The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 282

their fruit we.s sour, their ways corrupt, The God of their fathers bad ceaRed to be their God. "Oh I it is a comfortable thing," says an old divine, "when a child is able to say, as Exod. xv. 2, 'My God,' and 'My father's God.' God was my father's God and delighted in my father; and, blessed be his Name, be is my God and I hope he ha; some delight in me." • III. THEIR DEPRAVITY. They for their part (the use of the pronoun adds emphasis) went to De.al-peor. 1. Here they are either contrasted with their godly forefathers or the contrast is rather between God's care and goodness on the one hand, and their i;1Q'l'ati- tudo and baseness on the other. The complaint of God reRembles that of a fond an,! indulgent husband who has lavished his love on a worthless wife, and who, to his unspeakable mortification, discovers that he has been cherishing an adulteress. Instead of reciprocating his affection, she plays the wanton; instead of a suitable return for his many acts of kindness, tenderness, and cnre, she dishonours him by turning aside to some base adulterer. So with Israel when they turned from the living God to dumb idols; so with any people who, instead of setting their affections on God, transfer them to any earthly, sensual, or sinful object. 2. \Ve see in the conduct of Israel a notable example of the perverted use of the Divine mercies. God had segregated Israel from the nations around them, and separated them to himself to be a peculiar people. The Naze.rite who by his vow was separated and specially consecrated to JP.hovah, was symbolical of the whole nation in its separation and consecration to God. But, regard- less of God's mercy and reckless of their own privileges, they separated themselves to the service of a shameful idol. When they went to Baal-pear, whether the idol itself or rather the place of the idol (the same as Beth-pear), they engaged with full consecra- tion, rnther desecration, of all their powers in the infamous worship of Baal, here called Bosheth, their shame. 3. Their abominations were according as they loved ; that is, (1) they became as abominable. as that which they loved; or (2) their abominable idols were multiplied according to their heart's desire; or (3) their abominations were according as they loved. They were guided in the choice of them, not, of course, by the Word of God nor by the Law of God, but by their own inclination. In matters connected with religion and religious worship men should beware of being influenced by their personal likings, or private inclinations, or msthetic tastes, but make sure of a warrant from the Word of God. Another evil is to be avoided in this matter, that of allowing our jndgment to be overmastered by our affections, and thus of being unduly influenced in our religious views by those whom we love, whether husband, or wife, or kindred, or friends, or family, If the other sense be preferred, according to which people become as abominable as the objects which they love, it is an illustration of the well-known principle that men come to resemble those whom they love. A child imitates and so gets assimilated to the parent whom he loves; looking up to and admiring that parent, he comes in time to resemble him in habits of thougbt and modes of acting. 4. Here, in passing, we observe one of the many references and allu- sions of the prophet to the earlier books of Scripture. Through the evil counsel of Balaam a stumbling-block was placed in the way of the people of Israel, when they were enticed to impurity and so to idolatry by the daughters of Moab, and when, in consequence of their sin in the matter of Baal-peor, so many thousands perished in the plague. 1V. THEm DESTRUCTION. Ephraim's glory consisted of many elements-prosperity, pomp, and power, but most especially their population and numerous progeny as contributing to that population. In this particularly did Ephraim glory; but the day of their glory comes to a speedy and disastrous end. 1. The departure of their glory is compared to the flight of a bird, and thus that departure is represented as sudden, like the flight of a bird when it is startled from its nest in the greenwood, or when some one throws open the door of the caue in the dwelling where it has been imprisoned; as swift, like the flight of the eaale toward heaven· as irretrievable, like the bird of power- ful pinion, which distances pu~suit and escapes' beyond the possibility of being ever caught or found again. 2. Disaster awe.its them at every stage-conception, gestation, and pai:turition. _The cur~e of God pursues the~ from first to last, hindering th~ conception, or causmg abortion, or preventinu the birth. APPLICATION. Learn hence: 1. The folly of glorying in any earthly prosperity or worldly advantage. "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riche:;  282 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oH, IX, 1-17,