The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 102

Name." "And wisdom he.s thy Name in its eye" (Delitzsch). "And he who ie wiso will regard thy Name" (Henderson). The idea seems to be this-that the wise man will recognize God's voice. Job says," God spe11ks once, yea twice, and they perceive it not." The crowds that populate cities are deaf to the Divine "voice." The din of passion, the hum of commerce, the chimes of animal pleasures, drown the voice or God. But the wise man has his soul ever in a liste.ning attitude. Like yoWlg Samuel, he !lllys, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." .Abraham heard the voice of God concerning Sodom, Daniel concerning Babylon, Jonah concerning Nineveh, Jeremiah conc~mmg Jeru&&lem. "I will hear what the Lord God will say,"-this is the language of wise men. Ill. TnE JUDGMENT OF CITIES IS IN THAT VOICE. "Hear ye the rod, and who bath appointed it." The rod is the symbol of judgment. "0 Assyrian, the rod of my anger the staff in their hand is my indignation " (Isa. L 6). 1. G1Xl warns cities. (1) H~ warns them of ultimate temporal ruin. All cities must go-go with Nineveh Greece Babylon, Rome, Jerusalem. London, Paris, Petersburg, New York, etc., all m~et go a~ these have gone. It is only a question of time. (2) He warns them of spiritual danger. " The soul that sinneth, it shall die." This is his voice to every citizen. Here is the " rod ••-the warning-over all cities. 2. His warning should be attended. to. " Hear ye the rod." The only way to escape is attention. Hear it, and flee for refuge; hear it, and thunder it abroad to alarm the careless; hear it before it is too late. " If thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace in this day I but now are they hid from thine eyes" (Luke xix. 42). "Heaven gives the needful, but neglected, call. What day, what honr, but knocks at human heart.s, To wake the soul to sense of fubue scenes 1 Deaths et.and, like Meronries, in every way, And kindly point us to onr jonrney'11 end." (Young.) D.T. Vera. 10-15.-0ivic sins. "Aie there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are foll of violence," etc. In these verses we have specified a sample of the crimes which abounded in the city, and which would bring on the threatened judg- ment. The passage leads us to make two remarks concerning civic sins, or the sins of a city. I. TllEIB vA.llmTY. 1. Here is fraud. "Aie there yet the treaures 'of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?" "Aie there still in the house of the wicked treasures of wickedness and the scanty ephah?" (Henderson). This sin is described in Amos viii 5, "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?" Fraud is one of the most prevalent crimes in all cities. Perhaps in no city was it ever more prevalent than it is in London to-day. Onr commercial immorality is that at which thoughtful men stand aghast. 2. Here is violeme. "'l'he rich men thereof are full of violence." Strong in every age has been the tendency of rich men to oppress the lower classe6 by unrighteous exactions of service, by oppressive enactments. Wealth has a tendency to make men arrogant, haughty, heartless, often inhuman. The tyrant in man, as a rule, grows with the increase of his wealth. 3. Here is falsehood. " The inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth." Unveraoity is a crime, and a crime most prevalent in all cities. There is scarcely a trade or profession carried on without deception. Fortunes are made by lies. Men are everywhere deceiving each other. Such are samples of the crimes prevalent in Jerusalem. IL THEIR RETRIBUTION. All these crimes are offensive to the Ruler of the universe, and by the law of retribution bring dire results upon the population. God says," Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances?" It is said in Ps. xviii. 26 that with Lb<: "pure God will show himself pure; but with the froward he will show himself iroward." And what are the results? Several are here specified. 1. Disease. -<:II. VI. 1-16.] THE IlOOK OF MICAH. 105