Hosea 2

Notes

Ver. 1 might have been connected with the preceding chapter, intimating that, at that general restoration, the Hebrews will again be adopted as God's people, and share his peculiar favour. 2-4. And let the pious Israelites, or Jewish converts to Christianity, earnestly plead with their nation, which have practically abandoned my worship and service, and which I am just ejecting from their peculiar relation to me, to repent of and reform from their idolatries and other beloved abominations, lest I quickly deprive them of all their privileges, render their country desolate, themselves miserable captives, and without mercy continue my judgment upon their posterity for many generations. 5-13. For since they, with impudent obstinacy, depend on heathen alliances and idols, as if these had procured them their enjoyments, they shall be brought into inextricable perplexities and miseries, that they shall not be able to accomplish their idolatrous or wicked designs. And neither idols nor idolatrous allies being able to help them, they shall return to their God, who anciently heaped so many favours on their ancestors. And because they refuse to own me as the bestower of those outward things, wherewith they make and worship idols, I will deprive them of these things; and, by my fearful judgments, effectually and incontrollably manifest their fearful wickedness to all the nations around, turn all their joy into mourning, all their plenty into miserable poverty, and give their substance to furious enemies, render their country desolate, and thus severely punish their idolatries. 14-18. Nevertheless I, who brought their fathers out of Egypt into the wilderness, and entered into covenant with them, will at last deliver them from their captivity and dispersion, and to their great comfort bring them through all difficulties into their own land, and make them to rejoice in my salvation, as their fathers did on their having passed through the Red Sea; and I will strive to lead them to renounce their idolatry and apostasy, and solemnly and cordially to acknowledge me alone as the Lord their gracious God. I will graciously protect them from every temporal or spiritual enemy and danger; 19-23, and through sacrificial love and compassion, I will, in infinite equity, wisdom, love, mercy, and faithfulness, render them my people by an everlasting promise, and help them to know and acknowledge me as their God, fulfilling all my gracious promises. I will make all things in heaven and earth to concur in promoting their temporal, spiritual, and eternal welfare. Yea, I will graciously multiply their children; and, notwithstanding their long and fearful rejection, both Jews and Gentiles shall be rendered my peculiar people, sincere, bold, and open professors of the gospel of Christ.

Ver. 2. She is not my wife, &c. Having ceased to be loving and faithful, she ceased to be a wife—for these two principles are implied in that holy character and relation; and he ceased to be her husband, not by any fault of his, but because her infidelity had dissolved the marriage tie. C.

Ver. 7. I will go, &c. This is the exact parallel of the younger son, Lu.15.18, who, having wasted his substance, and having been reduced to the degrading employment of feeding swine, at last, through grace, 'came to himself,' and said, 'I will arise and go unto my father.' C.

Ver. 8. She did not know, Either to be ignorant of God, or altogether to overlook or deny him, is the constant characteristic of irreligion. The prophet here draws his evidence of this fact from agriculture and commerce—corn, oil, wine, wool, flax, silver, and gold — the produce, possessions, and emblems of a prosperous people; all naturally calculated to lead the heart to the Giver, but all, through sin, leading to neglect or ignorance both of his providence and grace. C.

Ver. 9. Therefore will I ... take away my corn, &c. By drought, rain, wind, mildew, or those inexplicable causes of unfruitfulness which God sends, from time to time, to teach the ignorant, stir up the thoughtless, and convince the gainsayer, of a truth the most simple, yet so little understood and less felt— 'the Lord reigneth.' C.

Ver. 12. The march of improvement in agriculture, manufactures, and the various useful or ornamental arts, ought to be accompanied with similar advancement in the public feeling of gratitude to God. But, alas! experience discovers that improvements in temporal are too often attained at the expense of spiritual things. Israel had greatly advanced in the cultivation of the vine and the fig—two inexhaustible sources of national employment and prosperity—but having derived her improvements chiefly from the example and instruction of her idolatrous neighbours, she not merely adopts their improvements, but conforms to their idolatry, and records her success as 'rewards' from them, and forgets or denies that they are mercies from God. O that Britain may take warning, and never be seduced after this sad example of national unbelief! C.

Ver. 14. Allure. Not by mere arbitrary requirement without any reason assigned beyond the divine will; nor yet by any penalty imposed upon neglect or infraction; but by such tenderness as a father employs, because he feels: and such alluring hopes as he sets before his child when he would lead him to sacrifice the present to the future, and pursue the course of self-denial, and study that he may attain a character and a position of emolument and honour. C.

Ver. 15. Achor was the place (Jos. 7. 25) where Achan was put to death for his covetousness of gold and silver and a Babylonish garment. Now 'covetousness is idolatry,' and until that principle is destroyed by the mortifying spirit, Ro. 8.13, some form of idolatry will still reign in the heart; but when 'covetousness' is destroyed, then the believer is 'saved by hope;' 'because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart,' just in proportion as the love of the world is expelled, Ro. 5. 5: 8.24; 1 Jn.2.15, 16. C.

Ver. 16. Ishi—that is, my husband, bound by the oath of the covenant to faithfulness and love, He. 6, 16-19.—Baali, that is, my lord; claiming superiority as a right, and exacting obedience as a debt. C.

Ver. 21. I will hear the heavens—while angels rejoice over sinners that repent, Lu.15.7,10; and they shall hear the earth—as believers cry, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' C.

Ver. 22. The corn, the seed of the word as it falls or ripens, Mat. 13. 3,23.—Wine, the reviving power of gospel promises, Is. 5. 5.—Oil, the unity of brethren in the bond of peace, produced by his effectual teaching, Ps. 133. 1-3; Ep. 4.3; 1 Jn. 2. 20.—Jezreel, the dispersed seed of God returning with joy to Messiah, ch. 1. 10, 11. C.

Reflections.—Our relation to God, and dependence on him, exceedingly aggravate our rebellion against him; and yet God will renew his grant of that relation. O how loath he is to give up his professing people! They who love him ought therefore with great earnestness to expostulate with backsliding brethren, in order to convince them of their sin, warn them of their danger, and persuade them to repent of, and reform from, their sins; and not only to put away the grosser acts, but even the most inward and beloved abominations. If men abuse God's temporal favours in the service of idols, or accept them as received from such, it is but just that he should deprive them of them; and that he should mar the fields and flocks of those who have profaned his ordinances. But how tender are his mercies! Where sin and its punishments had abounded, grace much more abounds. God allures those by his gospel grace who justly deserve his everlasting destruction. And distress and fear, as well as foretastes of his kindness, promote spiritual gladness and detestation of idols. And, O, thrice-blessed is it to have JEHOVAH our reviver and comforter, our cleanser from all idols, our protector from every enemy, our gracious, faithful, and everlasting husband, our enricher, our God, and our ALL! In view of this, let my soul, hedged in by his providence, and all allured by his kindness, cast out her idols, and claim JEHOVAH as my own; that, in Christ, I may have his grace, mercy, and peace multiplied unto me! Adoring the grace which first chose, espoused, and drew my heart, let me, in communion with his people, cordially and solemnly take him to be my God for ever, and my guide even unto death.