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 God. of hrael iii represl!nted as cherishing toward~ hi~ P?ople, eve~ in their defection ~nd. i;i.F,9stasy, the sincere11t,_cppi- pass10n, the most lilnnc1ble a.ffect1on. , .. _ I. How THE LOVE OF TRE LORD. TO ISRAEL WAS FIRST DISPLA~ED.· 1. In their selection from amongst the ~t~ons of the earth as the, object,of his sp~cial (av9,ur and callmg. 2. ln_the. comm~wcat1on to them of peculiar advantage,s e.nd privileges. ; They \\·ere the depos1tanes of his truth, the conservators of hi.~ worship.. ,. IL How THE LOVE OF THE LoRD TO Is!I.AEL WAS TRIED •AND TESTED. 1. By their forgetfulness of him. 2. By their neglect of ·)ii11 ordinances. 3. •,By their rejection of his messengers and prophets. 4. ~y their audictedi;tess ~- idolatry. 6. By. their violation of his commandments. 6. By their blasphemy of his Name; ..· . , , .. Ill. How THE LOVE OF GoD E:KDUBED AND TRIUMPHED IN THE TEST To' WHlCH l;JJ·WAS 61:BJECTED. 1. Israel was spared, although deservin~ abandoomen.t · to destruq~ion. 2. Promises of grace were addressed, when three.ta. of Ji~sertiqµ weFe: to be .expected. 3. Opportunity of repentance and reconciliation was afforded, aµd Isre.el was.entre,;i.ted 1:ot to abuse it.-T.
Ver. 4.-The kingless state and priestless. Chu.rcli, ,'rhe. sing~l~r symbolism 9f'this book is intended vividly to depict the misery of Israel, by whi9h:,l!he was to ,bedrivep iu penitence and contrition to seek again the.,Div,ine favour 11he .had forfeited., The woman whom the prophet purchased and married w:as t.o be d,epr~red. a;t ,onc1;1 qf her husband and of her lovers, __ ana in this forlorn .a11.ad anomalql,lS state was to be an e~blem of Israel, cut off at the same time from Jehovah, her true Husband, to whom she he.d been unfaithful, and from the spiritual paramours after whom she had gone, but, in "·horn no help and no joy were now to·be found. .. ., . , l. '.J'HE PRIVATION OF .KING AND l'RINCE WAB_PUNISRMENT·F,OR NATIQNAL INFplELITY. J ehovab was himself the King of the.Israelites I their kingdom was a theocracy. J;le had sent Moses the lawgiver; he had r~ised up judges ; he had heard their prayer and given them a king. In revolting from the house of David, the ten tribes he.d dishonoured God. Whether we are to look for the ful.filment of this threat in the collapse and ca1,tivity of the northern kin geom, or· in the presen~ dispersion of Israelt: is immaterial. Tiie lesson is plain. The nation which misuses national privileges.e.nd neglects national opportunities shall lose them both, and without a head, a corporate life, a settled abiding-place, shall learn the truH1 of the saying, "The Lord reigneth. He taketh down one, and sdteth up another." JI. THE PllIVATION OF RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES !WAS PUNISHMENT FOR IRREitIGiflN. AND srmITDAL REBELLION. The Hebrews were highly favoured in their possession, not only of the Law, but of a priesthood, a p.ispensation of sa,crifices and festivals and various 11,c:aus of communion with Hjtlaven. As preparatory to ,a more spiritual ecooomy,,~hese a,rangw1ents were invaluable. But the enjoyment of them was justly me.de depen~ent upon their proper estimation and employment. 'l'he northern tribes, by their se.cess1on, forfeited ~ome of these advantages, and they largely corrupted to their (;)WD injury such as n,maim,d. The time came when, in Oriental captivity, they mourned. the )oss of advauwgcs they had too often despised and misused, And now, as they a.re scattered OH,IIJ, 1-5,] 'l'llE BOOK OF llOSEA.
nmong the nations, they possess neither the s-acri6ces of th11 heathen nor the sacrifire of the Messiah, and are either con<lemned to a. barren and unhappy seclusion or to a. yet eaddor o.llianco with the deists of the lands in which they dwell. A le 8son t0 all who neglect the precious opportunities with which they aro favoured by Providence. "Wo.lk in the light whilst ye have the light, lest darkness come upon yout-T. Ver. f);-Retwrning to God. Thie is a.nother instance of the remarkable conjunction of threat and promise. It seems as if the prophet no sooner uttered a word of clenun- ciation, a prediction of wrath, than he followed it up with a. prospect of reconciliation aucl an assurance of blessing. I. THE ocoABION OF THIS RETURN. There is no note of exact time ; but the reference is to "the latter days," to a period described as" afterward." Comparing this lanaua(7e with the context, we infer that this return to God should follow upon departure" fro~n God, and upon a bitter experience of the evil consequences of snch forsaking. How often1 as in the case of Israel, i8 it necessary that the sinner should learn that ''the way of transgressors is hard" I , Surely chastening, which is designed to produce a juster estimate of sin and a sincere desire for tlelivernnce, is not to be resented, but rather received with ,humility, that it may lead to contrition, repentance, and amendment. II. 'l'HE l;'URP0BE:0F THIS RETURN. Observe: 1. To whom should Israel return. To "the Lord their God," whom they bad forsaken in.order to worship the vain gods of the heathen, but who, nevertheless, had a claim upon them that none other had, and who never ceased to be t/leir GQd, In this Israel represents mankind; whoever returns tu the Lord, returns to his own, proper, rightful. God. To "David their king," from whose dynasty ,they he.d revolted in the pride, self-sufficiency, and rebelliousness of their heart.. David was representative of the theocracy, for he was "the Lord'~ anointed," and he was an emblem of l;i.im who was David's Son and David's Lord. So that whoever returns to the Lord by the gospel of Jesus Christ, returns unto David, who~e "S\lle mercies" are ratified in the Divine Saviour. 2. In what spirit Israel should return. They should "seek" the Lord, and: should "fear" or approach with reverential devout_ness the Lord and his goodness. The spirit thus described is a spirit of t.1·ue earnestness, a spirit of lowly repentance, and a spirit of trembling confidence in that_" goodness" upon which alone a contrite sinner <::an rely, and upon which he cu.o never rely in vain.-T, •