The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 80

it must be sinoe God has sent them to the field. But all appeals to Heaven from battalions prcp_e.ring to plunge into strife have not equal ground to rest upon. Neither kings nor parlrnmcnts, neither soldiers nor private persons, neither Christian Churches nor Christian individuals, should go to fight unless sure they can pray upon the scene of conflict. (4) That they have directed their prayer to the city of Jerusalem and the temple of Jehovah. Any sort of prayer will not suffice. It must be prayer in the manner God has shown. 2. A twofold petition. (1) That their prayer should be heard-" Hear thou," etc.--and (2) that their cause should be maintained. Both petitions Solomon might offer with confidence, seeing it is God's practice to attend to the supplication of the needy, more especially when their need arises from doing his will, and seeing that, though God is not always on man's side, he ever is upon his own. If not always on the side of the strongest battalions, he is always on the side of truth and right. VII. THE SUPPLICATION OF THE EXILJI:, (V~rs. 36-39.) 1. The calamity appre- hended. (1) That the people should sm agamst God. A dreadful apprehension considering the character and power of God; yet natural, remembering the universai corruption of the race: '' There is no man who sinneth not" (Ps. xiv. 3; Eccles. vii. 20; Rom. iii. 23). (2) That God should be angry with them. This inevitable if the pre- ceding hypothesis should be at any time realized (Exod. xxxii. 33; xxxiv. 7; Ps. vii. 11; xi. 6; lnviii. 21; Isa. lxiv. 7; Luke xix. 27; Rom. i. 18). If God cannot but be angry with unforgiven and unrenewed men when they sin, he cannot possibly be pleased with his people when they backslide into wicked ways. (3) That God should permit them to be defeated by their enemies. This they had oftentimes experienced because of their transgression (Josh. vii. 2; Judg. ii. 15; xiii. 1; 1 Sam. iv. 1); the king feared that a like experience might occur again. That which had been might be. (4) That God should suffer them to be carried captive into a foreign land whether far or near. This Solomon knew to be the common lot of prisoners of war. The monu- mental histories of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon have rendered Bible ntudents familiar with this phase of ancient warfare. The king also knew that such a fate had been threatened a~a.inst his people in the event of their declining from their covenant fidelity to Jehovah (Deut. xxviii. 63). 2. The supposition made. (1) That the captive people should bethink themselves of their sinfulness in the land of their captivity. Such as have no consideration of their wickedness while at home, amongst friends, and in circumstances of outward prosperity, not unfrequently are led to serious reflection when far from home, among strangers, and in want. So the Israelites were in Egypt (Exod. ii. 23) and again in Babylon (Ps. cxuvii. 1); so was the prodigal in the far country (Luke xv. 17). (2) That they should make candid acknowledgrnent of the same unto God saying, "We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;" not merely in a mild way stating the fact, but with earnest repetition emphasizing the guilt of their declen.sion from God. as Moses had enjoined them in such circumstances to do (Lev. xxvi 40), as the Babylonian captives afterwards did (Ps. cvi. 6; Dan. ix. 5), as did the returned exiles under Ezra (ix. 7), and as all who hope in God's mercy are expected to do (1 John L 9). (3) That they should return to Jehovah with all their hearts-a step beyond and in advance of confession. This, when earnest and sincere, ought to lead to reformation, but because it is sometimes formal and purely verbal it does not always bring amendment in its wake. Hence the neces- sity of insisting upon a practical demonstration of its genuineness by a renuncia• tion of those evil courses which have been confessed, and a reassumption of those good ways which have been forsaken (Isa. lv. 7; Ezek. xviii. 21; Dan. iv. 27; Amos v. 14, 15; Matt. iii. 8; Rev. ii. 5). (4) That they should pray to Jehovah in the land of their captivity, directing their supplication "towards the land of their fathers," thereby evidencing their faith in Jehovah's covenant," and towards the city which thou hast chosen," so acknowledging Jehovah's grace, "and toward the house which I have built for thy Name," in that fashion showing their belief in Jehovah'11 readiness to forgive--all of which are still indispensable as subjective conditions of acceptable prayer. 3. The intercession made, That God would grant hie repenting and praying people (1) an audience to their supplications by admitting these to his dwelling-place in heaven, and into the ear of his infinite heart; (2) support in their cause &5 against their oppressors, by upholding them while in exile, and by causing orr. v1. 1-42.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. SL