The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 307

of His own Son ; and if we finally reject Christ the extremity of mercy is spurned and we must encounter the extremity of wrath.-J. A. M. ' Vera. 18, 19.-Lcad us not into temptation, but delwer us from evil. The miraculous element in this chapter is, with many, a reason for its rejection. The same reason might lea<l us to reject the story of our Saviour's life, and deny the possibility of supernatural revelation. If miracles and signs ever occurred they would be likely to do so at the time described in this chapter. Idolatrous practices were being set up. Many who had been worshippers of Jehovah had been seduced. Worldly policy, social influences, moral enervation, following on the extravagant prosperity of Solomon's reign, and an inherent tendency to sensuous worship, were all combining to induce the people to put away all belief in Jehovah. Then, if ever, He would fitly reveal His power, as He did at the later crisis when Elijah faced the false prophets on Carmel. The effect on Jeroboam was nil, hut the godless had warning, and the secret worshippers of the Lord still left in Israel were encouraged. The story of the temptation and fall of this prophet, who at least delivered one message with fidelity, is tragic and suggestive. After reading it we have left with us the following thoughts: I. THAT A STRONG TEMPTATION HAD BEEN RESISTED. Jeroboam had failed to reach the prophet by violence, but resolved to overcome him by craft. Terrible as had been the effect of Jehovah's wrath (ver. 4), the king's conscience was not stirred. His heart was not touched, though his arm was withered. Hence he did not ask the prophet to pray that his sin might be forgiven, but that his arm might be restored. Immediately after, with a show of civility and gratitude, he invited him to his house. Clearly this was not in order to honour the prophet, but to weaken the effect of his message. The people had heard it, and had been moved by it ; but if they saw the messenger going down in seeming friendship with their king, this would diminish, perhaps destroy, the effect of his words. Lest this should happen, the prophet had been forbidden to enter any house. As the repre- sentative of Jehovah, he was to show that God would not dwell amongst the people. Firmly, therefore, he rejected the invitation of the king, saying, "If thou wiH give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place," &c. The temptation was resisted; the victory won. Give illustrations of similar moral conquests. A young man tempted to impurity says, " How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? " Another siti! silent among the scorners, and cannot be induced to join or smile with them, &c. Thare are times when we are specially able to resist: e.g., when we come fresh from the influences of a Christian home; when we are feeling the impression of an ea.rnest sermon; when we are made serious by the dea.th of a dear friend. Under such influences many obey the co=and, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you I " II. THAT A NEW TEMPTATION WAS SUCCESSFUL. (Read vers. 11-19.) (1) What were the motives of this old p1·ophet of Bethel'! Probably he was not a false prophet, though these existed; as tares amongst the wheat, as Judas among the ~postles. Nor must he be charged with the malignant wish to bring this man to uis death. Picture him as one who knew his Lord's will, but dicl it not. He hacl been silent, instead of protesting against the impiety of Jeroboam, ancl now felt rebuked by this daring stranger. To entertain him might reinstate him in his own good opinion, and in the eyes of the people. Hence he gives the invitation, anu when it is resisted another sign of his moral decadence appears, and ho tells a lie about receiving a message from the Lord. (2) How came this temptation to succeed.2 Not improbably there was some self-complacency in one who had just resisted the king successfully, and a sense of false secw-ity which is indicatell by his resting under the terebinth instead of pressing on homewards. Observe here-1. The conquest of one evil may only btring on the assault of another; e.g., when sensuality is repressed, scepticism may arise and prevail. We sometimes forgot that it is not a momentary but a life-long conflict we have to wnge. If the 'F.gyptians are drowned, the A.morites and Canaanites await us. A gross sin fails to conquer us, but a subtle sin may leaa us to bitter bonlhge. We can never s:i.y  310 'l'HE FIRST BOOK OF RINGS. rOil. X1II, 11-94,