CHAPTER IX.
Tesrael is sentenced to a variety of miseries, for their aggravated sins, out especially their idolatry, 1—17.
=~ EJOICE not, O Israel, for joy, *as other
people: for thou hast ‘gone a whoring from thy God, “thou hast loved a reward “upon every corn-floor.
a Is. 30:14. Jer, 22:28. 48:38. Rom. 9:22. 2 Tim. Ez. 23:5—9. c Job 39:;5—8. Jer. 2:24. 4 2:5—7,10—13. 12:1. [s. 30:6. Ez. 16:33,34. * Heb. loves. e 10:10. Ez. 16:
87. 23:9,10,22—26,46,47. 7 Or, begin to sorrow. {2 Kings 14;26. 15:19,20, 37:
8. 1 Chr, 5:26. g Is. 10:8. 36:13. Ez. 26:7, Dan. 2:37. h 10:1,2,8. 12:1to ds; 10:20,11. i Deut, 4:28, Jer. 16:13. k Deut, 4:6—8, Neh, 9:13,14. Ps. 119:18, 147:19,20. Prov. 22:20. Ez. 20:11,12. Rom. 3:1,2. 7:12. 14:6. 2 Kings 17:15,16. Neh, 9:26, Ps. 50:17. Is, 30:9. Jer. 6:16,17. 8:8,9. Mark 7:9. Or, In the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it. Jer. 7:21—23. Zech.
express command of God. (Marg. Ref. Notes, Ex. 32:2—6. 1 Kings 12:26—29.)
Thy calf, &c. (5) “Remove far from thee thy calf, O Samaria.” Bp. Newcombe. Till the worship of the golden calf was entirely abolished, the removing of other idols would not avert the wrath of God. The workmen made the idol, and it could neither be God, nor any proper representation of him; but a mere dead image of a calf, which would soon be broken, and become fragments of gold. ‘V. 7, 8.
All the expense and trouble of the people in their idolatrous worship, and all their crimes, politics, and heathen alliances, by which they attempted to secure themselves, were only “sewing the wind ;” and if they had any increase, they could only ‘treap the whirlwind.” (Marg. Ref. t. Notes, 10:12,13. Is. 17:10—14, 44:19,20.
Gal. 6:6— 10, vv. 7,8.) Such seed could produce nothing valuable : and if a little transient prosperity seemed to result from it, it would soon be torn from them by strangers, who would swallow them up with their property; and they would be left among the nations as a broken or mean vessel, which a man throws away, or uses for the basest purposes. (Marg. and Marg. Ref. u—z. Notes, Jer. 22:28—30. Rom. 9:22,23. 2 Tim. 2:20—22.)
V. 9, 10. When the Syrians attacked the Israelites, they applied for help to the kings of Assyria; and they ran about as a headstrong wild ass when separated from his companions.
Notes, Job 39:5—8. Jer. 2:22—24.) At a ruinous expense they hired the assistance of idolaters, and conformed to their node of worship. But though they seemed to have obtained their purpose, and to have engaged powerful allies; yet the Lord would gather these allies against them as their enemies, and would begin to punish them by the burden or tribute laid on them by the king of Assyria, who called himself “ a king of princes.” (Note, Is. 10:8—11.) Yet this would be a light affliction, compared with those which would follow. (Marg. and Marg. Ref.) ‘The word menat signifies in a little time here, as it does Hag. 2:6. Lowth.
V. 11, 12. The Israelites, having, in the days of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, forsaken the temple and altar, at Jerusalem, erected altars at Beth-el and Dan, and at several other places, to the golden calves, to Baal, and to other idols ; us if they had purposely intended to add sin to sin: therefore their altars and sacrifices would be imputed to them as aggravated crimes, and expose them to just and dreadful punishmert. The Lord had caused the great and important truths and commandments of his law, respecting himself, and the worsiip and service which he required, to be written for their instruction, and he had sent his prophets to enforce it upon the people; but they continued to treat it as “a strange thing ;” they knew scarcely any thing of it, they disregarded and despised it, and adhered to their own devices. (Marg. Ref. Notes, 10:5,6. Is. 44:9—18. Jer. 10:6—10. Hab. 2:18,
19. Acts 19:23—31, v. 26.)—* Thus ’the idolaters count the word of God as strange, in respect of their own inventions. — Alas! in how many places, even among protestants, is a minister, who inculcates the great doctrines of Christianity, as stated at the reformation, accused of preaching a new religion, and “bringing strange things” to the ears of the people! Indeed, every thing is new to the ignorant, as it is to a child, however long and extensively it has before been known: and such charges proclaim, either the ignorance, or the enmity to the truth, of those who bring them.
V. 13. The people professed to sacrifice unto God, while they ‘made void his commandments, that they might keep their own traditions ;” but the feast, which they made on the sacrifice, was their sole advantage: (Marg and Ref. m. Notes, 6:6. Jer. 7:21—23. Am. 5:21—24.) for the Lord, instead of accepting their worship, was determined to punish their obstinate disobedience and idolatry; and to reduce them to as grievous a bondage as their fathers had endured in Egypt. ‘Going into Egypt was a proverbial speech for extreme misery.’ Lowth. (Marg. Ref. n, 0, Notes, 7:13 -15, v. 16. V1—6, vv. 3,6. Deut. 28°68.)
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Lev. 26:33. Deut. 28:25,64. 8 $:20,21, 65:13. 7:11. 2 Kings 15:19.
5:6. 9:4. 12:11. 1 Sam. 15:22,23. Prov. 21:27. Is. 1:11—15, 66:3. Jer, m. 5:22. 1 Cor. 11:20,29. 9:9. Ex, 20:5. 32:34. Rev. 16:19, 0 7, 11:5. Deut. 28:68. p 13.6, Neut. 32:18. Ps. 106:21. Is. 17:10. Jer. 2;
32. 3 23:27. q Ix. 29:23, 43:21. Eph. 2:10. rl Kings 12:31,32. 16:31,82, s 2Chr. 26:10. 27:4. Is. 22:83—11. t2Kings 18:13. Is.42:13,25. Jer. 17:27. Am. 1:4,10,12,14. 2:5. a 10:5. Is. 17:11. 22:12. Lam.4:21, Ez. 21:10. Am, 6: 6,7,13. 8:19. Jam. 4:16. 5:1. b Ez. 16;47,48. 20:32, Am. 3:2. ¢ See on 4:12, 5:4,7. d 2:12. Jer. 44:17. * Or, in, &e.
V. 14. When the Israelites were wholly forgetful of God, and regardless of his authority, they erected temples to the golden calves and to other idols. Judah also, instead of confiding in the Lord, ‘* multiplied fenced cities,” as their security against invaders: thus both Israel and Judah were provoking God to pour out his judgments upon them, which would soon destroy their cities, temples, and palaces, as by one general conflagration. (Marg. Ref. Notes, 2 Kings 17:5,6. 25:3—
10. Am. 2:4,5.)—His Maker, &c.] ‘Him who made him.” Note, Ps. 100:3.
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Great earnestness and boldness are especially required when ministers are called on to warn degenerate professors of religion of approaching ruin, and exhort them to repent of transgressing God’s law and despising his covenant.—In times of great danger, and especially in the day of judgment, many will say, ‘‘ My God we know thee,” and “ Lord, Lord, open to us ;” to whom he will answer, ‘* Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.” (Notes, Matt. '7:21—23.
Luke 13:22— 30, vv. 25—27.) For evil will overtake all, who “ cast off that which is good,” and rest in a mere form of godliness.— No comfort can be expected in any of the relations of life, which we form without consulting God: good rulers, or masters, or servants, as well as more intimate relatives, should be sought from him by prayer and valued as his gift. Nor can we expect success in any undertaking, even in our temporal concerns, in which we do not acknowledge him, and seek to know and do his will. (Notes, Prov. 3:5,6.
Col. 3:16,17, v. 16.)—Those who covetously idolize gold and silver, are nearly as criminal as they were who formerly made images of them to worship: and in various ways men act, as if they were bent upon their own ruin.—All our selfish and worldly confidences will one day fail us; because we provoke God-to jealousy by putting them in his place.
But how long will it be, ere we any of us “attain unto innocency,’ and renounce all our idols 2—No human inventions can form an essential part of our religious worship, any more than the work of the carpenter or goldsmith can be a god.—Let us then, “not be deceived ; what a man sows that also shall he reap ;” and those who sow vanity shall reap destruction and confusion.
No good can come from impiety, idolatry, and wickedness, whatever pains or expense men bestow upon them: and the transient prosperity of fools wil. not only soon terminate, but it “ will destroy them.” (Note, Prcv. 1:32,33.) Apostates will be confounded in punishment with other evildoers ; except as they will be more disgraced than they, and become among ungodly men, as a vessel in which the Lord has no pleasure.—Men are often more brutish than the most stupid of the animals, and more obstinate tban the most intractable : they are so enslaved to their degrading lusts and passions, that they pay very dear for the gratification of them even in this world ; but this is only ‘fa little sorrow,” compared with the punishment prepared for them hereafter—So long as men despise the truths and precepts of God’s written word, and count the mysteries of his nature, the demands of his law, the doctrines of his gospel, and the ordinances of his worship, “a strange thing ;” all the observances and costly oblations of their own devising, will “be unto them for sin; for God accepts nothing which is not done in faith; and he will remember and punish the sins of all men, except those of the true believer.
And whether they who forget God multiply temples, or palaces, or castles; they can by no means secure themselves against the wrath of that “ righteous Judge,” whose justice they have provoked, and whose salvation they have ne-. glected, despised, or perverted. ( Wotes and P.O. Heb. 2:1—4.)
NOTES.—Cuap. IX. V. 1—3. Perhaps the Israel ites were joyfully celebrating some public success, or gather — ing in their vintage or harvest, when the prophet published this message to them. They had no right to rejoice, as Judah had, among whom there were still considerable re mains of true religion; or even as the people of ot ter coun tries, who had not forsaken God in so aggravated 4 manner, or been guilty of such deep contempt, or so base and ingrate-
2 The ¢floor and the *wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
3 They ‘shall not dwell in &the Lorp’s land; ‘but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, ‘and they shall eat unclean things ‘in Assyria.
4 They 'shall not offer wine-offerings to the Lorp, "neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners ; all that eat thereof shall be polluted : for °their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lorp.
5 PWhat will ye do ‘in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lorn?
6 For lo, "they are gone because of 'destruction: ‘Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: ‘the pleasant places for their silver, ‘nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
7 The “days of visitation are come, the days of
CHAPTER IX.
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recompense are come; *Israel shall know z¢ ; Ythe prophet is a fool, the ‘spiritual man is ‘mad, for “the multitude of thine iniquity, and the grea hatred.
8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: “but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred "in the house of his God.
_ 9 They have ‘deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of ‘ Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10 I "found Israel like ‘grapes in the wilderness ; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at her first time: ‘but they went to Baal-peor, and ‘separated themselves unto that shame ; ™and their abominations were according as they loved.
[Practical Observations.)
11 As for Ephraim, "their glory shall fly away like a bird, °from the birth, and Pfrom the womb, and from the conception.
@2:9,12. Is. 24:7—12. Joel 1:3—7,9—-13. Am. 4:6—9. 5:11. Mic. 6:13—16. Hag. 1:9. 2:16,17. * Or, wine fat. f Lev. 18:28. 20:22—24, Deut. 4:26,27. 28:63. Josh. 23:15. 1 Kings9:7. Mic. 2:10. g Lev. 25:23. Jer. 2:7. 16:18. h 6, 8:13. 11:5. Deut, 28:68. Is. 11:15,16. i Bz.4:13. Dan. 1:8. Acts 10: 14, kIi:11. 2 Kings 17:6. 13:4. Joel 1:13. 2:14. m 8:13. Is, 1:11,12. 57:6. 66:3. Jer. 6:20. Am. 4:4,5, 5:22. Mal. 1:9,10. on Num, 19:11. Deut. 26:14, Neh. 8:9—12. Ez. 24:17,22. Mal.2:13. o Ex. 40:23. Lev. 17:11. 21:6,8,17,21. Nom. 4:7, 28:2. pts. 10:3, Jer.5:31. q 2:11. Joel 1:13. r Deut. 28:63,64.
1 Sam. 13:6. 2 Kings 13:7. | Heb. spoil. 7:13. marg. s 8:13. 11:11. Is. 11:
LL. 27:12. Zech. 10:10,11. { Or, their silver shail be desired, the nettle shall, §&c. Heb. the desiveof, 1 10:8. Ps, 107:34, Prov. 24:31. Is 5:6, 7:23. 32:13. $4:13. uls. 10:3. Jer. 10:15, 11:23. 46:21, Ez,7:2—7, 12:22—28, Am, 8:2. Mic. 7:4. Zeph. 1:14—18. Luke 21:22, Rev. 16:19, x Is. 26:11, Ez, 25:17, 38:
ful an apostacy, as they had. (Marg. Ref.a—c. Notes, 4;12—14. Jer, 2:10—13, Ez. 16:15—29,44—51.) Their prosperity, therefore, would be more transient and ruinous than that of other nations ; for, like an adulterous woman, they had violated their covenant with Gop, and preferred the most worthless idols to him.
They loved to receive even the fruits of the earth, as from these their paramours; because festivals in honour of their idols, were more suited to their state of heart, than presenting the sacrifices of thanksgiving to God, and honouring him with their substance. (Lotes, 2:2—13.) He therefore would visit them with famine; so that their corn-floor and wine-press would not suffice for their support, instead of supplying their luxurious revels ; and the *¢ new wine would lie to her,” by disappointing her expectations, that is, those of the nation considered as a harlot. (Marg.
Ref. ec.) Nay, the people would not be allowed to inhabit Jenovau’s favoured and good land, where he designed to dwell among his worshippers; (Marg. Ref. f. Notes, Lev. 18:24—80. Deut. 4:25—28. Josh. 23:14—16. Mic, 2:3—10.) some of them would migrate into Egypt, either in the time of famine, or when pressed by the Assyrians ; the rest would be carried into Assyria, and there be constrained to live on food which was ceremoniously unclean, or even refuse and vile, being pressed with extreme necessity. (Marg. Ref. f—k. Notes, 8:13. Ez. 4:9—17. Dan. 1:83—16. Am. 5:25—27.)
V. 4—6. The Israelites would have no opportunity of pouring out wine-offerings to God, nor any wine to doit with ; neither could they present any acceptable service, or have any communion with him. (Marg. Ref.1,m. Notes, Joel 1:9. 2:12—14.) Their sacrifices would either be totally interrupted, or would be “Sas the bread of mourners ;” who being unclean could not eat of the holy things without viola-ding the law. (Marg. Ref.n.) The show-bread would no .onger be presented in “tthe house of the Lorp in their behalf ;” nor sacrifices offered for them. (Marg.
Ref. 0.) And what would they do, on their solemn feasts, when both the spiritual and carnal joy of them had ceased? For the »rophet, as it were, beheld, and saw the people gone out of -he land, to avoid impending destruction; and they would be collected together into Egypt, to die and be buried there; whilst their pleasant places, which were decorated or filled with silver, (as well as the other more humble tabernacles, ) would soon be overgrown with nettles and thorns. (Murg. and Ref. r—t. Notes, 10:7,8. Is. 32:9—14, vv. 12—14. 34:9 —15, v. 13.
Ecypt, ae (6) (Marg. Ref.s.) Probably, numbers of the Israelites fled for refuge into Egypt, during the ravages of the Assyrians, and perished miserably there; as the Jews did, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. (Notes, Jer. 41:16—18. 42:—44:)
V.7,8. The prophets had long foretold these days of * visitation” and ‘‘ recompense,” and Israel would soon know the truth of their predictions: for they were even just arrived: (Marg. Ref. u, x. Notes, Ex. 7:2—7,12,13.) though they now counted “the prophet u fool,” and the inspired servant of God a madman; because of their extreme depravity, and enmity to the Lord and his worship and ser-tice. Or, the event would show their false prophets, and pre-renders to inspiration, to have been fools and madmen, to whose delusions God had given up Israel, to punish the multitude of their crimes and their great hatred of him.
Marg. and Marg. Ref. y—a. Notes, Mic. 2:11. Zech. ":15—17.)—The prophet observed that ‘the watchmen of Vou, II.—108
23. y8. Jer, 6:14. 8:11. 23:16,17. Lam. 2:14, Ez. 13:10, Mic. 2:11, Zeph. 3:4. Zech. 11:15—17, § Heb. man of the Spirit, 22Kings 9:11. Jer, 29:26, Mark 3:21. Acts 26:24,25, 2 Cor. 5:13. a Ez. 14:9,10, 2 'Thes. 2:10—12. b Cant. 3:3. Is. 62:6. Jer. 6:17, 31:6, Ez.3:17,18. 33:7. Mic. 7:4. Heb. 13:17. c1] Kings 17:1. 18:1,36—39, 22:28, 2 Kings 2:14,21. 3:15—20. 4:1—7,33—37,41,43, 5:14, 27, 6:17,18. 7:2,19. 13:21. d 5:1, 1 Kings 18:19, 22:6,11,22,23, Jer. 6:14. 14:
13. Lam, 2:14. 4:13,14, || Or, against. John 15:24. Rom. 8:7. e Js. 24:5. 3h:
6. £10:9. Judg. 19:22—30. 20: 21: g8:13. h1l:1. Ex. 19:4—6. Jer. 2:2,3, 31:2, i 2:15. Num. 13:23,24. Is, 28:4, Mic. 7:1. kk Num. 25:3, &c. Deut. 4:3, Ps, 106:28, 14:14. 1 Kings 16:3). Jer, 11:13. Rom. 6:21. m Num. 15:39. Deut. 32:17. Ps, 81:12. Ez, 20:8. Am. 4:5. n Gen. 41:52. 43:16—20. 49:22. Deut. 33: on 18:5,18,19. o Ps. 58:8. Ec.6:3. Am1:13, p14. Deut. 28:18,57. Luke
Ephraim” (as Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, and others,) had communed with his God, had him present and assisting him in his work, and wrought with him in “turning many to righteousness ;” but these nominal watchmen or prophets were, in all their ways, like the snare of a fowler to entangle men to their ruin; as they increased the people’s hatred of God and his worship, and thus brought down vengeance upon themselves and them, by their idolatry or hypocrisy.—The marginal reading, ‘hatred against the house of his God,” gives the clearer sense.—Some give another turn to the verse: * Ye falsely imagined that these prophets of Ephraim were sent of God, and had familiar acquaintance with him: but ye shall find them to be but as the snare of a fowler.
Bp. Hall. ‘God has delivered this people up to these delusions, aS a just punishment of their many sins, and of the great hatred they have against God and his worship.’ Lowth. (Wotes, Rom. 1:28—32. 2 Thes. 2:8—12.)—Watchman. (8% Notes, Is. 56:9—12. 62:6,7. Jer. 6:16,17. Ez. 3:17—19, Heb. 13:17.
V.9,10. The people of all the tribes of Israel were become as “deeply corrupted,” as the men of Gibeah, who abused and murdered the Levite’s concubine; or thgse of the tribe of Benjamin, who defended the perpetrators of that detestable crime, and so were almost wholly cut off; (Marg. Ref. e—g. Notes, Judg. 19:—21:) and God would remember and visit the crimes of the generation, to whom the prophet spake, with like tremendous judgments.
Indeed Israel in his first and best days, just before his entrance into Canaan, was as pleasing to God as grapes would be to a weary traveller in the parched desert; or as the first ripe figs, when being scarce they are the more valued. (Marg. Ref. h. Notes, Jer. 2:2,3.
Mic. 7:1—4.) Yet, even when the nation thus followed the Lord in the wilderness, a multitude of them were seduced by the Midianitish women, to frequent the temple of Baal-peor, and to separate themselves from the ordinances of God unto that shameful idolatry, and that abominable whoredom, which they loved better than the spiritual and holy worship of JeHovaH: and they ever after chose such abominations, or idols, as suited their perverse and sensual inclinations. (Marg. Ref.i—m. Notes, Num. 25: Deut. 4:3,4. 29:19,20. Ps. 106:28—31.
Am. 4:4,5.)— ‘The Hebrew word, yinnazeru, were separated, alludes to the order of the Nazarites, who were in a peculiar manner set apart for God’s service ;... whereas these dedicated themselves to the service of that filthy idol Baal-peor, that shame, or shameful thing. (Jer. 11:13.)—Bosheth, shame, was a nickname for Baal: so Jerub-baal is called Jerub-hesheth,- 2 Sam. 11:21. Lowth. (Note, Judg. 6:31,32.)
V.11—14. Ephraim signifies fruitfulness: and the vast number, to which this tribe had increased, was its peculiar glory. (Marg. Ref. o—s. Note, 15—17.) By this distine-tion the Ephraimites seem to have been greatly elated ; but it was about to “fly away,” speedily and irrecoverably, as a bird let loose. Their children would die as soon as they were born, or be stillborn or abortions ; by which the nation would be gradually enfeebled and diminished: and of the small number that should grow up to maturity, the Lord would so bereave them by various judgments, that there should scarcely be any one left of them: for nothing but misery could ensue, when God had been provoked to depart from them in anger, and to deprive them of his gracious presence and protection. (Gen. 41:52. Notes, 48:17—20, 49:22—26. Num. 1:32—35. Deut. 33:17.) Indeed, Ephraim had beep prosperous and replenished ; and as pleasantly situated, as
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12 hough they bring up their children, syet will I t ereave them, that there shall "not be a man left: yea, *wo also to them when I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, tas I saw Tyrus, zs planted in a
leasant place: but Ephraim "shall bring forth fis children to the murderer. %
14 Give them, O Lorp: *what wilt thou give? give them ’a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness Yis in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings ‘J will drive them out of my house, I will ove them no more: Yall their princes are revolters. i ;
16 Ephraim is smitten, ‘their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring
25. Job 27:14. Jer. 15:7. 16:3,4. Lam.2;20. r Num,
13. Deut. 31:17. 1 Sam, 16:14, 28;15,16. 2 Kings
Zech, 11:8. 11:15, 33;:24—26. Am. 5:27, Zeph. 3:3. Acts 4:5—7,27. 5:21, \ Heb. the desires. Ez, 24:21,
d2 Chr. 18:18. Neh. 5:19. Ps. 31:14. Is. 7:13.
even the flourishing city of Tyre, which excited the admiration of all beholders: (#z. 27:3,4.) but from this time they would educate children, and lead forth their young men to battle merely to be slain by their enemies. So that the prophet scarcely knew what to ask in their behalf; or could only entreat the Lord to give them “‘ a miscarrying womb and dry breasts,” as a less calamity than “ bringing forth children for the murderer,” or to be trained up in idolatry. (Marg. and ae Ref, u, x. Notes, Matt. 24:19,20. Luke 23: 26—31.
V. 15—17. Gilgal, where their fathers first covenanted with God, after they had entered the promised land, and where his tabernacle once stood before it was removed to Shiloh, was at the time when the prophet wrote, become the repository of all kinds of idolatry and iniquity, whence they were diffused through the land on each side of Jordan: therefore the Lord abhorred them, and resolved to drive them out
of his house, as an adulterous woman when divorced. (Marg.
Ref. y—a. See on Note, 4:15.) Nor would he any more love them, or specially favour them as a nation; seeing all their princes were revolters, rebels, and apostates. Indeed the calamities were begun ; their root was dried up, and their fruit would wither. When the Israelites were sentenced to fall in the wilderness, their children were preserved to inherit the promised land : butas Ephraim was to be finally rejected, even the beloved fruit of the womb would be slain with their parents, as those of the Canaanites had been. (Marg. and Marg. Ref. b, c. Notes, 11—14. Num. 14:24—31.
Ps. 90:13—17.) God had determined to cast them off, because they would not hearken to him: and the remnant of them would be scattered as wanderers among the nations.—This was soon after fulfilled, respecting the kingdom of the ten tribes, and continues so to this day: and even such of them as were incorporated with the Jews, have with them been wanderers among the nations for many hundred years. (Marg. Ref.d—f. Notes, John 7:31—36, v. 35.
Jam. 1:1.) —It is wonderful, that these prophecies, so often repeated, and so exactly descriptive of the present state of that favoured nation, after many revolving ages, do not more impress the minds of those who read them with admiration of the foreknowledge of God, and full conviction of the divine inspiration of the holy Scriptures.
All their princes, &c. (15) Above half the kings of Judah were pious rulers; but not one of the kings of Israel was so. (Preface 1 Kings.)
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.
V.1—10.
Those who abide under the wrath of God, and continue to accumulate guilt and condemnation, can have no good. cause to rejoice in temporal prosperity: but such as apostatize from the religion of pious ancestors, violate their own solemn engagements, and run into wickedness, in opposition to the convictions of their consciences, and the strivings of God’s Spirit with them, have even less reason for joy than any other sinners; for to them belongs the deepest condemnation.—Abindance received as the reward of serving Mammon, or abused in making provision for men’s lusts, will end either in most ruinous prosperity, or most distressing calamities.—They, whose pampered bodies are rendered unclean by unlawful ‘ndulgence:,-may perhaps be reduced to the necessity of eating the most unclean and unwholesome food through the extremity of indigence. (Note, Luke 15:13—16.
P. O. 11—16.)—But no famine is so dreadful as that of the soul: awful is the case of those who can perform no acceptable service to the Lord, but must either utterly neglect him, or render him such worship as he abhors: yet in this case we should all have been, had not the Son of God, by his incar-uation, atonement, and intercession, opened us a door of access and acceptance through faith in his name.—Men may now despise the solemn days and ordinances of God, and disrelish every feast which ails to gratify their love of jovial
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B. C. 746.
forth, yet will I slay even ‘the beloved fruit of their womb.
17 ‘My God will cast them away, *because they did not hearken unto him: fand they shal be wanderers among the nations.