The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 129

conduct is fashioned and raled by their likings and dislikings, their sympathie3 and nntipathies; in other wordB, if their conduct is bad, it can only be made good by a change of he1ut. "Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again." IV. THAT OuRIBTIANITY 1B THE ONLY SYSTEM THAT 0AN MEET RIB 0ASE. The mission of Christianity iB to change the heart, to renew the life, and effect a spiritual reformation. This it is designed to do, this it is fitted to do, this it has done, this it is doing; and no other system on earth is capable of accomplishing this work.-D. T. Ver. 14.-.A prayer. "Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old." Here is a prayer addressed by the prophet to Almighty God. It is brief, but beautiful, beautiful in spirit and style. It has a prophetic aspect. This prayer recognizes three things. I. AN INTERESTING RELATION BETWEEN Goo AND HIS PEOPLE, FLOCK AND SHEPHERD. The Jews, here as elsewhere, are metaphorically referred to as a flock, and Jehovah as their Shepherd (Ps. lx:u:. 1; xcv. 7, etc.). "The Lord is my Shepherd;,. "I am the good Shepherd." What a Shepherd is he I 1. He is the absolute Owner of the flock. "My sheep are mine, and I know them." "All souls are mine." How incalculably valuable is one soul !-a. free, ever active, influential, undying spirit! How rich is this Shepherd, to own untold millions of such! 2. He has a perfe-et knowledge of the flock. He knows what they are, what they have been, what they will be through all the future. "I know my sheep," etc. (John L). 3. He has an infinite love for the flock. The good Shepherd hath laid down his life for them. 4. He has abundant supplies for the flock. Though their wants are varied, numerous, urgent, ever-recurring, he is able ta meet them all. "I give unto my al.Jeep eternal life, neither shall any pluck them out of my hands;" "He is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we can ask or think" (Eph. iii. 20); "Feed thy people with thy rod," or staff. It recoguizes- Il. THE TRYING CONDITION IN WHICH Goo's PEOPLE ABE SOMETIMES FOUND. "Which. dwell solitarily in the wood, in the, midst of Carmel." The primary reference is to their captivity in Babylon. (For another view, see Exposition.) They were as sheep in the forest or wood; in danger of being lost in the thickets or being devoured by beasts of prey. Human souls in this world are in a morn! wilderness; beset with. perils on every hand. "They are scattered on the mountains as sheep -having na shepherd." .Two facts render this condition peculiarly distressing. 1. It is caused by ulf. Souls have not been driven away into moral captivity. "All we like sheep have gone a.stray." 2. It is undeliverable by self. No soul ever found its way back to God by its own unaided efforts; hence Christ came to " seek and to save the lost." III. THE IMPORrAN0E OF BESTOBATION TO FOMREB ENJOYMENTS. "Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old." The regions of Bashan and Gilead, on the east of the Jordan, were celebrated for their rich pasturage, and on this account were chosen by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Numb. xii..; Deut. iii. 17). Morally, the great need of man is the restoration of normal rights, normal virtues, normal enjoyments. "Good Shepherd, hasten thou that glorious day, When we shall all . In the ·one fold abide with thee for ayo I " D.T. . Vere. 15-17.-The ullimate deli'llfflJnce of man from sin. "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall bo deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth : they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee." In this passage there is an answer to the prophet's prayer. It contains a Divine assurance that wonders analogous to those displayed in the deliverance of the Je11'B from Egypt would be vouchsafed in their deliverance from Babylonish captivity; and that the display of those wonders would lead to tho utter confusion and ruin of the "nations" who were their enemie~. They would feel that all their strength was contemptible impotenct1 in the presence of l'-32 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [OH. VII, 1-20.