The Pulpit Commentary — Judges — Section 51

Ver. 20.-The hopelessness of opposition to God. This verse is variously inter- preted as an astrological allusion-as descriptive of a thunder-storm, accompanied by wind, hail, and floods, producing confusion (Josephus) ; or as suggestive of the delay which lost Sisera the opportunity. The explanation of Berthau, referring it to the Divine intervention, appears more reasonable and spiritually sufficient. All through the mind of the prophetess dwells upon God as the Helper and Avenger. But there is room for an intermediate idea. The stars are symbols of an unvarying law and universal destiny. Generalise upon the great contest between right and wrong. The combatants are not only men ; the whole universe is involved. Angels join in the fray. God himself is against the sinner. The latter must be vanquished. J. THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER OF THE CONTEST OF THE WICKED WITH THE RIGHTEOUS . .An accidental circumstance may excuse it; a temporary character may be assumed by it. We may not divine the whole scope and drift of the quarrel. Truth may not be wholly on one side or the other. Sometimes a prophetic insight assures us that we are with God, or against him. Ultimately the question is one of right and wrong. II. THE COMBATANTS INVOLVED. Not human opponents merely; the question too large for this. The laws of the universe; the angels of God ; destiny; God himself -visibly contending in the person of his Son, invisibly in the councils of eternity. III. THE CERTAINTY OF THE ISSUE.-M. Ver. 23.-The curse of Meroz. The site of this city or district not verified. A singularity about the people's conduct. Others had withheld as well as they; but they had either (1) special reasons for fidelity, or (2) aggravating circumstances con- nected with their inaction. The consequence was that they inherited the primacy of the curse. Was it that the ban destroyed the very name and memory of the place from the face of the earth? It became a "locus classicits in Talmudic expositions of the ban against persons and things" (Cassel). J. THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH INDIFFERENCE AND INACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE CAUSE OF Goo IN THE WORLD CONSTITUTE A FEARFUL CRIME. The natioc. they belonged to represented for them the kingdom of God. It was suffering from grievous servitude. When the short, desperate struggle for freedom took place, everything might depend upon the faithfulness of those situated as they were. They hung back, or co-operated with the enemy. This was a sin against the Divino brotherhood and the cause of God. Indifference at any time is wicked ; but the habit may some time or other suddenly reveal itself in tremendous heinousness. Special ~fforts to promote the kingdom of Christ, to prevent the dying out of religious institutions or movements, critical periods in individual lives, ought to call forth our most generous and self-denying aid. It might just be our help that was needed in order to success ; our indifference that 11ealed the fate of a soul turniug towards God, or a religious movement upon which depended important results. II. GREATER RESP0NSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES ENTAIL A GREATER CURSE UPON UNFAITHFULNESS. Terrible vengeance was taken upon the erring city. Of how much greater punishment shall Christian apostasy be thought worthy? (Heh. x. 28-30). We sin against greater light. How great is our debt to.grace I What issues depend upon our being found faithful I Remember Christ's warnings (Matt. xi. 23; xviii. 6; xxiii. 37).-M. Vor. 24.-Tlie conduct of Jael. A moral perplexity to modern times. This arises from the advance, amounting almost to a revolution, in the spiritual sentiment of the world. It is from the higher ph1tform of the New Testament that we see the deed in its true relations and proportions. I. lTs JUSTIFICATION. There are several grounds, upon any or all _of which ~he deed may be defended. 1. That of a relative and imperfect morality. Morality in that age wns not perfectly revealed or realised. With increasing ligh_t of revela- tivn and s11iritual experience come new moral lovels and tests. A thing may be E2  52 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [r.H. V. 1-31,