Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin! Sermons
I. THE NATURE OF AN EARNEST MINISTRY. "Cry aloud." Let the whole soul go forth in the work. Let us not mistake the nature of earnestness. It is not noise. Ignorant people imagine that the minister who makes the greatest noise, roars and raves the most in the pulpit, or parades his doings most in journals and reports, is the earnest man. "A celebrated preacher, distinguished for the eloquence of his pulpit preparations, exclaimed on his death-bed, 'Speak not to me of my sermons. Alas! I was fiddling whilst Rome was burning.'" It is not frightening people. Often he who is the most successful by graphic and impassioned descriptions of the judgment day and hell fires, in terrifying men, is considered the most earnest. This is a mistake - a popular and fatal mistake. It is not bustle. He who is always on the "go," whose limbs are always on the stretch, into this house and that house, into this meeting and that, who is never at rest, men are always disposed to regard as an earnest man. Genuine earnestness is foreign to all these things. It has nothing in it of the noise and rattle of the fussy brook; it is like the deep stream rolling its current silently, resistlessly, and without pause. An earnest ministry is living. It is not mere preaching or service, occasional or even systematic; it is the influence of the whole man. It is the "Word" made flesh; so permeating the whole man that every word, act, and expression are as the blasts of a Divine trumpet, rousing sinners to a sense of their moral danger. Such a ministry is a matter of necessity. The Divine thing in the man becomes irrepressible, it breaks out as sunbeams through the clouds: "Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel." Such a ministry is constant. It is not a professional service; it is as regular as the functions of life; it is a thing that is "in season and out of season" - in shops and in sanctuaries, on hearths as well as in pulpits. Such a ministry is mighty. Men can stand before the most thunderous words and violent attitudinizations, but they cannot stand before such a ministry as this; they are before it as snow before the sun. "Oh! let all the soul within you II. THE NEED OF AN EARNEST MINISTRY. Why was the "comet" to be now blown in Gibeah, and the" trumpet" in Ramah? Because there was danger. The moral danger to which souls around us are exposed is great. There is the danger of losing, not existence, but all that makes existence worth having - love, hope, power, friendship, etc. "To be carnally minded is death." It is near. It is not the danger of an invading army heard in the distance. The enemy has entered the soul, and the work of devastating has commenced. It is increasing. The condition of the unregenerate soul gets worse and worse every hour. Brothers, let us be earnest in our work, always "abounding in the work of the Lord!" "Time is earnest, passing by; I. THE NATURE OF AN EARNEST MINISTRY. "Cry aloud." Let the whole soul go forth in the work. Earnestness is not noise. "A celebrated preacher, distinguished for the eloquence of his pulpit preparations, exclaimed on his death-bed, 'Speak not to me of my sermons: alas'! I Was fiddling whilst Rome was burning:" 1. It is not frightening people. 2. It is not bustle. He is always on the "go." Genuine earnestness is foreign to all these things. It has nothing in it of the noise and rattle of the fussy brook, it is like the deep stream rolling its current silently, resistlessly, and without pause. 3. An earnest ministry is living. It is the influence of the whole man. 4. Such a ministry is a matter of necessity. The Divine thing in the man becomes irrepressible, it breaks out as sunbeams through the clouds. 5. Such a ministry is constant. It is not a professional service; it is as regular as the functions of life. 6. Such a ministry is mighty. II. THE NEED OF AN EARNEST MINISTRY. Why was the "cornet" to be now blown in Gibeah, and the " trumpet" in Ramah? Because there was danger. 1. The moral danger to which souls around us are exposed is great. 2. It is near. It is not the danger of an invading army heard in the distance. The enemy has entered the soul and the work of devastating has commenced. 3. It is increasing. The condition of the unregenerate soul gets worse and worse every hour. (Homilist.) (A. J. Gordon, D. D.) After thee, O Benjamin There is good reason to believe that this was the tribal battle-cry. The R.V., in its margin, favours this idea It there reads, "After thee, Benjamin! (see Judges 5:14)." The reference is to the passage in the Song of Deborah: "After thee," Benjamin, among thy people." Many commentators interpret this as addressed to Ephraim; e.g., Delitzsch: "Behind thee,!" i.e., "Ephraim, there followed Benjamin among thy (Ephraim's) people (hosts)." On the other hand, the Pulpit Commentary reads, "Following thee, O Benjamin, with thy people"; and Dean Stanley (Jewish Church, vol. 1.) renders, "After thee, Benjamin, in thy people." Psalm 68, seems to corroborate this interpretation. This psalm is a glorious song of triumph. It refers to past history; it recalls to mind God's wondrous dealings with His favoured people; the miracles He had wrought for them, the victories He had enabled them to win. The allusion to Zebulun and Naphtali in verse 27 seems to be a direct reference to the Song of Deborah, where these two tribes receive honourable mention (ver. 18): "Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field." But first among the four tribes mentioned in the psalm we have Benjamin: "There is little Benjamin, their ruler," or leader; i.e., ruling or leading the procession. But why thus ruling or leading the festal procession? Perhaps with some reference to the fact that the first judge and the first king had sprung from their tribe. But also, no doubt, because this was the position that its warriors had taken on many a hard-fought field. Though a small tribe, it was famous for its warlike character, and bore out the prediction of Jacob: "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil" (Genesis 49:27).I. A NOBLE MOTTO. Lead the way. To be among the first in things that are good is a grand ambition. Emulation is praiseworthy if "a man strive lawfully." It is not to be confounded with envy, which seeks to outstrip another from mere jealousy; nor with self-exaltation, which springs from vanity; nor with that meanness which seeks to make one's self great by lowering or debasing another. It is the desire to be in the front rank in what is good; to be zealous and active for the right. "After thee," then, O my soul, let others be, in striving to do good. "After thee," in helping the oppressed, in succouring the needy. Not holding back, but pressing to the front. "After thee," in time of danger and difficulty. Lead the way; join the forlorn hope. II. A NOBLE MOTTO, WITHOUT GOD'S BLESSING, IS UNAVAILING. Hosea depicts the invading hosts in the midst of Benjamin. "The evil day and destruction denounced, is now vividly pictured as actually come. All is confusion, hurry, alarm, because the enemy was in the midst of them. The cornet, an instrument made of horn, was to be blown as an alarm, when the enemy was at hand. The trumpet was especially used for the worship of God. Gibeah and Ramah were cities of Benjamin, on the borders of Ephraim, where the enemy, who had possessed himself of Israel, would burst in upon Judah." (Pusey). Then in this supreme moment of danger and anxiety an endeavour is made to rally the warriors of the tribe; their battle-cry is raised, "After thee, O Benjamin." But in vain. The hand of the Lord is against them (vers. 9, 10). Without God no effort can be successful. He alone can give the strength. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich. Without it there is no true prosperity; high aspirations cannot be reached; lofty ideals, great efforts will not avail. Against God who can be successful? Learn — We must have God's blessing on our efforts, otherwise they are in vain. Therefore, "Seek ye the Lord." III. A NOBLE MOTTO, WHEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CAUSE OF SIN, BECOMES DOUBLY DISASTROUS. It is very sad to see splendid opportunities wasted. This is sad. But it is more sad to see noble abilities, precious opportunities, large means used for evil purposes, against God and what is good. To sin is bad enough; but to be a leader and teacher of sin is satanic. The right use of the noble Benjamite motto demands, therefore, the preliminary inquiry in the council chamber of the soul, "In what direction am I going? In what things do I desire to be found amongst the first?" (J. S. S. Sheilds, D. D.) People Benjamin, Hosea, Israelites, JarebPlaces Assyria, Beth-aven, Gibeah, Mizpah, Ramah, TaborTopics Alarm, Aloud, Aven, Battle, Behind, Benjamin, Beth, Bethaven, Beth-aven, Beth-a'ven, Blow, Cornet, Cry, Gibeah, Gib'e-ah, Horn, Lead, Loud, O, Raise, Ramah, Shout, Sounded, Tremble, TrumpetOutline 1. The judgments of God are denounced against the priests, people, and princes, 9. both of Israel and Judah, for their manifold sins. 15. An intimation is given of mercy on their repentance. Dictionary of Bible Themes Hosea 5:8Library 'Physicians of no Value''When Ephralm saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither shall he cure you of your wound.'--HOSEA v. 13 (R.V.). The long tragedy which ended in the destruction of the Northern Kingdom by Assyrian invasion was already beginning to develop in Hosea's time. The mistaken politics of the kings of Israel led them to seek an ally where they should have dreaded an enemy. As Hosea puts it in figurative fashion, Ephraim's … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture An Obscured vision The Call and Feast of Levi That None Should Enter on a Place of Government who Practise not in Life what they have Learnt by Study. Ramah. Ramathaim Zophim. Gibeah. Ripe for Gathering Meditations for the Sick. Of Civil Government. That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful. The Arguments Usually Alleged in Support of Free Will Refuted. Hosea Links Hosea 5:8 NIVHosea 5:8 NLT Hosea 5:8 ESV Hosea 5:8 NASB Hosea 5:8 KJV Hosea 5:8 Bible Apps Hosea 5:8 Parallel Hosea 5:8 Biblia Paralela Hosea 5:8 Chinese Bible Hosea 5:8 French Bible Hosea 5:8 German Bible Hosea 5:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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