Today's reading continues the theme of God's judgment. It begins by mentioning the turning to God of those who had not thought of Him before and were ready to rely on anything at all except Him. But on closer inspection, this turning, as we see, proved...
Today's reading continues the theme of God's judgment. It begins by mentioning the turning to God of those who had not thought of Him before and were ready to rely on anything at all except Him (vv. 1-3). But on closer inspection, this turning, as we see, proved rather superficial (vv. 3-5). In principle the situation described can be considered typical: many remember God only when it becomes clear to them that no one and nothing else is able to help. And when help is received, they just as easily forget God, hoping that they will never again have to find themselves in such a position, that what happened to them was something exceptional, the kind of thing that happens to a person once in a lifetime, and even then not to everyone, but only to those especially unlucky.
But such an attitude toward God is usually characteristic of unbelieving people, or of people who do not think about God, those who in days of prosperity hardly remember Him. In Hosea's preaching, however, the matter concerns believers, or at any rate those who considered themselves such. They, at least, should in no way have forgotten God; they should not have waited for a critical situation in order to remember Him.
Why, then, do these religious people in practice behave the same way as unbelievers? The prophet's reminder of the priorities of spiritual life can serve as an answer to the question (v. 6). Hosea, of course, is not speaking here against sacrifice as such. He only reminds them that if there is no mercy in that capacious sense in which the prophet uses the corresponding Hebrew word, sacrifice loses its spiritual meaning. For originally sacrifice was nothing other than a form of communion with God, a shared meal of God and people, which is impossible without mercy, and therefore without the fullness of trust in the Most High. Spiritual life presupposes relationship above all, whether a person's relationship with God or with neighbor. If there is no trust in God, sacrifice ceases to be a spiritual event and becomes only a religious obligation, which, like any religious obligation, can be performed purely mechanically.
Moreover, sacrifice understood in this way easily turned into a kind of tribute that the people paid to God, expecting in return something which, as it seemed to them, they now had the right to demand according to the covenant they had made, and above all, of course, earthly prosperity. And when it disappeared, interest in God disappeared with it, in the God who could not or would not provide such prosperity. Then began the search for something or someone that could guarantee this prosperity independently of God, on whom, as it seemed to the seekers, one could not rely. Thus distrust of God destroys relationship with Him and leads a person first to religious formalism, and then to open paganism.
5 The scope of this chapter likewise, is to discover the sins of Israel and Judah, and to denounce the judgments of God against them, Hos 5:1-15.
5:1 For judgment - God's controversy is with you all. A snare - You, O priests and princes, have ensnared the people by your examples.Mizpah - By idolatries acted at Mizpah, a part of Libanus.On Tabor - Here, as in Mizpah, idolatry catched men as birds are taken in a net.
5:2 The revolters - All those that have cast off the law of God.Profound - Dig deep to hide their counsels, and to slay the innocent.Though I - Hosea.
5:5 Doth testify - Is an evident witness against him.
5:6 To seek the Lord - The Jewish doctors tell us, that under Hosea, Israel had liberty of bringing their sacrifices to Jerusalem.Shall not find him - God will not be found of them.Hath withdrawn himself - For their impenitency.
5:7 Have begotten - They have trained up their children in the same idolatry. A month - Possibly it may refer to Shallum's short time of usurpation, which lasted but a month; the Assyrians shall make a speedy conquest over you. With their portions - With all their substance.
5:8 Blow ye - Ye watchmen, sound the alarm, the enemy cometh.After thee, O Benjamin - After thy cries. After thee, O Beth - aven, let Benjamin also cry aloud: for they shall also fall for their sin.
5:9 Ephraim - The whole kingdom of the ten tribes. Rebuke - When Salmaneser shall besiege, sack and captivate all thy cities, rebuked for their sins. Of Israel - To the house of Israel openly.Made known - By my prophets.
5:10 The bound - The ancient bounds which limited every one, and prevented the encroaching of covetous men. Like water - Like an overflowing flood.
5:11 Ephraim - The ten tribes are by seditions, civil wars, unjust sentences, and bloody conspiracies eaten up already.After the commandment - To forbear going to the temple, and to worship the calves at Dan and Bethel, as Jeroboam the son of Nebat commanded.
5:12 A moth - Moths leisurely eat up our clothes; so God was then, and had been, from Jeroboam's death, weakening the ten tribes.As rottenness - Secretly consuming them.
5:13 His sickness - Weakness, like a consumption, threatening death.Then went - Made application. The Assyrian - Particularly to Israel or Pul.
5:14 Will tear - Divine vengeance by the Assyrians, shall be as a lion tearing his prey.
6 Their resolution to return to God, Hos 6:1-3.
The instability of many of them, Hos 6:4-5.
God's covenant with them, and their violation of it, Hos 6:6-11.
6:1 Come - The prophet here brings them in, exhorting one another.He hath torn - We now see his hand in all we suffer.
6:2 After two days - After some short time of suffering, God will shew us his favour, and revive our dead state. Revive us - Though we were as dead men, buried in our miseries, yet our merciful God will quicken us.Live - Flourish in peace, wealth, and joy; in righteousness and safety.In his sight - The eye of our God being upon us for good.
6:3 Know - What worship he requires. And the knowledge of God shall be to us a spring of all holy, righteous, sober conversation.Follow on - By a diligent attendance to the word, and works of God, we shall know experimentally, how holy, how good, how faithful God is.His going forth - Before his people; his gracious, faithful, holy, just, and wise providence, for his peoples good and comfort.As the morning - As sure, beautiful, grateful, and as clear as the morning; which dispels the darkness, and proclaims its own approach.As the rain - Which revives, makes it fruitful, beautifies it, and gives a new face to all.
6:4 What shall I do - What shall I do more to save you from ruin, and save my own honour, truth, and justice?
6:5 Therefore - Because I would do for you whatever might be done.Hewed them - I have severely, and unweariedly reproved, and threatened them. By thy words - As I did by word foretel, so I did effect in due time. Thy judgments - The punishments threatened, which fell upon this people, did so fully answer the prediction that every one might see them clear as the light, and as constantly executed as the morning.
6:6 For - I so hewed and slew them, because they did not what I most of all required; they were full of sacrifices, but either to idols, or else in formality and pride. Mercy - Compassion and charity towards men, this one principal duty of the second table put for all. In this I delight, I have found little of this among you. Not sacrifice - Rather than sacrifice. The knowledge of God - The affectionate knowledge of God, which fills the mind with reverence of his majesty, fear of his goodness, love of his holiness, trust in his promise, and submission to his will.
6:7 The covenant - The law of their God. There - In that very place, the good land which by covenant I gave them: they have broken my covenant.
6:8 A city - A city full of notorious transgressors, the inhabitants though Levites and priests, work all manner of wickedness.With blood - Murders committed there.
6:9 The company of priests - The priests by companies lay wait, and rob, and murder.
6:10 The whoredom - Idolatry. Of Ephraim - Which was brought in by an Ephraimite, by Jeroboam, two hundred years ago, and is there still. Israel is defiled - It hath overspread all Israel.
6:11 He - But God hath appointed an harvest for thee; thou shalt not as Israel be cut off; a seed of thee shall be sowed, and thou shalt reap the harvest with joy.