Hosea 9:7-8

Prophet and prophet.

We are disposed to prefer the view which takes Hosea 9:7 to refer to the true prophet, Hosea himself; and verse 8 to the prophets Ephraim had set up for himself alongside of the true.—"Ephraim is a watcher with along with, but independently of my God"—prophets who were as "the snare of a fowler" to the people.

I. THE TRUE PROPHET . (Verse 7)

1. What he saw . "The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come." The true prophet saw, and did not hesitate to declare in the ears of all, the fall extent of the ruin which was soon to overwhelm the nation. He did not, like the false prophets, say, "Peace, peace," when there was no peace ( Jeremiah 8:11 ). He told the awful truth. The event verified his words. God's messengers are faithful.

2. What he felt . "The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad." The words may express at once:

3. His moral mission . "For the multitude of thine iniquities, and the great hatred." His eye pierced to the moral cause of the judgments that were impending. He read their origin in the people's sin, and in their hatred of what was good. A. true prophet is known by the intensity of his grasp upon moral truth.

II. THE FALSE PROPHET . (Verse 8) The prophets in whom Ephraim trusted were:

1. Self-constituted . "The watchman of Ephraim was with my God," or, "Ephraim is a watchman," etc. Ephraim was not content with the prophets God gave him. He must have prophets alter his own heart. He must be a "watchman" on his own account. The false prophet thus ran without being sent ( Jeremiah 23:21 ). He was not, like the true prophet, a "man of the spirit." If any spirit was in him, it was a lying spirit.

2. Ensnarers of the people . "The prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his ways." They snared the people to their ruin

3. Themselves as bad as the rest . "Hatred in the house of his God." Professing to speak in God's Name, the prophet was full of malignant hatred of God, and of those who spoke in God's Name (cf. Amos 7:10-13 ).—J.O.