Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 4.djvu/55

Rh but of one kingdom. This was fully accomplished, for within two or three years after this, Hosea conspired against Pekah, and slew him, (2 Kings xv. 30.) and before that, the king of Assyria took Damascus, and slew Rezin, 2 Kings xvi. 9. Nay, there was a present event, which happened immediately, and which this child carried the prediction of in his name, which was a pledge and earnest of this further event. Shear-jashub signifies, The remnant shall return, which doubtless points at the wonderful return of those 200,000 captives which Pekah and Rezin had carried away, who were brought back, not by might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. Read the story, 2 Chron. xxviii. 8—15. The prophetical naming of this child having thus had its accomplishment, no doubt this, which was further added concerning him, should have its accomplishment likewise, that Syria and Israel should be deprived of both their kings. One mercy from God encourages us to hope for another, if it engages us to prepare for another.

17. The shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the King of Assyria. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria: 19. And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. 20. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep: 22. And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give, he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. 23. And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. 24. With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. 25. And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

After the comfortable promises made to Ahaz as a branch of the house of David, here follow terrible threatenings against him, as a degenerate branch of that house; for though the loving-kindness of God shall not be utterly taken away, for the sake of David and the covenant made with him, yet his iniquity shall be chastened with the rod, and his sin with stripes. Let those that will not mix faith with the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings.

I. The judgment threatened is very great, v. 17. It is very great, for it is general; it shall be brought upon the prince himself, (high as he is, he shall not be out of the reach of it,) and upon the people, the whole body of the nation, and upon the royal family, upon all thy father's house; it shall be a judgment entailed on posterity, and shall go along with the royal blood. It is very great, for it shall be unprecedented, days that have not come; so dark, so gloomy, so melancholy, as never were the like since the revolt of the ten tribes, when Ephraim departed from Judah, which was indeed a sad time to the house of David. Note, The longer men continue in sin, the sorer punishments they have reason to expect: it is the Lord that will bring these days upon them, for our times are in his hand; and who can resist or escape the judgments he brings?

II. The enemy that should be employed as the instrument of this judgment, is the king of Assyria. Ahaz reposed strong confidence in that prince for help against the confederate powers of Israel and Syria, and minded the less what God said to him by his prophet for his encouragement, because he built much upon his interest in the king of Assyria, and had meanly promised to be his servant, if he would send him some succours; he had also made him a present of gold and silver, for which he drained the treasures both of church and state, 2 Kings xvi. 7, 8. Now God threatens that that king of Assyria, whom he made his stay instead of God, should become a scourge to him. He was so speedily; for when he came to him, he distressed him, but strengthened him not: the reed not only brake under him, but ran into his hand, and pierced it, (2 Chron. xxviii. 20.) and from thenceforward the kings of Assyria were, for a long time, grieving thorns to Judah, and gave them a great deal of trouble. Note, The creature that we make our hope, commonly proves our hurt: the king of Assyria, not long after this, made himself master of the ten tribes, carried them captive, and laid their country waste, so as fully to answer the prediction here; and perhaps it may refer to that, as an explication of v. 8. where it is foretold that Ephraim shall be broken, that it shall not be a people; and it is easy to suppose that the prophet, at v. 17. turns his speech to the king of Israel, denouncing God's judgments against him for invading Judah. But the expositors universally understand it of Ahaz and his kingdom. Now observe,

1. Summons given to the invaders; (v. 18.) The Lord shall whistle for the fly and the bee: See ch. v. 26. Enemies that seem as contemptible as a fly or a bee, and are as easily crushed; yet, when God pleases, they shall do his work as effectually as lions and young lions. Though they are as far distant from one another as the rivers of Egypt and the land of Assyria, yet they shall punctually meet to join in this work, when God commands their attendance; for when God has work to do, he will not be at a loss for instruments to do it with.

2. Possession taken by them, v. 19. It should seem as if the country were in no condition to make resistance; they find no difficulties in forcing their way, but come and rest all of them in the desolate valleys, which the inhabitants had deserted, upon the first alarm, and left them a cheap and easy prey to the invaders: they shall come and rest in the low grounds like swarms of flies and bees, and shall render themselves impregnable by taking shelter in the holes of the rocks, as bees often do; and show themselves formidable by appearing openly upon all thorns and all bushes; so generally shall the land be overspread with them. These bees shall knit upon the thorns and bushes, and there rest undisturbed.

3. Great desolations made, and the country generally depopulated; (v. 20. The Lord shall haveshave (as per 1811 London edition) [sic]