Hosea 11

Notes

When your nation was extremely debased, and unable to help themselves, I fixed upon it for my peculiar people, and by my special providence brought them out of Egypt by the hand of Moses and Aaron; and I will hereafter bring forth my Son Jesus Christ from thence. Ver. 2. But such was their ingratitude, that the more my prophets exhorted and invited them to repentance and holy obedience, the more contrarily they walked, and obstinately abandoned themselves to heathenish idolatries. 3. I tenderly conducted them through the Arabian wilderness, and supported and carried them through every difficulty: but they seemed insensible of, and never cordially acknowledged, my kind removal of judgments which they had deserved, and my preservation from dangers. 4. By every endearing motive and constraining influence, suited to their rational nature, I allured them to a steadfast obedience; I delivered them from their repeated oppressions by the Egyptians and under the judges; and, both in the wilderness and in Canaan, provided them with every necessary enjoyment. 5, 6. But since, notwithstanding my favours, they obstinately persist in their wickedness, and trust to their own devices, I will put an end to their alliances with, or their fleeing for shelter to, the Egyptians, by giving them into the hand of the Assyrians, who shall desolate their cities and villages, and carry the survivors into a miserable captivity. 7. For they are so obstinate in their idolatries that, let my prophets invite and entreat them as they will to forsake their idols and return to me, scarcely any regard either me or them. 8. But though their enormous wickedness richly deserves the most tremendous ruin, my own bowels of mercy towards them call for my pity. 9. I will not therefore inflict on them all that they deserve; nor will I redouble my strokes to their utter destruction; nor shall their cities, like Sodom, be perpetual monuments of my wrath; for I am infinitely tender in my mercy, and unchangeably faithful to my promise made with Abraham. 10. After the captivity, and especially in the apostolic and coming periods, the Lord shall, by the powerful voice of his gospel, cause them to own Jesus Christ, and walk in his ways. 11. Trembling under a sense of their sinfulness and misery, they shall come to him from every quarter; and with fear and trembling shall they return to their own land, and be placed in the church. 12. The Israelites compass me about with a deceitful profession and hypocritical services; but the tribes of Judah and Benjamin are yet governed by my laws, and faithfully walk in the steps of their progenitors.

Reflections.—Great is the kindness of God in preserving, supporting, and directing us in childhood. But how much greater his kindness in bringing his Son into and through our Egyptian world, and in delivering our souls from our worse than Egyptian bondage to Satan and our lusts, drawing us to himself, and making us heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ! Awfully criminal and ruinous is it to contemn his counsels or offers, and to persist obstinately in idolatry or ingratitude. But O how unbounded is his tender compassion! how slow is he to wrath! how averse to abandon or destroy his professed people! It is impossible then that he will ever abandon a saint! And when he speaks powerfully in his word and providence, with the most solemn awe ought we to turn from our evil ways, and follow him as our God and Guide. Thrice happy millennium, when both Jews and Gentiles shall, from all the ends of the earth, be converted to Christ! And happy are they who, amidst general apostasy, remain faithful to God and his people!