The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 134

isinner, and to serve as the instrument of his vices. 3. It is visited on his account with pll\gtles, dronghts, and famines (Amos iv, 6-12). 4-. It is despoiled and down-trodden, and sufferis from his neglect, his misuse, and his ruthless devaatations. 6. The animal creation shares in these calamities, besides suffering much directly from man's cruel treatment. Thus in ma.ny ways the creature is made subject to vanity (Rom. viii. 19-22). The consideration should heighten our sense of sin's enormity. III. ArPKOAOHlNG RUIN TO THE NATfON. (Vera. 4, 5.) A nation in the moritl. state above described cannot long escape punishment. It "is nigh unto cursing" (Heh. vi. 8). Its doom hastens on apace. "Wheresocver the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered rogethcr" (Matt. xxiv. 28). The judgment which would fall on Israel would be: 1. Sure. "Yet let no ma.n strive, nor reprove another," etc. (ver. 4). The thing for the people ro do was, not to strive with one another, but to cease ro strive with God. But this was a remedy not likely to be adopted. A headstrong, presumptuous, c,mtumacio111 spirit had got possession of them; they were "as they that strive with the priest "-a proverbial expression for the highest contumacy (cf. Deut. xvii. 12). It is useless for the wicked to reprove, rebuke, or reproach one another for the miseries which a.re overtaking them while repentance toward God stands postponed. That is the first and great necessity. 2. Sudden. "Therefore shalt thou fall in the day," etc. (ver. 5). People and prophet would fall continuously, night and day, till all were destroyed. But there seems allusion also to the swiftness with which the calamity would descend. The "day" of their prosperity ( eh. ii. 11) would suddenly terminate; a" night" of terrible blackness would succeed. This night would be a specially dark one for the "prophet "-he who had claimed to be a "seer." His predictions discredited, his repute gone, his charlatanry exposed, his visions extinguished in blood, he and his dupes would perish miserably together. " The blind lead the blind," and both at last "faU into the ditch" (Matt. xv. 14). 3. Complete. The whole nation would be destroyed. •• Thy mother" (ver. 5).-J. 0. Vers. 6-11.-Priests and people. The prophet addresses himself in this section to both priests and people, but chiefly to the priests, whom he regards as mainly responsible for the people's defection. 1. PRIESTS ..U."D PEOPLE .ALIXE IN THE REJECTION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF Goo. (Ver. 6.) l. The lack af the knowledge af God. Israel possessed this knowledge of God once. It did not possess it now. There was little right knowledge of God's character, of God's Law, and of God's past gracious dealiDgs. Jehovah was regarded practically as one of the Baals. Destitute of right ideas of his spirituality, holiness, and moral demands, the people in their sinning did not feel how far they were going a.stray. Right ideas on these subjects could hardly penetrate into minds besotted with wine, whoredom, and the, unholy rites of Baal and Astarte worship. In our own land of Bibles and churches, what dense ignorance of God and of Divine things might be found to prevail, if the matter were inquired into! 2. Causes of this lack of knowledge. The knowledge of God was lost, not through any fault on God's part in not giving the means of knowledge, or in not sufficiently inculcating on the people the importance of using the means. God had given the people a Law ( eh. vili.12); he had laid upon the Levites the duty of teaching and of promoting the knowledge of its requirements (Deut. xxxiii. 10; Mai. iii. 6-7); he had la.id the same duty on parents (Deut. vi. 6-9) ; he had warned all of the dangeris of inattention and forgetfulness. How, then, came the knowledge to be lost? (1) Tht> prie8ts failed in teaching (cf. Mai. ii. 8). A grave responsibility rests on the teachers of a nation. If they are faithful in duty, the knowledge of God can never be absolutely lost. If they do not tea.eh, it is certain that a large number will always remain uninstructed. 'J.'heir example ha.s an influence on others. (2) The people failed in remembering. The priests had rejected (or despised) knowledge; the people had forgotten the Law of their God. The unfaithfulness of the professed teachers did not wholly exonerate those who were neglected. They had other means of knowledge. Had they been diligent in preserving the knowledge they had, and in handing it down by careful parental instruction (Ps. Jxxviii. 4), this, aided by the study of the Law itself, would have kept alive true knowledge, and have saved the nation. We are responsible for the UJie we make even of scant opportunites. (3) '!'he cause of failure iri botL cases was a ruoraJ. one. Neither priests nor people cared to retain God in their Ott. t\', 1-19,] THE BOO]{ or HOSEA. 133