“For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and
multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and
my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my
flax.”–Hosea 2:8-9.
In reading any of the records concerning the people of Israel and the
people of Judah, one stands amazed at two things, and scarcely knows
which to wonder at most. The first thing which causes astonishment is
the great sin of the people; and the next thing, which is even more
marvellous, is the great patience of God. I scarcely know which of the
two things causes me greater surprise, that men should be so guilty, or
that God should be so gracious. On every page of Israel’s history, the
kindness and forbearance of Jehovah are manifested towards the
people whom he had betrothed unto himself. Even in the midst of their
backsliding and idolatry, he did not forget the covenant which he had
made with their fathers. Yet, in spite of all this goodness, the people
sinned times without number, and grieved his Spirit again and again;
instead of being led to repentance, they sinned yet more and more.
Their iniquity, and the forbearance of God, stand like two mountain
summits of the history of the chosen yet wayward people.
Let us just transfer these thoughts to ourselves, and see if we can, with
any justice, cast a stone at the people who, in spite of such love, went
so far astray. Alas, we are condemned by the comparison! We are
nothing better than they were. Our case is, perhaps, fuller of
contradictions and inconsistencies, if that is possible. Is it not
wonderful, first of all, that we should have been so guilty, that we
should have persevered in sin so many years, that even after we have
known God we should have been so unfaithful to him, so unfaithful to
our own convictions, and to our own conscience? Is it not this awful
fact amazing? But that God should love us still, that he should follow
us with warning and invitation, that his Holy Spirit should strive with
us, and continue to strive until he wins the day, and that despite our
shortcomings and our transgressions, he should have remained faithful
to us, even to this very hour, is more amazing still. O my soul, sink
low in deep humiliation because of thy sinfulness! But, rise higher and
yet higher in adoration of the unutterable love, the boundless mercy of
God to thee in spite of thine iniquity. Beloved brethren, if it were
possible for us to only know adequately these two things, man’s sin
and God’s love, we should have learned more than the greatest
scientists of this world ever knew, and we should have attained to
more true wisdom than all earth’s philosophers ever possessed. There
be some that, in their search for knowledge, have almost seemed to
walk the heavens in order to tread the stars, and to dive into the depths
to arrange the rocks and all their ancient life; but there are two things
that none of the wise amongst men have ever been able to compass–
two things which unaided reason has ever failed to grasp, and ever
will–sin and love; sin for its thunder, and love for its music: sin for its
hell and love for its heaven. But we, who have been taught by the
grace of God, do know something of sin: may we know increasingly
what an evil it is! I trust we also know something of divine love; may
we be filled with it, even to overflowing!
But, coming now close to our text, I am going to make four observances upon
it.
The first will be one that seems self-evident, yet is often forgotten,
namely, that God is the Giver of every good gift. “I gave her corn, and
wine and oil.” In the second place, I will dwell upon the sad fact that
many seem not to know this. “She did not know that I gave her corn,
and wine, and oil.” My third observation will be, that this ignorance
leads to perversion of God’s gifts: the gifts of God were profaned by
being “prepared for Baal.” In the last place, the solemn truth will
demand our attention, that this ill use of God’s gifts causes God to
withdraw them. “Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the
time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and I will recover my
wool and my flax.” We lose what we are determined to put to improper
use. So, you see that my discourse promises to be a very practical one.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
