John Calvin Commentary Hosea 8:12

"I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing." — Hosea 8:12 (ASV)

The Prophet shows here briefly how we should judge divine worship, and thus intends to counter all the schemes by which people usually deceive themselves and create disguises whenever they are reproved. For he sets the law of God, and the rule it prescribes, in opposition to all human inventions.

People think God is unjust unless He receives as good and legitimate whatever they imagine to be so; but God, as it is said in another place, prefers obedience to all sacrifices. Therefore, the Prophet now declares that all the superstitions which then prevailed among the people of Israel were condemned before God, for they did not obey the law but had false and perverted modes of worship, which they had invented for themselves.

Thus, we see the connection in what the Prophet says: he had said in the last verse that they had multiplied altars for the purpose of sinning. But so great, as I have said, was the obstinacy of the people that they would by no means tolerate this being told to them. He then adds, as God speaking, that His law had been given to them and that they had departed from it.

From this we see that there is no need to use many words when contending with the superstitious, who daringly devise various kinds of worship entirely different from what God commands. For they must be clearly confronted with this one truth: that obedience is more important to God than sacrifices. Furthermore, there is a specific rule contained in the law, and God not only commands us to worship Him but also teaches us the way, from which it is not permissible to depart.

Since, then, the will of God is known and made clear, why should we now dispute with people who close their eyes and willfully turn aside, and do not even condescend to pay any regard to God? I have written, then, the Lord says. And to give this truth more weight, he introduces God as the speaker.

It would have indeed been enough to say, “God has delivered His law to you; why should you not seek knowledge from this law, rather than from your own carnal judgment? Why do you wish to wander so licentiously, as if no restraint has been put upon you?” But it is a more emphatic way of speaking when God Himself says, I have written My law, but they have counted it as something foreign; that is, as if it did not belong to them.

But He says that He had written to Israel. He does not simply mention writing, but says that the treasure had been deposited among the people of Israel. And the worse the people were, because they did not acknowledge that so great an honor had been conferred on them, for this was their unique inheritance.

I have written then My law, He says, “and I have not written it indiscriminately for all, but have written it for My elect people; but they have counted it as something extraneous.” For the word can be rendered in either way.

He adds, The great things, or the precious, or the honorable things of My law. Had He said, “I have written My law to you,” the Legislator Himself was doubtless worthy, to whom all should submit with the greatest reverence and form their whole life according to His will.

But the Lord here extols His own law with a splendid eulogy, and this He does to restrain the wickedness of people who obscure its dignity and excellence. I have written, He says, the great things of My law. “However much they may despise My law, I have yet set forth in it a wisdom which should be admired by the whole world; I have in it brought to light the secrets of heavenly wisdom. Since this is so, what excuse can there be for the Israelites for despising My law?”

He says that they counted it as something foreign, even though they had been brought up under its teaching and the Lord had called them to Himself from their very infancy. Since then they should have acknowledged the law of God as a banner under which the Lord preserved them, He here reproaches them for having counted it as something extraneous.