As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel

As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel.

Hierom reads it, As Salmana was destroyed by the house of him that vindicated Baal in the day of battle. And so all that follow the old Latin, they refer this to the story that we have in Judges 8, and think it has reference to that, the story where Gideon slew Zalmunnah the Prince of Midian, and so they make Arbel to signify the same with Jerubbaal though more short. And the holy Ghost does seem to make that great judgment of God upon Salmunna to be exemplary, he makes use of it afterwards in Psalm 83:11: Make all their Princes like Zeba and Zalmunna. But now the letters in the Hebrew do differ here, and we do not read of Gideon though he did use very much severity upon Zeba and Zalmunna, yet we do not read that he dashed the mother upon the children.

But Luther thinks that it is meant of some notable act of cruelty upon some that was very near to them; but the particulars whereof we have not recorded in Scripture, but only here mentioned, some notable execution of justice it was upon a city Beth-arbel not long before, that God sets forth as an example of his most dreadful wrath that they might expect against themselves. This Beth-arbel we find it not in the canonical Scripture but in 1 Maccabees 9:2 we find mention of such a place, and afterwards it was very famous for the great overthrow that Alexander the Great gave to Darius, so that it is as if the holy Ghost should say, Did you not hear of that horrid savage slaughter that Shalman caused in Beth-arbel when the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children, they had no pity of any sex or condition, the tender-hearted mother embracing of her children she was dashed in pieces upon them; such dreadful wrath of God your Bethel may expect, for so he alludes to that.

Beth-arbel signifies the house of the ensnaring god, the god of policy and subtlety; it seems the people that called this city by this name, they had a god that they honored for the god of subtlety, that would ensnare all their enemies they thought, and so they trusted in this god. And upon that called the city Beth-arbel, the house of the ensnaring god. But now this would not do, the more they sought by subtlety to undermine their enemies, the more were their enemies enraged, and therefore when they came upon them they spoiled them, and dashed the mother upon her own children.

We might from this very word take notice of such a meditation as that, that we should not think by our plots and policies to prevail, if God be against us. Do not think to put off God by plots and policies and to avoid dangers that way; this people did so because they had a Beth-arbel, a god of policy, they thought to prevail, but their misery was so much the greater. Mothers and children were dashed in pieces one against another. If you make Arbel your God, policy to be your God, you may expect so much the more rage of God, and of the instruments of his wrath against you.

And let men take heed how they seek to deceive and cozen other men, for there is no such way to encourage one man against another as this is, when a man sees that he is sought to be undermined by policies, do not deal by that way with your friends, acquaintance, and neighbors, you will encourage them so much the more.

But oh! the fury and rage of war when God lets it out, to dash mother against children. We read in Psalm 137 concerning the children of idolaters, that when the Lord lets out his wrath upon the parents, he will let it out upon the children too, Happy shall he be that takes and dashes your little ones against the stones. It is a very strange phrase. And in Isaiah 13:16, Their children shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes. I remember Ursine in his comment upon that place of Isaiah, he quotes this Psalm 137, and he has first this note, that though God does thus execute his wrath, yet usually because it is so dreadful and there is so much savageness in the thing in man's eye, therefore God does use to do it by wicked men, and we never read that he made use of his own saints to execute that wrath. And then he answers that doubt, yes, but is it not said in the Psalm, Blessed are those that dash their little ones against the stones, it may seem that it is approved of? Now that is his answer, and Calvin's, and others, that he does not mean Blessed, that is, that they are blessed in their persons, or eternal blessings of mercy; but it is a prophetical wish that they might have success in the work, that they might have the blessing of success in the work, as an execution of God's wrath, and God's justice, though the instruments did sin in it, they did it to execute their savage cruelty, yet the Prophet does look upon the justice of God in it, and wishes success to them in such a work as that is, that the justice of God may go on and have its course, speaking in the way of a prophetical spirit.

The sins of parents (you may see) many times comes upon little ones. What has the poor infant done? Oh! you tender-hearted mothers, consider of this, how far your sin may reflect upon your children: if ever you should see bloody soldiers to come in in a terrible way, (as sometimes you have had fears that way) and dash you upon your children, consider this is your sin that has done it.

But you will say, Shall the children suffer for the father's sin?

Do not we read that God will visit the sins of idolaters to the third and fourth generation? Indeed were your children innocent, had they no original sin, then it were another matter; but now considering they have enough in them to make them subjects of God's wrath, God may take advantage the rather because of your sin, and therefore take heed, and especially take heed to God's worship, for we do not find in Scripture where any children are so threatened as the children of idolaters are.

And then a further note is this, that the judgments of God near to us should awaken us; we should think, Why may it not be upon our selves? This was a heavy judgment of God upon some city near, and God would awaken them. Oh! what have we heard has been upon our brethren in other parts, and we have been sottish, and not sensible of it because it has not just come upon our gates; the Lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others, that we should tremble and fear before him. And then one thing further note from hence.