The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 444

HOMILETICS. Ver8, 1-10.-The fal,l of Judah and Jerusabn a warnin 'I /01· all time to all nations. Jerusalem had defied Zerah with his host of a million men (2 Chrcn. xiv. 9-15), and had triumphed over Sennacherib at the head of all the armed force of Assyria ( eh. xix. 35, 36): why did she succumb to Nebuchadnezzar? It is quite certain that Babylon was not a stronger power than either Egypt or Assyria when in their prime. There is no reason to believe that Nebuchadnezzar was a better general than Sennacherib, or even than Zere.h. The ground of the difference in the result of Judah's struggle with Babylon, and her earlier struggles with Egypt and Assyria, is certainly not to be soucrht in the greater strength of her assailant, but in her own increased weakness. What, then, were the causes of this wee.knees ? I. IT WAS NOT TRE RESULT OF ANY DECLINE m MIT,ITARY STRENGTH, AS ORDTI<'ARILY ESTIMATED. The population of Judrea may have diminished, but under Josiah her dominion had increased (eh. xxiii. 15-20), and it is probable that she could still put into the field as many men as at any former period. Even if there were a diminution in the number of her troops, the fact would not have been one of much importance, since her military successes had never been dependent npon the numerical proportion between her own forces and those of her adversaries, but had been most signal and striking where ihe disproportion had been the greatest (see Numb. x.xxi. 3---47; Judg. vii. 7-22; viii 4-12; xv. 15; 1 Sam. xiv. 11-16; 2 Chron. xiv. 8-12; xx. 15-24, etc.). II. IT WAS NOT PBODUCF.D BY I:S-TERNAL QUARREL OR DISSENSION. Ewald attributes the fall of Judah and Jerusalem mainly to the antagonism between the monarchy and the prophetical order, and to the violence employed by each against the other, "The kingdom of Judah was tom," he says, "with less and less hope of remedy, by the most irreconcilable internal divisions; and the sharpest dissensions at length made their way into the sanctity of every house." Violence on the part of the kings was met by violence on the part of the prophets; and " the sacred land went to ruin under the development of the element of force"(' History of Israel,' vol. iv. p. 289). It is difficult to discover any sufficient support for this view in the sacred narrative, which shows us Hezekiah on the most friendly terms with Isaiah, Josiah on the same terms with Hnldah, and Zedekiah certainly not on unfriendly terms with Jeremiah. In the closing scene the antagonism is not between prophetism and monarchy, but between prophetism and an aristocratical clique. Nor is it at all clear that the final result was seriously affected by the antagonism in question. It may have somewhat relaxed the defence; but we cannot possibly imagine that, if there had been no difference of view, no sharp dissension, a successful resistance could have been made. The resistance might, perhaps, have been prolonged had all Israelites been of one mind; but still Babylon would have prevailed in the end. Ill. IT WAS NOT FROM ANY TREACHERY OR DESERTION ON THE PART OF ALLIES. Allies had nevor done Judrea much good; and dependence on them was regarded as au indication of want of faith in Jehovah. But, so far as the matter of alliances went, Judah was in a superior, rather than in an inferior, position now than formerly. Her natural allies in any struggle with the dominant power of Western A~i;1 were Phmnicia and Egypt; and at this time both Phrenicia and Egypt rendered her aid. Tyre was in revolt against Babylon from B.c. 598 to B.o. 585, and gave occupation to a considerable portion of the Babylonian forces while Jerusalem was being besieged. Egypt, under the enterprising Hophra (Apries), took the field soon after the siege began, and for a time succeeded in raising it. Babylon had to contend with the three allies, Tyre, Egypt, and Judrea, at one and the same time, but proved equal to the strain, and overcame all three antagonists. Juclrea's weakness lay in this-that she had offended God. From the time of Moses to that of Zedekiah, it was not her own inherent strength, or vigour, or energy, that had protected and sustained her, but the supporting hand of the Almighty. God had ever "gone forth with her armies" (Ps. Ix. 10). Gvd had given her "help from trouble." Through God she had "done valiantly." He it was who had "trodden down her enemies" (Ps. Ix. 11, 12), Many of thei:,: deliverances had been through  496 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS, [oH. xxv. 1-30. - - - - - - - - - ------------------------ Rchial miracle; othe:s we:e the result _of a divin~ly infused courage pervading th~lr own ranks, or a pamc fallmg upon their adversanes, It was only as God's" pecuhar people," enjoying his covenanted protection, that they could possibly hold their place among the nations of the earth, so soon as great empires were formed and mighty monarchs devised echemes of extensive conquests. God's arm had saved them from Egypt and from Assyria; he could as easily have saved them from Babylon. "It i1 nothing with God to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power" (2 Chron. xiv. 11). He could have bridled Nebuchadnezzar as easily as Zerah or Sennacherib, and have saved the Jews under Zedekiah as readily as under Asa or Hezekiah. But Judah's sins came between him and them. The persistent transgres- sions of the people from the time of Manasseh, their idolatries, immoralities, cruelties, and wickedness of all kinds, shortened God's arm, that he could not interpose to save them. As the author of Chronicles pu_ts it," there was no remedy" (2 Chron. xxxvi. 16). " They had transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem; ••. they had mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets " (2 Chron. xxxvi. 14-16); and so "filled up the measure of their iniquities." Under such circumstances, God could not spare even his own children (Isa. i. 4; !xiii. 16)- his own people. Can. then, any sinful nation hope to escape? Ought not each to feel the fate of Judah a warning to itself? a warning to repent of its evil ways, and turn from them, and walk in the paths of righteousness, according to the exhortation of Isaiah?-" Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; lea.m to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land : but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword : for the month of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isa. i. 16-20). Vers. 27-30.-" The loving-kindness of the Lord.,. God, "in his wrath, thinketh upon mercy." The captive king, and the captive nation, each of them suffered a long and severe punishment. Each of them must have been inclined to sink into a state of hopelessness and apathy. Ea.eh may have thought that God had forgotten them altogether, or at any rate had forgotten, and would forget, to be gracious. Thirty-six years-how long a space is this in the life of a man I Jehoiachin had grown from a youth into a man of full age, and from a man of full age al.most into an old man, for he was in his fifty-fifth year, and Jewish monarchs rarely reached the age of sixty. Yet he had not really been forgotten. God had had his eye upon him all the while, and had kept in reserve for him a happy change of circumstances. The Disposer of events brought Evil-Meroda.ch to the throne, and put it into the heart of that monarch to have compassion upon the aged captive. Jehoiachin passed from a dungeon to a chair of state (ver. 28), from prison food and prison dress to royal banquets and apparel fitting his rank, from the extreme of misery to happiness, dignity, and honour. This was the doing of the .Almighty Father, using men as his instruments; and it was a strong evidence of his loving-kindness. Would not the nation likewise experience his mercy jl The penal sentence passed upon it was well deserved, and might, in strict justice, have been finaL But would God exact the uttermost farthing? No, By the release and restoration to honour of Jehoiachin, he sufficiently indicated to his people that for them too there was a place of repentance, a day of grace, a restoration to his favour. A ray of light thus broke iu upon the long darkness of the Captivity. God's gracious intent was indicated. The nation felt a stir of hope, and woke up to the expectation of a new life; Isaiah's later prophecies (xl.-lxvi.), which had seemed a dead letter, became livina words, speaking to the heart of the people; and the later years of the Captivity we~e cheered by the prospect-ever becoming brighter and clearer-of a reinstatement in God's favour, a retUfil to the Holy Land, and a restoration of the sanctuary (Dan. ix. 2-19). OR, XXV, 1-30,] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. f9T