Homilist Zechariah 11:8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.… I. This mutual moral antagonism is MANIFESTLY ABNORMAL. It is not conceivable that the all-wise and all-loving Maker of the universe would create beings whom He would loathe and who would abhor Him. Such an idea is opposed at once to our intuitions and our conclusions. In the pristine state of humanity, God loved man, and man loved God. II. This mutual moral antagonism IMPLIES WRONG ON MAN'S PART. For Infinite Purity and Righteousness to loathe the corrupt and the wrong is not only right, but a necessity of the Divine character. He abhorreth sin; it is the "abominable thing" which He hates. This is His glory. But for man to abhor Him, this is the great sin, the fontal sin, the source of all other sins. III. This mutual moral antagonism EXPLAINS THE SIN AND WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WORLD. Why does the world abound with falsehoods, dishonesties and oppressions, unchastities, cruelties, and impieties? Because human souls are not in supreme sympathy with the supremely good, because they are at enmity with God, because God loathes sin. IV. This mutual moral antagonism ARGUES THE NECESSITY FOR A RECONCILIATION. The great want of the world is the reconciliation of man to the character and the friendship of God. Such a reconciliation requires no change on God's part. His loathing is the loathing of love, love loathing the wrong and the miserable. The change must be on man's part. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. |
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