An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 9
VER. 9.
Ephraim ſhall be deſolate in the day of rebuke; among the Tribes of Iſrael have I made known that which ſhall ſurely be.
IN the words before you heard that the Lord by the Prophet did not only threaten war, but ſummon the Cities of Iſrael, Judah, and Benjamin, as if war were at the gates. But what if troubles do come, we ſhall do well enough, they will have an end, and blow over again, we ſhall wear them out: we have been delivered out of great troubles and ſo we may be out of theſe. No, 'tis otherwiſe now, Ephraim ſhall now be deſolate, Ephraim (that is the ten Tribes) ſhall be deſolate; Leſhamnne, foreignthe word ſignifies a moſt ſtupendious thing, the the hand of God ſhall be upon them even to amazement, they ſhall come into deſolation, in the time of his rebuke, in the day of his trouble: The words are plain; the Notes from them are theſe.
That the day of Gods peoples affliction, is the day of their rebuke. Obſ. 1 See this proved in Numb. 12.14. Moſes ſaith: If her father had ſpit in her face ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed: When God afflicts His people, he doth as it were ſpit in their faces: and ought not they much more to be aſhamed? what ever that wanton generation think or ſay, that God never chaſtiſeth his people for ſin, there is nothing more frequent in Scripture, than this, that God chaſtiſeth His for ſin. But they tell us it was in the old Teſtament;Old Teſtament and herein they ſhew their weakneſs and a meer cavel, but that which ſeems to have ſome ſhew of ſtrength is this.
They tell us, Obj. That it derrogates from the ſatisfaction of Chriſt.
But the force of this is nothing, Anſw. for Chriſt ſatisfied for them under the Law, as well as for us; they were ſaved by the ſame ſatisfaction that we are, therefore if it now derrogates from Chriſts ſatisfaction under the Goſpel, it did then alſo under the Law.
A ſecond Note is, God hath his ſet times of rebuke. As they have Obſ. 2 their daies of ſinning, ſo God wil have his daies of correcting; you have your daie… of proſperity now, riches honor, & plentie in abundance, but remember it may be the day of rebuke is coming: 'Tis good to put this very caſe to our ſelves. I have mercy now both for ſoul and body, and Oh how comfortable is it, and how happy is my condition! but is there not a day of rebuke coming, when all theſe will be taken from thee, and then what wilt thou do Oh my ſoul? Iſa. 10.3. and what will you do in the day of viſitation?
When wicked men ſtand out leſſer judgments, and corrections, they Obſ. 3 have cauſe to fear a day of utter deſolati…n. Ephraim had daies of leſſer chaſtiſements, but ſlighting them, God would try him no more; there are times in which God wil utterly purſue ſinners to deſtroy them not for inſtruction, but deſtruction: the Lord hath his houſes of inſtruction, correction, and execution, when the firſt cannot effect Gods end, the third ſhall, and yet the Lord be juſt and righteous, for the Lord hath no need of us, what is it to him if we ſhould periſh everlaſtingly, He could have his glory from us in our damnation.
That is a dreadful time, when the Lord comes ſo to rebuke a people Obſ. 4 as t… deſtroy them; when the hand of God ſhall be ſo upon them, as he is reſolved never to take it off again, even as it was upon Ephraim at this time, I intend not to mend him, but to ruine him: this now is a moſt dreadful time; For
Reaſ. 1 1. All that wrath which they have treaſured up breaks in then upon them: Now as wicked men treaſure up wrath, ſo doth God Rom. 2.5. Now God lets out the floudgates of His wrath againſt ſuch a people.
Reaſ. 2 2. Becauſe then, all a mans ſins comes together into Gods remembrance.Exod. 32.34. In that day I'll viſit for this ſaith the Lord God. It may be you are for the preſent ſpared, but the time is coming that God will viſit, and then look to it.
Reaſ. 3 3. In this day the cries of juſtice prevails againſt ſuch men, (I ſpeak of wicked men mingled and intermixed with the godly) In this day God will not call back His anger; there are times in which God doth not ſtir up all His wrath, as in Pſal. 78.38. Many times Gods anger is coming againſt a Nation, family, or perſon, but God cals it back again: but in this day of rebuke God wil not call it back again, but let it forth to the uttermoſt.
Reaſ. 4 4. Becauſe in this day Mercy leaves ſuch a people, and wil never own them to to them any good. Ezek. 7.5. An evil, an only evil, behold, it is come. But that place is moſt remarkable for this, Ezek. 22.20. I will bring you into the fornace, and there I will leave you. God brings His people into great troubles ſometimes, but never leaves them there. But there are ſome whom Mercy leaves and forſakes in their troubles, and this is a moſt ſad condition, for by this God ſhews that He will have no more honor by them in their ſervings of Him, but in their ſufferings. God ſaith thus, Seeing they would not give Me My glory in a way of duty, I will extract and force it from them in a way of ſuffering.
Reaſ. 5 5. Becauſe the Lord then intends hurt to ſuch a people, the Lord perhaps brings you out of an affliction, but in that deliverance He intends your hurt and no good at all, Jer. 24.9. I intend nothing but hurt to ſuch a people in all My dealings.
Reaſ. 6 Becauſe then al Creatures leaves ſuch an one and dares not own him; God being againſt thee, the Creatures cannot help in the leaſt degree.
Laſtly, Becauſe then all ſervices are rejected, and God will Reaſ. 7 be no more intreated for them, now conſcience ſmites and torments the ſpirits, and al the miſeries that come upon them are but the beginning of eternal ſorrows, and this is a moſt ſad caſe; therefore let us pray with David, Pſal. 6.1. Lord rebuke us not in thy wrath: And as the Prophet in Jer. 17.17. Uſe. Be not a terror unto me O Lord. But now, becauſe tender conſciences are ready to think when God rebukes them, or lays any affliction upon them, that it is to ruin and deſtroy them; as the Iſraelites ſaid, in Deut. 1.27. Becauſe the Lord hated us, therefore he brought us out of Egypt. In every ſtrait they were in, they conceited God hated them in it, though God had done them good ſo many times. And hath not this been the reaſonings of our unbeleeving hearts, and the murmuring of our ſpirits in our afflictions? Oh take heed of ſuch unbeleeving reaſonings, they are very much diſpleaſing unto God: There is a great difference between the rebukes of God upon the godly, and the wicked, though perhaps rebuked both in one and the ſame affliction: as the Apothecary breaks Bezar ſtones to pouder, but is very careful of it,ſimile and will not loſe the leaſt grain of it. So the Lords people even in the fornace are as dear to him & have the moſt experience of Gods love to them then that ever they had. Jacob when he lay upon the ground, and had the ſtone for his pillow, even then he had that heavenly viſion from God.
But now the queſtion is, Queſt. How ſhall we know whether thoſe rebukes that are upon us are intended for our good or our hurt, our deſolation, or our reſtoration?
It may be known thus: If Gods diſpleaſures be ſuch, Anſw. that we find Him more ſet againſt our ſins than our perſons, 'tis an arument He intends our good not our hurt in His rebukes upon us.
But you will ſay, This is as difficult as the other, How ſhall we know God aims at our ſins, and not our perſons? Thus:
If His rebukes work us to a humiliation for our ſins, a reſignation of our ſelves up unto Gods diſpoſe, and to accept of the puniſhment of our iniquities; this is an argument God aims at our ſins, and not at our perſons in His rebukes, and ſo in them our good and not our hurt: But 'tis uſual for wicked men in their rebukes to cry out of their ſins, 'twas their ſins that brought this upon them. But here the difference is thus diſcerned.
Firſt, They cry out of their ſins but per accidence, but of the judgement per ſe, as we uſe to ſay, the judgement troubles them more than their ſins the cauſe of the judgment: but the godly cry out of their ſin… per ſe, and of the judgment per accidence, their ſin troubles them.
Secondly, A child of God more deſires the ſanctification of an affliction than the removing of it; but the wicked care not for removing the cauſe of judgment [even ſin] ſo the ſmart the correction may be taken off. It follows.
Expoſ. 1 Among the Tribes of Iſrael have I made known that which ſhall ſurely be.
Some conceive that theſe words are ſpoken as the aggravation of this peoples miſery; and if ſo, the Notes from them are,
Obſ. 1 That God ſmites not a people with judgment before he w…ns them off judgment. Among the Tribes of Iſrael have I made known this.
Obſ. 2 When God threatens He is real in His threatnings. That which ſhal ſurely be.
Ephraim thinks that God intends not him. Sinners think that when God warns them he is not in good earneſt, it ſhall not be, but God ſaith it ſhall be, God eſteems more of His Word than Heaven and Earth beſides, nay Heaven and Earth ſhall paſs away before the leaſt jot or tittle of it ſhall fail and curſed be that peace that hath no other ground or foundation than this hope, that thoſe things are not true which the Miniſters of the Word from the Word threaten againſt ſinners. And yet this is the condition of many people, which doth mightily provoke God, as you may ſee in Deut. 29.19, 20, 21. If notwithſtanding what is written in this book he bleſs himſelf, ſaying, He ſhall have peace; the anger of the Lord ſhall ſmoke againſt ſuch a man. Oh the bitter aggravating circumſtances in this Scripture againſt ſuch a ſinner as this. Uſe Now if God will be ſo punctual in His threatning word, that it ſhall be made good, how much more His promiſing word, for God hath not done ſo much to make His threatning word good, as His promi…ing word. For,
1. God hath not cal'd ſuch witneſſes to His threatning word as to His promiſing word, there are Three in Heaven and Three on Earth who are Witneſſes but not to the threatning word, ſometimes in the general he calls the Heavens to witneſs to His threatning. Hear oh heavens, and hearken oh earth, I have nouriſhed up a people and they rebel againſt me.
2. To the verifying of a promiſe there is not only Gods faithfulneſs, but 'tis His faithfulneſs in Chriſt, all the promiſes are in Him, yea and Amen; there is in Gods promiſing word, not only His faithfulneſs, but His faithfulneſs in Chriſt, all the promiſes are made in Chriſt, ſo are not the threatnings, Judgments have not ſuch immediate relation to Chriſt.
3. More ſure, becauſe promiſes are not only Gods Covenant with His people, but His Teſtament, and ſo more ſure than a Covenant, for a Covenant may be broken on the one party, but a Teſtament cannot, it being confirmed by the death of the Teſtator; the promiſe on our part may be broken, but when we look upon them as confirmed by the death of the great Teſtator Jeſus Chriſt, we have ſtronge conſolation: as 'tis a great evil not to beleeve the threats of God, ſo 'tis alſo a great evil not to credit the promiſes of God. Chriſtians, you wonder when wicked men beleeve not Gods threatnings and His judgments to tremble at them, Know Oh Chriſtian, that not only men but Angels ſtand and wonder when thou doſt not beleeve the promiſes of God when they be ſo confirmed that we might beleeve them and walk comfortably.
The revealing of ſin before a judgment comes, aggravates Obſ. 3 both the ſin and the judgment, the puniſhment will be ſo much the heavier, it aggravates the ſin, becauſe then there is the greater contempt againſt God: If a father ſhould deſire his child not to do ſuch a thing, nay not only deſire him but forbid him, yea threaten him with puniſhment if he doth it; now if he ſhall after all this gainſay his fathers will, he puts a greater contempt upon his father, for now he breaks through hedges and fences, which ſhould have kept him in: ſo when God ſhall forbid, yea threaten if we will break out it puts a great contempt upon God.
1. The goodneſs of God is not honored by us, when the Lord for our good ſhall give us notice of our ſins that ſo we may prevent judgment the deſert of our ſins, and we notwithſtanding ſh…l …in, it diſhonors Gods goodneſs.
2. The truth of God is not honored, when we do not obey, this is no other than a venturing whether the word be true or no, whether Gods words are yea and nay, Oh ſinner doſt thou know what thou doſt, thou tempteſt God, ſaying, Lord there are ſuch and ſuch threatnings againſt ſin but I do not beleeve them, Lord I'le venture it, I'le put it to the tryall whether it be ſo or no.
3. As it aggravates the ſin, ſo the puniſhment; the judgment cannot but be the greater, thou canſt expect but little pitty from the goodneſs of God which thou haſt ſlighted, when it warned thee of thoſe judgments which are now upon thee, His mercy to remove them cannot be expected. God by His Miniſters warned me in ſuch a Sermon, but I went on and would not reform, and now there is matter for the worm of conſcience to gnaw upon: that thou maiſt ſay as Job, What I feared is now come upon me, and this is that which aggravates our miſery.Uſe. Engl. At this time have not the Miniſters of God for theſe twenty yeers, eſpecially in theſe latter ſeven yeers made this the ſubject of their preaching, to warn us of judgments, and now the judgments of God are come upon us, God hath vindicated the word of His ſervants.
But theſe words though they may be thus underſtood, yet I conceive they bear a further ſignification which is, this: I have declared among the Tribes what ſhall be without revolk, without Expoſ. 2 any change or alteration; I have formerly repented, and have been intreated, but now I'le repent no more. They continue Gods unchangable purpoſe for the deſolating of this people, and being thus underſtood, the Note from them will be this.
That there is a time when there ſhall be no help to be delivered from judgment, though they ſhould call, cry, mourn, weep, faſt, Obſer.and intreat, yet the judgment ſhould not be removed.
As 'tis ſaid of Eſau, He found no place for repentance. Heb. 12.17.Heb. 12.17. There is a great miſtake by many in the interpretation of that place, from which text many gather that there may be many tears ſhed, much ſorrow found, and yet no true repentance, but the meaning of the words is this, he found no place for his father Iſaacs repentance, though he cried and ſhed tears for the bleſſing, yet his father repented not that he had beſtowed it upon Jacob: ſo that people may cry and humble their ſouls before God, yet ſhall find in God no place of repentance, nay if that the Saints of God ſhould all joyn together and pray for ſuch a people they ſhould not prevail; Ezek. 14.20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job ſhould pray for them, they ſhould not prevail. Oh ſinner take heed this be not thy condition, thou haſt godly parents and kindred it may be, and they ſet themſelves to ſeek God for thee, but God will deny them, their prayers ſhall not prevail for thee; this may be the caſe of Nations and Kingdoms, that there may be true repentance found and turning to God, and yet no deliverance from outward affliction. I deny not but that true repentance ſhall deliver a ſoul from eternal wrath, from periſhing in hell; but this I affirm that there may be true repentance found and turning unto God and yet no deliverance from a temporal affliction. And this I ſhall make good by two famous texts of Scripture. The firſt is in Deut. 3.26. Moſes had ſinned, and God ſaith he ſhould not go into the land of Canaan, which was a ſore affliction to Moſes, upon this Moſes he praid, and 'tis certain Moſes had repented him of that ſin, yet ſee what he ſaith, The Lord was wrath with me, for your ſake, and would not hear me, but let it ſuffice thee, ſpeak no more of this matter. All his prayers and repentance could not deliver him from that outward affliction, and bring him into Canaan. The ſecond text is in 2 Kings, 23.25. in the former chapter we find the heart of the King melting when he heard the Law read, and perceived the anger of the Lord againſt his people was provoked, yet the Lord tels him that he ſhould die in peace. And in the 23. Chapter, the King he ſets upon reforming the people, enters into a ſolemn Covenant with God, cauſeth the people to joyn with him, pulls down the groves, deſtroies Idolatry, and although it be ſaid in the 25. verſe, that like unto him was there no King before him, yet in the 26. verſe God ſaith, Notwithſtanding all this, he will remove Judah out of his ſight. So that ſometimes God is ſo ſet upon his threats, that they ſhall come to paſs, God will make them good whatever comes of it; this I conceive to be the meaning of theſe words. And ſo Mr. Calvin reades them, God may be ſo reſolved againſt a mans eternal eſtate that he will never ſhew ſuch a man or ſuch a people mercy more; as we may ſee in thoſe which were bid to the Goſpel-ſupper: therefore we had need to gather our ſelves together before the decree bring forth, Zeph. 2.1, 2. Oh let us in this Kingdom take heed; yet through Gods mercy we are not left deſolate, but have many points of mercy, even in this day of our rebuke, but what God will do one cannot determine, therefore it concerns us to prepare to meet our God, leſt the wrath of God meet us, overcome and deſtroy us till there be no remedy, though through mercy for the preſent we may ſay there is remedy, yea rather let us tremble and be awakened, becauſe God ſometimes comes againſt, and is more quick with a people that are not ſo openly, and notoriouſly vile as others are, than he doth with the moſt profane: So much for this ninth verſe.