" Honour me now, I pray thee, before the Cf, 1 Cor. v, 11," With such an one, no, not elders of my people." A feeling of gratitude to ee.t.'' As Corn. a Le.pide, " Ut ipso J~t.o mo.y ho.ve prompted the invito.tion, while the ostenderet, Bethelitaa ido/,olatraa adeo esse king a.t the so.me time wo.s very sensible of detestabiles, et a Deo quasi excommunicat.os, the a.dvo.nte.ges which would accrue to him- ut nullum .fidelium cum ii8 cibi vel potua self if it were accepted], and I w1ll give communionem lw.bere velit "], nor turn again thee e. reward, [The services, especie.lly of by the same way that thou camest. [The seers o.nd prophets, were invo.rio.bly requited object of this command was not "simply to in the Enst with presents, e.s are those of test the obedience of the prophet" (Re.w- Judges, Kadis, Kaime.kams, and other linson), nor yet that no one might "force officers e.t the present day (see eh. xiv. 3; him to a delay which was irreconcilable Gen. xxiv. 53; xxxili. 11 ; xliii. 11 ; Num. with his commission" (Keil), for that was xxii. 17 ; Judg. iii. 17; vi. 18; xiii. 15; 1 practically executed, but to avoid as far as Sam. ix. 7, 8 ; xii. 3 ; 2 Kings v. 5, 15 ; viii. possible-what, indeed, happened in spite 8, 9).) of these precautions-his being traced and v'er. 8.-And the man of God said unto followed. Bece.use of this provision, the the king, If thou wilt give me half thine old prophet (ver, 10) was reduced to ask, house [cf. Num. xxii. 18, of which, how- "What way went he.?" But the charge, we ever, there is hardly a reminiscence. Ob- co.n hardly doubt, was also designed to serve viously, half the contents or wee.Ith of thy another purpose, viz., to warn the prophet house], I will not go in with thee, neither against doing what he did presently-against will I eat bread nor drink water 1u this returning to Bethel. When he wasfollowed, place. and when he was told of a revelation com- Ver. 9.-For so was lt charged [Heb. he, manding his return, he should have remem- sc. the Lord, charged me] me by [Heb. in] bered,e.mong other things, that it had clearly the word of the Lord, sayiug, Eat no bread, been part of God's purpose, as evidenced by nor drink water [Participation in food-the the explicit instructions given him, that he "eating saJ.t"-is in the East a token of should not be followed. This a.lone should friendship and affinity ; e. sign of close com- have led him to suspect this old prophet of munion and fellowship. The prophet's deceit.] refusal to participate was consequently a Ver. 10.-So he went another way, and prnctical and forcible disclaimer of all returned not bf the way tha.t he came to fellowship, o. virtual exco=unication, a BetheL public repudiation of the calf-worshippers.
HOMILETICS. Vera. 2, 8, B.-P1·otest and Excommunication. The sin of Jeroboam, the schism which he inauglll'ated in person at the first feast of tabernaoles held in Bethel, was not consumma.ted without protest. When the king, possibly iu the " golden garments" of the priesthood, mounted the alta.r platform and stood before the vast multitude assembled to witness this first great function of the new regime, a messenger of God, sent from Judah, the seat of the true religion, lifte,l up his voice and witnessell against these irregular and impious proceedings, against the unsanctified altar, the unhallowed sacrifice, and the intrusive priesthood. It must have been pretty clear beforehand that any protest addressed to Jeroboam, who had devised and elaborated this corruption of Mosaic worship, would be tm- availing, but nevertheless it must be mnde. It was probably in pnrt because Jeroboam was beyond the reach of remonstrance that the warning was adl1ressed to the altar itself. In other words, it was made for the sake of the people rather than of their king. They should be mercifully, and therefore distinctly, ta.ught that this calf-worship bad not and could not have the sanction of the Most High. Whether they would hear, or whether tLey would forbear, they should see that God bad not left Himself without witness ; they should know thnt at this crisis there had been a prophet amongst thEm. The breach should not be made without due warning of its sinfulness and its consequences. "For a testimony unto them" the man of God addresses the dumb altar, the sign and centre of the new system, 11.nd proclaims not only its overthrow but the destruction of Jeroboam's house and the defeat of all bis sohemes. And as, under such oircumsta.noee, mere threats, of whatsoever character and by 286 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS, [cH. XIII. 1-10,