The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 55

HOMILETICS. Vors. 2-5.-The prophet ezMbits the gross sin of idolatry. The prophet in this section exposes the shame as well as sin of idolatry. It is a. mistaken notion to suppose, with some, that the tribe of Judah is here urged to plead with the tribes of Israel; for Ierael cannot, with any propriety of speech or figt1re, be spoken of as the mother in this case, however possibly they may be addressed as brethren and sisters. The Church or nation is the mother, and the individual members, a.a nursed and brought up by her, are the children. The doctrines symbolized in the preceding chapter a.re here more fully developed and r,lainly set forth. I. PLEADING COMMANDED. rhe explanation which Calvin gives of the first clause of this second verse is ingenious, yet we must regard it as rather specious than sound. Instead of" plead," he employs the word "contend;" and interprets the contention to imply that Israel, instead of censuring the seeming severit.y of God's dealings with them, should rather condemn their mother's sin as t.he guilty ea.use of that severity, and thus cast the blame of their sufferings, not on God, as though he had falsified his covenant, but upon their mother, the Israelitish Church or kingdom, that had fallen away and fa.lien far from fulfilling the conditions of the covenant. After referring to the mark of disgrace fixed on the children born by a. marriage with a wife who has been repudiated by her husband, he says, "When a. hasband repudiates his wife through waywardness, the children justly regard him with hatred. Why? 'Because he loved not our mother as he ought to have done; he has not honoured the bond of marriage.' It is, therefore, usually the case that the children's affections are alienated from their father, wheu he treats their mother with too little humanity or entire con- tempt. So the Israelites, when they saw themselves rejected, wished to throw the blame on God. For by the name mother are the people here called ; it is transferred to the whole body of the people, or the race of Abraham. God had espoused that people to himself, and wished them to be like a wife to him. Since, then, God was a. Husband to the people, the Israelites were as sons born by that marriage. But when they were repudiated, the Israelites said that God dealt cruelly with 'them, for he had cast them away for no fault. The prophet now undertakes the defence of God's ea.use, and speaks also in his person. ' Contend, contend,' he says, ' with your mother [your dispute is not with me].' . . . He brings this charge against the Israelites, that they had been repudiated for the flagitious conduct of their mother, and had ceased to be counted the children of God . . . the blame of their rejection belonged to the whole race of Abraham (i.e. the mother); but no blame could be imputed to God.'' We rather understand the pleading mentioned as that which the pious remnant of the nation, who bad still kept themselves separate from idolatry and the general degeneracy, are exhorted to address to their mother, that is to say, to the bulk. of the people with the heads of the congregation and rulers of the nation. It is the duty of believers to plead for God and his truth, eveu though the great body of Church or nation should be opposed to them. This is specially the case in times of spiritual leanness, and in days of deep declension or entire apostasy. Thus our Lord and his apostles pied with the people of the Jews in their days, charging their rulers, the chief priests and scribes and Pharisees, with the gravest dereliction of duty. Yet thore must be tenderness in this plea.ding. It is remarkable that, as Jerome remarks, he commands "the sous (children) to speak not at all to the wife of their father whom she forsook, but to their mother who bare them." Neither is there, on the other hand, any impropriety in thus pleading with 11,n erring pareut, for we find that Jonathan thus pleaded with his father, Saul, on behalf of David. Humble a.nd modest, yet firm and faithful plea.ding, is not only lawful, but dutiful even on the part of private persous against national corruptions or pt1blic profanations, as of God's Name, or W vrd, or day, or worship. 11. PENITENCE ENJOINED. '!'hough Israel had forfeited her right to the name or privilege of wife since she had so grievously fallen away from faithfulness and affec- tion, and though God disowued the relationship as she had virtually dissolved her rna1Tiage union by her unfaithfulness, yet she had not actt1ally and formally received the bill of divorce putting her away ; in other words, her outward and public rejection. 'l'here was thus still left s1iace for 1·apentauce, ,md room for hope in case of repentance.  52 THE BOOK OF HOSEA, [en. II. 1-28,