The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 366

phrt 11n,1 1hr Jl('nplr, <lc-11rcnitr,<l from the from tho hoginnlng, l!O nm I now : nnd lr yo p:dri,-rch. On tho word,, "thore h<i Rpnke had we.llcod with me In uprighlncaa ne Jncoh with 11s,'' Kimchi oomm<inh 111 followR: your father, I would havo dealt with you BR " Th""" nre the word ■ of thr, prophet. He I itnl\lt with him." ThuR 1.o Ahmm ln n MY•, • Tlwro in Bethel he (Jehovith) epee.h land nf atrnngc•r", lmpcrillctl e.ml ,Jcrcnoe- with mo itnd with AmoR tn l'CJlrove braol Jc,.a, God rovoalod hlmaelf BR Goo Almighty; for the wonohip of the ce.lf in Dcthol,' 11.11 to Moeoa, after conturlee of unfulfilled pro- Arnn• (,·. 4) 11ay•, • 8cck ye me, 11nd ye miH(', he me.do hlml!Clf known nH tho RhRll lh·c: bnt ■cok not ncthol.' But my Unche.nglng One, still chBllcnglng tho cnn• lnr,J mv father, nf hlc,,•od memory, cx- fidcnco of hia penplo: to Rosen he bringa to plnin<>rl •• And there ho will l!Jlenk wilh UR' mind his unchanging coun ■el in regnrd to e..• 11,,, ,rnrde of 1-hc nnj!ol. He (1.ho e.nl!cl) all the ovonte of timo nnd hie unlimited 111ws tn him (,la<'.nh), • The blc•sod God will control o\'er e.11 tho J'CBlma of space and fh;d 11• in Bethel. and the-re ho will epook their inlmliltants, and so tho suitn.liility of (c) with n•, wit.h me and v.-ith thee, in oriter his e.ttributos t.o the multiplied necessities 1.n r•{mfinn t.n thoo my blC11Aing, and to call Bnd varying circumstances of hie people. thy ne.me l•mcl, ea~·ing, For e.e a prince Ver. 6.-Therefore turn thou to thy God: he.et thnu powor with God n.nd with men, keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy and hMt prcrniled.' " But othCTA, ae Sae.die. God continually, God's character in iteelf, Gann, ex pie.in tho word, not in the eonse of and his couduct towe.rds the great fore- "with us," but (d) "on e.ccount of ua," or father of tho Hebrew race, call at once for ue.bout m." confidence and contrition. The evidence of Yer. 5.-Even the Lora God of holtl; the their repentn.nce is twofold: one aspect is Lord ie hi■ memorial Here we havo e.t manward, consisting of mercy and judg- once a confirmation and a pledge of previous ment; the other is Godwn.rd, bcinge.conetant promisce. Jacob had wronged Esau, and waiting upon God. 'fho litorn.l rendering thereby incurred his displeasure; he had brings out the meaning more clearly; it is, offcnitod God by t.hc injury inflicted on hie "And thou, in [or, 'by'] thy God thou hrnibor. He iH conRcquently in a position she.It return." If we render the prepoeition of peril with respect to both God and man; by "in," we may understand it to imply he rcpcnt1:d of hie _sin, and with many 9:nd entire dependence on God, or close and bitter t.ears supplicated mfety-lvat10n cordial fellowship witll God; if we take it in the highest sc.'l!se. Jacob, or Israel, in to mean "by," it signifies the power or help Ho•ca's time were involved in greater guilt of God; while the return is moral and and cxpo•ed to greater danger; the same spiritual, with perhaps me.terial and literal unfailing re=nedy is recommended to them, restoration implied. A parallel for b• in and the same way of safety is laid open the signification of "by " occurs in the first before them; let them only repent, tum to chapter of this book at the seventh vers~: the Lord, and with tears of genuine IIOITOW '' I will eave them by (b-) the Lord theL? - k hlll face and favour free ; and the pro- God;" also in Deut, uxiii. 29, " 0 peoplo "pect would soon brighten before them. saved by (Ii') the Lord." We prefer the TLe Name of God we.ea Bufficient guarantee: former sense ae more simple and suitable; he is Jehovah the Everlasting, and there- it is concisely and correctly explained by fore Unch.anai119 One-the same to Jacob's Keil ae follows : "~,i; with ~ is e. prognant posterity aa he he.d been to the pat~e.rch exprossion, ae in Ise.. x. 22, ', So tum ae to himself. equally ready to accept their re- enter into vital fellowship with God:' that pcntan~ and equally wi:filng to ~lCIB them is, to be truly converted. , .. The next two with safety and 11alvation. He lB God of clauses a.re to be taken ae explu.natory of hostll and thus the ,ATnni.qhty One, governing :111,n, 'l'he conversion is to show itself in all c;eatures, guiding e.!1 events, command- the perception of lov~ and right towar1s ing all power■ both hea_venly and ee.rt~ly, their brethren, and 1n constant t1'118t 1D and ruling the whole history of human1~y. God." The difference between ~ ~111/ and His name is a remembrancer of all thlB, and thus his people were &el!Ured that he ',It ~,i; is that the latter eignille~ "to re- neither le.eke the will nor the power to bless t~rn to," and the former "to return into,"' tl,em with all needful bleeeings, and do and thus exproSBce inward union wit_h them greatest good. The name of an in- him. 'l'ho general sense of tho clause 11 dividual ie that whereby he is know~; o_n thus expressed by Aben Ezra: "If thou mention of his name the memory af hun lB wouldst return to God, he would be thy recalled. The meution of the Divine Name help to bring thee back to him;" and by not ooly reminds us of hie being and God- Kimchi as follows: "But thou, who art the, he&d, but recalls to our memory hie 11eed of ,Jacob, if thou art willing, cn.n_st 1<ttributcs. ltftJ<lii hBS the foJlowing brief return unto thy God. i.e. thou ca1111t rest m c"mment on this v,-r..e: "Ae I J,ave heeu him, aa • In rctnming and rest slrnll ye (,., OH, XU, 1-14.] 'rHE BOOK OJI' HOSEA. 367