which provoked God to bring these judgments upon them.
1. Their insolent defiance of the justice of God, thinking themselves a match for him; They say, in the pride and stoutness of their heart, "Let God himself do his worst, we will hold our own, and make our part good with him; if he ruin our houses, we will repair them, and make them stronger and finer than they were before; our Landlord shall not turn us out of doors, though we pay him no rent, but we will keep in possession. If the houses that were built of bricks, be demolished in the war, we will rebuild them with hewn stones, that shall not so easily be thrown down. If the enemy cut down the sycamores, we will plant cedars in the room of them. We will make a hand of God's judgments, gain by them, and so outbrave them." Note, Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences; for God will walk contrary to those who thus walk contrary to him, and provoke him to jealousy, as if they were stronger than he.
2. Their incorrigibleness under all the rebukes of Providence hitherto; (v. 13.) The people turn not unto him that smites them; they are not wrought upon to reform their lives, to forsake their sins, and to return to their duty; neither do they seek the Lord of hosts; either they are atheists, and have no religion, or idolaters, and seek to those gods that are the creatures of their own fancy, and the works of their own hands. Note, That which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself, and to set us a seeking him; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. God smites, that he may not kill.
3. Their general corruption of manners and abounding profaneness. (1.) Those that should have reformed them, helped to debauch them; (v. 16.) The leaders of this people mislead them, and cause them to err, by conniving at their wickedness, and countenancing wicked people, and by setting them bad examples; and then no wonder if they that are led of them be deceived, and so destroyed; but it is ill with a people when their physicians are their worst disease. They that bless this people, or call them blessed, (so the margin reads it,) that flatter them, and soothe them up in their wickedness, and cry Peace, peace, to them, they cause them to err; and they that are called blessed of them, are swallowed up ere they are aware. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us when we do ill; see Prov. xxiv. 24.—xxix. 5. (2.) Wickedness was universal, and all were infected with it; (v. 17.) Every one is a hypocrite and evil-doer. If there be any that are good, they do not, they dare not, appear; for every mouth speaks folly and villany; every one is profane toward God, (so the word properly signifies,) and an evil-doer toward man; these two commonly go together; they that fear not God, regard not man; and then every mouth speaks folly, falsehood, and reproach, both against God and man; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
III. The judgments threatened against them for this wickedness of theirs; let them not think to go unpunished.
1. In general, hereby they exposed themselves to the wrath of God, which should both devour as fire, and darken as smoke. (1.) It should devour as fire; (v. 18.) Wickedness shall burn as the fire; the displeasure of God, incurred by sin, shall consume the sinners, who have made themselves as briers and thorns before it, and as the thickets of the forest; combustible matter, which the wrath of the Lord of hosts, the mighty God, will go through, and burn together. (2.) It should darken as smoke; the briers and thorns, when the fire consumes them, shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke, so that the whole land shall be darkened by it; they shall be in trouble, and see no way out; (v. 19.) The people shall be as the fuel of the fire. God's wrath fastens upon none but those that make themselves fuel for it, and then they mount up as the smoke of sacrifices, being made victims to divine justice.
2. God would arm the neighbouring powers against them, v. 11, 12. At this time, the kingdom of Israel was in league with that of Syria against Judah; but the Assyrians, who were adversaries to the Syrians, when they had conquered them, should invade Israel; and God will stir them up to do it, and join the enemies of Israel together in alliance against them, who yet have particular ends of their own to serve, and are not aware of God's hand in their alliance. Note, (1.) When enemies are set up, and joined in confederacy against a people, God's hand must be acknowledged in it. (2.) Those that partake with each other in sin, as Syria and Israel in invading Judah, must expect to share in the punishment of sin. Nay, the Syrians themselves, whom they were now in league with, should be a scourge to them, (for it is no unusual thing for those to fall out, that have been united in sin,) they before, and the Philistines behind; one attacking them in the front, the other flanking them, or falling upon their rear; so that they should be surrounded with enemies on all sides, who should devour them with open mouth, v. 12. The Philistines were not now looked upon as formidable enemies, and the Syrians were looked upon as fast friends; and yet these shall devour Israel. When men's ways displease the Lord, he makes even their friends to be at war with them.
3. God would take from the midst of them those they confided in, and promised themselves help from, v. 14, 15. Because the people seek not God, those they seek to, and depend upon, shall stand them in no stead. The Lord will cut off head and tail, branch and rush, which is explained in the next verse. (1.) Their magistrates, that were honourable by birth and office, and were the ancients of the people, these were the head, these were the branch which they promised themselves spirit and fruit from; but because these caused them to err, they shall be cut off, and their dignity and power shall be no protection to them, when the abuse of that dignity and power was the great provocation: it was a judgment upon the people to have their princes cut off, though they were not such as they should be. (2.) Their prophets, their false prophets, were the tail and the rush, the most despicable of all others. A wicked minister is the worst of men; Corruptio optimi est pessima—That which is best, proves, when corrupted, to be the worst. The blind led the blind, and so both fell into the ditch; and the blind leaders fell first, and fell under most.
4. That the desolation should be as general as the corruption had been, and none should escape it, v. 17. (1.) Not those that were the objects of complacency: none shall be spared for love: The Lord shall have no joy in their young men, that were in the flower of their youth; nor will he say, Deal gently with the young men for my sake; no, "Let them fall with the rest, and with them let the seed of the next generation perish." (2.) Not those that were the objects of compassion; none shall be spared for pity; He shall not have mercy on the fatherless and widows, though he is, in a particular manner, their Patron and Protector: they had corrupted their way like all the rest; and if the poverty and helplessness of their state was not an argument with them to keep them from sin, they could not expect it should be an argument with God to protect them from judgments.
