The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 411

power of God, or ae an enct citAtion, he oolebrAteR the greate1t of All tlcliverAnces, which shRII be con5nmm11tcd in that dAy when the destroyer of lho nations shall be himself destroyed, and when the univel'!IA.l conqueror ehall hitnaelf be conquered, his i,ting being wrcRtA>d from him And hie power to hurt Annihilated. 8. The dollvoranco thus cfTectcd by him who hAB the right to redeem, AR having become our KinRmAn, nnd who, having paid the rnnROm, po1111C811es the privilege to redeem, both by prico and by power, is <•xtolled not only ae a victory, but a triumph; while language of e:r.ultalion is addrell8Cd to the ghastly tyrant now fallen and for ever prostrate. 4. When we revert w the immediate application of the words, we find the aubet.ance of the promiee to Israel io be that, notwithstanding Ephraim's unwiedom In rebelling againet and delaying to return to God, And notwithstanding his long Impenitence and false security, God's fa1thfulnC81! shall stllnd fast, and the truth pledged to hie people shall not be dis- nnnulled. What comfort for all humble penitents I However hopeless and helpless our condition, and however desperate our state, we have no reason to despair. However gracious the promises of God, a.nd however mighty the power required for their accom- plishment, we ma.y rest assured that not one jot or tittle shall fail through fickleness or fa.I.I w the ground through IA.Ck of power, for he has solemnly said, " Repentance ie hid from mine eyes." He will not repent of mercy to his friends, nor relent in his wrath to their enemiee. III. THE DIGNITY A1'"1> DOWNFALL OF ErBBAIK, Promiee and threatening frequently present themee\vcs side by side in the Word of revelation, and sometimes alternate. Tho fulfilment of the one is a guarantee for the fulfilment of the other; the accomplishment of the one warrante ue to e:r.pect the accomplishment of the other, 1. Ephraim's fruit- fulness had been the subject of promise, and the very name involved a prophecy. That promise had been realized in Ephraim's great euperiority over the other tribee in numbers, in power, and in wealth. The fruitfulness of the earth and the fruitfulness of the womb had been his; he had been blessed with bleeeinge of heaven above, bleseings of the deep that lieth under, bleesinge of the bre88ts and of the womb. Like hiP father Joseph, be had been a fruitful bough, even e. fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. 2. But as the promiee had been eo exactly fulfilled, so must th~ thre:i.tening. And notwithetandin~ the prosperity of this highly favoured people, the day of adversity was at hand. The <leetructive elements the.t were com- mieeioned to bring about the downfall of Ephraim are figuratively described; but the figures employed set forth very graphically the violence of the enemy who was approaching, the Power by whom he was eent, the quarter from which he came, the ruir. he would accomplish, and the robbery he would effect. 'l'he figures e.re eo obvious and applicable that they only need to be indicated. 'l'he e88t wind ie the fierce .Assyrian conqueror. He comes not by chance, but is commieeioned of the Lord; he comes from an eastern land, but more particularly with the vehemence and violence of a wind from the wilderness, such 88 that great wind from the wilderness that demolished the dwelling where Job's children were feasting; he would dry up and destroy all that lay in hie way. The spring would become dry, and thus the streams soon cease to flow; the fountain wonJd be dried up, and so the waters must fail. But to ruin he would add rubbery, plundering the treasures of precious metals, costly garments, precious fruits- everything that the covetous, or avaricious, or voluptuoue, or l88civious could desire, IV. THE DESOLATION OF THE OAPlTAL. Not only would the country be ravaged and laid waste, but the capital would be deeolated. The citizens would be ruthlessly slain; the present population would be swe~. away, and t~e hope _of poste~ty cut off. I. Consider tM cawe of all these calamities. Why did all this desolation come upon Ephraim and their beautiful city of Samaria? The anewer is plain 88 it is positive, and i.a given by the prophet in the closing verse : " Bccauae ehe hath rebelled a9:ainet her God." 'l'be connection may be traced a11 follows: "'!'hough Ephraim be high and mightily exalted above hie brethren, yet, since he has not exalted my Name who exalted him, nor made my benefita and my mercies motivee to duty and obedience, but has fought again et me with my own favours, and abused my blessings to my dishonour, therefore I will bring the .A.seyrian upon him, who, like an eaet wind, shall blaet him, utterly dash all his Loi:,es, spoil his trea.aures, and carry him into captivity." 2, The fate of Samaria, Bl:I r1:COrded here and in Micah i. 6, has been fully realized, Near the middle_ of l'ale:stine, and deriving its name from Shomer, the owner of the site on which the city 1111, XIII, 1-16.] 'l'HE BOOK OF HOHEA.