3. REPENTANCE FALLS Hosea 5:15 - Hosea 7:2 Seeing that their leaders are so helpless, and feeling their wounds, the people may themselves turn to God for healing, but that will be with a repentance so shallow as also to be futile. They have no conviction of sin, nor appreciation of how deeply thei... [ Continue Reading ]
A PEOPLE IN DECAY: 1 MORALLY Hosea 4:1 - Hosea 7:7 PURSUING the plan laid down in the last chapter, we now take the section of Hosea's discourse which lies between chapter 4 and Hosea 7:7. Chapter 4 is the only really separable bit of it; but there are also slight breaks at Hosea 5:15 and Hosea 7... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THICK NIGHT OF ISRAEL Hosea 4:1; Hosea 5:1; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 7:1; Hosea 8:1; Hosea 9:1; Hosea 10:1; Hosea 11:1; Hosea 12:1; Hosea 13:1;... [ Continue Reading ]
4. WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES Hosea 7:3 There follows now a very difficult passage. The text is corrupt, and we have no means of determining what precise events are intended. The drift of meaning, however, is evident. The disorder and licentiousness of the people are favored in high places; the thr... [ Continue Reading ]
A PEOPLE IN DECAY: 2. POLITICALLY Hosea 7:8 MORAL decay means political decay. Sins like these are the gangrene of nations. It is part of Hosea's greatness to have traced this, a proof of that versatility which distinguishes him above other prophets. The most spiritual of them all, he is at the sam... [ Continue Reading ]
1. THE CONFUSION OF THE NATION Hosea 7:8; Hosea 8:1 Hosea begins by summing up the public aspect of Israel in two epigrams, short but of marvelous adequacy:-Hosea 7:8 "Ephraim-among the nations he mixeth himself: Ephraim has become a cake not turned." It is a great crisis for any nation to pass... [ Continue Reading ]