An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 4 · Verse 16
Verſe 16.
For Iſrael ſlideth back as a back-ſliding heiſer.
Here firſt Iſrael, the ten Tribes, is compared to a heifer, and to a back-ſliding heifer. A heifer,Heifer. that …red the wantonneſs of Iſrael. And here is one argument why Judah muſt not offend a… Iſrael doth, let not Judah offend as Iſrael doth, for Iſrael as … back ſl…ding h…ifer Iſrael through his ſin hath … to be a vile, a wanton heifer, but the emblem of Judah is to be a Lyon, Gen. 49.9. Judah is a Lyons whelp, he ſtooped down, he couched as a Lyon, and as an old Lyon; who ſhall rouſe him up? It is true that Judah ſhould not refuſe the yoke thorough wantonneſs and perverſneſs, but through a magnanimous ſpirit, he ſhould not be willing to be brought under the yoke of bondage. Iſrael is as a heifer that through wantonneſs doth refuſe to be brought under the yoke, but let not Judah do thus, for Judah is as a Lyon, and although Judah be a Lyon, yet he ſhould come under Gods command, to be ſubject unto him; but when it comes to be in bondage unto men and that in matters of Religion, Judah ſhould have a magnanimous ſpirit, a Lyon like ſpirit and ſhould caſt off the yoke of men in that regard, Let not Judah be like Iſrael; Judah is as a Lyon, Iſrael as a heifer.
And the word that is tranſlated back-ſliding, commeth of foreign foreignIt ſignifies perverſneſs as well as backſliding. It is tranſlated in Scripture ſtubborneſs, rebellion, as in that place of Duteronomy about the ſtubborn and rebellious child,Expoſit. there is the ſame word that is here, and many other Scriptures might be ſhewen how this word is taken otherwiſe than here for back-ſliding: Iſrael is a ſtubborn, a rebellious, a perverſe people, therefore let not Judah be ſo. And I find the Seventy tranſlate it thus, foreign. Iſrael, the ten Tribes, they were like a ſtung Bullock, Juvenca oeſtro percita, as if ſo be they had by a kind of witchery, or by the byting of ſome venemous thing been put into a fury or madneſs; that is the force of the word according to the tranſlation of the Seventy, they tranſlate it (I ſay) by ſuch a word whereby they would ſignifie that Iſrael was not now like a Heifer only wanton, but like a Heifer that was bit with ſome venemous thing, and ran up and down like a mad thing. There is a great deal of difference between the wantoneſs of a beaſt, and a beaſt that runs up and down in a fury and madneſs as being bit with a maddog. Thus this people was. Ephraim goeth on madly: As many wicked men go on in waies aparantly againſt light and conſcience, and againſt the Word, though they know it will prove to be their eternal ruin and deſtruction, Conſcience tels them ſo, yet they go on in a madneſs violently in a rage even down to the pit. This was Ephraims condition here
And that which made Ephraim do ſo, it was his proſperity. Reaſ. Ephraim was grown proſperous and had plenty of food, was fed full and large, and that made them go on in ſuch a fury and rage in the waies of wickedneſs and ſin. That was now fulfilled of Ephraim that was propheſied of him Deut. 32.15. Thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatneſs; then he forſ…ok God which made him, and lightly eſteemed the Ro…k of his ſalvation. NoteOh when a people is waxen fat and grown proſperous, then they kick and ſpurn and forſake God that made them, and lightly eſteem the Rock of their ſalvation; God and his Truth and his Saints and his Ordinances, they are nothing with them, they lightly eſteem them, why? becauſe they are waxen fat, they are in their proſperity.Applic. You ſhall have many men upon their ſick beds highly eſteem of the Miniſters of God and of the waies of God and of his word and worſhip, and then, Oh ſend for ſuch and ſuch to come to us; but when they are in proſperity they lightly eſteem God and all that concerns God. This was the condition of Ephraim. Where have you a man almoſt but if God let him proſper, except he come in with abundance of his grace, but he grows wanton in his proſperity? Judah was almoſt in the ſame way, though here the Lord would not have Judah to be like Ephraim as a wanton heifer ſpurning and kicking with the heel, yet it appears in Jer. 2.24. that Judah was not much unlike them, Judah is there compared to a wild Aſs uſed to the wilderneſs, that ſnuffeth up the wind at her pleaſure, all they that ſeek her will not weary themſelves, but ſaies God, in her month they ſhall find her; take her when ſhe is full of ſpirit and ſtrength and there is no dealing with her, but in her month, when ſhe is more weakened then they ſhall find her; So many men, take them at ſome times when they are in the ruff of their pride and proſperity, there is no dealing with them, but when God hath tamed them by affliction then you may talk with them and then they will hear you.
Iſrael is as a back-ſliding heifer.] The word that is tranſlated heiſer here, it is in the feminine gender, though it is ſpoken of the ten Tribes, becauſe being ſtubborn and raging mad in wickedneſs, though they did ſeem to themſelves and others to be of brave ſpirits, yet the Lord looks upon them as people of baſe and effeminate ſpirits, of poor and weak ſpirits. There is none that are ſtubborn and proud but they think themſelves to be of more than ordinary ſpirits, they are the only brave ſpirits;Obſer. but the Lord looks upon thoſe that are ſtubborn and proud as baſe and weak ſpirits, and therefore ſpeaks of them here in the feminine gender.
Now the Lord will feed them as a Lamb in a large place.
I find ſome, Mercer and Vatablus, they would carry it thus: Lautè ut Agnus paſtus, mox mactatur. As a Lamb when it hath large food it is ſoon ſlain, ſo God threatneth Ephraim here that he will ſoon make an end of them, only he will let them proſper for a while and feed them largely, but it ſhal be for the ſlaughter. Many men that are fed largely and are in their proſperity, they think themſelves bleſſed, God intends them only for the ſlaughter; But I think that is not the meaning of the place,Obſer. they ſhall be fed as a Lamb. But thus,
As a Lamb.] They are as a heifer raging mad, but I will make them as a Lamb, I will bring ſuch affliction upon them as that I will tame the pride of their hearts. Have you not ſeen experiences of this kind? did you never ſee a ruffianly, blaſphemous, proud, ſtubborn ſpirit, when the hand of God was upon them, tamed?
Fed as a Lamb.] Parce ac tenuiter, not fed as a heifer, that noted their proſperity, but fed as a lamb, that notes their adverſity, for the food of a lamb differs from the food of a heifer, that which will feed a lamb will ſtarve a heifer. Now ſaith God, they have been proud and wanton by their proſperity, but now they ſhall have ſhort Commons, I will bring them down, I will lay them low, they ſhall be but as a lamb that picks up the graſs in the wilderneſs.
As a lamb in a large place.] That is, diſperſed among the Countries, amongſt the Aſſyrians and Medes in their captivity, which was a very large Countrey. They, would not be ſatisfied with Canaan (which was a narrower Countrey) and with that Sheep-fold of mine that was there, they ſhall have more room ſaith God, they ſhall go into a large place, but it ſhall be into their captivity.
Or rather, which I conceive to be the full ſcope of the holy Ghoſt in theſe words, I will feed them as a lamb in a large place, That is, as a lamb that ſhall be alone; one lamb, he ſpeaks of a lamb ſingly, becauſe they ſhall be ſcattered. They had ſociety and might have made good uſe of their ſociety where it was, but they did not regard to make good uſe of it, to edifie themſelves in the fear of God, they ſhall be ſcattered one in one place and another in another, and they ſhall be as a lamb alone in the wilderneſs, ſuccourleſs, helpleſs, ſhiftleſs, bleating up and down in the wilderneſs, in the wide vaſt wilderneſs, and none to have any regard unto them.ſimile As now if you ſhould ſee one poor lamb in a vaſt wilderneſs, in a mighty great heath, and in a wilderneſs where there are a great many Wolves that are ready to devour it, and there is no body neer it, no ſhepheard to look after it, none that regard it, but it goes bleating up and down alone and none takes any care of it; what will become think you of this lamb? what a ſuccourleſs condition is it in? So ſaith God, they have been wanton heifers, but I wil feed them as a lamb in a large place, their condition ſhall be juſt thus, they ſhall be carried into captivity and there they ſhall be bleating and howling and crying out, and in danger of Wolves, but there ſhall be no body to regard them and ſuccour them. It is a great deal ſafer for a lamb to be in the flock though it be more pind in, than to be thus alone in a large place. We love our liberty,Obſer. and we may have liberty enough, but this our liberty may prove to be our miſery. To keep within the compaſs of Gods commands is the beſt liberty of all, as David profeſſeth Pſal. 119. Then ſhall I have liberty, when I keep all thy commandments. As for all other liberty it will certainly bring us into ſtraightneſs, therefore Rom. 2.4, 5. where tribulation and anguiſh is threatned to be upon the head of every one that worketh wickedneſs, the word tranſlated anguiſh is ſtraightneſs of place, they ſhall have ſtraightneſs of place; you would have elbow room and would fain get out of Gods limits: though God may for a time let you have ſuch liberty, yet the concluſion will be anguiſh of ſpirit.Applic. Oh my brethren there is largeneſs, there is room enough in God, our ſouls may expatiate themſelves in God, we need go no further for liberty, If we would have liberty out of God out of his bounds, our liberty will prove our undoing and utter deſtruction.ſociety of Saints to be improved. Let us make much then of the to ſociety of the Saints while we are not yet through Gods mercy ſcattered up and down in other Countries as ſome of our brethren have been, though thorough Gods mercy ſome in ſtrange Countries have met with Gods fold, and have been in Gods fold there, but others have been ſcattered about and have walked up and down in the ſtreets and have known no body, and have had none to help them in any ſtrait; but now we may meet together, we may be in Gods fold and have our hearts refreſhed, we may go into our families and pray together and ſing together; Our condition is not yet as it is here threatned againſt Iſrael, that they ſhould be as a lamb in a large place bleating up and down and none to regard them. If one ſhould be in ſome parts of Germany and there ſee an Engliſh man in ſome great ſtraight,ſimile wring his hands and making grievous complaints, and no body ſuccouring of him or helping him, there he remembers what he hath been in England, in what faſhion he hath lived, and now there is none regards him, this were a ſad condition. This is the condition here threatned, They ſhall be fed as a lamb in a large place.