An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 12 · Verse 13
VER. 13.
And by a Prophet the Lord brought Iſrael out of Egypt: and by a Prophet was he preſerved.
STILL the Prophet goes on in ſhewing their meanneſs in their Anceſtors, your Father Jacob was thus Cohaerancemean, a poor exile, he was fain to ſerve thus for his Wife: It's true, Joſeph was a while in proſperity, but when Joſeph was dead, all your Anceſtors then they were in Egypt as miſerable bondſlaves; they were there as bondſlaves, and how ſhould they get out? there was no way in the world, Pharaoh a mighty King, they had no friends abroad, nor no Armies to help themſelves, only a Prophet, God ſent them a Prophet, Moſes, and what was this Prophet? one that had been a poor Shepheard for forty yeers together in the Wilderneſs, and when this Prophet was to go into Egypt to be a deliverer of them, was it ever like that he ſhould be the man? in Exod. 4. 20. the text ſaith, He took his Wife, and his Sons and ſet them upon an Aſs, we reade but of one Beaſt that he Moſes his low condition.had, and ſo he went into Egypt in a mean and low condition, and when he came there he was not owned, and we never read that Moſes did declare who he was, and the children of Iſrael would not own him, and Pharaoh begun to buſl… and would not let Iſrael go; how ſhould this one Moſes deliver them? nay, their bondage did encreaſe when Moſes came unto them, Yet by a Prophet (the text ſaith) the Lord brought Iſrael out of Egypt, and by a Prophet was he preſerved. This was a mighty work of God to bring Iſrael out of Egypt by a Prophet, and to preſerve them in the Wilderneſs; and be the way there is on uſeful Note, you reade in Exod. 38. 26. There was ſix hundred thouſand, and three thouſand five hundred and fifty males from twenty yeers old and upwards. And in Numb. 1. 46. that was the ſecond yeer after they went out from Egypt, and there you ſhall find that there was juſt ſo many, beſides Levi, after God had taken Levi for himſelf to be his portion, thereby God would ſhew that none ſhould loſe any Obſ.thing that they did for him. How often when men have been willing to give any thing to God, God hath made it up in one yeer? (but that by the way.)
This that I bring this for, it is, To ſhew the great work of God, that by a Prophet he brings ſuch a number out of Egypt, and he preſerves them in the Wilderneſs, uſes no means for their preſervation, for the guiding of them which way they ſhould go, but a mean Prophet; for the providing water for them, for the providing meat for them, for the providing of cloathes for them, for the defending of them againſt their Enemies, that they ſhould not come and deſtroy them; when they were in any danger, to help them; when they were ſtung by the Serpents, to ſhew them what they ſhould do to heal them, and to keep them all in peace that they ſhould not mutiny one againſt another; To compoſe all their differences, this Prophet had the great ſtroke in all theſe things, this was the mighty work of God towards them.
He doth not ſay, he brought them out of Egypt, but by a Prophet he brought them out of Egypt, and by a Prophet Reaſon of the Text.was he preſerved.
This was firſt to ſhew their very low and mean condition, 1.that they had no ſuccor nor help in the ſight of humane reaſon, humane reaſon could no way help them, they had none but a poor Prophet.
Secondly, It was to ſhew this, That God in their deliverance 2.would appear himſelf, and would work ſuch a glorious work by his own hand.
Thirdly, It was to upbraid this people that Hoſea did 3.preach unto at this time, for the abuſe of his Prophets, there was a time (ſaith he) a Prophet ſtood you in ſtead, now you care not for the Prophets, they may ſpeak what they will, but you care not for them; but there was a time that a Prophet ſtood you in ſtead, how ever ſtout and proud you are now. I find divers Interpreters obſerve this, and among the Ancients eſpecially Cyril of Alexandria hath it, ſhewing how Inſtrumental a Prophet had been after good unto them. Had not God bleſſed the Cyril.endeavors of a Prophet for good unto your forefathers, where had you been at this day?
Firſt note, That the conſideration of the ſhiftleſs eſtate of Obſ. 1.our Anceſtors ſhould humble us much: And if the conſideration of our Anceſtors ſhould humble us thus, how much more when we conſider of our own ſhiftleſs eſtate. Oh! lately, how ſhiftleſs were we! And the truth is, though Applied to England.there were Armies raiſed, yet God would not ſo much look at them, but rather look'd at his Prophets, and his Servants; the praying people were the main and principal means that did help us in that condition, and this ſhould humble us, we ſhould take heed of growing haughty and proud when we are delivered, conſidering how ſhiftleſs we were but a little while ago; and therefore if now we have gotten peace, and proſperity we think is coming in, take heed of pride now, look back to that ſhiftleſs, poor condition that you were in a little while ago.
Secondly, God ſhews here mercy to his people by a Prophet, that notes this, That when God works great things Obſ. 2.for his Church, his way is to work it by very ſmal means, little means God uſes when he intends the greateſt mercies to his Church. Gods deliverance of his people from Egypt it was a type of the deliverance of his Churches to the end of the world from their bondage and afflictions, and God ſends them a Prophet, and he muſt deliver them. Though God did it, yet God puts it upon the Prophet as the great Inſtrumental means for their help, God takes delight in this, when he doth good to his people, not to make uſe of ſuch great means, as when he doth work his own ends other waies towards other people; when Difference of God's working for his People, and for others.God intends good towards other people he will do it in a more natural way, by natural means; but when he comes to work good for his own, he will do it in a more ſupernatural way: For mercies are ſo much the ſweeter by how much the more God is in them; ſo much the Reaſ. 1.more as we ſee the finger of God in a mercy, ſo much the ſweeter it is. And above all things the Lord accounts 2.himſelf glorified in his peoples depending upon him in the want of all means, the Lord accounts this his Glory, that he may be an object of the reſt of the ſouls of his people, that when they are in any ſtraights, in any afflictions, that yet they can look upon God as an object for their reſt, and can ſay, My ſoul, return unto thy reſt.
Oh conſider of this you that are the Servants of God, Uſe.when you are in ſtraits and difficulties, remember this Note, That God accounts it to be the great glory that he rejoyces in, the ſpecial glory of his Name that his Servants ſhall make him in their ſtrai…s to be the reſt of their ſouls, and this is the reaſon why he hath uſed to work ſo much good for his people by ſuch poor and weak means as he hath done.
Thirdly, It is a great aggravation of mens ſins, if they Obſ. 3.grow naught and wicked after God hath in a more than ordinary manner appeared for their good. If then they grow naught and wicked when God hath appeared from Heaven for their good, and wrought beyond all natural means, and ſet them upon their legs again and delivered them, it much aggravates their ſins.
Fourthly, which is a principal thing that I verily beleeve Obſ. 4.the holy Ghoſt aim'd at in this place, and that is this, That the Unkindneſs to, and Abuſe of ſuch as have reference, Let ſome note this now, as others had cauſe to note it formerly.though but in a way of ſucceſſion unto ſuch as God hath uſed to be Inſtruments of our deliverance, is a very great evil, (that's the Note) By a Prophet the Lord brought them out of Egypt, and by a Prophet he preſerved them▪ and what, do you abuſe them now, and are ſo much againſt them?
Divers good things God hath done for his People by Prophets, As by Moſes here, ſo afterwards by Samuel, and Eliah, and Eliſha; great things in the matters of State Note.God had done for this People by Prophets, and therfore he takes it very ill that they ſhould ſo abuſe and ſlight the Prophets as they did.The aggravations of this ſin. 1. 2.
This ſhews, for people to do thus, 1. A baſe levite of ſpirit: 2. An abominable ingratitude of ſpirit, and vile injuſtice, and God will avenge theſe things. We have a notable Scripture in Judg. 8. 34, 35. and in Judg. 9. 16. In the 8. Chapter of Judges, you reade there, how God charges the People; And it came to paſs aſſoon as Gideon was dead, that the Children of Iſrael turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god; and the Children of Iſrael remembred not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies on every ſide: neither ſhewed they kindneſs to the houſe of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodneſs which he had ſhewed unto Iſrael. Gideon had been a famous Inſtrument of good to Iſrael, that they received forty years proſperitie by him, but aſſoon as he was gone, the people went a whoring from God, and then they were unkind towards his poſteritie; ſo you find in Chap. 9. Verſ. 16. All the men of Shechem gathered themſelves together; and all the houſe of Millo, and went and made Abimelech King. And one of Gideon's Sons goes and expoſtulates the matter with them, and tels them the Parable of the Trees that did deſire a King, but ſaith Jotham to them afterwards in the 19. Verſ. If ye have dealt truly and ſincerely with Jerubbaal, and with his houſe this day, then rejoyce in Abimelech, and let him alſo rejoyce in you: but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the houſe of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the houſe of Millo, and devour Abimelech. As if he ſhould have ſaid, God will avenge this: What, did God make my Father an Inſtrument of ſo great good to you, and do you ſo ill requite all his kindneſs and ſervice that he did for you? The Lord judg, and if it be ſo indeed as now I charge you, let this be a manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure, That fire come from Abimelech, &c. As if he ſhould ſay, Do not think that you can have peace and quiet in ſuch kind of waies as you are in, you think you have provided well for your ſelves in ſetting up of Abimelech, and now you bleſs your ſelves; We ſhal have peace, and go on and be quiet; Oh no, the diſpleaſure of God will go on and purſue you, and there wil be a fire among your ſelves, and it's juſt with God that it ſhould be ſo, for this ingratitude of yours towards thoſe that have bin ſo inſtrumental for your good. The Scripture holds out this, that this is one way for God to avenge himſelf upon a People that ſhall be ungrateful to ſuch as have been inſtrumental for good to them, that they ſhall have a perverſe A perverſe ſpirit, the puniſhment of ingratitude.ſpirit mingled among themſelves, that when they think to provide for their own eaſe and peace, they ſhall have a fire mingled among themſelves, ſo as in the concluſion to devour themſelves. Theſe people were very zealous for Gideon in Judg. 8 22. when God had delivered them, they came to Gideon and ſaid unto him, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy ſon, and thy ſon's ſon alſo: they made great promiſes, Oh how were the people affected! Come, Rule over us, thou, and thy ſon, and thy ſon's ſon, &c.
Oh! we were in a dangerous condition, and were like to have been in a perpetual bondage under our enemies, but God hath ſtirred up thee, and bleſt thee, and therefore thou, and thy ſon, and thy ſon's ſon ſhall rule over us: they were mightily affectd with this mercy of God when it was freſh, but preſently after you ſhall find they were off, and forgot what an Inſtrument of God Gideon had been unto them, and required the poſterity of Gideon as ill as if he had been one of their greateſt enemies.
Oh my brethren, this is a ſore and grievous evil, the Lord cannot endure ingratitude. And thus much for the 13. Verſe. It follows;