Hosea 7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knows it not: yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he knows not. The wise man has said, "A hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." It is so, as a symbol of honoured age, bringing deserved veneration; a type of wisdom; a sign of long and faithful service to God and man; and is thus deserving of honour; while the fresh young heart is always moving with its own enthusiasm, though sometimes fettered by increasing infirmities. Over such a grey head no one has need to mourn. Why then does Hosea speak in these terms of Ephraim? Because, as drivelling dotage and decrepitude are the result and penal consequence of a misspent life, and as old age to such is "the sere and yellow leaf," so its near approach is to be dreaded and shrunk from. Ephraim's was an ungodly, immoral, irreligious dotage. "Grey hairs" is simply a typical phrase setting forth the loss of the promise of early youth, through a prodigal disregard of Divine favour and support. I. THE TWOFOLD SIGN OF RELIGIOUS DECLENSION. "Grey hairs," and ignorance of their existence. The symptoms by which it is manifested. 1. Decline of interest in Divine things. When a man's enthusiasm cools down, and he forgets the freshness and vigour of his spiritual youth, he exhibits the grey hairs — the first streaks of silver whiteness which betoken spiritual decrepitude. True, there are many godly Christians who, marking that their interest is not so deep and fresh as in the past, are under a constant cloud of dread. Now this concern is not a symptom of real decline, but of intensified and increased anxiety and desire for the things an interest in which we fear to lose. It is not the issuing forth of the verdict of conscience; but such dissatisfaction is similar to that of the apostle Paul: "Not as though I had already attained," etc. Such concern is salutary and preservative — a sign of watchfulness and vigour, and it will succeed in averting the evil it dreads. It is a great blessing when a Christian's conscience is sensitive and active. But what I mean is, that listless indifference to the blessings of Christian privileges, that indolent abstinence from the performance of Christian duty which marks the conduct of so many in our churches. 2. Too great a love of worldliness. "Ah!" say you, "there you are again! Worldliness! just one of the counters you ministers play with, words which mean anything or nothing." Well, so long as the New Testament stands it will be the duty of every minister of Christ to repeat these words: "Love not the world, neither the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." It is all very well to reply "this was said of the heathen world, but times are different now." Talk about pagan Rome! What about London? What about Oxford? Are our streets so pure that we can dispense with the exhortation, "Love not the world," etc.? There may be, e.g., too much absorption in permissible things. No man has a right to forbid us to devote a due portion of our time to lawful business; but it is so easy for a man, when he at first becomes lawfully absorbed, to glide insensibly into too much absorption. I value no man's manhood who is not anxious about his worldly position and reputation; but when this becomes all in all; or when he longs for the condiments and stimulants of worldly pleasure; when a man yawns and looks about him and feels there's nothing in life worth living for; when Christianity does not satisfy his desires, and so he goes in search of objects which gradually usurp the position of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that the whilom Christian begins by giving undue prominence to worldly things and ends by substituting them for the Divine; then let him beware — "Grey hairs are here and there upon him," though perhaps he knows it not. 3. Loss of power: for Christian work and for spiritual conflict. You ask a man to undertake some Christian duty, and he says he cannot do it. He means it, and it is true! for it is, alas! very possible for a Christian man to lose not only inclination, but power. Watch that man, and as time goes on his powerlessness is more and more evident, till he becomes a mere creature of circumstances, a waif on the current, a piece of thistle-down, the sport of contrary winds: instead of placing his heel on the neck of his lusts. Your indisposition and incapacity for work have this awful other side: you are unable to resist the power of temptation. You can do nothing for God, and have no power to strive against evil. Beware of loss of energy: your enfeebled state, the result of "wasted substance" is a sure sign that "grey hairs are here and there upon you." II. ITS CAUSES. 1. Indolence: this always ends in inability. First and foremost the Christian has to cultivate the grace of industry. With activity and watchful earnestness, there is no fear of inability and decrepitude. 2. Neglect of wholesome spiritual food — God's appointed ordinances and means of grace. 3. Unchristian society. "Strangers have devoured his strength." Descending to the level of such society makes us feel we are fit for no higher, and disinclines us for the work of God. And with it all, the saddest thing is, "he knoweth not." "Because thou sayest, and knowest not," etc. (Revelation 3.). Awful ignorance, accompanied by a senile conceit. Haven't looked in the glass of God's Word. III. THE CURE. Not a mere nostrum. You will never get rid of the deep-running evil by cleansing the surface of the stream. 1. Through self-examination. Let us be candid with ourselves. The first result may be panic and shivering dread; but don't be afraid of the mirror: take it in your hand on bended knees. There must be fair dealing with conscience: let it speak out! If it condemns, well and good! Better to know now than through all eternity what fools we have been. Know the best, or know the worst. Be thankful to God if the best be; be thankful, too, if the worst leads you to return to Him with broken heart. A hearty, humbling sense of sin means sanctification and salvation. 2. Humble application to the Great Physician. He has had many such cases. Poor David became exceedingly grey-headed, but under the bracing remedies of the Great Physician he went forth once more the man after God's own heart. (J. Dunn.) Parallel Verses KJV: Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. |
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