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God is still by the prophet inculcating the same thing upon this careless people, and much in the same manner as before, by a type or sign, that of the dealings of a husband with an adulterous wife. In this chapter we have, I. The bad character which the people of Israel now had; they were, as is said of the Athenians (Ac 17:16), "wholly given to idolatry," Ho 3:1. II. The low condition which they should be reduced to by their captivity, and the other instances of God's controversy with them, Ho 3:2-4. III. The blessed reformation that should at length be wrought upon them in the latter days, Ho 3:5.
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Idolatry of Israel; The Prophet's Remonstrances; Promises to the Penitent (760 BC)
简体中文
以色列的拜偶像；先知的劝诫；给悔改者的应许（公元前760年）
¹ 耶和华对我说：你再去爱一个为人所爱、却行淫的妇人，正如耶和华爱以色列人，他们却仰望别神，喜爱供奉葡萄饼。
² 我便用十五块银子，一贺梅珥半大麦，把她买来归我。
³ 我对她说：你当为我独居许多日子，不可行淫，不可归别人；我也必这样向你。
⁴ 因为以色列人必多日独居，无君王，无首领，无祭物，无柱像，无以弗得，无家中神像。
⁵ 后来以色列人必归回，寻求他们的神耶和华和他们的王大卫；在末后的日子，他们必战兢敬畏耶和华和他的恩惠。
有人以为本章是指着犹大、就是那两支派而言，因先知所娶那行淫的妇人（何 1:3）代表那十支派；因这妇人不像那十支派被休弃，乃是被撇下荒凉许久，然后才像那两支派一样归回。然而这些人被称为以色列人，那是指十支派而言，故此更可能的是，这个比喻与前一个比喻一样，乃是指着十支派而言的。神对先知说：去，再行一次，*你再去。*请注意，为使罪人知罪回转，必须命上加命、例上加例。他们若不信一个神迹，就再试另一个（出 4:8,9）。如今，
I. 在这比喻中，我们可观察到：
1. 神的良善与以色列的败坏奇异地互为反衬，何 3:1。以色列如同一个为其友所爱——或为娶她之人、或为求爱于她之人所爱——却行淫的妇人；神与以色列之间的情形正是如此。我们论到那些彼此相爱之人，常说他们之间没有白费的爱；但在此我们却看见，竟有何等浩大的爱、连神自己的爱，都白白地倾注在一群不配且忘恩的百姓身上。以色列的神对以色列人仍存极大的爱，他们却是一个邪恶淫乱的世代。诸天哪，要因此惊奇！地啊，要惊骇！（1.）因神的良善竟未止住他们的败坏；主爱他们，眷顾他们，并不住地施恩与他们；他们也知道、不能不承认，他待他们如朋友、如父亲；他们却仰望别神，就是他们眼能见、且因眼目所慕而被引去爱的神；他们用敬拜的眼目仰望它们（将一切事奉都献给它们），又用倚靠的眼目仰望它们（指望从它们得着一切安慰）；他们纵被拦阻不向偶像屈膝，却向它们投以含情之眼，满眼那属灵的淫乱。他们又喜爱供奉葡萄饼；他们与拜偶像之人联合，因这些人生活欢愉、纵情豪饮；他们眷恋别神，是因从前在那些神的庙宇里曾受款待、痛饮过上好的酒。拜偶像与放纵肉体常并行而至；那些以口腹为神之人，如醉汉一般，必轻易被引去以别物为神。神的祭司进前供职时不可喝酒，他的拿细耳人更是滴酒不沾。然而那些敬拜别神之人却以碗喝酒；不，整缸的酒才能使他们满足。（2.）因他们的败坏竟未止住神恩眷向他们涌流。这真是怜悯的奇迹：她虽行淫，竟仍为其友所爱；耶和华向以色列人的爱正是如此。神说：「去，去爱这样一个妇人；看你心里能否甘愿如此行。不能，你不能；没有一个人的胸怀能容下这样的爱；然而我向以色列人的爱却是如此；这是向不可爱者的爱，向无可爱之处者的爱，向那些已千次将其断送之人的爱。」请注意，论到神对可怜罪人的善意，他的意念与道路远高过我们的，他的爱比我们的更俯就、更怜恤，远非我们所能及；在这事上，他尤其显为神，而非人（何 11:9）。
2. 此处寻得使如此良善之神与如此败坏之民重归于好之法；这正是所要成就之事，而神所定意的，他必成就。出乎我们意料的是，我们竟看见这道阔如海洋的裂口得了有效的医治；只要神的怜悯不止息，神迹便不止息。在此请观察：（1.）神所采取使他们谦卑、使他们认清自己的途径（何 3:2）：我用十五块银子，一贺梅珥半大麦，把她买来归我，就是说，我劝她与我和好，撇下她的恶行，归回她起初的丈夫，如何 2:14所言。我诱导她，向她说安慰的话；正如那追赶妾的利未人，他的妾离开他行淫、跟了别人，他却向她说亲爱的话（士 19:3）。然而此处所记，先知为博取她的欢心而带来的聘礼，却是极小的；这却是为她单独度日的一切费用，她由此被减到微薄的份上，并且为惩罚她的骄傲，被弄得显为卑微。参孙去与那曾使他不悦的妻子和好时，带着一只山羊羔去看她（士 15:1），这是颇为体面的款待。然而此处先知却带着十五块银子去看他的妻子，数目甚小，她却必须知足，要靠此度过相当长的日子，直到她的丈夫看为合宜，使她复归起初的境地。她还要得着一贺梅珥半大麦作口粮，仅此而已，要她耐着性子等候，直到她被充分谦卑下来，并经过相当时日的试验，给出令人满意的凭据，证明她确已悔改归正。要使她深知，她丈夫向她求和并非因她有何功德；他给她的不过是一个微薄的身价。奴仆的身价是三十舍客勒（出 21:32）。这只是其一半；然而要她知道，这已超过她自身所值。神曾以埃及作以色列的赎价，那时他们在他眼中是何等宝贵、何等尊荣（赛 43:3）。但如今他们既离弃他去行淫，他便只肯出十五块银子买他们，可见他们因自己的罪孽，身价已贬损至此。请注意，神所定意要赐尊荣与安慰之人，他必先使其深感自己的卑微无用，使其与那浪子一同承认：我不配再称为你的儿子（路 15:19）。曾几何时，以色列得以上好的麦子喂养，他们却放纵起来，喜爱供奉葡萄饼，因此，为使他们谦卑、降服，他们必在被掳之地吃大麦饼，并要为得着这饼而感恩，且要按斤两份量而吃，不再像从前那样无所限量。请注意，贫穷与羞辱有时竟成为蒙福之法，使大罪人变为真悔改之人。（2.）神愿与他们重立的新约（何 3:3）：你当为我独居许多日子，不可归别人；我也必这样向你。神本可公义地给他们一纸休书，定意不再与他们有何相干；他却愿意向他们施恩，愿事情得着调和；他待他们并非按严格的公义、照律法的极致，乃是照他丰盛的怜悯；这正预表神对待背离他、离他行淫的全人类堕落族类的恩典之法；他确以一个无可估量的赎价买赎了他们，不是为他们的尊荣，乃是为他自己公义的尊荣；如今他向他们所提的、向他们愿立的恩典之约就是如此——他们必作他的子民，他必作他们的神，与此处向以色列所提的相同。[1.]他们必须承担自己背离他的羞辱，必须降服并领受自己罪孽的刑罚：你当为我独居许多日子，在孤寂与静默中，如同一个荒凉悲伤的寡妇；他们必须除去妆饰，存忍耐降服之心等候，要知道神将如何待他们，他是否愿意再次将他们这等不配的可怜虫接纳进他的恩眷，如他们在出 33:4,5所行的。他们的父、他们的丈夫，已吐唾沫在他们脸上（如神论到米利暗所言），已使他们落在他不悦的记号之下，因此，他们当像她一样蒙羞七天，被关在营外（民 12:14），直到他们未受割礼的心谦卑下来（利 26:41）。让他们独坐无言，静默等候耶和华的救恩，其间让他们负轭（哀 3:26-28）。不要让他们指望神速速向他们施恩归回；不，要让他们缺乏，让他们多日等候，在被掳的整个日子里等候，并要将此看为怜悯的奇迹、看为大值等候之事，纵然临到极迟。请注意，神所定意施怜悯之人，他必先使他们自卑，使他们高看他的恩眷。[2.]他们绝不可再回到愚昧中去；这正是神向他的百姓、他的圣民说和平话（诗 85:8）所凭的条件，舍此别无他途。「你不可行淫，在被掳之地不可敬拜偶像，当你在那里被分别出来等候洁净之时。」请注意，单单为所犯的罪向自己引咎、并因神为此责罚我们而称神为义还不够，我们还必须靠着神恩典的能力立定心志，不再触犯，不再离神去行淫，不随从世界与肉体。感谢神，虽然这是约的律法，却不是立约的条件、说我们在任何事上永不可有差错：「但你不可行淫；你不可事奉别神，不可归别人。」在被掳之地，他们必受引诱去敬拜那地的偶像；这对他们是一场试验，一场长久的试验，许多日子：「但你若守住你的本分、持守你的纯正，倘若这一切临到你时，你不向外邦的神伸手，你就有资格得着神恩眷的归回。」请注意，当我们靠神的恩典蒙保守、不被困苦境遇的试探所胜时，这便是确据，证明我们的患难乃是神使我们大得益处的途径，也是更多益处的凭据。[3.]在这些条件之下，他们的造物主必再作他们的丈夫：*我也必这样向你。*这便是神与悔改的罪人所立的约：他们若肯归向他来事奉他，他就归向他们来拯救他们。让他们弃绝并断绝一切与神争夺人心宝座的对手，全然将自己专一献与他、单单归他；他必作他们全足的神。我们若以尽本分之道向神忠诚不二、永不离弃他，他必以施怜悯之道向我们如此，永不离弃我们。再没有比这更公平的提议了。
II. 在何 3:4,5中，我们看见这比喻的解释及其在以色列身上的应用。
1. 他们必长久坐如寡妇，被剥夺一切的喜乐与尊荣（哀 4:1,2）。他们必多日无君王，无首领；一个落在此境的国家，确可称为寡妇。他们缺乏的福分有：（1.）民政治理之福：他们必无君王，无首领归他们自己所有。曾有君王首领辖制他们、严酷管治他们，他们却没有君王首领来保护他们、为他们争战、向他们施行公义、看顾他们共同的安危与福祉。请注意，治权对一国之民乃是极大的福分，缺乏治权乃是又悲又惨的刑罚。（2.）公开敬拜之福：他们必无祭物，无柱像（即碑或柱；此词曾用于雅各所立的柱，创 28:18、31:45、35:20），无以弗得，无家中神像。**家中神像在此与以弗得紧密相连，故有人以为是指大祭司胸牌上的乌陵与土明。其意是：他们在被掳之中，不但全无国家的体面，连教会的体面也荡然无存；他们必不能（如一位博学的解经家所言）按自己的选择，无论真假，享有公开承认或操练宗教的自由。他们必无祭物或祭坛（七十士译本如此），因无祭坛便无祭物。他们必无以弗得，无家中神像，无合法的祭司职分，无求问神心意之法，疑难之际无神谕可问，反要陷在全然的黑暗中。请注意，那些被剥夺一切公开敬拜神之机会的人，其光景甚是凄惨。这正是犹太人在被掳之中的光景；至今分散各地的犹太人，其境况也大致如此：他们虽有会堂，却没有圣殿的供奉。凡被隔绝于与神相交之外、无机会借祭物与祭坛向神陈情、借以弗得与家中神像从神领受教导之人，其境况实在凄凉荒废。
2. 他们终必如妻子被重新接纳（何 3:5）：后来，过些时日，当他们经历了这番管教，他们必归回，就是他们必为自己拜偶像之罪悔改、撇弃偶像，必专心归向神、紧紧依附他，并在此事上蒙他悦纳。这里提出两件事，作为他们归回的标记，以及在归回中得蒙神悦纳的步骤——（1.）他们对神的寻求：他们必寻求他们的神耶和华和他们的王大卫。请注意，凡要寻见神、在他面前蒙恩之人，必须寻求他、求问他、切慕认识他、渴望与他和好、将爱寄于他，并在此事上劳力，好得蒙他悦纳。他们寻求神，意味着他们曾失去他、为所失的哀痛、并切切挂念要寻回所失。他们必寻求他作他们的神；因一族之民岂不当寻求他们的神么？他们必寻求他们的王大卫，这王不可能是别人，乃是弥赛亚，我们的主耶稣基督，大卫的子孙，大卫的根与后裔，连大卫自己也称他为主（诗 110:1），神又将他祖大卫的位赐给他（路 1:32）。迦勒底译本作：他们必寻求事奉耶和华他们的神，并顺服弥赛亚、就是他们的王大卫的子孙。可与耶 30:9、结 34:23、37:25对照。请注意，凡要寻求神、以致寻见他的人，必须就近耶稣基督，必须寻求他作王、归他作甘心乐意的子民，并向他立效忠尽义的誓约。（2.）他们对神的敬畏：他们必战兢敬畏耶和华和他的恩惠。有人以此处的恩惠为指圣殿，他们必朝着圣殿敬拜神。犹太人说：以色列在罗波安的日子曾撇弃三样东西——天国、大卫的家、和圣所的殿；他们若不归回、不寻求这三样，便永不得安宁，而这正是此处所应许的。他们必在他们的神耶和华里寻求天国，在他们的王大卫里寻求王室，在耶和华的恩惠里寻求圣殿。另有人以他的恩惠为指基督，与他们的王大卫为同一位。但更宜将其理解为神的那属性，就是他所显为荣耀、并借以宣告其名的属性。请注意，我们当敬畏的，不单是主和他的伟大，也是主和他的良善；不单是他的威严，也是他的怜悯。他们必因惧怕奔向耶和华和他的恩惠（有人如此解），如同奔向他们的逃城。我们当敬畏神的良善，就是我们当惊奇、当因之惊叹，当敬拜、当如摩西在神宣告此名时那样俯伏敬拜（出 34:6）。我们当惧怕得罪他的良善、惧怕以忘恩负义回报这良善、以致将其断送。但在你有赦免之恩，要叫人敬畏你（诗 130:4）。我们当战兢喜乐于神的良善，必不可自高，倒要惧怕。如今，这应许在福音借基督将大批犹太人与外邦人领回归神、归入新约教会之时已得着应验，他们在基督里事奉神，存敬畏神恩的赤子之心，并蒙神悦纳为他的以色列。有人以为这应许还要在那些至今仍存不信、将来要被领回归信基督之犹太人的归信上，得着更进一步的应验，那时他们必寻求他们的弥赛亚作他们的王大卫，并借着他以色列全家都要得救，到那外邦人的数目添满之时。从前他们曾寻索他要害死他，说：除了凯撒，我们没有王；但日子将到，那时他们必寻求他、立他为他们的元首，将自己的颈项伏在他的轭下。那应许他们必如此行的主，必使他们能够如此行，并在他自己的方式与时候、在末后的日子、就是末时的日子、弥赛亚的日子，成就这大工：唉！只是神成就此事时，谁能存活呢？那一国究竟会有多大程度的普遍归信，我无法断言；但我深知，我们理当祷告，求神使犹太人归信。
英文原文
Idolatry of Israel; The Prophet's Remonstrances; Promises to the Penitent (760 BC)
¹ Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
² So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley:
³ And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
⁴ For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
⁵ Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
Some think that this chapter refers to Judah, the two tribes, as the adulteress the prophet married (Ho 1:3) represented the ten tribes; for this was not to be divorced, as the ten tribes were, but to be left desolate for a long time, and then to return, as the two tribes did. But these are called the children of Israel, which was the ten tribes, and therefore it is more probable that of them this parable, as well as that before, is to be understood. Go, and repeat it, says God to the prophet; Go yet again. Note, For the conviction and reduction of sinners it is necessary that precept be upon precept, and line upon line. If they will not believe one sign, try another, Ex 4:8,9. Now,
I. In this parable we may observe,
1. God's goodness and Israel's badness strangely serving for a foil to each other, Ho 3:1. Israel is as a woman beloved of her friend, either of him that has married her or of him that only courts her, and yet an adulteress; such is the case between God and Israel. We say of those whose affection is mutual that there is no love lost between them; but here we find a great deal of the love even of God himself lost and thrown away upon an unworthy ungrateful people. The God of Israel retains a very great love for the children of Israel, and yet they are an evil and adulterous generation. Be astonished, O heavens! at this, and wonder, O earth! (1.) That God's goodness has not put an end to their badness; the Lord loves them, has a kindness for them, and is continually showing kindness to them; they know it, they cannot but own it, that he has been as a friend and Father to them; and yet they look to other gods, gods that they can see, and to the love of which they are drawn by the eye; they look to them with an eye of adoration (they offer up all their services to them) and with an eye of dependence (they expect all their comforts from them); if they were restrained from bowing the knee to idols, yet they gave them an amorous glance, and had eyes full of that spiritual adultery. And they loved flagons of wine; they joined with idolaters because they lived merrily and drank hard; they had a kindness for other gods for the sake of the plenty of good wine with which they had been sometimes treated in their temples. Idolatry and sensuality commonly go together; those that make a god of their belly, as drunkards do, will easily be brought to make a god of any thing else. God's priests were to drink no wine when they went in to minister, and his Nazarites none at all. But the worshippers of other gods drank wine in bowls; nay, no less than flagons of wine would content them. (2.) That their badness had not stopped the current of his favours to them. This is a wonder of mercy indeed, that she is thus beloved of her friend, though an adulteress; such is the love of the Lord towards the children of Israel. "Go," says God, "love such a woman; see if thou canst find in thy heart to do it. No, thou canst not, the breast of no man would admit such a love; yet such is my love to the children of Israel; it is love to the loveless, to the unlovely, to those that have a thousand times forfeited it." Note, In God's goodwill to poor sinners his thoughts and ways are infinitely above ours, and his love is more condescending and compassionate than ours is, or can be; in this, as much as any thing, he is God, and not man, Ho 11:9.
2. The method found for the bringing of a God so very good and a people so very bad together again; this is the thing aimed at, and what God aims at he will accomplish. To our great surprise, we find a breach thus wide as the sea effectually healed; miracles cease not so long as divine mercy does not cease. Observe here, (1.) The course God takes to humble them and make them know themselves (Ho 3:2): I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer and a half of barley, that is, I courted her to be reconciled, to leave her ill courses, and return to her first husband, as Ho 2:14. I allured her, and spoke comfortably to her; as the Levite who went after his concubine that had played the harlot from him, and had run away with another man, spoke friendly to her, Jdg 19:3. But here the present which the prophet brought her for the purchasing of her favour is observed to be a very small one; but it was all that was intended for her separate maintenance, and in it she is reduced to a short allowance, and, to punish her for her pride, is made to look very mean. When Samson went to be reconciled to his wife that had disobliged him he visited her with a kid (Jdg 15:1), which was a genteel entertainment. But the prophet here visited his wife with fifteen pieces of silver, a small sum, which yet she must be content to live upon a great while, so long as till her husband thought fit to restore her to her first estate. She shall also have a homer and a half of barley, for bread-corn, and that is all she must expect till she be sufficiently humbled, and, by a competent time of trial, satisfactory proof given that she is indeed reformed. Let her be made sensible that it is not for her own merit that her husband makes court to her; it is but a lame price that he values her at. The price of a servant was thirty shekels, Ex 21:32. This was but half so much; yet let her know that it is more than she is worth. God had given Egypt for Israel's ransom once, so precious were they then in his sight, and so honourable, Isa 43:3. But now that they have gone a whoring from him he will give but fifteen pieces of silver for them, so much have they lost in their value by their iniquity. Note, Those whom God designs honour and comfort for he first makes sensible of their own worthlessness, and brings them to acknowledge, with the prodigal, I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Time was when Israel was fed with the finest of the wheat, but they grew wanton, and loved flagons of wine, and therefore, in order to the humbling and reducing of them, they must be brought in the land of their captivity to eat barley-bread, and be thankful they can get it, and to eat that too by weight and measure, whereas they did not use to be stinted. Note, Poverty and disgrace sometimes prove a happy means of making great sinners true penitents. (2.) The new terms upon which God is willing to come with them (Ho 3:3): Thou shalt abide for me many days, and shalt not be for another, so will I be for thee. He might justly have given them a bill of divorce, and have resolved to have no more to do with them; but he is willing to show them kindness, and that the matter should be compromised; he deals not with them in strict justice, according to the rigour of the law, but according to the multitude of his mercies; and it represents God's gracious dealings with the apostate race of mankind, that had gone a whoring from him; he bought them indeed with an inestimable price, not for their honour, but for the honour of his own justice; and now this is the proposal he makes to them, the covenant of grace he is willing to enter into with them—they must be to him a people, and he will be to them a God, the same with the proposal here made to Israel. [1.] They must take to themselves the shame of their apostasy from him, must submit to, and accept of, the punishment of their iniquity: Thou shalt abide for me many days in solitude and silence, as a widow that is desolate and in sorrow; they must lay aside their ornaments, and wait with patience and submission to know what God will do with them, and whether he will please to admit such unworthy wretches into his favour again, as they did Ex 33:4,5. Their father, their husband, has spit in their face (as God said concerning Miriam), has put them under the marks of his displeasure, and therefore, like her, they must be ashamed seven days, and be shut out of the camp (Nu 12:14), till their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, Le 26:41. Let them sit alone and keep silence, waiting for the salvation of the Lord, and in the mean time let them bear the yoke, La 3:26-28. Let them not expect that God should speedily return in mercy to them,; no, let them want it, let them wait for it many days, during all the days of their captivity, and reckon it a miracle of mercy, and well worth waiting for, it if come at last. Note, Those whom God designs mercy for he will first bring to abase themselves and to put a high value upon his favours. [2.] They must never return to folly again; that is the condition upon which God will speak peace to his people and to his saints (Ps 85:8), and no other. "Thou shalt not play the harlot, shalt not worship idols in the land of thy captivity, while thou art there set apart for the uncleanness." Note, It is not enough to take shame to ourselves for the sins we have committed, and to justify God in correcting us for them, but we must resolve, in the strength of God's grace, that we will not offend any more, that we will not again go a whoring from God, after the world and the flesh. Blessed be God, though it is the law of the covenant, it is not the condition of it that we shall never in any thing do amiss: "But thou shalt not play the harlot; thou shalt not serve other gods, shalt not be for another man." In the land of their captivity they would be courted to worship the idols of the country; that would be a trial for them, a long trial, many days: "But if thou keep thy ground, and hold fast thy integrity, if, when all this comes upon thee, thou dost not stretch out thy hand to a strange god, thou wilt be qualified for the returns of God's favour." Note, It is a certain sign that our afflictions are means of much good to us, and earnests of more, when we are kept by the grace of God from being overcome by the temptations of an afflicted state. [3.] Upon these terms their Maker will again be their husband: So will I also be for thee. This is the covenant between God and returning sinners, that, if they will be for him to serve him, he will be for them to save them. Let them renounce and abjure all rivals with God for the throne in the heart, and devote themselves entirely to him and him only, and he will be to them a God all-sufficient. If we be faithful and constant to God in a way of duty, and will never leave nor forsake him, he will be so to us in a way of mercy, and will never leave nor forsake us. And a fairer proposal could not be made.
II. In the Ho 3:4,5 we have the interpretation of the parable and the application of it to Israel.
1. They must long sit like a widow, stripped of all their joys and honours, La 4:1,2. They shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince; and a nation in this condition may well be called a widow. They want the blessing, (1.) Of civil government: They shall abide without a king, and without a prince, of their own. There were kings and princes over them to oppress them and rule them with rigour, but they had no king nor prince to protect them, to fight their battles for them, to administer justice to them, and to take care of their common safety and welfare. Note, Magistracy is a very great blessing to a people, and it is a sad and sore judgment to want it. (2.) Of public worship: They shall abide without a sacrifice, and without an image (or a statue, or pillar; the word is used concerning the pillars Jacob erected, Ge 28:18,31:45,35:20), and without an ephod and teraphim. The teraphim being here closely joined to the ephod, some thing the urim and thummim were meant by it in the breast-plate of the high priest. The meaning is that in their captivity they should not only have no face of a nation upon them, but no face of a church; they should not have (as a learned expositor speaks) liberty of any public profession or exercise of religion, either true or false, according to their choice. They shall have no sacrifice or altar (so the LXX.), and therefore no sacrifice because no altar. They shall have no ephod, nor teraphim, no legal priesthood, no means of knowing God's mind, no oracle to consult in doubtful cases, but shall be all in the dark. Note, The case of those is very melancholy that are deprived of all opportunities to worship God in public. This was the case of the Jews in their captivity; and it is so far the case of the scattered Jews at this day that, though they have their synagogues, they have no temple-service. Desolate indeed is their condition that are shut out from communion with God, that have no opportunity of directing their addresses to God by sacrifice and altar, and of receiving instruction from him by ephod and teraphim.
2. They shall at length be received again as a wife (Ho 3:5): Afterwards, in process of time, when they have gone through this discipline, they shall return, that is, they shall repent of their idolatries and forsake them, they shall apply themselves to God and adhere to him, and herein they shall be accepted of him. Two things are here promised as instances of their return, and steps towards their acceptance with God in their return:—(1.) The enquiries they shall make after God: They shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king. Note, Those that would find God, and find favour with him, must seek him, must ask after him, covet acquaintance with him, desire to be reconciled to him, set their love on him, and labour in this that they may be accepted of him. Their seeking him implies that they had lost him, that they were lamenting their loss, and that they were solicitous to retrieve what they had lost. They shall seek him as their God; for should not a people seek unto their God? And they shall seek David their King, who can be no other than the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the root and offspring of David, whom David himself called Lord (Ps 110:1), and to whom God gave the throne of his father David, Lu 1:32. The Chaldee reads it, They shall seek the service of the Lord their God, and shall obey Messiah, the Son of David their king. Compare this with Jer 30:9, Eze 34:23,37:25. Note, Those that would seek the Lord so as to find him must apply to Jesus Christ, and must seek to him as their King, and become his willing people, and take an oath of fealty and allegiance to him. (2.) The reverence they shall have of God: They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. Some by his goodness here understand the temple, towards which they shall look, in worshipping God. The Jews say, There were three things which Israel cast off in the days of Rehoboam—the kingdom of heaven, the family of David, and the house of the sanctuary; and it will never be well with them till they return, and seek them all three, which is here promised. They shall seek the kingdom of heaven in the Lord their God, the royal family in David their King, and the temple in the goodness of the Lord. Others by his goodness understand Christ, the same with David their King. But it is rather to be taken for that attribute of God which he showed as his glory, and by which he proclaimed his name. Note, It is not only the Lord and his greatness that we are to fear, but the Lord and his goodness, not only his majesty, but his mercy. They shall flee for fear to the Lord and his goodness (so some take it), shall flee to it as their city of refuge. We must fear God's goodness, that is, we must admire it, and stand amazed at it, must adore it, and worship as Moses did at the proclaiming of this name, Ex 34:6. We must be afraid of offending his goodness, of making any ungrateful returns for it, and so forfeiting it. There is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared, Ps 130:4. We must rejoice with trembling in the goodness of God, must not be high-minded, but fear. Now this promise had its accomplishment when by the gospel of Christ great multitudes both of Jews and Gentiles were brought home to God, and incorporated in the New-Testament church, served God in Christ, with a filial fear of divine grace, and were accepted of God as his Israel. And some think it is to be yet further accomplished in the conversion of those Jews to the faith of Christ who shall remain in unbelief, when they shall seek their Messiah as David their King, and by him all Israel shall be saved, when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in. Time was when they sought him to put him to death, saying, We have no king but Cæsar; but the day is coming when they shall seek him to appoint him their head, and to lay their necks under his yoke. He that has here promised that they shall do it will enable them to do it, and bring about this great work in his own way and time, in the latter days of the last times, the times of the Messiah: but, alas! who shall live when God does this? How far we are to expect a general conversion of that nation I cannot say; but I am sure we ought to pray that the Jews may be converted.
神仍然借先知将同一件事谆谆教导这漫不经心的百姓，其方式与先前大致相同：借一个预表或记号，就是丈夫怎样对待犯奸淫的妻子。本章我们有：I. 以色列民当时恶劣的品格；正如论到雅典人所说的（Ac 17:16），他们“全然沉溺于拜偶像”，Ho 3:1。II. 他们因被掳，以及神与他们相争的其他实例，将被降至何等卑微的境地，Ho 3:2-4。III. 到末后的日子，终必在他们身上成就的蒙福改革，Ho 3:5。