The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 358

children. The o.nnals of Turkey o.nd other Eastern kingdoms would supply many illustrations of this deed. 6. His own untimely enrl. For he died by the visitation of God-by a atroke of some kind or other. He may have perished like Antiochus Epiphanes, like Sylla, like Herod, like Philip of Spain. Or, like our Henry the First, he may have never smiled a.gain after his son's death, but steadily drooped to his grave. Some- how his life was cut short. "The wicked eho.ll be silent in darkness." Such, then, was the fourfold penalty which Jeroboam paid for his sin. Let ns now consider the punishment which befell his successors, who " walked in his way " and" departed not" from his heresy. We may trace it- 1. In the Bhortneas of their reigns. Nadab, Elah, Ahaziah, all reigned two years. Zimri one week. None of the kings of Israel reigned like David and Solomon, or like A.se. and other kings of Judah. In the 250 years that the kingdom of Israel lasted, nineteen kings occupied the throne, as against eleven kings of Judah. Asa saw seven kings in turn rise and fall during his reign; Uzziah saw six; and we have but to remember that long life was one of the prinaipal sanctions of the Mosaic dispensation to be assured that these brief reigns were e. manifestation of the righteous judgment of God. 2. In the revolution anrl assassination which often closed them. In these 250 yea.rs the dynasty was changed no less than seven times, and we know what a, change of dynasty meant, in that and a, later age. It was one of its traditions that "the man was a, fool who when he slew the father spared the children." Six times this tragedy of Tirzah was repeated. Once an unhappy prince, to escape the but- chery awaiting him, devoted himself and his household to the flames. Once seventy ghastly heads, in two heaps at the city gate, witnessed to the work of extermination. II. But now let us note the share of the people in this dispensation of suffering. What befell the priests who ministered at Dan and Bethel-what the worshippers who resorted thither? They or their children suffered these six penalties at least. 1. Misgovernment. Of the kings of Israel there was not one who did not " do evil " in the sight of the Lord. By which we are not only to understand that he worshipped the calves; oppression, exactions, intolerable cruelties may be compre- hended under the words. The case of No.both (eh. xxi..) was probably not the only one of its kind. We may be sure, too, that when Elah was drinking himself rlrun.k, in- justice was being practised in his name. Incapacity-on the part of the king-may have been the ea.use of some insunections, but oppression is a much more probable reason. We knowwhe.t Rome was like when the pm-pie fell to military adventurers. Probably Israel fa.red no better at the hands of its Be.e.she.s, Omris, and Mena.hems. What suffering a change of dynasty involved on the people we may gather from 2 Kings xv. 16. An Ee.stem kingdom e.t the best was a, despotism, at the worst a devildom. 2. Civil wa;r. The four years' struggle between Omri and Tibni e.nd theiJ. respective partisans, which was e. war to the death (eh. xvi. 22), entniled no less miseries on the country than civil we.r always does. Lands ro.vaged, homestends fired, women violated-these were some of its incidents. It has been snid that no one can give any o.dequate description of a bo.ttle. What shall be snid of a battle lasting over four years? for in a country not so large as Yorkshire civil strife would mean unceasing conflict. S. Inv~sion. (l) By Abijah (2 Chron. xiii. 4), (2) by Shishak, (8) by Syria, (4) by Assyr10.. Shishak was primo.rily appointed to chastise Judah, Syria was the lash of Israel. Observe that in the invasion of eh. xiii. 4, 10, Bethel wns cnptured by the men of Judah, whilst in tho.t of eh. xv. 20, Dan-Jeroboam's other shrine- was among the first to suffer. The priests of Dan and the inhabitants of the surrounding territory, the worshippers at its temple, bore the brunt of Ben-hadad's invasion. But the bands of Syria were always invading the land (oh. xx; 2 Kings vi,) And many a "little maid " (2 Kings v. 2) was carried off to dishonour. " Many e. childing mother then And now-boni baby died." 364 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [cu. xv. 25-im. 28.