PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea
John James Given [1853-1943] · 418,632 words · 462 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 61
to despnir, be deals with them in mercy. 1. " This 'therefore' has a strange and wonderful 'wherefore' if we dwell on what precedes: 'She went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will allure her ; ' there needs, indeed, a 'behold' to be put to this 'therefore.' ... 'rhe right knowledge…
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to do them good &t the latter rnd, lf, too, like ler11el, we ):mt '!\Way sin, the l\ccurscd thing_ within us, we _may confidently hope for God's presence with us, l\nd power to prevail <n-er all en<>mte~ around us. Mortifying sin expo ls the troubles from tho camp; "trouble for si~, if it be sincere, opens & door of ho…
898 wordsSECTION 63The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 63
dreadf~lness of his wraLh, the holiness of his commandments, and the duty of putting away sm. Ill. RENUNCIATION OF IDOLATRY IS IN CASE OF ISRAEL ANOTHER RESULT OF DIVINE MERCY. He drn.ws them, and they run after him; he makes them willin" in the day of his power. Relief from suffering is followed by renunciation of si…
846 wordsSECTION 64The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 64
•No ~trife sh&ll rage, nor hostile feuds Disturb these peaceful years; To ploughshares men shall beat their 1worda, To pruning-hooks their spoors. • No longer hosts, eneount'ring host&, Shall crowds of slain deplore : They hang the trumpet in the hall, And study war no more." V. RENEWAL OF THE MARRIAGE co~"'I'R…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera, 2-1.--Jehovah's condemnati® of faithless Israel. In eh. i. the prophet has painted a "vigorous fresco" (Ewald) illustrative of his domestic sorrows. Ann , now he presents an explanation of the sad picture in its prophetic meaning. The supremo thought of the Book of Hosea is that o…
790 wordsSECTION 66The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 66
becomr thcm~clves penitent, to reason with the nation at large about it~ sin. Tho children arc t.~ 8hare in the mother's punishment; and it is l'ight that they should expostnla!.e with her: reg:irding he: manifold. idolatry. 2. Rest,•aining providences. (Vers. 6, , .) God w1ll eflect a forcible separation between Io…
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cngendorcd forgetfnlness of God. But Israel was without excuse. For she had bcr,n taught hy Moses (Dent. v}ii,). She had been v.:a:ned by Elijah (1 Kings xvii.). Every pnge of her marvellous history spoke of the D1vme bounty. The offe.rinrr of the first- fruits-the three great Hebrew festivals-and especially the Feast …
1,051 wordsSECTION 68The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 68
Vers. 14-20.-Israel's restoration. The word" therefore," with which this sbrophe opens, illustrates the blessed truth that God's thoughts are not our thouO'hts. 'fhe conclusion here is not what the premises would have led us to expect. This "there-· fore" i8 of Divine grace, not of hard cold intellect. Although Isra…
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must agnin paes through a still more doleful Achor. The destruction of Samaria ,u,<l the desolation of J crusalem would mark a defeat greatly more disastrous than t h,, ropulse nt Ai. But through " the valley of trouble" she shall come again to peace and rest. Does not the expression before us furnish a valuable watch…
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penc\l." 2. In _tlle world of grace . . Jcl1ovah is the ultimate Author of all spiritual 2lc_ss,~□ g. ~~ g1v~s the" corn" ol Ilihle truth, and the "wine" of gospel joy, and tho 01! . of sp111t11al mfl.11:ence. W:hen the foundation-st~ne of a pla_ce of worship is laid, sometime~ corn and wme and 011 are sprinkled upo…
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docs Ro: 1. In the morld of nalnr~. Row ,Toes m:>n pray to" the corn, and the wine, nnd the oil"? IJu does so by tillin~ the ground, s•,wing the seed, planting the vines, and tending the olil'ea, He uses the fixed laws of nature-directing their action so as to mflko tliem subservient to hie will. The pious farmer's …
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degradation in Egypt, and tracrs the moral effects upon thorn of the wildorness-life which transformed a horde of ~laves into a nation; binding each man to his fellow, and :1 ll to G~. To the prophet, as_ a moral teacher, the wilderness appears tho place for thu cure of idolatry, for the reception of tho Law, for the …
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He spolte to Jacob, not in the family, but in the desert, where only the quiet stars wrie watching; to Moses, not in the crowded camp1 but high above it, on Sinai; to Samuel, not amid the worshippers, but in the silent chamber where the child slept alone; t() Elijah, not in the tumult of Cannel's victory, but in the si…
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. Vers. 21, 22.-God's ru~ in natu1'e and in gi-ace, Hosea. wae projecting himself mto the future. lie felt as 1f standmg alroady amid the desolation threatened ac,ainst hrael. . He saw arou_nd. him a laud barren through drought. Its inhabitants, dying of st~rvat10n, were cravm_g the wonted produce of vineyards aml corn…
1,005 wordsSECTION 75The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 75
Ver. 5.-The delusions of the ungodly. Israel sinned, not only by forsaking God anrl by worshipping the idols of the heathen, but by defending this conduct-by justifying her apostasy, and attributing to the supposed deities her mercies and enjoyments. This is a common case with sinners; who first do wickedly in departin…
894 wordsSECTION 76The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 76
Ver. S.-Mercies abused. Ingratitude and insensibility are odious vices; when dis- played by God's intelligent creatures towards their Maker, they are hateful sins. The case is still worse when, as with Israel, the bestowments of a beneficent Deity are employed in the service of a rival and a foe. Jehovah gave to the…
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II. THE AVENCllNG OJ!' APOSTASY AND INFIDELlTY. The languaae 0 of Jehovah is simple, but vigorous: "I will visit upon her the days of Baa.lim." 1. God observes with indigna.tion the unfaithfulness of those whom he created for his glory. He will not give his honour to another. He is not indifferent or unconcerned when …
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V ers. 21, 22.-The great First Cause of 'blessing. The language' of the prop)iet. here is language of true poetry. To his vivid imagination all nature is personified, endowed with hearing and with speech. The wants of the penitent .Israel (figured, as Jezreel) are known to the products of the earth by which human need …
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Yer. 6.-D·ivine restraints. • " Ther~fore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wa.11, that she shall not find her paths." "There is a. twofold hedge," says Burroughs, ." .that God .makes .about his people. There is the hedge of protection to keep evil from them, a.nd thero i~ the hedge of af!liction…
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m. TBAT'l'HE CONJUNCTION IS TEMPORARY. Amos, who was contemporary with Hosea, and like him was a prophet of the ten tribes, describes the conjunction well and indicates the necessity of the separation: "Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; that lie upon beds of ivory, and str…
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righloous. They live for the world anrl lr> the world, and they have their reward. Their ground becomes fruitrul, their trade prosperous, their profession remunerative. II. As AS0IIIDING THEIR PROSPERITY TO WRONG CAUSES. "These are my rewardR that my lovers have given me." Israel ascribed its prosperity to its idols,…
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Vers. 18, 19.-Tlie sublime :privileges of the good. "And in tha(dny will I make a col'enant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls oi h'eaven, arid wi,h the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and L,c battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely~…
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the" bow, the Aword, nnd the battle." As a rule, bad M human nature is, it v;ill not intentionally injure the unquestionably good and unoffending. It is the moral powerof goodness tbnt can alone break" the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth.'' III. 'l.'HEY MIOHT ENJOY A PERFE0T SP:CURITY. " Will make th…
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_Ver~. ~-5.-Spiritual adu.ltei·y. The individuals of the nation arc exhorted to plead w1Lh their mother Israel, that she may turn from her adulterous courses and so avert the doom which is otherwise certain to overtake her. Consider- ' I. IBRAEL's BHAMRLE8S PROFLIGACY. (Vers. 2, 5.) The sin charged acrainst Ierael …
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Vere. 5-9.-The philosophy of the Divine chastisements. The punishment of Israel while retributive, was designed e.lso to be reformatory. It would display the Divin~ wisdom. Consider- I. THE DELUSION UNDER~YING ISRAEL'S D~VOTION TO T1;[E IDOLS. (Vers. 5, 8, 12.) 1. 'l'he nature of the delusion. The root of 1t was the…
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Vers. 10-18.-Retribtdion. Israel's punishment, while retributive, was l'eformatory. It is equally true that, while reformatory, it was retributive. It repaid Israel {or her sins. It vindicated righteousness. All earthly punishments have this double character. The following principles come to light in the passage:- .…
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and stripped of her earthly blessings, she wOQ]d bethink herself of the God from whom she hnd departed. It tnkrs much discipline, oftentimes, to bring us into the state of mincl in which we are willing to listen to God. Pride needs to be humbled; self-will needs to be broken; the heart .built up in self-righteousnes…
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coYcnnnt of God with man, but a cnvenant of God with rtatnre 'll'ill he, not. merely II 011 l>eha(f of man. "I will make a covenant for them with the bcnsts of the field, an,\ wit.h the fowls of heaven," etc. The idel\ here is that of security. 1'he figure in c-0mm0n in the prophets (Lev. xxvi. 6; Isa. xi. G-9; Ezek.…
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EXPOSITION. marry a wife of whoredoms, and now he OHAPTER III. speaks to him another parable." Thie time he does not employ the ordinary and usual 'l'hi1 short chapter contains two sectiona, word "take," but" love.'' plainly implying of which the first, comprising vers. 1-3, is that he had already married her, so t…
1,863 wordsSECTION 90The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 90
nbiclo in wi,lowhoorl or lire mnny clays; nncl t~r,y h,vl h:en long enjoye,]. Without ,~ tho mcnning of 'for mo' is, thou ehalt be kmg of theu own_ nationality to sit upon called by my name and not by another th~ throne, or a pnnce of their own race a• mnn'a: thou shnlt any, I am the wife of heir apparent to the kingdn…
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,fonn11rnn in confirmf\tfon of his sentiments. the <fays of Rchoboe.m WM immediBtely For tl,c ephod, comp. Exod. xxviii. 6-14, followed by the idole.tt·y of the cBl vcs which from which we learn that it wae "a short Jerobof\m set up e.t De.n e.nd Bethol. The cloak, cow•ring shonlden and bree.st, WTOught reversal of …
1,150 wordsSECTION 92The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 92
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-3.-God's mercifulness and Israel's sinfulnes, are brought into contrast. Some are disposed to regard the woman mentioned in this chapter as identical with Gomer, whom the prophet had previously made his wife; and that she had· in the mean time forsaken her husband the prophet, and had formed an adu…
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all the time of their vow; but the wor~hip1iers of idols-p1·iests and pco11le Rlike-al'e represented as drinking bowls or flagons of wine. Rrtisin-cakos, aweot nud luscious'' furwed parts of idolatrous repasts, and served as appetizing morsels in idol-feasts and: for idol-worshippers. How like the seductive pleasure…
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worshipping the illols 6f our own pride, or passion, or sensuality, 'or sin of any sort, antl nover moro to go a-whoring from our God. 3. Another condition of the covennnt between the1 sovereign and his once rebel but now repentant subjects is implied in this passage, an d well stated in the following words : "If they …
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HOM:ILtES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. ,ere. 1-5.-Hosea detains Gomer in seclusion. This chapter, like eh. i., is written in prose; all the other twelve being rhythmical. It deals, as eh. i. does, with the personal life of Hosea, giving one further glimpse of the bitter domestic sorrow by which God made him a prophet. The sam…
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tion. In p11rtic11lnr, his new relation to Gomer foreshadowed: I. Jsrrul's lnng seclrision. (Ver. 4.) Although the primary reference of the passage is to the ten tribe~, the prophecy really embraces the whole Hebrew nation. God has not utterly rejected Israel; she is still "a people near unto him;" but he does not mea…
1,030 wordsSECTION 97The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 97
Ver. 1.-" The love o/ the L?rd toward the chilqren, of Israel!; This. ~~q~isitely l1cant1ful phrase comes Ill the ru1dst of a passage of the most, pain(ul nnd. shstI'essing character. As a fond husband may tenderly love his wife, ev,en though,'sb~-·abandqn herself to a course of infidelity and proflil::acy,. so the G…
1,155 wordsSECTION 98The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 98
to Vers,,1-r-5,-Love tlte adulteress. It has .been shown in eh. ii. that the punish- ment ,of Israel is designed to work for the nation's moral recovery. A new symbpl is accordingly employed to set forth this,aspect of .the truth; as formerly the punitive aspects of God's dealing with1the nation had been exhibited in …
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a ln"e, therefore, entirely pnre, self-oaused, unbought, and disinterested. How warmly s!ionl<l our love go back to him who has thus loved us I JI. THE PROPHE'r's TREATMENT OF ms WIFE, ( Vers. 2-4.) Consider here : I. Th6 rnndit1i1n in which he found her. It was a very deplorable one, She had sunk so low that it be…
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EXPOSITION. hid themselves from the face of the mul- CHAPTER IV. titude who were wicked." Troth and mercy Ver. 1.-A new e.nd distinct division of are e.t once Divine attributes and human the book commences with this fourth chl!.pter virtues; it is in the latter sense, of C01ll'S8, e.nd continues till the close. What…
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owest." And, deaf to the.t fellow-serv11nt's and murderere; eo pa,ritsim has the sense ,oC, supplications, cast him into prison till he µi.urderers l\nd robbtirs.. It is better, there- ebould pay the debt. The intimate con- fore, to take tho verb here as a present nection of the knowledgc of God with the perfect con…
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to thiA sonse, It is usrd in the Prophet and not thr.,w the hlBme on othen; but Jereminh; and it explnins itself in liko thia renrlering is not ton,ihle nor cBpe.bl'l nf mnnnor in one of these two ways." With being supporte,\ by such Bn expression ~" tbo mourning of the lnncl the dwellers there- ish b•ish. The correct …
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itee, will nppcaT t.o most ae foT-f<'tobed. that of Deck, viz. ''~'?~~ •~~), cquivnlent to (I) The usual acoopt11tion is both simplaT "and my people aru lika their priests." nnd more sntisfe.ot•ry. It tBkas the expres- Snob oonjectural emendation is needless aa sion to denote snob contumacy as is reproved useless. …
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Aro.bio, and gives a good sense ; thus Geee- forgetfnlLeee is thus an e.<l vance upon re- n ius renders: "I destroy thy mother, that is, jection. The sin of these priests WBB very lo.y wo.ste thy country." Rather, the nation, great, for, while the priests' lips were re- collectively, is the mother; while the mem- quire…
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1-'.on<l th"'.y did evil." He ;;l~o gives ne the ation, l\nd the explauation is-tho people are ,•xplnn0tion of o1hcl"B, "As l incrcRs<><i them like the priest e.nd the priest is lilto the i11 wealth ond riches, th,·v sin11<"d O"Rinet prople. And the_ meaning is that, o.B tho 111<>." Their glory will I change into e!…
1,073 wordsSECTION 106The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 106
so.Icon tho Lord.; ttf observe whoredom and the way it fell determined theu collll!e. wine e.nd new wfoe." 1;'heophylact explainli'this meth6d of divina- Ver. U.-It makes no gre!lt difference tion ne follows: "They set up two rods, and whether we roge.rd this verse e.s concluding mutterer( some verses and enchantments…
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from bis worship, notwUbstanding his amaz- feelings to the quick and pain them In the ing oondeecension and love by which he tenderest part, Their personl\l honour pl&ood himself in the rel&tion of a busb&nd would be compromised by such sco.ndo.lous tow1LmS thPm. conduct on the po.rt of thoir d&ughtors; Yer. 13.-Th…
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In oompe.rieon with, the fathers; for they Vere. 15-17.-ln this section the prophet, teach them to commit whoredom doing e.o- as if despairing of any improvement ur oording to their worlce. Perhe.pe the de.ugb- amendment on the part of Israel, still reso- tere are still little, therefore I ehe.11 not lutely bent on …
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veye the NM'On of the wnrning contained in hitll. &l.ono. '.Ephraim being the <lomlnllllt the prec(>(ling; nnd that rca.011 is the punish- tribe, gnvo its na!'lle-to the nortllcl'n kingdolil. ment which ie to ovoltake Israel as the The idols were Ephraim'e folly, litld to t!Hlt con.equence of t.heir refractoriness. If …
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much might be expected, lie .becoming nn- the sin which is a shame to either princes or tirincipled, nn,l ne being addicted to immo- people, causes shame, an,! ends in ehamP.. mlity or iclolo.try, or probobly both (ltazneh Isaiah expounds the tlaou;!;ht (in i. 2;!), biz11u): " whoring they have commiU.od 11, comparison…
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III. O1111Bs10Ns sooN MAKE WAY FOB COllDlISBIONS. When the duties of truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God were omitted, the grossest sins succeeded and took their place. But we must notice the expression, " in the land ; " this appears to mean more tha.n the general prevalence of such through all this country ; it se…
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!nm; Pekah slaying Pekahiah; and Hoshea slaying Pekah; so that "the land Wll.8 polluted with blood." IV. HUMAN BINF0LNEBB DRAPES NATURE IN WEED8 OF WOE. We have here at once an expansion and illustration of the sentiment of the psalm (cvii. 33 34) "He turneth ... 11 fruitfnl land into barrenness, for the wickedness of…
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know yon not." The priests, whose iluty WM! to teMh the people knowledge, had been 111rnhle or nnwill)ng to do ~o, and the pcop)e rc,m_aiut•d in i~orance; the people, who ~h0tild have received the Law from the priests hps, are represented as etrivina with nnd gainsaying, their spiritual instructors. The consequence …
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produce in farnfanlts in the life. Thus it was with Israel. Debauchery and drunken- ness, and t.his to an extreme degree, had darkened the understanding, hardened the heart, paralyzed the will, and sea.red the conscience. In this enfeebled state of their intellec~ual and moral powers, they had recourse, in cases of dou…
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erected on a mountain; tbe tr11ns6.gnr,ition, thll crucifixion, and the ascension, wllre each on II mountain. But mountains became scenes of idolatry and sin, and therefore God, whm he forbade such worship, fothRde th<l scenes thereof. 2. IsrMl's l':CRI was ,n,i·t hy or a better ea.use. Th ,t 1.c-, I clrnmcterized t…
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keep away from those places and those persons that would tend to le:i.d them into temptation. Hypocritical profession with irreligious practice was both detrimental and dangerous. After this friendly warning to Judah, Hosea resumes his complaint about Israel, II. PUNIBIIMI!:NT IS OFTEN A DARK REFLECTION OF MEN'S SINS…
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troul>le ,,·ith Ephraim, n.nd cast no more p8"rls before swtne I tho&t 'he le to oease hie ministry in that direction, and shake the very dust off his feet l\ll a testimony against such wayward rebels. So wl1en ministers have cxhansted all their powers of, persua- fion, and all the varied resonrces of admonition, wa…
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represents the feminine sido of piety, Rnd includes snch graces as pity, clemency, kinclnose, sympRthy. These fatnl defects were due to the lack of" knowledgawf Go,l in the lo.nd." Mercy o.nd truth nre glorious perfections of the Divine nature, and their existence as virtues of social ethics depends upon right concepti…
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Yers. 6-H.-Israel's guJlt and punishment. Priests and people were guilty alike, and would be overtaken by one common doom. L THE SIN OF THE PRIESTS. 1. They rejected the knowledge of God (ver. 6). They did not engage in the study of the Divine Law, and their lives were a violation of its precepts. 2. They consequen…
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judgment falls, there shall be no "benefit of clergy." The four words of the text sonnd like a proverb (lea, xxiv, 2), We may justly view them 118 an apothegm respectin" the mutual relation of pastor and people. We read the word "priest" here" writ large" e.e "presbyter." We use it in its widest sense as denoting a …
911 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.