Hosea 14:5-7 I will be as the dew to Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.… I. THE PROMISE OF GRACE MADE TO ISRAEL, NOTWITHSTANDING ISRAEL'S SIN. "I will be as the dew unto Israel." The Christian is here compared to a plant which cannot be watered by any water that is to be found on earth, a plant which needs heavenly watering, even the dew from above. The Eastern figure of the dew has in it several beauties. 1. Grace, like the dew, often comes down imperceptibly into man's heart. Who ever heard the foot steps of the dew coming down upon the meadow-grass?" And Christianity is very often imperceptible in its operations. Do not despise spiritual things, because thou hearest not a sound thereof. 2. The dew is always sufficient. If God waters the earth with dew, foolish would be the man who should go after wards to water after his Maker. God's grace, when it comes upon a man's heart, is all sufficient. 3. The dew, when it is required, is constant. As thou wantest the dew of grace, so shalt thou find it. II. THE INFLUENCES OF DIVINE GRACE IN THE SOUL ARE HERE SET FORTH IN METAPHOR. 1. It makes us grow upward. "Grow as the lily." This refers to the daffodil lily, which on a sudden, in a night, will spring up. That is what grace does in a man's soul. Its first operation is to make us grow up. 2. After they have been growing" upward they have to grow downward. "Cast forth his roots as Lebanon." God will not have His people all flower and foliage; He wants them also to take deep root, and throw out strong fibres. Growing down is quite as good as growing up. We should be rooted in humility, and growing in zeal; but usually the two do not come together. Growing downward is a very excellent thing to promote stability. Perhaps that is the exact meaning of the passage. 3. The Christian must next make a profession. "His branches shall spread." 4. The next effect of grace is, the Christian must be beautiful, as "the olive-tree." Its beauty lies in its fruitfulness. And the olive-tree is an evergreen. 5. A good report must go forth about the Christian. "His smell as Lebanon." Wherever the Christian goes he will cast a perfume about him. II. THE BENEFITS OF GRACE TO OTHERS. "They that dwell under His shadow shall return." You will not wish yours to be a selfish religion. I like an expansive religion. By a godly conversation the Christian man shall spread the sweetness of perfume wherever he goes. (Anon.) Parallel Verses KJV: I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. |
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