D. Scott Meadows
“They have dealt treacherously against the LORD.” —Hosea 5:7
Believer, here is a sorrowful truth! Thou art the beloved of the Lord, redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the Beloved, on thy way to heaven, and yet, “thou hast dealt treacherously” with God, thy best friend; treacherously with Jesus, whose thou art; treacherously with the Holy Spirit, by whom thou hast been quickened unto life eternal!
How treacherous you have been in the matter of vows and promises. Do you remember the love of your espousals [proposals], that happy time—the springtime of your spiritual life? Oh, how closely did you cling to your Master then! saying, “He shall never charge me with indifference; my feet shall never grow slow in the way of his service; I will not suffer my heart to wander after other loves; in him is every store of sweetness ineffable [too great for words]. I give all up for my Lord Jesus’ sake.” Has it been so? Alas! if conscience speak, it will say, “He who promised so well has performed most ill.
Prayer has oftentimes been slurred [passed lightly over]—it has been short, but not sweet; brief, but not fervent. Communion with Christ has been forgotten. Instead of a heavenly mind, there have been carnal cares, worldly vanities and thoughts of evil.
Instead of service, there has been disobedience; instead of fervency, lukewarmness; instead of patience, petulance [peevish impatience, irritability]; instead of faith [in God, Christ], confidence in an arm of flesh; and as a soldier of the cross there has been cowardice, disobedience, and desertion, to a very shameful degree.”
“Thou hast dealt treacherously.” Treachery to Jesus! what words shall be used in denouncing it? Words little avail: let our penitent thoughts execrate [feel abhorrence for, utter curses upon] the sin which is so surely in us. Treacherous to thy wounds, O Jesus! Forgive us, and let us not sin again! How shameful to be treacherous to him who never forgets us, but who this day stands with our names engraved on his breastplate before the eternal throne [cf. Exod 28.15–21).
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On Hosea 5.7 From a strong passage convicting Israel and Judah of their sins, this verse compares them to a wife who became a harlot. “They have dealt treacherously against the Lord: for they have begotten strange children,” that is, children from someone other than their husband. This is a betrayal of vast proportions. This is how God views sin, especially the sin of His covenant people. Spurgeon adapts the passage to sensitize his Christian hearers to the enormity of our sins.
John Bunyan famously said, “Sin turns all God’s grace into wantonness; it is the dare of his justice, the rape of his mercy, the jeer of his patience, the slight of his power, and the contempt of his love” (Dying Sayings). Spurgeon’s devotional message suggests this is how he viewed his own sins.
The structure of this devotional message
I. You, a true believer, have dealt treacherously against the Lord
II. You have not kept your promises to Him
III. You have not prayed as you should
IV. You have allowed a shameful degree of spiritual failure
V. Let us repent and seek forgiveness
A. Utterly detest these sins against Jesus
B. Remember His bloody sacrifice for you
C. Pray He will forgive you and keep you from these sins
D. Let His constant love for you keep your heart true to Him
Less familiar terms and concepts
Treachery. The English word derives from “to trick” (deceive) and means a violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence. “Treason” is a synonym, meaning, a betrayal of trust. The marriage metaphor is prevalent in both OT and NT for the relationship of God/Christ and His people. Sin is comparable to adultery. Apostasy with impenitence is like habitual adultery, even harlotry, with many children being conceived with other lovers. This is an outrageous way for a wife to treat her husband. It is far worse for the chosen people to treat their Lord, whether Israelites in the OT or Christians in the NT!
Especially important truths
1. A Christian believer is so highly favored and blessed by God that any attempted description of this necessarily falls short of the reality. He or she is the object of God’s eternal, special love, above those who perish in their sins. God gave His Son to atone for their sins. God sent His Spirit to call them out of solidarity with the world of lost sinners and into fellowship with Him. God continues by powerful grace to keep them, despite their remaining and actual sins. He views them “in Christ,” accepting them fully. They are predestined to heaven without any possibility of future ruin.
2. Contrasting our exalted privileges as God’s spouse with our low level of spirituality and morality ought to make us feel ashamed of ourselves. God has a right to expect better from us!
3. Despite a believer’s infidelity toward God, He remains faithful and will not let us go. Hosea’s own marriage illustrates this. Compare Hosea 3.1–3 with 2.6–15. This is the divine love which endures all things and never fails (1 Cor 13.7, 8), the powerful love which finally cures forever our wayward hearts, so we will no longer be prone to wander! Ω