The Pulpit Commentary — Obadiah — Section 43

7ack of sympathy when Judah WlLII in distress. "Thou shouldest not have looked," etc. Greatly did Judah need Edom's sympathy at this time. "Strangers oarried away capti vc their forces;" Babylon entered their country and their city and oarried them away as captives. Foreigners entered into his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem, The city, after a long siege, was broken up; and the great officers of the King of Babylon came and sat at the gates and cast lots on the spoils of Jerusalem. It was indeed a "day of calamity," as it is three times expressed in these verses. Terrible and never to be forgotten was that day when Babylon came with all its forces into Judrea, entered tho city, and bore away as captives the inhabit.ants. Now, in their distress, how did Edom their brother act? They stood and looked carelessly on. Want of sympathy with suffering is a sin in the sight of God. Heaven denounces men, not only for the evil they actually perpetrate, but for the neglect of the good they ought to accomplish. These Edomites were like tbe priest and the Levite. 2. Positive rejoking when J udab was in distress. It is said, " they rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of destruction," they "spoke proudly in the day of distress." They seem to have gloated over their afflictions. 3. Participation in the work of their enemies. They laid their hands on their substance, they cut off those that did escape, they delivered up th0tie that did remain in the day of their distress. Social cruelty ever has had, and still has, many forms of working. Cold indifference, malignant rejoicing, as well as positive inflictions. See the charge brought age.inst the Edomites on this occasion (Ps. cxxxvii. 7; Ezek. x:xv. 12). II. 0¥NISCIENCE OBSERVES IT IN ALL ITS FOB'MB. God's eye was on the Edomites, noted not only their positive acts, but the workings of their inner souls. Sin in all its operations is evermore under the eye of Omniscience. He knows the way each spirit takes. He searcheth a.11 hearts, and understandeth all their thoughts. The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth their doings; they "are in every place, beholding the evil a.nd the good." This fact, for an incontrovertible fact it is, should be practically realized. And if practically realized it will have a fourfold effect on the soul. 1. It will stimnlate to great spiritual activity. When the eye of an intelligence falls right on us, the glance stirs the soul. What soul could sleep if it felt the eye of God ever resting on it? 2. It will restrain from the commission of sin. Did we feel his eye ever on ns, should we yield to temptation? "Thou God seest me" is a powerful preventive. 3. It will excite the desire for pardon. God has seen a.11 the errors and sins of the past, and they are great ID number and enormity. Since he sees them, they must be either pnnished or absolved. 4. It will brace the soul in the performance of duty. Moses "endured as seeing him who is invisible." He knows our trials and our difficulties. Therefore let us be magnanimous under trio.I and brave in danger. Of God all-seeing, "What can escape his eye, deceive his heart llmniscient?" lIL A JUST ..H,"'D TERRIBLE RETRIBUTION AwAITS IT m ALL ITS FORMS. " The day of the Lord is near upon a.11 the heathen : as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall retnm upon thine own head," etc. Retribution is a settled law in the lllll.terial universe. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.." There is a rebound in every sin. No crime has ever been committed that does not come back with a terrible rebound on the soul of the author. "They shall drink, and they shall ewa.llow down.'' To swa.llow up and to be swallowed up is the world's destiny.-D. T. Ver. 15.-&cial retribution. "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee : thy reward shall return upon thine own head." We have above fumished outlines of three homilies on the first sixteen verses of this chapter. BodaJ, croelty we considered as the grand subject of the whole. This was presented: 1 A.a a Bin againat (he Creator. And this was proved by the consti- tution of the human soul; the common relation of the race to God; the common interest of Christ in the race; and the universal teaching of the Bible. 2. As when p8'1']1etrated against a brother, epeciall11 offensive to God. And three reasons were mentioned for this -the obligation to love a brother is stronger; the chief human institution is outraged; and the tenderest human loves are wounded. 3. As working in various forms from generation to generation. In this view it was shown that cruelty has various forma of 1-21.] THE BOOK OF OBADIAR. 39