Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 Vs. 4

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:4 “But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.”

But the wise... Wise, because they took extra oil in separate vessels besides what they had in their lamps. They were concerned for the true grace of God, being enlightened by the Spirit of God. They saw their need of the grace of God, and being directed by him where it was to be had, went to Christ for it. And having received it from him, through the power of the Holy Ghost, exercised it on him; and herein lay their wisdom: for a stock of this, in the heart.

Daily renewed by Christ, will supply the lamp of a profession well. This they had in their vessels, their oil vessels; by which are meant their hearts.

We see a division. Remember, all ten were believers in Christ. It seems the extra oil that they took was what created a separation of the two. The Holy Spirit is the oil. It seems that the wise Christians had the Holy Spirit, and the foolish did not.

We know in Acts, that the Disciples of Christ were instructed to go to the upper room and tarry until they be endued with power from on high. These same disciples, before they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, could not understand what the parables of Jesus meant. They were so weak, that one of them denied Jesus, and all but one of them ran when He was crucified.

You can easily see that even though they had walked with the Light (Jesus), they had no power until they received power on Pentecost (when they received the power of the Holy Spirit). I believe that this was the secret of the ten virgins. The other five had the Holy Spirit (oil), which gave them power.

This supply of oil then, representing that inward grace which distinguishes the wise, must denote more particularly, that supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, which, as it is the source of the new spiritual life at the first, is the secret of its enduring character. Everything short of this may be possessed by the foolish; while it is the possession of this that makes the wise to be ready when the bridegroom appears and fit to go in with Him to the marriage.

Just so in the parable of the Sower, the stony-ground hearers, having no deepness of earth and no root in themselves (Mat. 13:5; Mark 4:17), though they spring up and get even into ear, never ripen.

But preparation is necessary. In the parable, five of the virgins had made adequate preparation for they possessed the necessary lamps and extra oil in jars.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 10

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes. Hos. 8:10

Yea, though they... Or, Yea, because; they think this is the way to prevent their calamities, but it shall appear this was the ready way to bring their calamities upon them. And forasmuch as they have hired the aid of the nations to secure them against their God and his judgments.

gather them, and... Bring Israel together by a secret and unfailing train. I will, saith God, assemble and herd them together, that they may be taken and destroyed together. Others say, God will gather the nations together against Israel.

they shall sorrow... For a while before their final captivity, they shall complain and be grieved.

for the burden... The tribute laid on them by the king and princes, i.e., of Israel. But better as we read it, the king of Assyria, the great king who boasted of his princes.

We see from this, the Lord will allow all of this to happen, because they have broken His commandments. It is God that gathers them for their punishment. The kings and princes suffer with the people. They are all guilty. There will come a time when Jesus comes to the earth, that they are offered salvation through Him.

Ephraim hath hired lovers. It is again the note of their mad dissipation among the foreigners. But if they thus give themselves away among the nations, I must gather them in, and then shall they have to cease a little from the anointing of a king and princes. This willful roaming of theirs among the foreigners shall be followed by compulsory exile, and all their unholy artificial politics shall cease. The discourse turns to the other target.

Despite Israel’s desperate attempts to preserve herself, God’s judgment was certain. The Lord is pictured as bringing her back from her wanderings to Assyria and Egypt so that He might oppress her (cf. Hos. 7:13). The instrument of judgment would be the mighty King (i.e., of Assyria; cf. Hos. 10:6) from whom, ironically, they had sought aid.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 Vs. 3

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:3 “They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:”

foolish took their... Foolish, because they did not take extra oil in separate vessels to replenish their supply in their lamps should the oil be used up (Mat. 25:3-4).

They that were foolish (αἵτινες μωραί)

Read αἱ γὰρ μωραὶ, for the foolish. For justifies the epithet foolish in the preceding verse.

Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones, if you compared to the times of the church.

As Christians, we profess to attend upon Christ to honor him, also to be waiting for his coming. Those are the truly wise.

The foolish are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their hearts, sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the services and trials of the present state.

Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions, by the new creating Spirit of God. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to be done by them. Unless there is a fixed active love in the heart, of faith in Christ and love to God and our brethren.

Therefore, of unknown length must pass meantime; and herein, as the sequel will unfold, lies the test which distinguishes the wise from the foolish virgins.

In the parable, five of the virgins had made adequate preparation for they possessed the necessary lamps and extra oil in jars (Mat. 25:4). Five others had lamps but no extra oil.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 9

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. Hos. 8:9

For they are... This pictures Israel making alliances with other nations and committing other sins, for which she was finally destroyed; later she was to be gathered again to her own land (Hos. 8:9-14). As the context notes, this is not a reference to the captivity, but to the alliance she made with Assyria.

a wild ass... Is of a very independent nature. They have gone up on their own to Assyria, God did not send them. They were doing what was right in their own sight. God did not want them seeking help from the worldly nations around them. That is just what they did and found themselves alienated from God because of it. Like a wild donkey, Israel has stubbornly pursued foreign assistance rather than depending on the Lord.

Hath hired lovers... The hiring of lovers shows that God looks on this as if they have committed spiritual adultery. They are His wife, and yet they have left Him and played the harlot with these heathen nations.

They have gone up to Assyria like a runaway wild ass. Ephraim hath hired lovers. It is again the note of their mad dissipation among the foreigners.

Israel’s attempt to ally with Assyria could be compared to the wandering of a wild donkey, an animal well known for its desire to be independent of all restrictions (cf. Job 39:5-8). Israel’s alliances were also compared to prostitution; like a harlot she had sold herself to lovers (i.e., foreign powers).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 Vs. 2

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:2 “And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.”

And five of... The virgins who are wise; not in their own conceits; which is the case of a natural man and empty professors. But are such who are wise unto salvation. Who not only know the scheme of it but are sensible of their need of it and apply to Christ for it. Who commit their souls to Him.

They trust in his righteousness for justification; in his blood for pardon; in his sacrifice for atonement; in his fullness for daily supplies; in his grace and strength to perform every duty; and expect eternal life in and from him. They know him, prize him, and value him as their Savior; rejoice in him and give him all the glory. They hold fast without wavering.

And five were... Not in their own minds, in which they might be wise enough. Nor in the judgment of others; nor in natural knowledge; or with respect to the things of the world; nor in speculative notions of the Gospel.

Every unconverted man being a foolish man as all are who build their hopes of it on birth privileges; on a carnal descent from good men; on a religious education; on their own righteousness; or on the absolute mercy of God; and not on Christ, the one only, and sure foundation.

They are such who know not themselves; the impurity of their hearts, and nature; their impotency to that which is spiritually good; and the imperfection and insufficiency of their own righteousness. They know not Christ, and his salvation, neither the worth, nor want of him, and are altogether strangers to the power of godliness and spiritual experience.

They are also as foolish in the affair of a profession, which they take up without a work of the Spirit of God upon their souls, and without considering the cost and charge of it. And either in a little time wholly drop it, or, if they hold it, they foolishly depend upon it, or lead lives unsuitable to it.

An interval, therefore, of unknown length must pass meantime; and herein, as the sequel will unfold, lies the test which distinguishes the wise from the foolish virgins.

Israel therefore is pictured as 10 virgins who are awaiting the return of the bridegroom. In wedding customs in Jesus’ day, the bridegroom would return from the house of the bride in a procession leading to his own home where a wedding banquet would be enjoyed. In Jesus’ parable, He as King will return from heaven with His bride, the church, in order to enter into the Millennium. The Jews in the Tribulation will be some of the invited guests privileged to share in the feast.

Book of Matthew Chapter 8 Vs. 8

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. Hos. 8:8

is swallowed up... For her sins Israel was to be destroyed and dispersed among the Gentiles. Not only their substance, but their persons also; the whole nation of them and their whole estate, civil and ecclesiastic. It notes the utter destruction of them by the Assyrians, so that nothing of them and theirs remained. Just as anyone is swallowed up and devoured by a breast of prey; the present is put for the future, because of the certainty of it.

now shall they... When Shalmaneser took Samaria, and with it swallowed up the whole kingdom of Israel, he carried captive the inhabitants of it, and placed them among the nations, in "Halah, Habor, by the river Gozan", and in the cities of the Medes (2Kgs. 17:6).

where is no... Where they lived poor, mean, and abject, and were treated with the utmost neglect and contempt. No more regarded than a broken useless vessel, or than a vessel of dishonor, that is made and used for the ease of nature, for which no more regard is had than for that service. Thus idolaters, who dishonor God by their idolatries, shall, sooner or later, be brought to disgrace and dishonor themselves.

This speaks of what most people think are the lost 10 tribes. They do not go back into the land as a whole but are scattered in the Gentile nations around them. God does not completely shut the door to them, however. They become part of the Gentile world.

Nay, Israel hath let herself be swallowed up! Already are they becoming among the nations like a vessel there is no more use for. Heathen empires have sucked them dry.

Already Israel had been swallowed up by her foreign policy (cf. Hos. 7:8-12). Her involvement with foreigners was swiftly robbing the nation of its strength and identity as the Lord’s people. Israel had become as worthless as a broken pot (cf. Jer. 22:28; 48:38). The words worthless thing is literally, a pot in which no one delights (NASB).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 Vs. 1

 

Matthew Chapter 25

Verses 1-13: The parable of the 10 virgins explains the place of Israel’s true converts of the Great Tribulation period in relation to the church. These virgins (Greek Parthenos, 1:23) are the attendants at the wedding, not multiple brides. The one bride of Christ is the church, John the Baptist is the best man (John 3:29), friend of the bridegroom, and the prepared virgins are the saved of the Great Tribulation.

The parable of the 10 virgins is given to underscore the importance of being ready for Christ’s return in any event, even if He delays longer than expected. For when He does return, there will be no second changes for the unprepared.

While all share as the people of God, the church is accorded a unique relationship to the Master. The lamps seem to refer to their lives which are either prepared or unprepared. The oil refers to that which prepares them to give forth light and may properly be illustrative of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that they all slept while the bridegroom tarried implies a period of Jewish inactivity during the church age, while the bride is gathered.

The symbolism of the parable is: The groom is symbolic of Jesus. The arrival of the groom is the rapture. The 10 virgins are symbolic of the church. The wise were ready to meet him, the foolish were not. The oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. When a person is born again, they receive the Holy Spirit, thus will have oil in their lamp. This is a believer who understands that they can do nothing on his own but is totally dependent upon God for His righteousness and anointing and on God’s word for truth, comfort and strength.

Jesus told the 5 foolish virgins that He knew them not. Many claim to know Christ but are not obedient and do not live their lives for Christ. They remain in the world living in the flesh, claiming to know Christ, but in reality, their knowledge was head knowledge only and not heart knowledge. Read (Matthew 7:21-23), for what Jesus told them.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”

Then shall the... Then—at the second coming at the end of the tribulation when Christ comes with His saints (Mat. 25:3, 25:27-31, 25:33, 25:36, 25:39-51), not at the rapture when He comes for the bride. Note the connecting adverbs of time from Mat. 25:15-28: when (Mat. 25:15), then (Mat. 25:16), then (Mat. 25:21), then (Mat. 25:23). These cover 3 1/2 years from the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week to the second coming at the end of this week. Then in Mat. 25:29 we have a new time element, the second coming itself, immediately after the tribulation of Mat. 25:15-28. Note the events connected with this by the same kind of adverb of time: then (Mat. 25:30), then (Mat. 25:40), then (Mat. 25:1).

kingdom of heaven... Kingdom of heaven, not the church, is like ten virgins. See, Mat. 4:17; Mat. 19:24.

likened unto ten... Fourth parable of Matthew 24-25, illustrating watchfulness in view of His coming (Mat. 25:1-13).

ten virgins, which... Ten young ladies (not Christians) who were friends of a certain girl that got married over 1900 years ago (Mat. 25:1, 25:5-10).

We know that the Lord is coming back for a church that is a chaste virgin. This means they have no other Gods. So we see by this, that all these girls were part of the church, because all ten were virgins.

We know that the number ten has to do with the world. All ten of them were in the world. It appears that they had light because they took their lamps. We also see that all ten were looking for Jesus (went forth to meet the bridegroom).

Lamps (λαμπάδας)

Lit., torches. Probably a short, wooden stem held in the hand, with a dish at the top, in which was a piece of cloth dipped in oil or pitch.

The Virgins; The Talents.

The second and third pictures presented in the form of two parables of the kingdom of heaven, set before us the judgment of Christ at His coming on His professed disciples, distinguishing between real and merely nominal Christians, between the pretended and the true members of the kingdom of heaven. In the former parable this distinction is set before us in the contrast between the wise and the foolish virgins; in the latter it appears in the form of the one faithful and the two unfaithful servants. No special significance need be attached to the respective numbers, which are evidently chosen with a view to the consistency of the parables, not to set forth anything in regard to the actual proportion between hypocrites and true disciples in the visible Church.

The relation between the two parables has been already indicated. The first represents the Church as waiting, the second as working, for her Lord; the first shows the necessity of a constant supply of inward grace, the second the need of unremitting outward activity; the teaching of the first is, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life; of the second, Do good as ye have opportunity, Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. The parable of the Virgins comes appropriately before that of the Talents, inasmuch as a Christian’s inner life should be his first care, the outer life being wholly dependent on it. Keep thy heart with all diligence, is the first command; Do thy work with all diligence, the second. The first parable calls aloud to every member of the Church, Be wise; the second follows it with another call, as urgent as the first, Be faithful.

The Parable of the Virgins (Mat. 25:1-13), with its marriage feast, recalls the parable of the marriage of the King’s Son, so recently spoken in the Temple. The difference between the two is very clearly indicated by the way in which each parable is introduced: there, the kingdom of heaven is likened; here, then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened. The gospel feast which was the subject of the parable spoken in the Temple was already spread; it was a thing of the present; its word was, All things are ready: come to the marriage: its preparation had been the object of the heavenly Bridegroom’s first coming. The wedding feast of this parable is yet to be prepared; it is the marriage supper of the Lamb to which the Lord will call His people Jewish at His second coming.

The Coming Judgment On Israel

When Christ returns in glory, further separations will occur, as indicated by the Parable of the 10 Virgins. While various interpretations have been given to this parable, it seems best to understand it as a judgment on living Jews soon after the Lord’s return in glory. The context clearly points to that event (Mat. 24:3, 24:14, 24:27, 24:30, 24:39, 24:44, 24:51). The judgment of the Gentiles (sheep and goats) will occur when the Lord returns (Mat. 25:31-46). Also at His glorious return, Israel will be judged as a nation (Eze. 20:33-44; Zec. 13:1).

Israel therefore is pictured as 10 virgins who are awaiting the return of the bridegroom. In wedding customs in Jesus’ day, the bridegroom would return from the house of the bride in a procession leading to his own home where a wedding banquet would be enjoyed. In Jesus’ parable, He as King will return from heaven with His bride, the church, in order to enter into the Millennium. The Jews in the Tribulation will be some of the invited guests privileged to share in the feast.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 7

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. Hos. 8:7

sown the wind... Sowing the wind is associated with the making of idols and worshiping them (Hos. 8:6-7). This indicates the escalating uselessness of all their false religion.

reap the whirlwind... The whirlwind refers to the terrible increase in what they would reap, which would be to the full. Such idolatry did cause the nation to be destroyed (Hos. 8:6, 8:9-14; 2Ki. 17:1-41).

it hath no... This refers to the utter fruitlessness of their design to be like other nations. It had no stalk, or wheat on it; and even if it did develop to this point strangers would take the fruit and use it for themselves.

When a man sows seed into the wind, it scatters and is not productive. We know that whatever we sow, that shall we reap. The Word of God is many times spoken of as seed. The problem with what they have done is that it will bring no good results. Their production from their lives does not bring good things, but bad.

For they sow the wind, and the whirlwind shall they reap. Indeed, like a storm Hosea’s own language now sweeps along; and his metaphors are torn into shreds upon it. Stalk it hath none: the sprout brings forth no grain: if it were to bring forth, strangers would swallow it.

The phrase they sow the wind is transitional. It alludes to the futility of both her idolatrous worship (Hos. 8:4-6) and her foreign policy (Hos. 8:8-10). Wind here represents that which lacks substance and is therefore worthless and of no assistance (cf. Prov. 11:29). Israel would reap in extra measure what she had sown. The futility (wind) which she had planted like seed would yield a crop of destruction (represented by the whirlwind). All her efforts directed toward self-preservation would be self-destructive.

The agricultural metaphor continues. Israel’s crop would be worthless, containing only stalks without grain. Even if she would produce grain, foreigners would take it away and the nation would not benefit from her labor.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter24 Vs. 51

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:51 “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

shall cut him... This kind of punishment was anciently practiced. Sometimes it was done by the sword, sometimes by saws. It was practiced among the Chaldean's (Dan. 2:5; 3:29), and among the Hebrews (2Sam. 12:31; 1Sam. 15:33; 1Kgs. 3:25; Heb. 11:37). It was also practiced by the Egyptians and Romans. It is not perhaps here to be taken literally but signifies that the wicked servant should be severely punished.

Hypocrites – They are spoken of here as the worst of people.

weeping and gnashing... These are those who shall be cast out into outer darkness. This is an image of future punishment. It is not improbable that the image was taken from Roman dungeons or prisons. They were commonly constructed underground. They were shut out from the light of the sun. They were of course, damp, dark, and unhealthy, and probably most filthy. Another description of eternal hell, not the grave (Mat. 13:42, 13:50; Rev. 9:2). Wailing, here and in Mat. 13:50; weeping in Mat. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28; and gnashing of teeth in all these passages picture bitter remorse and pain.

Masters were in the habit of constructing such prisons for their slaves, where the unhappy prisoner, without light, or company, or comfort, spent his days and nights in weeping from grief, and in vainly gnashing his teeth from indignation. The image expresses the fact that the wicked that are lost will be shut out from the light of heaven, and from peace, and joy, and hope.

They will weep in hopeless grief, and will gnash their teeth in indignation against God, and complain against his justice. What a striking image of future woe! Go to a damp, dark, solitary, and squalid dungeon; see a miserable and enraged victim; add to his sufferings the idea of eternity. And then remember that this, after all, is but an image, a faint image of hell!

The punishment is correspondingly severe. The word used to picture it (shall cut him asunder) is one to make us shudder; and some have felt surprised that our Lord did not shrink from the horror of the word. Ah! but it was the horror of the thing which He dreaded and wished to avert. It was the infinite pity of His heart that led Him to use a word which might prove the very strongest deterrent. Besides, how significant it is! Think, again, of whom He is speaking, -servants set over His household to give food in due season, who instead of doing this maltreat their fellow-servants and ruin themselves with excess. Think of the duplicity of such conduct. By office in the church exalted unto heaven, by practice brought down to hell! That unnatural combination cannot last. These monsters with two faces and one black heart cannot be tolerated in the universe of God. They shall be cut asunder; and then it will appear which of the two faces really belongs to the man: cut asunder, his place shall be appointed with the hypocrites, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mat. 24:51).

But the judgment will come, and he will be dealt with as one would deal with a hypocrite, which is precisely what an unfaithful servant is. His separation will result in eternal judgment (weeping and gnashing of teeth, cf. comments on Mat. 13:42) apart from his master. Likewise, the judgment of the wicked at the Lord’s second coming will separate them eternally from God.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 6

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. Hos. 8:6

from Israel was... That is, the calf originated with them, not from Me. It also, as well as their kings set up by them, but not by Me (Hosea 8:4).

the workman made... The founder, silversmith, or goldsmith, made it, and fashioned the calf.

therefore, it is... You are drunken fools to think it is a god: if the making it will not convince you it is no god, yet I hope the destroying it will prove, whatever it was made for, or whatever thought to be, yet it was not, nor could it ever be, a god.

calf of Samaria... This was one of the golden calves which Jeroboam made to be placed in Bethel and Dan as gods of Israel, or another one like them, made later (2Kgs. 12:1-21:26-33). But when the idol is broken into pieces, Samaria shall see it was but a calf, and confess their folly in worshipping it. However, the destruction of it will be a perpetual witness of Samaria’s sin, and God’s just displeasure in its ruin.

We have mentioned over and over in these lessons, that things you can see with your natural eye that have been made with human hands are not God. The Creator of it all is God, not His creation. God is Spirit.

John 4:24 "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth."

He is the Great I Am. He is the self-existing One. The idol of the calf shall be destroyed.

For from Israel is it also-as much as the puppet-kings; a workman made it, and no god is it. Yea, splinters shall the Calf of Samaria become. Splinters shall everything in Israel become.

The calf-idol (Hos. 8:5) was a product of a human craftsman’s skill; how, then, could it be considered a god? (Cf. Isa. 40:18-20; 44:9-20.) The words, it is not God, were probably meant to refute Jeroboam, who said of the calves, here are your gods, O Israel (1Kgs. 12:28; cf. Exo. 32:4). The destruction of this image would demonstrate the futility of idolatry.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 50

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:50 “The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,”

The lord of... Not by redemption and grace, but by creation and profession, shall come in a day when he looked not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of suddenly and unexpectedly. Such was his coming in wrath and vengeance on the Jewish nation; and such is his coming oftentimes by death; and such will be his coming at the day of judgment.

This is still further confirmed by the reason given for such recklessness, -the evil servant saying in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming. There is reason to suppose that the early Christians expected the return of the Lord almost immediately. In so far as they made this mistake, it cannot be charged against their Master; for, as we have seen, He warns them against this error throughout the whole of the prophecy. It is plain, however, that those who made this mistake were in no danger of saying in their hearts, My Lord delayeth His coming. But as time passed on, and the expectation of the Lord’s speedy return grew fainter, then there would come in all its force the temptation to those who did not watch against it of counting on the Lord’s delay. When we think of this, we see how necessary it was that the danger should be set forth in language which may have seemed unnecessarily strong at the time, but which the future history of the Church only too sadly justified.

Like the wicked people of Noah’s day (Mat. 24:37-39), he was unaware of the sudden coming judgment (Mat. 24:50). But the judgment will come, and he will be dealt with as one would deal with a hypocrite, which is precisely what an unfaithful servant is.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 5

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? Hos. 8:5

Thy calf, O… Calf worship was the national religion of the northern kingdom (1 Kgs. 12:25-33; Exodus Chapter 32).

This is speaking of the calf they set up in the temple as a symbol of God. This is just plainly saying that their worship of idols had gotten them cut off from God. They must repent and turn back to God.

how long will... Question 3. Next, Hos. 9:5.

attain to innocency... Ten wonderful things to attain to:

1. Old age (Gen. 47:9)

2. A great name and fame (2Sa. 23:19, 23:23; 1Ch. 11:21, 11:25)

3. Knowledge (Psm. 139:6)

4. Wise counsels (Pro. 1:5)

5. Innocence (Hos. 8:5)

6. Righteousness by faith (Rom. 9:30)

7. Law of righteousness (Rom. 9:31)

8. Faith and sound doctrine (1Tim. 4:6)

9. The mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus (Phlp. 3:16)

10. The resurrection from out among the dead (Phlp. 3:11-12)

With their silver and their gold, they have manufactured themselves idols, only that they may be cut off-king after king, idol upon idol. He loathes thy Calf, O Samaria, the thing of wood and gold which thou callest Jehovah. And God confirms this. Kindled is Mine anger against them! How long will they be incapable of innocence? -unable to clear themselves of guilt! The idol is still in his mind. For from Israel is it also-as much as the puppet-kings; a workman made it, and no god is it.

The calf-idol of Samaria (cf. Hos. 8:6) was singled out because it epitomized Israel’s idolatrous ways. Since there is no record of such an idol being erected in Samaria, the city may stand here for the Northern Kingdom as a whole (cf. Hos. 7:1; 10:7). If so, the calf-idol was probably the image set up by Jeroboam I at Bethel (cf. 1Kgs. 12:28-30; Hos. 10:5). By setting up golden calves (one in Dan and one in Bethel), Jeroboam repeated the sins of an earlier generation (cf. Exo. 32:1-4). Probably the people associated these calves with the storm and fertility god Baal (cf. Hos. 13:1-2).

The words Throw out follow the Septuagint. However, the Hebrew is literally, He has rejected your calf, O Samaria (NASB). This third person reference to God within a divine speech is unusual but is attested elsewhere (cf. Hos. 1:7, the Lord; Hos. 2:22, the Lord; Hos. 4:6, your God; Hos. 4:10, the Lord; Hos. 4:12, their God; Hos. 8:13, the Lord and He). Rejected (in the Heb. in Hos. 8:5) makes a striking wordplay with the word rejected in Hos. 8:3. Israel had rejected (zānaḥ) what is good and turned to idols. The Lord responded appropriately by rejecting (zānaḥ) Israel’s idols. As Moses and Joshua had warned (Deut. 11:17; Jos. 23:16), the Lord’s anger burned against the idolaters. In despair the Lord asked, how long will they be incapable of purity?

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 49

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:49 “And shall begin to smite [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;”

And shall begin... By abusing the power given him, usurping a dominion over their faith, and imposing on their consciences things which Christ has never commanded.

This servant was vexing and burdening them with trifling rites and ceremonies, and other unnecessary things; that was wounding, grieving, and offending weak minds by his conduct and example. And persecuting the saints, such of them as cannot come into everything in his way of believing and practicing.

eat and drink... Giving himself up to luxury and intemperance. Feeding himself instead of the family; serving his own belly, and not his Lord and Master Christ. Living an ungodly and licentious life, altogether unbecoming the Gospel of Christ.

Such servants and stewards have been, and are in the church of God; but sad will be their case, when their Lord comes, as follows. Respect seems to be had either to the ecclesiastical rulers among the Jews, who went under the name of the servants of the Lord, but persecuted the apostles, and those that believed in Christ. Or the Judaizing Christians, and false teachers, that were for imposing the ceremonies of the law upon believers.

Here is where we see the church people, and especially the ministers of God, compromising with the world. They actually are losing the holy reverence and fear that we all should have. The bible says the beginning of knowledge is fear of the Lord. The Bible is very plain as well, about not fellow shipping with the worldly.

Both offence and punishment are painted in the very darkest colours. As to the former, the servant not only neglects his duty, but beats his fellow-servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken. Here a question arises, What was there to suggest such a representation to the Saviour’s mind? Surely it could not be intended specially for those who were sitting with Him on the mount that day. If Judas was among the rest, his sin was not of the nature that would have suggested the parable in this particular form, and certainly there is no reason to suppose that any of the rest were in the slightest danger of being guilty of such cruelties and excesses as are here spoken of. Is it not plain then, that the Judge of all had in His view the dark days to come, when the clergy of a degenerate Church would be actually guilty of cruelties and excesses such as could not be more fitly set forth in parable than by the disgraceful conduct of that wicked servant?

Such a servant, concluding that his master was not returning for a long time, took advantage of others he beat his fellow servants and lived wickedly eating and drinking with drunkards.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 4

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. Hos. 8:4

They have set... God Himself foretold to Jeroboam by Ahijah the prophet, that He would rend the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon, and give ten tribes to him, and would take him, and he should reign according to all that his soul desired and should be king over Israel (1Kgs. 11:31; 1Kgs. 11:37). And after the ten tribes had made Jeroboam king, God said by Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam and the two tribes, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me (1Kgs. 12:22-24).

not by me... Not with My sanction (1Kgs. 11:31; 12:20). Israel set up Jeroboam and his successors, whereas God had appointed the house of David as the rightful kings of the whole nation.

knew it not... He that will not approve any one evil, when his omniscience discerns all, is pleased to say he knew not what he did not approve.

they made them... Heathen like, they have made them gods, and set up idolatry, so have perverted all in church and state settled by me.

that they may... As if they were resolved to cut themselves off from being a people. By this they thought to establish themselves, but it will be quite contrary, these sins will be their ruin.

Israel was to be under the direction of God in their civil matters, as well as their religious matters. They have rebelled against God and done what was right in their own sight. They have even used the silver and gold, that God had blessed them with, to make false gods (idols), with. The worship of false gods is what has cut them off from God. They have been an unfaithful wife to God.

ARTIFICIAL KINGS AND ARTIFICIAL GODS

The curse of such a state of dissipation as that to which Israel had fallen is that it produces no men. Had the people had in them the root of the matter, had there been the stalk and the fiber of a national consciousness and purpose, it would have blossomed to a man. In the similar time of her outgoings upon the world Prussia had her Frederick the Great, and Israel, too, would have produced a leader, a heaven-sent king, if the national spirit had not been squandered on foreign trade and fashions. But after the death of Jeroboam every man who rose to eminence in Israel, rose, not on the nation, but only on the fevered and transient impulse of some faction; and through the broken years one party monarch was lifted after another to the brief tenancy of a blood-stained throne. They were not from God, these monarchs; but man-made, and sooner or later man murdered. With his sharp insight Hosea likens these artificial kings to the artificial gods, also the work of men’s hands; and till near the close of his book the idols of the sanctuary and the puppets of the throne form the twin targets of his scorn.

Two examples of Israel’s sin are given in Hos. 8:4-6. She had appointed kings and other leaders without consulting the Lord. This alludes to the series of palace revolts that plagued the Northern Kingdom after Jeroboam II’s reign (cf. Hos. 7:5-7). Israel had also made idols for themselves in direct violation of the second commandment (cf. Exo. 20:4).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 VS. 48

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. Hos. 8:3

hath cast off... Jehovah’s reply to Israel’s hollow repentance. The word cast off means a scornful loathing of what is rotting or obscene. The thing that is good is the name of God, which is the salvation of Israel (Aben Ezra).

the enemy shall... Who is before compared to an eagle, which flies swiftly, and pursues its prey with eagerness and fierceness. Shalmaneser is meant, who should invade the land, come up to Samaria, besiege and take it. Nothing should stop him, nor should Israel escape from him, since they had cast off the Lord, and everything that was good. The Targum is, the house of Israel has erred from my worship, for the sake of which I brought good things upon them; henceforward the enemy shall pursue them.

They rejected the One true God and all the goodness that goes with Him. Now God has rejected them.

What does it matter? Israel hath spurned the good: the Foe must pursue him.

But there is more to be thought of than the missing of the blessing. There is a fearful doom awaiting the unfaithful servant, of which the picture following gives a terrible presentation. Both offence and punishment are painted in the very darkest colours.

But a servant who fails to carry out his stewardship will be judged severely.

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 3

 Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. Hos. 8:3

hath cast off... Jehovah’s reply to Israel’s hollow repentance. The word cast off means a scornful loathing of what is rotting or obscene. The thing that is good is the name of God, which is the salvation of Israel (Aben Ezra).

the enemy shall... Who is before compared to an eagle, which flies swiftly, and pursues its prey with eagerness and fierceness. Shalmaneser is meant, who should invade the land, come up to Samaria, besiege and take it. Nothing should stop him, nor should Israel escape from him, since they had cast off the Lord, and everything that was good. The Targum is, the house of Israel has erred from my worship, for the sake of which I brought good things upon them; henceforward the enemy shall pursue them.

They rejected the One true God and all the goodness that goes with Him. Now God has rejected them.

What does it matter? Israel hath spurned the good: the Foe must pursue him.

In reality she had rejected what was good (the Lord’s moral and ethical requirements; cf. Amos 5:14-15; Mic. 6:8). Consequently, an enemy would soon pursue her. The swift retreat pictured here fulfills another covenant curse (cf. Deut. 28:45).

Gospel of Mtthew Chapter 24 Vs. 47

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:47 “Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.”

Verily I say... Nothing is a greater truth, more certain or to be depended on than this; all such wise, faithful, diligent, and industrious servants may expect it.

He, shall make him ruler over all his goods; will honor him with greater gifts, bestow a larger degree of Gospel light and knowledge on him, make him more useful in the church. And will cause him to inherit all things in the other world; all glory, happiness, and bliss.

Faithful to their high trust, wise in relation to the momentous issues depending on the manner in which they fulfil it. The benediction on the wise and faithful servant is evidently easy to miss and a great thing to gain.

Such a servant will be rewarded for his faithful service when the Lord returns (Mat. 24:47).

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 2

Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind 

Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. Hos. 8:2

we know thee... Israel’s syncretistic worship wherein she practiced idolatry while crying out to God.

They should have known Him, because they were entrusted with His law. They should have also known that He would not tolerate the worship of false gods. They have brought this upon themselves through their unfaithfulness. Now, they cry out to God, as if He should help them. Their flimsy excuse for Him helping them is that they knew Him. I would prefer to say, they knew of Him. It reminds me very much of the following.

Mat. 7:21-23 "Not everyone that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

To Me they cry, My God, we know there, we are Israeli.

Israel made a pretense of devotion to the Lord, addressing Him as her own God and claiming to acknowledge His authority over her. This profession, however, was mere lip service (cf. Hos. 4:1, 4:6; 5:4).