An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse 11
VER. 11.
Alſo O Judah, he hath ſet an harveſt for thee, &c.
THeſe words are ſomething difficult, I ſhall ſhew the meaning of them, thus; Judah hath wraped up her ſelf in the ſame offence, in the ſame tranſgreſſion received from Ephraim, (the ten Tribes) and it was grown up to an harveſt of judgment, which was ſet, had its fixed time. But when? When I returned the captivity of my people. This refers to that time in 2 Chron. 28.6. where you ſhall find theſe three things: 1. The harveſt ſet for Judah. 2. The captivity of Judah. 3. The return of their captivity. The harveſt was ſet when Pekah, the ſon of Remaliah ſlew in Judah an hundred and twenty thouſand men in one day, becauſe they had forſaken the Lord God of their fathers; what a harveſt was here ſet? and the text ſaith, They were all valiant men for the war.
Obſ.Idolatry is a horrible ſin, and God makes it as horrible for judgment. But what was it that provoked the Lord thus againſt them? becauſe they had forſaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Gods judgmemts in Scripture cutting down a people, are compared to a harveſt, Joel, 3.13 Put ye in the ſickle, for the harveſt is ripe. But where was this captivity? in 2 Chron. 28.8. And the children of Iſrael carried away captive of their brethren, two hundred thouſand men, ſons and daughters. But when was their return? in the 9. verſe, the Prophet comes to them, and tells them in the 11. verſe, they muſt deliver up their captives which they had taken from their brethren; theſe were brethren as is cleer, yet behold the rage of brethren! yet in the 15. verſe, ſee how this took with them; they cloathed, fed, and reſtored all their captives again preſently. See the mighty power of the Word to ſtill the rage of the ſtouteſt ſpirits. Oh that it might do ſo with us at this time, as it did here with this people, this would be a kindly work indeed; ſo that by this you may ſee what the harveſt is here in the text.
The Notes which we may obſerve from hence are.
That the ſins of a people are ſeeds for a harveſt of judgment, as good Obſ. 1 actions are ſeeds for a harveſt of mercy.
God hath a fixed ſet time for a harveſt of judgment; and though Obſ. 2 you have a time, yet know it is fixed, therefore ſow as faſt as you can, there will come a harveſt ere long.
In the time of Gods judgments, the Lord remembers mercy for his Obſ. 3 people. He hath ſet a time for the return of their ca…tivity.
Thus you have (I conceive) the genuine ſenſe of theſe words.
There are ſome that reade theſe words thus: Judah, A 2d Interpretattionſince you are guilty alſo, you ſhall not enjoy your peace nor your lands in quiet, till God return your captivity; Iſrael ſhal not enjoy their harveſt, but Judah ſhall.
Now that which makes me think this is not the meaning, is this, Becauſe the Lord ſtill goes on to threaten Judah ſtill; I have ſet an harveſt for thee.
Some others reade it thus:A 3d. When God was about to turn away their captivity, Judah did ſo harden Iſarel in their way, that it was the cauſe of my hardening my heart againſt them, and not to return their captivity. Iſrael might think thus, Though we are bad, & in many things are amiſſe, yet Judah is alſo filthy in ſuch and ſuch things, who are a people neerer to God than we, yet they do ſo.
Many are ripened for judgment by the example of others,Obſ. eſpecially of great profeſſors, and chiefly of profeſſing and reforming Churches that have the name of pure worſhip in them. Let ſuch be very wary what they practice, eſpecially in a time of reformation, leſt they harden others in their corruption.
Thus I have finiſhed the Sixth Chapter.