James Nisbet Commentary - Hosea 14:2 - 14:2

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James Nisbet Commentary - Hosea 14:2 - 14:2


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

CHRISTIAN SACRIFICES

‘So will we render the calves of our lips.’

Hos_14:2

There is but One Priest Who in His own right can approach God; but One Mediator, Who can plead His own goodness; and so there is but One propitiatory, expiatory sacrifice, even ‘the One full, perfect, and sufficient Sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction,’ once made upon the Cross, for the sins of the whole world. There never has been, there never will be, any other. Except for this one and only Atonement, nothing we could say, think, or do, would be acceptable to God; but for this we should remain, as we were born, an accursed race.

But though this be true, yet with respect to those who rely on the intercession of that one great Priest, and, by faith, plead and apply to their souls the merits of that One expiatory sacrifice, the Spirit teaches us that they render unto God acceptable service; God for Christ’s sake will permit them to approach Him, and accept a service at their hands. And this gives us the idea of a sacrifice. For a sacrifice is something presented to God, in behalf of man, by persons Divinely appointed to ‘offer gifts unto the Lord.’ In this sense, the ‘blood of bulls and of goats,’ under the law, became a typical sacrifice; and, under the Gospel, the Eucharist is thus designated, being a commemorative sacrifice. But according to Scripture, public worship is also a sacrifice, and it is very essential to represent it as such.

I. This doctrine is directly implied in the text by a figure of speech.—As calves were offered in sacrifice, so are the lips of worshippers to be as calves; they are to offer to God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (Amo_4:5; Heb_13:15). St. Peter, speaking of the Christian Church, says: ‘Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ’ (1Pe_2:5). He cannot here refer to the Eucharist, because he is addressing Christians generally as a holy priesthood, and the celebration of the Eucharist requires the intervention of a special order of men separated from among the general body of believers; he must, therefore, refer to the service of public or common prayer, which he describes as a spiritual sacrifice.

II. The sacrifice offered in public worship is the sacrifice of prayer and praise.—It is offered in each congregation for the Church universal, for the Church of the province, for the Church of the diocese, more especially for the Church of the parish, and for all the members of the same; it is offered by the assembled worshippers, being baptized persons, ‘continuing steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers’ (Act_2:42). Such persons are for this purpose ‘an holy Priesthood,’ appointed to offer up these ‘spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ’ (1Pe_2:5; 1Pe_2:9; Rev_1:5-6; Rev_5:9-10). As certain believers are elected from their brethren, and ordained to be priests for the higher service of the Holy Eucharist, and that they may bless the people in the Name of Him Whose ministers they are; so are the members of the Church, as their name denotes (Ecclesia), a people ‘called out’ of mankind, to act as priests in the general sacrifice of Christian worship.

Illustration

‘David tells us that the service God wants is the opening of the lips, that the mouth may show forth God’s praise. The sacrifices which please Him are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. God wants our lips. Praise is a very important part of religion.’