The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 442

the Lord Jesus Christ, perpclue.l communion with t,he Holy Spirit, and persevering 1,rogross in the WBYB of holinel!ll. \Ve obey "the first Bnd 1:1rMt comm&ndmcnt," and fulfil the chief end of our being, when we choose Jehov&h BB the Po1'tlon of our souls, and give him our supreme and coneta.nt and most tender love, LESBONB. 1. The mercy of God to sinners is untiring Bnd Indestructible (ver. 1). 2. Now that Christ hBB died as our Sin Offering, we plead his atonement BB the ground on which we ask the Lord to "tBke away all iniquity " (ver. 2). 3. "The BBcrifices of God are a broken spirit," and contrition always manifests itself in prayer (ver. :&). 4, "To obey is better than B11Crifice" (ver. 3). 6, The penitent sinner and the backsliding believer have this assuring motive to induce them to return to God, that, however they may be i;corned by their fellow-men, they are sure of a warm welcome from him who is the "Father of the fatherl888."-C. J. Vers. 4, 5.-Return to God : it, immdiate ejfeda. So BOOD 88 Israel shall return to Jehovah end offer the foregoing words of self-condemning euppliCBtion (vers. 2, 3), they shall receive a glad welcome from him "who delighteth in mercy," and who will not" keep his anger for ever." The first clauBeB of this answer of blessing remind us that there are three results of religious revival which begin to be experienced at once. These are " the !!face of the Lord J eeus Christ," in the form of healing; " the love of God," in the gift of positive and full salvation; "and the communion of the Holy Ghost," ee manifested in the enjoyment of Divine infiuence. The answer corresponds to the prayer of the penitents, only that the blessings promised are even larger and richer than those which have been asked. I. SPIRITUAL HEALING. "I will heal their backsliding "(ver. 4); or rather, "their falling away;" "their apostasy." The Lord will remove the injuries which his people's apostasy has brought upon them, and will cure them of the malignant disease itself. 'l'his l,lessing of healing includea (1) the forgiveness of sin; (2) deliverance from its polJution; (3) the cure of the tendency to backslide; and (4) removal of the ch88tise- ments BDd sorrows which pa.at guilt has entailed. How does God heal all these wounds? He d0e11 so by the application of the blood of Christ. That blood is the one unfailing salve for the sinner's conscience and heart, end it procures also his redemption from all future evil All men, Jew and Gentile alike, who accept the gospel message, receive such he.a.ling in our time; and in "the latter days" this gracious promise shall be completely fulfilled in the national conversion of Israel, as well as in the" coming in" of" the fulness of the Gentiles." II. Fuu. SALVATION. "I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him" (ver. 4). Jehovah's wrath being gone, and hie people's apostasy healed, his generous love is now free to go forth without restraint. He finds in his people them- i;el ves, it is true, no cause why he should love them. In hiII111elf the backsliding sinner is repulsive and unlovely; and the only acceptable gift which he can bring when he returns is merely feelings and" words" (ver. 2). But, 88 a mother's love for her child is not balled upon the child's character, or upon the return which he makes for her goodness, so also love is instinctive and natW'Bl to the Divine heart. He loves" freely," or spontaueously, just because he himself "is love." The Lord heals hie people's bacluJ.idings by discovering anew to their souls the greatness of his tender mercy towards them. His wonderful love leads him first to be the soul's Physician, and then to become its Husband. His free favour bestows upon the healed one the health of holiness, and continues to be the springing well-head of the believer's salvation. III. D1v1NE lll'LUENCE. "I will be ae the dew unto Israel" (ver. 6). This promise annouuces the reversal of the curse of barrenness recorded in eh. xiii. 16, We think of Jehovah as beiCJg '' the dew" in connection with the gracious operations of his Spirit. He rewards the prayer and the life of penitence, 11,nd evinces his free love to his people, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. There are many points of awi.logy between the descent of the dew and the work of the Spirit. The Divine dew, like the natural, is : 1. Mysurwu, and heavenly. It has its source high above us. 'fbe falling of the dew is independent of man's skill and power (MicBh v. 7; Job xxxviii. 28); much less are the workings of grace the result of any human process (John iii. 3-8). 2. Gentle and ,il,ent. No one sees or hears the dew falling, and c:>:perience alone has t:iught man that it is really an important force of nature. Oil, XIV, 1-9.) THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 445