The Yale expositor., 1911-06-01

TIME-HOSea began TO ptopheSJ |
80, whose reign closed B. c. 792
(Reecher). or 1853 (Hastinss). His prophet,c
life extended into the days or Hezekiai'
king OF Judah, who came 10 tne e. '"'o"'
b. C. 7s3 CHastingso' III.
PLACE-Hosea was prophe' VI
northern kingdom.
observation-disclosures and Micah; perhaps
Amos.
What was the iniquity OF lsrael
from which Hosea exhorted her 10 re-
turn unto the Lord? The degradation
of religion into a sensual and revolt
ing worship Of idols, and the fooiish
and weakening separation from the
Southern Kingdom. The PERIOD was
one of frightful violence ana cohlu'
sion; all ties Of social life were
loosened; immortality, irreligion, SUI
perstition, panic and despair contrib
uted to the common misery and rum
it hardly needed prophetic insight 10
foresee the inevitable end in the total
dissolution of the state.
Their reliance upon Assyria for sal
walton instead of upon Jehovah; their
reliance upon Egypt, the land OF
horses their reliance upon IDOLS, the
work of their own hands. All the IN
ner woes of the nation sprung from
it's idolatry, and all it's woes from
without sprung from the mischlevous
foreign alliances against which the
prophets continually protested. Note
that this is more than confession; IL
Is a promise of amendment, VOW or
total abstinence from these sins.
God promises to the repentant ma
ton, promises for the past, forgive
ness. / will heal their backslldlng'
that horrible disease of apostasy from
the Fathers love; for the present,
love: will love them freely, without
money and without price" for what
price could pay for this inestimable
blessing? for the future, ever-in-
! creasing progress and blessedness;
God will be TO his restored people an
c cnriching, stimulating, reviving dew,
; causing them to throw out new
+; branches, strike new roots deeper into
! the soil, blossom in beauty and FRA
{ GRANGE, and bring forth fruit In apun'
& dance.
What Is the significance OF the
three comparisons used OF the re
: stored people? /. They are to be like
y the lily, in it's purity and beauty.
{, They are to be like Lebanon, rooted
30 deep in the earth, with It's foothili
=. stretching forth like roots; or perhap
IN the reference is to the firmly roote'
3. cedars Of Lebanon; at any rate IN
TO comparison signifies strength, whlc
tx is to be added to beauty. 3. They ar
d. to be like the olive tree, which is nc
IS, lovely as the lily but is gnarled an
70 ugly: nor strong and imposing lik
e. the mountain and its great cedars, bt
10 feeble and insignificant to the eye
rs but it is green when other trees al
,S. bare, and it brings forth abundance
10 rich fruit
The confident statement (whetht
made by Jehovah, or, as some cor
mentators and both authorized and r
co. vised versions hold, by Ephraim hir
M self that Ephraim Chat is, Israel, II
to leading tribe being put for the EMIL
wv, Northern Kingdom) has nothing mo-
. TO do with idols; he is through WI
them they are laid away with his u
:; happy past. This actually happen'
4.
Ike, after the exile; the returned Jews ii
20 had enough of idolatry, and new
its: again lapsed into that sin.
Inc Hosea certainly did not mean, as
$40 is SO often misunderstood to mes
On. that Israel was so firmly fixed In Id
.G5; airy that the nation could never
'at- moved from that iniquity. The prof.
of WIS addressing judah, the Sou
ern Kingdom; and bidding her he
per aloof from her idolatrous neight
per and let him alone, lest she hers
ate contract the foul disease
'ket The sum of wisdom, according
,e6o Hosea. is that wisdom consists
three things: Understanding, knt
&C. ing the things that Hosea had DC
50 % setting forth, namely, Gods dealiI
Moe with his children. Understanding T.
Gods ways are always right, straie
'1 rSv alike when they spread themsel
ont in an unbroken level for the pic
pan pam and when they oppose themselves
das. rocky stumbling-blocks to the
2Sc: godly.
old Hosea began his warnings at
eese' noint where we feel the most pr
- Our nation Is pIOuu vi ito "S"''h
visa rLm power. but these two things lead
III. worldiness, which is our grea
peril.
21c; What would be the substance
LOG Hoseas m essage to the nation ant
each one OF us? Take with
oo,s words, and return unto the Lord
auii- sins must be acknowledged, hun
bers, before God and frankly before e'
s1.25 one who should hear the comics
per for any reason. Then we are sim
let, in Christs strength, to obey
doz.; Jones oft-repeated injunction, =
@ per your meanness!" We are to &C
wax to do evil, learn to do we'll"
There is a story of an ancient
Mo, who lighted lamp and had 1t hun
of a his palace; he then sent heralds
hfork TO bring into his presence every G.
SISTER nal and rebel that they might OF
hlsen nordon Those that came while