Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right, Sermons
I. AS UNSPARING EXPOSURE OF SINS IN HIGH QUARTERS. All classes are involved, and to each class the most scandalous characteristic offences are imputed. 1. Civil rulers. They are open to bribes, in direct violation of Exodus 23:8, and therefore pervert judgment. These sophists on the judgment seat make "the worse appear the better reason;" and at length reach such a stage of iniquity that they "abhor judgment," and "call evil good" etc. (Isaiah 5:20; cf. 2 Peter 2:14). In the striking figure of Isaiah (Isaiah 59:14), "truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." Their crimes are set out in detail in vers. 14. Meanwhile they are building fine mansions or laying out estates, but at the price of blood, like Ahab (1 Kings 19.) or Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 22:13-19); or they are wronging the poor, though the consequences may be fatal; as in modern society some of the "heads thereof" connive at social systems in government or in business, by which the poor are defrauded of their claim to a livelihood. "The bread of the needy is their life; he that defraudeth him thereof is a man of blood. He that taketh away his neighbour's living slayeth him: and he that defraudeth the labourer of his hire is a bloodshedder" (Ecclus. 35:21, 22). 2. Ecclesiastical leaders. The priests' duty was to teach the Law (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 17:11; Deuteronomy 33:10), but they too needed douceurs, or fees or bribes. They probably misinterpreted the Law from the same motive as did Eli's sons (1 Samuel 2:12-17). "So Arian bishops, themselves hirelings, by false expositions of Scripture countenanced Arian emperors in their persecution of the faithful" (Pusey). So, too, persecuting priests and prelates in more recent days. 3. Prophets. These religious teachers were raised up to promote a reformation; but they too had been dragged down to the level of other teachers. Divine prophecy had been corrupted into divination, as in the case of Balaam, and covetousness was universal (ver. 5; and cf. Ezekiel 13:1-6). An instructive parallel may be found in the case of the regular clergy of the medieval Church, who were gradually degraded to the low moral level of the secular clergy. We are reminded of the odiousness of a mercenary ministry. Thus all classes were combined in a conspiracy of unrighteousness (as in Ezekiel 22:23-31), and the love of money was the root of all this evil. II. AN INDIGNANT PROTEST AGAINST UNWARRANTED FAITH IN GOD. They flatter themselves: 1. That they may lean upon the lord. Deaf to all past teachings, blind to the danger signals which history has erected, they insult God by leaning upon him, and expecting him to support their vile souls and pampered bodies (cf. Deuteronomy 29:19, 20). They further take for granted: 2. That the lord is among them. Though invisible to sense, and sending repeated protests, they assume his favourable presence. They trust in lying words, saying. "The temple of the Lord are these," as though the temple of the Lord and the Lord of the temple were identical. In a church at Innsbruck, on the tabernacle containing the consecrated wafer are the words, "Ecce tabernaculum Dei." If this daring perversion of Scripture had proclaimed a truth, what a false confidence for an unworthy communicant; as though "Corpus Christi" and "Christ in you" were the same! "There standeth One among you whom ye know not" may be true, but in a new sense; if not to sanctify, to condemn. 3. That no evil will be fall them. As though God's protests and a guilty conscience were not in themselves evils and the forecast shadows of coming doom. So deceitful and desperately wicked is the heart of man. These truths may be applied to many "nominal Christians." (1) Ambitious monarchs or statesmen, "building up" their country by huge standing armies, or navies, or palaces, at the cost of grinding taxation, leading to semi-starvation and loathsome disease as among the Italian peasantry, or of tyrannical extortions from Egyptian felaheen, or of a merciless conscription as in Germany, driving some of her best sons from her shores. (2) Landlords amassing fortunes from rack renting the fever slums of London, or confiscating the fruits of the tenants' industry in Ireland. (3) Drink sellers fattening on the pauperism of their wretched customers, or carrying liquid poisons to tribes just emerging from barbarism. (4) Hireling preachers or priests, prophesying smooth things to unrighteous aristocrats or plutocrats, or lulling guilty consciences by the opiate of the sacrament. Such men of expediency crucified even the Son of God that Zion might be "built up" (John 11:48; see Jeremiah 5:80, 31). To that final question an answer is found in ver. 12. - E.S.P.
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of Judgment, and of might The three gifts, power, judgment, might, are the fruits of the one Spirit of God, through whom the prophet was filled with them. Of these, power is always strength residing in the person, whether it be the "power, or might of wisdom" of Almighty God Himself, or power which He imparts or implants. But it is always power lodged in the person, to be put forth on him. Here it is Divine power, given through God the Holy Ghost, to accomplish that for which He was sent. "Judgment" is, from its form, not so much discernment in the human being as "the thing judged," pronounced by God, the righteous judgment of God, and righteous judgment in man conformably therewith. "Might" is courage or boldness to deliver the message of God; not awed or hindered by any adversaries. "Whoso is so strengthened and arrayed uttereth fiery words, whereby hearers' hearts are moved and changed. But whoso speaketh of his own mind doth good neither to himself nor others." So then, of these three gifts, power expresses the Divine might lodged in him; judgment, the substance of what he had to deliver; might or courage, the strength to deliver it in face of human power, persecution, ridicule, death. These gifts the prophets know are not their own, but are from the Spirit of God, and are by Him inspired into them. Such was the spirit of Elijah, of John Baptist, of Paul, of the apostles.(E. B. Pusey, D. D.) I. THE MINISTER'S APPOINTMENT. This is not of man, but of God; of God the Holy Spirit. God has set apart certain persons to this office, who from time to time, as the services of His Church require, are raised up, converted, qualified, and sent for this office. Jesus sends His ministers whither He Himself will come. All the qualifications of ministers for their office are of God, both gifts and graces. Ministers are men of God sent from God to work for God, and bring sinners to God. I. THEIR FAITHFULNESS IN THE DISCHARGE OF THEIR HOLY DUTIES IS OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. The first ministers were commanded to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they were endued with "power from on high" (Acts 1:8). The prophets under the Old Testament and all the ministers of Christ in the present day have been and are equally indebted to this gracious operation. Nor can we be surprised at this, when the blessed Saviour Himself is represented in His mediatorial character as qualified and sustained by the Holy Ghost. Ministers know not what to preach, except as the Holy Spirit teaches them. III. THAT MINISTERS' SUCCESS IS OF THE SPIRIT. And this Spirit is poured out just in proportion as Christ is preached. Learn — 1. Where to look for a blessing. All our fresh springs are in Jesus. 2. Ask whether the Lord is among us or not? 3. To whom we should give the glory, all the glory, for any benefit that we at any time receive from the ministry. (R. Simpson, M. A.) Homilist. It is supposed that this chapter belongs to the reign of Hezekiah; if so, the mournful state of matters which it depicts cannot have begun until towards its close. These words lead us to consider the true prophet.I. The WORK of a true prophet. "To declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." It is a characteristic of all true prophets that they have a keen moral sense to discern wrong, to loathe it, and to burn at it. No man is a true prophet who is not roused to thunder by the wrong. Where have we men now to "declare unto Jacob his transgression, and unto Israel his sin"? 1. This is a painful work. It will incur the disfavour of some and rouse the antagonism of the delinquents. 2. This is an urgent work. No work is more needed in England to day. To expose wrong goes a great way towards its extinction. St. Peter on the day of Pentecost charged home the terrible crime of the crucifixion to the men he addressed! II. The POWER of a true prophet. "Truly, I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment and of might." There is no egotism in this. A powerful man knows his power and will ascribe it to the right source — the "Spirit of the Lord." His power was moral; it was the might of conscience, moral conviction of invincible sympathy with eternal right and truth. This is a very different power to that of mere intellect, imagina tion, or what is called genius. It is higher, more creditable, more influential, more Godlike. III. The FIDELITY of a true prophet. This is seen here in three things — 1. In the class he denounces. "Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, princes of the house of Israel." He struck at the higher classes of life. 2. The prophet's fidelity is seen in the charges he makes. "They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity." (1) (2) 3. In the doom he proclaims. The reference may be to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. (Homilist.) (A. Bell, B. A.) Bad Ecclesiastics and Base Plots Of Councils and their Authority. "And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee," Contention Over the Man Born Blind. The Purpose in the Coming of Jesus. The Sovereignty of God in Operation The Doctrine of the Scriptures. Micah |
    |