The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 136

every B<'pe,rate Gentile nation or people will be ernployed In this siege. All the rest of the world RgRin8t JeruAAlem. Snob i~ what we seem to see here. Such is what we ~l'em to see also in such passages 11.S Ezek. xxxviii. 1-16 (where note specinl mention, a~ in ,er. 4 here, of "horses" and "horsemen"); Joel iii. 9-17; Rev. xvi.14-16; xx. S, 8. \,hether or not we consider all these passages to refer to exactly the same time~ and events, at any re.te they illustrate, if they do not apply to, the universnl league described here. fr. lTs ONE DEFENDER. With all the rest of mn11kind against the people of Jeru• salem, there can be no man, of course, on their side. But they are not to be on that account without a defender. On the contrary, they will have the best of all, even Jehovah himself. Five times over, and in two separate ways, he gives them to under- ~t.and this. He declares: 1. That he will give heed to their case. "I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah" (see Ps. xxxiii, 18; xxxiv. 16; Deut. xi. 12; 1 Kings ix. 3; Dan. ix. 18; and eh. ix. S above). 2. That he will give help in their 'Tleed. He will give help by" making" Jerusalem (vers. 2, 3) that which it requires to be "made" in this time of extremity. He will give help also by "smiting" those many enemies (ver. 4) who are leagued together for their destruction, and who, there- fore, require to be" smitten" on their behalf; nnd what, of its kind, could be more ~atisfactory than this double assist.a.nee? this weakening of their .enemies? this con-, current strengthening of themselves (comp. 2 Sam. iii. 1)? lll. lTs COMPLETE DEFENCE. This twofold assistance was sufficient in degree as well as satisfactory in nature. What it proposed to do, that it did. In particular, God, in this manner: 1. Bewildered the minds of all the enemies of Jerusalem. He made Jerusalem, to these enemies, such a cup of trembling and of stupor and slumber that they were not able, and did not dare, in many respects, to attack them. Com- pletely as they seemed, by being "round a.bout" the city, to have it in their power, they were like men appalled and stupefied, and left it alone (comp. Gen. xxxv. 5). 2. Also, when these enemies did find themselves able to devise measures again~t J crusalem, God crv.shed their efforts. They were as men trying their strength by endeavouring to lift a he&vy stone from the ground, the only result being to crush themselves by its weight. So would Jerusalem be made to do thus to its foes-to all its foes, however nnmerous. It would not only bruise, but destroy them, as though the sword had "cut" them "in pieces." 3. Besides which, so we may perhaps under- stand ver. 4, God would himself overwhelm their spirits. Having failed so fatally in their efforts, those who 6UITived, and their agents also, in utter panic, folly, and ipiorance, would be so far from being able to do further injury that they would them- selves be in need of defence. So surpassingly well can that one Defe11der do for those that are his. We learn eomelhing here, in conclusion: 1. ..4.s to the possibilities of the future. Who can say that such a gigantic conspiracy of evil against a literally restored and renovated Jerusalem, and such a triumphant delivery from it, may not mark the end of this age? Certainly far greater things, both in the way of manifested evil and good, than have ever been witnessed hitherto, may yet be seen on this earth. 2. ..4.s to the true character of the present. This last conflict will be but the fully developed result of a lon()' previous conflict of a similar kind. Cowpare the conspiracy and deliverance in long.'."ago days described in Ps. lxxxiii. (compare also, on the one side, Acts xx:viii. 22; and on the other, Matt. xxviii. 20). Vere. 5---8.-..4. wonderful, people. "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength," etc. In the preceding ver~ the dominant idea is that of Jerusalem as a city besieged. In these we have a vision of it as a city inhabited (note end of ver. 6, and the thrice-recurring expression, "the inhabitants of Jerusalem"). And there are three aspects in which, when so regarded, we seem called upon to admire it, viz. (1) as perfectly safe; (2) as properly humbk; and (3) as amazingly strong. 1. J ER USA LEM BAl'E. See : 1. In the end of ver. 6, how this condition of safety i, aescribed. Jerusalem is spoken of as "inhabited again;" not ·deserted, i.e. as pre- viously, because of the attacks of its foes. Also as "inhabited again in her own pie.ea, even iri Jeru~alem;" as now, therefore, not even claimed &11 belonging to e.ny bui OIi, XII, 1-14.] THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH, 139