is every renson for believing that the same sin is ever regarded with the same dis- npprove.l nnd meets with e. similnr retribution. Malignity reached its deepest depthR when the holy Jesus wns hnted by scribes, Pharisees, and religions leaders, who found in his goodness the reproach of their sin. Israel rejected Israel's noblest Son, nay, the Son of God himself. .And in rejecting Christ the ancient people of God brought upon themselves the condemnation which has from that day to this remained upon the scattered and homeless sons of .A.bra.ham. How awful and how instructive 11,re the lessons concerning God's hatred of sin embodied in the history of mankind 1-T. Vera. 8-11.-11ie blasphemy and the punishment of Moab. .Although Ezekiel, speaking as the prophet of the Lord, has wQrds of upbraiding and of threatening for the several nations from whose hostility Israel suffered, it is not the case that these words are words of indiscriminate application. On the contrary, they have special reference to the circumstances of the several peoples and to their peculiar relations with Israel. In the case of Moab, the prophet urges a peculiar charge, which is not, iudeed, supported by detailed facts, but which he was nevertheless assured was a just charge and a heinous offence. I. THE PECULIAR OFFENCE. Moab was convicted of saying, "The house of Judah is like unto all the nations." The prophet knew, and we know, that the descendants of Jacob were a separated, chosen, and peculiar people. And to assert the contrary, as Moab had done, was to cast a slur upon the revelation of God, upon the vocation with which his people were called, upon the purpose which Divine wisdom had in view in conferring upon them special privileges. II. THE MORAL ENORMITY OF THE OFFENCE. It is only when the character of this sin of Moab is carefully considered, with all that it involves, that the guilt of Moab appears in its proper blackness. 1. It involves the classing of the holy and ever- blessed Jehovah with the idols which were the expression of human injustice, cruelty, caprice, and lust. 2. It involves the confusion of the righteous laws of Moses with the regulations and observances which obtained in heathen communities, some just and some unjust, and many of then1 superstitious and impure. 3. It involves the con- fusion of the Divine ordinances of sacrifice, of priesthood, of religious service, of so.cred festivals, with the debasing rites practised among the unenlightened idolaters. 4. It involves the classing together of the people consecrated to Jehovah with those who bad abandoned themselves to systems of selfishness, worldliness, or superstition. .All this was just calling darkness light, and light darkness. It, indeed, reminds us of what our Lord ho.s said regarding blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. We cannot, therefore, look upon this offence of the Moe.bites as something which has no application to our- selves. The offence of calling evil good and good evil is an offence which, in vnrious forms, is committed in our own day, and against which, therefore, men need still to be warned. '!'here are blemishes in the Church of Christ as it actually exists upon earth; but still it is the Church of Christ, and it must not, therefore, be confounded with institutions of human origin, and to speak of it as we might speak of other organizations ond institutions is to sin somewhat after the manner of the sin of Moab in the doys of the Captivity. Ill. 'l'BE PUNISHMENT OF THE OFFENCE. In the case of Monb this was terrible indeed. 'l'he territory was to be laid open to the incursions of the Eastern foe, the cities were to be taken by a foreign force, judgmcnts were to be executed upon the people, o.nd, like the Ammonites, they were to be overtaken by speedy and irreme- diable ruin. The very thought of such infliction is enough to make the sinner tremble, to induce him to 1·epent of his evil words and actions, and to seek, iu God'd own way, reconciliation with the authority which he has despised. Silence, contrition, and true submission of heart are the true way of peace.-T. Vera. 12-14.-The hostility and the curse of Edom. Often in the course of Old Testament hi~tory do we meet with references to the inhabitants of E<lom, and usually they are exhibited as taking an attitude of hostility towards the cho~en people. It i8 certainly remarkable that Ezekiel, in his Eastern captivity, should concern himself with these border states. But it is evident that he was at the time very deeply impressed with the great principle of national responsibHity and national retributiou; 58 'l'HE IlOOK OF THE PROPHET EKEKIEL. [cu. xxv. 1-17.
and that it was revealed to him that this principle had application, not to the Jews alone, but ;to all the nations of the earth. The Edomitcs, upon the eastern frontiers of the southern tribes, were often a source of annoyance to the inhabitants of Judah and their neighbours. They were regarded as the foes, not of Israel only, but of Israel's God. And against them the prophet utters words of l'eproach and of threatening. I. THE MANIFESTATION OF EDOM 1S HOSTILITY AGAINST JUDAH. 'l'he attitude of opposition which Edom assumed had an especial character; it was designated "vengeance," "revenge." 'l'his implies a standing feud, and the bitterness which is bred of repeated acts of enmity and injustice. II. 'l'HE GROUND AND CAUSE OF THIS HOSTILITY. we are not expressly informed upon this point; but we shall not err in assigning this enmity to the repugnance entertained by the Edomites to the religion of Judah, and to the worship and prescribed rites and observances which were so much in conflict with the idolatrous religion pro- fessed and practised by the children of Edom. III. THE GUILT OF THIS HOSTILITY. This is apparent both from the nature of the case itself, and from the retribution which Divine justice deemed necessary in its chastisement. IV. THE PECULIAR FORM OF PUNISHMENT WITH WHICH EDOM WAS VISITED. This is perhaps the most striking figure in the passage. Retribution was to be wrought upon Edom "by the hand of my people, Israel." _The sufferers were the instruments of punishment. The power of Judah ma.y have seemed scarcely adequate to the task. But it was appointed by the King of nations that the Edornites should pay the penalty of sin; and, not rmly so, but that those whom they had hated and reviled should be the scourge by which the smiters should be smitten. The hand of God's people Israel wss God's own hand, and; when the Edomites felt it, they knew by bitter experience the righteous vengeaoce of the Lord.-T.