The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 296

themselves, were full of significance. In- the lion standhlg by the carcase : and they deed, he did in one way precisely what came and told lt ln the city where the old Jeroboam and his people 'l\'ere doing in prophet dwelt. [This was precisely wbnt another-he forsook the plain commands of God had d"signc<l. Dy this mecms, the God for the orcliuauces of men; he listened very disobedience and death of the man of to the tempter and ate the forbidden fruit; God became a part of the protest against an,l so it came to pr.ss Ll1at, instead of wit- the new rites. " For if the partaking of nessing against disobedience, be himself set food ngainst the commandment of God, thPm the example of disobedience. It is though tbo result not of indulgence, but of the story of the Fall over again ; and deceit, brought so great a punishment upon tbe~efore death, the punishment of the a righteous man, wbe.t sort of chastise- Fall, befell him. But before we say that ments would befall those who be.d left God bis punishment was too s2vere, let us re- their Maker and were worshipping sense- member wbitt, by the mercy of God, that less images" (Thcodoret.)J primnl punishment has become. It has Ver. 26.-And when the prophet that been turned into a blessing. It has given brought him back from the way heard us the incarnation, redemption, eternal thereof, he said, It ls the man of God, who life. We forget Lhat death is not neces- was disooedient [Heb. rebelled; same word so.ri!y an enl-is in reality o. blessing. One as in ver. 21] unto the word [J:Ieb. of the heathen bas said that if we only "mouth," as in ver. 21] of the Lord: knew what the future life was like, we therefore the Lord hath delivered him sbould not be content to li"l'e. To this unto the lion, which hath torn [Heh. as " man of God" it must surely have been marg., broken. The word " is very expres- gain to die. If the flesh was destroyed, it sive, for the lion kills with one blow " was that the spirit might be saved (1 Cor. (Thenius)] and sl.aJ!l him, according to the v. 5). Only because we forget that death word of the Lord, which he spake unto is the gate of life do we complain of the h1m. se"l'erity of his doom. And as to the lying Ver. 27.-And he spake to his sons, say- prophet who wrought all this mischief es- ing, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled caping retribution-which, by the way, he him, did not do, for assuredly be must have bad Ver. 28.-And he went and found h1s a life-long remorse-it is overlooked that carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the day of retribution bas not yet arri"l'ed. the lion standing by the carcase : the lion There is for him a judgment to come. It had not eaten the carcase nor tom [Heb. may be said that the Jew did not know of broken, as in ver. 26] the ass. this-that the futnrn life had not then been Ver. 29.-And the prophet took up the re"l'c:1lcd. Tba t is quite true, and for that carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon very reason this visitation would make all the ass [i.e., the one standing by], and the deeper impression on their minds. To brought it back : and the old prophet came tllis I!!ust be added that the man of God to the city, to moum and to b~ him, did not die merely or principally because of [The mourning is speciall;y: mentio!1ed, his sin but " that the works of God might because in the East profess10nal wa1lera be made manifest in him." His death was were and are employed at funerals. The necessarv in order that his mission might Jew no less than the Greek and Roman, not be altogether invalidated. Eis miserable eate~med it a great misfortune and disgrace end-as it must ba"l'e seemed to them- to be deprived of decent b1;1rial: Isa. _xiv. 1~; would surely speak to the inhabit:i.nta of Jer. xxii. 19; and especially 2 Kings 1x. Bethel e.nd to all Israel and Judah, for long 10.J years to come, as to the sure vengea?-ce Ver. 30.-And he Wd hls carcase in h1B nw~iting the disobedient, whether king, own grave [Matt. xxvii. 60. '.('his was a prophet, priest, or people. Though dead mark of profound respect (Ruth 1. 17 ; Gen. " be cried against the altar of Bethel." xxi.ii. 6)] ; and they mourned over him, say- And the sacred narrative (vers. 26-32) ing, Alas, my brother. [A customary affords us some ground for hoping that the formula in lamentation (Jer. xxii. HI). It " old prophet " became ~e1;1iten~ for his sin. hardly implies that " be was mourned and It is noteworthy that be JOinB his testimony buried as a relative of the family" (Diihr). to that of the man of God. Thus, this Seeing that the old prophet we.a responsible tragedy extorted r,ven from him a warning for his death be could hardly have done age.inst disobedience ("l'er. 26), e.nd a con- Jess. " It is ~ cruel courtesy to kill a man firmation of the prophecy against the altar and then help him to bis grave" (Hall).] of Bethel (ver. 32).J Ver. 31.-And It came to pass, after he Ver. 25.-And, behold, men passed by, had burled h1m, that he spake to his sons, &nd sa.w the carcase cast 1n the way, and saying, When I am dead, then bury me 111 OH, XIII, 11-34.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 299