Judges 1:6-7

DISCOURSE: 261
ADONI-BEZEK’S PUNISHMENT

Judges 1:6. But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me.

THERE are times and seasons afforded us for the performance of our duty, which, if they be once lost, can never afterwards be recovered. It was thus with the Israelites in the invasion of Canaan: if they had followed up their successes with becoming zeal, their difficulties would have been comparatively light: but at no time did they advance with that ardour which they should have manifested in such a cause. Joshua had reproved them for their indolence [Note: Joshua 18:3.], and quickened them in some degree; but still, after his death, and fifteen years after their first invasion of Canaan, no one of the tribes had complete possession of the lot assigned them. The Israelites had increased, and now wanted the whole of their inheritance: but the Canaanites had increased also, and, possessing still their strong-holds, were able to cope with Israel in battle. Now therefore the different tribes found the bitter consequences of their past indifference; and, as it should seem, were afraid to resume a warfare with such potent enemies. However, after having consulted God, Judah, by divine direction, took the lead, and, in conjunction with the tribe of Simeon, renewed the conflict with the Canaanites. God gave them success, and delivered into their hand Adoni-bezek, one of the most powerful of the kings of Canaan. Him they treated with great severity: and their conduct towards him forms the subject of our present consideration. We shall consider,

I. The particular dispensation here recorded—

The conduct of this king had been most cruel—
[What occasions he had had for waging war against seventy kings, we know not: ambition never wants a pretext for its bloody projects: but to insult over their misfortunes in such a manner as to maim their persons, and compel them, like dogs, to gather up scraps from under his table for their subsistence, argued a degree of cruelty, which one could scarcely have conceived to exist in a rational being. One might suppose it possible that some particular provocation might have caused him to offer such an indignity to a single individual; but when such conduct was pursued towards so many vanquished kings, it manifestly proceeded only from his barbarous and brutal disposition. But here we are constrained to acknowledge, how empty is human greatness; how uncertain the continuance of those honours in which men so vainly pride themselves; and how often it happens that pre-eminence in station leads only to a sad pre-eminence in distress and misery. Nor can we forbear to notice, what desolation and trouble one ambitious tyrant may produce in the earth.
Whilst we see the dispositions of this man exhibited in such awful colours, let us not suppose that we ourselves are altogether exempt from them. The truth is, that the dispositions themselves are common to every child of man, though they have not attained in all the same maturity, or brought forth in all such visible and deadly fruits. We cannot but have seen that children feel a pleasure in vexing and tyrannizing over those who are weaker than themselves; and, as we grow up in life, a fondness for manifesting superiority and exercising despotic sway increases: and, in proportion as our opportunities for displaying these hateful qualities are enlarged, our evil tendencies become augmented and confirmed. How conspicuous is this in the great men of the earth, who can spread desolation over whole provinces without remorse, and invade, as we have seen, even neutral and friendly kingdoms for no other end than to gratify their own insatiable ambition!]
But he in his turn was made to feel the judgments which he had so wantonly inflicted upon others—
[It was a law in Israel, that magistrates should punish offenders in a way of just retribution [Note: Leviticus 24:19.]: and doubtless it was by the direction of God, the righteous Governor of the universe, that the Israelites on this occasion maimed the body of their captive king. To insult over him indeed, as he had insulted over others, would have been inconsistent with those gracious affections, which Israel, as the Lord’s people, were bound to exercise. In that part therefore the sentence was relaxed: but, as far as the law required, they “meted to him the measure which he had meted out to others.” This brought his sin to his remembrance, and compelled him to acknowledge the equity of Jehovah, who in his righteous providence had so requited him: “As I have done, so God hath requited me.” And though a feeling mind cannot but regret that such a judgment should be executed on a fallen prince, yet in this case we are constrained to acquiesce in it, and even to feel a secret satisfaction, in seeing that the evils which he had so cruelly inflicted upon others were at last brought home to himself.]

Let us now turn our attention from the particular dispensation, to,

II.

The insight which it gives us into God’s moral government—

“God is still known by the judgments which he executeth”—
[God has not relinquished the government of the earth: he orders and overrules every thing now as much as ever; and in his former dispensations we behold a perfect exhibition of the government which he still administers. Still, as formerly, does he requite the wickedness of men; sometimes on the offenders themselves, as when he smote Uzziah with leprosy [Note: 2 Chronicles 26:19.]; and sometimes on others upon their account; as when he slew seventy thousand of the people, to punish the sin which David had committed in numbering his subjects [Note: 2 Samuel 24:15; 2 Samuel 24:17.]. Sometimes he inflicts the judgment immediately, as on Herod who was eaten up with worms [Note: Acts 12:23.]; and sometimes after a long season, as on the sons of Saul for their father’s cruelty to the Gibeonites many years before [Note: 2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Samuel 21:6; 2 Samuel 21:9.]. Sometimes his judgments are sent as a prelude to those heavier judgments that shall be inflicted in the eternal world, as in the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram [Note: Numbers 16:24.]; and sometimes after the offenders themselves have been forgiven, as was experienced by David in his family [Note: 2 Samuel 12:13.], and by Manasseh, whose iniquities were visited upon Israel after he himself had been received up to glory [Note: 2 Kings 24:2.]. Sometimes his chastisements had no particular affinity with the offence committed, as in the plagues of Egypt; and sometimes the offence was clearly marked in the punishment; as in the case of Joram, who had slain all his brothers, and whose children were all, with one exception, consigned to the slaughter [Note: 2 Chronicles 21:4; 2 Chronicles 21:17.]; and as David, whose wives and concubines were openly denied by his own son Absalom, just as he himself had defiled the wife of his faithful servant Uriah [Note: 2 Samuel 12:10; 2 Samuel 16:21.]. So minutely is this correspondence marked in the Scriptures, that even the time and the place are noticed, as designed to manifest the very offence which God designed to punish; as Israel’s wandering in the wilderness forty years on account of their murmuring at the reports which were brought them by the spies who had searched out the land forty days [Note: Numbers 14:33.]; and as Ahab’s blood was licked up by dogs, on the very spot where dogs had licked the blood of Naboth, whom he had murdered [Note: 1 Kings 21:19; 1 Kings 22:38.].

We might further notice the correspondence between the spiritual judgments which God oftentimes inflicts for spiritual transgressions. Those who “will not hearken to his voice, he gives up to their own counsels [Note: Psalms 81:11.];” those who abandon themselves to all manner of wickedness, he gives up to vile affections and a reprobate mind [Note: Romans 1:26.]; and those who “will not receive his truth in order to salvation, he gives up to their own delusions, that they may be damned [Note: 2 Thessalonians 2:10.].”

We have not prophets indeed at this time to declare the particular instances in which God intends this righteous procedure of his to be discovered: but we have no reason to think that he has altered his system of government, and consequently no reason to doubt but that he still displays his own righteousness in his dispensations, as he has done in every age and quarter of the world. If any imagine that this conduct of his was confined to the nation whose temporal Governor he was, we must remind them, that he dealt precisely in the same way with the heathen nations [Note: Isaiah 33:1.], and has taught us to expect that he will do so to the end of time [Note: Revelation 18:5.]

Whereinsoever he fails to requite either good or evil in this life, he will requite it perfectly in the world to come—
[God inflicts some judgments here on account of sin, in order that it may be seen that he governs the world; but he does not do it in all instances, in order that men may know, that he will judge the world. It often happens that the wicked prosper, and the righteous are oppressed; and yet God does not remarkably interpose to punish the one, or to reward the other: but in the last day, all will be made right; and every creature in the universe, the good and the evil, the oppressor and the oppressed, will “receive at God’s hands a just recompence of reward [Note: 2 Thessalonians 1:6.].”]

From hence we may learn,
1.

To investigate the reasons of God’s dealings with us—

[Every dispensation of Providence has a voice, to which we should give diligent attention. If we more carefully inquired into the design of God in his various dispensations towards us, we should find them an inexhaustible source of most instructive information. We might read in our afflictions some fault which God designs to correct; some mistake which he intends to rectify; some corruption which he desires to subdue; some grace which he is anxious to confirm; or some temptation, against which he purposes to fortify our minds. As in the instance before us, God brought to the remembrance of Adoni-bezek the sins which he had committed, and which perhaps in the fulness of his prosperity he had overlooked; so he often, by a particular chastisement, shews us the evil of some practice which we had justified, or revives in our minds the recollection of some which we had too slightly condemned. I would say unto you therefore, “Hear the rod, and Him that hath appointed it.” If you see not the reason of it, go unto your God, and say, “Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me?” and let no cross be suffered to escape from you, without having first paid to you that tribute of good, which by the order of Providence you are entitled to exact.]

2. To repent of particular sins—

[We cannot be too particular in calling to mind the sins which at any time we may have committed. Though we have not walked in the steps of this wicked tyrant, it is highly probable that we have lived in sinful habits, which custom has rendered familiar to our minds; and that we have in many things offended God, whilst we have not been conscious of committing any offence at all. Possibly Adoni-bezek at first felt a consciousness of doing wrong; but after a season, accounted his rival kings a legitimate prey, whom he might subdue, and torture in any way that he pleased. But at last God made him sensible of the enormity of his conduct. In like manner we may learn hereafter to view many parts of our conduct with far different feelings than we have yet done. God has borne with us indeed; but we must not consider his long-suffering as any proof of his approbation: he is recording every thing in the book of his remembrance, and will call us into judgment for it, whether it be good or evil. Let us then search and try our ways: let us pray that he will not “remember against us the sins and transgressions of our youth:” let us, like Hezekiah, “humble ourselves for the pride” or any other evil passion that has at any time been in “our heart.” In this way we shall avert many evils from ourselves which unlamented sin would bring upon us, and extract the sting from those which God in his providence may allot us.]

3. To abound in every good work—

[“The godly, no less than the sinner, shall be recompensed in the earth [Note: Proverbs 11:31; Proverbs 13:21.]:” “for godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” Look into the Scriptures, and you will find that there is nothing that you can do for God or for your fellow-creatures, to which God has not annexed an appropriate reward. “Draw nigh to him, and he will draw nigh to you:” “honour him, and he will honour you:” “serve him, and he will gird himself and serve you.” Visit and relieve your sick neighbour, and “God will be with you in trouble, and make all your bed in sickness [Note: Psalms 41:1; Psalms 41:3.]:” “nor shall even a cup of cold water given to a disciple, in any wise lose its reward.” Would you then have testimonies of God’s approbation here? endeavour to “abound in the work of the Lord:” and expect also, that, in proportion as you improve your talents now, shall be the weight of glory assigned to you in a better world.]