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Hosea Chapter
Three
Hosea 3
Chapter Contents
The prophet enters into a new contract
representing the
gracious manner in which God will again restore Israel under a new covenant.
Commentary on Hosea 3:1-3
The dislike of men to true religion is because they love
objects and forms
which allow them to indulge
instead of mortifying their
lusts. How wonderful that a holy God should have good-will to those whose
carnal mind is enmity against Him! Here is represented God's gracious dealings
with the fallen race of mankind
that had gone from him. This is the covenant
of grace he is willing to enter into with them
they must be to him a people
and he will be to them a God. They must accept the punishment of their sin
and
must not return to folly. And it is a certain sign that our afflictions are
means of good to us
when we are kept from being overcome by the temptations of
an afflicted state.
Commentary on Hosea 3:4-5
Here is the application of the parable to Israel. They
must long sit like a widow
stripped of all joys and honours; but shall at
length be received again. Those that would seek the Lord so as to find him
must apply to Christ
and become his willing people. Not only are we to fear
the Lord and his greatness
but the Lord and his goodness; not only his
majesty
but his mercy. Even Jewish writers apply this passage to the promised
Messiah; doubtless it foretold their future conversion to Christ
for which
they are kept a separate people. Though the first fear of God arise from a view
of his holy majesty and righteous vengeance
yet the experience of mercy and
grace through Jesus Christ
will lead the heart to reverence so kind and
glorious a Friend and Father
and to fear offending him.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Hosea》
Hosea 3
Verse 1
[1] Then
said the LORD unto me
Go yet
love a woman beloved of her friend
yet an
adulteress
according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel
who look to other gods
and love flagons of wine.
Of her friend —
Her husband.
An adulteress —
Either already tainted
or that certainly will be tainted with that vice.
According to the love — Let this be the emblem of my love to the children of Israel.
And love —
Love the feasts of their idols
where they drink wine to excess.
Verse 2
[2] So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver
and for an homer of
barley
and an half homer of barley:
Fifteen pieces of silver — It was half the value of a slave
Exodus 21:32.
An homer of barley —
About fourteen bushels.
Of barley —
The meanest kind of provision; and suited to a low condition
all this is
to
set forth Israel's indigence and ingratitude
and God's bounty to Israel.
Verse 3
[3] And
I said unto her
Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the
harlot
and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
Abide for me —
Thou shalt wait unmarried
until I espouse thee.
Verse 4
[4] For
the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king
and without a
prince
and without a sacrifice
and without an image
and without an ephod
and without teraphim:
For —
Now the parable is unfolded
it shall be with Israel as with such a woman
they
and she were guilty of adultery
both punished long
both made slaves
kept
hardly
and valued meanly
yet in mercy at last pardoned
and re-accepted tho'
after a long time of probation.
Without a king —
None of their own royal line shall sit on the throne.
A prince —
Strangers shall be princes and governors over them.
Without a sacrifice —
Offered according to the law.
An image —
They could carry none of their images with them
and the Assyrians would not
let them make new ones.
Ephod — No
priest as well as no ephod.
And without teraphim — Idolatrous images kept in their private houses
like the Roman household
gods; in one word
such should be the state of their captives; they should have
nothing of their own either in religious or civil affairs
but be wholly under
the power of their conquering enemies.
Verse 5
[5] Afterward shall the children of Israel return
and seek the LORD their
God
and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the
latter days.
Return —
Repent.
And David — The
Messiah who is the son of David.
And his goodness —
God and his goodness; that is
the good and gracious God. God in Christ and
with Christ shall be worshipped.
The latter days — In
the days of the Messiah
in gospel-times.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Hosea》
03 Chapter 3
Verses 1-5
Verse 1
According to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel.
Love in chastisement
The substance of this chapter is
that it was God’s purpose to
keep in firm hope the minds of the faithful during the Exile
lest being
overwhelmed with despair they should wholly faint. The prophet had before
spoken of God’s reconciliation with His people; and He magnificently extolled
that favour when He said
“Ye shall be as in the valley of Achor
I will
restore to you the abundance of all blessings; in a word
ye shall be in all
respects happy.” But
in the meantime
the daily misery of the people
continued. God had indeed determined to remove them into Babylon. They might
therefore have despaired under that calamity
as though every hope of
deliverance were wholly taken from them. Hence the prophet now shows that God
would so restore the people to favour
as not immediately to blot out every
remembrance of His wrath
but that His purpose was to continue for a time some
measure of His severity. We hence see that this prediction occupies a middle
place between the denunciation the prophet previously pronounced and the
promise of pardon. It was a dreadful thing that God should divorce His people
and cast away the Israelites as spurious children; but a consolation was
afterwards added. But lest the Israelites should think that God would
immediately
as on the first day
be so propitious to them as to visit them
with no chastisement
it was the prophet’s design expressly to correct the
mistake
as though he had said
“God will indeed receive you again
but in the
meantime a chastisement is prepared for you
which by its intenseness would
break down your spirits
were it not that this comfort will case you
and that
is
that God
though He punishes you for your sins
yet continues to provide
for your salvation
and to be
as it were
your husband.” When God humbles us
by adversities
when He shows to us some tokens of severity and wrath
we
cannot but instantly fail
were not this thought to occur to us
that God loves
us
even when He is severe towards us
and that though He seems to east us
away
we are not yet altogether aliens
for He retains some affection
even in
the midst of His wrath; so that He is to us as a husband
though He admits us
not immediately into conjugal honour
nor restores us to our former rank. So we
see how the doctrine is to be applied to ourselves. (John Calvin.)
God’s forgiving love
I once visited the ruins of a noble city on a desert oasis. Mighty
columns of roofless temples stood in file. Gateways of carved stone led to a
paradise of bats and owls. All was ruin. But past the dismantled city
brooks
which had once flowed through gorgeous flower gardens
still swept on in
undying music and freshness. The waters were just as sweet as when queens
quaffed them two thousand years ago. And so God’s forgiving love flows in
ever-renewed form through the wreck of the past. (T. G. Selby.)
The love of God
The dark sad story which Hosea pathetically shadows forth in his
first three chapters taught him the chief lesson of his life. For he accepted
God’s dealings with him
and found that though the chastening was grievous
it
brought forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness in his soul. By virtue of
his holy sub missiveness he became one of the greatest of the prophets
and in
the fall
the punishment
and the amendment of an adulterous wife
he saw a
symbol of God’s ways with sinful men. For the lesson which he learnt was this.
If the love of man can be so deep
how unfathomable
how eternal must be the
love of God! First of all the prophets he rises to the sublime height of calling
the affection with which Jehovah regards His people “love.” In Amos God is
beneficent
and knows Israel; in Joel God is glorious and merciful; but Hosea
introduces a new theological idea into Hebrew prophecy when he ventures to name
the love of God. Hence
Prof. Davidson
referring to Duhm
says: “Amos
is the prophet of morality
of human right
of the ethical order in human life;
but Hosea is a prophet of religion.” And to what unknown depths cannot God’s
love pierce! Agonising experience had taught him that human love
so poor
so
frail
so mixed with selfishness--human love
whose wings are torn and soiled
so easily
and which droops before wrong like a flower at the breath of a
sirocco
--even human love
though disgraced by faithlessness
though dragged
through the mire of shame
can still survive. Must not this then be so with the
unchangeable love of God? If Hosea could still love the guilty and thankless
woman
would not God still love the guilty and thankless nation
and by analogy
the guilty and thankless soul? That is why
again and again
the voice of
menace breaks into sobs
and the funeral anthem is drowned
as it were
in
angel melodies. He saw the decadence and doom of Ephraim; he saw king after
king perish by war and murder; he heard the thundering march of the Assyrian
shake the ground from far; he knew that the fate of Samaria should be the fate
of Beth-arbel; and yet
in spite of all
in his last chapter his style ceases
to be obscure
rugged
enigmatical
oppressed with heavy thoughts; and to this
doomed people he still can say
as the message of Jehovah
“I will love them
freely
for Mine anger is turned away.” It is so intolerable to the prophet to
regard God’s alienation from His people as final
that from the first he
intimates the belief that they would repent and be forgiven
and become
numberless as the sands of the sea
and that Judah--of whom at first he thought
more favourably than at a later time--shall be joined with them under a single
king. (Dean Farrar
D. D.)
Who look to other gods
and love flagons of wine.
Idolatry and self-indulgence
The connection here pointed out between the idolatry of
heart that seeks after other gods
and the self-indulgence in life that seeks
after flagons--large quantities--of wine
is so truly universal
through all
the ages it has been in evidence
and even now it constantly reappears
so that
it may be regarded as necessary and essential. All nature religions
all pagan
religions
all heathen religions are sensuous and sensual. All philosophical
religions are
though in more subtle forms
sensuous
as may be illustrated in
the personal history of Comte the positivist. It would be possible very widely
to illustrate this fact. But when it is established
and the strongly marked
contrast of the Jehovah and the Christian religions is pointed out
it remains
to be considered why this connection between two apparently unrelated things
should have become established. Two reasons may be suggested.
I. All other
religions save the Jehovah religion are human inventions. They therefore tend
to foster the pride of man
to strengthen his self-will
and encourage him in
doing what he likes. Jehovah religion
being authoritative revelation
brings
man’s will into subjection and obedience.
II. All other
religions are
in one form or another
nature religions. And the root idea of
nature religions is the glorifying of sexual relations. The worship is virtual
sensual indulgence
and thus all forms of sensual indulgence are encouraged.
The Jehovah religion alone requires righteousness and purity. (Robert Tuck
B. A.)
Verse 2
And for an homer of barley.
Barley a mean food
Why an “homer of barley”? Because it was a mean food
and
in those times rather the food of beasts than of men. God promised to feed His
people with the finest of the wheat. Feeding with barley signifies the mean
condition in which the Ten Tribes
and afterwards the Jews
should be
till
Christ came to marry them to Himself.
1. They should be in a contemptible condition
they should be valued
at but half the price of a slave.
2. They should be fed but meanly and basely
even as slaves
or
rather as beasts; this homer and a half of barley should be for their
sustenance. This not only referred to the time of their captivity before
Christ
but to all their captivity ever since
and that which they shall endure
until their calling.
Observe--
1. A people who have been high in outward glory
when they depart
from God
make themselves vile and contemptible. God casts contempt on the
wicked who corrupt His worship.
2. Though a people be under contempt
yet God’s heart may be towards
them to do them good in the latter end. The love of God’s election is still on
this people; God remembers them
and yet intends good to them. If there be any
of you whom God has so depressed as to render you contemptible
humble
yourselves before God
but do not despair. Who knows but this was the only way
that God had to bow your hearts? God puts His own people under contempt
and
yet it is all from love to them
and with an intent to do them good at the
last.
3. After many promises of God’s mercy and of a glorious condition
which He intends for His people
He may yet hold a very hard hand over them for
a great while. God takes supreme care that His people shall not grow wanton
with His mercy.
4. Those who will delight their flesh to the full in a sensual use of
the creature
it is just with God that they should be cut short
and made to
live meanly and basely
made to feed on coarse fare.
5. If God will not utterly destroy a people
as He might
but reserve
mercy for them at last
yet they have cause to bless God
though their
subsistence for the present be most mean. It was wont to be a phrase
brown bread
and the Gospel are good fare.
6. It is the way of God to humble those to whom He intends good
to
prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of outward comforts. (Jeremiah
Burroughs.)
God’s dominion over Israel
The prophet’s purchasing the adulteress for so much money is not
to be strained to signify the Lord’s redeeming of His Church
for the price is
given to herself for maintenance and to purchase her goodwill
though she be
His own
in order to a second marriage but it teacheth that as a slave bought
with money is at the buyer’s disposal
so however Israel followed many idols
yet the Lord would prove that He alone had dominion over her
to set her in
what condition He pleased. The price given for her
being but half a servant’s
worth
and half the estimation of a woman
may teach how little worth they are
who despise the Lord and corrupt His worship. The small price
with the barley
joined to it
being little and unfit food
may teach that sensuality provokes
God to send pinching poverty
and that we must be stripped of all things before
we become sensible
and are weaned from our idols. (George Hutcheson.)
Verse 4
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king.
Present condition of the Jews
Into the state here described the Ten Tribes were brought upon
their captivity
and (those only excepted who joined the Two Tribes
or have
been converted to the Gospel) they have ever since remained in it. Into that
same condition the two tribes were brought
after that
by “killing the Son
”
they had “filled up the measure of their father’s” sins
and the second temple
which His presence had hallowed
was destroyed by the Romans. In that condition
they have ever since remained; free from idolatry
and in a state of waiting
for God
yet looking in vain for a Messias
since they had not and would not
receive Him who came unto them. Praying to God
yet without sacrifice for sin.
Not owned by God
yet kept distinct and apart by His providence for a future
yet to be revealed. “No one of their own nation has been able to gather them
together
or to become their king.” Julian the apostate attempted in vain to
rebuild their temple. God interposed by miracles to hinder the effort which
challenged His omnipotence. David’s temporal kingdom has perished
and his line
is lost
because Shiloh
the Peacemaker
is come. The typical priesthood
ceased
in presence of the true “Priest after the order of Melchizedek.” The
line Of Aaron is forgotten
unknown
and cannot be recovered. Sacrifice
the
centre of their religion
has ceased and become unlawful. Still their
characteristic has been to wait. Their prayer as to the Christ has been
“May
He soon be revealed.” Eighteen centuries have flowed by. Their eyes have failed
with looking for God’s promise
whence it is not to be found. Nothing has
changed this character in the mass of the people. Oppressed
released
favoured
despised
or aggrandised;
in East or West; hating Christians
loving to blaspheme Christ
forced (as they
would remain Jews) to explain away the prophecies which speak of Him
deprived
of the sacrifices which
to their forefathers
spoke of Him and His
atonement;--still
as a mass
they blindly wait for Him
the true knowledge of
whom
His offices
His priesthood
and His kingdom
they have laid aside. And
God has been towards them. He has preserved them from mingling with idolaters
or Mahommedans. Oppression has not extinguished them
favour has not bribed
them. He has kept them from abandoning their mangled worship
or the Scripture
which they understand not
and whose true meaning they believe not; they have
fed on the raisin-husks of a barren ritual and unspiritual legalism
since the
Holy Spirit they have grieved away. Yet they exist still
a monument to Us
of
God’s abiding wrath on sin
as Lot’s wife was to them
encrusted
stiff
lifeless
only that we know “the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God
and they that hear shall live.” (E. B. Pusey
D. D.)
Verse 5
And shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.
Goodness producing fear
There are three points here peculiarly worthy of our notice. The
designation which is given to the Gospel dispensation--the “goodness of the
Lord.” The first stage of its development--“in the latter days.” The peculiar
effect which this development was to produce on the feelings and passions of
men--“They shall fear the Lord.” The Gospel dispensation is in itself the
essence
the consummation
the perfection of excellence. It deserves that
appellation because it is the supreme gift
the supreme evidence
and the
supreme instrument of Divine love. Goodness generally excites admiration and gratitude
and obedience
but here it is said that the exhibition of goodness produces
fear. In the first establishment of the Christian dispensation there was
everything calculated to produce fear. The astonishing fall of the Jews. A most
splendid exhibition of Divine power. Expectation that the end of the world was
at hand. The general principle which we consider is--that the goodness of God
in the Gospel is calculated to produce fear. Why?
I. Because this
goodness throws fresh light on the terrors of sin. Fear
philosophically
defined
is this
a painful sensation produced by the apprehension of imminent
danger
and that danger may be the loss of present enjoyment
the fear of
future disappointment
or the infliction of positive injury. But this is not
the fear of our
text. There is in it a holy
reverential
and even pleasing awe
produced in
the mind by the sight of those visions which the goodness of God in the Gospels
unfolds to the mind. When Divine light pierces the darkness of the soul
the
mind sees its guilt
feels its pollution
apprehends its terrific and awful
doom. I much question whether any man has ever been converted without
first of
all
feeling the sensation of fear. It is impossible for any man to be
impressed with the depravity of his own mind unless he is impressed with the
excellence of the Gospel.
II. By the
exhibition of the goodness of the Gospel we see the terrors of sin in the
world. Who is the man that detects
mourns over
and attempts by God’s help to
remove the sin that is in the world?
Surely it is the man who has received this light. Let us be alive to the real
state of things in the world.
III. The goodness of
god in the gospel produces fear because it is an extraordinary act of Jehovah
and arises from absolute sovereignty. If our salvation were in our own hands
why should we fear? If we had a power superior to any power hostile to our
salvation
why should we fear? Or if our salvation depended upon the absolute
justice of God--if God could not have been just without saving us
why should
we fear? But the fact is that God saves us purely and exclusively because He
wishes to do it. The very perfections of the Deity qualify Him to act as a
sovereign. He acts from His own spontaneousness. God might not have exercised any sovereignty in the
way of mercy. The sovereignty of God does real and positive good. But while it
does this good
it leaves the sinner just where he was. There is a real
exercise of the sovereignty in the salvation of man. Let us fear
then
because
our responsibility is awfully augmented. Our gratitude to God ought to
correspond to the character of the blessings which we have received. And our
exertions for the good of others ought to correspond to the value of the
blessings that we enjoy. (Caleb Morris.)
True and worthy fear
It is not a servile fear
not even
as elsewhere
a fear
which makes them shrink back from His awful majesty. It is a fear most opposed
to this; a fear whereby “they shall flee to Him for help
from all that is to
be feared”; a reverent holy awe
which should even impel them to Him; a fear of
losing Him
which should make them hasten to Him. “They shall fear
and wonder
exceedingly
astonied
at the greatness of God’s dealing
or of their now joy.”
Yet they should “hasten tremblingly
” as bearing in memory their past
unfaithfulness and ill deserts
and fearing to approach but for the greater
fear of turning away. Nor do they hasten with this reverent awe and awful joy
to God only
but to His goodness also. His goodness draws them
and to it they
betake themselves
away from all cause of fear
their sins
themselves
the
evil One. Yet even His goodness is a source of awe. How much it contains! All
whereby God is good in Himself
all whereby He is good to us. (E. B. Pusey
D. D.)
Fear to the Lord
I shall speak of the fear of God here only as it concerns this
place. It is introduced here to show that when this glorious Church shall be
formed
when God shall call home His own people the Jews
and bring in the
fulness of the Gentiles
then shall the fear of God mightily prevail upon the
hearts of the people; and the greater God’s goodness shall be
the more shall
the fear of God be on their hearts. It is remarkable that almost all the
prophecies which speak of the glorious condition of the Church ever make mention
of the fear of God that should rest then on the hearts of the people. One would
rather think that there should be a reference to the joy they would have. But
why fear the Lord in these times?
1. Because of the glory of Christ their King. They shall behold their
King in glory that shall cause fear.
2. Because of the great works of God that shall then take place.
3. Because the holiness and purity of the worship of God and of His
ordinances shall cause fear.
4. Because the holiness of the saints
appearing brightly in their
very faces and conversations
shall Strike great fear. Surely when the saints
shall be exalted in their holiness
when every one of them shall have their
souls filled with God
it will cause abundance of fear in the hearts of all those
who shall even converse with them. But the wicked shall fear too
as well as
the saints. “Men’s hearts shall fail them for fear
” shall be verified in these
days
as it was in the destruction of Jerusalem. The saints shall fear the Lord
and His goodness. The goodness of God which in that day they shall fear
shall
be this--
Israel’s conversion
1. Albeit that Israel as a nation hath been
and yet is
rejected and
lost
yet they will certainly return to God. This we should long and pray for.
2. As true repentance and conversion will appear in men’s being
sensible of their great distance from God
and in their seeking to make up this
distance
so all this is a sweet and blessed fruit of affliction.
3. The covenant standeth still to be forthcoming for apostates
when
they repent and turn to God
renouncing false ways and worship.
4. There is no right seeking of God
nor finding Him
or the comforts
of the Covenant
but through Christ
whom converted Israel shall acknowledge
and embrace.
5. The conversion will appear in its constancy and perseverance
and
particularly in the converts entertaining a holy fear and awe of God.
6. As God is always good to His own people
whatever they may think
to the contrary
so much of His goodness will be manifested in the time of that
life from the dead
when all Israel shall be saved.
7. The goodness of God will not make a true convert presumptuous
but
will be unto him matter of reverence and holy fear and trembling.
8. Albeit Israel be long in gathering and converting
yet we are
firmly to believe that
before time end
it will certainly come to pass; for
all this shall be in the latter days. (George Hutcheson.)
Fearing the Lord’s goodness
“Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance.”
I. There is much
that men do not know.
II. One thing that
men do not know is the goodness of God. Goodness is a comprehensive term. God
saw creation
and pronounced it “good.” Goodness includes beneficence
forbearance
patience. It may be likened to a rich flowing river
or to the sun
shedding light and warmth all around. But goodness is not the thing that most
strikes men in God. But it should be. It may be seen everywhere.
1. Trace it in Scripture story. Life of Jacob. Tale of the
wanderings. Time of captivity. Life of Jesus.
2. See it in gracious providences. Winter snows. Summer storms.
Autumn harvests.
3. See it in individual experiences. If we read the story of our
lives aright
we shall be able to trace everywhere upon us the “good hand of
our God for good.” But is this man’s chief thought of God? Is it not rather the
Gospel which has to be declared? Is not this the surprising
melting
persuading Gospel
whose chief rays fall from Christ crucified?
III. If men did but
know the goodness of God they would feel the holy fear and hear the call to
repentance. Men either find a sort of excuse in persisting that God is a God of
wrath and judgment
or they presume on His goodness
and say that He will take
no notice of sin. Spite of this
the mightiest of all moral forces is goodness.
It is mother’s power. It is Christ’s power. It melts
draws
wins. But it is
goodness not in the abstract. It is goodness brought home to us. “Who loved me
and gave Himself for me.” Goodness says
“Repent.” Is that hard? Nay
it is but
the first step on the way to trust
love
and life eternal. God’s new goodness
seems to freshen the sense of His lifelong goodness
and of His saving goodness
until the
cords of God seem to be all about us
and it becomes evident that He is
graciously leading us to Himself. (Robert Tuck
B. A.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》