Nineveh will brcome dry like a wilderness (ver. 18), and desolation shall be in hor thre~holds ('Ver. 14). (3) Occupation of their deserted lands by Israel. "'l'he Philistine coast shall be for the remnll.Ilt of the house of Judah" (ver. 7). Of Moab 11.Ild Ammon it i~ written," The remnant of my nation shall inherit them" (ver. 9). 2. In incidence equally ce,-f.a.in. All rested on a common ground, and were pronounced by a common voice, that of Jehovah. "The word of Jehovah was against the land of the Philistines" ("er. 5). Unt-0 Moab and Ammon Jehovah had undertaken to be terrible (ver, 11). Jeb,,'l'ah's sword was to slay the Ethiopians (ver. 12). He should also stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Ass)•ria (ver. 13). What God directly by his own voice, or indirectly through the voice of another, undertakes to do is as good as done. 3. In result equally good. In threatening to destroy the above-mentioned nations- from their number and situation obviously designed to represent the whole heathen world-Jehovah practically engai(od that the issue of his judgments would be to famish all the gods of the earth (ver. 11), i.e. cut off their worshippers, and so starve or make them lean, and in this way cause them to vanish from the face of the earth. Thus the ultimate result of his punishing the heathen would be (1) to reveal the nothing- ness of idols, whose inability to protect their worshippers would thereby be revealed; (2) to extinguish idolatry, since men would no longer serve divinities that were powerless to save them; and (3) to hasten the conversion of the world, since "all the isles of the nations" would be induced by what they saw to worship Jehovah "every one from his place." Learn: 1. That God sees and notes the attitudes of nations towards himself and his kingdom. 2. That God is as much against nations that do wickedly as he is against individuals that sin. 3. That the strongest and most fl.uurishing empires can be easily overthrown when God becomes their assailant. 4. That social and political convulsions are all hastening on the era when "the meek shall inherit the earth." 5. That national judgments are a prelude and premonition of the judgments of the great day when "before him shall be gathered all nations."-'l'. W.
Ver. 3.-The duty of seeking the Lord. Thie may be taken as the key-note of the second discourse of the prophet (cb. ii. 1-iii. 7), in which, after having utteri,d the solemn threatening of judgment in the former discourse, be gives more explicit directior.R as to what is the duty of the people in the view of this impending calamity. The call in eh. i. had simply been "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God," i.e. to recognize the reality, nearness, and justice of the judgment he announced; but now the prophet gives more particular and express admonitions a.s to what people should do. What he calls upon them to do is, in one word, to seek the Lorcl; but in this discourse lie enlarges at some length on the grounds and the way of doing so. · J. WHY OUGHT MEN, IN VIEW OF SUCH A JUDGMENT, TO BEEK THE Lo1rn? 1. Because the judgment is universal. It is not merely a local visitation on the land of Israel, in which it alone is to suffer at the hands of some powerful and successful invader. In that case prudence might dictate the propriety of seeking escape by allying themselves with the conquering power, or taking refuge in some other land not exposed to its invasion. It might even be suggested by the idolatrous superstition of those days, that the cause of the triumph or safety of other nations was the power of their gods, and that this might be a reason for worshipping or fearing them. But the judgment is to be from the Lord, the only living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and it is to show itself as such in this that it shall include all nations in its sweep; it is to be on the countries round about, as well as on Judah. 'I'he most prominent of the TJeighbouring nations are mentioned as involved in the calamity-the cities of the Philistines on the sea-coast to the south-west (vers. 4-7), Moab and Ammon on the south-east (vers. 8-10). These had been old hereditary enemieH of Israel, and were inclined to rejoice in her calamity, and boast themselves a11 if their old hatred was now to be gratified. But this very jealousy and pride offend the Lord and bring down his judgment on them too. '!'hen even the more distant nations of the Ethiopians far to the south-west, beyond Egypt, and Assyria in the remote north-ea~t, with the great luxurious and proud city of Nineveh, were to be visited too; so that there would be no quarter of the earth to which Israel could turn for safety (vers. 12-15). So it ever is when God visits men; he makee it to be felt on. n. 1-16.] THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH. 4l