The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 253

Vers. 5-14.-Sin its own punisliment. These verses exhibit (1) the root of sin, \"iZ. forgetrulness of God (ver. 14); (2) its folly (ver. 6); (3) its fruitlessness (ver. 7); and (4) the ruin which it entails (vers. 8, 10, 13, 14). But perhaps the most prominent thought in the passage is that of the self-punishing nature of sin, as illus- trated in the early history and the later fortunes of Ephraim. We see this fact reflected- !. IN THE NATIONAL CALF-WORSHIP. (Vers. 5-7.) Samaria had "cast off good" (ver. 3) by departing from the pure ritual which Jehovah had prescribed; and therefore the" calf" which she had set up, and in which she gloried, had" cast her off." There was no help in the golden god during the crisis of the country's peril. How could there be ?-for "the workman made it." Instead, therefore, of interposing to save their worshippers from exile, the two calves were themselves taken to Nineveh aR a spoil. Ti"lath-pileser carried away the calf of Dan, and Shalmanescr that of Bethel. 'l'he wo':-ship of Jeroboam's images proved the ruin of the nation. It was a sow_ing ?f the wind. For the breach of the second commandment paved the w{y for the v10lation of the first, and tor contempt of the whole Decalogue; and then Israel "reaped the whirlwind." II. IN THE MlJLTil'LICATION OF ALTARS A.ND BAORIFIOES. (Vers. 11-14.) The Divine will had appointed but one central sanctuary and place of sacrifice (Deut. xii. 5-14). But Israel e,·inced the corruption of her worship by multiplying temples all over the land, not only to Jehovah, but to the gods of heathendom. Tho people protested, indeed, that they did not deny the Lord God of their fat~e~s, even when they called upon Baal (eh. ii. 11). But J~hovah could _not accept a ~IVlded ~omage; he regarded their altars as set up only" to sm," and he !eJect~d the sacnfices wh1~h they laid upon them. The temples which the 1:11en of Ephraim built, thus bec~me a m1l(stono round their neck t-0 dracr them to destructwn (ver. 11). What a pathetic word-picture of a dead ritualism is° sketched with one slight touch in ver. 14, "Israel hath for- gotten his Maker, and buildeth temples" I Yet th~se shrines were not true temples after all, for there was no Divine presence in them. Without the presence of God the most splendid cathedral is not a sanctuary, but a sepulchre. IIL IN '!'HE POLITICAL FLIRTATIONS WITH ASSYRIA. (Vers. 8-10.) Again and a"ain the kiacrdom of Israel endeavoured to bolster itself up by abject vassalage to the Kina of Assy;ia and by payina heavy tribute to buy off his invading armies. To this ,adulterous policy Hosea refers i~ the words, "Ephraim hath hired lovers." But such expedients, so far from contributing to the safety of the nation, served rather to precipitate and a<>,a-avate its ruin. First of all, the tribute imposed upon the peoplo c:1used them to ,?~arrow" (ver. 10); and. at_ length Israel we.a. entirely·'.' swal!owcd 11p" Ly the invader. The nation became, 1n 1t11 headstrong obstrnacy of disobed1eace, OH. VIlL 1-14.] 'fHE BOOK OF HOSEA. 253