock was a wooden statue or idol that was consulted either by these people or by a priest in order to obtain help, instruction or direction. Now, the interesting thing is this, the Hebrew word for stocks is the word 'ets, which literally means a tree, a stick, a stump, a piece of wood or timber. How dumb must you be to ask a stump for directions, or a piece of wood for help?
#37 | 28:11 to 29:02 | cleaned
I want you to see this insanity. Here was a people that's supposed to be God's covenant people. They would not hear God speaking from heaven, but they would listen to a spirit speaking from a stump.
#38 | 29:05 to 29:22 | cleaned
A plank, a piece of timber. Now, I could understand an ornately carved piece of wood. I could even understand a piece of wood covered in silver, covered in gold, at least be a little more expensive. But both of them are absolutely worthless because it doesn't matter. They are dead. They are dumb. But people just consulting with a piece of wood. Maybe these were the first greenies, I don't know.
#39 | 29:30 to 30:00 | cleaned
But I want you to turn in your Bibles. Oh, Hosea, we're coming right back. But I want you to turn to Psalm 115. And look at this. Psalm 115. And let's begin reading there in verse 4. So it doesn't matter if it is a stump or an ornately carved idol or one made of silver or gold. Look what God says. Psalm 115, verse 4. "Their idols are silver and gold,
#40 | 30:01 to 30:32 | cleaned
the work of men's hands. Men made them. They have mouths, but they speak not. Eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but they walk not. Neither speak they through their throat." Now watch verse 8. "They that make them are like unto them, dead, dumb, insane, worthless, useless. Hang on.
#41 | 30:33 to 31:04 | cleaned
So is everyone that trusteth in them." So is everyone that trusteth in them. You're insane. That's what he's saying. You're dumb. You can't speak. You can't think. You can't walk. You can't talk. You're insane. So clearly then, God is saying, "My people have forsaken Me. They've whored against Me. They've played the harlot against Me because they've run out from under My law." So it does not matter how ornate an idol is or how beautiful or how costly or how expensive or whether it's just a plain piece of wood. The only reason that something like that is looked upon and worshipped is because of the depravity of the heart and the rejection of God and His Word. Can you imagine bowing down before an idol, which people do? Can you imagine kissing an idol? Offering to an idol? which men had made and had to put in its place because it couldn't walk there. It was worthless.
#42 | 31:05 to 32:22 | cleaned
Now, go back to Hosea chapter 4, because here is another illustration of their insanity. He says in verse 12, "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them." What? They're consulting their walking sticks, their staff in their hands. They will not believe God speaking from heaven, but they'll believe an evil spirit speaking from a staff. We know that our God is in the heavens. That's what he said in Psalm 115, verse 3. "But our God is in the heavens.
#43 | 32:24 to 33:08 | cleaned
He's done whatsoever He is pleased." But seeking counsel from a staff or a stump is insane. You don't even know who's holding the staff. I did not even know a staff could speak. And if it did speak, what language would it speak in? And who would interpret? And how would you know what was being said? And how would you know that the interpretation would be correct?
#44 | 33:09 to 33:36 | cleaned
Now, this consulting of staffs and sticks and arrows is called rhabdomancy. Rhabdomancy is an odd way of divining from things like an arrow, or a stick, or a staff. And sometimes it's used in combination with other ways. For instance, if you'll hold Hosea and turn back in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel chapter 21, this is essentially what Nebuchadnezzar was doing. God told Ezekiel to prophesy, and he said this is what Nebuchadnezzar was going to do. Ezekiel chapter 21, beginning there in verse 18. "The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, Also thou son of man, appoint thou two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come, both twain shall come forth out of one land, and choose thou a place, choose it as the head of the way to the city." In other words, there's a divided way. "Appoint a way that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah and Jerusalem the defense." You can go one of two ways. Now look what he says about Nebuchadnezzar.
#45 | 33:38 to 35:05 | cleaned
"For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination." How did he divine which way to go? "He made his arrows bright." He was using them. "He consulted with images," that is his gods that he brought with him, "and he looked into the liver." So he killed an animal and looked into the liver. So, you know, it's an odd way, obviously, to make a divination, but that's exactly what Nebuchadnezzar did, and of course he went to Jerusalem, not because the arrow told him to, or the liver told him to, or his idols told him to, but because God corrected it against that city for correction and for judgment.
#46 | 35:06 to 36:01 | cleaned
Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18. I'm getting ready to tie things together for you. I want you to see this. I want you to listen carefully. Deuteronomy chapter 18. Any time you seek knowledge, any time you seek information over and above and beyond the Word of God, you have gone into idolatry, you have a spirit of whoredoms, and what you're doing is condemned by God. OK? So hang on. I want you to look at this. Deuteronomy chapter 18.
#47 | 36:02 to 36:44 | cleaned
And let's begin reading there with verse 9. Deuteronomy 18, verse 9. God says, "When thou come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abomination of those nations." God says you cannot mimic them. You cannot learn from them. "There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire," that is giving your child as an offering to Molech.
#48 | 36:44 to 37:17 | cleaned
either as a sacrifice or as a dedication. Sometimes the passing through the fire was just dedicating the child for the use of Molech and for idol worship. So he says, "There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination." Divination is any method of trying to ascertain truth, direction, instruction, help other than from God. He says, "or observer of times."
#49 | 37:19 to 37:52 | cleaned
"Well, the stars are in their right courses right now and the planets are in their right places right now." Horoscopes. "Or an enchanter, a murmurer or a witch." And while I'm at it, there's no such thing as a good witch. "Or a charmer, or consulter with familiar spirits," that's spiritism. I suppose you know that Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, held seances in the White House. Yeah, and some of our modern day presidents have done so as well. He says, "or a charmer or consulter with familiar spirits or wizard or a necromancer." You know what a necromancer is.
#50 | 37:53 to 38:44 | cleaned
Necros is the Greek word for dead. A necromancer is someone who talks to the dead. That's these seance witches who try to contact the dead and ask them to show themselves and speak and all this kind of stuff. God says, no, that's not to be done. Look in verse 12. "For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord."
#51 | 38:47 to 39:09 | cleaned
Now, remember, an abomination is a stench in God's nostrils. "For all that do these things are an abomination of the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." That's one reason why God casts out all those nations before them. Then he says in verse 13, "Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God." Lord, you're not to engage in any of this by any stretch of the imagination. "For these nations which thou shalt possess, hearken unto observers of times, and unto diviners. But as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee to do so." Wow! Do you realize the sovereign protection of God?
#52 | 39:09 to 39:52 | cleaned
I told you this before, and my father told me this, and it stuck with me as a child. I've never ever been to a fortune teller. Neither would I ever go to one. But my father told me when he and mother had just been married, they went to a county fair. They were holding hands. And they walked by the tent of the fortune teller. And the fortune teller said, "Come on in, and I'll tell you when you're going to get married."
#53 | 39:56 to 40:28 | cleaned
He said, as he looked at her, "If you knew anything at all, you'd know we already were." And they just kept right on walking. I read one interview where this newspaper reporter was supposed to interview this fortune teller and spiritual instructor. And the journalist was wondering if this was really real, but the fortune teller had to call her and cancel because of unforeseen circumstances. So, you know, they don't know anything at all either.
#54 | 40:29 to 41:07 | cleaned
But hang on, watch this now. God says, no, you're not to do anything like that.
#55 | 41:07 to 41:12 | cleaned
Now, look in verse 15. Here's what I want you to see today. Watch carefully. "The Lord thy God," this is what Moses said, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren like unto me. Unto him shall you hearken." Now Moses said, "I'm a prophet." He is, and he was. And now he says, "God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me from among your brethren." Now watch verse 16. "According to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken."
#56 | 41:13 to 42:02 | cleaned
Now, let's stop right there. Because Moses just said, "God's going to raise up a prophet like unto me. Because you ask in that day for a prophet, you ask for someone to be a mediator, to be a go-between, and that's me. And God's going to raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren." Watch.
#57 | 42:02 to 42:23 | cleaned
Now look what God says in verse 18. "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee," God's answering Moses, "and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Now, what did God just say?
#58 | 42:24 to 42:54 | cleaned
You don't need a diviner. You don't need an enchanter. You don't need a wizard. You don't need a witch. You don't need a necromancer. You don't need a spiritist. No, no, no. God said, "I have raised up a prophet. I've given him my words. He will declare all of my words. He will give you everything that you need to know. And if you will not listen to him, I will require it of you."
#59 | 42:55 to 43:22 | cleaned
Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3. I hope that you already know that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed that prophet. Jesus Christ is not only prophet, he is priest and he is king. But in Acts chapter 3, look if you would please. Let's begin reading there with verse 18. Acts 3 verse 18. "But these things are those things which God before hath showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." We're talking about Jesus Christ. "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me.
#60 | 43:23 to 44:44 | cleaned
Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among his people." So Jesus Christ is that prophet.
#61 | 44:45 to 45:03 | cleaned
Now, look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 7. Acts chapter 7. And look if you would please. Beginning there with verse 37. He says concerning Moses, "This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear. This is He that was in the church in the wilderness,
#62 | 45:03 to 45:37 | cleaned
with the angel which spake to him in Mount Sinai, and the Lord Jesus Christ was there, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto them, to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." So they refused Moses, but the reason they refused Moses, they refused the one who gave the law to Moses, who would have been the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ.
#63 | 45:38 to 46:04 | cleaned
Now, you remember that passage, in Deuteronomy 18 and verse 19, God said, "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee. I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."
#64 | 46:04 to 46:27 | cleaned
And in Acts 3 he said, "He that will not hear shall be destroyed." You remember what our Lord said in His High Priestly Prayer in John 17? He said concerning his disciples, "I have given them the words which thou hast given me, and they have believed that I have come from thee. I've given them the words which thou hast given me." God gave us Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God. Jesus Christ is the living word, according to John 1:1-3. The Bible is the written word, according to 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. And what God is saying, "I've given you everything that you need. And I've given it to you through the Lord Jesus Christ." Do you understand that God holds us accountable? God holds us responsible and answerable to hear all the words of this book. And he holds us accountable and responsible to obey all the words of this book.
#65 | 46:27 to 47:36 | cleaned
That is why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25 we read this, "See that you refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escape not, him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven." So Jesus Christ has spoken once on earth. They turned their back. They were destroyed. Now, he said he's speaking from heaven. He is the exalted Son of God. "See that you refuse not him that speaketh." So, we have the word of God.
#66 | 47:37 to 48:16 | cleaned
How did this message start? The spirit of whoredoms. How is it that we're willing to hear anything and everything but the Word of God? How is it that people will follow false prophets so easily, so quickly, and never read the Word of God for themselves? Do not err from the Lord Jesus Christ. To err from Him is the spirit of whoredoms. It is biblical harlotry. It is scriptural and spiritual adultery.
#67 | 48:19 to 49:05 | cleaned
Now, let me make some applications. Think about this. Here's a good question. Has it ever really dawned upon you or have you ever really considered or thought about the fact that when you refuse to follow the Word of God, when you refuse to submit to the Word of God, and you're going to do your own thing, what you think best and what you want and what you desire, regardless of what God has said, that you're playing the harlot, that you have the spirit of whoredoms? That's what He said. They've gone a-whoring from their God. That is, they've run out from under his authoritative instruction. They run out from under his commands. They refuse to obey. And moreover, you've got to think about this. When you hear or when you know or when you read or when you see the word of God and you refuse to obey it, in one sense of the word, you're in competition with God.
#68 | 49:06 to 50:17 | cleaned
And what did he say in Isaiah 42 and verse 8? "My glory will I not share. And I'm not going to give my praise to another." Because when you are saying, "No, God, I'm not going to do this, here's what I think best. Here's what I want to do. Here's what I'm going to do," you're dethroning God and enthroning yourself. You're an idolater. That's exactly what he's saying.
#69 | 50:21 to 50:42 | cleaned
In other words, it is a denial of Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 through 7. What does the Bible say? "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil." So when we're wise in our own eyes, when we lean to our own understanding, guess what?
#70 | 50:43 to 51:08 | cleaned
It's the spirit of whoredoms. We're not depending upon the Lord. Here's the second thing. In one sense, the word, the spirit of whoredoms is a spirit of independence. "I don't need God. I don't need his word. I don't need his law. I don't need his direction. I don't need his instruction. I know what is best for me." And this is what God said in Hosea chapter 4, it is the spirit of whoredoms which have caused them to err.
#71 | 51:09 to 51:37 | cleaned
It is that which causes us to go astray. Anytime and every time we do not submit to the Word of God, we err. Anytime and every time we do not obey, we go a-whoring from under our God. As His people, when we do that, we're running out from under His authority, His jurisdiction, we think, and we're claiming our own authority and our own jurisdiction, and we're saying, in essence, that we are God, we can do what we want to do. Here's the third application.
#72 | 51:39 to 52:13 | cleaned
Many churches have the slogan where everyone is someone and Jesus Christ is Lord. I know a number of churches that have that slogan. They have that motto printed on their doors or over their doors. However, when the churches refuse to preach and teach the whole counsel of God, they're going astray from their God. When they refuse to obey and submit to that word, they go awry from their God. When they refuse to walk in His ways, how is He their Lord? You remember that passage in Luke 6 and verse 47 where our Lord said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not those things which I say unto you?"
#73 | 52:13 to 53:02 | cleaned
The truth of the matter is, in Christianity today, most of us have erred. We've gone to whoring because of the spirit of whoredoms in our lives.
#74 | 53:04 to 53:14 | cleaned
Now, I want to show you something. I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Hosea. This is my last application, but I want you to see this. I asked a question earlier in this message. Before I read this passage, I'm going to quote another passage and ask the same question again.
#75 | 53:14 to 53:37 | cleaned
2 Chronicles 7:14, where God said, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land." So here's my question. If in reality, we wanted our land healed and we wanted to be revived, and Jesus Christ honored and glorified, why would we not do something so absolutely simple? Why would we not humble ourselves before God?
#76 | 53:40 to 54:23 | cleaned
Why would we not acknowledge that everything we are, everything we have, is because of Him and His grace? Why would we not acknowledge that He is the Creator and we're the creature? He's the Lord and we're the servant? He's the God and we're man. Why would we not do that? Why would we not pray? Why would we not seek His face? Why would we not want more holiness, more righteousness, more obedience?
#77 | 54:26 to 54:49 | cleaned
Why would we not be willing to turn from our sins? It's really, really very simple. You would think Christians all over this country would say, "Hey, I'm so sick of the perversions. I'm so sick of the spirit of error. I'm so sick of the spirit of whoredoms. I want holiness. I want righteousness in our land. I want what we were when we were founded." Why won't we do that? Well, here's the answer.
#78 | 54:50 to 55:20 | cleaned
Look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4. Hosea 5 verse 4. God says, "They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord." God said they will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. Why? Because the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst. In other words, even professing Christians are not going to frame their actions, to frame their attitudes, to frame their conduct, to turn to the Lord because of a spirit of whoredoms. In other words, that spirit of whoredoms has to be dealt with before we can ever consider 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14. And unless it is, we will never, ever turn. Unless it is, we will never pray like David prayed in Psalm 143, verse 10, when he said, "Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy spirit is good.
#79 | 55:21 to 56:38 | cleaned
Lead me in the land of uprightness." Have you ever prayed, "Lord, teach me to do thy will"? Have you ever prayed, "Lord, make me holy as thou art holy, Lord, make me righteous, make me godly"? Have you ever prayed, "Lord, give me a greater obedience, give me a greater humility, give me a greater prayer life, give me, Lord, a greater turning from sin unto thee, Lord, work in my life"?
#80 | 56:38 to 57:10 | cleaned
So let me put it like this, immorality is rampant because idolatry is rampant. Spiritual idolatry always precedes physical adultery and fornication and immorality. Once we turn theologically from God, then we turn culturally and practically and morally into declension on every hand. If a man is unafraid to sin against God, he certainly will not be afraid to sin against his fellow man. God said, "My people, ask counsel of their stocks,
#81 | 57:12 to 58:14 | cleaned
and their staff declareth unto them." People are willing to listen to the news. They're willing to listen to their neighbors. They're willing to listen to TV, to movie theaters, to newspapers, to horoscopes. But they're not willing to listen to the word of God. That's the spirit of whoredoms. And until it's repented of, there will never be a 2 Chronicles 7:14 in our lives. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And Lord, I pray that you would indeed enable us to deal with our own lives and help us, Lord, with the lives of our family and the lives of our neighbors. And may, Lord, we turn unto Thee with our whole heart and seek Thee, Lord, in Thy will and Thy Word and Thy way in every area of our lives. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we ask. Amen.
#82 | 58:16 to 59:28 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:55:16Z

The Spirit of Whoredoms

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver expounds Hosea 4:12 and 5:4 to show that the 'spirit of whoredoms' is a pervasive, perverse, and erroneous spirit of spiritual adultery—idolatry—that leads God's people to err by rejecting His authoritative Word. He argues that physical immorality is a consequence of theological immorality, and that professing Christians who refuse to submit to Scripture are guilty of this spirit. The sermon calls for repentance and turning to God's Word as the only remedy.

Introduction: The Spirit of Whoredoms Defined

Hosea chapter 4, verse 12. Listen carefully. You will see the title of the message in the verse. The title of the message is

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"The Spirit of Whoredoms."

And it may not be exactly what you think. But look in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 12. We will come back for the context shortly. God says,

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God."

Then if you will look in Hosea chapter 5 and verse 4, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Hosea 4:12

"They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord."

One prevalent spirit that manifests itself in every sphere of life and in the world is a spirit of whoredoms.

Now, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 19 and verse 14, God speaks about the spirit of whoredoms, but it is here called a perverse spirit. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 19:14

"The Lord had mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit."

Now, there's another verse in 1 John 4 and verse 6 where the Bible calls this the spirit of error. So listen to this verse just for a moment. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 4:6

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."

Spiritual Adultery Precedes Physical Immorality

The Unclean Spirit and Idolatry

Zechariah 13:2 connects an unclean spirit with idols. The spirit of whoredoms is this unclean, perverse, erroneous spirit that leads to idolatry.

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 13:2

"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land."

God's People Are the Idolaters

2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12 both use 'my people,' showing that it is God's covenant people who have the spirit of whoredoms and commit idolatry. This applies to professing Christians today.

The Insanity of Idolatry

God's Provision: The Prophet Like Moses

And let's begin reading there with verse 9. Deuteronomy 18, verse 9. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"When thou come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abomination of those nations."

God says you cannot mimic them. You cannot learn from them.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,"

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 18:9-19

"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination."

Divination is any method of trying to ascertain truth, direction, instruction, help other than from God. He says, "or observer of times."

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:18-23

"But these things are those things which God before hath showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

We're talking about Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading — Acts 3:18-23

"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me.

Scripture Reading — Acts 7:37-39

"This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear. This is He that was in the church in the wilderness,

That is why in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 25 we read this,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:25

"See that you refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escape not, him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven."

So Jesus Christ has spoken once on earth. They turned their back. They were destroyed. Now, he said he's speaking from heaven. He is the exalted Son of God.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:25

"See that you refuse not him that speaketh."

So, we have the word of God.

Applications: The Spirit of Whoredoms Today

Conclusion: The Need for Repentance

The Spirit of Whoredoms

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	532313281991
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-04-30
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	82

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Spirit of Whoredoms Defined: The message introduces the 'spirit of whoredoms' from Hosea 4:12 and 5:4, linking it to a perverse spirit (Isaiah 19:14) and a spirit of error (1 John 4:6). It is a pervasive, distorting influence that leads people astray.
Spiritual Adultery Precedes Physical Immorality: The Old Testament often uses 'adultery' for spiritual unfaithfulness (idolatry). Physical immorality is a result of theological immorality; if one is unafraid to sin against God, they will not fear sinning against a spouse.
The Unclean Spirit and Idolatry: Zechariah 13:2 connects an unclean spirit with idols. The spirit of whoredoms is this unclean, perverse, erroneous spirit that leads to idolatry.
God's People Are the Idolaters: 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12 both use 'my people,' showing that it is God's covenant people who have the spirit of whoredoms and commit idolatry. This applies to professing Christians today.
The Insanity of Idolatry: Hosea 4:12 depicts God's people asking counsel from wooden stocks and staffs—inanimate objects. This is rhabdomancy, a form of divination. Psalm 115:4-8 shows that idolaters become like their idols: dead, dumb, and insane.
God's Provision: The Prophet Like Moses: Deuteronomy 18:9-19 forbids all forms of divination and promises a prophet like Moses. Acts 3 and 7 identify Jesus Christ as that prophet. God holds us accountable to hear and obey all His words through Christ.
Applications: The Spirit of Whoredoms Today: Refusing to submit to God's Word is playing the harlot and competing with God. It is a spirit of independence. Churches that refuse the whole counsel of God err. The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning to God as in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Conclusion: The Need for Repentance: Hosea 5:4 explains why people will not turn: the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst. Until this spirit is repented of, there will be no revival or healing. The sermon ends with a prayer for grace to turn wholly to God.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The spirit of whoredoms is a pervasive, perverse, and erroneous spirit.

The sermon connects Hosea's 'spirit of whoredoms' with Isaiah's 'perverse spirit' and 1 John's 'spirit of error,' arguing it is a distorting influence that leads multitudes astray.

So the spirit of truth, then, is those that hear the word of God. The spirit of error would be those who do not hear the word of God. So I want you to connect... a spirit of whoredoms with a perverse spirit and with a spirit of error.

Physical immorality is a consequence of spiritual idolatry.

The rampant physical immorality in society is a result of theological immorality—rejecting God's authority. Spiritual adultery always precedes physical adultery.

The physical immorality that is rampant in this country... is a consequence and result of theological immorality. The spiritual always precedes the physical.

It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms.

Both 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12 use 'my people,' indicating that the idolaters are God's covenant people. This applies to professing Christians today who refuse to obey God.

So the point I'm trying to make in Hosea chapter 4, it is God's people who are the idolaters. It is God's people who have the spirit of whoredoms.

Rejecting God's Word leads to walking in the imagination of one's own heart.

Jeremiah passages show that when people forsake God's law, they walk after the imagination of their evil heart, which leads to idolatry and going backward.

But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.

Consulting idols is insane and makes one like them.

Asking counsel from wooden stocks and staffs is rhabdomancy, a foolish divination. Psalm 115 says idolaters become dead, dumb, and worthless like their idols.

They that make them are like unto them, dead, dumb, insane, worthless, useless. So is everyone that trusteth in them.

Jesus Christ is the prophet like Moses; we must hear Him.

Deuteronomy 18 promised a prophet; Acts 3 and 7 identify Him as Jesus. God holds us accountable to hear and obey all His words; refusing is the spirit of whoredoms.

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning to God.

Hosea 5:4 explains why people will not humble themselves and pray as in 2 Chronicles 7:14: the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst, and they have not known the Lord.

They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

Scripture References

Hosea 4:12: Primary text: God's people ask counsel from stocks and staffs; the spirit of whoredoms causes them to err and go a-whoring from God.
Hosea 5:4: They will not frame their doings to turn to God because the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst and they have not known the Lord.
Isaiah 19:14: The Lord mingled a perverse spirit in Egypt, causing them to err in every work; the Hebrew word means distorting or warping.
1 John 4:6: Distinguishes the spirit of truth (those who hear God's Word) from the spirit of error (those who do not).
Zechariah 13:2: God will cut off the names of idols and cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land; connects unclean spirit with idolatry.
2 Chronicles 7:14: If God's people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wicked ways, He will heal their land; used to show it is God's people who need to repent.
Jeremiah 10:23: The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?
Proverbs 6:18: A heart that devises wicked imaginations and feet that are swift in running to mischief.
Jeremiah 7:23-24: God commanded obedience, but they walked in the counsels and imagination of their evil heart and went backward.
Jeremiah 9:13-14: They forsook God's law and walked after the imagination of their own heart and after Baalim.
Jeremiah 11:7-8: They obeyed not but walked in the imagination of their evil heart; therefore God brings the curses of the covenant.
Jeremiah 13:10: This evil people refuse to hear God's words, walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods.
Jeremiah 16:11-12: They have forsaken God, walked after other gods, and done worse than their fathers by walking after the imagination of their evil heart.
Psalm 115:4-8: Idols are silver and gold, made by men; they have mouths but speak not; those who make them are like them, and so is everyone who trusts in them.
Ezekiel 21:18-23: Nebuchadnezzar used divination (arrows, images, liver) to choose his path, but God directed him to Jerusalem for judgment.
Deuteronomy 18:9-19: Forbids divination, child sacrifice, witchcraft, etc.; promises a prophet like Moses whose words must be heeded.
Acts 3:18-23: Peter identifies Jesus as the prophet like Moses; every soul that will not hear Him shall be destroyed.
Acts 7:37-39: Stephen recounts Moses' prophecy of the coming prophet and Israel's refusal to obey.
Hebrews 12:25: See that you refuse not Him that speaks; if they escaped not who refused Him on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn from Him who speaks from heaven.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Hosea 4:15-17: Quoted to describe Israel as a backsliding heifer, unruly and ungovernable, joined to idols.
Rhabdomancy: An ancient method of divination using sticks, staffs, or arrows, as practiced by Nebuchadnezzar in Ezekiel 21.
Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln's seances: Mentioned as an example of consulting familiar spirits, noting that some modern presidents have done similarly.

Important Quotes

My people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God.

The central text of the sermon, defining the spirit of whoredoms as causing God's people to err through idolatrous counsel.

If someone is unafraid to whore around on the sovereign, holy God of heaven and earth, how much less will he be afraid to whore around on his or her spouse?

Key argument that spiritual adultery leads to physical immorality; the root of societal decay is theological unfaithfulness.

They will not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord.

Explains why people cannot repent; the spirit of whoredoms must be dealt with before revival is possible.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might professing Christians today exhibit a 'spirit of whoredoms' by seeking counsel from sources other than God's Word?

[Context]

The sermon argues that consulting stocks and staffs is like modern reliance on horoscopes, false prophets, or personal imagination instead of Scripture.

[Question]

How does the principle that 'spiritual adultery precedes physical adultery' challenge our understanding of moral decline in society?

[Context]

Weaver states that theological immorality leads to physical immorality; if one is unafraid to sin against God, they will not fear sinning against others.

[Question]

Why is it significant that God addresses 'my people' in both 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Hosea 4:12? What does this imply about the need for repentance among believers?

[Context]

The sermon emphasizes that it is God's covenant people who are the idolaters, not just the world.

[Question]

How does the deceitfulness of the heart (Jeremiah 17:9) contribute to the spirit of whoredoms, and what is the remedy?

[Context]

Weaver warns that trusting one's own heart leads to walking in imagination and idolatry; the remedy is submission to God's Word.

[Question]

In what ways does Jesus fulfill the role of the prophet like Moses, and what does it mean for us to 'hear Him' today?

[Context]

The sermon identifies Jesus as the final revelation of God; refusing His words is the spirit of whoredoms.

[Question]

According to Hosea 5:4, why are people unable to 'frame their doings to turn to the Lord'? How can this spirit be overcome?

[Context]

The spirit of whoredoms prevents turning; the sermon implies repentance and seeking God's grace are necessary.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:09:53Z