The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 177

Vers, 4-9.-Iarael's YflC<Tfl,Btan"!J, The Lord bad just comforted the truly godly portion of the people; he now turns aside and expostulates with the ungodly. Judah as woll os Ephraim-the two tribes and the ten-fell far Rhort, unspeakably short, of the picture of penitence, with the annexed promises, which he had just placed before them. 'l'hcir state had become uo desperate that destruction had become their desert, not because of his severity, but their own sin, themselve11 being judges, I. 'l'Hl!I COMPLAINT OD' THEIR lNOONSTANOY, 1. God here speaks as if all remedies had proved futile, and as if he were at a loss to know how to deal towards them or what to do with them. Various means hod been tried, diverse methods resorted to: ho had sent them precious promises of mercy and alarming tbreatenings of wrath; means and expedients had been exhausted; but they had gone from bad to worse. And now, as though resourceless, the Almighty puts the question as if to their own conscience, "0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? 0 Judah, what shall I do unto thee?"· 2. Or perhaps we may rather understand such questions as a lamentation over their case, so deplorable had it become. Thus our Lord wept over Jerusalem and the desperate state of its doomed inhabitants. Nor was it a few tears he dropped UM1tpU1T, ), as at the grave of Lazorus; his eyes brimmed over with tears (lKlvl.u,u), while his lips uttered the touchingly pathetic words, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which eelong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." 3. The picture of their inconstancy is sadly appropriate. The morning cloud is an attractive object as it floats sublimely overhead on a summer's morning; but it is as evanescent as conspicuous, suddenly fading away into the "azure deep of air." Still more lovely is the dew which lies copiously on the herbage in the early morning, glistening on every blade of grass and flower petal, and beautifying with its pearly drops the lawns and pasture-grounds. Soon, however, the footstep of man or beast brushes it aside, and it disappears ; or it is exhaled, and vanishes by the heat of the advancing day. Thus it was with the goodness of the Hebrew people, both north and south, at the time referred to. Several cases of reformation had taken place in Judah; revivals of religion had occurred, as in the days of Hezekiah, and subsequently in the time of -Josiah; and even in Israel we read of the humiliation of Ahab and the zeal of Jehu; but these were to a large extent transient and temporary. So, too, it, often happens in times of awakening, sorrow for sin may becloud the brow of the penitent and tears of contrition bedew his eyes; but ere long the excitement dies away, and that sorrow and those tears have passed away, and all serious impressions and gracious influences have vanished with them. II. CONBEQUENOEB OF THE INCONSTANCY COMPLAINED OF. These consequences are enumerated with some detail in vers. 5-7, though the fifth verse is differently under- stood by some, as though it contained two different kinds of messages sent by God to Israel-messages of coming wrath to arouse and awaken them, thus hewing them by the prophets and slaying them by the words of his mouth; and messages of mercy, bright as the light and beautifuf as the sunbeams, to encourage them, thus causing h:ia judgments. to go forth as the light. But this latter sense does not suit the context. 1. First of the consequences is denunciation of wrath, when God denounced their destruction with severity by his messengers the prophets, and the words of his mouth which constituted the message which they delivered; while the justice of the judgments thus visited on them was positively demonstrated and pie.inly proved, so that it was seen to be and must have appeared even to the guilty sufferers clear as the light. 2. The .second -consequence is degeneracy in religion. H had degenerated into mere formalism. In place of mercy came sacrifices, and for the knowledge of God burnt offerings were substituted. Outward observances took the place of inward devotion. Instead of piety towards God. and charity to man, a tedious round of services was performed. Ritualism was substituted for religion; ceremonialism for clean hands and a pure heart. Obedience to the commandments of God, whether prescriptive or prohibitory, was neglected; morality was dissociated from religion; mere rites sup- planted morol or reliaious duties. 3. But e. third consequence was declensio-n of spiritual life in gener:1; this we.s additional evidence of the religious degeneracy just referred to. Covenont-breaking and treacherous dealing are specified. Like the most reckless of men, they were truce-breakers, bound by no compact, and rega.n.lle,s of the truth oI promises. Besides being thus practice.Uy dishonest, they were altogether  176 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [en. vr. 1-11.