The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 321

Henoe, when it is B&id "Ephraim is as a heifer that ... loveth to tread out the corn 11 Y'-'t refuses to plough till the yoke is forced on its fair neck, the meaninu iR th&t Iern~l obeyed the comm&nd of Go<l when they could get 11ny immedi&te good I\; the result of ohedience, but refused to obey when obedience, like ploughing, brought no instnnt fruit, ~r_ell may Trapp remark," It is an ill sign when men must pick and choose their work; th1F ,,they will do for God, l,ut not_that ... J~das_ ~il_l be~r the cross, so he may have the bag. It was because our Lord discerned this spmt m his hearers at Capemaum that ha r~buked them, saying, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but be011use ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall' give unto you" (John vi. 26, 27 ; see also Matt. vi. 33). The true test of character is to be found, not in the morality that wins applause and popularity, but in the righteous- ness which is followed through evil as well as good report. To all those who are toilina for the sake of what they can get of earthly good, Christ says, " Take my yoke upo~ you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest to your souls." If the Spirit of Chl'ist be ours, then we shall find- "A life of self-renouncing love Is a life of liberty." A.R. Ver. 12.-Spiritval la'USbandry. The union of precept and promise in Scripture runs parallel with the union of work and blessing in life. The same mind and will is the source of both. Our text reminds us of the co-operation of the human and Di"l'ine a.s essential to the harvest of good. A true reformation is only accomplished by God indirectly, through the agency of man. Thus the coming of Christ Jesus was prepared for by the ministry of John, which roused men to thoughts of sin and of righteousness. In the graphic imagery of Isaiah, "crooked things were made straight, and rough places plain, and then the glory of the Lord was revealed." So in the estab- lishment of the Christian Church: God wrought through the energies of men. The Holy Spirit was not poured down directly from heaven upon the nations, but upon a few men whose hearts were prepared, and through their ministry the· conscience of the world was stirred. No farmer waits inactively in the spring-time, when the earth is made soft with showers, expecting a harvest to come, while his plough rusts in the shed and his seed rots in the granary ; and no true Christian is satisfied to pray for the fulfilment of the promises while he does nothing of the work that lies to his hand. The message comes home to him, " Sow to yourselves," etc. Human responsibility and Divine recompense are the two factors in spiritual h'USbandry which demand consideration. L HuMAN RESPONSIBILITY lies in the direction of these activities. 1. Sowing the seed. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness." Show how deficient Israel was in righteousness, both in national affairs and in social and civil life, during Hosea's ministry. (1) National 1·ighreousness is demanded. Honesty in diplomacy, equitable dealing with weaker peoples, fairness in commercial enterprise, choice of the right, and not of the profitable, etc. (2) Church righteousness, which will not allow us to neglect the poor, or to be careless ofthe interests of Divine truth, or to restrain prayer before God. (3) Indi- vidual righteoU8ness, which may be shown by every Christian in all the varied relations of life. Sowing to ourselves in righteousness is not always easy, and is not often immediately recompensed; but "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 2. Pre- paring the soi7. " Break up your fallow ground." 'l'he work referred to is monotonous, hard, continuous. The ploughman does not see around him the glow of the golden harvest ; he does not hear the merriment of those who are binding the sheaves; he has not the stimulus of the happy speed which the hope of finishing gives the reaper. Yet Lis work is as necessary. '!'he reference is not to the cleaniog from weecls of land already sown, but to the breaking up of virgin soil, i.e. of the parts of a field which were neglected before. (1) Make application to the development of Christian character. There is generally a want of completeness about this. Sins of _Pleasure and indolence are gone ; but if sins of pride, ambition, censoriousness, rem.am, these also must be turned up by the plough of resolution. We must not be content with saying," This part of my character is fertile," while that part lies fallow. So with Christian graces. rn. x. 1-IG.J THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 321