The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 379

inst.end of hindering, only helped the people in their sinful service. Howovcr incredible ii might. appe,n, nevertheless it was a fact; nor were they improving l\t tho time to which t.hc prophet refers-nay, they seem to hllve been going from bad to worse. 2, The vanity of wal-w01·~hip. \Vill-worship may show much zeal, as appears to have been the case with the Gileadites; yet, without a Divine warrant, it ie vanity all the llRme. 'l'hey contravened the_ institution of the Most High, which had appointed one wmple, one altar, and one priesthood. Severely, too, had they suffered for their 11ine. Inhabiting a border-lllnd, they were exposed to the inroads and attacks of enemies, and much needed the Divine protection ; but by their sins had forfeited that protection. Consequently they "were threshed,'' as a contemporary prophet tolls us, "with threshina instruments of iron," and, being among the first that fell under the power of Aseyri:, they were carried away captive from their goodly, pleasant land. 3. Superstition no auhstit'ldefor spiritum service.. Nearness to God in outward rele.tion or profession may coexist with absence of right religious principle; and where such is the case, outward observances neither secure from sin nor shield from its punishment. Thus the people of Gilgal, though west of the Jorda.n a.nd belonging to Judah, were nearer the temple, and so nearer in outward relation to its worship, yet were quite ae bad ae the trans- JordRilic Gileadit.ee.. They had the externals of religion, and were no doubt zealous about them ; they presented rich saclificee and possessed numerous altars ; but the alt.ans they had set up were either to strange gods in opposition to the true God, or to the true God in opposition to his own appointment. "Whosoever they be, this side or the other, who profess to come nearest, if they mingle their own inventions in worship, God will be more sorely displeased with them: the more piety and holiness, the more we profess to come close t.o the Word of God, and yet withal mingle our own inventions, the more is God displeased; Gilgal offends more than Gilead." II. REMEMBRANCEBB OF l!ERCY. They magnified their ancestor Jacob, but misread his history; they gloried in his greatnese, but forsook the God who made him great. It is a common thing for people to boast of their family and forefathers, however much they may have degenerated from those forefathers; and not unfrequently, the more they have degenerated the louder is their boasting. 1. God reminds them of the hwmble origin and lowly condition of the patriarch, of wborn they boasted so much as their progenitor. The facts of which be thus reminds them conveyed instruction to them, and teach valuable practical lessons still. (I) The flight of the patriarch; hie e:i:ile in Padan-aram; his poverty and servitude; having no dowry to give, hie service was substituted instead; his hard shepherd-life ;-all these were calculated to teach l,umility, and to put an end to the vanity of their boasting. (2) Though Jacob had been obliged in early life to turn hie back on his father's house, he never turned his back upon his father', God, or the worship of that God. Here was another lesson, at least by implication, for his descendants to learn. In circumetances unspeakably more favourable they had turned aside from both, e.nd wasted their energies in sinful courses and sottish idolatry, either vainly worshipping God, or transferring the worship due to him to those vanities that were no gods. '!'bus the lesson of their sad apostasy was next to be unlearned. (3) The secret of Jacob's success was the blessing of God whom he sought and served. God prospered him and multiplied his seed until they became a great people. Here was cause for gratitude, not for vain-glorying. Another lesson wl,ich Israel behoved to learn; and not Israel only, but all who at any time or in any land experience the loving-kindness of the Lord. If we are put in possession of great privile,:?es, if we attain to a position of usefulness and influence, and if we are honoured in Goci's service, iet us uot forget the lowliness of our original on the one hand, nor fail to magnify the grace of God in our exaltation on the other; in that grace alone may we glory. 2. He reminds them of that great event of their history, that ever- memorable deliverance out of Egypt. (1) From this he will have hie people learn that wlien they are Lrou"ht low by atflictive providences, and suffer severely under the rod or correction, God ;;1air be thus preparing them for rich blessings to themselves, and trai,,ing them for future usefulness in his service. Thie should promote patient sub- 11,i,,ion, and prevent all unseemly murmuring and si11l'ul complaining. (2) The way and 'fM,a1ns of their deliverance were fraught with other profitable instructions. '~'lw blessiL~ uf delivorance was great, not only for preser,t relief, but eubseq ueut prcservat1011, Thr A u.thc,r of it was Jehovah, to whom all the praise and glory were due aud ever to bu rn. xu. l--11.J 'l'HE BOOK OF HOSEA.