the Prologue, and ver. 2 is as far away from the passage before us as the Prologue of Job is from Job xix. 1?. Nor can we be absolutely certain that our prophecy is exactly as Jere- miah wrote it. Shall come forth ; rather, hafh tome forth (or, cometh forth), Trom the midst of Sihon. Sihon being, perhaps, regarded as the leader and representative of his war- riors. The comer of Moab ; rather, the sides (literally, side, used collectively) of Moab. The tumultnous ones ; literally, sons of tu- mult, a poetical phrase for warriors. The prophet has substituted the more common word shaoii for its synonym sheth.
Ver. 46 —Based on Numb. xxi. 29. The chief difference is in the secoml half of the verse, in which the bold expression of Che- mdsh " giving his sons and his daughters into captivity " is changed for a mere ordi- nary and prosaic phrase.
Ver. 47. — On the phraseology of this verse (omitted in the Septuagiut), see on ch. zxix. 14; xxiii. 20, and ou the brighter pros- pect held out for Moab, see the analogies given in note on ch. xlvi 26. Thus far is the judgment of Moab is clearly an editor's note (comp. oh. li. 64). "Judgment" ■■ in vei. 21.
HOMILETICS.
Vers. 1—47. — JTie judgment of Moab. As the prophet's ** eye in • fine frenzy rolling " sees the flood of the Chaldean invasion sweeping over one after another of the nations, hia words flash out in pictures full of energy and fire. If this world's calamities are thus terrible, how shall the awful realities of eternity be contemplated? Why should some of us be so shocked at the strong language of preachers ? Strange and fanatical as it may appear, the fury of a Knox is more consonant with much of life and revelation than the complacent mildness of an Addison. Visions of judgment are no topics for graceful moral essays. Nevertheless, however hot the language may be, it must not descend to mere wild, whirling words ; it must be characteristic and truthful. The succession of pictures of approaching judgment which Jeremiah draws are not monoto- nous repetitions of the same description. They are definite aud distinctively applicable to the respective subjects of them. L^t us observe the special features of the judgment of Moab.
I. The charactbb of the people. The grounds of the judgment are given in the revelation of the sins of Moab. The head and front of her ofience ia pride {e.g. ver. 29). Other characteristics are closely related, viz. : (I) trust in wealth and material resources (ver. 7) ; (2) self-indulgent ease (ver. 11) ; (3) boastfulness (ver. 14) ; (4) scorn (ver. 27) ; (5) defiance of Heaven (ver. 26). Such a catalogue of offences is peculiarly hate- ful to God. Sins of apiietite and passion are partly the result of weakness. The culpability of them is less than that of the intellectual and spiritual sins by aU the weight of temptations which arise out of the natural constitution of man. For such sins as those of Moab there is no excuse. They are nearest to the most diabolical wickidi.ess. Adam fell by a sin of appetite ; Satan by a sin of spiritual pride.
II. The nature of their doom. 1. Destruction. (Ver. 4.) The general doom of all the nations. This is the leading form of the evil fruits of sin. 2. Shame and kumiliof turn. (Ver. 13.) " Moab also shall wallow in his vomit " (ver. 26). What a terrible tnti-climsz from the pride and haughtiness which are the chief characteristics of this leople 1 3. Derision. Moab had mocked at Israel, now " he also shall be in derision " (ver. 26). Thus scorn is rebuked with scorn, and the mocker is mocked. 4. Gloom and grief . (Ver. 33.) The ease and self-comjilacency which had characterized Moab ar«
234 THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEEEMIaH. loa. xivm. 1—47
exchanged for their opposites. 5. Poverty. " The riches that he hath gotten are perished" (ver. 36y Moah had trusted in wealth. His punishment will consist iu part in th« loss of this. Finally, to Moab, as to other nations, there is promised an ultimate restora- tion. « Yet will I restore the prosperity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord " (ver. 47). Most beautifully does this one verse close thetenib'e vision of judgment, like one ray of light breaking through the dense black thunder-clouds and promising the dawn of a new day of life and gladness. Even to a heathen people the promise is made, and by the mouth of a Hebrew prophet. Who, then, shall dare to set limits to the future restoring power of the grace of God?
Ver. 7. — The dangers of riehea. Biches are not evil things in themselves. The gifts of God in nature, or the fruits of man's industry, they are valuable just because they have in them some serviceableness for human wants. Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of it (1 Tim. vi. 10). It is they who trust in riches who find it impossible to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark x. 24). But riches are snares, and the possessor of them had need beware of the dangers they necessarily bring. When the servant becomes a god the degraded worshipper is on the road to ruin. Let us consider some of the dangers of riches.
L A DANGER OP DELUSIVE TBiTST. The Wealthy man is likely to think his riches will do more for him than it is in their power to do. He finds that money brin3;s a number and variety of comforts and helps him out of many a difBculty. He is in danger of looking upon it as omnipotent. But money will not buy the choicest bless- ings. It vrill not purchase friends, nor peace of mind, nor spiritual blessedness here, nor the heavenly inheritance hereafter. To trust to riches for these things is to miss them. Yet they are the truest treasures. The poor man who seeks them aright, not being allured by the rich man's peculiar temptations, may step in first ; and so Dives may come to envy Lazarus.
IL A DANGEB OF woBLDLHirESB. Bich Moab lives at her ease (ver. 11). A wealthy man is tempted to be satisfied with his possessions. The earth is very fair to him. I'ossibly he is in the land of the lotus-eaters, "where it is always afternoon." He is thus in danger of caring only for this world, and making no provision for the better world. For he may value his earthly jewels so much as not to care to search after the I earl of great price, or to be unwilling to make any sacrifice in order to purchase it. He tends to become so engrossed with material things as to lose all appetite for and all per- ception of spiritual things. His treasure is on earth, and his heart is there also. Thus lie loses the solid, lasting possessions of eternity while grasping at the shadowy treasures -jf time.