The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 173

HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-3.-Exhortation and encouragrmte11,t to repentance. Whether the opening words of this chapter be those which the penitents address mutually to each other, or whether they be the exhortation of the prophet encouraging the people to return to God, the sentiment they contain is equally important, and the duty enjoined is equally imperative. I. THE URGENCY OF THIS APPEAL IS STRIKING. From whichever of the sources indicated this appeal proceeds, its urgency is unmistakable, as implied in the cohor- tative form of the verb "return," as also in the hortatory "come" at the commence- ment. In God's dealings with mankind we find now reproofs for sin and threateniugs of wrath, again invitations to repentance and promises of mercy. We are warned to flee from the wrath to come on the one hand, and urged to return unto the Lord on the other. It is our duty to exhort one another with earnestness, and even affectionate importunity, to return to him from whom we have wandered, to seek him whom we have slighted, and, 1,i,ke the prodigal in the parable, to arise and go to our Father with confession of our many wanderings of heart and life from the living God. II. THE SOURCE WHENCE HEALING COMES. They had tried Assyria, but to no purpose ; they had sent to King Jareb, but in vain. .A greater power than that of Assyria, great though that was, was needed; a mightier monarch than Jareb, champion sovereign though he was, was required to heal the disease and bind up the wounds of Israel at this time, or indeed at any time. None but the hand that tore could heal; none other than he who smote could bind up. Nay, he wounds in order that he may heal; he sends affiictive providences that we may apply to him for the restoration of prosperity; he produces conviction of sin before that, and in order that, he may impart to us everlasting consolatious. His method is to convince us in order that he may comfort us, to show us our sin that he may lead us to the Saviour, to show us our ruin and then apply the remedy. He shows us our danger Bnd then urges us to the discharge of our duty; he shows us our fall and how we are to rise again; in short, he urges us to repentance, showing us what to do and what to say, and encouraging us withal by God's readiness to receive penitents. III. LIFE FROM: THE DEAD IN GoD's GOOD TIHE. The guilt of sin may for a time overwhelm us, te1Tors of conscience alarm us, affiictions of various kinds crush us to the earth; there may be fightings without and fears within. In our distressed and downcast state we may look upon ourselves, and be looked upon by others, as dying- Blmost dead. 1. Im this deathlike condition the sorrows of death may compass us and the pains of hell get hold on us, we may find trouble and sorrow; we may be like those that go down into the pit. .All this mRy continue for a time, and the time may appear long; yet we may not despair nor despond. Rather let us imitate the example of the psalmist, who in his distress called upon the Lord and cried unto his God. Nor did he cry in vain. God heard his voice out of his temple, and his cry came before him, even into his ears. In like circumstances of disaster on another occasion he called upon the nRme of the Lord and said, "0 Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul;" and as  172 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [ OH, VI, 1-11,