HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-1.-Gotrs severity and God's goodness alike shown in the ~is_tory of Israel 'Uinder Jehoahaz. L GoD's SEVERITY. Two sins only are noted as eX1St1ng among the people at this tim&-the calf-worship, and the maintenance of the "grove," or ashcrah (ver. 6). One of these, the worlihip of the calves, was ancestral. It had been ,an established usage for a hundred and twenty years, and 1:iad been uphe~d by ev_ery k1~~ from the date of its institution. Even the prophets, with one exception (1 Kmgs xm. 2, 3), had not denounced it. The peovle at thi~ ~ime accept~d it with?ut questi?n, and were probably quite unconscious that it was a sin at all. '[he other _srn, the mam- tenance of the asherah, was negative rather than positive-the e~blem still stood ~rec~; it had not been removed-but it is not said that it was worshipped. Yet God, 1n h_lB severity, visited the people for these two sins heavily, terriblY: (yers. ~ and 7). He did not accept thoughtlessness, unconsciousness, absence of any evil rntentlon, as an excuse, Clt, XIII, 1-25,] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS, 267
Hie honour was impugned by both practices, nnd he is very jealous of his honour. To Iir..vo the neberah standing, not to break it down, was to show a want of zeal for the purity of religion, for tbo honour of God, for the true faith, for virtue, for decency. To be indifferent to the calf-worship, to tolerate it, to continue it, was to live in constant violation of the second commandment. God could not, would not, tolerate this. If the conscience of the nation had gono to sleep, he must rouse it. By sharp pains, by severe affiictione, by actual agonies, if necessary, he must stir them from their self-satisfaction, a\\'ake thorn to self-examination and keen searchings of heart, and so bring them to a ticnse of their sinfulnes~, if not to a distinct recognition of their special sins. II. Gon's GOODNESS. As soon as any relenting is shown, as soon as the king acknowledges God's hand in his punishment, and tnrns to him and entreats his aid, even although he does not put a stop to the practices by which God's anger has been provoked (ver. 6), yet the Divine compassion is stirred. "The Lord hearkened unto him" (ver. 4). A saviour is given, in the Divine counsels, if not at once in fact. The nation's fall is arrested, its life prolonged. "0 faithful Ch1istian, if God heard Jehoahaz, how much more will he hear thee, if thou callest upon him 1 The Lord gave Israel a deliverer, but Jehoaha.z did not live to sec him. God hears the cry of those who earnestly call upon him, anil helps them; but the time, and place, and manner of his aid are retained in his own discretion. Do not despair if thy prayer does not seem to be heard, and the Lord delays bis assistance. He knows that fitting season as well as he knows what is useful to us" (Starke). Ver. 6.-7Vie persistency of evil. "There remained the grove." One would have thought that, in such a reformation as that of Jehu (eh. x. 15-28), there would have been a clean sweep, or, at any rate, that Ahab's pet idolatries (1 Kings xvi. 33) would have gone. But no I evil is terribly persistent. " The evil that men do lives after them," and not in men's recollections only, but in fact. No reformation ever sweeps away at once all that it was intended to sweep away. "The grove remains." How many heathen superstitions survived the supersession of heathenism by Christianity I Bow many iniquitous laws continue in all countries after every attempt that is made to reform the laws I How many abuses remain after each removal of abuses ! The result is partly through the fault of the reformers, who are careless about doing their work thoroughly, and cease their efforts while much still remains to be done; but it is also caused in part by the tenacity of life which the things that need to be swept away possess in themselves. And, as evil is thus persistent in comm uni ties, so is it also in the character of individuals. Naturam expellas /urea, tamen wque recurret. A man makes a great effort at self-reformation, changes his rules of conduct, bis habits, the whole Iijethod of his life, as he thinks; but in some corner there still lurks a remnant of the old leaven, which shortly reasserts itself, and too often leavens the whole mass with its corrupting influence. The lesson to be learnt is watchfulness and perseverance. By care, by consideration, and by constant effort, the persistency of evil may be met and counteracted. God's Holy Spirit is always ready to assist our endeavours; and, whether in a community or in an individual, continued effort, divinely aided, will prevail at last.
Vers. 14-19.-The closing scene of Elisha's life. The time had come to Elisha which comes to all the sons of men, however great, however holy, at the last. He had exceeded man's ordinary term of three score years and ten-nay, he had exceeded the extended term of those who are exceptionally "strong" men, four score years (Ps. :1c. 10)-but now at length he was overtaken by sickness, he was manifestly drawing near to death. What lessons does his departure teach us? It may teach us- I. A LESSON OF CONBOLA.TION. It is a good thing so to have lived that our departure is felt as a loss, not merely to our family or to our own narrow circle of frien,ls, but to our king and country. Not many persons can do the sort of service which Elisha. did. for forael; but all may do some service. All may seek their country's good, labour for it, strive for it, pray for it. All may use the powers and talents committed to them by God in such a way that not themselves alone, but their country also, may derive advantage from them. Honest endeavours of this kind will at any rate bring to us "the answer of a good conscience'' at the last-they may bring to us something more, 268 THE SECOND JJOOK OF THE KINGS. [on. xtn. 1-25,