Lord has spoken
The ox knoweth its owner,and the donkey its master's crib- An amplification of the gross insensibility
of the disobedient Jews, by comparing them with the most heavy and stupid of
all animals, yet not so insensible as they. Bochart has well illustrated the
comparison, and shown the peculiar force of it. "He sets them lower than
the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely
any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they
know the manger of their lord; by whom they are fed, not for their own, but for
his good; neither are they looked upon as children, but as beasts of burden;
neither are they advanced to honors, but oppressed with great and daily labors.
While the Israelites, chosen by the mere favor of God, adopted as sons,
promoted to the highest dignity, yet acknowledged not their Lord and their God;
but despised his commandments, though in the highest degree equitable and just.
You have to be stupid in worldly terms to obey the master!
The ox knoweth his owner,.... Knows his voice, when he calls
him, and follows him where he leads him, whether to plough in the field, or
feed in the meadows; and the ass his masters crib, or "manger"; where
he is fed, and to which he goes when he wants food, and at the usual times.
GussetiusF23 interprets the words; the ass knows the floor where he treads out
the corn, and willingly goes to it, though it is to labour, as well as to eat;
and so puts Israel to shame, who were weary of the worship of God in the
temple, where spiritual food was provided for them, but chose not to go for it,
because of labour there.
But Israel doth not know; his Maker and Owner, his King,
Lord, and Master, his Father, Saviour, and Redeemer; he does not own and
acknowledge him, but rejects him; see John 1:10.
My people doth not consider; the Jews, who were the people
of God by profession, did not stir themselves up to consider, nor make use of
means of knowing and understanding, divine and spiritual things, as the word
used signifies; they would not attend to the word and ordinances, which
answer to the crib or manger; they would not hear nor regard the ministry of
the word by Christ and his apostles, nor suffer others, but hindered them as
much as in them lay; see Matthew 23:13.
"Israel does not learn to know my fear, my people do
not understand to turn to my law.'
In like manner the more than brutal stupidity of this people
is exposed in Jeremiah 8:7.
``after they have got in the
vintage.''
The meaning of "my people" for God is always obedience and listening to his words. Proud made man to go against God and embrace satan in the Eden and God always longed for some one who will obey and listen and God found Abraham as the faithful and so has promised Abraham that his children will be the promised people but they always failed to God's standard of obedience and listening to his word. God continued with them because of His promise and His burden to bring salvation through Jesus Christ. The condition of Jews Israel deteriorated further that they became the haters of God. They have followed the ways of the Satan and have become idolaters totally. "They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged." - like a cottage in the vineyard & a lodge in a garden of cucumbers:
The meaning of "my people" for God is always obedience and listening to his words. Proud made man to go against God and embrace satan in the Eden and God always longed for some one who will obey and listen and God found Abraham as the faithful and so has promised Abraham that his children will be the promised people but they always failed to God's standard of obedience and listening to his word. God continued with them because of His promise and His burden to bring salvation through Jesus Christ. The condition of Jews Israel deteriorated further that they became the haters of God. They have followed the ways of the Satan and have become idolaters totally. "They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged." - like a cottage in the vineyard & a lodge in a garden of cucumbers:
A cottage in the vineyard was a
booth, as the word signifies, which was erected in the middle of the
vineyard for the keeper of the vineyard to watch in night and day, that the
fruit might not be hurt by birds, or stolen by thieves, and was a very, lonely
place; and when the clusters of the vine were gathered, this cottage or booth
was left by the keeper himself: and such it is suggested Jerusalem should be,
not only stand alone, the cities all around being destroyed by the besiegers,
but empty of inhabitants itself, when taken. As a lodge in a garden of
cucumbers: ``after they have gathered them
out of it.'' A lodge in a garden of cucumbers
was built up for the gardener to watch in at night, that nobody came and stole
away the cucumbers, and this was also a lonely place; but when the cucumbers
were gathered, the gardener left his lodge entirely; and such a forsaken place
would Jerusalem be at the time of its destruction; see ( Luke 19:43 Luke 19:44
) as a besieged city; which is in great distress, and
none care to come near it, and as many as can make their escape out of it; or
"as a city kept"; so Gussetius, who understands this, and all the
above clauses, of some places preserved from the sword in the common
desolation.
For they shall be ashamed - That is, when they see the
punishment that their idolatry has brought upon them, they shall be ashamed of
the folly and degradation of their worship. Moreover, the gods in which they
trusted shall yield them no protection, and shall leave them to the disgrace
and confusion of being forsaken and abandoned. "If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah." It is God's mercy and kindness that He did not destroy them completely like
Sodom & Gomorrah but their inequity has become worse than these nations. Judea was desolate, and their cities burned. This awakened them to bring sacrifices and offerings, as if they would bribe God to remove the punishment, and give them leave to go on in their sin. Many who will readily part with their sacrifices, will not be persuaded to part with their sins. They relied on the mere form as a service deserving a reward. The most costly devotions of wicked people, without thorough reformation of heart and life, cannot be acceptable to God. He not only did not accept them, but he abhorred them. All this shows that sin is very hateful to God. If we allow ourselves in secret sin, or forbidden indulgences; if we reject the salvation of Christ, our very prayers will become abomination.God do not want your rituals or even the so called worship but the change of heart and obedience. He has shown that He has rejected His own people by their disobedience and so how so how much more will be the rejection if we who came from gentiles disobey the Lord!
"When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;"
Sodom & Gomorrah but their inequity has become worse than these nations. Judea was desolate, and their cities burned. This awakened them to bring sacrifices and offerings, as if they would bribe God to remove the punishment, and give them leave to go on in their sin. Many who will readily part with their sacrifices, will not be persuaded to part with their sins. They relied on the mere form as a service deserving a reward. The most costly devotions of wicked people, without thorough reformation of heart and life, cannot be acceptable to God. He not only did not accept them, but he abhorred them. All this shows that sin is very hateful to God. If we allow ourselves in secret sin, or forbidden indulgences; if we reject the salvation of Christ, our very prayers will become abomination.God do not want your rituals or even the so called worship but the change of heart and obedience. He has shown that He has rejected His own people by their disobedience and so how so how much more will be the rejection if we who came from gentiles disobey the Lord!
"When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;"
Of the oaks - Groves, in ancient times, were the favorite
places of idolatrous worship. In the city of Rome, there were thirty-two groves
consecrated to the gods. Those were commonly selected which were on hills, or
high places; and they were usually furnished with temples, altars, and all the
implements of idolatrous worship. Different kinds of groves were selected for
this purpose, by different people. The Druids of the ancient Celtic nations in
Gaul, Britain, and Germany, offered their worship in groves of oak - hence the
name Druid, derived from δρῦς drus, an oak. Frequent mention is made in the
Scriptures of groves and high places; and the Jews were forbidden to erect
them; Deuteronomy 16:21; 1 Kings 16:23; 2 Kings 16:4; Ezekiel 6:13; Ezekiel
16:16, Ezekiel 16:39; Exodus 34:13; Judges 3:7; 1 Kings 18:19; Isaiah 17:8;
Micah 5:14. When, therefore, it is said here, that they should be ashamed of
the oaks, it means that they should be ashamed of their idolatrous worship, to
which they were much addicted, and into which, under their wicked kings, they
easily fell.
Their calamities were coming upon them mainly for this
idolatry. It is not certainly known what species of tree is intended by the
word translated oaks. The Septuagint has rendered it by the word
"idols" - ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν apo tōn eidōlōn autōn. The
Chaldee, 'ye shall be confounded by the groves of idols.' The Syriac version
also has idols. Most critics concur in supposing that it means, not the oak,
but the terebinth or turpentine tree - a species of fir. This tree is the
Pistacia Terebinthus of Linnaeus, or the common turpentine tree, whose resin or
juice is the China or Cyprus turpentine, used in medicine. The tree grows to a
great age, and is common in Palestine. The terebinth - now called in Palestine
the but'm-tree - 'is not an evergreen, as is often represented; but its small,
leathered, lancet-shaped leaves fall in the autumn, and are renewed in the
spring.
The flowers are small, and are followed by small oval
berries, hanging in clusters from two to five inches long, resembling much the
clusters of the vine when the grapes are just set. From incisions in the trunk
there is said to flow a sort of transparent balsam, constituting a very pure
and fine species of turpentine, with an agreeable odor like citron or
jessamine, and a mild taste, and hardening gradually into a transparent gum.
The tree is found also in Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, the south of France, and
in the north of Africa, and is described as not usually rising to the height of
more than twenty feet.' Robinson's Bib. Researches, iii. 15, 16. It produces
the nuts called the pistachio nuts. They have a pleasant, unctuous taste,
resembling that of almonds, and they yield in abundance a sweet and pleasant
oil. The best Venice turpentine, which, when it can be obtained pure, is
superior to all the rest of its kind, is the produce of this tree. The picture
in the book will give you an idea of the appearance of the terebinth. The
Hebrew word אילים 'ēylı̂ym, from איל 'eyl, or more commonly אלה 'ēlâh, seems
to be used sometimes as the Greek δρῦς drus is, to denote any large tree,
whether evergreen or not; and especially any large tree, or cluster of trees,
where the worship of idols was celebrated.
Which ye have desired - The Jews, until the captivity at
Babylon, as all their history shows, easily relapsed into idolatry. The meaning
of the prophet is, that the punishment at Babylon would be so long and so
severe as to make them ashamed of this, and turn them from it.
Shall be confounded - Another word meaning to be ashamed.
For the gardens - The places planted with trees, etc., in
which idolatrous worship was practiced. 'In the language of the Hebrews, every
place where plants and trees were cultivated with greater care than in the open
field, was called a garden. The idea of such an enclosure was certainly
borrowed from the garden of Eden, which the bountiful Creator planted for the
reception of his favorite creature. The garden of Hesperides, in Eastern
fables, was protected by an enormous serpent; and the gardens of Adonis, among
the Greeks, may be traced to the same origin, for the terms horti Adenides, the
gardens of Adonis, were used by the ancients to signify gardens of pleasure,
which corresponds with the name of Paradise, or the garden of Eden, as horti
Adonis answers to the garden of the Lord. Besides, the gardens of primitive
nations were commonly, if not in every instance, devoted to religious purposes.
In these shady retreats were celebrated, for a long succession of ages, the
rites of pagan superstition.' - Paxton. These groves or gardens were furnished
with the temple of the god that was worshipped, and with altars, and with
everything necessary for this species of worship. They were usually, also, made
as shady and dark as possible, to inspire the worshippers with religious awe
and reverence on their entrance; compare the note at Isaiah 66:17.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have
desired,.... Though there is a change of persons in the words, the same are
intended; and design such, who being convinced of the idolatries of the church
of Rome they have been fond of, and delighted in, will be ashamed of them, and
relinquish them, and come out of Babylon a little before the destruction of it;
for under oaks, and such like green trees, idolatry used to be committed, to
which the allusion is; see Jeremiah 2:20 and so the Targum interprets it of
"trees of idols"; that is, under which idolatry was practised:
and ye shall be confounded for the gardens ye have chosen;
where also idolatrous practices were used, see Isaiah 65:3 and so the Targum
paraphrases it,
"and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens of idols, from
whom ye have sought help.'
The sense is the same as before; unless both clauses should
rather be understood of the destruction of sinners, before spoken of, who at
that time will be filled with shame and confusion, they in vain praying to
their idols for help; which sense the following words incline to.
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