An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 12
VER 12.
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth; and to the houſe of Judah as rottenneſs.
GOD made a great difference between Judah and Iſrael;Why Ephraim and Judah coupled. but they joyned in the ſame waies of ſin, and God coupleth them in the ſame way of wrath: Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the houſe of Judah as rottenneſs.
Therefore] Why? wherefore? It hath reference unto the words we ſpake of the laſt day [they willingly followed the commandement] Becauſe they followed the unlawful commands of Jeroboam and his Princes, Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth: That for Ephraim.
And it is like the ſame cauſe might be for the rottenneſs God would be unto Judah. Had they reſiſted the unlawful commands of thoſe that were above them in power: They thought there might have been ſome diſturbance in the State, Oh it is better for us to obey, to be quiet, that we may be at peace; but in the mean time while they, to free themſelves from ſome diſturbance and to enjoy their own quiet, would obey unlawful commands, the ſecret curſe of God was upon their eſtates: Therefore (ſaith the Lord) will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the houſe of Judah as rottenneſs. A ſecret curſe there was upon that peace ſo procured.
In the opening of theſe words, and preſenting the mind of God unto you in them, there are theſe Five or Six things to be done.
1. The reading of the words.
2. The ſcope of the words, what it is that God aimeth at in them.
3. The reaſon of the difference of the expreſſion, A moth to Ephraim, and rottenneſs to Judah.
4. When this was, what time this referreth to, when was God a moth to Iſrael and rottenneſs unto Judah?
5. How and in what reſpects God may be ſaid to be a moth and rottenneſs to a people.
6. The ſeveral obſervations to be drawn from it.
All this is neceſſary for the opening of this twelfth verſe.
1. Reading.For the firſt then, The reading of the words. The Seventy reade the words a little different from this reading of ours in the Engliſh,foreign. foreign. Conturbatio ac ſtimulus, I will be a trouble unto Ephraim and a prick unto Judah. I will trouble, prick, goad them, I will vex them. The bleſſed God who is a reſt unto His people; He is a trouble, a prick, and goad to vex His enemies, to vex the ungodly. The old Latin,foreign ſicut tinea, & ſicut putredo. Munſter, Leo Iuda. Druſius. L…her Plini. and ſo Hi…rom readeth it thus, Ego tanquam tinea Ephraiim, I will be as a moth unto Ephraim; he readeth the firſt as we do in our books: but the ſecond, Quaſi & putredo domni Juda. Others as Munſter, Leo Juda, Druſius, render it, quaſi teredimis. Teredo is a worm that eateth out the heart of the ſtrongeſt wood. Minutiſſimus vermiculus, ſaith Luther upon the place; And Plini ſaith it is the worm that breeds in Ships at Sea, and eateth out the heart of the ſtrongeſt Oake… plancks at Sea: but yet often tranſlated rottenneſs, becauſe the worm cauſeth that wood to be rotten. Prov. 12.4. A vertuous woman is a crown to her husband ſaith the text, but ſhe that makes aſhamed, is rottenneſs to his bones: There is the ſame word, a woman whoſe behavior is ſuch in company as makes aſhamed, is rottenneſs to a mans bones, be they never ſo ſtrong. That for the reading.
2. Scope.For the ſcope of theſe words, what it is that God aimeth at, which is, That judgment ſhould come.
1. Secretly, 2. Gradually, 3. Inſenſibly. Theſe three things.
That wrath that I intend to let out upon Ephraim and Judah ſhall,
Firſt, be very ſecret, as the moth doth eat the garment ſecretly,Secretly. ſo my wrath ſhall be, there ſhall be no noiſe of it for a while.
And it ſhall be gradually graduallytoo, that's the ſecond, I will go on by degrees; a moth and rottenneſs doth not conſume the garment or the wood all at once, but one degree after another.
And then thirdly, Inſenſibly; inſenſiblyThey ſhall not ſo much as perceive it, they ſhall not ſee for a long time how My wrath is out againſt them, and yet it ſhall conſume them. That's the ſcope.
But what is the reaſon of the difference of the expreſſion.3. a moth to Ephraim and rottenneſs to Iudah. Reaſon of the difference. that's the third? If God intended only to ſhew his ſecret, gradual, inſenſible judgment, then one expreſſion might have been enough; a moth, or rotteneſs, either of them. But the reaſon of the different expreſſion is this, Iſrael was to be deſtroyed ſooner than Judah: Judah ſhould hold out a time longer than Iſrael ſhould though both of them were to be deſtroy…d at length. As ſtrong wood, heart of Oak, it holds out longer though there ſhould be a worm in it, than a garment doth when a moth is in it; ſo Judah held out above a hundred yeers after this threat, after this rottenneſs began in them, longer than Iſrael did; for the time that this moth was in Iſrael (of which we ſhall ſpeak preſently) unto Iſraels captivity, it was but ſome two or three and fourty yeers; but it was one hundred and threeſcore yeers from the time of Gods being a rottenneſs unto Judah.
But Fourthly, When was this time?4. Wh…. To what time doth this refer? when was God a moth unto Ephraim and rottenneſs to Judah? For that, and to ſhew the ſtory of it, it would require ſome time, I only refer you to the Scriptures that have the ſtories of both theſe, when the moth began, and when the rottenneſs began. In the 1 King. chap. 15. from verſe 8. and ſo on, to the end of the 17. chapter of the ſecond book of the Kings, there you may find, the time when God was a moth unto Ephraim: And for Judah, in 2. King. chapter 16. there you may find how God was rottenneſs unto Judah, and it was from Ahaz his time to the time of their being carried away captive into Babylon, which was about an hundred and ſixty yeers. And Joſephus Joſephus.in his book (beſides the books of the Scripture) in Lib. 9. chap. 12. and Lib. 15. towards the latter end, and Lib. 10. chap. 10. He likewiſe ſetteth forth the condition both of Ephraim and of Judah, when the Lord was a moth unto the one and rottenneſs to the other.
5. What i… is for God to be a moth & …ttenneſsBut that which will be more uſeful unto us, will be, to enquire the m…ning, What it is for God to be a m…th and rottenneſs to … people: …ot indeed there is the ſame thing ſign…fi…d in both theſe expreſſions, only (as I told you) the fi…ſt ſignifies a quicker di…patch of Iſrael, and the ſecond, a more ſlow diſpatch of Judah, but in the effect the ſame is ſignified. Now God is a moth and rottenneſs unto a people many waies. As,
1. in the ſpirits of men. 1. weakneſs.Firſt, He is a moth in the very ſpirits of people. There is a ſecret way of God… wrath upon a people in their ſpirits which is not perceived in the world. As thus: When the ſpirits of men in a Nation grow weak and cowardly. The weakneſs and cowardlines of mens ſpirits ſhews a judgment of God upon them that is a a… moth to them: And ſo it was in Iſrael, as you may find it in that 2 King. 15 and ſo on, There their Governors did what they liſt, one kild another, and another kild him, and the people laid down quietly and dared not to appear in the leaſt way to find fault with any thing done. And then a baſe ſloth of ſpirit that ſeiſeth upon the hearts of people,2. ſloath. a dulneſs, a ſordidneſs of ſpirit, minding low things, not regarding any worthy and honorable achievement; when men are thus then God is as a moth and rottenneſ… to them. When there is raiſing of jealouſies one againſt another in their ſpirits,3. jealouſies and diviſions. envying one another, and diviſions in the ſpirits one of another, then God is a… a moth and rottenneſs: as we know a moth in a garment doth make the thread that it doth not hang firm together, and rot…enneſs makes the wood that one part doth not unite together ſo firmly as it did: b… yet in a ſecret way; ſo though open wars indeed devour in a publick way, but ſecret jealouſies in the hearts of people that one dare not truſt another, and ſecret diviſions that there are in their hearts, this is like to a moth and rottenneſ…. As a moth in a garment and rottetnneſs in wood, ſo ſecret jealouſies and ſecret diviſions in the ſpirits of men in a Kingdom conſume and deſtroy them.4. ſelf-ends. 5. f…lſneſs in publick truſt. And then baſe compliance for their own ends. And laſtly, falſeneſs of ſpirit in the truſt committed to them. When you ſee this prevail in the ſpirits of men, eſpecially of thoſe that are put in publick truſt, then is God a moth and rottenneſs unto that people. And that is the firſt, A moth and rottenneſs in the ſpirits of men.
Secondly, A moth and rottenneſs in mens counſels. As firſt,2. in councels. 1. blindneſs. In blindneſs, that they ſhall not be able to ſee the plots of their enemies, they ſhall not know their own advantages, nor how to improve what they have: They ſhall not hit upon the right means to cure themſelves. There ſhall be a perplexity in their counſels, a contradiction in their counſels, one counſelling one way and another counſel another way. They ſhall enſnare themſelves in their counſels: There ſhall be much folly in their counſels.2. blaſted And they ſhall be blaſted in their counſels: Now God is a moth and rottenneſs to a people: All this while God doth not appear in an outward ho…ile and terrible way, but there is a ſecret curſe of God upon their counſels and ſo he is a moth and rottenneſs to them.
Thirdly, God is a moth and rottenneſs to a people in their eſtates, 3. in eſtates.in their tradings; there ſhall be a decay of trading amongſt them, and they ſhall grow poorer and poorer no man knows how. There ſhall be a ſecret curſe upon their tradings and eſtates that no man can give a cauſe of.
Fourthly,4. in the inſtruments of their good God is a moth and rottenneſs in the cheif inſtruments that they make uſe of for their good: taking away cheif ones ſecretly when no body takes notice of them, one dropeth away after another; as in rottenneſs of wood one little piece droppeth down after another, ſome duſt of it drops down and no body take notice of it; ſo in a State and Kingdom, cheif inſtruments ſhall be taken away and no body takes notice of it, ſome…imes one an… then another and then another after him, ſo they ſhall m…der away by degrees: And thoſe that are remaining ſh…ll be blaſted in th…ir eſteems amongſt the people: Thoſe t…t God gives ability to do them good and might be very uſeful and ſerviceable unto them, yet though they live a…o…g… them they ſ…all be ſo blaſted by …eports one way or other, that they ſh…ll not be able to do them much good. And when you ſee thi… prevailing in a Kingdom, then God is a moth and rottenneſs to them.
is an argument of a gracious heart. As it i… an argument that that fleſh is ful of life that is ſenſible of the leaſt touch;ſimile ſo of a heart that that is full of grace when it i… ſenſible of the leaſt fruit of Gods diſpleaſure. But when men and women are in ſuch a diſpoſition, that except God ſtrike them in ſome terrible manner they are not ſen…ble of his diſpleaſure, this is a ſign that they have brawny and hard hearts of their own.
Obſ. 4 Fourthly, Though carnal hearts do ſlight and contemn Gods diſpleaſure in little things, yet this diſpleaſure and wrath …f God in little things, will eat them out at laſt. It will bring them down, it will deſtroy them if it be neglected. You know in Exod. 8.25. that judgment of the flies brought down the ſpirit of Pharaoh more than all the other judgment… before: he ſaid before that he would let the people go, but he never bad them go till then. God is able to bring down the ſtouteſt, the proudeſt ſpirit upon the face of the earth by little things. He can eat out the heart of the ſtrongeſt wood by this little worm, and ſo by any little judgment of his, he can bring down the ſtouteſt and proudeſt ſpirit in the world.
Obſ. 5 Fifthly, God is ſlow in puniſhing. He puniſheth by degrees at firſt: yea his puniſhing is as a moth, and as a little worm in the wood, it is a long time before they do any hurt: This is to ſhew that Gods wrath it is at firſt but ſlow. Uſe. And by this we are taught to do even a… God Himſelf doth, to be ſlow to wrath; in our waies of wrath and diſpleaſure againſt our brethren to be ſlow as God is; not preſently to fly in the faces of our ſervants or of our children when they diſpleaſe us: God doth not deal ſo with us, He flyes not preſently upon us; God is a long time before He bring any ſenſible evil upon us. The R…mans uſed to have the Rod and the Axe carried before their Magiſtra…es, to ſhew that they began by lower affliction… at firſt, they did not come to the extremity at firſt but went on gradually in their way of puniſhing.
Obſ. 6 Sixtly, God hath ſecr…t judgments to bring up…n a people, upon particular perſons; waies of judgment ſecretly that they little think of. In 2 King. 3.17. Thus ſaith the Lord, you ſhall not ſee the wind, neither ſhall you ſee rain, yet the valleyes ſhall be filled with water: There ſhall be a filling with water though you ſee neither wind nor rain; you ſhall not know whence it cometh yet the vallies ſhall be filled with water. So, many times there is the judgment of God againſt a people, againſt a family, againſt a particular perſon, and no body can tell from whence it comes. A… God hath many ſecret bleſſings for his people, ſo He hath ſecret curſe… againſt the ungodly. Let us take heed of ſecret ſins,Uſe, beware of ſecret ſins for God hath ſecret wrath to avenge ſecret ſins. Many of you that find the hand of God out againſt you and you do not know how; do you examin your own hearts whether there be not many ſecret ſins in you againſt the Lord. It was ſo at this time when God came to be a moth againſt Ephraim, in 2 King. 17.9. ſpeaking of that very time that this propheſie doth relate unto, wherein God was a moth unto Ephraim, the text ſaith there,2 King. 17.9. applied that the children of Iſrael did ſecretly that whih was not right in the eyes of the Lord: Therefore juſt was God in this, to be a moth, to have His diſpleaſure to come ſecretly. Take you heed of ſecret ſins, leſt God conſume you by ſecret iudgments.
Seventhly, Our corruption within us breedeth our trouble and Obſ. 7 our undoing. Whence cometh the moth but from the very cloth it ſelf that it eateth out? it is bred there: and this worm it is bred in the wood that it doth conſume. A moth ſhall eat them: it ſeems to be a proverbial ſpeech amongſt the Hebrews, when they would expreſ… the periſhing of any by their own counſels and their own waies; as the Latins have proverbial ſpeeches ſuitable; Fabrum conſtringi compedibus quas ipſe cuderat, The workman he is fetterd with thoſe fetters he makes himſelf; And ſo that proverb that we have, to nouriſh a Snake in a mans own boſom, is as much as a moth ſhall eat them; that is, what evil cometh to us it is bred within us: that wrath that doth conſume us it is that which is bred out of the corruption that is in us. So they ſay of the black bird, that of the dung that comes from it the lime is made that your fowlers make uſe of to make their lime-twigs withal; ſo from our own ſins comes our own miſery. From the uncleanneſs of a Nation or a particular ſoul cometh the evil of it; Therefore if we ſhould reade the foregoing words (they willingly followed the commandement) according to the old Latin, they followed poſt ſordes, after the filth of Jeroboam, then the elegancy of the expreſſion would be more; It was thoſe filthy waies of Jeroboam that cauſed theſe moths to be bred. From our uncleanneſs cometh our conſumption?ſimile as from the uncleanneſs of the body many evils are bred, ſo from the uncleanneſs of the ſpirit. Therefore we ſhould be willing to take pains in the work of repentance, yea though it be ſomewhat troubleſom to the fleſh, yet better wear out our ſelves by waſhing, better wear out cloathes a little by the waſhing of them than to let them rot in the dirt of them: it is true, waſhing of clothes wears them a little, but if you let them alone in their dirt, that will rot them worſe: ſo the work of repentance may put you to pain and wear you a little, but if you let your hearts alone in the filth of ſin, that filth of ſin will breed your miſery. Take heed of letting any ſin alone in your hearts, it will breed a worm (for ſo this word rottenneſs ſignifies a worm) it will breed a worm, the worm of conſcience, that may prove the worm that never dieth.
Obſ. 8 Eightly, Gods wrath though ſecret yet many times eateth out mens ſpirits and makes them unuſeful. Therefore it is compared to a moth and to rottenneſs, to a worm in the wood: As the moth eateth out the ſtrength of the garment and makes it unuſeful for any thing; and as the worm eateth out the ſtrength of the wood and makes that unuſeful; ſo the ſecret wrath of God many times eateth out mens ſpirits and makes them very unuſeful in the places where they are ſet. How many have had excellent parts when they were young and were very uſeful; yet the uncleanneſs of their ſpirits hath bred ſuch a worm that hath eat out the excellency of their parts, and before they have died they have been as a moth-eaten garment and rotten wood: indeed there hath been the ſame bulk as before, yet if you come to make uſe of them there is as much difference from what they were wont to be, as a moth-eaten garment from it ſelf, and as rotten wood that hath the heart of it eaten out by the worm, differeth from it ſelf, ſo are the hearts of many men different from what they were wont.
In the ninth place, Though (a ſad conſideration for thoſe Obſ. 9 who are preſerved a while longer than others) others go before them yet they ſhall follow not long after. This Note is drawn from the diverſity of the expreſſion, a moth to Ephraim, and rottenneſs to Judah. God indeed will deal more quick with Ephraim and conſume them in His wrath, but Judah ſhall follow not long after. Uſe A ſad conſideration for any people to think, though others go before us and are conſumed before us, yet it will not be long before we ſhall follow. It is true Germany and other Countries have gone before us;Germany we cannot propheſie as here the Prophet did, but yet except God comes to prevent by an extraordinary hand we may follow not many yeers after, and who knows how ſoon? And particularly, It may be ſuch a friend of thine is gone, the hand of God is upon him and hath conſumed him and eaten out his very heart, and he is periſhed as filth and dung from the face of the earth; and thou art yet alive; and is there not rottenneſs in thee? Is there not the ſecret wrath of God eating out thy heart? He is gone a little before but thou art like to follow within a little while after. What great matter is it though thy companion be ſtruck dead and gone to Hell and thou left alive when thou ſhalt follow not long after? It is in this caſe as it is with travellers that travel together, perhaps one rideth before another & ſo comes to his Inn a quarter of an hour ſooner than the reſt of his company,ſimile but before he is lighted off hi… horſe, or gone up into his chamber, the other are come in alſo: So perhaps Gods hand ſtrikes one dead and ſends him to Hell, yet within a while the reſt will follow after. Therefore conſider when God; hand is upon any to ſtrike them dead, Oh I may follow not long after. A moth to Ephraim and rottenneſs to Judah.
What a poor cre…ure is man, yea a Kingdom, when as a Obſ. 10 moth and a little worm may conſume them! God in expreſſing