Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2754
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.” Hosea 2:14.
THIS is one of the many instances in the Word of God of His free, rich, Sovereign Grace. The Lord has set the children of Israel before us as a great model. They are our beacons with regard to sin, but they are a pattern to us when we see in them the gracious dealings of a Covenant-keeping God. Often did they rebel, but just as often did the Lord forgive them. Frequently did He smite them with His rod, but He never turned them over to destruction. He still remembered His Covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He suffered not His faithfulness to fail.
We have, in the prophecy of Hosea, an instance of what God thought of the sins of His people. He commands the Prophet to speak in rough earnest language of their constant rebellion and yet, no sooner has He directed Hosea to deal harshly with His erring spouse, than He seems to stop him in the middle of his furious prophecy and bids him now address her with words of comfort! This is the connection in which our text is found set in the black letters of the volume of threats against guilty Israel. This precious jewel shines all the more brightly in the thick darkness of their sin and despair. This torch of love and kindness sheds a heavenly light and makes their eyes and hearts rejoice.
Let us now turn to these words of the Lord and regard them under the following aspects. First, I see, in the text, the singular reasons for Divine Grace. ”Therefore, behold!” I see, in the next place, the strange dispensations of Divine Grace. “I will bring her into the wilderness.” In the third place, matchless consolations. “I will speak comfortably to her.” And, in the fourth place, sweet persuasions.’ ‘I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.”
I. In the first place, we have, in our text, THE SINGULAR REASONS FOR DIVINE GRACE. “Therefore, behold!”
It is not without cause that the word, “therefore,” is inserted here. We are to look to the context to find what are the premises from which a conclusion of mercy is drawn. You might naturally conceive, judging according to human logic, that the preceding verses described either Israel’s goodness, or else her abject repentance if she has gone astray and rebelled. But, on the contrary, there is no mention of these things at all! They speak not of her goodness, but of her badness and, in fact, they speak so strongly that the Prophet uses terms that are never employed except after excessive iniquity. He charges Israel with whoredom and speaks of her as having committed uncleanness with many lovers. This is strong language and shows that he means to declare the excessive character of her sin and, instead of speaking of her as being a penitent, he declares that she was still impenitent. Notwithstanding many, many Providences and the hedging up of her way with thorns, she would break through and run after her many false lovers. And then, strange to say, contrary to all human reasoning, there comes the inference—if I may so call it—an inference of sunshine from a dark cloud, an inference of mercy from a whole mass of sin and iniquity!
If the inference had been, “Therefore I will destroy her, I will cut her in pieces and give her children to the sword, and her women to be carried away captive,” our reason could well have seen that it was the natural consequence. We could easily have seen that the logical terms agreed, but here it seems as if it were quite a non sequitur. How can it be that a, “therefore,” should spring up, when the previous verses have been filled with a description of her sins?
Here let us pause to remember that the reasons for God’s Grace to us are far above all human reason, for He Himself has told us, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” No, I will go further than this and say that not only are God’s modes of reasoning far above our own, but they often seem as if they were even contradictory to ours. Where we should draw one inference, God draws the very opposite! See yon poor penitent sinner? He “would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven; but he smote upon his breast and cried, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” What is our inference from this, looking at the publican as he stands there? Why, that he is a rebellious creature, and that God cannot and will not accept him, but must punish him! Does God draw this inference? No, for, “this man went down to his house justified.” See yonder Pharisee with outstretched hands? He stands and prays thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not as other men are,” and so on. What is our inference? Surely God will accept so good a man as this! He will be sure to justify a man so holy and so moral. Not so, for that man went down to his house without justification, unsatisfied, unblessed with the smile of Heaven—while yon sorrowing publican received God’s gracious forgiveness!