The Pulpit Commentary — Zephaniah — Section 48

lying north-weet of Ge.th, nod north of Aehdod. "Woe onto the inhabitants of the scn-coe.st I" The Philietinee dwelling on the eee.-coa.et eouth-weet of Canaan. "The nation of the Cherethitee "-the Cretane, the name applied to the Philistines that sprang from Crete. "0 Ce.ne.e.n, the le.ad of the Philietinee." They occupied the etrip of le.nd on the eouth shore of the Mediterranean (Josh. xiii. 3). Two facts are here euggeeted. !. 'J.'HAT THE 0ALAMITIEB !'ALLING UPON ONE BINNER 0li"TEN INVOLVE OTHEBB. It we.a eo now. The ruin the.t was approaching the Hebrew nation would be mORt r,alamitous to the Philistine cities, e.nd indeed to the neighbouring etatee. Gaza would be "forsaken," Ashkelon woulrl be a" desolation," Aehdod would be "driven out," Ekron would be "rooted up," the inhabitant~ of the sea.ehore, the Cherethitee, the Canaanitee, e.11 would be involved. So vital, etrong, and numerous are the tiee that connect man with man in this world, that the condition of one must affect the condition of others. It is so: 1. With nations. At no period in the world's history waa it more manifest than now. No one state or kingdom of Europe can be affected withou~ influencing others. What was called "the Eastern question,'' in that terrible war between the sultan and the czar, affected every part of the civilized world. 2. With individuals. A man cannot fail in health, in business, or in character, without painfully affecting others in some way or other. What sufferings the failures of the Gurneys, the Petos, and the Grants have brought upon thc,asands in this coun- try! This shows: (1) The social connection between man and man. No man can live unto himself. Each man is a link in the great chain of human life; and he cannot move without influencing others. Each man is a link in the great humaa body; and, if one suffers, all suffer. (2) The duty of each man to look well after his own conduct. .A sinner has no right to say he will do what he likes, and that no oae may properly interfere with him. If his actions terminated ia himself, there might be some reason in such e. claim; but as they cannot, and they must affect others, every man, all society, the whole human world, have a right to protest against the sinful conduct of any individual man. II. THAT THE LOT OF MAN 1B AT THE DIBllOSAL OF ALMIGIITY Goo. ".Aud the eea.-coast shall be dwellings a.nd cotta.ges for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of J udab ; they shall feed thereupon; in the houses of ABhkelon shall they lie down in the evening : for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity." "And the line of the sea shall be pastures, with cisterns for shepherds and folds for sheep. Yea, the line shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah, thereupon shall they feed; in the houses of .Asbkelon shall they lie down at- even; for Jehovah their God shall visit them, auJ. reverse their captivity" (Henderson). Here the Almighty is represented a.s arrang- ing the future home and circumstances of" the remnant of the.house of Judah." Paul at Athens said tha.t God had "determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts xvii. 26). Though we are free e.nd conscious of our freedom, we are at the disposal of One above us. He has appointed: 1. Our place in the world. He has set bounds to our habitation "that we ca.!lilot pass." 2. Our period in the world. " My times are in thy hand." The periods of our birth and death are all arranged by him. "Man's days are determined; the number of his months is with thee" (Job xiv. 5). We are often tempted to imagine that chanco rules us. We arc struck with the appRrent contingency when we look at mon's circumstances in con- nection with their choice. None of ne has any choice as to the condition, the place, the time, in which we are to be born or brought up. We are struck with the apparoat contingency also when we look at men's circumstances in connection with their merits. How often do we find feeble-minded men ia eminent positions, and men of talents and genius in obscurity I some, by what is ea.lied a bit, making fortunes and earning fame, whilst honest industry plods on with little or no success; vice in mansions, a.ad virtue in the pauper's hut I Verily the race is not al ways to " the swift, nor the battlo to the strong." But amidst all this feeling of contingency, and over all, there is the ruling 1ila.n of the beneficent God.-D. T. Vere, 8-10.-fie persecution of the good. "I have heard the reproach," etc. 11 The threat now turns from the Philistines in the west to the two tribes in the east, 46 THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH, [on, n. 1-15,