_Rejoice not, O Israel, for Joy, as other people._ UNRELIABLE JOY All are not Israel who are of Israel. The merely nominal Christian is not to rejoice as the true Christian should. I. Merely nominal professors have great cause to mourn. These words suggest a vast number of Israelites preparing fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land._ THE LORD’S LAND Before, God was to them as a father taking maintenance away from them, leaving them to suffer want: but here His anger increases, and He puts them out of His house; as a nation out of His land. God would make them know that it was His land... [ Continue Reading ]
_What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?_ FEASTING AFTER UNACCEPTED SACRIFICE Calvin thinks the allusion is to the time of exile, when the people would be deprived of all their sacrifices. But the better point is that the sacrifices of Ephraim being 1. unauthor... [ Continue Reading ]
_The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come._ DAYS OF RECOMPENCE The passionate anguish that breathes in these words gives its colour to the whole book of Hosea’s prophecies. His language, and the movements of his thoughts, are far removed from the simplicity and self-control... [ Continue Reading ]
_As in the days of Gibeah._ THE LESSONS OF AN OLD STORY (Judges 19:20.):-- 1. When men to whom we seek for protection deal falsely with us, their wickedness is great in the eyes of God. 2. We may meet with worse usage from those who profess religion than from those who profess it not. 3. God ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_They went to Baal-peer, and separated themselves unto that shame._ SIN AND SEPARATION The shame here alluded to was idolatry. I. All sin is shame. 1. It is shame in its commission. People seldom do iniquity in the full blaze of day. They would rather not be seen in its commission. It is shamefu... [ Continue Reading ]
_All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them._ PUNISHMENT PROPORTIONAL TO PRIVILEGE Translated into modern life, the prophet’s plea would read thus. “All their wickedness is in the house of God; all their wickedness is after coming from the table of the Lord, or after receiving some... [ Continue Reading ]
_My God will cast them away. .. and they shall be wanderers among the nations._ DIVINE SEVERITIES FOR A NATION 1. It is a judgment to have an unsettled spirit. A spirit wandering up and down, unable to settle to anything, sometimes in this place, sometimes in that, sometimes in this way, and somet... [ Continue Reading ]