240 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1870- 



that oppress Ephraim and Jerusalem shall fall the 

 kingdom shall regain its ancient limits, and the sovereign 

 of Zion shall enjoin peace on all nations. Yea, the 

 memory of the blood -sealed covenant moves God to 

 deliver the captive Israelites, and even now His heralds 

 proclaim a double recompense for all their woes. In 

 God s hand Judah and Ephraim are like bow and spear 

 to strike down their oppressors of whom the sons of 

 Javan are expressed by name, who in Joel also appear as 

 masters whose yoke is specially grievous. Jahveh appears 

 in a storm-cloud shielding His own, the lightnings are His 

 arrows and the thunders His trumpets. His people rush 

 forth with irresistible fury against their enemies and, the 

 victory finally secured, enjoy peace and plenty in their 

 land (ix. 13). 



Chap. x. begins a new strain : 



Such are the blessings God gives ; but now it seems 

 the people are apter to trust in teraphim, wizards, and 

 dreams, than to pray to Him for help. And so they are 

 like a flock wandering without a shepherd, or rather the 

 wrath of Jahveh has smitten the shepherds and the he- 

 goats (i.e. the violent, insolent nobles : Ez. xxxiv.) ; but 

 His flock, the house of Judah, He visits and strengthens 

 and organises into an invincible host before which the 

 riders on horses shall be ashamed. He gives salvation to 

 Ephraim and Judah, helping them as if He had never 

 thrust them from Him, and these scattered children return 

 at His call. True ! this restoration is not the first thing. 

 First, they must in chastisement be sown among the 

 Gentiles. But even in captivity they take root and 

 increase, and at length remembering God are brought 

 back, a great multitude, from Assyria and from Egypt 

 to occupy Gilead and Lebanon, and even there not to 

 find room. And while they walk joyously in God s name, 

 the Nile and the Euphrates are smitten and the might of 

 Egypt and Asshur pass away (x. n, 12). 



But to these bright hopes there is a counterfoil. In 



