The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 188

of the Divine will to the soul of me.n (Numb. xi. 26; Job xxxii. 8; Ezek. ii. 2; 1 Cor. xii. 8). That the Spirit of God came upon a me.n did not prove him to he.ve been a goo~ ma.n, Bale.e.m (Numb. xxiv. 2) _and Saul (1 Sa.m. x. 10) being witness; though there 1s no ree.son to doubt that Aze.r1ah we.s a true prophet of Jehovah. The Spirit ea.me by measure upon him, as upon other holy men of the old dispensation through whom (iod spoke to his people; on Christ, through whom God's highest and le.st mes- Mge has been sent to mankind, the Spirit was poured out without measure (Isa. xi. 2; .John iii. 34; Rev. iii. 1). Hence the supreme importance attaching to the gospel. 2. Its recipi,cnts. "Asa., and all Judah and Benjamin." God claims a right to address BOvereigne as well as their subjects. Between princes and peasants in his sight is no difference ( Acts x. 34; 1 Pet. i 17). God's messages in the Law and the gospel are directed equally to all. The monarch is as much under the Low as the subject; the Bubject has as valid a title to the provisions of the gospel as the monarch. Asa and his warriors were returning from a victorious campaign, when Jehovah's prophet inter- posed with notes of warning. These were timely, since the king and his veterans were in danger of self-la.uda.tion and self-confidence--of ascribing their recent splendid exploits to their own skill and prowess, and of trusting to their own valour to protect them in future, without troubling themselves to think about Jehovah, his religion, or his help. So men (not excepting Christians) are never more in peril of forgetting God than when fortune smiles upon them (Deut. viii. 13), and never more need to be admonished than when rejoicing in deliverances wrought for them by God, 3. Its eontenu. A doctrine, a promise, a warning. (1) The doctrine. That Jehovah was with them, while they were with him. With all God is as to his immanent presence, since he fills heaven and earth (Jer. mill. 24), and besets all individually behind and before (Ps. cx.xxix. 1-12); but with his people he is, in the special sense of gracious manifestation, to accept (Numb. xvii. 4), protect (eh. xx. 17; Jer. xiii. 11), assist (1 Chron. xxii. 18; Hag. i. 13), and bless (Exod. xx. 24). Only his presence with them is ever conditioned by their being with him in the sense of believing in, loving, and obeying him (John xiv. 23). (2) The promise. That if they sought Jehovah, J ebovah should be found of them. If they sought him in the way of penitence, faith, love, obedience, he should be found of them in the way of e.C<'.eptance, grace, assistance. This promise, always true of Jehovah in his relations with Israel (1 Chron. xxviii. 9; eh. m. 19; Ps. cxix. 2; Jer. x.xix. 13; Amos v. 4), is equally true of his relations with believers on Christ (Beb. xi. 6; J as. iv. 8). (3) Tbe warning. That if they for- sook God, God would forsake them. If they went back from the path of reform upon which they were entered, he also would withdraw his countenance and aid from them. So Moses (Deut. mi. 16, 17) and Joshua (xxiv. 20) had warned their contempo- raries and David his son Solomon (1 Chron. xxvili. 9). The same condition is addressed to all (Jer. xvii 33; Heb. x. 38). IL A LESSON FROM HISTORY. (Vers. 3-6.) 1. The possi"biZity of lapsing into reli- giou,s apostasy. Such times had formerly existed in Judah, and hence in the futur~ 1;[Ught reappear (Eccles. i. 9 ; iii 15). Whether Azaria.h's language depicted the cond1t1on of Judah then (Grotius), orin the future (Luther), or in the past, in the days of Rehoboam and Abijah (Syriac, Arabic), or in the period of the judges (Vitringa, Bertheau), is open to debate. .As the prophet has not definitely stated the time, he may have designed to express truths of force at all times (Keil). Of such days as the prophet alludes to, Judah and Israel had both before had experience. The description of them is pecu- liarly atrectino-. (1) No true God; i.e. no knowledge of the true God; or, what is worse, the knowledg~ of the true God, but not his worship or service. Such times had exist~d soon after the death of Joshua (Judg. ii. 10-15; x:. 6), and were yet to reappear m Israel under Ahab (1 Kings xviii. 20, 21), and in Judah under Ahaz (eh. xxviii. 1-6). "Without God "-a correct characterization of the unbelieving world (Job xxi. 14; Ps. x. 4; Eph. ii 12). (2) No teaching priest; i.e. the priests they had either possessed no knowledge of the true God, of his character and requirements, and so could n~t teach the people; or, if they did, they were satisfied with the mere performance of their altar duties without caring for the spiritual welfare of the people. If the first, they were disq~lified for being priests. by reason of th_eir ignorance ~Mai. ii. ?) ; if the second they were chargeable with Indolence (Ma!. 1. 6) or hypocrisy (Neh, 1x. 34), or both. 'If, under the old covenant, priests were required to instruct the people in tho on. xv. 1-19.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CIIRONICLE8. 189