The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 258

gregl\tion, each from hie own ceneer. The leeeon taught by the miracle had been taken deeply to heart; and even such mighty monarchs as David and Solomon had carefully abst&ined from setting aside the privileges of the priestR, or infringing npon them in any way. But Azariah despised the teaching of the past, and the example set him by his predecessors. See him as Josephus depicts him! On a great festival day, when the people had all come together in crowds to keep the feast, he robed himRelf in priestly garments, and entering into the sacred enclosure declared his intention of going within the temple building, and himself offering incense on the golden altar that was before the veil. In vain did the eighty priests in attendl'nce, headed by the high priest, resist him, and exhort him to lay aside his design and retire; Azariab, hot with passion, refnsed, and threatened them with death if they made more ado. Then, Josephus declares, the ground suddenly rocked with an earthquake (comp. Amos i. 1; Zech. xiv. 5), and tbe roof of the temple gaped, and a sunbeam entering smote upon the head of the king, and at once leprosy spread over his face, and, overwhelmed with grief ancl shame, he departed(' Ant. Jud.,' iL 10. § 4). Here Azariah is a warning to kin as (1) that they attempt not to minisler the Word and ~acr,1ments; and (2) that they in no way trench upon the rights of the priests or other ministers; and further, he is a warning to great men, or such as think themselves great, in less exalted positions, that they rest content with the performance of their own proper duties and do not invade the office of others; either (1) by dictating to ministers what doctrine they shall preach ; or (2) by undue interference with schools, teachers, etc. ; or (3) by any other form of arrogant and overbearing conduct. Punishment will assuredly fall upon those who so act. They will lose men's respect and God's approval. Failure will overtake them at the moment when they look to have their efforts crowned with complete success. Well for them if it be simply failure, and not an utter downfall. It often happens that he who covets more than he bas any right or claim to have, loses that which was lawfully in his possession. Vers. 8-31,.-Worldly prosperity not u11frequently the ruin of kingdom,, I. EXAMPLE OF SAMARIA. Scarcely ever was there a more prosperous reign than that of Jeroboam II.-a reign of forty-one years of continual success, uncbeckered by a mis- fortune-Syria. defeated, the old border everywhere recovered, Hamath occupied, Damascus brought into a subject condition. As usual, where there is military success, wealth flowed in, and with wealth, luxury. "Great houses" were built (Amos iii. 15), "ivory houses," i.e. houses inlaid or panelled with ivory; distinct mansions were inhabited during the summer and during the winter time (Amos iii. 15). The children of Israel passed their lives in Samaria, lying "in the corner of a bed," and in Damascus lounging "upon a couch" (Amos iii. 12). "Flagons of wine" were "loved" (Hos. iii. 1); "wboredom and wine and new wine took away their heart" (Hos. iv. 11). And with this softness was blended, on tho one hand, the seductive influence of a licentious religionism, on the other, the coarser and ruder vices to which luxury and felf-indul- gence inevitably lead. Patriotism disappeared, and self-seeking took its place. "Politically all was anarchy or misrule; kings made their way to the throne through the murder of their predecessors, and made way for their successors through their own. Shall um slew Zecbariah (eh. xv. 10); Menahem slew Shallum (ver. 14); Pekah slew the son of Mena.hem (ver. 25); Hoshea slew Pekah (ver. 30). The whole kingdom of Israel was a military despotism, and, as in the Homan empire, those in command came to the throne" (Pusey's 'Minor Prophets,' p. 2). Society was corrupt to the core. The idolatries of the calves, of Baal, and of Moloch worked out their natural results, and bore their bitter fruit. "Creature-worship, as St. Paul points out (Rom. i. 23-32), was the parent of every sort of abomination; and religion having become creature-- worship, what God gave as the check to sin became its incentive. Every command- ment of God was broken, and that habitually. All was falsehood (Hos. iv. 1), adultery (Hos. iv. 11; Amos ii. 7), blood.shedding (Hos. v. 2; vi. 8); deceit of God (Hos. iv. 2) producing foithlossness to man; excess and luxury were supplied by secret or open robbery (Hos. vii. 1), oppression (Hos. xii. 7), false dealing (Amos viii. 5; Hos. xii. 7), perversion of justice (Hoa. L 4; Amos ii. 6), grinding of the poor (Hos. xii. 7). Blood was shed like water, until one stream met another (Hos. iv. 2), and overspread the land with one defiling <1eluge. Adultery was C<!-nsecrr.ted as an act of religion (Hos. h·. 304 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [oH, XV, 1-38,