Hosea 9

Hosea 9:11-17

In this chapter, 1. God threatens to deprive this degenerate people of all their worldly exponents, because by sin they had forfeited their title to them; so that they should have no comfort either in receiving them themselves, or offering them to God, ver. 1—5. 2. He deems them to utter ruin, for their own sins and the sins of their prophets,

Before Chall plan commenced

prophets, ver. 6—8. 3. He unbraid them with the wickedness of their fathers before them, in which they they tried, ver. 9, 10. 4. He threatens them with the defractions of their children, and the rooting out of their pellerity, ver. 11—17.

1. R Ejoice nor, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every corn floor. 2. The floor and the wine-peels shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. 3. They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Affyria. 4. They shall not offer wine-offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners: all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their foul shall not come into the house of the LORD. 5. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? 6. For lo, they are gone, because of defractions: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pheasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

2. I—6. Israel’s guilt and ruin are still the burden of the prophetic word.

3. They are forbidden to rejoice as other people. Though now perhaps their affairs might be flourishing, in under Jeroboam; or their harvest plenteness; yet, whilst their sins were so many, they ought to weep and lament, for judgment hung over their heads. Note, The joys of the impatient sinner are as unfeeling as songs of mirth in the mouth of a dying materialtee.

4. Their iniquities, which witnessed against them, should damp their mirth, and bring them to mourning. For thou hast gone a whoring from thy God; committing spiritual adultery with Rocks and Stones: thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-floor; perplexing themselves, as an harlan for him, to their idols, regarding their corn and wine as their gifts, for chap. xi. 5, 12. and offering their tithes and first fruits at their idols therein, instead of the sanctuary at Jerusalem. Note, (1.) They who place their affections on earthly goods, commit the same spiritual adultery, as if they worshipped an idol. (2.) Many spend freely on their lusts, what they would greatly grudge to employ in the service of God.

5. Wrath is gone forth against them for their wickedness.

(1.) Their earthly goods shall perish. Their land shall be cursed with barrenness; the floor and the wine-peels shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her; blasting, mildew, or the ravages of an enemy, shall rob them of their abused blessings, and leave them joining for want: so poor and perishing a possession in every earthly good.

4. They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land: since they have broken the covenant on which they held possession, he, as proprietor, will reform the grant, and bind them into a miserable captivity. They shall return to Egypt, as fugitives and vagabonds flying from the sword of the Afyrans: and they shall eat unclean things in Affyria; led captives thither, and driven through hunger to eat food forbidden by the law, and such as was unfit for men’s oily, as the prodigal’s husks. Note, They who will not be governed by God’s laws, shall not dwell in his land. The wicked shall be copt into hell, with all the nations that forget God.

(3.) In their dispersion they should be deprived of the possibility of keeping up any profession of religion, and have neither alter nor sacrifice. They shall not offer wine-offerings to the Lord; much less any other oblations: neither shall their sacrifices be playing unto him, if they had power to offer them, their impetience and hypocrisy would render them an abomination. Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners, instead of purging them from their sins, all that eat thereof shall be polluted, see Lco. xxi. 1. Deut. xxvi. 14. for their bread for their foul, either the common bread, that which fed them, or the Minchols, the portion of bread or flower which accompanied the sin-offerings, shall not come into the house of the Lord, that glorious temple being destroyed; nor, if it stood, would their oblations be accepted. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? the Sabbath, new moron, &c. when groaning under their burdens, they should neither have sacrifices to stay, nor an altar to offer them, nor permission to observe their solemn factions. Note, They who light and abide the means of grace they enjoy, shall know, by dire experience in their loss, the value of the mercies they disregarded.

(4.) They and their land shall be utterly destroyed. For lo, they are gone, because of defractions; thinking to find refuge in Egypt from the sword of the Afyrans; but they are mistaken: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; one of the other cities whither they fled, and probably died with the pestilence, or through want. The pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles: so utter-

ly shall all their cities be demolished, and their land be deliolate without inhabitant. Note, There is no escaping from God; the sinner may fly to him, and find mercy; to attempt to fly from him is madness, and must end in misery.

7. The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come, Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. 8. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred of the house of his God. 9. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins. 10. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness: I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-pour, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

8. 7—10. To awaken their consciences God threatens them.

9. With the speedy execution of his judgments. The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; they are surely coming, and near, even at the door: Israel shall know it, by dire experience, and feel the wrath they would not believe or fear. Note, A day of recompense for sinners is at hand, when God will visit upon them all their iniquities.

10. They would then change their sentiments, both concerning the false prophets and the true. They fail in the days of their prosperity, concerning the true prophets who warned them of their judgments. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad; treating their persons with contempt, and their preaching as madness: but now it will appear that the false prophets in whom they trusted, who prophesied to them of peace, were the fools; their pretences to spirituality and inspiration, mere phrences of the brain; and their promises of prosperity to a wicked people, direct madness; and to their delusions they were given up, for the multitude of their iniquities, and for their great hatred; they hated God, his word, his ministers, and therefore he justly left them to themselves, to fill up the measure of their iniquities, and hasten their own defractions. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God; was formerly on the Lord’s side, and received directions from him, and should be so now; but the prophet, the false prophet, is a snare of a fowler in all his ways; leading the people wrong by his example and his preaching; and hatred in the house of his God: his lies being detected, he becomes execrable even at Bethel: or, his hatred is bitter against those who cleave to the true worship of God, whom nevertheless the deceiver calls his God, and pretends inspiration from him. Note, (1.) It is no new thing for the true prophets to be branded as fools or madness. (2.) They who hate the truth, are justly given up to strong delusions to believe a lie. (3.) Hared and contempt of God’s faithful ministers will be shortly severely punished.

11. Their iniquities shall be discovered and recompenseable. They have deeply corrupted themselves; not only the false prophets, but the people in general, as in the days of Gibeah, see Judg. xix. advanced to the highest pitch of lewdness, cruelty, and contempt of God; therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins; taking exemplary vengeance on them, as of old on that devoted city. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; took delight in them there, as a traveller who had found such refreshment in a barren place. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time; pleased with their flourishing estate, delighting in them as his choirs, showering down upon them his blessings, and watching over them with constant care; which aggravated the badness of their ingratitude, when they went unto Baal-pour, see Name. xxv. and separated themselves unto that shame; joining in the obscene rites with which this idol was worshipped: and their abominations were according as they loved; the daughters of Moab, whose embraces they sought, drew them into this abominable idolatry. Note, (1.) The sinner’s iniquity will certainly sooner or later prove his shame. (2.) When the inordinate love of women rages in the heart, to please them the infatuated slave sticks at no abominations.

12. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird; from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. 12. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, who also to them when I depart from them. 13. Ephraim, as I saw Tyros, is planted in a pheasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. 14. Give them, O LORD: what will thou give? give them a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts. 15. All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for