Hosea 14:5-7 I will be as the dew to Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.… I. THE LILY MARK. A good life is like a lily; it is a fruitful life, it does more good than anybody knows but God. Everything carries seeds about — birds and bees, roaring storms and whispering breezes. Well, so it is with a good life; it is very fruitful. Anything that touches it is the better for it. II. THE MOUNTAIN MARK. "Cast forth his roots like Lebanon." The lily is fruitful, but very soon uprooted. It is a very weak thing. Well, a good life is not only like the lily, it is also like Mount Lebanon — that is, strong, firm, and steadfast. Now, there are some people who are good by fits and starts; they are very good in the morning, but before dinner-time their goodness has gone away. They have little bits of goodness that look very nice at the time, out when a strong wind arises — that is, when they are tempted in any way, crossed or provoked — the nice little bits get blown clean away. But a really good life is like Lebanon. It has roots. Winds. come and go. It remains unmoved. III. THE SHADOW MARK. "His branches shall spread." Just think of a hot day in a tropical country. A weary traveller comes trudging along, and he says to himself, "Oh, for a bit of shade! I feel so tired, the sun will kill me." And then he sees in the distance a great tree that seems to say to him, "Come here to me; I will shade you, and stand between you and the heat, and you shall rest and sleep and be refreshed." Well, now, a good life is like that, it does good to others, and it spreads its branches so that others may be benefited. The shadow mark means usefulness. IV. THE BEAUTY MARK. "And his beauty shall be as the olive tree." What is the beauty of the olive tree? Why, it is "ever green," it is beautiful all the year round. Some trees are beautiful for a few months, but the olive tree is ever green; it is beautiful all through the seasons of the year. That is another mark of a good life. You boys will grow up to be men — old men, perhaps — and you will lose a great deal of the outward beauty you have to-day, and so will you girls, for the body will decay; but if you believe in Jesus Christ, and are like Jesus Christ, every year will be like a painter's brush adding to your beauty, every day will make you more and more beautiful to the very end. V. THE WILDFLOWER MARK. "And his smell shall be like Lebanon," — that is, a good life gives joy and pleasure to others. Lebanon was a mountain; it had great trees growing on it, and a great many beautiful flowers too, and these had a beautiful smell; and when the wind blew over Lebanon, and people were coming up the valley towards it, and came round a certain corner, there came a beautiful spicy breeze from Lebanon, and they drew it in and said, "What a sweet smell! the smell of Lebanon on the breeze!" Well, now, a good life is like that. It gives other people pleasure, it makes the earth a better place to live in, and makes people happier. (J. M. Gibbon.) Parallel Verses KJV: I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. |
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