L Its unlikelihood. At the time the prediction was uttered appearances were completely against it. The original promise seemed doomed to failure. The flower and hope of Israel was in exile, and the land lay desolate. Interlopers reaped the benefit of their misfortunes, and seized upon portions of the unoccupied land. In the history of Christianity there may be perceived remarkable correspondences. Vast spaces of the civilized world have lost the spiritual traditions of the gospel in which once they gloried, and vaster regions still amongst the heathen are occupied by ancient faiths that offer s steady and powerful opposition to the missionary efforts of the Church. Yet the whole earth has been promised to the Church of Christ. The utmost zeal, devotion, and watchfulness are needed in order to prevent the inroads of worldliness and unbelief. At times the despairing cry may be heard, " Where is the hope of his coming?
IL The method of its eeahzation. It is well to ponder these facts in the lighj
266 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, [ca. xlix. 1—3*
of God's Word, for it sujigests an escape from the perplexity they occasion. Whera the induction of the natural reason fails to render a hojieful explanation, the Spirit of God sheds an unthought-of liglit. Jeremiah's interpretation, viz. thai present dispos- stssion need not mean utter disinheritance, is full of spiritual light and comfort. This impression is deepened and confirmed when he seals it with prophetic certainty and declares that hrai.l shall he heir to his heirs. But still remains tiie mystery to he solved: 1. How this wilt take place. Israel seems all hut annihilated, or in danger of ahsorption into heathen nations, and his land is unoccupied. But according to promise (1) a seed stiall he preserved and shall be restored ; and (2) tlirou-h the " seed of David," viz. Christ, a new Israel will be created, in spiritual succession to the ancient people of God, and destined to redeem from heathenism not only Palestine but the whole earth. 2. What 'Mill this involve f It will involve (1) the j ad gment and over- throw of Israel's neighlwiirs, especially such as Ammon, the traditional " land-thief" of his border ; (2) the purification and discipline of Israel as the heir of the kingdom of God i and (3) the conversion of many " out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation " (Rev. v. 9). In this sense also will God " brin^ again the cap- tivity " of Moab, of Elam, and even of Ammon. 3. The following leisons are clearly tau;iht by this proph'cy, viz.: — (1) A unity of purpose pervades the vicissitudes of Israel's and the world's history ; (2) human affairs are governed hy a strict and never- failing justice ; and (3) a happy future awaits the children of faith — the spirituallsrael — even, on earth. — M.
Ver. 7 (of. Obad. 8 ; Tsa. xix. 11 ; xxxiii. 18). — " WTmre it the wise f " Edom, cele- brated for its wisdom from of old (Obad. 8 ; Job xi. 11 ; Barnch iii. 22, 23), had secured itself in inaccessible fastnesses of the mountains, dwellins in rock-hewn cities. Eliphaz was a Temanite. It was chiefly in international relations that the skill or subtlety of the Idumaeans displayed itself. Their diplomacy was full of craft and falsehnod, and could not be relied upon. Their wisdom was essentially of this world — cold, calculating, and unscrupulous. Of this it is predicted by Jeremiah that it shall be brought to nought. How did his prophecy fulfil itself? In relation to thekingdom of God.
I. It failed to ovEBTtmN it. The Edomites watched the signs of the times, and sided with what promised to be the strongest power, and in the last resort trusted to their own inaccessible position. Their ambassadors were amongst those of neigh- bouring nations who came to Zedekiah to advise united resistance to Nebuchadnezzar (ch. xxvii. 3) ; yet they triumphed over the prostrate city when it was captured by the Chaldeans (Lam. iv. 2 ; Ezek. xxxv. 15 ; xxxvi. 5 ; Ps. cxxxvii. 7). Their country had been tributMry to Israel under David, but, taking advantage of the Chaldean inva- sion, they apiiropriated much of the territory of Israel proper, and extended their terri- tory to the Mediterranean. The same spirit seems to have actuated its remote descendants, the Idnmsean princes of the Herodian line. Herod the Great " slaughtered the innocents " in hope of destroying the Christ, but was circumvented by the provi- dence of God ; and his son Antipas was the Heroil before whom Christ appeared by arranaement with Pilate (Luke xxiii. 12). In the later years of Uhrist's ministry the Herodians were constantly opposed to him, and plotted with the Pharisees against him. So God has defeated the continual antagonisn* of worldly men, guanling the residue of his Church, and evolvins; new generations of faith and fresh conquests of truth from the apparent failures and ruins of the past.
II. It failed to secure permanent advantage to itself. The prophet declares that it was to drink of the same cup as Israel, but it is not certain as to whether Nebuchadnezzar, or Alexander the Great, or other conquerors are alluded to. I. The movement westward of the Idumaean power, during the Bab\ Ionian exile, was the occasion of its overthrow. The Nabatha>an Arabs, ruling a large part of Arabia, seized upon Petrasa, and settled down as its occupants. These were in turn conquered by the Romans. In time the country fell under Mohammedan m!snil(% and lapsed into permanent desolation early in the Christian era. The rock-cities of Pttraja are amongst the most striking monuments of lul filled prophecy. 2. The same fate has overtaken all the empires that set themselves against the kingdom of Goo. Their history is « series of dissolving views. Failing to overthrow it, they have thembelves Deen over-
OH. XLix. 1— 39.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 257
thrown. And the wisdom which could not subvert has equally shown itself unable to assimilate the " wisdom that cometh from above." The reason for all this is contained in the crowning proof of its folly, viz. that —