(Calvin on Hosea, part 28)
Lecture Twenty-eighth.
Hosea 10:10
[It is] in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people
shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in
their two furrows.
When God says that he desires to chastise the people, he
intimates that this was his purpose, as when one greatly wishes for
anything; and it may be an allowable change in the sentence, if the
copulative was omitted, and it be rendered thus, - It is in my
desire to chastise them. But to depart from the words seems not to
me necessary; I therefore take them apart as they stand, in this
sense, - that God would follow his desire in chastising the people.
The sentence seems indeed to be repugnant to many others, in which
God declares his sorrow, when constrained to deal severely with his
people, but the two statements are not discordant. Passions, we
know, belong not to God; but in condescension to men's capacities,
he puts on this or that character. When he seems unwilling to indict
punishment, he shows with how much love he regards his own people,
or with what kind and tender affection he loves them. But yet, as he
has to do with perverse and irreclaimable men, he says that he will
take pleasure in their destruction; and for this reason also, it is
said that God will take revenge. We now then understand the meaning
of the Prophet: he intimates, that the purpose which God had formed
of destroying the people of Israel could not now be revoked; for
this punishment was to him his highest delight.
He further says, "I will chastise them, and assembled shall
peoples be against them". By these words God shows that all people
are in his hand, that he can arm them whenever he pleases; and this
truth is everywhere taught in the Scriptures. God then so holds all
people under his command, that by a hiss or a nod he can, whenever
it pleases him, stir them up to war. Hence, as heedless Israel
laughed at God's judgement, he now shows how effectual will be his
revenge, for he will assemble all people for their destruction.
And for the same purpose he adds, "When they shall have bound
themselves in two furrows". By this clause the Prophet warns the
Israelites, that nothing would avail them, though they fortified
themselves against every danger, and though they gathered strength
on every side; for all their efforts would not prevent God from
executing his vengeance. When therefore they shall be bound in their
two furrows, I will not on that account give over to assemble the
people who shall dissipate all their fortresses. We now apprehend
the design of the Prophet. He no doubt mentions two furrows, with
reference to sloughing; for we shall see that the Prophet dwells on
this metaphor. However much then the Israelites might join together
and gather strength, it would yet be easy for God to gather people
to destroy them.
Some refer this sentence to the whole body of the people; for
they think that the compact between the kingdom of Judah and Israel
is here pointed out: but this is a mere conjecture, for history
gives it no countenance. Others have found out another comment, that
the Lord would punish them all together, since Judah had joined the
people of Israel in worshipping the calves: so they think that the
common superstition was the bond of alliance between the two
kingdoms. There are others who think that the Prophet alludes to the
two calves, one of which, as it is well known, was worshipped in
Dan, and the other at Bethel. But all these interpretations are too
refined and strained. The Prophet, I doubt not, does here simply
mention the two furrows, because the people, (as godless men are
wont to do,) relying on their own power, boldly and proudly despised
all threatening. "Howsoever," he says, "they may join themselves
together in two furrows, they shall yet effect nothing by their
pride to prevent me from executing my vengeance." Let us proceed -
Hosea 10:11
And Ephraim [is as] an heifer [that is] taught, [and] loveth to
tread out [the corn]; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will
make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, [and] Jacob shall break his
clods.
Some read the two words, "taught," and "loveth," separately,
"melumadah" and "'ohavti"; for they think that at the beginning of
the verse a reproach is conveyed, as though the Prophet had said,
that Ephraim was wholly unteachable: though God had from childhood
brought him up under his discipline, he yet now showed so great
stubbornness, that he even ceased not to rebel against God, and went
on obstinately in his own wickedness. "Ephraim then is like a
trained heifer." But this meaning seems too far fetched: I therefore
connect the whole together in one context, and follow what has been
more approved, Ephraim is a heifer trained to love, or, that she may
love, threshing; that is, Ephraim has been accustomed to love
threshing.
There is here an implied comparison between ploughing and
threshing. There is more labour and toil, we know, in ploughing than
in threshing; for the oxen are coupled together, and then they are
compelled to obey, and in vain do they draw here and there, when
they are joined together. But when oxen thresh, they are loose, and
the labour is less toilsome and heavy. The Prophet then means this,
- that Ephraim pretended some obedience, and yet would not take the
yoke, so as to be really and in everything submissive to God. Other
nations did not understand what it was to obey God; but there was
some appearance of religion in Israel; they indeed professed to
worship the God of Israel, they had temples among them; but the Lord
derides this hypocrisy, and says, - Ephraim is like a heifer, which
will not submit her neck to the yoke, but will only, for
recreation's sake, pass through the threshing-floor and tread the
corn, as hypocrites are wont to do; for they do not wholly repudiate
every truth, but in part receive it; yet, when the Lord presses on
them too much, they then fiercely resist, and show that they wish to
do according to their own will. Almost the whole world exhibit,
indeed, some appearance of obedience, I know not what; but they wish
to make a compact with God, that he should not require more then
what their pleasure may allow. When one is a slave to many vices, he
desires a liberty for these to be allowed him; in other things, he
will yield some obedience. We now understand the meaning of the
Prophet, and see what he had in view. He then derides the
hypocritical service which the Israelites rendered to God; for they
were at the same time unwilling to bear the yoke, and were
untameable. To the threshing they were not unwilling to come; for
when God commanded anything that was easy, they either willingly
performed it, or at least discharged their duty somehow in that
particular; but they would not accustom themselves to slough.
Since it was so, "I have passed over", he says, "upon her
beautiful neck". God shows why he treated Ephraim with severity; for
he was made to submit, because he was so obstinate. 'I have passed
over upon the goodness of her neck;' that is, "When I saw that she
had a fat neck, and that she refused the yoke, I tried, by
afflictions, whether such stubbornness could be subdued." Some refer
this to the teaching of the law, and say, that God had passed over
upon the beautiful neck of Israel, because he had delivered his law
in common to all the posterity of Abraham. But this is foreign to
the context. I therefore doubt not but that the mind of the Prophet
was this, - that God here declares, that it was not without reason
that he had been so severe in endeavouring to tame Israel, for he
saw that he could not be otherwise brought to obedience. "Since,
then, Ephraim only loved the treading, I wished to correct this
delusion, and ought not to have spared him. If he had been a wearied
ox, or an old one broken down and emaciated, and of no strength,
some consideration for him ought to have been had: but as Israel had
a thick and fat neck, as he was strong enough to bear the yoke, and
as he yet loved his own pleasures and refused the yoke, it was
needful that he should be tamed by afflictions. I have therefore
passed over upon the goodness, or the beauty, of the neck of
Ephraim."
But as God effected nothing in mildly chastising Israel, he now
subjoins, - "I will make him to ride". Some render it, "I will
ride:" but as the verb is in Hiphel, (the causative mood,) it is
necessary to explain it thus, that God will make Israel to ride. But
what does this mean? They who render it, "I will ride," saw that
they departed from what grammar requires; but necessity forced them
to this strained interpretation. Others will have "al", one to be
understood, "I will make to ride on Ephraim," and they put in
another word, "I will make the nations to ride on Ephraim." But the
sentence will accord best with the context, if we make no change in
the words of the Prophet. Nay, they who adduce the comments I have
mentioned, destroy the elegance of the expression and pervert the
meaning. Thus, then, does God speak, - "Since Ephraim loves
treading, and the moderate punishments by which I meant to subdue
him avail nothing, I will hereafter deal with him in another way: I
will make him," he says, "to ride:" that is, "I will take him away,
as it were, through the clouds." The Prophet alludes to the
lasciviousness and intemperance of Israel; for lust had so carried
away that people, that they could not walk straight, or with a
steady step, but staggered here and there; as also Jeremiah says,
that they were unnameable bullocks, (Jer. 31: 18.) What does God
declare? 'I will make them to ride;' that is, I will deal with this
people according to their disposition. There is a similar passage in
Job, chap. 30; where the holy man complains that he was forcibly
snatched away, that God made him to ride on the clouds. 'God,' he
says, 'made me to ride,' (he uses there the same word.) What does it
mean? Even that the Lord had forcibly carried him here and there. So
also the Prophet says here, - "Israel is delicate, and, at the same
time, I see so much voluptuousness in his nature, that he cannot
take the yoke; nothing then remains for him but to ride on the
clouds. But what sort of riding will this be? Such as that, when the
people shall be carried away into exile; since they cannot rest
quietly in the land of Canaan, since they cannot enjoy the blessings
of God, they shall ride, that is, they shall quickly be taken away
into a far country." We now then see how God dealt with Israel, when
he saw what his disposition required; for he could not be
constrained to obedience in his own land; it was then necessary to
remove him elsewhere, as it was done.
He afterwards subjoins, "Judah shall plough, Jacob shall harrow
for himself"; that is, the remaining portion of the people shall
remain in their afflictions. These punishments were indeed grievous,
when considered in themselves; but it was far easier and more
tolerable for Judah to plough and to harrow among his people, than
if he had to ride. Judah then suffered grievous losses, and the Lord
chastised him also with afflictions; but this punishment, as I have
said, was much less than the other. It was the same as when an ox,
drawn out of the stall, is led into the field, and is forced to
endure his daily labour; his toil is indeed heavy and grievous; but
the ox at least lives after his work, and refreshes himself by his
rest during the night. He also undergoes some toil by harrowing, and
grows weary; but he returns to the stall; and then his master is not
so cruel, but that he grants his ox some indulgence. We hence see
the purport of this comparison, that Judah shall plough, and that
Jacob, that is, the remaining part of the people, shall harrow;
which means, that the rest of the people shall break the clods, -
for to harrow among the Latins is to break the clods - but that the
Lord will make Ephraim to ride. This, I doubt not, is the genuine
sense of the passage; but I leave to others their own free
judgement. It now follows -
Hosea 10:12
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your
fallow ground: for [it is] time to seek the LORD, till he come and
rain righteousness upon you.
He exhorts here the Israelites to repentance; though it seems
not a simple and bare exhortation, but rather a protestation; as
though the Lord had said, that he had hitherto laboured in vain as
to the people of Israel, because they had ever continued obstinate.
For it immediately follows -
Hosea 10:13
Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten
the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the
multitude of thy mighty men.
The reason is here found, why I thought that the Prophet did
not simply exhort the people, but rather charged them with obduracy
for not growing better, though often admonished. He then relates how
much God had previously done to restore the people to a sound mind;
for it had been his constant teaching, "Sow for yourselves
righteousness, reap, in proportion, kindness", or according to the
proportion of kindness; "plough a ploughing for yourselves; it is
the time to seek the Lord". Though then the people heard these words
daily, and had their ears almost stunned by them, they did not yet
change for the better, nor made themselves pliable; nay, as it were
with a fixed purpose, they ploughed, he says, ungodliness, they
reaped iniquity; they therefore did eat the fruit of falsehood, for
they sustained just punishments, or satiated themselves with
falsehood and treachery. We now apprehend the meaning of the
Prophet: I will come to particulars.
"Sow for yourselves righteousness". He shows that the salvation
of this people had not been neglected by God; for he had tried
whether they were healable. The remedy was, that the people were to
know that God would be pacified towards them, if they devoted
themselves to righteousness. The Lord offered his favour: "Return
only to me; for as soon as the seed of righteousness shall be sown
by you, the harvest shall be prepared, a reward shall be laid up for
you; ye shall then reap fruit according to your kindness."
But if any one asks, whether it be in the power of men to sow
righteousness, the answer is ready, and that is that the Prophet
explains not here how far the ability of men extends, but requires
what they ought to do. For whence is it that so many of God's curses
often overwhelm us, except that we sow seed similar to the produce?
that is, God repays us what we have deserved. This then is what the
Prophet shows, when he says, "Sow for yourselves righteousness:" he
shows that it was their fault, if the Lord did not cherish them
kindly and bountifully, and in a paternal manner; it was because
their impiety suffered him not.
And the Prophet only speaks of the duties of the second table,
as also the Prophets do, when they exhort men to repentance: they
often begin with the second table of the law, because the
perverseness of men with regard to this is more palpable, and they
can thereby be more easily convicted.
But what he afterwards subjoins, "niru nir", "plough the
ploughing", is not, I confess, in its proper place; but there is in
this nothing inconsistent: for after having exhorted them to plough,
he now adds, that they were like uncultivated and desert fields, so
that it was not right to sow the seed until they had been prepared.
The Prophet then ought, according to the order of nature, to have
begun with ploughing; but he simply said what he wished to convey,
that the Israelites received not the fruit they desired, because
they had only sown unrighteousness. If they now wished to be dealt
with more kindly, he shows the remedy, which is to sow
righteousness. If it was so, that they were already filled with
wickedness, he shows that they were like a field overgrown with
briers and thorns. When therefore a field has long remained
uncultivated, thorns and thistles and other noxious herbs grow
there, and a double ploughing will be necessary, and this double
labour is called Novation; and Jeremiah speaks of the same thing,
when he shows that the people had grown hardened in their
wickedness, and that they could not bear any fruit until the thorns
were torn up by the roots, and until they had been well cleansed
from the vices in which they had become fixed; and hence he says, -
'Plough again your fallow-ground,' (Jer. 4: 3.)
"And it is the time for seeking Jehovah, until he come". Here
the Prophet offers a hope of pardon to the people, to encourage them
to repent: for we know that when men are called back to God, they
are torpid and even faint in their minds, until they are assured
that God will be propitious to them; and this is what we have
treated of more fully in another place. The Prophet now handles the
same truth, that it is the time for seeking the Lord. He indeed uses
the word "'ot", which means a seasonable time. It is then the time
for seeking the Lord; as though he said, "The way of salvation is
not yet closed against you; for the Lord invites you to himself, and
he is of his own self inclined to mercy." This is one thing. We are,
however, at the same time, taught that there ought to be no delay;
for such tardiness will cost them dear, if they despise so kind an
invitation of God, and go on in their own obstinacy. It is then the
time for seeking Jehovah; as Isaiah also says 'Seek the Lord while
he may be found, call on him while he is nigh: Behold, now is the
time of good-pleasure; behold, now is the day of salvation,' (Isa.
55: 6.) So also in this place, the Prophet testifies that God will
be easily entreated, if Israel returned to the right way; but that,
if they continued obstinately in their sins, this time would not be
perpetual; for the door would be shut, and the people would cry in
vain, after having neglected this seasonable invitation, and abused
the patience of God.
"It is then the time", he says, "for seeking the Lord", until
he come. This last clause is a confirmation of the former; for the
Prophet here expressly declares that it would not be useless labour
for Israel to begin to seek God - 'He will come to you.' He at the
same time warns them not to be too hasty in their expectations; for
though God may receive us into favour, he does not yet immediately
deliver us from all punishments or evils. We must, then, patiently
wait until the fruit of reconciliation appears. We hence see that
both points are here wisely handled by the Prophet; for he would
have Israel to hasten with deep concern, and not to delay long the
time of repentance, and also to remain quiet, if God did not
immediately show himself propitious, and show tokens of his favour;
the Prophet wished, in this case, the people to be patient.
"And rain righteousness upon you". The word "yarah" means
indeed "to teach," and also "to throw;" but as the word "moreh",
derived from this verbs as it is well known, means the rain, I could
not explain it here otherwise than "he will rain righteousness upon
you." What, indeed, could the teaching of righteousness mean? For
the Prophet alludes to the harvest; and the people might say, "Are
we sure of provision, if we seek God?" "Certainly," he says; "he
will come - he will come to you, and will rain righteousness, or the
fruit of righteousness, upon you." In short, the Prophet here shows,
that whenever God is sought sincerely and from the heart by sinners,
he comes forth to meet them, and shows himself kind and merciful.
But as he had spoken of ploughing and sowing, the fruit or the
harvest was now to be mentioned; that he might therefore hold forth
a promise that they who had sown righteousness would not lose their
expense and toil, he says, the Lord will rain upon you the fruit of
righteousness.
Now follows the other verse, which, as I have said, completes
the passage, "Ye have ploughed ungodliness, iniquity have ye reaped:
ye have eaten the fruit of falsehood". The Prophet shows that the
people had in vain been daily admonished, and so kindly and sweetly
allured by the Lord; for they had not only slighted wholesome
warnings, but had, in their perverse wickedness, abandoned
themselves to a contrary course: "ye have ploughed", he says,
"impiety"; God has exhorted you to sow righteousness, - what have ye
sown? Impiety; and then ye have reaped iniquity. Some think that the
punishments which the people had to bear are pointed out here; as
though the Prophet had said, "God has returned to you such a produce
as was suitable to your sowing; ye are therefore satiated with
falsehood - that is, with your own false confidence." But he seems
rather to pursue the same strain of thought, and to say, that they
had ploughed impiety - that is, that they had been from the
beginning ungodly; and then, that they had reaped iniquity - that
is, that they had continued their wickedness to the very harvest,
and laid up their fruit as it were in a storehouse, that they might
satiate themselves with treachery. The Prophet, I think, speaks in
this sense; but let there be a free choice. I only show what seems
to me most suitable.
For it follows then, "For thou hast trusted in thine own way,
in the multitude of thy valiant ones". Here the Prophet points out
the chief spring-head of all sins; for the Israelites, trusting in
their own counsels, gave no ear to the word of God: and then, being
fortified by their own strength, they dreaded not his judgements,
nor fled to his pledged protection to defend them. This pride is not
then named here by the Prophet without reason as the chief source of
all sins. For when one distrusts his own wisdom, or is afraid, being
conscious of his weakness, he can be easily subdued; but when pride
possesses man's minds so that he thinks himself wise, nothing will
then prevail with him, neither counsel nor instruction. It is the
same when any one greatly extols his own strength, and is inflated
with pride, he cannot be made tractable, were he admonished a
hundred times. The Prophet then defines here the falsehood, the
impiety, and the iniquity of which he had been speaking. For though
the people sinned in various ways, the fountain and root was in this
lie or falsehood, that they were wont to set up their own strength
in opposition to God, and thought themselves so endued with wisdom,
that they had no need of teachers. Since, then, the people were so
blinded with their own pride, the Prophet shows here that it was
this lie with which they had satiated themselves. It follows -
Hosea 10:14,15
Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy
fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day
of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon [her] children.
So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a
morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
The Prophet here denounces punishment, having before exposed to
view the sins of the people, and sufficiently proved them guilty,
who by subterfuges avoided judgement. He now adds, that God would be
a just avenger. "A tumult then shall arise among thy people". Thou
hast hitherto satiated thyself with falsehood; for hope in thine own
courage has inebriated thee, and also a false notion of wisdom; but
the Lord will suddenly stir up tumults among thy people; that is, a
tumult shall in one moment arise on every side. He intimates that
its progress would not be slow, but that the tumult would be each as
would confound things from one corner of the land to the other. "A
tumult" then, or perdition, "shall arise among thy people"; for the
word "sha'on" means perdition or destruction; but I prefer "tumult,"
as the verb, "k'am" seems to require. "Every one of thy fortresses,"
he says, "shall be demolished." He shows that whatever strength the
people had would be weak and wholly useless, when the Lord had begun
to raise a tumult; for this tumult would reduce to ruin all their
fortified cities.
He then adds an instance, which some refer to Shalmanezar. He
only mentions Shaman; and Shalmanezar is indeed a compound name; but
it is not known whether the Prophet had put down here his name in
its simple form, Shaman: and then he mentions Betharbel, a city,
referred to in some parts of Scripture, which was, with respect to
Judea, beyond Jordan. If we receive this opinion, it seems that the
Prophet wished to revive the memory of a recent slaughter, "Ye know
what lately happened to you when Shalmanezar marched with so much
cruelty through your country, when he laid waste your villages and
towns and cities, and ye especially know how fierce the battle was
in Betharbel, when a carnage was made, when mothers were violently
thrown on their children, when the enemy spared neither sex nor age,
which in the worst wars is a most cruel thing." Such, then, may have
been the meaning of the Prophet. But others think that he relates a
history, which is nowhere else to be told. However this may be, it
appears that the Prophet spake of some slaughter which was in his
day well known. Then the report of it was common enough, whether it
was a slaughter made by Shalmanezar, or any other, of which there is
no express mention found. We no see the meaning of the Prophet; but
we cannot finish to-day.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as we remain yet in our own wickedness,
though often warned and sweetly invited by thee, and as thou
prevailest not with us by thy daily instruction, - O grant, that we
may, in a spirit of meekness, at length turn to thy service, and
fight against the hardness and obstinacy of our flesh, till we
render ourselves submissive to thee, and not wait until thou puttest
forth thy hand against us, or at least so profit under thy
chastisements, as not to constrain thee to execute extreme vengeance
against us, but to repent without delay; and that we may indeed,
without hypocrisy, plough under thy yoke, and so enjoy thy special
blessings, that thou mayest show thyself to us not only as our Lord,
but also as our Father, full of mercy and kindness, through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Calvin on Hosea
(continued in part 29...)
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