5 So I have had it cut in stones; I gave them teaching by the words of my mouth;
Is not my word like fire? says the Lord; and like a hammer, smashing the rock to bits?
See, this day I have put you over the nations and over the kingdoms, for uprooting and smashing down, for destruction and overturning, for building up and planting.
For this reason the Lord, the God of armies, has said: Because you have said this, I will make my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and they will be burned up by it.
For see, this day have I made you a walled town, and an iron pillar, and walls of brass, against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its captains, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
And the four angels were made free, who were ready for the hour and day and month and year, that they might put to death a third part of men.
See, then, that you have a change of heart; or I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
But by your hard and unchanged heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of the revelation of God's judging in righteousness;
And Moses, seeing it, was full of wonder, and when he came up to have a nearer view of it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying,
And the vision which I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came for the destruction of the town: and like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I went down on my face.
Like a diamond harder than rock I have made your brow: have no fear of them and do not be overcome by their looks, for they are an uncontrolled people.
Let such a thing be far from you, to put the upright to death with the sinner: will not the judge of all the earth do right?
Make a loud cry, do not be quiet, let your voice be sounding like a horn, and make clear to my people their evil doings, and to the family of Jacob their sins.
My flesh is moved for fear of you; I give honour to your decisions.
And he will make your righteousness be seen like the light, and your cause like the shining of the sun.
And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, The Lord, the God of your father David, says, Because you have not kept to the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of Asa, king of Judah,
And he said to him, This is the word of the Lord: Because you sent men to put a question to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, for this reason you will never again get down from the bed on to which you have gone up, but death will certainly come to you.
And when he saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel?
And Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, By the living Lord, the God of Israel, whose servant I am, there will be no dew or rain in these years, but only at my word.
And Samuel said, Has the Lord as much delight in offerings and burned offerings as in the doing of his orders? Truly, to do his pleasure is better than to make offerings, and to give ear to him than the fat of sheep.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Hosea 6
Commentary on Hosea 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
The closing words of the foregoing chapter gave us some hopes that God and his Israel, notwithstanding their sins and his wrath, might yet be happily brought together again, that they would seek him and he would be found of them; now this chapter carries that matter further, and some join the beginning of this chapter with the end of that, "They will seek me early,' saying, "Come and let us return.' But God doth again complain of the wickedness of this people; for, though some did repent and reform, the greater part continued obstinate. Observe,
Hsa 6:1-3
These may be taken either as the words of the prophet to the people, calling them to repentance, or as the words of the people to one another, exciting and encouraging one another to seek the Lord, and to humble themselves before him, in hopes of finding mercy with him. God had said, In their affliction they will seek me; now the prophet, and the good people his friends, would strike while the iron was hot, and set in with the convictions their neighbours seemed to be under. Note, Those who are disposed to turn to God themselves should do all they can to excite, and engage, and encourage others to return to him. Observe,
Hsa 6:4-11
Two things, two evil things, both Judah and Ephraim are here charged with, and justly accused of:-