Hosea 5:4

They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God.

Framing the doings

This is one of those strong Old English expressions which have been retained in our north country speech. People say, “He frames well,” meaning of a new servant, he sets hopefully to his work, he shows adaptation. Hosea lived at the time when Israel, whose sin had ripened before Judah’s, was beginning to suffer its punishments. Hosea directs the eye of Judah to the miseries falling on Israel, bidding her take warning and hasten to turn back from all her wicked ways to God. In the case of Israel there is a kind of hopelessness that they would ever repent, and the text expresses this hopelessness,--“They will not frame their doings,” etc. Such a description of men’s state in relation to God is suitable to every generation.

I. Every man’s first duty is to turn unto his God. Shew it is his duty from these considerations.

1. The claims and relations of God. The eye of every created thing but man is towards God. Whatever view may be taken of those relations--Creator, King, Father--this is certain, God ought to be something to every man--ought to be all that He can possibly be. Man should turn to Him.

2. The conditions of our being. Our condition is one of dependence. Possibly one of gracious friendship with our Creator. We are certainly under temporary conditions on which depend the eternal conditions.

3. The fact that man is turned from God. None are disposed to deny that fact. The consequences are too plainly written on the care-burdened earth--too certainly stamped in on human consciousness. Men everywhere are trying to turn to God, then they must be turned from Him.

4. The special call made by God, in His mercy, through Christ. All natural calls of God are sealed and intensified by His extraordinary call. A new pressure God has put on men--urging them to Himself in Christ. The voice of the Cross is, “Turn ye; turn ye”! It is man’s greatest duty, because not concerning the transitory but the eternal, not the temporary but the essential. A true life is a continual turning to God, as the needle to the pole.

II. Precisely in this first and greatest duty most men fail. One of the most constant efforts of a Christian ministry is to point out the various hindrances keeping men from God, their self-delusions, their religious delusions, their procrastinations. Men’s doings are the apparent hindrance; men’s bad wills are the real hindrance. By “men’s doings” are not meant single, isolated acts, but sets and courses of conduct, habits of life, moulds in which conduct is regularly cast. These become such power for evil, because they re-act on the will, enslaving it. So the Old Testament and our Lord and His apostles all say so much about men’s doings. What will be the real seeking after God? Its fountain must be in the heart. Penitent yearning of the soul for God. Its expression must be in confession and prayer. The test and proof of its sincerity must be a changed conduct. In every case there will be a suitable “framing of the doings.” Men are not without heart desires for God, nor without lip confessions and seekings; but how few can stand the further test of the way in which they “frame their doings.” Let us test ourselves by the Scripture terms for the spirit of the ungodly.

1. Lust of the flesh. Indulgence of bodily passion. What have we given up in order to turn to God?

2. Lust of the eyes. The higher pleasures of mind.

3. Pride of life. The great sin of our times. Further, test our religious profession by our unforgivings and envyings. What sincerity then is there in our turning to God? This is the Lord’s reproach. “Ye will not frame your doings to turn unto God.” A man’s sincerity is seen in what he will give up for an object. Illustrate from the going to war; framing their doings to show their patriotism. God looks for a like sincerity. But, after all, behind the doings is the real thing keeping men from turning to God. It is the bad will, the self-centred will. And so this must be the Divine reproach, “Ye will not come unto Me, that ye might have life.” (Robert Tuck, B. A.)

Framing the doings

The words in the original are very elegant. Jerome and Vulgate render,: “They will not give themselves to think of such a thing.” Mercer and Castellius, “They will not do their endeavours.” Tremellius, “They do not apply any action of theirs any way to turn unto the Lord.” Drusius and Pagninus, “Their custom in their ways of sin will not suffer them to turn to the Lord.” Septuagint and Calvin, “They give not their counsels, their studies, to turn to the Lord.” They will not give their mind to turn to the Lord, they will not put forth themselves into any posture that way. It is true, we can do nothing without the Lord, but yet the sin lies in our wills rather than in our power, therefore the will is charged by God. They cannot turn unto God of themselves, but yet they may do somewhat, they may bend themselves upon it, they may think of it, they may attend upon the means.

1. Israel will not so much as set his heart to think of anything that will bring him unto God. Not so much as to think, are my ways right or not right?

2. Though a man cannot turn to God, yet through the common work of God’s Spirit he may do this, he may be willing to hear and consider what is said for the ways of God.

3. They will not wait on God in the use of means.

4. They will not apply the rule of the Word to their actions. Whatsoever they think will make for their own cuds, that they will follow.

5. The light and power they have they will not use.

6. They will not join in with the work of God.

7. They will adhere to their old customs, to their former ways, to what they have received from their forefathers, and been trained up in.

8. They will take and improve to the uttermost every advantage they can have against the ways of God. If we will not frame our doings to turn unto the Lord, He may break us, break that frame which we raise in our own imaginations.

Observe--

(1) Apostates seldom have any inclination to turn unto God. No meltings of spirit, no yieldings, but their hearts are hardened, and they depart farther and farther from God.

(2) True repentance is not only to leave evil, and to do good, but to turn unto God as our God.

(3) It is God’s just judgment to give men over to the devil to be blinded and hardened when they forsake Him and His truth.

(4) Impetuousness of spirit blinds the mind. “The spirit of whoredoms is in them”; and then follows, “they have not known the Lord.” Whatsoever is said against their way cannot convince them. When the mind is possessed by passion, love, fear, sorrow, or any other strong affection, and carried out powerfully to the object that excites them, it will not listen to, it will not understand anything urged against it; the voice of reason is unheeded, charming never so wisely. Some have a spirit of sluggishness and love their ease; a spirit of covetousness, and they must have their estates; a spirit of ambition, and they must have their honour and respect; a spirit of pride and self-love, and they must not on any account grant that they are ignorant and mistaken; therefore they cannot see the truths, the ways of God. (Jeremiah Burroughs.)

Life training

The perfection and beauty of all life--vegetable, animal, intellectual, and moral--depends largely on “framing,” by which I mean culture. Scotland was once a barren soil, but industry and skill have turned it into one of the most fruitful and prolific lands to farmers in Europe. More: the orchid would not be so popular as it is, but for the care and skill of the botanist: the rose would not be the beautiful flower that it is, but for the gardener: nor would the carnation, nor the chrysanthemum be the favourites they are, but for the care bestowed upon them by professionals. The same law applies to the feathered tribes. It is a well-known fact that the almost endless variety of pigeons we have in England sprang from the common blue-rock pigeon; and Dr. Drummond says that if all these pigeons could be banished to some distant island for a few years, and their descendants brought back, they would be totally changed; for they would have become blue-rock pigeons. The same law applies with redoubled force to man. Let a man neglect his body for a little while, and he would become little better than a beast or a savage. Let a man neglect his mind, and disorder will follow. Let him neglect his moral nature, and his sympathies will be stunted, and his conscience will cease to commend him when he does right, and to warn him when he does wrong. This was the sin of those to whom the prophet spoke: “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God.”

I. What is this life framing to which the word of God calls us?

1. Each man possesses a soul, which must exist for ever amongst the spirits of the redeemed, or be consigned to eternal punishment.

2. Some men tell us that the brain is the greatest power in man; others, that that power lies in the heart; while others contend that it lies in the will. The fact is, Christian character calls all these powers into requisition (1 Timothy 6:9). How is this character to be secured?

(1) There must be repentance.

(2) Prayer and self-denial. These are as necessary to expel the evil propensities of your nature as they were to expel devils in our Saviour’s day.

(3) Faith in Christ.

(4) All men can live such a life if they will. A man may be humble in his origin, and poor in his circumstances, but these things do not prevent him rising to the dignity of a perfect man in Christ.

II. Look at some of the reasons which men urge for the neglect of this duty. “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God.” The reasons which men urge for the neglect of this important work are, at best, mere excuses, and too often hollow pretexts.

1. Some plead the unfavourable situation in which they are placed. Their companions stand in the way. They would sneer at them, revile them, or even persecute them if they could. To read the Bible, to pray, and to talk about religion in their presence would be impossible. Oh, man, where is thy courage, where is thy manhood?

2. Others plead the pressing claims of their worldly occupations. These are allowed to take precedence. Thought, conversation, and care are bestowed on houses, lands, and worldly wealth, as if there were no better inheritance for man.

3. Business is urged as an excuse. They have to build their house, educate their children, provide for their families, and these leave them no time to carry into effect that which they know to be their duty to God and to themselves. Now observe--

(1) There is time enough for every one to save his soul, Others find time to do their duty to God, and you can if you will but try.

(2) That family duties and cares need not stand in your way, for the calm influences of religion are just what you need to help you to bear life’s heavy cares,

(3) There are methods of amassing wealth in our day which are hurtful to men and abominable to God.

4. Others plead the strength of their passion. They are naturally intemperate, or unchaste, or dishonest, or grasping.

5. All these excuses indicate a shocking indifference to the claims of God upon you, and show, besides, an amazing ignorance of religion. They show that you don’t understand the necessity of religion, as you under stand the necessity of food for the hungry, raiment for the naked, or houses for the homeless. You undervalue its importance as compared with other interests.

6. What does God say to these excuses? (H. Woodcock.)

The guilt and danger of refusing to serve God

Men will not act upon the principle that the great business of life is to serve and please God, and enjoy His favour, here and hereafter.

1. They will not treasure up that truth which is the only medium of sanctification.

2. They will store up folly till there is no room in their minds for Divine and sanctifying truth.

3. Men so associate themselves together that it would rupture all their friendships to become the friends of God.

4. Men so commit themselves against religion, the Bible, the Sabbath, the people of God, etc., as to cause them great embarrassment when there shall be occasion to take back these commitments.

5. Men so locate themselves and enter such employments as to require a change, and perhaps a rupture of all their earthly relationships, should they turn to serve and please the Lord.

6. They pollute their consciences with those acts of moral defilement which will greatly pain them should they become the children of God.

7. They advance such sentiments with regard to Divine things before the ungodly that should they change their course they wilt be thereby much hindered in their efforts to do good.

8. All their habits of thinking, speaking, and acting axe at variance with the habits of godliness.

9. They put off religion until all their preparation for eternity is crowded into the few last moments of life. Remarks--

(1) What a calamity it is that men will not use a little of their wisdom in the matters of eternity, and not be continually blocking up their way to heaven.

(2) The people of God have great cause for gratitude that He has not suffered them to go on to a returnless distance from Him.

(3) Every benevolent man will be doing all in his power to hold back his fellow-men from ruin.

(4) It would be wise if men would calculate to be saved, and be shaping their ways for heaven. (National Preacher.)

Moral framework

s:--They cannot set up any framework of God; they are poor moral carpenters; their fingers lose all skill when they seek to put up something that shall have the appearance at least of morality and goodness. They no sooner set up one side of the edifice than the other fails down, and the framework will not hold together, because the spirit is wrong. Away with your mechanical morality; away with your frameworks of honour and social security, even of education when it is meant as a substitute for moral earnestness and purity. It is the spirit that must be renewed; we do not want a framework, but a genius of heart, an atmosphere of soul, a new manhood. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Make the tree good, and the fruit will be good. Do not trouble yourselves about the framework. You are not carpenters, you are men; you are not mechanics, you are souls. Do not trifle with the tragedy of life. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)

The use of means

A people are yet the more inexcusable in their impenitency when they will not so much as think on endeavouring or using the outward means which might tend towards repentance. They might have fought and yet not come speed, because of their unsoundness and formality in their way; but they were either so ignorant, or malicious and impious, as they did not so much as endeavour to bend their course that way. They would not “frame their doings.” (George Hutcheson.)

Outward conduct preventive of inward repentance

Dr. Pusey says, “The rendering of the margin, although less agreeable to the Hebrew, gives a striking sense, ‘Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God’ Not so much that their habits of sin had got an absolute mastery over them, so as to render repentance impossible, but rather that it was impossible that they should turn inwardly, while they did not turn outwardly. Their evil doings, so long as they persevered in doing them, took away all heart, whereby to turn to God with a solid conversion.” Sin begets sin, and the longer men indulge in it the weaker they become in good desire and earnest resolution. But the Hebrew gives another idea. “They,” the people in general, Ephraim is no longer addressed personally, “will not frame,” lit., will not give (LXX οὐκ ἔδωκαν; Vulg., Non dabunt cogitationes suas). Their will is concerned, the seat and centre of their life is wrong, and so long as that is alienated from God (Ephesians 4:18), they do not, they cannot frame their doings. They have created and cherished a mighty impulse within them which drives them on, like the devils drove the swine into the deep. This implies resistance to God and His Spirit (Acts 7:51). (J. Wolfendale.)

Self-hinderers

Betsy, an old coloured cook, was moaning around the kitchen the other day, when her mistress asked her if she was ill “No, ma’am, not ‘zactly,” said Betsy. “But the fac’ is, I don’t feel ambition ‘nough to get out of my own way. As we read this, our memories ran back over a long line of meetings, in which we recalled the faces of many, who after long seeking have never been converted, or others who have never grown in grace, or still others who have never been entirely sanctified, because like Betsy, they have not had ambition enough to get out of their own way. Almost every sort of difficulty has been suggested, perhaps they will can didly confess that Betsy has exactly hit it. (Dr. Pepper in “Christian Standard. ”)

Necessary preliminaries to a godly life

Few have any notion that there is a certain way to repent and believe, and fewer still indicate the nature of that way. How are men so to frame their doings as to turn unto their God?

I. By thinking on certain subjects. We act from motives when we act as men. But what are the motives? The creation of our own thoughts. The man who centres his thoughts on the advantages of fame, or wealth, or knowledge, turns to their pursuit. His thoughts excite his feelings, and his feelings urge him to a resolution. If I am to repent I must think of my sins in relation to the character of the Holy God, and the self-sacrificing Christ. It is only as I muse that the fires of penitence will burn. If a man is to turn to any new course of conduct, he must have new motives, and if he is to have new motives, he must have new thoughts.

II. By thinking on certain subjects in a certain way.

1. With concentration.

2. With persistency.

3. With devotion.

III. By thinking on certain subjects with a practical intent. Merely to increase our theological knowledge, or make our feelings glow with religious sentiment would be of little service, but to think in order to translate the thought into action, to embody the idea in the life--this is the way. Thoughtlessness is the curse of humanity. Think on right subjects; think in a right way; think with a practical intent. (Homilist.)

They have not known the Lord.

Ignorance of the national Jehovah

By this sentence the prophet extenuates not the Sin of the people, but, on the contrary, amplifies their ingratitude, because they had forgotten their God, who had so indulgently treated them. As they had been redeemed by God’s hand; as the teaching of the law had continued among them; as they had been preserved to that day through God’s constant kindness,--it was truly an evidence of monstrous ignorance that they could in an instant adopt ungodly forms of worship, and embrace those corruptions which they knew were condemned in the law. It was surely an inexcusable wickedness in the people thus to withdraw themselves from their God. This is the reason why the prophet now says that “ they know not Jehovah.” But if they were asked the cause, they could not have said that they had no light, for God had made known to them the way of salvation. Hence, that they knew not Jehovah was to be imputed to their perverseness; for, closing their eyes, they knowingly and wilfully ran headlong after those wicked devices which they knew, as it had been stated before, to be condemned by God. (John Calvin.)