The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 180

Yers. ·4, 5.-Fugitive piety. A thoughtful reader cannot fail to observe the contrast here suggested between the constancy of Jehovah's grace (ver. 3) and the inconstancy of Israel's piety (ver. 4). If Isre.el would only" return," and "follow on:' to know the Lord" now, all would yet be well. But, al8.l!I ! the twelve tribes are as fickle as he is fai thfnl. •1 I. Gon's COMPLAINT REGARDING THE JEWISH PEOPLE. (Ver. 4.) In Ea.stern lands-the sky is often heavily hung with clouds at early dawn; but, so soon as the sun rises, he begins to suck them up-their many-coloured glory quickly fades, and in an: hour's time they are gone. In the morning, also, the dewdrops adorn th\l herbage lik~ myriads of sparkling diamonds ; but the first acts of radiation after sunrise dissipate all the jewellery; and soon leaf and blade languish in the heat, Those two figures the Lord uses in this touching expostulation. Israel's piety, when the people did show any, was similarly fascinating, promising, and evanescent. It could no more be.rec}{oned Upon than "a morning cloud." It was short-lived as "the early dew." There are many examples in Scripture of such fugitive piety. (1) In the nationa-Z history of Israel. At Sinai the people promised obedience, and then ma.de the golden calf.· • The 'age of the ·Judges wa.s a time of alternate sinning and repenting, and repenting and sinning. Each of the reformations under Jehu, Elijah,· and Hezekiah turned out to' be "as a morning cloud." (2) In the lives of individuals. It is enough to mention such cases e.s King Saul, the young ruler who came to Jesus, Felix, Demas, the Galatian professors (Gat v. 7); We meet with mornina--cloud reli!don constantly still. It is frequently found: 1. In the time of childhood. f! The dew ;f youth" is always beautiful; and sometimes the grace of the Holy Spirit is in it, and. it fertilizes. '!'he morning ·cloud of child- hood's faith is often a "vision splendid," for " TrailiD.g clouds of glory do we come From God, who is our Home: Heaven liea a.bout 1111 in our infancy I" (Wordsworth.) But the piety of childhood does not always bear the test. It· sometimes turns out to be merely emotional, and nothing more. In t~e hour of temptatioi:i, "it goeth ?,Way." 2. In the season of affiiction. Many a man, in the day upon which some storm of ~ickness or bereavement has strewn hiH life with wreckage, resolves that when the clouds are removed he will cultivate the friendship of God, and trust in his providence, and keep his Law. But after prosperity has returned, he does not "pay that which he has vowed." is . .As the ~esult of common grace. Common grace is that• 'influence of the Holy Spirit which is more or less granted_ to all men. In conne~Uo_n with his operations men who are unregenerate_ have their s_easons of ,~eep _conv1ct10n, and_ of anxious thought regarding spiritual things. Sometimes they rece.1ve the w_ord with joy" (Matt. xiii. 20), and are "_m_ade p_artakers of the H?IY Ghost" ~He~. v1. 4), and begin to lead an externally relig10\18 hfe. But, 1f expenences of this !nod a.re not a.ccompani~d by a real change of heart, they pass away like" a morning c_lo1;1d," Such fugitive piety ie fatally defective. It is: (1) Unreal. For, a eharactenst10 mark of on. v1. 1-11.) '.l'HE BOOK OF HOSEA. 179