Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king… It is not a servile fear, not even, as elsewhere, a fear which makes them shrink back from His awful majesty. It is a fear most opposed to this; a fear whereby "they shall flee to Him for help, from all that is to be feared"; a reverent holy awe, which should even impel them to Him; a fear of losing Him, which should make them hasten to Him. "They shall fear, and wonder exceedingly, astonied, at the greatness of God's dealing, or of their now joy." Yet they should "hasten tremblingly," as bearing in memory their past unfaithfulness and ill deserts, and fearing to approach but for the greater fear of turning away. Nor do they hasten with this reverent awe and awful joy to God only, but to His goodness also. His goodness draws them, and to it they betake themselves, away from all cause of fear, their sins, themselves, the evil One. Yet even His goodness is a source of awe. How much it contains! All whereby God is good in Himself, all whereby He is good to us. (E. B. Pusey, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. |
    |