Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
Parallel Translations
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Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Yahweh, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
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Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
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Sow to yourselves according to righteousness, reap according to mercy, break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and cause righteousness to rain upon you.
Cross-references (29)
Passages linked to Hosea 10:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Jeremiah 4:3-4 For Yahweh says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
- James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
- Isaiah 45:8 Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it.
- Proverbs 11:18 Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
- Isaiah 55:6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
- Hosea 6:3 Let’s acknowledge Yahweh. Let’s press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.”
- Jeremiah 29:12-14 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh. I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
- Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring:
- Psalms 105:4 Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.
- Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
- Zephaniah 2:1-3 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame, before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes on you, before the day of Yahweh’s anger comes on you. Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.
- Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.
- Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek Yahweh!
- Amos 5:6 Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
- Amos 5:4 For Yahweh says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
- Hosea 12:6 Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.
- Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.
- Amos 5:8 seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,
- Isaiah 32:20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the feet of the ox and the donkey.
- Ezekiel 34:26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing.
- Acts 2:18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
- Psalms 72:6 He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
- Psalms 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.
- Isaiah 30:23 He will give the rain for your seed, with which you will sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground will be rich and plentiful. In that day, your livestock will feed in large pastures.
- Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Isaiah 5:6 I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned or hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”
- Jeremiah 50:4 “In those days, and in that time,” says Yahweh, “the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping, and will seek Yahweh their God.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain He exhorts here the Israelites to repentance; though it…
He exhorts here the Israelites to repentance; though it seems not a simple and bare exhortation, but rather a protestation; as though the Lord had said, that he had hitherto laboured in vain as to the people of Israel, because they had ever continued obstinate. For it immediately follows —
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Read Jer. 4:4.
Read Jer. 4:4.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in…
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for [it is] time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Ver. 12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy] Righteousness is a sure seed, a precious grain, which those that sow (and every action of our life is a sowing) shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, and bring their sheaves with them, Psa 126:6. Only they must not look to sow and reap all in one day; as one saith of the Hyperborean people far north, that they sow shortly after the sunrising with them, and reap before the sunset; that is, because the whole half year is one continual day with them. The Church is God’s husbandry, Heresbach. de re Rust. 1Co 3:9; the seed is the Word of God, Luk 8:11. Ministers are God’s husbandmen, harvestmen, Mat 9:37-38; the plough, Luk 9:62, plough staff, Luk 13:8, axe, Mat 3:10, are the law’s threatenings; the fruit causing rain are the promises of the Gospel, Isa 55:10-11; faith, that works by love, are the fruits; the last day, the harvest, Mat 13:39; Mat 13:41. Then at utmost, those that sow bountifully (or, in blessings, Eπ ευλογιας, as the Greek hath it) shall reap bountifully, 2Co 9:6. He that soweth seemeth to cast away his seed; but if he sow in locis irriguis {Ecc 11:1 Eze 34:26} upon fat and fertile places, he knows he shall receive his own with usury. In some parts of Egypt, where the river Nile overfloweth, they do but throw in their seed, and they have four rich harvests in less than four months. Oh sow bountifully the seeds of piety and charity into God’s blessed bosom; and then be sure to reap plentiful mercy, in thy greatest necessity; reap in the month of mercy. (as the original here hath it), that is, according to the measure of Divine mercy, {see Lev 27:16 Exo 16:16} proportionably to the infiniteness of God’s mercy. Now the Scripture hath three notable words to express the fulness of God’s mercy in Christ to those that sow in righteousness: Eph 2:7, the abundant riches of his grace, that are cast in over and above; Rom 5:20, the grace of God hath been more than exceeding; there is a second υπερ: 1Ti 1:14, the grace of God was exceeding abundant. It had an abundance before: yea, but here is a super abundance; here is good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall God give into men’s bosoms: like as when a poor man asked Mr Fox for an alms, he (finding him religious) gave him his horse; or as Alexander gave one (that craved some small courtesy of him) a whole city. And when the poor man said, it was too much for him to receive; yea, but not for me to give, said he, Non quaero quid te accipere deceat, sed quid me dare (Sen. de Benef.). So God giveth liberally and like himself, Jas 1:5. He doth not shift off his suitors, as once a great prince did a bold begging philosopher. He asked a groat of him, and the king told him, it was too little for a king to give. He requested the king then to give him a talent; the king replied, it was too much for a beggar to crave, ου Bασιλικον δομα ου κυνικον λημμα. Certain it is, that God in his spiritual blessings and mercies to us is wont to regard not so much what is fit for his to ask or expect, as what standeth with his goodness and greatness to bestow. If Israel had a hundredfold increase of his seed, Gen 26:12, those that sow to themselves in righteousness, by doing and suffering God’s will, shall have much more; even a hundredfold here, and eternal life hereafter, Mat 19:29; so great a gain is godliness; so sure a gain is righteousness: who would not then turn spiritual seedsman?
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Break up your fallow ground] sc. of your hearts, that ye sow not among the thorns, Jer 4:3. The breaking up of sinful hearts is a singular means to prevent the breaking down of a sinful nation. Hence the prophet, though almost out of hope of any good to be done upon his desperate countrymen, resolves to try one more exhortation to them; and as in the morning he had sown his seed, so in the evening he withholdeth not his hand, Ecc 11:6, for who can tell whether it may not prosper? and whether in the midst of threats they might not suffer a word of exhortation, and whether it might not leave some impression, being delivered in few words? Heb 13:22. Sow (therefore saith he) to yourselves in righteousness, &c., but first "break up your fallow ground." Innovate vobis novale. Repent, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds; in spirit and speech, in mind and manners, in constitution and conversation, in the purpose of your hearts, and practice of your lives. Old things are past, let all things become new; turn up the turf, stock up and stab up the roots and weeds; get into Christ, and become a new creature, 2Co 5:17. Till this be done men are in an undone condition, though they should spend their whole time in gathering up pearls and jewels.
For it is time to seek the Lord] High time, since your souls lie upon it. Ploughmen, we know, are careful to take their time; so are all others, wise enough in their generation. The wayfaring man travelleth while it is light; the seafaring man takes his opportunity of wind and tide; the smith smites while the iron is hot; the lawyer takes his term-time {a} to entertain clients, despatch suits. The men of Issachar were in great account with David, because they had understanding of the time, to know what Israel ought to do, 1Ch 12:32 so are they with God that regard and use the seasons of grace; that "seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near," Isa 55:6; that put in the plough, set upon the practice of repentance, after a shower, when the heart is best affected; after God by his Word and Spirit hath taught (so some render the text) or rained righteousness upon them. Rain comes from heaven; so doth every good and perfect giving. Rain pours down plentifully, Psa 68:9, thou didst send a plentiful rain on thine inheritance; so do the showers of righteousness on good hearts. Not a drop of rain falls in vain, or in a wrong place, but by a Divine decree, Job 28:26; so here. Seek it in time, and we shall not fail of it. Only we must not set God a time when to come, but wait upon him, who waiteth to be gracious. Elijah sent seven times ere the rain came. Seek till God comes; limit not the Holy One of Israel. As he seldom comes at our time, so he never fails in his own. Hold out, therefore, faith and patience; for behold he cometh on the clouds, on the wings of the wind, and his reward is with him. "To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward," Pro 11:18.
{a} The period during which the law courts are in session; ŒD
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Sow to yourselves in righteousness: the prophet continueth his…
Sow to yourselves in righteousness: the prophet continueth his care of their welfare, by exhorting them yet at last to repent, which, as learned interpreters observe, the prophet doth here in the same elliptic speech which is used before these imperatives, and is to be made up thus, The Lord hath said by his prophets, Sow, &c.; this same duty hath been pressed on them formerly, and is again commended to them; sow in righteousness, in universal righteousness, towards God in piety, towards man in equity, and herein see that ye sow plentifully, that is, exercise yourselves in these works.
Reap in mercy: this is referred both to the Divine mercy, and so amounteth to a promise, and to the mercy we should show to man, and so is direction for another part of duty; both may well have place here.
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Break up your fallow ground; your hearts, O ye Ephraimites, have been and still are, as ground overrun with weeds, which need be ploughed and broken up, that good seed may be sowed in them, that you may bring forth fruit in holy life, from a holy heart, and obtain mercy of God.
It is time to seek the Lord; it is full time, if you consider it aright; or, it is yet time, you may seek and find he is not quite gone, still he calls you, therefore hearken, and follow seasonable advice, seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found.
Till he come; seek with patience and faith until he doth, as certainly he will, come; for this passage is a virtual or implicit promise that God will come to them if they seek him, i.e. he will bless, favour, and love them; in these he will appear to them, which is his coming to them.
Rain righteousness; plentifully pour out the fruits of his own goodness and mercy which he hath promised, and, having promised, it is a righteous thing they should be given according to promise; thus the mercies of God to us are his righteousness to us.
Upon you, who repent and obey his counsel by his prophets.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Saw to yourselves in righteousness,.... Not the seed of…
Saw to yourselves in righteousness,.... Not the seed of grace, which bad men have not, and cannot saw it; and which good men need not, it being sown in them already, and remaining; rather the seed of the word, which should be laid up in their hearts, dwell richly in them, and be kept and retained by them; though it is best of all to understand it of works of righteousness; as sowing to the flesh is doing the works of the flesh, or carnal and sinful acts; so sowing "unto righteousness" (g), as it may be rendered, is doing works of righteousness; living soberly and righteously; doing works according to the word of righteousness, from good principles, and with good views, with a view to the glory of God: and which will be "sowing to themselves", turn to their own account; for though such works are not profitable to God, as to merit anything at his hands; yet they are not only profitable to others, but to those that do them; for though not "for", yet "in keeping" the commands of God there is "great reward", Psa 19:11. Reap in mercy; or "according to mercy" (h) not according to the merit of works, for there is none in them; but according to the mercy of God, to which all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternaL, are owing; and such who sow to the Spirit, or spiritual things, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; not as the reward of debt, but of grace; not as of merit, but as owing to the mercy of Christ, Gal 6:9 Jde 1:21;
break up your fallow ground; that is, of their hearts; which were like ground unopened, unbroken, not filled and manured, nor sown with seed, but overrun with weeds and thistles; and so were they, hard and impenitent, destitute of grace, and full of sin and wickedness, and stood in need of being renewed in the spirit of their minds; which this exhortation is designed to convince them of, and to stir them up to make use of proper methods of obtaining it, through the efficacious grace of God; see Jer 4:5;
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for it is time to seek the Lord: for his grace; as the husbandman seeks, prays, and waits for rain, when he has tilled his ground, and sowed his seed, to water it, and make it fruitful, that he may have a good reaping time, a plentiful harvest; and as there is a time to seek for the one, so for the other:
till he come and rain righteousness upon you; that is, Christ, whose coming is as the rain, Hos 6:3; and who, when he should come, whether personally by his incarnation, or spiritually by his gracious presence, would rain a plentiful rain of the doctrines of grace, and the blessings of it, such as peace pardon, righteousness, and eternal life by him; particularly the justifying righteousness wrought out by him, which is fully manifested in the Gospel, the ministration of that righteousness, and is applied unto, and put upon, all them that believe: or "till he come and teach you righteousness" (i); as Christ did when come; he taught the word of righteousness in general, and the righteousness of God in particular, and directed men to seek it; declared he came to fulfil all righteousness, and taught men to believe in him for it, and that he is their righteousness, and the end of the law for it; as well as he taught them to live righteously and godly; see Joe 2:23. The Targum is,
"O house of Israel, do for yourselves good works; walk in the way of truth; establish for yourselves the doctrine of the law; behold, at all times the prophets say to you, return to the fear of the Lord; now shall he be revealed, and bring righteousness to you.''
But these exhortations were vain and fruitless, as appears by what follows:
(g) "ad justitiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Tarnovius, Cocceius. (h) "ad os miserecordiae", Montanus; "secundum misericordiam", Pagninus; "secundum pietatem", Cocceius, Schmidt. (i) "et doceat justitiam vos", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Cocceius, Schmidt.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Reap - And ye shall reap in mercy. Fallow…
Reap - And ye shall reap in mercy. Fallow ground - Your hearts are as ground over-run with weeds, which need to be plowed and broken up, that good seed may be sowed in them. And rain - Plentifully pour out the fruits of his goodness and mercy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness] Let the…
Verse 12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness] Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure.
Reap in mercy] By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest.
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Break up your fallow ground] Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow.
For it is time to seek the Lord] This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be unfruitful.
Rain righteousness upon you.] God will give you the early rain in due time, and in proper measure. Here are the metaphors, and the application cannot be difficult. Here are ploughing, fallowing, sowing, harrowing, watering, reaping, threshing, and feeding on the produce of well-directed labour. All may be applied to the human heart, and the work of God upon it. Correction, contrition, conversion, receiving the grace of Christ, bringing forth fruit, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Hos 10:12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness. — Exercise…
Hos 10:12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness. — Exercise yourselves in the works of righteousness and holiness, in the performance of all duties due both to God and man. Reap in mercy — And then God, of his grace and mercy, will, in due time, bestow an abundant reward upon you. Break up your fallow ground — Your hearts are as ground overrun with weeds, which have need to be ploughed and broken up by conviction, humiliation, and godly sorrow for sin, that good seed may be sown in them. For it is time — High time, if you mean to do it at all, and a fit season for it, 2Co 6:2, now that troubles are near; to seek the Lord — To seek reconciliation and peace with him, to seek his favour, and a conformity to his will. Seek him, with earnest desire and persevering diligence, in the use of all the means which he hath appointed. Till he come and rain righteousness upon you — That is, pour down his grace and blessings upon you, according to what he has promised.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy -…
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy - Literally, “in the proportion of mercy,” not in proportion to what you have sown, nor what justice would give, but beyond all deserts, “in the proportion of mercy;” i. e., “according to the capacity and fullness of the mercy of God; what becometh the mercy of God, which is boundless,” which overlooketh man’s failings, and giveth an infinite reward for poor imperfect labor. As our Lord says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom” Luk 6:38. : “If the earth giveth thee larger fruits than it has received, how much more shall the requiting of mercy repay thee manifold more than thou gavest!” Sowing and reaping always stand over against each other, as labor and reward. “He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” 2Co 9:6.
And, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. In due season we shall reap, if we faint not” Gal 6:7-9. We are bidden “to sow to ourselves,” for, “our goodness reacheth not to God” Psa 16:2; our’s is the gain, if we love God, the Fountain of all good. This reward, “according to mercy,” is in both worlds. it is in this world also. For “grace well used draws more grace.” God giveth “grace upon grace” Joh 1:16; so that each good deed, the fruit of grace, is the seed-corn of larger grace. “If thou humble thyself, it stimulates thee to humble thyself more. If thou prayest, thou longest to pray more. If thou givest alms, thou wishest to give more.” It is in the world to come. For, says a holy man , “our works do not pass away as it seems, but each thing done in time, is sown as the Seed of eternity. The simple will be amazed, when from this slight seed he shall see the copious harvest arise, good or evil, according as the seed was.” “Thou seekest two sheaves, rest and glory. They shall reap glory and rest, who have sown toil and self-abasement” .
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Break up your fallow ground - This is not the order of husbandry. The ground was already plowed, harrowed, sown. Now he bids her anew, “Break up your fallow ground.” The Church breaks up her own fallow ground, when she stirs up anew the decaying piety of her own members; she breaks up fallow ground, when, by preaching the Gospel of Christ, she brings new people into His fold. And for us too, one sowing sufficeth not. It must be no surface-sowing. And “the soil of our hearts must ever be anew cleansed; for no one in this mortal life is so perfect, in piety, that noxious desires will not spring up again in the heart, us tares in the well-tilled field.”
For it is time to seek the Lord, until He come and rain righteousness upon you - Or better, “until he shall come and teach you righteousness.” To “rain righteousness” is the same image as Solomon uses of Christ; “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth” Psa 72:6, and Isaiah, “drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness” Isa 45:8. It expresses in picture-language how He, who is “our Righteousness,” came down from heaven, to give life to us, who were dried and parched up and withered, when the whole face of our mortal nature was as dead. Yet there is nothing to indicate that the prophet is here using imagery. The Hebrew word is used very rarely in the meaning, to “rain;” in that of teaching, continually, and that, in exactly the same idiom as here . One office of our Lord was to teach. Nicodemus owned Him, “as a teacher sent from” God Joh 3:2. The Samaritans looked to the Messiah, as one who should “teach all things” Joh 4:25. The prophets foretold that He should “teach us His ways” Isa 2:3, that He should be a “witness unto the people” Isa 55:4.
The prophet bids them “seek diligently,” and perseveringly, “not leaving off or desisting,” if they should not at once find, but continuing the search, quite “up to” the time when they should find. His words imply the need of perseverance and patience, which should stop short of nothing but God’s own time for finding. The prophet, as is the way of the prophets, goes on to Christ, who was ever in the prophets’ hearts and hopes. The words could only be understood improperly of God the Father. God does not “come,” who is everywhere. He ever was among His people, nor did He will to be among them otherwise than heretofore. No coming of God, as God, was looked for, to “teach righteousness.” Rather, the time was coming, when He would be less visibly among them than before. Among the ten tribes, as a distinct people, He would shortly be no more, either by prophecy, or in worship, or by any perceptible token of His providence. From Judah also He was about, although at a later period, to withdraw the kingdom of David, and the Urim and Thummira, and the Shechinah, or visible presence. Soon after the captivity, prophecy itself was to cease. But “the coming of Christ the patriarchs and holy men all along desired to see: Abraham saw it and was glad Joh 8:56. Jacob longed for it Gen 49:18. The law and the prophets directed to it, so that there were always in Israel such as waited for it, as appears by the example of old Simeon and Joseph of Arimathaea, and those many prophets and righteous men whom our Saviour speaks of Luk 2:25; Mar 15:43; Mat 13:17. “He that should come” seems to have been a known title for Him; since John Baptist sent two of his disciples, to say unto Him, “Art thou He that shall come, or do we look for another?” Mat 11:3.
The prophet saith then, “Now is the time to seek the Lord, and prepare for the coming of Christ, for He, when He cometh, will teach you, yea, will give you true righteousness, whereby ye shall be righteous before God, and heirs of His kingdom.” : “So God speaketh through Isaiah, “keep ye judgment and do justice, for My salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.” In both places, people are warned, “to prepare the way” to receive Christ, which was the office assigned to the law. As Paul saith, “Whereunto was the law? It was added because of transgressions.” It was given to restrain the passions of people by fear of punishment, lest they should so defile themselves by sin, as to despise the mercy and office of Christ. It was given to prepare our souls by love of righteousness and mercy to receive Christ, that he might enrich them with the divine wealth of righteousness.” : “If Israel of old were so to order their ways in expectation of Him, and that they might be prepared for His coming; and if their neglecting to do this made them liable to such heavy judgments, how much severer judgments shall they be worthy of, who, after His Coming and raining upon them the plentiful showers of heavenly doctrine, and abundant measure of His grace and gifts of His Holy Spirit, do, for want of breaking up the fallow ground of their hearts, suffer His holy word to be lost on them. The fearful doom of such unfruitful Christians is set down by Paul” Heb 6:4-8.
The present is ever the time to seek the Lord. “Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the Day of Salvation” 2Co 6:2. As Hosea says, “it is time to seek the Lord until He come,” so Paul saith, “unto them that look for Him, shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation” Heb 9:28.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Mouth. Hebrew, "in proportion to (Calmet) your piety." Septuagint,…
Mouth. Hebrew, "in proportion to (Calmet) your piety." Septuagint, "gather a vintage of the fruit of life." (Haydock) --- Ground. Reform you conduct. (Calmet) --- Justice, when Christ shall appear, the source of all our grace and justice. (St. Jerome, &c.) (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "Light up for yourselves the light of knowledge, for it is time; seek the Lord, till ye obtain the fruit of justice."
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Continuation of the image in Hos 10:11 (Pro 11:18).…
Continuation of the image in Hos 10:11 (Pro 11:18). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace.
in mercy--according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man (Luk 6:38).
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break . . . fallow ground--Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed.
seek . . . Lord, fill he come--Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He come."
rain--send down as a copious shower.
righteousness--the reward of righteousness, that is, salvation, temporal and spiritual (Sa1 26:23; compare Joe 2:23 ).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 12. Momentarily the tone of the prophet changes to…
12. Momentarily the tone of the prophet changes to one of exhortation. If Israel would only turn and seek Jehovah the judgment might yet be averted. For such turning the prophet pleads. But he seems to recognize the uselessness of the appeal, for in Hos_10:13 ff. he reiterates the threats of 9-11. The figures are borrowed again from agricultural pursuits.
Sow… in righteousness — Let your conduct be governed by righteousness, by such attitude toward God and man as is proper in view of the covenant relation between Jehovah and Israel. Reap in mercy [“according to kindness”] — Let the effects of your life be such as are in accord with loving-kindness (see on Hos_2:19). LXX., “reap the fruit of kindness.”
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Break up your fallow ground — The transformation is to be thorough. “Husbandmen in the East are indolent and sometimes sow among thorns (Jer_4:3; Mat_13:7). The Israelites are warned against committing this fault in their spiritual husbandry.” The three clauses “sow… reap… break up” should be interpreted as containing three distinct exhortations.
It is time — The door of mercy is still open, the judgment may yet be averted.
Seek Jehovah — See on Amo_5:4.
Till he come and rain righteousness upon you — This translation is to be preferred over the one suggested in the margin, “teach you righteousness” (see on Joe_2:23). Till he come is to be understood as a final clause, “in order that he may come.” Rain is a picture of abundance, and the entire clause may be paraphrased, “in order that Jehovah may manifest his righteousness toward you in abundant measure.” Jehovah’s righteousness, like Israel’s righteousness, is the attitude which is proper in view of the covenant relation between Israel and Jehovah. As such it may manifest itself either in judgment or in mercy. If Israel will follow the prophetic exhortation it will manifest itself in the merciful withholding of judgment. LXX. reads, “in order that (until) the fruit of righteousness (prosperity) may come to you.” Fruit of lies in Hos_10:13 is in favor of the LXX. reading.
Hos_10:13 a contrasts their past conduct and experiences with the conduct demanded in Hos_10:12.
Plowed wickedness — Plowed is equivalent to sowed (Hos_10:12); they formed wicked plans (Job_4:8).
Reaped iniquity — The fruits of their lives have been iniquity, not loving-kindness.
Fruit of lies — Or, of faithlessness, that is, to Jehovah (Hos_11:12). They were compelled to endure disaster and calamity. The tenses in this verse are not prophetic perfects; they describe past experiences.
With Hos_10:13 b begins the reiteration of the threat, Hos_10:13 b being the protasis, Hos_10:14 the apodosis. The transition from one clause to the other is somewhat abrupt, but the reference in Hos_10:13 a to the policy of “lies” prepares the way for Hos_10:13 b, which makes it plain wherein consisted the faithlessness: instead of relying upon Jehovah they put their trust in human defenses (Isa_7:9).
In thy way — Thy policy. LXX. (except B) and Vulgate read, “thy chariots” (compare Hos_14:3; Isa_2:7), which is favored by the context.
Mighty men — The army.
Therefore — Because of the lack of confidence in Jehovah (Isa_7:9).
Tumult — Of war (Isa_17:12; Amo_2:2).
Among — Better, R.V. margin, “against.”
Thy people — Hebrew, “thy peoples”; the tribes of which the nation is composed (Deu_33:3). The emendation “against thy cities” is not needed. The destruction to be wrought is compared with that of Beth-arbel by Shalman — Both of these proper names have been and are still subjects of much discussion. Shalman has been identified with (1) Shalmaneser III of Assyria, who “made an expedition to the Lebanon in 775 and to Damascus in 773-772” (Harper) (for similar abbreviations compare Jer_22:24; Jer_22:28; Jer_24:1, with 2Ki_24:6); (2) Shalmaneser IV of Assyria (727-722 B.C.), who undertook an expedition against Israel in 725; (3) Sala-manu, a king of Moab, a contemporary of Hosea, who paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria; (4) Shalmah, a north Arabian tribe, which invaded the Negeb; (5) the Zalmunna of Jdg_8:6. Arbela has been identified with (1) Arbela, near Pella, east of the Jordan; (2) Arbela on the Tigris, near Nineveh; (3) Arbela in the territory of Naphtali, in Upper Galilee (1Ma_9:2). The words which in Hebrew stand together have also been taken as the name of a city Shalman-beth-arbela. (For similar formations see 2Sa_20:14-15; Num_33:46.) Thus far no entirely satisfactory solution of the question has been found. From the reference it would seem that the event in question was well known and therefore probably one of recent date and of considerable importance; but our present historical knowledge does not enable us to connect any of the persons named with the destruction of any of the localities suggested. The campaign of 775 is said to have been against the “country of Erini,” the country of the cedar trees; that of 773-772 was undertaken probably by the successor of Shalmaneser III, Ashur-dan III. If it is Shalmaneser IV the passage must be a later addition, since Hosea’s activity ended before this king ascended the throne. The ancient versions offer no solution; they also seem to have been in the dark.
The mother was dashed in pieces — A circumstantial clause to be connected with the preceding, “when the mother was dashed in pieces” (Hos_13:16; compare 2Ki_8:12; Amo_1:13; Psa_137:8-9).
In Hos_10:15 Jehovah addresses the Israelites directly, announcing that a similar fate is awaiting them on account of their great wickedness. The construction of the first sentence is uncertain. So shall Beth-el do —Beth-el as the center of idolatrous worship is to bring about the downfall of Israel. This translation is a little awkward. Others have interpreted Bethel as an accusative of place, “at Beth-el,” while they have supplied the subject of the verb, either Jehovah or Shalman, “So shall he do at Beth-el.” But if Beth-el is not the subject it is better taken as a vocative: “So shall he do unto thee, O Beth-el.” Beth-el, the religious center, stands for the whole country or nation, just as sometimes the capital, Samaria, is used in the place of Israel. LXX. presents a more satisfactory reading, “Thus I will do unto you, O house of Israel.”
Your great wickedness — Literally, the wickedness of your wickedness (compare Song of Songs — the song par excellence: holy of holies — the most holy)
In a morning — R.V., “at daybreak.” The meaning is uncertain. Some see in the phrase the thought that at daybreak it will be discovered that during the night the king has been slain; others, that he will be cut off in the early morning hours — the king’s death is the first event of the day (Psa_90:14); still others, “as suddenly as comes the dawn after a night of slumber.” Keil understands it as the dawn of prosperity; just as prosperity begins to dawn the king will perish. The expression remains peculiar. A change of one consonant would give “in the storm,” that is, of battle.
King of Israel — Not one particular king, but the institution of the monarchy.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 12. If only a moral miracle could take place,…
12. If only a moral miracle could take place, Israel’s calamities might yet be averted. Nor is it entirely inconceivable, for miracles, so Hosea thinks, can be wrought by an earnest resolution. Hence Hosea’s final appeal.
Sow to yourselves, &c.] Rather, Sow to yourselves according to righteousness, and ye shall reap in proportion to love; that is, Let your conduct be governed by a regard to righteousness, and it shall be recompensed in accordance with the divine love (or perhaps, see on Hos_4:1, in accordance with the love ye have shown to one another, ‘righteousness’ being only another aspect of ‘love’ or benevolence).
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Break up your fallow ground] Husbandmen in the East are indolent, and sometimes ‘sow among thorns’ (Jer_4:3). The Israelites are warned against committing this fault in their spiritual husbandry. Evil habits must be broken off, and a new character formed, or it will be impossible to sow the seed of righteousness.
for it is time, &c.] There is still time to seek Jehovah, till he listen to your prayer, and rain his righteous gift of salvation upon you. For the figure of righteousness coming down from the sky, comp. Isa_45:8; Psa_85:11. ‘Righteousness’ bears the meaning ‘salvation’ which it virtually has so often in the second part of Isaiah, ‘righteousness’ being the divine principle of action, ‘salvation’ the same divine principle in action.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (12) In their despair come some characteristic gleams of…
(12) In their despair come some characteristic gleams of hope on the desolation; the eternal law which makes reaping a consequence of sowing will still apply. The mercy of God will be the harvest of a sowing to the Spirit. (Comp. Gal_6:8; Rom_8:7-13; and Mic_6:8.) The very soil of the soul is fallow and unbroken. Break it up, seek Jehovah, and He will come as never before. This momentary rift in the storm-cloud shows the light behind it.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 12, 13. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap…
Vers. 12, 13. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy. These two verses contain a call to repentance and reformation of life, in figurative language borrowed from the same department of human industry, ydxl is "for righteousness;" that is, sow such seed as that righteousness may spring from it. yh ypl is "according to," or "in proportion to, mercy." When two imperatives are joined, is here, the latter indicates a promise, and may be expressed by a future, as, "Do this and live," i.e. "ye shall live". (Gen_42:18) Kimchi explains it correctly, thus: "Sow to yourselves, etc., that is, do good in mine eyes, and the recompense from me shall be far greater than your good deeds, just as if one sows a measure (seah), and hopes to reap therefore two measures (seahs) or still more. Therefore, he uses in sowing righteousness, and in connection with reaping grace, in order to intimate that grace surpasses righteousness. Or that God rewards men"s actions, not according to merit, but according to grace. As men sew, they reap; accordingly Israel is directed to sow ac-eroding to righteousness to act righteously in their dealings with their fellow-men; and their reaping or reward would be, not in proportion to what they had sown, not merely commensurate with their righteous actions or dealings, not proportionate to what justice would give; but in proportion to mercy Divine mercy, and so far above their highest deserts. They are promised a reward far above their poor doings, and irrespective of their sad failings a reward, not of debt, not of merit, but of grace. The seed-time of righteousness would be followed by a reaping-time proportionate to the boundless measure of the Divine mercy. Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Here they are urged to turn over a new leaf, as we say; to begin a new life; to root out the weeds of sin; to eradicate those evil passions that checked and stifled any noble feelings, as the husbandman runs his plough through the fallow field, and breaks it up, clearing out the weeds and roots, that the ground may be pure and clean for the sowing of the seed in spring. The LXX, reading wrWn, instead of Wryn ryne for ryni, and jD for jew translates accordingly by fwtisate eautoiv fwv gnwsewv . They are further reminded that it is high time to begin this process, laying aside their stiff-necked, perverse ways; expelling from their heart the noxious growth that had overspread it; and by every way and means working earnestly and zealously for a renewal of life and return to the long-neglected work and worship of Jehovah. Neither were they to relax their efforts till the blessed end was attained, d, with imperfect, marking the goal to be reached; nor would their efforts be in vain. The Lord would rain bestow abundantly upon them, or touch (another and more frequent meaning of the word), their righteousness. Thus the ground that had long lain fallow must be broken up; its waste, wild state must cease and give place to cultivation; the ploughshare must be driven through it; its wild growths and weeds must be cut down and uprooted. A process of renewal must succeed; the vices of their natural state, the idolatrous and wicked practices that had sprung up, must be abandoned. Renewal and radical reform are imperatively demanded. Matters had remained too long in a miserable and unsatisfactory condition. A long night of sinful slumber had overcome them; it was high time to awake out of that sleep. Too long had they shamefully forgotten and forsaken God; it was more than time to wait upon him. Nor would such waiting, if persevered in, end in disappointment; notwithstanding their great and manifold provocations, he would come and rain righteousness in welcome, refreshing, and plenteous showers upon returning penitents; and with righteousness would be conjoined its reward of blessing and salvation, both temporal and spiritual.
Spiritual husbandry.
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The union of precept and promise in Scripture runs parallel with the union of work and blessing in life. The same mind and will is the source of both. Our text reminds us of the co-operation of the human and Divine as essential to the harvest of good. A true reformation is only accomplished by God indirectly, through the agency of man. Thus the coming of Christ Jesus was prepared for by the ministry of John, which roused men to thoughts of sin and of righteousness. In the graphic imagery of Isaiah, "crooked things were made straight, and rough places plain, and then the glory of the Lord was revealed." So in the establishment of the Christian Church: God wrought through the energies of men. The Holy Spirit was not poured down directly from heaven upon the nations, but upon a few men whose hearts were prepared, and through their ministry the conscience of the world was stirred. No farmer waits inactively in the spring-time, when the earth is made soft with showers, expecting a harvest to come, while his plough rusts in the shed and his seed rots in the granary; and no true Christian is satisfied to pray for the fulfillment of the promises while he does nothing of the work that lies to his hand. The message comes home to him, "Sow to yourselves," etc. Human responsibility and Divine recompense are the two factors in spiritual husbandry which demand consideration.
I HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY lies in the direction of these activities.
1. Sowing the seed. Sow to yourselves in righteousness." Show how deficient Israel was in righteousness, both in national affairs and in social and civil life, during Hosea"s ministry.
(1) National righteousness is demanded. Honesty in diplomacy, equitable dealing with weaker peoples, fairness in commercial enterprise, choice of the right, and not of the profitable, etc.
(2) Church righteousness, which will not allow us to neglect the poor, or to be careless of the interests of Divine truth, or to restrain prayer here God.
(3) Individual righteousness, which may be shown by every Christian in all the varied relations of life. Sowing to ourselves in righteousness is not always easy, and is not often immediately recompensed; but "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2. Preparing the sod. "Break up your fallow ground." The work referred to is monotonous, hard, continuous. The ploughman does not see around him the glow of the golden harvest; he does not hear the merriment of those who are binding the sheaves; he has not the stimulus of the happy speed which the hope of finishing gives the reaper. Yet his work is as necessary. The reference is not to the cleaning from weeds of land already sown, but to the breaking up of virgin soil, i.e. of the parts of a field which were neglected before.
(1) Make application to the development of Christian character. There is generally a want of completeness about this. Sins of pleasure and indolence are gone; but if sins of pride, ambition, censoriousness, remain, these also must be turned up by the plough of resolution. We must not be content with saying, "This part of my character is fertile," while that part lies fallow. So with Christian graces. We may have courage without tenderness, patience without enterprise, and thus have fallow ground yet to be broken up.
(2) Make application to the advance of Christs kingdom. Parts of the world sown with the good seed are fairly productive, other parts are moral wastes. This calls for missionary enterprise. Congregations comfortably worship, yet amongst the godless and ignorant "fallow ground" still lies around them. The world will become a paradise only when each does his own work in his own sphere. In the Western States, laud is not brought under cultivation by the expenditure of a millionaire; but each settler has his own allotment, effects his own clearing, builds his own log hut, adds field to field till his farm touches the next, and by this process the wilderness begins to rejoice and blossom like the rose.
3. Seeking the Lord. Hosea would have the people eagerly expecting Messiah, and ready to welcome him. Some of John"s disciples were thus" seeking the Lord," and it was on these Christ rained righteousness, in the truths he taught and the Spirit he gave. Readiness for the second advent becomes the Christian still; and the Church is sighing for it. Meantime the Lord comes in holy thought, in right resolve, in chastened feeling. He comes down on weary hearts like "rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
II Divine RECOMPENSE.
1. It is generous. "Reap not "in," but according to mercy;" not in proportion to desert, or to justice, but to the boundless mercy of the Lord. Of all reaping that is true. When we sow our seed we give it over to the care of God. It would be something to receive it back again uninjured; but it is multiplied, "according to the mercy" of God, and harvest-fields come from a few bushels of seed. God gives "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." If we are thus requited in the natural, we shall be in the moral husbandry. Grace used brings more grace. The five talents employed become the ten talents. If we give, the habit of giving becomes a luxury. If we pray, prayer becomes easier, more refreshing, more essential. If ours are the tears of penitence, the light of God"s love shines through them and creates the rainbow of peace. If, like the prodigal, we sow in righteous acknowledgment of sin, we reap peace and joy "according to God"s mercy.
2. It is from above. "Until he come and rain righteousness upon you." When rain falls from heaven it blesses your garden, or your carefully tended plant, but it does not content itself with that. Fields you never saw are greener, limpid streams in distant counties are fuller, leaves and ferns and. unnoticed flowers are touched and blessed. All Churches need this outpouring from above. To do the right, to break up the fallow ground which has been unblessed before by enterprise, will all be useless unless he rains righteousness upon us. And for this great blessing a mural world, a weakened Church, a conscious yearning, say, "It is time to seek the Lord.
CONCLUSION. Beware lest, in the sight of the Searcher of hearts, your condition should be described by the words which follow our text. "Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity." "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. A.R.
Despair.
The picture of the text is awful in the extreme. The condition of those to whom destruction and annihilation would be a relief is appalling to contemplate. What fearful vengeance must be overtaking those, what indescribable forebodings must have taken possession of their nature, who cry, "Mountains, cover us I Rocks, fall upon us!" It is the language of despair!
I THE CAUSES OF DESPAIR. Much must have transpired before such a state of mind could exist. There must have been
(1) sin committed,
(2) mercy rejected,
(3) authority defied,
(4) forbearance abused, before the soul of man could have abandoned itself to hopelessness like this.
II THE HORROR OF DESPAIR. This is not unnatural. It arises from reflection upon the rebellion and inexcusable willfulness of the past; from the declaration of conscience to the effect that God has observed that rebellion, that sinfulness, with indignation, and from the anticipation of impending judgment. Only such thoughts and feelings could account for the unparalleled horror declaring itself in such invocations and imprecations as these.
III THE CRY OF DESPAIR. The dreadful language proceeding from the lips of the hopeless is an appeal to nature to save the sinner from nature"s Lord. It is an appeal unreasonable and absurd, but not unnatural, as uttered by a bewildered, terrified, and unfriended soul. Can anything give a more awful and impressive representation of the wretchedness into which he is surely led who perseveres in sin, and hardens himself against both the Law and the Gospel?
IV THE PREVENTION OF DESPAIR. It may be well to see whither a certain course leads us, if the result be to save us from the issue, by saving us from what involves it. It is to be remembered with gratitude that hearers of the gospel of Christ have not reached the stage now described. They may be prisoners, but they are "prisoners of hope." The word of the Lord does indeed come as a word of warning, but it comes also as a word of promise. Neglected, it will be a sentence of condemnation; accepted, it will be an assurance of pardon and a pledge of life eternal. T.
Prepare for the time of Divine favor.
This is one of many passages in which the inspired writers make use of imagery derived from the processes of nature and the practices of husbandry, with the view of explaining and enforcing spiritual truth and personal duty.
I HUMAN PREPARATION FOR DIVINE BLESSING. Man must do his part, and is admonished by authority to do so. The readiness which is here required, as a condition of heavenly blessing and spiritual prosperity, is twofold.
1. In the heart and life. By "breaking up the fallow ground" may be understood repentance, by which the heart long hard and stony becomes soft and pliable to what is good, and receptive of heavenly seed. By "sowing to one"s self in righteousness" may be understood reformation of principles and of practice. It is not enough to forsake the evil; it is necessary to seek, to cleave to, that which is good. All this, it is presumed, will be done by the aid of Divine grace, and under the influence of Christian motives.
2. By prayer. "It is time to seek the Lord." Human means are good; it is by express instruction from on high that they are employed; but alone they are insufficient. The spiritual life has its devotional as well as its practical side.
We have to look earthwards, that we may till the soil and sow the seed; but we have also to look heavenwards, that we may obtain the needed blessing.
II DIVINE BLESSING IN RESPONSE TO HUMAN PREPARATION.
1. God shall "rain righteousness," by which we may understand he will bestow those favors which his own Word has pledged him to confer. By rain we understand also the abundance of those blessings; which are bestowed, not in drops, but in showers copious showers from the opened windows of heaven.
2. God"s people shall "reap mercy." This is the harvest for which all human cultivation and all Divine effluences are designed to concur. Mercy for time and mercy for eternity, from a merciful God, for a mercy-needing humanity. "The Lord grant that we may all obtain mercy of the Lord in that day! T.
The Divine voice to a worthless people.
"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." "Sow to yourselves for righteousness, reap according to love, plough for yourselves virgin soil; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you" (Delitzsch). Sowing and reaping are figures here used to denote the spiritual and moral conduct of the people. Indeed, all human life consists of sowing and reaping. We reap today what we sowed yesterday, and we sow today what we shall reap to-morrow, and so on through all future. Every intelligent act embodies a moral principle, contains a seed that must germinate and grow. We have here several things worthy of study.
I A WRETCHED MORAL STATE. "Fallow ground," uncultivated earth. A state of:
1. Unloveliness. It is either an expanse of grey earth, or of weeds, thistles, and thorns.
2. Unfruitfulness. Unless the earth is cultivated, there is no fruit, and the land is worthless.
3. Wastefulness. On the fallow ground fall the rain, the dew, the sunshine, and the frost; but all in vain. How much Divine grace is wasted on unregenerate men! Sermons, books, Bibles, providences, means of grace all wasted.
II AN URGENT MORAL DUTY.
1. Moral plowing. "Break up your fallow ground." Drive the ploughshare through it. How can you break up the soil of the heart? Not by mere volition, but by thinking on the subjects suited to excite. Think especially on two things.
a. What God has been to us.
b. What we have been to him.
2. Moral sowing. "Sow in righteousness." Go in for righteousness. Work to put yourself and fellow-men right with themselves, God, and others; implant everywhere righteous ideas and actions.
3. Moral reaping. "leap in mercy." Accept what comes to you in sentiments of love and mercy.
III A SOLEMN MORAL SUGGESTION. "It is time.
1. No time to lose.
2. Much has been lost.
3. It is only now the work can be effectively done.
IV A GLORIOUS MORAL PROSPECT. He will "rain righteousness," or, as some render it, "teach you righteousness." Pursue this work of moral agriculture properly, and God himself will come and teach you righteousness. D.T.
Vers. 12-15. Moral husbandry.
Israel"s duty is here contrasted with their practice.
I THE KIND OF HUSBANDRY ISRAEL OUGHT TO HAVE FOLLOWED. (Ver. 12)
1. Preparation of the soil. Israel is first bid to sow; then going a step further back, the people are commanded, "Break up your fallow ground." If fruits of righteousness are to be produced, it needs, not simply a weeding and recultivation of the old soil the natural, unrenewed heart but the preparation of a soil entirely new. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit". (Joh_3:6) Ezekiel, accordingly, promises that God will take away the hard and stony heart from Israel, and will give them a heart of flesh. (Eze_36:26) The first need of our souls is renewal. Yet we have the duty laid on us of seeking this renewal, and of co-operating (by prayer, use of means of grace, faith, repentance) in bringing it about. "Make you a new heart, and a new spirit". (Eze_18:31)
2. Sowing in the soil. The sowing is to be "in righteousness," i.e. in the practice of truth, kindness, justice, mercy, godliness, and everything else which the Law of God requires. Each must sow for himself. The sowing cannot be done by proxy. Sowing in righteousness is for ourselves" in the sense also that our own highest well-being is involved in it. (Psa_19:11) Righteousness in the long run profits the doer himself more than it profits any other. It is his "life". (Deu_32:47)
3. Waiting on God. "For it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." As in the outer world rain is indispensable to growth, so is the blessing of God, given in rains of his Spirit, essential to growth in grace. In raining the Spirit upon us, God rains righteousness. Cause is put for effect. It is the Spirit"s influences which cause righteousness to spring up. This waiting on God must accompany the whole process. It implies an earnest direction of the heart, supplication, and patient looking for the blessing. It is always "time" for the sinner to seek the Lord. He cannot do it too soon.
4. The gracious reaping. "Reap in mercy." Not according to desert, but according to God"s infinite grace and love. The reaping is
(1) a reaping of righteousness; (Rom_6:19, Rom_6:22)
(2) of other spiritual and temporal blessings; (Mat_6:33 Eph_1:3)
(3) of eternal life. (Rom_6:12)
II THE KIND OF HUSBANDRY ISRAEL DID FOLLOW. (Ver. 13)
1. Instead of sowing in righteousness," Israel ploughed wickedness. They took pains to do evil, bestowed labor upon it, prepared the soil in which it might grow, and seemed to delight in multiplying transgressions. If God"s people were as diligent in cultivating goodness as sinners are in cultivating sin, the Church would soon be in a healthier condition.
2. Instead of reaping in mercy," they reaped iniquity. Sin brought forth sin. They served "iniquity unto iniquity (Rom_6:19) As weeds multiply quicker than good gram, so sin, in the same space of time, yields a far greater harvest (of its own kind) than righteousness.
3. Instead of spiritual and temporal blessings, Israel reaped disappointment and ruin.
(1) They reaped lies (disappointment). Ye have eaten the fruit of lies." Their hopes, built chiefly on the multitude of their fighting men (ver. 15), deceived them. They proved utterly vain. They had sown lies in "speaking words" and swearing falsely in making a covenant" (ver. 4); they now reaped the fruit of this, in seeing their hosts utterly routed, their fortresses captured, and their women and children dashed to pieces (ver. 14) judgment springing up in the furrows they had themselves made (ver. 4).
(2) They reaped ruin. When war arose, the sword of the Assyrian swept all before it. Israel could read in recent atrocities of Shalman the doom which awaited themselves (ver. 14). King and kingdom would be cut off (ver. 15)in a morning," i.e. early. This was the result of their sowing. This was what Bethel, with its evil of evil," had done for them. Oh that the sinner would take warning! J.O.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break…
Hos_10:12
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground.
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Spiritual husbandry
There is not a more melancholy delusion than this, that in religious life the grand object may be secured without the use of the appointed means--that men may possess Christian privileges and realise Christian rewards, independently of those holy and strenuous endeavours so plainly required by our Divine Lord. In spiritual things there cannot be a cancelling of the rule which obtains in temporal things. The most unfading of crowns cannot be worn where there has been no running in the race. The most splendid of victories cannot be achieved where there has been no entrance into the battle. The most peaceful of havens cannot be reached where there has been no contending with the winds and the waves. The most glorious of harvests cannot be gathered in where there has been no labouring in the field.
I. Break up your fallow ground. The image here presented may apply variously. It may be applied to our country; to the circle of our own families; to the state of our own heart. The words may apply to the sincere believers amongst us. For we are found barren of many attainable graces and perfections, We may always find some fallow ground that needs breaking up.
II. Sow your seed.
1. The character of the work. There will be a righteous and constant rule of the law of Christ. We must respect it alone. The motive must be righteous. Whatever be the rule, if the motive be unholy, the act will be unholy.
2. The exclusiveness of the work. To yourselves. The application is individual and personal. Others cannot do it for us, nor we for others. In the singleness of his own responsible existence every man must stand before God.
III. Reap in mercy. The course of our spiritual husbandry bears an analogy with the natural. There is first the breaking up of the fallow ground, then the sowing of the seed, and then the reaping of the full corn in the ear: and as the strength is derived from God in the former two cases, the blessing in the third comes directly from Him as the Lord of the harvest. (T. J. Judkin, M. A.)
Spiritual husbandry
The Church is Gods husbandry. We are called upon--
I. To break up our fallow ground. The heart of man is represented--
1. As ground. Therefore expected to produce fruit that will benefit its owner.
2. As fallow ground. It is destitute of the fruit that it might produce. It is not only useless to its owner, it is prejudicial to neighbouring land that has good seed sown in it, in preventing the plants of righteousness from growing to perfection.
3. As our fallow ground. Because we all have ground committed to our cultivating care. And if it be not fallow now, there was a time when the term might have been applied to it with correctness and propriety.
Breaking up our fallow ground implies a work--
1. Of labour; for which the Master of the land imparts strength.
2. Of sacrifice; for which the Proprietor communicates fortitude.
3. Of constancy and perseverance; for which the Lord of the soil supplies patience.
4. Of renovation; for which the Owner of the ground affords means. The soil in its present state is unfit to produce any useful plants; but when the weeds which now grow therein are destroyed, the ground shall be renewed, that it may bring forth the fruits of piety.
II. Sow to yourselves in righteousness. We have here a representation of right principles, under the figure of seed; the propriety of which may be discerned, if we notice--
1. Right principles are not indigenous to the human heart. They must be sown there.
2. The value of right principles.
(1) Their author and giver--God.
(2) Their price--the blood of the covenant.
(3) Their result--plants of righteousness.
3. The care and attention they demand. How great is the solicitude of the husbandman in reference to his seed.
4. The vegetative power and productive quality. Right conduct is the offspring of these principles. Sow to yourselves means--
(1) Allow these principles to sink deep into the heart; let all obstructions be removed out of the way.
(2) Let every plant that grows in our heart be the result of this precious seed.
(3) Though our anxiety should be principally on our own account, yet our conduct should be a union of piety and benevolence.
III. Reap in mercy. If we plough and sow as directed, the result shall surely be a harvest of mercy. We shall reap--
1. In pardoning mercy, that cancels our sins.
2. In restraining mercy, that prevents us from running into error.
3. In preserving mercy, that preserves the faithful.
4. In rewarding mercy. The mercy of God is, like Himself, infinite.
The time of reward is represented as harvest, because--
1. The time of ploughing and sowing is for ever over.
2. Because at that period all the produce of the soil will be presented to the Lord of the harvest.
3. Because reaping time is a season of joy and festivity. Eternity shall declare the advantages of sowing in righteousness. Observe--
(1) This is the time to break up your fallow ground.
(2) How great is the mercy of our God, that He will assist our endeavours to sow in righteousness.
(3) How audacious is the conduct of those that despise the offers of mercy thus held out in the Gospel. (Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.)
Sowing and reaping
See what the Word of God teaches with reference to the necessity of a life of righteousness on our part, and as to the grounds on which a reward will be given to the righteous hereafter. The illustration here chosen from the works of nature is common to many other parts of Scripture. And the resemblance is so obvious between the progress of a seed from its first being committed to the soil, till the final harvest, with that of the gradual development of the principle of good in the soul of man, that I need not dwell upon it particularly. We are told to sow in righteousness; and what this injunction involves we may gather from a consideration of the state of those persons to whom it was originally addressed. There was required of apostate Israel, a thorough, unshrinking reformation, an unqualified turning from sin to God. And nothing short of this is required of us. Few of us have not continued, for a longer or a shorter space, in deliberate and wilful transgression: all have to bewail an interminable catalogue of negligences and ignorances: and all have the evidence within themselves of an inherited nature so corrupt, that from the sole of the foot unto the head there is no soundness in it. This fallow ground must be broken up. Our hearts must be brought into a state of religious cultivation. Vicious inclinations, sensual appetites, inordinate affections must be rooted up. The soil must beploughed;--that which lay below must be brought up to the surface and exposed to the light of day. Self-knowledge and self-discipline must do their work, and the whole field be made fit for the reception and growth of the seed of righteousness. If we do, the text leads us to hope that we shall reap in mercy; that is, we shall receive from the merciful hand of God our Father an abundant reward of unfading happiness and glory, eternal in the heavens.
1. We have no grounds on which to expect a harvest of mercy without a previous sowing time of righteousness. Without a holy life here, no man need expect or hope for a happy life hereafter.
2. The reward of our service is not to be looked for as of right, but as the gift of the free grace and mercy of God. Granting our seed-time of righteousness ever so perfect or so plenteous, how is God the better for it, that He should be constrained to pay us wages for it? Here then is the sum of the whole matter. We shall not be saved for our works, but we shall never be saved without them. Knowing this, let us pray and labour and strive that no day may pass over our heads without our having made some progress in the work of sowing unto righteousness. (F. E. Paget, M. A.)
Sowing righteousness
..
Let them sow to themselves in righteousness; let them return to the practice of good works, according to the rule of God, which is the rule of righteousness; let them abound in works of piety towards God, and in justice and charity towards one another. Every action is seed sown. Let them sow what they should sow, do what they should do, and they themselves shall have the benefit of it. (Matthew Henry.)
What repentance of national sins doth God require, as ever we expect national mercies
The prophet joineth counsel with threatenings. Amendment is that he calleth them to as a means to save them. By this text God proclaims, not only to particular persons, but to nations, how desirable it is to Him to execute His goodness; and His extreme backwardness to avenge Himself on the most provoking kingdoms, unless they add impenitency under solemn warnings unto their rebellion.
I. The words contain some of the essentials of repentance, and suppose the rest.
1. He that will repent must deal with his indisposed heart. Break up the fallow ground.
2. When the heart is thus prepared, we must proceed to proper acts of reformation. Sow to yourselves in (or to) righteousness. Let the rule of righteousness be observed in your hearts and ways.
3. You must also seek the Lord. Follow after Him: persist in your seeking.
II. This repentance is urged from a variety of arguments. Principally from this, that national mercies would certainly follow national repentance. What repentance of national sins doth God require?
1. Resolve the case in general. Repentance ordinarily affords ground of our expectation of national mercies, notwithstanding national sins. But when this repentance is not in a nation, we cannot ordinarily expect national mercies. These things are supposed in the case as stated. What are national sins? Such gross sins as render a nation guilty, and expose it to national judgments, and forfeit national mercies. These sins are gross in their nature. Not sins of infirmity, or sins which ordinary care, labour, and watchfulness could not prevent. They are such as idolatry, perjury, breaking of covenant, blood, uncleanness, apostasy, oppression, profaneness. These sins must be national. And sins become national by all, or the generality of a people, being personally transgressors, as to those crimes; or when the governors, representatives, and influencing persons are transgressors; or by the generality of a nation making itself a partaker of other mens sins, though it do not actually commit them. These sins are such as expose to judgments and forfeit national mercies. More refined sins may expose one nation to judgments which may not expose another land. This depends on the variety of advantages some people are under above others. The provoking sins of one and the same nation may be made up by various kinds of offences, according to the different condition of offenders. The sins of magistrates are of one kind, and the sins of subjects another, according to their different talents and station. Usually the sins of a nation do not bring judgments or forfeit mercies by the simple commission of them, but as attended with some additional aggravations A land rarely is destroyed, unless sins are committed after warnings. Security and impenitence is added to rebellion before God proceeds against a people. What then are national mercies in the ease before us? Such blessings as truly and considerably affect the good of a community. They must be blessings in their nature, and national in their extent. These mercies regard our souls, or our bodies, or both. The pardon of past sins, and help against the like offences; the presence of God as effective of spiritual and temporal good; Gospel ordinances; love and peace among Churches; freedom from persecution and malignity; a godly magistracy; peace in our borders; justice in our courts; learning in the schools, etc. etc.
III. The case stated and distinguished from what seems like it. The question connects our repentance and warrantable expectations. The scope of it is,--what is the lowest sort or degree of repentance for national sins which is requisite to warrant, and ordinarily direct, our expectations of national mercies?
IV. The difficulties of the case.
1. Other nations are not under such express rules with respect to Gods outward dealings as the Jewish nation was. There have been always great displays of sovereignty in Gods dispensation of judgments and mercy toward nations. There are prophetic periods wherein national mercies shall not be obstructed by impenitence but repentance shall follow them. The desolation of a land is sometimes absolutely determined. God sometimes moderateth and refrains His judgments from other considerations besides repentance. It is not very easy, at all times, to judge of national judgments.
V. The case resolved. The rule by which we must determine this is hinted in the case itself, under those words, What repentance doth God require? Some expression of the Divine will must guide us; we must not judge by second causes, or by vain fancy, as we are apt to do.
1. A repentance short of that which is enjoined in order to eternal salvation will suffice to warrant our expectations of national mercies. Eternal issues are not determined by the same rules as temporal blessings. Uuregenerate persons may repent, so as to divert present judgments, and secure mercies. This is evident in Ahab and Nineveh.
2. The repentance which yields us ground to expect national mercies, must be for national sins. It includes clear convictions of the guilt and offences of a nation. Shame, fear, and deep humblings of soul under the sense of the wrath of God, as provoked by our sins. Such a compliance with Gods warnings and rebukes, as to put men on seeking Gods favour, and resolving to forsake the national pollutions. And there must be reformation. In proving the decision of the case, the described repentance doth ordinarily afford a people national mercies, notwithstanding national sins. And where this repentance obtains not, a people cannot justly expect national mercies. When a people is given up to impenitency, and God withholds a blessing from the methods that tend to their repentance, there is just cause to fear that judgments are determined against that land. Impenitence is not only a moral obstacle to good, but it is also a natural obstacle. The iniquity of a nation is even materially its ruin. (Daniel Williams, D. D.)
The fallow ground
Very often the prophet had to reprove and call the people to repent. Hosea is doing this in the passage before us.
I. The particular sort of characters here indicated. They are figuratively indicated by the term, fallow ground, or land lying fallow, producing nothing. The figure must not be taken quite literally, because there are some points in which it will not apply. The point in the figure is this. There is a human heart, producing nothing; there is a man, whose character has no religious fruitfulness, no religious excellence in relation to God. It is not verdant soil. It is not like the soil of the primitive forest, which never has produced any thing, for it has had its crops. That is the character here represented,--a nation, a Church, or an individual, that was fruitful, that was religious, but it has been neglected, and it is now lying barren, fallow, producing nothing. But the farm land is left fallow intentionally, and for a good purpose. In the fallow ground which is a man, and not a farm, there, is not one thing done with thought, delibera tion, purpose, or plan. Mans heart is left fallow by temptation, negligence, ignorance, sin, backsliding, and instead of being the better for it, its condition is an injury and a curse.
II. THE EXHORTATION. It is time to seek the Lord. The Hebrews ought never to have needed a time for seeking the Lord. Heathen might feel after God, but Hebrews knew Him. The Hebrew child had to seek God for himself, but that is quite a different thing. Though, therefore, this exhortation ought not to have been needed, by the mercy of God it is given. It may be enforced in the sense in which the apostle uses an expression of the same sort, It is high time to awake out of sleep. It may be used in the sense of a time being propitious. An accepted time. Observe what man is told to do. Four things are figuratively expressed in the text.
1. Repentance.
2. Reformation.
3. Prayer.
4. Perseverance.
III. The result. Till God rain down righteousness upon you. God rains down, not righteousness absolutely, but that which will produce it.
IV. The whole is in mercy. Reap in mercy. (T. Binney.)
What sowing involves
If we sow for righteousness, that is, if our efforts are directed to embodying it in our lives, we shall reap according to mercy. That is true universally, whether it is taken to mean Gods mercy to us, or ours to others. The aim after righteousness ever secures the Divine favour, and usually ensures the measure which we mete being measured to us again. But sowing is not all; thorns must be grubbed up. We must not only turn over a new leaf, but tear out the old one. The old man must be slain if the new man is to live. The call to amend finds its warrant in the assurance that there is still time to seek the Lord, and that for all His threatenings, He is ready to rain blessings upon the seekers. The unwearying patience of God, the possibility of the worst sinners repentance, the conditional nature of the threatenings, the yet deeper thought that righteousness must come from above, are all condensed in this brief Gospel before the Gospel. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The Divine voice to a worthless people
Sowing and reaping are figures here used to denote the spiritual and moral conduct of this people. All human life consists of sowing and reaping. Every intelligent act embodies a moral principle, contains a seed that must germinate and grow.
I. A wretched moral state. Fallow ground, uncultivated earth. A state of--
1. Unloveliness. It is either an expanse of grey earth, or of weeds, thistles, and thorns.
2. Unfruitfulness. Unless the soil is cultivated there is no fruit, and the land is worthless.
3. Wastefulness. On fallow ground the rain, dew, and sunshine fall, but all in vain. How much Divine grace is wasted on unregenerate men: sermons, books, Bibles, providences, means of grace, all wasted.
II. An urgent moral duty.
1. Moral ploughing. Think on two things. What God has been to us. What we have been to Him.
2. Moral sowing.
3. Moral reaping.
III. A solemn moral suggestion.
1. No time to lose.
2. Much has been lost.
3. It is only now the work can be effectively done.
IV. A glorious moral prospect. He will rain righteousness, or teach you righteousness. Pursue this work of moral agriculture properly, and God Himself will come and teach you righteousness. (Homilist.)
The fallow ground state
The characters represented by the term, fallow ground, are to be found in every town and in every congregation.
I. Who are the characters indicated? Those whose affections, habits, and thoughts were once bearing a rich harvest for God, but in whom this is all changed, and the heart is become barren. But not the backslider only; the description applies to all who are careless or hardened in their sins; all whose characters have no religious fruitfulness.
II. How may we break up the fallow ground? We must first satisfy ourselves that the ground is fallow; and in doing this prayerful meditation will greatly assist us. We may also have the guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit.
III. Why we should break up the fallow ground? The constraining motive is this, it is time to seek the Lord. Time because you have already spent too much of your short life in the service of sin and Satan. Because you will never have a more suitable season than the present. You have sought to persuade yourself that, by and by, you would be more at leisure for seeking the Lord. You must not think a time of affliction will prove a more suitable time. The more happy we are, in the fulness of our strength, before the eye is dim, and before the intellect begins to fail--that is the time to think deeply upon the claims of God. (R. K. Bailie, M. A.)
The reward of well-doing
How shall we attain eternal life? The text declares that obedience shall not fail of its reward. And that the reward is of grace, and not of debt. We should understand that there is a vast difference between reward and merit. Merit is the right to receive a reward. Reward is a free testimony of approval. The text animates every one of us with the hope of reward; it abases each one of us by a denial of merit.
I. If we sow, we shall reap. A man might as reasonably expect a crop in the autumn, though he had wasted the season of seed-time, as suppose that a life of indolence and sensuality would lead him to Paradise.
II. Consider the caution, reap in mercy. The caution is against admitting any notion of merit. They claim most who have no ground of claim at all. If the notion of merit would be impiety in an angel, what must it be in man? And men have to regard not only the power of God, but also His holiness, which can carry no terror to sinless spirits. You shall reap according to mercy. Be assured, then, that you cannot sow too freely for that harvest. (M. Biggs, M. A.)
Sowing and reaping
Activity is not only a sign of life, it is a necessary condition of its continuance. The illustrations of this common law of life are as abundant as life itself. That which is true of trees, of muscle, and of brain is equally true of spiritual powers. For them no condition is a surer augury of death than unuse. As a Divine call to religious activity, Hoseas words contain some points of perpetual importance. The call is--
1. Distinctly personal. Sow for yourselves. Whether a man will or not, he is constantly a sower of seed. The bad man, the defective Christian, the dilatory, the prayerless, are all sowers. This Divine call does not deal so much with unconscious influences, as with purposed and determined work.
2. The call is specific and definite. You are not to sow anything that may come first to hand. You are to sow the right word, the right spirit, the right action. Every seed we scatter with our hands deliberately, every seed that is unconsciously permitted to wing its way from our whole demeanour, is to bear within it the germ of the true life.
3. The call is opportune. It is always timely to be doing good. There are, however, certain seasons when religious activity is the present duty.
4. The call is urgent. All the verbs axe in one mood; and this is not the conditional or subjunctive, but the imperative. God never gives men any call without making it possible for them to obey it.
Our encouragement, to obedience is found in the--
1. Answer of a good conscience.
2. In certain success.
3. In full proofs of Divine mercy.
4. The success will be far spreading. The Christian worker is blessed in his deed. And--
5. The success will be abundant.
Let the labour for God tax our utmost ability, our patience, our faith; still, be it ours to work on, confident of the result. The blessing is certain to come, even for ourselves, certain to have proofs of mercy in it, certain to reach further than we anticipated, certain also to be plenteous. Enlarge your faith, therefore, in the power and blessing of God. Your work of faith and labour of love shall not be forgotten; but shall be copiously and even abundantly blessed. (J. Jackson Goadby.)
True seeking
The prophet, bids them seek diligently (so the Hebrew) and perseveringly, not leaving off or desisting, if they should not at once find, but continuing the search, quite up to the time when they should find. His words imply the need of perseverance and patience, which should stop short of nothing but Gods own time for finding. The prophet, as is the way of the prophets, goes on to Christ, who was ever in the prophets hearts and hopes. The words could only be understood improperly of God the Father. God does not come, for He is everywhere. He ever was among His people, nor did He will to be among them otherwise than heretofore. No coming of God, as God, was looked for to teach righteousness. But the coming of Christ, the partiarchs and holy men all along desired to see. (E. B. Pusey, D. D.)
Spiritual husbandry
God has been pleased to give us instruction not only by His Word, but also by His works. Nature echoes Scripture to our sins, and if we would permit it, to our hearts. The ground we till is under the curse of God for mans sin; that its natural produce is only thistles, weeds, brambles. You have seen a piece of ground that has been left waste and uncultivated, and how it has become full of weeds, and rank with poisonous herbs, and infested with noisome creatures. Just such a place is mans heart. You have but to look at what man becomes when left to himself, without knowledge, without instruction, without the restraining and renewing grace of God, and you cannot doubt but that the inclination of his heart is not to good, that its imaginations are only evil continually. And out of that heart comes all manner of wickedness that is practised amongst mankind. Suppose any one of you had a garden overrun with weeds, how would he set about getting rid of them, so as to do it effectually? Would he take a scythe and cut off the tops, or a spade and dig them all up by the root? So if we were to tell men that they must put away this or that particular sin, we would do no more towards making them really holy, than a man would do towards clearing his garden if he should only break off the heads of the weeds growing in it. For both would be leaving the roots alive. Some may doubt whether their hearts are so bad as they have been represented to be. Then hear the Word of God (Jer_17:9, etc.). The words of the text Bid us break up the fallow ground of our hearts, that it may be prepared to receive the good seed of eternal life.
I. The thing to be done. The plough breaking up the soil, the harrow tearing to pieces the hard and cumbering clods, are a sign of what must be done in our own hearts. The foul, unprofitable soil of the carnal and natural heart must be broken up from the bottom. It will not do just to disturb the surface. Have you ever even suspected that your heart wants cleansing? Is not the deadly root of sin shooting up there in a thousand shapes? Is there not unbelief, like the poisonous nightshade? Is there not pride, as a towering plant that brooks none to overlook it? Does not selfishness twine its roots and strike them deep, ay, down to the very ground of the heart? Is there no foul and rotten heap of unclean desires? Are not the cares and pleasures of this world like thorns and briars within you, choking up the thought and the love of better things? But how can your hearts be broken up? Not of yourselves. It is the Spirit of God carrying home the word which, like a two-edged sword, pierceth even to the dividing asunder of the bones and marrow,--it is He alone that can break up the hard and stony soil of the sinners heart. It is a joy to the angels to see the fallow ground of the sinners heart broken up with godly sorrow, humbled into repentance before God. When the ploughshare of conviction has gone deep, when the heart is no longer hardened, the seed of everlasting life will have a chance of springing up. But it is the Spirit alone who can renew us unto repentance and holiness.
II. A reason why it must be done. A stirring motive is given us all in breaking up our fallow ground. It is time to seek the Lord. The farmer who should stand idling with folded arms when he ought to be sowing, and should let the seed-time slip away, could expect in harvest only weeds and thistles. Leave not, then, to the evening the proper work of the day. Opportunities lost cannot be recalled.
III. The blessing promised. We shall not seek in vain. He will come and rain righteousness upon us. The Lord will satiate the weary soul, and replenish every sorrowful soul. Upon them that seek Him will the Lord rain righteousness, even all the sanctifying graces of His Holy Spirit. Then wait upon the Lord in prayer, wait upon Him till He come, and pour out of His Spirit upon you. (E. Blencowe, M. A.)
The proportion of mercy
Rather Sow righteousness in the proportion of mercy. As God has been merciful to you, so be ye righteous to Him: keep pace for pace with the Divine mercy; be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect; be ye holy as your Father in heaven is holy. This is the ideal; God would have human righteousness in proportion to Divine mercy. The standard is not arbitrary; it is gracious and tender and condescending, but who can attain unto it? It is not in man that liveth to keep pace with God. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
It is time to seek the Lord.--
Seeking and seekers
I. Whom are we to seek? The Lord. Our Creator, Father, Redeemer, Lord, Judge.
II. How are we to seek Him?
1. Earnestly. Agonise to enter in.
2. Humbly, in view of our helplessness and sin; hence penitently.
3. Prayerfully.
4. Obediently. Israel had become profane, idolatrous covenant breakers.
III. Why are we to seek him?
1. For Gods sake.
2. For our neighbours sake.
3. For our own sake.
(1) Viewing the facts connected with our being as immortal sinners, we cannot be happy without salvation.
(2) Seeking the Lord is preparation for the future.
IV. When are we to seek him? Now--
1. The Scriptures often urge haste.
2. Delay itself is sin.
3. The great good derived from such a course.
4. The way to the throne is open.
5. The time is short. (W. Veenschoten.)
The duty of seeking God
I. The duty enjoined. We should seek the Lord--
1. In the performance of His will.
2. In a dependence on His mercy.
3. In a due preparation of heart to receive His blessings.
II. The arguments by which it is enforced.
1. The urgency of the duty.
2. The certainty of success in it. (T. Hannam.)
Seeking the Lord an immediate duty
I. Whom are we to seek? The Lord. This implies--
1. That man is removed from God by sin.
2. That man may get near to God by seeking.
3. That it is his duty to do so.
II. How are we to seek the Lord?
1. By repentance.
(1) The heart broken for sin.
(2) The heart broken from sin.
(3) Reformation of life.
2. By faith.
(1) In God.
(2) In Christ.
III. When are we to seek the Lord? Now.
1. To some of you these words contain a reproof.
2. For many of you these words contain a warning.
(1) You will never have a better time. Facilities for seeking the Lord decrease with delay.
(2) You may not have another opportunity. Many have waited for the convenient season which never came. (E. D. Solomon.)
Seeking the Lard an immediate duty
I. The being whose favour men are to seek. The Lord; this is expressive of His greatness and power as the Proprietor of all things. He is Lord over all. The earth is the Lords, etc. Think of His relation to us. Creator--Preserver--Benefactor--the God of grace. Think how able and willing He is to promote our happiness.
II. The nature of seeking the Lord. It implies--
1. A knowledge of His character and a conviction of the importance and advantages of having Him for our portion.
2. A conviction that sin has deprived us of Him as our portion. Your iniquities, etc. All we like sheep, etc.
3. A knowledge of the way in which God may be sought. Through the Sacrifice of His Son, the Mediator, the Surety, mercy, pardon, and acceptance may be obtained.
4. Heartfelt repentance. Contrition; godly sorrow; confession of evil to God; cessation from sin, as an evidence of regeneration commencing. Let the wicked, etc.
5. Faith in Christ. Repent and believe the Gospel. Believe in, etc. What is faith? It is the reliance of the sick and diseased one upon the skill and healing power of the Great Physician; it is the reliance of the debtor, of the prisoner, captive, etc. etc., upon Christ, whose work on the Cross is adapted to meet all those exigencies of the sinner.
6. With diligence and perseverance. With the heart man believeth, etc. Ye shall find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart; Cry out for the living God.
III. The advantages of seeking the Lord.
1. We avoid infinite evil; as the result of transgression. The wages of sin is death.
2. We become possessed of infinite good. The benefit of all His attributes--of all His providence--of all the riches of His grace--of all the glories of HIS heaven--of His eternity.
3. We become auxiliaries to Christ in the glorious work of salvation--extending the boundaries of the mediatorial kingdom. This honour have all the saints!
4. By seeking the Lord, and finding Him, we do that which thousands in a dying hour, and at the judgment day, will regret that they have not done. The harvest is past, etc.
5. Those who seek the Lord now will never lose Him in eternity.
IV. The immediate attention which this duty demands.
1. It is time, according to the statements of Scripture. To-day, etc. Behold now, etc. Seek ye the Lord while, etc.
2. It is time, on account of the great evil already perpetrated. One sinner destroyeth much good.
3. The great good to be realised proves that it is time to seek the Lord. When the miser, the ambitious, etc., perceive an opportunity of gaining gold, honour, etc., how do they rush forward to seize the coveted good!
4. The frailty of human existence declares it is time.
5. It is time, because the facilities in seeking the Lord will gradually lessen. (Helps for the Pulpit.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Hos_10:12.] A call to repentance. Sowing and reaping =…
Hos_10:12.] A call to repentance. Sowing and reaping = moral conduct In] Lit. for right, which must be the fruit. Reap] in the proportion of mercy, not justice; mercy from God and from man; mercy in both this and the world to come. Fallow] Plough virgin soil, cultivate fresh land (Jer_4:3). New soil required, begin anew. Seek] With anxiety and diligence persevere till you find God. Rain] in copious blessings (Psa_72:6; Isa_45:8). Righteousness] which he will teach you, and generate by the Holy Spirit (Psa_51:12).
Hos_10:13.] Another reason for reformation. Ploughed] Been at pains to sow wickedness and reaped the fruit of it. Iniquity] itself is the soil which they cultivated, the seed and the fruit; its own natural reward. Lies] A just reward for their idolatry, the fruit was bitter and unprofitable. Thy way] Perverse way (Isa_57:10; Jer_2:23); they trusted to Egypt and their calves, not to Jehovah.
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HOMILETICS
THE CALL TO REFORMATION OF LIFE.—Hos_10:12-13
God calls the people to repentance in figurative language. Sowing and reaping denote spiritual and moral conduct, closely related as labour and reward. Israel are to give up their former habits, begin afresh, and enjoy the blessings promised.
I. A present duty. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness.” All life is a moral sowing and reaping. The works of time are the seeds for eternity. But this sowing must be no surface work.
1. Fallow ground must be broken up. “Break up the fallow ground.” Virgin soil must be ploughed, and life must be entirely new. The sinner must forsake old habits and practices, turn up the weeds and roots of evil within, and be renewed in the spirit of his mind. The heart must be cleansed from lusts and corruption. Old things must pass away, and all things become new. The Christian must break up all formality, and cultivate new ground. He must grow in grace and holiness, forget the things behind, and look forward to those before. The Church must stir up decaying piety and dying members; grow in numbers and in beauty, and by prayer and effort become a fruitful field.
2. Proper seed must be sown. (a) Sow in righteousness. Return to the practice of righteousness and obedience to the law, which is the rule of righteousness. Abound in works of piety as the fruit, the proof of your penitence. Sow to the spirit (Gal_6:7-8), and not to the flesh. (b) Sow with intelligence. Understand the nature of the work you have to do. Grow in personal acquaintance with God and his word. Abound in wisdom and in knowledge. (c) Sow with diligence. Put forth constant and earnest, not mere occasional, effort. We must plough, sow, and continue to labour, to reap the benefit. “In the morning sow thy seed; and in the evening withhold not thine hand” (Ecc_11:6). The exercise of charity and penitence must be ever active; not fitful impulse, but daily habits; not confined to outward formalities, but thorough inward feeling. If righteousness be our aim, God will make it our portion. He will not reward with ciphers instead of gold, like the world. “The wicked worketh a deceitful work (which disappoints); but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward” (Pro_11:18).
3. ‘God must be sought. “Seek the Lord.” Husbandmen depend upon God, who gives seed-time and harvest. He should therefore be sought and served. He alone gives strength to secure righteousness, and creates it within the soul by the Holy Spirit (Psa_51:12). (a) Seek diligently. Do not leave off, nor desist, but persevere until you find him. (b) Seek earnestly. There are difficulties in the way, reluctance and opposition to overcome. Do not rest satisfied without a personal acquaintance, nor stop short of attaining the object. Though not found immediately, “seek the Lord, till he come.”
II. An urgent reason. “For it is time to seek the Lord.” It is always time to seek the Lord. But the unconverted especially are urged to do so.
1. The Scriptures urge them. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, to-day, if ye will hear his voice.”
2. Common observation urges them. Much of their time has been spent in sin and wretchedness. Life is uncertain, and opportunities are few. He that loses time loses wealth, life, and all. “I have lost a day,” cried the ancient Emperor. Time lost can never be regained. “Millions of money for an inch of time,” cried Elizabeth, but her days were spent and could not be recalled. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
3. Past experience urges them. “Ye have plowed wickedness,” &c. The past had been spent in labour and intense thirst for happiness, but they had reaped nothing but sorrow and disappointment. (a) Their efforts were fruitless. They ploughed and sowed, and reaped what they sowed. The harvests of their ill-doings were iniquity and the results of iniquity. The sinner gains nothing with all his toil. He spends his money for that which is not bread, and his labour for that which satisfieth not (Isa_55:2). “They that plough iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same.” (b) Their confidence ensnared them. They trusted in their own devices and in the number of their mighty men; but their valiant men were slain, the kingdom came to nought, and their civil and sacred projects were lying vanities. Men’s carnal confidences draw them into sinful courses; whatever fruit they promise, or whatever present comforts they bring, they will end in bitter experience. They are lies, and will deceive. “Ye have eaten the fruit of lies.”
III. A blessed result. “Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”
1. If they seek the Lord he will be found. Those who humbly and earnestly seek God shall not seek in vain. He will “come” to them, annihilating the distance, hastening the meeting, and removing every impediment. “Seek, and ye shall find.”
2. If they sow in righteous works they shall “reap in mercy.” Be merciful to men, and they will be merciful to you. Abound in acts of love and piety towards God, and he will return good measure, pressed down and running over. As children of misery, we all need mercy. If we give it, we shall get it both from God and man. Mercy is its own reward. The merciful shall obtain mercy (Mat_5:7).
3. If they turn from sin, Divine blessings shall be given in rich abundance. “And rain righteousness upon you.” God will work righteousness within us, help us to lead a righteous and holy life, and be faithful in keeping his righteous promise. Blessings, like showers, shall be given, rich in abundance, and refreshing in their consequence. God will come in Christ as the Lord our righteousness, and grant us abundant mercy. “I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessings” (Eze_34:26).
HOMILETIC HINTS AND OUTLINES
Moral husbandry.
1. Ploughing in penitence or “iniquity.”
2. Sowing “in righteousness” or sin.
3. Reaping “in mercy” or wickedness.
The activity of the wicked. They plough, sow, and harrow mischief to themselves and others. If they would work as hard for heaven as they do for hell they could not lightly miss it.
Seeking the Lord an immediate duty. I. Whom we are to seek. The Lord. This implies—
1. That man is removed from God by sin.
2. That man may get near to God by seeking.
3. That it is his duty to do so. II. How we are to seek the Lord.
1. By repentance.
(1) The heart broken for sin.
(2) The heart broken from sin. Genuine repentance accompanied by reformation of life (Luk_19:8).
2. By faith.
(1) In God (Heb_11:6).
(2) In Christ (Act_20:21). III. When we are to seek the Lord. Now! “It is time.”
1. To some of you these words contain a reproof.
2. For many of you these words contain a warning.
(1) You will never have a better time. Facilities for seeking the Lord decrease with delay.
(2) You may not have another opportunity. Many have waited for the “convenient season,” and been visited with “sudden destruction.”
(3) To all these words contain a welcome. “It is time,” i.e. not too late. You may have long put off, yet just in time—it may be only just [The Study].
The fruit of lies. Sin a lie in its promises, appearance, and results. It looks fair, excites desire, but is rotten, deadly poison within. It lies,
(1) as a fact, and
(2) as a doctrine. “Ye shall not surely die.” “Ye shall be as God,” said the “father of lies” at first. Men have eaten the fruit of lies ever since, which has “brought death and all our woe into the world.”
1. Israel’s history the fruit of lies. They believed not God, rejected good and tasted bitter evil.
2. The world’s history the fruit of lies. The race has eaten the results of sin and deception.
3. The sinner’s history the fruit of lies. What is pleasure, gaiety, and the world but lies? Men are daily fed by lies. “Every sin is a lie,” says Augustine. Its fruit will neither profit nor satisfy. It is not only empty but mischievous (Isa_44:20; Isa_59:4-5).
Rain righteousness. The liberality of Divine gifts. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, lit. a rain of liberalities (Psa_68:9). Goodness free and full provided for his people.
1. God the source until “he come.”
2. Blessings plenteous “rain.”
3. The Church revived. Or, I. God’s mercy compared to a shower.
1. Direct from above, not through human mediums.
2. Given in freeness.
3. No substitute for it. II. This mercy is promised
(1) To those who repent and return to him.
(2) To those who pray and long for it. III. This shower of mercy is wanted now, to convert the sinner and confirm the Church. Seek it in time and we shall not fail.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 10
Hos_10:12-13. Time. A dying nobleman in a letter to a profligate companion confessed, “I never awaked till now. I have pursued shadows, and entertained myself with dreams. I have been treasuring up dust and sporting myself with the wind. I look back upon my past life, and, but for memorials of infamy and guilt, it is all a blank, a perfect vacancy. Oh, my friend, with what horror I recall those hours of vanity we have wasted together. Let me dwell with hermits, let me rest on the cold earth, may I but once more stand a candidate for an immortal crown, and have my probation for celestial happiness.”
Then time turns torment, when man turns a fool. [Young.]
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh is speaking.
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Sow righteousness for yourselves, and reap the fruit of covenant faithfulness
Righteousness and covenant faithfulness are spoken of as if they were crops that could be sown and harvested. The abstract nouns "righteousness" and "faithfulness" can be stated as "right" and "faithful." AT: "Plow, now, and do what is right, and you will reap the fruit of faithful love" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)
Break up your unplowed ground
When the ground is "unplowed" it is not ready to be planted. Yahweh means he wants the people to repent so they can start doing what is right. (See: Metaphor)
You have plowed wickedness; you reaped injustice
Wickedness and injustice are spoken of as if they were crops that could be sown and harvested. (See: Metaphor)
You have eaten the fruit of deception
The result of deception are spoken of as if they were a food that could be eaten. AT: "You now suffer the consequences of having deceived each other" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
plant
righteous
reap
covenant faithfulness
Yahweh
evil
reap
just
fruit
deceive
trust
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 10:12 Using metaphors from agriculture, God set forth his…
10:12 Using metaphors from agriculture, God set forth his requirements for his people and a promise of blessing if they did what he commanded (see 6:6; 8:7). Even as Hosea announced God’s judgment, he offered Israel the chance to repent and receive God’s blessing.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.