Hosea 4:9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. 1. Evil ministers are a great cause of sin and misery upon the people they have charge of. It is an addition to the priests' judgment that they drag so many with them into it. 2. Albeit naughty ministers be great plagues and snares to people, yet that will not excuse a people's sin, nor exempt them from judgment, and therefore the people are threatened also. The sending of evil ministers may be so much the fruit of people's former sins, and they may be so well satisfied with it as may justly ripen them for a stroke. 3. As pastors and people are ordinarily like each other in sin, and mutual plagues to each other, so will they be joined together in judgments, for "there shall be, like people, like priest," that is, both shall be involved in judgment (though possibly in different measure, according to the degree Of their sin), and none of them able to help or comfort another. 4. Albeit the Lord may spare for a time, and seem to let things lie in confusion, yet He hath a day of visitation, wherein He will call men to an account, and recompense them, not according to their pretences, but their real deeds and practices. 5. When men have made no conscience of sin, so they might compass these delights, which they think will make them up, yet it is easy for God to prove that the blessing of these delights is only in His hand. 6. As no means can prosper where God deserts and withdraws His blessing, so what a man prosecutes unlawfully, He cannot look it should be blessed. (George Hutcheson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. |
    |