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).