B rief Thoughts
For Busy Teachers
International Sunday School Lessons by J. H. Sammis Comment "Pith and Pivot" by T. C. Horton
Lesson for June 4, 1911
P EN I TENCE, PARDON, PROSPERITY FOR ISRAEL. Lesson X.—Hos. 14:1-9. I. T HE MINOR PROPHET S. (1) The 12 last books of the O. T. are called " T he Minor, or Lesser, Prophets," or, : like the Apostles, sometimes, by the Jews, just " T he Twelve." Their order may be memorized thus: "Ho. Jo. Am. Ob. Jo. Mi. Na. Hab. Ze. Hag. Ze. Malachi." They are minor not in importance but in size. All but the last three were pre-exile prophets. Hosea, Amos, Jonah, were of Is- rael, the Northern Kingdom; the rest of Judah. (2) Hosea was contemporary with Isaiah, Micah, and Amos, prophets; of Uz- ziah.. Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of J u d a h; and Jeroboam II, Zacharia, Shal- lum, Menahem, Pekaiah, Pekah, and Hoshea (the last) of the kings of Israel. He prophe- sied about 60 years (792-723?) (3) Hosea is rugged, terse, and abounding in graphic figures. . Feast, fowl, fish, roaring lions; a leopard, a bear robbed of her whelps; an eagle, dove; flocks, herds, moth, thorns, poison herts, ovens, bakers, leaven, unturned cakes, dried roots, empty vines, furrowed fields, chaff, smoke, clouds, dew, everything is put to graphic use; especially the figure of a faithless, lewd wife, the type of un- grateful, covenant-breaking Israel, and worldly church and Christian. Some oft re- peated texts occur: " E p h r a im Is a cake unturned," "also is like a silly dove," "I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love," "When Israel was a child I loved him and called My Son out of Egypt," "sow in righteousness, reap In mercy; break up your fallow ground," " sown the wind and reap 1 the whirlwind." Some great predic- tions are here: "I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down in s a f e t y "; "I will go and return to my place (Christ's return to the Father), till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My Face" (Israel's repentance at the 2nd coming of Christ). "After two days He will revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight," this is Israel's national resurrection in the coming age, the present being the 2nd day, and the pre-Christian f"»e the first. It is also the resurrection of Christ (of Whose experiences Israel was, is, and shall be the type), Luke 24:46. Hosea is much quoted in the New Testament. "1 will ransom them from the power of
the grave; I will redeem them from death; O death I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction" (13:14; - Cor. 15:54* II. T HE CALL TO RE P ENTANCE. (1) All the prophets, however full of rt" buke and judgment, end with repentanc- pardon, restoration and glory for Israel Always remember t h at the primary applica tion of this hope and blessing is to God'; ancient, elect, covenant, never-to-be-for saken people. But they have a true an» real application to all who will believe an; come, (a) "O Israel, return" (14:1). Bàcï, sliding Israel, and backsliding Christians, and all (men) who feil away from God in Adam, are still beloved of Him, who would draw us "with the bands of love" (11:4; 2 Cor. 5:14; Matt. 1.1:28; Jno. 3:16), no m a t- ter how grievously we may have sinned. Read Hosea's chapters on their sin, and Paul's first three of Romans. "Though your sins be as scarlet" (Isa. 1:18). (b) " T a ke with you words." He does not de- ma nd anything else, no bloody sacrifice, no grievous penances, no costly gifts. Just words, but words from the heart, "words are things," t h at sort of words, and thé weightiest things, too. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation, and with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom. 10:10). " S a y : Take away all iniquity," t h at is confession of sin and a longing de- sire to have the sin on us (guilt, condemna- tion) removed, and the sin in us (corrup- tion) eradicated. "Receive us graciously" (lit. "give us good"); it is a plea for grace, for sji.ners know and feel that they can aslj for nothing less and need nothing more; ' By grace are ye saved" (Eph. 2:8). It is to say, " F a t h e r, I have sinned, and am no mo.e wo r t h y" (Luke 15:18, 19). (c) "As- shur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses"; etc. This to confess t h at thp. things of this world have failed; t h at we are wéary of our false trusts, and our own works, and returned to the only Rock, and the True God. In "whom the fatherless (the godless) find mercy." There are no orphans like them who are "without Christ having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12). III. THE PROMISE OF PARDON. (1) "I will heal," etc. There Is no sickr ness like sin. It is leprosy. It is to bê sick from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores (Isa. 1:16); it is to be desperately sick (Jer. ,17:9, R. V.); it is heart sickness; there is but One Physician Who can cure it, t h at is Jehovah, and but one healing
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