An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 13 · Verse 3 – Verse 4
VER. 3.
Therefore they ſhall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew it paſſeth away; as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the ſmoke out of the chimny.
HERE are four Elegant ſimilitudes to fet forth Ephraims weak vaniſhing condition, Gods power Expoſ.over them, the ſwiftneſs of the puniſhment, the violence of it, and his utter deſolation, ſo that his place ſhall not be found.
1. A cloud.] Ephraim was riſen, ſeemed to threaten great things, overcaſt the leaves [like a cloud] but upon the brightneſs of Gods Juſtice appearing, all was diſpelled. Their righteouſneſs (chap. 6.) was as a cloud and dew [now they ſhall be ſo themſelves.]
2. Dew] The dew it ſeems to beſpangle the graſs; but the Sun riſing, it is ſoon dried up. Ephraims eſtate was beautiful, but the heat of Gods wrath conſumes all preſently.
3. The Chaff.] The word ſignifies the ſmalleſt of the chaff, the duſt of the chaff-heap, and that abroad where foreign Gluma palea temiſſimatheir floors were, and a whirlwind coming upon it, Pſal. 35 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord chaſe them.
Oh! Many when they begin to be unſetled, to be going the Angel of God as a meſſenger of wrath drives them on apace to Obſ.miſery.
4. Smoke.] The ſmoke out of the chimney, it ſeems to darken the Heavens but preſently, it is ſcattered. The words ſignifies a chink or hole: Becauſe in Judea there were not ſuch chimnies as we now adaies uſe, but as it were windows, or open places in the upper part of the houſe, or in the wall, as it is this day in Norway, and Swethland, ſaith a Learned Interpreter upon the *foreign Significat Foramen, in Judaeâ non fuerūt tables camini, qualibus nos hodie ultimur, ſed Feueſtrae ſuperiore parte domus, vel in pavicte, quemadmodum bodie in Norwegiâ, & Sueciâ, Tar…ov, in loc.place. We may note hence.
The vanity of proud men. Here God compares them to Obſ.ſuch mean vile things, perſons that heretofore were ſo lofty. So 1 King. 14. 10. Jeroboam's houſe is threatned to be deſtroyed, as a man takes away dung till it be gone.
Why ſhould wicked men be feared who are thus before Uſe.the Lord. Do not bleſs you ſelves in any proſperity, never think your ſelves ſetled; for when you are in the moſt proſperous ſetled way, yet are ye but as the cloud, yea, as the dew, the chaff, the ſmoke.
VER. 4.
Yet I am the Lord thy God from the Land of Egypt, and thou ſhalt have no gods but Me, there is no other Savior beſides me.
THIS is ſpoken firſt by way of aggravation of their Expoſ. 1.ſin; as if he ſhould ſay: you have thus provoked me, notwithſtanding I am the Lord thy God. I have done very great things for you and for your forefathers: Yet,
It's very evil to ſin againſt great works of mercy, wherein Obſ.the hand of God hath appeared plainly. When we do any thing for another wherein we think we might gain him to our ſelves for ever, and he yet—this is very grievous.
2. It is ſpoken by way of encouragement. Yet I continue Expoſ. 2.to be the Lord thy God, I am ready to ſhew thee the like mercy ſtill. This is to break their hearts, and to provoke them to come in to the Lord. He ſpeaks to an Apoſtate people; as if he ſhould ſay; Were you yet what you ſometimes ſeemed to be, Oh how gracious ſhould I be to you! I am yet what ever I ſeemed to be to you, why are you ſo perverſe and untoward towards me? Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindneſs of thy youth, the love of thine eſpouſals, when thou wenteſt after me in the wilderneſs, in a Land that was not ſowen
I am the Lord thy God.] This ſhould have been a ſtrong Expoſ. 3argument to obedience. When the will of God is once known (ſaith Luther) we are no further to diſpoſe of See Luth. in Gen. 27.Rights, becauſe neither Parents, neither Lords and Maſters have this Title, I am the Lord thy God.
From the Land of Egypt.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Expoſ. 4.what a caſe had you been in, if I had not delivered you out of Egypt, from the Iron furnace, a low, baſe imployment? ye had been bond-ſlaves, there you might have ſpent your daies in ſorrow and trouble. Conſider firſt your low eſtate. 2. How your ſtrength might have been ſpent. 3 When this anguiſh was upon you what crying to me [and my delivering of you.] Hence note, that,
Deliverance from Egypt is a great note of Gods being our Obſ.God.
Q But how doth this concern us?
A. Yes, There is a ſpiritual Egypt from which we have been delivered, as the Apoſtle makes uſe (1 Cor. 57. &c) of the paſchal Lamb in a ſpiritual ſenſe: The power, ſeverity, and holineſs of God appears in the delivery of his people from Egypt; ſo alſo of us from Antichriſt, as Revel. 15. 2, 3. the Church is brought in ſinging the ſong of Moſes (which the children of Iſrael ſung for their deliverance from Pharaob) for its deliverance from Antichriſt. Pharaoh was the Dragon in the waters, Pſal. 74. 13, 14. ſo is Antichriſt. The City of Zurick engraved the yeer of their deliverance from Antichriſt, upon Pillars in letters of Gold. —Thou ſhall know no God but me.Text
That is, Effectually acknowledg, worſhip, ſerve, love Expoſ.God as a God, and no other. Hence note,
That the end of Gods great work is, That he may be known to Obſ.be a God, A ſincere, gracious, holy One. The knowing God to be a God is a ſpecial part of that Worſhip that is due to God.
To acknowledg God to be God, is to know him in his Excellency, Majeſty, & Glory, above what is known of him by the light of Nature.
This cannot but have a mighty operation upon the heart. For,
To know God to be a God is, 1. To know him to be What it is to know God.the Firſt being of all. 2. The Infinit, Al▪ ſufficient God. 3 The Fountain of all good to his Saints.
1 This muſt needs gain the heart to him. 2 There is no worſhip of God where this is not. 3 Where this is all follows. 4 The right knowledg of God keeps from falſe worſhip. Gal. 4. 9. Since you know God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye to the weak and beggerly elements of the world? [See the Jewiſh way of Ceremonial worſhip]—Thou ſhalt know no God but me. This is the firſt Commandement, of which Luther ſaith, All flows from that great Ocean of the firſt Commandement, and again return thither. We ſee the Prophets to be moſt exerciſed in the uſe of the firſt Commandement. Hence note,
It is not good to know Idolaters worſhip at all: [for this is Obſ. 1.ſpoken in the Text by way of oppoſition: Thou ſhalt know no God but me, that is, Thou ſhalt be acquainted with no other worſhip, according to that in Deut. 12. 30. Thou ſhalt not enquire how theſe Nations worſhiped their gods]
Therefore for thoſe that are not grounded (And who is ſo grounded if it be againſt the precept of God?) not to go to ſee it.
Again, Nothing ſhould be known or acknowledged to have Obſ. 2.any good in it, but with an infinite diſtance between it and God, for ſo the words alſo imply, Thou ſhalt know no God but me, i. e. Nothing but with infinite difference from me, as much as between God and the Creature, There is none like to thee, ſaith the Pſalmiſt (Pſal. 89. 6. 8. and other places) there is an infinite diſtance between God and every Creature. We may know Creatures as Creatures, but nothing as God, but God.
We ſhould know God and acknowledg God when we are in miſery and ſtraits. So the Church, Iſa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hideſt thy ſelf, O God of Iſrael, the Savior. Many in time of proſperity will know God, and acknowledg him; but when troubles come, they change their thoughts. —There is no Savior beſides me.Text
Hence note, That God delights to manifeſt himſelf a God Obſ. 1.in the way of ſalvation. Jer. 14. 8. O hope of Iſrael, the SAVIOR thereof in the time of trouble. Iſa. 60. 16. Thou ſhalt ſuck the milk of the Gentiles, and ſhalt ſuck the breaſt of Kings, and thou ſhalt know that I the Lord am thy SAVIOR, and they Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Chap. 63. 1. Who is this, that cometh from Edom?—I that ſpeak in righteouſneſs, mighty to SAVE. And Act. 5. 31. ſpeaking of Chriſt, Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a SAVIOR, for to give repentance to Iſrael and remiſſion of ſins. There is his Glory, and there ſhould ours be alſo. He might manifeſt himſelf a God in our ruin.
Again note, That ſaving mercies, are great mercies.Obſ. 2. Obſ. 3.
Thirdly, Though God does more for us than any, yet he hath not ſo much from us.
Fourthly, No Creature can do us any good further than Obſ. 4.God gives a ſaving power unto it.
Fifthly, Our faith ſhould be exerciſed on God as a Savior, Obſ. 5.as ſuch a Savior as none but he. Be ſtrong in the Lord (ſaith the Apoſtle Epheſ. 6. 10.) and in the power of his might; if our dangers are more than any; yet, our Savior is more than any alſo, 2 Sam. 22. 4. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praiſed, ſo ſhall I be ſaved from mine Enemies.
Sixthly, God muſt be acknowledged in all ſalvation. Pſal. Obſ. 6.106. 21. They forget God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.
We ſhould make uſe of all his ſaving mercies, to engage our hearts to him. For, 1. God ſaves from ſuch evils as none The Excellency of Gods ſaving.elſe can. 2. He ſaves ſome from as great or greater than ever he hath. 3. God ſaves from all evil. 4. Without means. 5. Above means. 6. Contrary to means. 7. None ſaves but by him. There is no God elſe beſides me, a juſt God and a Savior, there is none beſide me. 8. God ſaves in all kind of waies of ſaving. See 2 Sam. 22. and Pſal. 18.
But will he be ſuch a Savior to me, in my condition?Queſt.
Yes, He expreſſes himſelf thus in the midſt of threats, Anſw.in that place of Iſaiah now cited, and adds verſ. 22, Look unto me and be ye ſaved, all the ends of the earth; even then when he threatens, look up to him as a Savior above all. God magnifies this his Title every day to ſome in one kind, to ſome in another: Time is coming when he will magnifie this to all together ſaving them from all evil.
Though God does us more good than any, yet for our Obſ. 1.hearts not to be with him as with other things, this is vile.
Happy are they who have an intereſt in this God; if Obſ. 2.we have intereſt but in one man that is able to do us good we bleſs our ſelves in it.
We are never ſafe but when our peace is made with Obſ. 3.God.
Unleſs you pray to God as a God, having all power Obſ. 4.to ſave, you pray to an Idol, Iſa. 45. 20. They have no knowledg that ſet up the wood of their graven Images, and pray unto a God that cannot ſave.
Then is God acknowledged as God, and worſhiped as a God, Obſ. 5.when he is acknowledged and truſted in as a Savior. It is not to ſay God is our God; but to rely on him as a Savior.