And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children
of whoredoms … For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil,
and multiplied her silver and gold … (Hos. 1:2; 2:8)
COMMON GRACE
ARGUMENT:
The argument from this text to
prove a “common mercy of God in the covenant of grace” is as follows:
“The Lord married Israel to Himself by covenant, though much of Israel whored after other lovers and proved herself to be reprobate, as the book of Hosea describes. Yet, during all this time, God showered and blessed His unbelieving people with His gracious covenant mercies.”
(I)
The erroneous interpretation of that text (Hosea
2:8) which would find there God bestowing gracious covenant mercies upon
unbelieving Israel, partakes of either one of two errors:
(1) It either looks at
God’s grace or mercy in the things He gives—something
powerfully refuted in Psalm 73, or
(2) It fails to
understand that “not all are Israel which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6), and
therefore the good gifts which God bestows upon people (including in the
outward manifestation of Israel, His church) are given either for their
salvation or damnation. In the opening verses of Romans 9, e.g., the
apostle points out the greater condemnation for those who have rejected the
gospel, even after having been brought into such intimate connection with those
precious gifts of God. A very similar teaching is seen in the opening
verses of Hebrews 6. You might also consider the last verses of II Corinthians
2, where the same gospel proclamation is “the sweet savour of Christ, in them
that are saved, and in them that perish.” “To the one we are the savour of life
unto life,” says the apostle. But that same gospel is the “savour of
death unto death” in those who perish.
To speak of a “mercy” or “grace” of God that does
not save, but works greater condemnation, is a most peculiar conception of
“mercy” or “grace.” (SK, 31/07/2019)
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(II)
(II)
More to come!
(DV)
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