HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-3.-The blindness of self-love. Nobody admires pride, envy, jealousy, and petulance, when they see them pictured in the character and conduct of other men. Everybody, on the contrary, recognises the beauty of humility, gentleness, and for- bearance, and admires self-control and patience under provocation, and the postpone- ment of private feelings to the public good. How is it that we so often yield to the passions which we condemn in others, and so seldom and so imperfectly practise those graces of which we see the beauty and excellence? Lord, help us to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and to put on the new man, which after thee is created in righteousnesl!I and true holiness. Help us to be what we approve, and to leave off in ourselves what we disapprove in others.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS A. UTHORS. Vers. 1-9, 13-17.-Dealing with obstructives. Ephraim, Succoth, and Penuel. I. THEY OUGHT NOT TO JlE SUFFERED 1'0 INTERFERE WITH THE CHIEF ENDS AND PRESSING CLAIMS OF DIVINE SERVICE. Gideon hastens after the routed .and retreating foe. The sullen apathy of Ephraim, the refusal of Succoth and Penuel to meet the demands of patriotism and humanity, do not turn him aside. When the last blow bas been struck and the power of Midian is laid low he will return and mete out to each according to their deserts. This is an illustration of how sid_e issues mny often arise, and of the manner in which they are to be dealt with. It _is. seldom that the difficulties and oppositions of life, however annoying and restrammg they may be, can utterly prevent the graver duties or excuse dilatoriness._ Frequently the petty nature of the opposition is revealed by steadfast continua!1ce m the path of dutr,.a_nd Bolitary resolution. We lllUSt do what we can, leaving-with others the respons1b1llty Cl!. VIII. 4-12,) THE BOOK OF JUDGES. R5
for their own conduct. The greatest workers in Chri~t•a vineyard have had to lah,lllr and live on amidst misundersbmding, obloquy, ancl hindrance; but their work ha.~ been nchieved nevertheless, and its moral effect has been all the greater. II. WHEN THE PROPER TIME ARRIVES THEY MUST BE DEALT WITH ACCORDING TO THF. NATURE AND DEGREE OF THE OPPOSITION. A wise discrimination is needed. 'Where gentleness will 11v11il, harsh measures are to be avoided, Gideon knew the haughty character of Ephraim, the wound their ambitions spirit had sustained when tl,e leadership was wrested from their hands, and so he exercised forbearance, and waR gentle and pacific. Civil war was averted when it might have involved national ruin, and the generous side of Ephraim was appealed to. "A soft answer tumeth away wrath.'' After all, Ephraim had atoned for past misbehaviour by the timely and effective service rendered even in the face of an unexplained misunderstanding. It is wise to credit our opponents with the best motives, and to speak gently and reasonably, abstaining from self-glorification. But where the hindrance had been a national crime and a violation of the first principles of humanity a different course was pursued. Here the functions of the judge were called into exercise. The pun- ishment was stern and exemplary, but carefully meted out. Succoth and Penuel are visited with prompt and terrible recompense. But the princes and elders are punished, as being the chief culprits; the common people, who were helpless, were spared. All heresy and schism, unholiness of life, spiritual opposition, &c., is not to be regarded in the same light. Gentleness may win a brother. A little blame may rest with ourselves. Allowance is to be made for the failings of human nature. But we are to have no fellowship with the profane, the blasphemer, the unbeliever, &c. Differ- ence of opinion may co-exist with real co-operation and fellowship.-M.
EXPOSITION. Ver. 4.-Came to J'ordan. The narrative Sakut of Robinson and Van de Velde, on goes back to eh. vii. 24, to follow up the the west of Jordan, about ten miles south of personal history of Gideon, from which the Beth-shan, is too far north for the Succoth writer had been dive1ted to relate the result of Jacob, which is shown to be the same as of Gideon's message to the Ephraimites, the Succoth of Gideon bv the connection of 0
which is told in vers. 24 and 25, nnd eh. the latter with Penuel (v er. 8), and which, viii. 1-3 (see eh. vii. 25, note ; ii. 1-6, as above noticed, is shown to be the same as note). the Succoth of Josh. xiii. by its proximity Ver. 5. - Succoth. On the east side of to Mahanaim. We must 1twait some further Jordan, as appears plainly from the narrative light before we can decide the exact position in Gen. xxxiii. 17, 18 ; io, we read there of Succoth. that Jacob journeyed from Mount Gilead to Ver. 6.-And the princes of Succoth, &c. l\Iahannim, thence to Penuel, and from Pe- Nothing could be more selfish, cowanlly, nuel to Succoth, so called frum the booths or aml unpatriotic, than the conduct of the tabernacles which he made for his cattle ; chief men of Succoth. Instead of aiding and that after leaving Succoth be came to Gideon in his gallant enterprise for the the city of Shechem (called Shalem), "in the deliverance of his country, they refused even land of Canaan," showing that Succotb we.s food to his weary followers, for fear of the not in the land of Canaan. In Josh. xiii. possibility of incurring the anger of the 27 we are also distinctly told that Succoth Midianites in case Gideon should fail. Their we.s in the trans-J ordanic tribe of Gad conduct and that of the men of Penuel is (which lay south of the Jabbok), in the perhaps one among many indications how valley of the Jordan, where its proximity to little real union there was betwei,n the tribes Vahanaim (vers. 26, 30) shows it to be the on the opposite sides of the Jordan (see eh. Jtme pince as Jacob's Succoth, which was v. 16, 17). also near thto Jabbok (Gen. xxxii. 22). 'l'he Ver. 7.-1 will te&r yonr 11.esh, &c These identification of Succoth with any modern words breathe u fierce and vindictive spirit ; representative is very uncertain. Jerome such, however, as cannot surprise us in the mentions a trans-Jordanic place named Soc- age and country of which we are reading Jwth, in the region of Beth-shan, or Scytho- (cf. vers. 9 and 21). 'l'he provocation, it polis ; and Burkhardt also mentions a place must be allowed, was very great, but still aescribed by him as "the ruins of Sukkot," the spirit was very different from that which two hours from Bysan (Beth-shun), and on dicti.ted the prayer under far greater provo- the east of Jordan. But this, as well~• the cation, "Father, forgive them, for they know TRE BOOK OF ,TCDGES. [en. r1n. 4-12.