The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 184

EXPOSITION. CH.APTER VII. 6-15. sin to lurk within the sonl, the Christian is overcome and brought to sha.me by his JOSHUA'S PnAYER AND Gon's ANSWER.- spiritna.l enemies, how much more seldom Ver. 6.-And Joshua rent hie clothes. A it is that he has the courage to gird up the token of grief usual among the Jews (see loins of his soul a.nd renew the conflict, in Gen. xxxvii. 29, 34 ; xliv. 13, &c. Knobel full confidence that victory will be his in cites Levit. xxi. 10); and though Joshua the end! How_ much more frequently does ~s not the high priest, yet from his he despair of victory, wish he had never peculiar position he might be expected to undertaken the Christian profession, give adopt somewhat of the high priest's de- up his belief in the protecting care and meanour, and at least not to display this guidance of God, and desist, at least for a outward sign of grief without the strongest time, from the good fight of faith, to his reason. The words "before the ark" are own se1ious injury a.nd to the detriment of omitted in the LXX. And put dust on God's Church ! "It is not," adds Calvin, their hea.ds. A sign of still more abject "a new thing for pious minds, when they humiliation. The head, the noblest part of aspire to seek God with holy zeal, to obscure man, was thus placed beneath the dust of the light of faith by the vehemence and the ground from whence he was taken impetuosity of their affections. Aud in (see 1 Sam. iv. 12 ; 2 Sam. i. 2; xiii. 19 ; this way all prayers would be rendered xv. 32; 1 Kings xx. 38; Job ii.12; Lam. ii. valueless, did not the Lord in His boundless 10). It was a common custom among the indulgence pardon them, and, wiping away Greeks. (See Lucian, De Luctu, 12). Homer all their stains, receive them as if they were mentions the custom (Iliad, xviii). Pope's pure. And yet while in thus freely ex- translation runs thus :- postulating they cast all their ea.re upon Co.st on the ground, with fnrious hnnds he spread 11 God, this blunt simplicity, though it needs The scorching o.shes o'er his gro.ce!ul head. pardon, is yet fa.r more acceptable than the His purple ga.rments n.nd his gc!den ho.irs, feigned modesty and self-restraint of the Those he dclorms with dust1 o.nd these he tears." hypocrites." Lines 26-SO, Ver. 8.-Wba.t shall I sa.y? To encourage Ver. 7. -Wherefore ha.at thou a.t a.U the people who will be downcast by this brought. The LXX. seems in some way defeat, while their enemies will go.ther to have read i::1)1 for i:lll; they translate courage. "why did thy servant cross?" But their ren- Ver. 9.-For the Ca.na.a.nites an.! a.U the dering is a clear grammatical blunder, for lnhabita.nts of the la.nd shall hea.r of it. the Masorites remark tha.t the i1 is to be pre- The invariable argument of Moses (Exod. served. Would to God we ha.d been con- xxxii. 12; Num. xiv. 13-16; Deut. ix. 28; tent. Calvin makes some severe remarks xxxii. 26, 27). The disgrace which the sin on Joshua.'s folly and want of faith under of man brings upon the cause of the Lord this reverse. But it may be paralleled by is a real a.nd very terrible thing (cf. 2 the conduct of most Christians in adversity. Sam. xii. 14; Ezek. xxxvi. 23). How few are there who can bear even Ver. 10. - Get thee up. Not puerile temporal calamity calmly and patiently, lamentation, but action, is ever the duty of even though they have abundant reason to the soldier of the Lord. If defeat assails know that temporal affiiction is not only no either the individual or the cause, there is sign of the displeasure of God, but the a reason for it, and this must be promptly reverse! And when, through allowing secret sea.robed out, 11nc1 with Go,l's a.ic1 be dis- 122 TIIE BOOK OF ;fOSltUA.