When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God.
Israel’s hypocritical repentance
I. The acts of repentance which they performed.
1. Seeking God.
2. Returning.
3. Inquiring.
4. Remembering (Psalms 78:35).
5. Renewing their covenant with God (Psalms 78:37).
II. The defects of their repentance.
1. It was untimely; a fore-slowed, and delayed repentance: that is implied in this word, “when”; not till such a time; then, not till then.
2. It was enforced repentance, not ingenuous and voluntarily undertaken; it was extorted by plagues. They repented when they were under the rod; nay, under the sword.
3. It was an unsound repentance; not true and sincere, but feigned and acted only: it was a flattering and lying repentance.
4. It was a momentary, transitory, unsettled, unconstant repentance, not firm and lasting. And these four are usually linked together, one draws on the other. These four twists make up Esay’s cart-rope of sin. What, then, is wanting? The main of all is, that the heart must be changed. A true convert, hath an inward principle of repentance planted into him; grace is a second nature, and works constantly, as Nature doth; but an hypocrite in his actions of reformation and repentance is moved not by an inward principle of God, but by some outward motive. When that ceases his conversion fails. The motions of piety in a good Christian are like natural motions; the motions of an hypocrite are as artificial motions. The motions of the sun and the motions of a clock keep time alike; and for a time, we will say, the clock goes as true as the sun. Aye, but here’s the difference, the one moves out of an inward principle naturally; the other, the clock, is moved by an outward principle; the weight and plummet makes it go; and when that is down the clock stands still. Or, as in waters, a natural stream flows always, it is fed with a spring; but a sudden land-flood, though it runs strongly for a while, yet it will dry up; it hath no spring or fountain to feed it. (Bishop Browning:)