Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Daniel Joel
Hosea 11
Concise Complete
God's regard for Israel; their ingratitude. (1-7) The
Divine mercy yet in store. (8-12)
Verses 1-7 When
Israel were weak and helpless as children, foolish and froward as children, then
God loved them; he bore them as the nurse does the sucking child, nourished
them, and suffered their manners. All who are grown up, ought often to reflect
upon the goodness of God to them in their childhood. He took care of them, took
pains with them, not only as a father, or a tutor, but as a mother, or nurse.
When they were in the wilderness, God showed them the way in which they should
go, and bore them up, taking them by the arms. He taught them the way of his
commandments by the ceremonial law given by Moses. He took them by the arms, to
guide them, that they might not stray, and to hold them up, that they might not
stumble and fall. God's spiritual Israel are all thus supported. It is God's
work to draw poor souls to himself; and none can come to him except he draw
them. With bands of love; this word signifies stronger cords than the former. He
eased them of the burdens they had long groaned under. Israel is very ungrateful
to God. God's counsels would have saved them, but their own counsels ruined
them. They backslide; there is no hold of them, no stedfastness in them. They
backslide from me, from God, the chief good. They are bent to backslide; they
are ready to sin; they are forward to close with every temptation. Their hearts
are fully set in them to do evil. Those only are truly happy, whom the Lord
teaches by his Spirit, upholds by his power, and causes to walk in his ways. By
his grace he takes away the love and dominion of sin, and creates a desire for
the blessed feast of the gospel, that they may feed thereon, and live for ever.
Verses 8-12 God is
slow to anger, and is loth to abandon a people to utter ruin, who have been
called by his name. When God was to give a sacrifice for sin, and a Saviour for
sinners, he spared not his own Son, that he might spare us. This is the language
of the day of his patience; but when men sin that away, then the great day of
his wrath comes. Man's compassions are nothing in comparison with the tender
mercies of our God, whose thoughts and ways, in receiving returning sinners, are
as much above ours as heaven is above the earth. God knows how to pardon poor
sinners. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and therein declares
his righteousness, now Christ has purchased the pardon, and he has promised it.
Holy trembling at the word of Christ will draw us to him, not drive us from him,
the children tremble, and flee to him. And all that come at the gospel call,
shall have a place and a name in the gospel church. The religious service of
Israel were mere hypocrisy, but in Judah regard was had to God's laws, and the
people followed their pious forefathers. Let us be faithful: those who thus
honour God, he will honour, but such us despise Him shall be lightly esteemed.
Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Daniel Joel
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
