The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 432

more pregnant with pmctical suggestions tbl\n his-a mighty fiend in human form, We have in these two chapters a view of (1) the wickedness of man; (2) the retribution of Heaven ; (3) and the supremacy of God. Here we have- I. THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN. 'l'he wickedness here displayed is marked: 1. By inveteracy. It is here said of Jehoiachin, "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done." In ver. 19 the s:1me is also said of Zedekiah: " He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, :1ccordinu to all that Jehoiakim had done." This has, indeed, been said of many kings of Jud:h, as of all the kings of Israel. What a hold, then, had wickedness taken on the J cwish people I It had so deeply struck its roots into their very being that neither the mercies nor the judgments of Heaven could uproot it. It was a cancer transmitted from sire to son, poisoning their blood and ea.ting up their nature. Thus, then, from generation to generation the wickedness of the Jewish people seemed to be a disease hereditary, ineradicable, and incurable. 2. By tyranny. "At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against the city, and his sen-a.nts did besiege it." This is seen in the conduct of Nebuchadnezzar. What right had Nebuchadnezzar to le.ave his own country, invade Judah, plunder it of its wealth and bear away by violence its population? None whatever. It was tyranny of tb~ worst kind, an outrage on eTery principle of humanity and justice. Sin is evermore tyrannic. We see it everywhere. On all bands do we see men and women endeavour- ing to bring others into subjection-masters their servants, employers their employes, rulers their subjects. Tyranny everywhere is the evidence, the effect, and the instru- ment of wickedness. 3. By inhumanity. "And the King of Babylon . . . carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's honse, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Sc.lomon King of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said. And he carried a.way all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and a.11 the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths : none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jeboia.chin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, and all that were strong and a.pt for war, even them the King of Babylon brought captive to Babylon." He rifled the country of its people and its property, and inflicted untold misery on thousands. Thus wickedness trans- forms man into a. fiend, and turns society into a. pandemonium. 4. By profanity. We read here that Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and cat in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon had made in the temple thereof. We also read here that" he burnt the house of the Lord. . . . And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the hrazen sea. that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. . . . The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight." Thus this ruth- less despot, becoming a scourge in God's hands, desecrated the most holy things iu the city of Jerusalem and in the memory of millions. He reduced the magnificent pilo oi buildinus to ashes, and rifled it of its sacred and priceless treasures. Wickedness is etisentially profane. It has no reverence; it crushes every sentiment of sanctity in the souL O Ein. what hast thou done? Thou hast quenched the divineBt instincts in human nature, and poisoned the fountain of religi•)us and social sympathies, substituted cruelty for love, tyranny for justice, blind superstition and blasphemous profanity for devotion. II. THE RETRIBUTION OF HEAVEN, III. THE SUPRElllACY OF Goo.-D. T. Vers. 1-9.-TJ.e advent of Nebuchadnezzar. It had been predicted that the final blow on Judah would be delivered, not by the Assyrians, but by the Cha.ldeans. "The days come, that a.11 that is in thine ho1111e . . . shall be carried into Babylon: notLing OII, XXIV. 1-20.] THE SECOND DOOK OF THE KINGS. 483