Hosea 4:4 KJV
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Barnes Notes say,
...God had made it a part of the office of the priest, to “keep knowledge” Mal_2:7. He had bidden, that all hard causes should be taken “to Deu_17:8-12 the priest who stood to minister there before the Lord their God;” and whose refused the priest’s sentence was to be put to death. The priest was then to judge in God’s Name. As speaking in His Name, in His stead, with His authority, taught by Himself, they were called by that Name, in Which they spoke...
It is uncanny to me how much our generation appears to be like the Jews of the later part of the Old Testament. There is
The same spirit
The same arrogance toward God
The same rebellion against he man of God and
The same distrust caused by so many wicked men pretending to be men of God
God had designed that the priesthood has authority but this generation had come to the place where they rejected that authority and would strive with the priests in their judgment. In our day it seems like a pastor has no authority. The people are so willing to reject his word and other churches are so quick to accept them into their church as a blessing of God, that no one is really held to any account.
At least one way to understand this verse is that God told the prophet to refuse to reprove people for their sins because they would not receive it anyway. The lack of reproof is seen in this light as a curse. It is not a good thing when God will not let His preacher confront his people for sin. It is a blessing that God gives us a preacher with authority and who may reprove rebuke and correct us.
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Barnes Notes say,
...God had made it a part of the office of the priest, to “keep knowledge” Mal_2:7. He had bidden, that all hard causes should be taken “to Deu_17:8-12 the priest who stood to minister there before the Lord their God;” and whose refused the priest’s sentence was to be put to death. The priest was then to judge in God’s Name. As speaking in His Name, in His stead, with His authority, taught by Himself, they were called by that Name, in Which they spoke...
It is uncanny to me how much our generation appears to be like the Jews of the later part of the Old Testament. There is
The same spirit
The same arrogance toward God
The same rebellion against he man of God and
The same distrust caused by so many wicked men pretending to be men of God
God had designed that the priesthood has authority but this generation had come to the place where they rejected that authority and would strive with the priests in their judgment. In our day it seems like a pastor has no authority. The people are so willing to reject his word and other churches are so quick to accept them into their church as a blessing of God, that no one is really held to any account.
At least one way to understand this verse is that God told the prophet to refuse to reprove people for their sins because they would not receive it anyway. The lack of reproof is seen in this light as a curse. It is not a good thing when God will not let His preacher confront his people for sin. It is a blessing that God gives us a preacher with authority and who may reprove rebuke and correct us.
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