Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of
Israel
with deceit
Here properly we should begin a new chapter, as many interpreters
and commentators do; for the prophet, or the Lord by him, in (
Hosea 11:11 )
, having finished his predictions concerning the call and
conversion of the Israelites, and their return to their land,
here begins a new discourse, by comparing the characters of
Ephraim and Judah, and thence descends to the sins and punishment
of both. The former, namely, Ephraim or Israel, that is, the ten
tribes, surrounded either the prophet, to hear him prophesy, and
professed a great regard to what he said; though it was all
deceit and flattery: or rather the Lord himself, whom they
pretended to serve and worship when they worshipped the calves at
Dan and Bethel; and would have it thought they did not worship
them, but the Lord in them, and by them, as the Papists now say
of their images and image worship; but let them not deceive
themselves, God will not be mocked: or when they did at any time
seem to approach unto him in any branch of religious worship,
either to pray unto him, or to praise him, it was not done with
sincerity; it was only with their mouths, not with their hearts;
these agreed not together, but, like their ancestors of old,
"they did flatter, him with their mouth, and lied unto him with
their tongues", ( Psalms 78:36
) ; and so all such professors of religion, who are not sincere
in their service and worship of God; or meet together to speak
and hear false doctrines, which are lies in hypocrisy; or attend
to superstition and will worship, and set up ordinances and
institutions of their own, neglecting those which are of God, do
as Ephraim did, encompass the Lord with lies and deceit;
but Judah yet ruleth with God;
a theocracy was as yet acknowledged and supported among them; God
ruled in the midst of them, and; they ruled with him; their kings
ruled in the fear of God, and according to his laws, statutes,
and appointment, and not their own; particularly in the days of
Hezekiah, which may be here respected, the people retained and
practised the true worship and service of God: which, as it is
the truest liberty, so is the highest honour and dignity: such
are rulers with God, as all the Lord's people, all that believe
in Christ, are; they are made by his grace kings and princes; and
they appear to be so by their new birth; they are clothed, fed,
and guarded as princes, as the sons of a king, as kings
themselves; they have the riches and power of kings; they are
possessed of a kingdom of grace now, which is within them, and
where grace reigns, through righteousness, over their lusts and
corruptions; and great power, like princes, have they in prayer
with God, and are heirs of the kingdom of glory, as well as shall
reign with Christ on earth. Gussetius renders it, "Judah yet
weeps with God": as his father Jacob did, imitating him, as in (
Hosea 12:4 ) ;
and is faithful with the saints;
which Kimchi's father interprets of God himself; and so Lyra, and
according to him Jarchi: and then the sense is, "and he", that
is, God, "is faithful with the saints"; in fulfilling all his
counsels, purposes, and designs of grace concerning them; in
making good his covenant with them, and his promises unto them;
and by bringing them to the enjoyment of all that grace and glory
he calls them to: but this is rather an epithet of Judah, who
kept to the word and worship of the true God, as the saints of
old, their ancestors, had done; walked in the good old way, in
the way of good men, and kept the paths of the righteous; abode
by the true priests of the Lord, who were set apart and
sanctified for that office; and hearkened to the prophets, the
holy men of God, who spake to them, being moved by the Holy
Spirit: and adhered firmly "to the holy things" {p}, as it may be
rendered; to the holy temple, and the worship in it; to the holy
sacrifices, altars when the ten tribes departed from them: and so
this may be applied to the faithful in Christ Jesus, that believe
in him truly, and continue in the faith of him in all ages; and
who are "faithful with the Holy Ones" F17; the
same with God in the former clause; so Kimchi interprets it, and
so the word is used in ( Proverbs
9:10 ) ( 30:3 ) ; see
( Joshua
24:19 ) ; that is, with Father, Son, and Spirit; with the
Father, when they worship him in spirit and truth; with the Son,
when they cleave to him with full purpose of heart; with the
Spirit, when they walk after him, and give to each the glory due
unto them: or rather, "faithful with holy men" F18;
sanctified by the Spirit and grace of God; as they are, when they
hold fast the faith delivered to the saints without mixture or
wavering, with courage and manliness; though the greater number
is against them, and they are reproached and persecuted for so
doing; when they abide by the ordinances of Christ, as they were
delivered, and keep them in faith and love, without sinister
views; when they continue steadfastly in the communion of the
saints, attending with them on the word and ordinances, and do
not forsake their assembling together; and when they constantly
exhort and stir up one another to the duties of religion, and
faithfully admonish and reprove each other as there is occasion
for it.