23 4 Andit came to pals, after he had eaten bread,
and after he had drunk,that he ſadied for him the als.*.,
70 wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. .*. That he might ſooner come to his home, and, if poſſible, eſcape the Judgment threatned. Bur, it is obſervable,he duth not
accompany him ; his guilty Conſcience making him to expect and |
fear to be involved in the ſame Judgment with him
24 And when he was gone, a * ii1on met him h by the way, and flew him s : and his carcaſe was caſt in the way &, and the aſs ſtood by it : the lion aiſo ſtood by the carcaſe /.
þ For there were many Lions in Judea,and this was brought hi- ther by God's ſpecial providence. #: Why doth God punith a good Man 10 ſeverely for ſo ſmall an offence ? 4»ſ. Firſt, His Sin was not
{mall, for it was a groſs Diſobedience to a poiitive Command,
Obj. Bur he ſuppoſed, and was told by another Prophet, that God had repealed his Command, and ſo was deceived. Av}. 1. He had no ſufhcicnc diſcharge from the former Command ; for he neither was aſſured thar the old Man was a Prophet,nor that the meſſage he delivered was from God;but had reaſon to ſuſpect the contrary,or at leſt to enquire the mind of God in this doubtful Point, which he groſly neglected to do,& willingly believed the meflage, becauſe it luited with his own inclination and neceffiry. Add to this, that he being a Prophet was obliged to the greater exactneſs in obedi- ence toallGod's Precepts;and therefore this Sin was much greater in him than in another,becauſe hereby God was diſhonoured,and the Authority and Succeſs of his meſſage blaſted,and Jeroboam and the I- dolatrous Iſraelites heardened in their wicked courſes;for the preven- tion whereof it was neceffary that God ſhould exerciſe Severity to- wards him. .4ſ. Secondly,As his Sin was not ſo ſmall,ſo his puniſh- ment was not ſo great, as may be imagined. For, as to his out- ward Man, his bodily death ( which was a Debt that he owed to God and Nature) in this way was not ſo painful & terrible as ma- ny other kinds of death ; and as to his Soul, God, by giving him a gracious Admonition both of his Sin and Danger,ver: 21, 22. awa- kencd him to true Repentance,which doubtleſs he practiſed,and fo
mory of his Prophecy was revived and prefcrved among them,and
his very Carcaſe reſting there,mighr be a witneſs of their Madneſs
' and deſperate Wickedneſs, in continuing in their abominable Ido-« ; latry,after ſuch an aſſurance of the dreadful effecrs of it. q The old | Prophet and his Sons,and others, whom common humanity taught to lament the untimely death of ſo worthy a Perſon. r Which was an uſual form of expreſſion in Funeral-Lamentations. See Jer: 22: 18.
31 Andit came to pals after he had buried him,that ' he ſpake to his ſons, ſaying, When I am dead, then bury me in the ſepulchre wherein the man of God is buried ; * lay my bones beſide his bones /.
F That I may be ſecured from that Judgment threatned wer: 2.
2 For the ſaying which he cried by the word of the LORD, againſt the altar in Bethel, and againft all the houſes of the high places,which ere in the cities of * Samaria #, ſhall ſurely come to paſs.
t 7, e. Of the Kingdom of Samaris ; as it was called,though not when this Fact was done, yet before theſe Books were writen. Samaria was properly the name of one City, 1 Kings 20; 1: but from hence the whole Kingdom of 1[rae! was fo called, Jer; 31: 5+ Hoſe 7: 1; and 8: 5: and Ames 3: 9g: and the King of Jrael is called the King of Samaria, 2 Kings 1: 3.. Hoſ: 10: 7: and ( as here ) we read of rhe cities of Samaria, Ezra 4 10.
33 \ Affeer this thing, « Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but + * made again of the loweſt ; 7, of the people prieſts x of the high places : whoſoever rerurncd, would y, he | confecrated him z, and he became one and made.
of the prieſts of the high places. | * Chap; # i: e: Affeer all theſe things : the Singular Number put for the Plural ; after ſo many,and evident,and fucceflive Miracles. Which led b: is noted to aggravate his Infidelity and Apoſtacy. x He abated not # = 5 ſo much asa circumſtance in his Idolatrous Worſhip. » Withour 79% any reſpect to Tribe or Family, or integrity of Body, or Mind, or Life ; all which were to be regarded in the Prieſthood. & Heb. he filled his hand, Of which Phraſe fee Exod: 28; 41: and 29: 9, 33» 34 And this thing became fin .*. unto the houle of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and co to deſtroy ix from off the face of the earth:
11 2
* 2 King! 23. 18,
*cee Chap 16. 24
Rh Either;
Chap. XIV. | h ©. Either, an occaſion of ſin, and means of hardening all his Poſterity in their Idolatry : or, 4 puniſhment for ſo the word ſ# 1s oft uſed. This his obſtinate continuance in his Idolatry,after ſuch warnings was the utter ruin of all his Family. SH AL. XV,
Teroboam ſendeth his Wife diſguiſed,and with Preſents to the Prophet Ali= jah at Shiloh, to enquire concerning his Son, who was Sick, 1 ——— 4. He, forewarned by God, denounce:h his Rum becauſe of Idolatry : And the Death of his child ; And the Deſtruttion of Iſragl, 516. His Son dieth and is buried : And he likewiſe : Nadab his Son ſucceedeth, 17 20. Rehoboam aud Judah ſm againſt the Lord, 21 = 24+
- Shiſhak King of Egypt ſpoileth Jeruſalem, 25 ==—=—= 28, He dieth : and Abijam his ſon Succeedeth, 29-=<=3 Ie A T that time « Abijah the ſon of Jeroboam fell
ſick 6.
_ 8 Either, Firſt, Preſently after the things deſcribed in the for- mer Chapter :which, through related in the beginning of his Reign, yet” might be done a good while after it,and 1o 4#ijah the Prophet might be very old, as he is deſcribed to be, v. 4- Or, Secondly, many Years after it, 7. e- Whilſt Jereboam perſiſted in his former courſe. For this Phraſe is oft uſed indefinitely, and without re- ſpe& of the time laſt mentioned before it,as Dan. 12. 1- Matth. 4.1. 6 By the ſtoke of God to puniſh Jereboam's Rebellion againſt God.
2 And Jeroboam faid to his wife c, Arile, I pray thee, and diſguiſe thy ſelf 4, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam e, and get thee to Shiloh : Behold, there is Abijah the prophet, which told me
that * I ſhould be king over this people.