The Pulpit Commentary — Zechariah — Section 141

heartless, dsstard_ly soldiory or populaoe, is ,veakn,ess, disappointment, 11nd discomfiture to the best~nce1\'Cid pl11ns of the most bold, pruaent, and experienced loaders." All good people over all the earth will one day be thoroughly united-united, not in opinion, for this would be, if poasible, undesirable; but in devotion to Christ, the common CE1ntre. This union is strength, Divine strength, "strength in the Lord of h,,st;;." "Strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." 2. The power of con- q11e.<I. "In t.hat day will I make the governors of Judah like an h011rth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about., on the right hand and on the left;" or, ss Dr. Henderson renders it "In that day will I make the chiefs of Judah like a fire-pot among sticks of wood: and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, and they shall consume all the people o.rouud, on the right hand and on the left." As the fire consumes the wood and the sheaf of str11w, so would the men of Jerusalem have power to conquer all the people "round about, on the right hand and on the left." God invests all good men with power to conquer their spiritual foes; this is the power of faith-faith that overcometh the world. '!'his power, though weak in most, is triumphant in many (see Heh. xi.), It shall be all- conquering one day. III. IT IS A TIME WHElT THEY SHALL BE SETTLED IN TREIB HOME. "And Jeru- salem shall be inhabii.ed again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." Jerusalem, in the first instance, stands for the Jews, and in the second instance for the city or tho country. It mea.ns, therefore, that in this good time-whether it is past or to come- some, if not all, the Jews that were scattered abroad will return and settle in their own home. The language expresses reoccupancy and permanent possession. Those who return-whether from Egypt, Babylon, or elsewhere-will return and settle down in their old home. A time comes for all good people when they shall settle down in a permauent dwelling-pl.a.ce. Here they a.re" strangers and pilgrims," and have" no ab1diug city." But a glorious country awaits them, an "inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away." IV. lT IS A TIME WHEN THEY SHALL BE BLESSED WITH EQUAL PBIVILEGES, 1, They were to have equal, honour. "The Lord also shn.ll save the tents of Judah :first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah." Dr. Henderson's translation expresses this: "Ana Jehovah shall deliver the tents of Judah first, in order that the splendour of the house of David and the splendonr of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah." 2. They were to have equal, protectim. "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of J erusa.lem; and he that is feeble among them -at that day shall be as David; a.nd the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to.destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Here Jerusalem is promised protection against the foe, and "he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David." .. To the Jew, David was the highest type of strength and glory on earth (2 Sam. xvil, 8), a man of war (2 Sam. xvili. 3); such shall the weakest citizen of Jerusalem become (Joel iii 10)." "And the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them." "The Divine Angel that went before them through the desert, the highest type of strength and glory in heaven (Exod. x.xiii 20; xx.xii. 34). 'l'he house of David is the prince and his family sprung from David (Ezek. xiv. 7, 9). David's house was then in a comparatively weak state." Now, there is a. time coming when all good people shall have distinguished.honour and e:om.plete protection, ~hey shall 11cttle down in the heavenly Jerusalem; and what a city 1s that (Ree Rev. xx1.) I CoNCLUSION. Though I have not been able to put forth what I f11el to be a satisfactory interpretation of these words, or attempted to give to them a. spiritual signification, I trll.6t that, in win" them as an illustration of the good time coming for the good, I have presented ; legitimate and a ueeful application. A glorious time awaits all good men, irl all lands, Churches, nations-a. time when they shall be delivered from all evil and be put in permanent possession of all good. Seeing we look for such things, "what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godli- ness 'l" etc.-D. T. Ver11. 10-14.-Penitential 60'1'1'0W, "And I will pour upon the house of David, and OJI, XII, 1-14.] THE IlOOK OF ZECHARIAH. 145