II. IBBAEL romBRED BY THE GRANTING TO mM OF ms OWN DF.BTRE. (Vers. 10-12.) Often nothing will please the sinner but to get his own way. God in wrath some- times grants the sinner his own way, When he gets it, he finds it 'to be to his hurt. Thie is illustrated in the case of Israel. 1. The d~ire for a king. "Thy judges of whom thou eaidet, Give me e. king e.nd princes." The kingdom of Israel bad ita origin in self-will-we.s e.n embodiment of that principle. Reboboam's rouoh answer afforded the occasion of revolt, but the desire of the northern tribes to b;ve a king of their own was the real soul of the movement. It was a rebellion against the house of David, The people set up kings, but not by God (eh. viii. 4). 2. The ~ire granted, ",I ge.ve thee e. king in mine anger." Partly as a punishment of the sins of David's house, and partly as a punishment of the tribes themselves, God granted the wish for e. king. The rebellious spirit in which the separate kingdom waa set up was chastised by the calamities brought upon the nation by its self-chosen rulers. There is a difference between granting a desire and approving of it. It does not imply approval that Jeroboam was designated beforehand by the prophet as the person to whom God would give the kingdom. God did give Israel its king, but it was "in anger." Doubtless had Jeroboam, on receiving the kingdom, walked in God's ways, his rule, as having a relative i:anction from Heaven, would have been established (1 Kings xi. 38). But it was obvious, both from the spirit of the man, and from the motives of the rebellion, and the temper in which it we.s carried out, that nothi~ of this kind could be expected. 3. The king given in anger taken away in wrath. "I took him away in my wrath." The northern monarchy brought only evil on the nation. The principle of self-will in which it originated wrought itself out further into state-idolatry, Baal-worship, frequent revolutions, intestine conflicts, alliances with Assyria and Egypt, sins and crimes of every description. The kings vied with each other in their wickedness. They set e.n example which their subjects were only too ready to follow. Thus wrath was prepared. which at length swept them away like the whirlwind. '!'heir king perished with them. The monarchy fell, never to rise again. 4. In the wrath which overtook the kingdom, hidden iniquity waa l>rought to mind. "The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up ; his sin is hid." His whole career was remembered against him. Like a thing treasured up, put past, but not forgotten, it was brought forth at the appointed time for punishment. No sin escapes the remembrance of God. Unrepented of, it will have to be reckoned for in the judgment. III. ISRAEL UNDULY DELAYING HIS CONVERSION. (Ver. 13.) The pangs of distress which came on Israel were, had he understood their end, meant for his salvation, They ought to have issued in a change of heart, and in "newness of life." While, however, he felt alarms, convictions, and compunctions for what he had done, Israel failed to come to the birth of e. genuine conversion. He was an unwise son, who prolonged the birth-labour by refusal to come forth. 1. The delay of conversion is a cause of needleBs pain. How much better had Ephraim come forth at once, instead of thus, as it were, lingering in tho womb! Many delay their conversion by indecision, by unwillingness to part with some darling sin, by slowness of heart to believe God's promise, by the thought of what the world will say, what friends will say, etc., thus unnecessarily prolonging their distress, fear, and pains of conscience, and shutting themselves out from the peace, joy, and comfort of the new life of grace. 2. To delay conversion is to risk the loss of life, The infant, delaying to come forth, dies in the womb. Israel, because it refused to be taught by the sorrows which had come upon it, was, as regards the nation at large, to be destroyed. It would perish through its delay of conversion. Procrastination in spiritual child-birth is a cause of spiritual death. Compunctions die away, the Spirit ceases to strive, anxiety disappears, the crisis passes e.nd never comes back. 3. Israel's conversion, though long del,ayed, will yet take place. A remnant of the people will be preserved, and these-though the process is slow and tedious-will yet be reborn to God. The nation will be recovered as from death (ver. 14). IV. Goo THE RANSOMEB EVEN FROM DEATH. (Ver. 14.) God's gracious purpose in the case of Israel, of the elect soul, of humanity, cannot be defeated. The words contain a pledge: 1. Of national reBtoration. Israel, though now cast away, will yet be recovered as from death (eh. vi. 2; Rom. xi. 15). God had promised to be the God of this people, and his love would triumph even over their unbelief and sin. 430 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [cA, XlV, 1-0,
Their recovery will have in it all the marvel of a resurrection. 2. Of spiritual renewal. There is a spiritual death from which recovery is more dilllcui't than from national death, or even from the de11th of the body. A nation, having playc,l its part in history, and perishing, rarely recovers the life it has thus lost. It needs the power of God to restore national life to Israel, It needs a yet higher exercise of God's power to restore life to their souls, dead in long-continued unbelief. But every soul by na~ure is '.' de~d i_n trespasses and sins," and n:ecds a moral miracle to be wrought upon 1t to give 1t life. God alone can ransom 1t from death. Each conversion is a new triumph over him that bath the power of death. 3. Of bodily resurrection. Salvation would be incomplete if it left its subjects still under the power of physical death. Thie is clearer under the New Testament than it was under the Old, but it underlay the promise of salvation there also. Christ has made the truth ~rfectlv distinct. He has, by his own resurrection, "brought life and immortality to' light;, (2 Tim. i. 10). "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (1 Co_r. xv. 26 ). Death meanwhile claims all as his prey. He reigns over all. He comes. to men in innumerable forms of horror and anguish. His plagues a.re terrible. But Christ will rescue his own even from the power of this inexorable destroyer. Then, in their full 11ense, the words of the prophet will be fulfilled (1 Cor. xv, 55).-J. O. • •