Judges 10:14 Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. It is a most grievous casting them in the teeth, by an ironical mocking of them with their idolatry, as if he should say, "Now ye prove and see what your gods can do." As Elias did the like to the prophets of Baal. Therefore by thus speaking, and bidding them go seek help at their idols' hands, they having shaken off the Lord, he teacheth us that they whom we have served, and committed ourselves to, must pay us our wages, and to them the Lord justly doth and will send us to their patronage in our greatest need, even to our horror, yea, destruction, if He take us not, as He did these here, to His mercy. They therefore that have trusted, and still do in man, and have made flesh their arm, shall know by experience one day that they have trusted to a bruised reed. Briefly to conclude this doctrine with some other uses thereof, we see secondly by this that God doth import no less than that (by the law of like equity, and by virtue of a far stronger covenant) if this people had persisted faithful in His service He could not have denied their suit for help and defence against their enemies. Thirdly, these words note out this, that it is wisdom for a man to bestow his chief cost there whence he looks for best recompense and acknowledgment in the time of most need. A man is not ashamed of that labour which hath brought him in plentiful gain, but of that which answers not his cost and hope. Men that have run themselves out of breath all their life, groping after a blind happiness, in their unprofitable, superstitious, profane course, at length, seeing themselves deceived, wish they had served a Master who might have saved them and received them into everlasting habitations. Thus the Lord is fain to upbraid men (though not by word, saying, "Go to your idols," yet in effect, in that He leaveth them shiftless), or else who should persuade one of a hundred that he soweth among thorns, or loseth his labour and cost, when he casteth it and himself away upon idols? (R. Rogers.) Parallel Verses KJV: Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.WEB: Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress!" |
    |