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DA 


THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 
PARABLES 


HY    THE   SAME  AUTHOR 


THE    MODERN 
CONFLICT 

Light  from  the  Epistle 
of  St.  James 

Cloth  3/6  net 

JAMES  CLARKE  &  Co..  LIMITED 
9  ESSEX  STREET,  LONDON,  W.C.2 


THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 
PARABLES 


BY 
JOHN  MACDOUGALL,  B.D. 

Author  of 
"The  Modern  Conflict,"  "The  Shepherd  Song" 


LONDON 

JAMES  CLARKE  &  COMPANY  LIMITED 
9,  ESSEX  STREET,  STRAND,  W.C.2 


PRINTED    IN    GREAT    BRITAIN 


PREFACE 


IN  the  following  pages  an  attempt  is  made  to 
present  a  faithful  exposition  and  interpretation 
of  what  I  regard  as  the  Old  Testament  Parables. 
The  first  chapter  explains  how  the  list  of  Parables 
has  been  compiled.  At  no  stage  of  the  study  are 
their  possibilities  of  Gospel  interpretation  or 
evangelical  application  overlooked.  Not  enough 
is  it  for  us  to  know  their  meaning  in  their  own 
day ;  we  must  ask  what  message,  if  any,  they 
had  for  Jesus  in  whose  hands  even  the  dross  of 
the  Old  Testament  was,  as  Harnack  says, 
"  changed  into  gold  ;  its  hidden  treasures  were 
brought  forth  "  ;  but  most  of  all,  we  must  learn 
their  possible  value  to  ourselves  in  an  age  when 
the  Old  Testament  begins  to  live  anew  and  with 
an  ever-increasing  appeal. 

Acknowledgment  of  quotations  and  references 
has  been  rendered  in  the  text,  but  upon  a  subject 
whose  literature  is  distinguished  by  its  paucity 
I  have  been  a  grateful  gleaner  in  many  fields 
of  whatever  seemed  apposite  and  illuminating. 
The  translations  which  preface  each  parable  have 
been  construed  from  a  careful  reading  and  com- 
parison of  the  Septuagint,  the  Massoretic  Hebrew 
Text  and  various  English  translations. 

5 


PREFACE 

Rev.  W.  B.  Stevenson,  D.D.,  D.Litt.,  Professor 
of  Oriental  Languages,  Glasgow  University,  has 
very  kindly  read  the  MSS.  and  to  him  I  am 
sincerely  grateful  for  corrections,  friendly 
criticisms  and  valuable  suggestions. 

J.  MACD. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     THE  WORD  '  PARABLE  '        .          .  9 

PARABLES  OF  FACT. 

II.    THE  EWE  LAMB           ...  23 

III.  THE  VINEYARD  ....  33 

IV.  THE  WOMAN  OF  TEKOAH      .         .  45 
V.     THE  POOR  WISE  MAN           .         .  56 

VI.     THE  ESCAPED  PRISONER       .          .  63 

VII.     THE  SLUGGARD    .         .  74 

PARABLE  AS  FABLE. 

VIII.     THE  KING  OF  THE  TREES    .          .  83 

IX.     THE  THISTLE  AND  CEDAR    .         .  93 

PARABLES  OF  FANCY. 

X.    THE  SOILED  WAIST-CLOTH   .         .  105 

XI.    THE  POTTER        .         .         .  113 
XII.     MICAIAH — a  faithful  Minister  of 

God       .          .          .          .          .122 

XIII.     THE  PLOUGHMAN          .         .         .130 

XIV.    THE  GREAT  EAGLES    .         .         .138 

CONCLUSION         ....  150 


CHAPTER   I 
THE   WORD   'PARABLE' 

IN  addition  to  their  attraction  as  a  subject  of 
absorbing  interest  the  Old  Testament  Parables 
make  a  strong  historical,  moral  and  spiritual 
appeal  as  a  background  for  much  that  we  read 
in  the  New  Testament.  More  detailed  study 
than  one  can  possibly  reproduce  here  has  given 
the  conviction  that  Jesus  was  not  only  familiar 
with  the  Old  Testament  Parables  and  fond  of 
recounting  some  of  them,  but  that  in  narrating 
His  own  stories  of  the  Kingdom  He  used  forms 
of  expression  and  symbolism  with  which  His 
hearers  were  already  familiar.  "  The  Rabbis, 
who  made  such  large  use  of  parables,  were  alive 
to  their  value  as  a  method  of  teaching  and  for 
the  purpose  of  vivid  illustration  "  (C.  G.  Monte- 
fiore,  Rabbinic  Literature  and  Gospel  Teachings). 
Jesus  raised  the  parabolic  method  of  teaching 
to  a  standard  previously  unattained  and  gave  to 
it  a  value  which  the  world  has  ever  since 
appreciated. 

The  Old  Testament  Parables  merit  at  least  a 
small  share  of  this  universal  approbation  because 

9 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

they  had  already  provided  the  scheme,  the 
system,  the  power  and  genius  of  parabolic 
teaching.  "  We  have  ground  to  conjecture  that 
such  forms  of  composition  must  have  been 
long,  diligently  and  abundantly  cultivated " 
(Kautzsch,  Literature  of  the  Old  Testament). 
Only  a  new  spirit  was  required  to  impart  a  fresh 
interest  to  the  system,  and  that  came  with  the 
appeal  of  Jesus  for  a  New  Kingdom.  Indeed, 
some  of  our  Lord's  parables  may  be  recognised 
as  familiar  Old  Testament  stories  with  the  new 
idea  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  set  in  their  heart. 
This  appears  in  reading  the  parables  of  the 
Wicked  Husbandmen  and  the  Mustard  Seed, 
which  remind  us  of  the  parables  of  the  Vineyard 
(Isaiah  v.  1-7)  and  the  Great  Eagles  (Ezek.  xvii.). 
Reared  in  the  Old  Testament  atmosphere  which 
inspired  Him  to  use  such  metaphorical  language 
as  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  Me  "  or  "  The 
stone  which  the  builders  rejected  the  same  is 
become  the  head  of  the  corner,"  it  is  no  surprise 
to  find  Jesus  adapting  the  simplest  and  most 
obvious  facts  of  life  to  the  function  of  pro- 
claiming the  truth  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Between  the  parables  of  the  two  Testaments 
there  is  a  wide  difference.  Whereas  those  of  the 
Old  are  mainly  composed  of  narratives  of  action, 
fable  and  imaginative  fancy,  those  of  the  New 
Testament  are  rich  in  common  and  well-known 
experiences  of  life.  It  is  true  that  Jesus  uses 

10 


THE    WORD    'PARABLE' 

imagination  in  certain  parables,  but  in  all  His 
stories  there  is  a  ring  of  reality.  They  are  free 
of  the  crudity  which  marks  the  Old  Testament 
stories,  and  some  of  them  are  so  intricately  woven 
that  they  required  to  be  interpreted  for  their 
hearers.  The  *  time  '  difference  in  the  two  types 
of  parable  is  also  important.  The  New  Testa- 
ment Parables  were  spoken  by  Jesus  Himself  as 
their  originator,  and  the  period  of  narration  was 
no  more  than  three  years.  Those  of  the  Old 
Testament  were  spoken  by  various  people  over  a 
period  of  time  embracing  many  generations  and 
several  civilizations,  each  with  its  peculiar 
language,  mode  of  expression,  morality  and 
religious  interpretation. 

The  parables  of  the  New  Testament  are  uni- 
versal in  their  appeal,  whilst  those  of  the  Old 
Testament,  with  few  exceptions,  are  local  and 
personal ;  the  truths  of  the  former  may  be 
universalized,  but  the  latter  are  mostly  related 
to  particular  events  and  to  directly  personal 
duties,  national  and  individual.  The  Old  Testa- 
ment Parables  lack  the  prophetic  note  and  high 
spiritual  value  of  their  successors,  yet  they  charm 
us  by  their  truth  to  life  and  their  unerring 
portrayal  of  the  deeper  regions  of  human 
experience  —  sin,  remorse,  punishment  and 
reformation.  In  them  we  read  of  the  moral  and 
social  life  of  varied  epochs  in  Israel's  history  and 
are  given  a  glimpse  of  the  religious  conditions 

II 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

under  different  regimes.  They  are  very  matter- 
of-fact  because  they  shew  us  man  as  he  was  and 
is  rather  than  as  he  may  be  ideally.  Their 
humanity  is  their  appeal. 

THE  WORD  *  PARABLE  ' 

In  his  opening  chapter  of  '  Notes  on  the 
Parables '  Archbishop  Trench  refers  to  the 
difficulty  of  finding  a  definition  of  the  word 
'  parable '  which  should  "  omit  none  of  its 
distinctive  marks,  and  at  the  same  time  include 
nothing  superfluous  and  merely  accidental." 
What  the  distinguished  scholar  writes  regarding 
a  definition  for  New  Testament  Parables  applies 
with  even  more  force  to  the  setting  forth  of  an 
adequate  and  acceptable  definition  of  Old 
Testament  Parables.  So  familiar  are  we  with 
the  charming  stones  told  by  Jesus  Christ  and 
with  their  particular  form  and  application  that 
we  may  bring  to  the  word  '  parable '  in  the  Old 
Testament  a  misleading  conception  of  its  content. 
A  simple  and  concise  definition  is  not  possible, 
but  an  explanation  of  what  the  word  embraces 
can  be  provided. 

The  Jews  had  many  "  apophthegms,  parables, 
pregnant  witty  sayings  .  .  .  and  even  apart 
from  the  Book  of  Proverbs  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  national  literature  is  so  rich  in  such  utter- 
ances as  is  the  Bible "  (McCurdy,  History, 
Prophecy  and  the  Monuments).  Oral  and  written 

12 


THE    WORD    'PARABLE' 

collections  of  sage  and  apt  sayings,  of  fables  and 
parables  were  common  in  Israel  just  as  were 
ballads  and  proverbs  in  Britain  many  years  ago. 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  '  MASHAL  ' 

As  a  rule,  the  English  word  '  parable  '  in  the 
Old  Testament  represents  the  Hebrew  word 
'  Mashal '  (^9)  though  we  may  discover  no 
'  parable '  such  as  that  word  usually  implies  in 
the  English  language.  The  Hebrew  word  is 
generally  translated  in  our  English  versions  as 
'  parable  '  or  '  proverb,'  but  it  embraces  a  wide 
range  of  illustrative  and  figurative  language. 
Mashal  may  mean  parable  (Ezek.  xvii.  2), 
proverb  (i  Sam.  x.  12),  allegory  (Ezek.  xxiv.  3), 
taunting-speech  (Is.  xiv.  4),  an  argument  (Job 
xxvii.  I  and  xxix.  i)  or  an  obscure  utterance 
such  as  a  poetic  oracle  (Numbers  xxiii.  7,  18, 
and  Hab.  ii.  6).  "  Through  the  Mashal 
a  man  can  understand  the  words  of  the 
Law "  (C.  G.  Montefiore,  Rabbinic  Literature, 
&c.).  The  purpose  of  the  Mashal  being  primarily 
its  suggestion  of  comparison  or  similitude, 
there  is  little  difficulty  in  understanding  how 
the  word  became  associated  with  '  parable,' 
because  in  the  ordinary  acceptance  of  its  meaning 
the  word  '  parable  '  necessitates  a  comparison 
or  similitude. 

A  parable  is  defined  by  Bishop  Lowth  as 
"  a  continued  narrative  of  a  fictitious  event, 

13 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

applied  by  way  of  simile  to  the  illustration  of 
some  important  truth."  In  the  Old  Testament 
the  terms  '  parable  '  and  '  proverb  '  are  almost 
interchangeable,  and  it  is  interesting  to  observe 
that  the  Old  Testament  stories  which  conform 
most  closely  to  what  is  regarded  as  the  customary 
standard  of  what  constitutes  a  parable  are  not 
introduced  by  the  term  Mashal.  These  are 
the  narratives  of  the  Ewe  Lamb  (2  Sam.  xii. 
1-4),  the  Tekoan  Woman  (2  Sam.  xiv.  4  f.), 
the  Lost  Prisoner  (i  Kings,  xx.  38-42),  the 
Vineyard  (Is.  v.  1-7)  and  the  Ploughman 
(Is.  xxviii.  23-29).  They  are,  nevertheless, 
Mashals,  and  they  suggest  that  we  must  seek 
our  Old  Testament  Parables  in  the  content 
rather  than  in  the  name  of  the  stories. 

NEW  TESTAMENT  PARABLES 

There  is  not  the  same  difficulty  among  terms 
in  the  New  Testament,  where  all  the  accepted 
parables  are  contained  within  the  four  Gospels, 
being  part  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ. 
They  are  inseparable  from  their  blessed  Narrator, 
and  are  all  related  in  greater  or  less  degree  to 
the  Kingdom  which  He  came  to  establish  upon 
earth.  Matthew  states  that  "  all  these  things 
spake  Jesus  in  parables  unto  the  multitudes  ; 
and  without  a  parable  spake  He  nothing  unto 
them  :  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was 
spoken  through  the  prophet  saying,  I  will  open 

H 


THE    WORD    'PARABLE' 

my  mouth  in  parables  ;  I  will  utter  things  hidden 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  It  has  been 
pointed  out  that  Matthew's  quotation  is  rather 
free,  and  that  it  does  not  agree  with  the  Hebrew 
or  with  the  Septuagint  of  Psalm  Ixxviii,  v.  2 
(Kirkpatrick,  The  Book  of  Psalms)  ;  but  the 
fact  remains  that  Jesus  "  adopted  the  methods 
of  the  teachers  of  the  old  dispensation,  and 
fulfilled  them  by  carrying  them  to  their  highest 
perfection." 

Even  in  the  New  Testament,  however,  there  is 
need  to  distinguish  between  parable  and  proverb 
and  between  parable  and  allegory.  Some 
scholars  would  exclude  John's  narratives  from 
the  list  of  parables  on  the  ground  that  they  are 
allegories ;  others  would  restrict  the  list  of 
parables  to  about  thirty  rather  than  accept 
about  sixty,  which  are  recognised  by  many 
students  of  the  Gospels.  The  interchange- 
ability  of  '  parable '  and  (  proverb '  is  also 
found  in  the  New  Testament.  Jesus  remarked 
that  His  hearers  would  say  to  Him  this  *  parable  ' 
— "  Physician,  heal  thyself "  where  the  word 
4  parable  '  is  inapplicable  ;  whilst  He  also  said, 
"  I  have  spoken  unto  you  in  proverbs,"  where, 
it  would  seem,  the  word  *  parables '  is  implied. 
In  a  wider  sense  it  may  be  claimed  that  in  so  far 
as  most  of  the  sentences  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  are  metaphorical  or  similitudinary,  they 
are  also  parabolical ;  but  by  common  consent 

15 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

they  are  excluded  from  the  list  of  parables 
because  they  do  not  provide  the  elementary 
foundation  narratives  by  means  of  which  a 
comparison  is  set  up  and  a  moral  is  derived. 
Bishop  Lowth's  definition  of  a  parable  falls 
short  when  applied  to  the  narratives  of  Jesus 
Christ,  since  His  Parables  do  not  merely  provide 
*  some  important  truth,'  but  they  supply  a 
definitely  spiritual  truth  related  to  the  Gospel 
message. 


In  dealing  with  the  Old  Testament  Parables 
we  must  confine  our  study  to  such  stories  as 
were  probably  regarded  at  the  time  of  their 
narration  as  having  an  implied  lesson  of  spiritual 
or  moral  truth  or  of  practical  and  possibly 
personal  allusion.  We  must  avoid  the  tempta- 
tion to  read  too  much  into  them  and  to  discover 
detailed  circumstances  to  coincide  with  each 
minute  part  of  the  stories.  Nor  must  they  be 
so  Christianized  as  to  deprive  them  of  their 
historical,  local  and  individual  importance, 
although  we  endeavour  to  see  their  message, 
if  there  be  any,  for  our  own  period  of  history. 
For  our  purpose  there  must  lie  behind  a  Parable 
a  particular  truth,  fact,  act  or  picture  which 
is  necessary  to  the  moral  or  spiritual  life,  or 
to  a  special  expression  of  some  characteristic 
which  ought  to  be  exemplified  in  the  life  of 

16 


THE    WORD   'PARABLE' 

an  individual,  community  or  nation.  The  story 
may  be  given  as  fact,  fable  or  fancy,  but  there 
lies  within  it,  by  comparison,  another  and  higher 
meaning.  This  higher  meaning  is,  in  most 
instances,  applicable  to  the  listener's  life. 

PARABLES  OF  FACT 

The  narratives  of  fact  may  or  may  not  deal 
with  historical  truth,  but  the  circumstances 
depicted  are  such  that  they  lend  the  possibility 
of  truth  to  the  stories,  and  by  the  application  of 
that  possible  truth  a  contrast  is  set  up  which 
leads  to  the  other  meaning  which  constitutes 
a  parable.  Among  such  stones  are  the  Ewe  Lamb 
(2  Sam.  xii.  1-4),  the  Vineyard  (Is.  v.  1-7),  and 
the  Poor  Wise  Man  (Eccles.  ix.  14,  15).  In  form 
the  parables  of  fact  are  nearest  to  those  of  our 
Lord. 

FABLE 

It  may  be  objected  that  the  fable  can  never 
rise  beyond  mere  human  morality,  that  Jesus 
did  not  stoop  to  its  use,  and  that  it  makes 
inanimate  and  earthly  substances  as  well  as 
beasts  and  birds  appear  as  though  in  possession 
of  human  speech.  If  the  fable  succeeds  in  its 
purpose  by  bringing  home  an  ethical  or  spiritual 
truth  which  would  otherwise  remain  unrecog- 
nised or  inadmissible,  and  if  it  does  this  by 
setting  the  story  in  the  fable  over  and  against 

17  B 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

the  listener's  own  life,  then  such  a  fable  is 
parabolic.  In  this  sense  the  fables  of  Jotham 
(Judges  ix.  8-15)  and  Jehoash  (2  Kings,  xiv.  9) 
are  admitted  as  Old  Testament  Parables.  Arch- 
bishop Trench  holds  that  the  fable  "  has  no  place 
in  the  Scripture,  and  in  the  nature  of  things 
could  have  none,  for  the  purpose  of  Scripture 
excludes  it."  He  regards  the  fable  as  "  essentially 
of  the  earth,  and  never  lifts  itself  above  the 
earth."  He  draws  a  very  fine  distinction  between 
'  folly '  and  '  sin,'  and  indicates  that  though 
the  fables  teach  men  their  folly  they  do  not 
teach  them  their  sin.  For  the  reasons  already 
specified  the  fables  are  included  as  parables  in 
this  book  and  we  might  with  some  advantage  urge 
the  claim  for  these  fables  to  be  admittedas  parables 
because  of  their  narration  in  a  much  earlier  civili- 
zation than  the  New  Testament  Parables. 

PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

Within  the  category  of  parables  of  fancy 
there  come  visionary  and  imaginary  descriptions 
which  are  directly  capable  of  a  higher  inter- 
pretation and  which  were  first  recounted  for 
the  purpose  of  conveying  such  a  message. 
Stories  which  are  obviously  visionary  in  the 
sense  that  they  are  merely  illustrations  or  are 
unrelated  to  the  circumstances  of  the  listener 
or  to  a  general  law  of  human  life  which  requires 
to  be  brought  home,  must  be  discarded.  There 

18 


THE    WORD    <  PARABLE  ' 

are  many  stories  which  prompt  us  to  ask  '  what 
these  things  mean  '  but  which  fall  short  of  our 
standard  and  definition  of  an  Old  Testament 
Parable,  e.g.  the  Good  and  Bad  Figs  (Jer.  xxiv.), 
the  Two  Harlots  (Ez.  xxiii.),  the  Boiling  Pot 
(Ez.  xxiv.  3-5),  the  Vision  of  Dry  Bones 
(Ez.  xxxvii.),  and  the  visions  in  the  books  of 
Amos  and  Zechariah.  Narratives  like  those 
of  the  Linen  Waist-Cloth  (Jer.  xiii.  i-u)  and 
the  Potter  (Jer.  xviii.  i-io)  are  included  among 
parables  of  fancy. 

The  foregoing  classification  of  the  narratives 
into  parables  of  fact,  fable  and  fancy  gets  rid  of 
difficulties  created  and  suggested  by  our  English 
varieties  of  figures  of  speech,  and  gives  us  the 
privilege  to  concentrate  our  thoughts  upon  the 
parables  rather  than  upon  the  dialectical  dis- 
cussion as  to  what  constitutes  a  parable.  We 
shall  accept  the  principle  that  in  the  parables 
"  we  lay  one  kind  of  action  in  one  sphere  along- 
side another  kind  of  action  in  another  sphere 
and  illustrate  the  one  by  the  other  "  (McCartney, 
The  Parables  of  the  Old  Testament}.  This  will 
fulfil  the  simple  meaning  of  the  word  '  Mashal,' 
which  meant  primarily  "  the  setting  of  one 
thing  beside  another  "  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
parison. By  means  of  that  comparison  there 
will  appear  the  lessons  and  higher  principles 
or  spiritual  truths  which  prompted  the  narration 
of  the  stories. 

19 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 


CHAPTER  II 

(*)  "  THE  EWE  LAMB  " 

"THERE  were  two  men  in  one  city — one  rich 
and  the  other  poor.  The  rich  man  had  very 
abundant  small  cattle  and  large  cattle  ;  but  the 
poor  man  had  totally  nothing  save  one  little  ewe 
lamb  which  he  had  bought.  He  nourished  it 
and  it  grew  up  together  with  him  and  his  sons. 
It  used  to  eat  of  his  own  morsel  of  bread  and 
drink  from  his  own  cup.  It  lay  in  his  bosom 
and  was  as  a  daughter  to  him.  To  the  rich  man 
there  came  a  visitor  and  he  was  chary  to  take 
from  his  own  small  cattle  or  his  own  large  cattle 
to  prepare  for  the  wayfarer  that  was  come  unto 
him  ;  but  he  took  the  poor  man's  ewe  lamb  and 
prepared  it  for  the  man  that  was  come  unto 
him." — 2  Samuel  xii.  1-4. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  narratives  of  fact  the 
simple  words  of  the  above  story  are  very  suitable. 
They  present  what  might  well  have  had  a  basis 
in  some  recent  incident,  and  their  reality  so 
impressed  their  original  hearer  that  he  accepted 
them  as  fact.  To  read  the  story  to-day  in  its 
direct  and  terse  sentences  awakes  in  every  heart 

23 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

an  intense  feeling  of  anger  against  the  rich  man 
and  of  deepest  sympathy  towards  the  poor  man. 
Quite  apart  from  its  parabolic  interpretation  the 
story  makes  its  appeal,  but  when  linked  to  the 
episode  of  which  it  is  a  parable  it  opens  up  an 
approach  to  a  part  of  Scripture  history  in  which 
is  found  a  monstrous  depth  of  iniquity  over  and 
against  which  are  set  the  wrath  and  mercy  of 
God.  By  its  means  the  tragedy  of  David's 
spiritual  and  moral  life  is  not  only  clearly 
portrayed  and  condemned  but  its  consequences 
are  revealed  and  a  moral  lesson  is  taught. 

The  closing  verse  of  Chapter  xi  is  the  key  to 
the  incident — "  But  the  thing  that  David  had 
done  displeased  the  Lord."  From  his  lowly 
shepherd  life  God  had  taken  David  and  steadily 
advanced  him  in  wisdom,  honour  and  power. 
In  the  field  of  battle  he  had  been  victorious.  As 
a  king  he  ruled  a  united  and  prosperous  people. 
As  a  man  he  was  surrounded  by  every  luxury  and 
opportunity  for  self-indulgence  which  any  man 
of  that  time  could  wish.  By  the  law  of  suc- 
cession he  owned  Saul's  harem  in  addition  to  his 
own  wife  and  concubines,  yet  it  was  just  in  this 
wealth  of  opportunity  to  satisfy  his  passions  that 
David  revealed  his  selfishness,  a  selfishness  that 
culminated  in  a  most  despicable  crime.  We  may 
wonder  why  such  a  story  is  told  in  the  Bible, 
more  so  as  it  relates  to  a  man  who  was  renowned 
for  his  love  of  God  and  his  zeal  for  righteousness. 

24 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

We  ought,  however,  to  appreciate  the  truth 
and  sincerity  of  the  Bible  in  being  so  faithful 
in  depicting  human  sin  and  weakness  where 
even  a  holy  man  may  be  so  fallen  in  iniquity 
that  conscience  and  remorse  are  almost  stifled. 

After  his  throne  was  made  secure  and  he  had 
almost  completed  the  overthrow  of  all  his  foes, 
David  was  ensnared  by  success  and  idleness. 
Not  far  from  his  palace  he  beheld  a  brave 
soldier's  wife  whose  person  his  lust  immediately 
desired  and  acquired.  Her  husband,  Uriah  the 
Hittite,  was  with  the  army,  and  verses  8-12  of 
Chapter  xi  suggest  that  Uriah  returned  to 
find  his  wife  defiled  and  his  home  devastated. 
Aware  of  his  adultery's  consequence,  David  now 
coveted  Uriah's  wife,  and  to  accomplish  this 
purpose  he  planned  Uriah's  death.  A  letter 
was  sent  to  the  army  commander,  Joab,  to  put 
Uriah  where  he  would  be  slain  in  battle — a  sad 
defection  in  David's  character  from  the  David 
who  despised  the  wickedness  and  blood-thirsty 
acts  of  Joab.  After  the  death  of  Uriah,  upon 
whom  he  had  treacherously  lavished  false  hos- 
pitality, David  took  the  widow,  Bathsheba,  to 
be  his  wife — "  but  the  thing  that  David  had 
done  displeased  the  Lord,"  and  God  sent  the 
prophet  Nathan  to  speak  unto  the  king. 

The  faith,  courage,  tact  and  sympathy  of  the 
man  of  God  are  alike  commendable.  Though 
his  errand  is  unpleasant  he  does  not  seek  to 

25 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

evade  it.  By  choice  selection  of  his  words  he 
leads  the  king  to  pronounce  judgment  upon  a 
man  whom  he  has  not  suspected  to  be  himself. 
When  the  crisis  is  reached,  the  king  condemned, 
and  confession  of  his  wrong  made  in  abjectest 
desolation  of  soul,  then  Nathan  speaks  com- 
fortingly of  the  mercy  of  God  to  the  sinner 
though  the  sin  must  bear  its  own  fruit.  In  the 
parable  itself  there  is  no  direct  reference  to  or 
indication  of  the  sin  committed  by  David. 
Impurity  and  adultery  are  not  suggested  and 
there  is  no  trace  of  murderous  intent  against 
anyone.  Nor  is  there  even  the  slightest  hint 
of  any  responsibility  to  God.  The  facts  are 
such  that  no  one  can  read  them  unmoved. 
Low  as  he  has  sunk,  David  is  aroused,  his  better 
nature  responds  and  the  heart  that  was  once 
so  pure,  loving  and  compassionate  pulsates  with 
such  a  horror  of  the  deed  that  he  exceeds  the 
usual  punishment  for  theft  by  condemning  the 
guilty  not  only  to  restore  fourfold  (some  readings 
put  it  l  sevenfold ')  which  was  the  customary 
punishment,  but  to  death  also.  This  may  be 
due  to  a  certain  restlessness  which  had  come 
into  his  life  following  upon  his  evil  deeds.  Under 
a  long  spell  of  uneasiness  in  conscience  the 
temper  is  easily  ruffled  and  irritation  may  lead 
to  excess  and  rash  judgment  or  action. 

Nathan's  words  are  carefully  selected.     It  is 
important    that    we    read    '  small    cattle '    and 

26 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

'  large  cattle  '  for  '  flocks  '  and  '  herds  '  because 
the  significance  of  the  rich  man's  abundance  is 
thus  made  more  evident.  He  might  have  taken 
from  his  own  small  cattle  if  he  needed  only  a 
small  beast,  but  if  he  wished  to  do  special 
honour  to  his  visitor  then  there  were  the  herds 
of  large  cattle.  David  was  under  no  necessity 
to  seek  a  woman  outside  his  own  house  where 
he  had  wives  in  abundance.  The  lamb's  nature 
is  described  minutely  and  we  cannot  overlook 
the  possibility  that  the  animal  may  have  been 
bought  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  milk  to  the 
house  as  sheep  are  so  used  in  the  East.  The 
care  lavished  upon  it  and  the  intimate  bond 
between  it  and  the  poor  man  are  very  delicately 
and  vividly  described.  The  poverty  of  the 
home  is  suggested  in  three  ways  :  the  lamb 
ate  of  the  poor  man's  morsel  of  bread ;  it  was 
to  him  as  a  daughter,  and  the  words  indicate 
that  there  was  neither  a  mother  nor  a  daughter 
in  the  home.  For  the  last  suggestion  it  is  best 
to  translate  the  phrase  t  with  his  children '  by 
*  with  his  sons  '  which  agrees  with  the  Greek  and 
Hebrew  versions.  That  the  rich  man  coveted 
and  then  took  by  theft  the  poor  man's  one 
little  ewe  lamb  exposes  the  enormity  of  his 
heinous  act.  He  robbed  a  home  of  its  centre 
of  love,  joy  and  peace  ;  of  its  contentment  and 
only  wealth,  for  "  he  had  totally  nothing  save 
one  little  ewe  lamb  " — a  phrase  which  agrees 

27 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

with  the  interpretation  that  Uriah  and  Bathsheba 
had  not  been  long  married. 

Regarding  this  story  of  a  home's  desecration 
as  true,  the  king  angrily  and  impulsively  de- 
clares the  sentence  of  death  only  to  recoil 
crestfallen,  ashamed  and  self-condemned  when 
the  prophet  declares  "  Thou  art  the  man." 
The  decisive  and  brave  words  of  the  man  of 
God  strike  home  to  the  very  heart  of  the  king. 
His  sins  are  now  uncovered.  He  had  sought 
to  hide  them  from  men  and  to  shut  them  out 
of  his  own  memory,  but  here  they  loom  before 
him  in  their  true  perspective.  The  parable 
illumines  his  darkened  vision.  He  sees  his 
own  utter  want  of  pity  and  love,  and  though 
murder  does  not  appear  in  the  parable  he  now 
regards  his  own  hands  as  stained  with  blood 
and  wonders  how  he  can  be  delivered  from  blood- 
guiltiness  (Ps.  li.  14).  He  had  sinned  deeply 
and  had  tried  to  silence  his  conscience.  "  When 
I  kept  silence  my  bones  waxed  old  through  my 
roaring  all  the  day  long  "  (Ps.  xxxii.  3). 

Having  pronounced  his  own  judgment  he 
must  now  hear  God's.  The  parable  is  inter- 
preted and  applied.  As  Nathan  tells  the  sen- 
tence of  God  upon  David  and  his  house,  the 
king  realises  the  truth  and  his  soul  is  aroused 
to  confess  and  acknowledge  his  sin  against  God 
— "  I  have  sinned  against  the  Lord."  "  Against 
thee,  thee  only  have  I  sinned  and  done  this 

28 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

evil  in  thy  sight."  It  is  the  exclamation  of  a 
great  but  broken  man,  the  cry  of  a  heart  that 
once  loved  the  Lord,  the  utter  resignation  of  a 
soul  that  is  dejected  and  forlorn  into  the  com- 
passion and  mercy  of  God.  None  can  read 
David's  confession  and  not  feel  a  wave  of 
sympathy  towards  him  sweep  over  one's  own 
heart.  Much  as  he  has  sinned  and  grievous 
as  must  be  the  consequences  in  his  own  and 
other  lives,  yet  that  wail  of  confession  will  ever 
remain  as  a  signpost  to  humanity,  especially  to 
the  proud,  the  righteous  and  the  rich.  The 
sword  which  he  introduced  into  the  home  of 
Uriah  will  wreck  the  peace  and  security  of  his 
own  house  ;  and  though  God  does  not  condemn 
him  to  death  for  his  sin,  but  most  mercifully 
forgives  the  sin,  yet  the  child  born  of  adultery 
will  die — prophecies  which  were  soon  fulfilled. 

THE  LAMB  DESIRED. 

It  is  no  mere  coincidence  that  when  Jesus 
would  condemn  selfishness  and  the  want  of  pity 
He  too  spoke  of  a  rich  man  and  a  poor  man — 
Dives  and  Lazarus.  To  our  own  generation 
this  Old  Testament  Parable  does  not  lack  a 
message.  In  recent  times  it  has  become  more 
applicable  than  formerly  to  social  life  because 
two  of  the  grossest  iniquities  known  to-day  are 
depicted  in  the  parable — the  desecration  of 
home  life  through  a  lowered  sense  of  morality 

29 


THE   OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

and  religion,  and  the  reckless  want  of  genuine 
pity  towards  those  who  have  not  the  means 
to  protect  themselves  from  the  lust,  aggression 
and  covetousness  of  those  who  have  already  an 
exceeding  abundance.  It  was  not  essential 
that  the  rich  man  should  take  the  poor  man's 
lamb  when  he  had  his  own  flocks,  but  he  desired 
the  other  man's  lamb  and  he~  had  no  pity  in 
his  heart. 

In  order  to  satisfy  their  sinful  tendencies  and 
lust  men  covet  in  the  life  of  others  that  which 
they  themselves  do  not  require.  Their  desires 
are  insatiable,  affecting  as  they  do  practically 
every  sphere  of  activity.  This  evil  tendency  is 
apparent  in  political,  business  and  social  life, 
where  men  are  so  restless  and  ambitious  that 
they  think  nothing  of  coveting  honours  and 
positions  which  can  be  theirs  only  at  a  cost  to 
others.  Most  serious,  however,  is  the  case 
where  a  man  with  sufficient  of  this  world's  goods 
cannot  be  satisfied  until  he  has  secured  for 
himself  that  which  means  '  bread  and  butter ' 
to  poorer  brothers.  It  may  be  done  in  the 
name  of  commercial  or  economic  efficiency,  but 
there  is  a  direct  challenge  to  Christianity  in  the 
desires  of  wealthy  syndicates  and  combines  to 
possess  for  themselves  the  means  of  existence 
of  small  concerns.  When  we  recall  that  the 
rich  man  lived  near  the  poor  man,  we  are 
reminded  that  the  lustful  desires  of  men  are 

30 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

often  such  that  they  affect  adversely  those  who 
are  neighbours.  David  was  a  false  friend  to 
Uriah.  It  was  his  duty  to  protect  and  not  to 
destroy  the  home  of  his  neighbour,  to  develop 
rather  than  to  wreck  its  happiness. 

THE  LAMB  ACQUIRED 

The  sin  of  the  parable  may  have  lain  in  the 
desire  to  acquire,  but  it  reached  its  depth  of 
enormity  when  the  lamb  was  taken  from  the 
poor  man.  The  lamb  was  stolen.  Though 
the  average  adulterer  does  not  desire  his  sin 
to  be  described  as  theft,  yet  theft  it  is  quite 
apart  from  its  concomitant  evils.  Was  Jesus 
thinking  of  this  parable  when  He  spoke  the 
memorable  and  difficult  sentence,  "  Whosoever 
looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her  hath 
committed  adultery  with  her  already  in  his 
heart "  ?  Jesus  would  have  a  man  restrain 
his  desire  before  it  urges  him  to  acquire. 

All  the  circumstances  of  the  parable  indicate 
that  a  man  can  obtain  what  he  unlawfully 
seeks  from  another's  possessions  only  by  sinning 
against  God  and  by  a  want  of  pity  and  con- 
sideration. The  tenth  commandment  forbids 
us  to  covet  "  anything  that  is  thy  neighbour's  " 
because  "  when  lust  hath  conceived  it  bringeth 
forth  sin ;  and  sin,  when  it  is  finished,  bringeth 
forth  death"  (Jas.  i,  15). 

Whether  applied  to  the  greed  of  rich  nations 

31 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

or  rich  commercial  houses  or  rich  individuals 
the  moral  of  the  parable  abides  with  us  and 
it  tells  us  that  the  nemesis  follows.  Once  they 
have  been  sown  the  seeds  of  evil  bear  their 
harvest  of  wrong  and  cruelty.  Associated  with 
our  parable  is  the  death  of  Bathsheba's  child, 
an  incident  which  provides  one  of  the  most 
touching  scenes  in  Scripture  and  which  is  now 
reverently  immortalized  when  the  words  are 
read  over  a  beloved  child's  body  and  comfort 
to  mourning  parents  is  found  in  the  words  of 
David — "  Can  I  bring  him  back  again  ?  I  shall 
go  to  him,  but  he  shall  not  return  to  me." 
They  are  the  words  of  a  chastened  man  :  a  man 
whom  God  has  really  forgiven  but  who  feels 
that  others  require  to  pay  the  penalty  of  his 
sin.  We  have  known  how  national  covetous- 
ness  has  resulted  in  war,  death,  destruction 
and  misery.  None  of  us  can  be  blind  to  the 
ravages  of  syndicalism  and  there  are  few 
families  which  have  escaped  the  blight  of  social 
evils.  If  we  could  only  see  sufficiently  far 
into  the  future  years  to  perceive  what  sacrifices 
may  be  required  of  our  children  and  children's 
children  because  of  our  sin,  our  prayer  would  be 
from  that  great  psalm  of  confession  which  is  said 
to  have  been  written  by  David  after  his  con- 
viction by  the  parable  : — 

"  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God  : 
And  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me." — Ps.  li,  10. 

32 


CHAPTER  III 
(b)  "  THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  VINEYARD  " 

"  LET  me  sing  for  my  beloved  my  love-song 
concerning  his  vineyard  : 

"  My  beloved  had  a  vineyard  on  a  fertile  hill- 
top ;  he  tilled  it  well  and  cleared  it  of  stones  ; 
and  he  planted  it  with  red-grape  vine.  He  built 
a  tower  in  its  midst  and  he  also  hewed  a  wine- 
vat  in  it.  He  kept  expecting  it  to  yield  grapes 
and  it  brought  forth  bad  grapes. 

"  And  now,  0  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and 
men  of  Judah,  judge  ye,  I  pray,  between  me 
and  my  vineyard.  What  might  be  done  to  my 
vineyard  that  I  have  not  done  in  it  f  Why, 
when  I  looked  for  it  to  bear  grapes,  did  it  bring 
forth  bad  grapes  ?  And  now,  let  me  tell  you,  I 
pray,  what  I  shall  do  to  my .  vineyard.  Its 
hedge  will  be  reduced  and  it  will  be  laid  open 
to  be  consumed.  Its  wall  will  be  breached  and 
trampled  down  ;  and  I  will  lay  it  waste.  It 
shall  neither  be  pruned  nor  hoed  but  briar  and 
thorn  will  grow  up  and  I  will  command  the 
clouds  not  to  sprinkle  rain  upon  it.  For  the 
vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth  is  the  house 
of  Israel  and  the  plant  of  his  delight  is  the  men 

33  c 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

of  Judah  :  and  he  looked  for  judgment,  but 
lo  !  bloodshed  ;  and  for  righteousness,  but  lo  ! 
a  cry." — Isaiah  v.  1-7. 

As  a  narrative  of  fact  the  Parable  of  the  Vine- 
yard occupies  a  high  level.  The  story  rings 
true  ;  it  is  well-conceived  ;  it  holds  its  listeners 
and  its  interpretation  is  applied  directly  and 
minutely.  Its  rhythm  lends  support  to  its 
appeal  and  its  subject  is  one  which  was  very 
popular  in  Israel.  Whether  Isaiah  was  the 
first  to  make  use  of  the  vineyard  as  representing 
the  people  of  God  in  their  relationship  to  God 
as  the  owner  of  the  vineyard  is  a  question  which 
cannot  be  answered.  This  story  was  certainly 
narrated  at  a  very  early  date  by  Isaiah,  possibly 
about  740  B.C.,  and  it  resembles  very  closely  the 
description  of  the  vineyard  in  Psalm  Ixxx 
with  this  pronounced  difference — that  whereas 
the  latter  describes  a  destruction  which  has 
already  fallen  upon  the  vineyard,  the  former 
is  a  prophecy  of  approaching  calamity  and 
devastation.  It  is  probable  that  the  vineyard 
had  long  been  associated  with  the  thought  of 
Israel  and  Judah  as  the  planting  of  the  Lord, 
and  that  Isaiah  was  using  a  familiar  symbol 
which  may  have  been  borrowed  from  older 
literature  or  oral  traditions. 

Regarding  the  words  and  interpretation  of  the 
parable  itself  most  critics  are  in  agreement. 
What  differences  may  appear  are  easily  recon- 

34 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

ciled  and  harmonised.  The  words  of  intro- 
duction to  the  parable  remain  uncertain  in  their 
meaning,  and  in  so  far  as  they  do  not  seriously 
affect  the  parable  itself  they  may  safely  be  left 
as  a  field  for  exploration  and  research  by 
scholars.  Confusion  does  certainly  arise  from 
the  Septuagint's  use  of  the  first  personal  pronoun 
throughout  the  story  and  its  interpretation,  as 
also  from  the  doubtful  meaning  of  the  Hebrew 
words  translated  '  a  song  of  my  beloved '  in 
the  Authorised  Version.  By  a  very  slight 
change  in  pointing  the  Hebrew  ^"p*7  (my  beloved) 
may  be  read  "'TPT  (my  love),  but  the  latter 
word  is  usually  descriptive  of  sexual  relationship 
and  for  that  reason  may  not  be  considered 
as  applicable  in  this  case  where  the  beloved  is 
revealed  to  be  God.  Opposed  to  this  objection 
there  is  the  claim  that  a  valid  meaning  can  be 
brought  out  when  we  picture  the  prophet 
coming  before  his  audience  as  a  minstrel  who 
has  a  special  love-song  to  sing,  a  song  to  which 
he  invites  them  very  specially  to  give  ear.  It 
is  equally  possible  to  read  into  the  words  '  a 
song  of  my  beloved,'  the  idea  that  if  the  owner 
of  the  vineyard  should  sing  this  would  be  his 
song. 

In  itself  the  story  is  very  simple,  and  it  uses 
familiar  features  in  good  husbandry.  The 
owner  proves  himself  a  good  prospector  of  land. 
He  selects  a  location  which  ought  by  nature  to 

35 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

give  good  returns  to  diligent  labour — a  fertile 
hill-top,  or,  as  the  Hebrew  text  describes  it, 
a  horn,  the  son  of  oil.  Thus  it  possesses  all  the 
advantages  of  a  good  lay-out  which  every 
modern  husbandman  cherishes — a  rich  soil,  a 
good  exposure  to  the  sun,  and  ground  that  has 
already  proved  its  fatness.  He  works  the  soil 
well  by  turning  it  over  thoroughly,  seeing  that 
it  is  cleared  of  stones  and  well-drained.  (For 
this  stage  of  the  preparation  the  Septuagint 
version  describes  how  he  puts  a  fence  around  it 
and  fortifies  it).  When  the  ground  has  been 
made  ready  he  plants  in  it  the  choicest  of  vines 
— sorek — which  were  distinguished  for  their 
red  grapes  and  a  wine  that  was  treasured  for 
its  excellence.  As  a  safeguard  against  marauders 
a  watch-tower  is  erected  so  that  neither  may 
the  plants  be  harmed  by  prowling  animals  nor 
may  the  fruit  be  stolen  by  thieves.  It  is  not 
enough  to  have  his  winepress  but  he  must  see 
that  the  lower  part  of  the  winepress  (the  wine  vat) 
is  carefully  constructed  by  being  quarried  out 
of  the  slope.  Into  it  he  hopes  one  day  to  see  the 
red  wine  pour  forth  from  the  press  above. 
Having  done  all  that  a  good  vineyard-owner 
might  do  he  awaits  the  fruit  of  his  labours  and 
care  only  to  meet  with  bitterest  disappointment. 
His  well-tended  plants  bear  bad  grapes.  D^N^I 
is  from  a  word  meaning  *  evil-smelling '  and  the 
term  *  wild  grapes  '  scarcely  defines  it  sufficiently. 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

1  Bad  grapes  '  seems  best  although  the  Septuagint 
uses  '  thorns  '  which  may  give  '  wildings  '  or 
1  weeds.' 

Whilst  his  hearers  search  in  their  minds  for 
some  explanation  of  this  catastrophe  and  shew 
their  astonishment  by  their  countenances  the 
singer  breaks  upon  their  reverie  and  wonder  to 
challenge  them  to  tell  how  such  a  calamity  had 
followed  upon  all  the  industry  and  precaution 
of  the  husbandman.  Even  as  Nathan  drew  from 
David  his  judgment  upon  the  culprit,  so  here 
does  Isaiah  call  for  an  explanation,  but  ere  they 
can  answer  he  breaks  forth  with  the  owner's 
decision  and  at  once  they  observe  that  his  speech 
and  tone  have  changed.  No  longer  is  he  the 
minstrel  singing  his  love-song  to  delight  them  at  a 
festive  season  but  he  is  the  man  of  God  who 
proclaims  the  judgment  of  God  upon  the  people 
who  had  so  grievously  requited  all  His  love  and 
mercy  towards  them.  They  gradually  sense  his 
meaning  as  the  tornado  of  judgment  upon  the 
unprofitable  vineyard  is  uttered.  The  dis- 
appointment has  not  been  so  much  the  economical 
loss  as  the  want  of  gratitude  and  a  failure  to 
respond  to  love  and  kindness.  "  What  more 
might  be  done  that  I  have  not  already  done  in 
it  ?  "  Therein  lies  the  grief,  and  because  all  his 
labour  must  be  abortive  of  good  results  he  resolves 
upon  the  destruction  of  the  vineyard.  He  will 
make  an  end  of  it.  The  shrub  fence  will  be 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

broken  down  ready  for  fuel  and  the  vineyard 
will  become  a  place  of  desolation.  Whilst  this 
judgment  is  being  given  it  is  probable  that  some 
of  the  hearers  do  not  understand  its  meaning  for 
themselves.  Seeing  their  dullness  and  want  of 
full  comprehension  the  prophet  discards  all 
veiling  from  his  words  and  proclaims  that  the 
vineyard  of  God  is  Israel  and  that  the  choice 
vine  is  Judah.  He  has  finished  his  song  in  which 
he  has  been  mysteriously  caught  up  into  the 
presence  of  and  identified  with  the  person  of  God. 
Now  he  declares  solemnly  and  regretfully  what 
the  song  has  signified. 

Upon  Israel  as  a  nation  God  had  most  tenderly 
and  thoughtfully  exerted  the  greatest  care  and 
manifested  every  possible  provision  for  their 
good.  Canaan  was  chosen  by  Him  as  a  land  of 
promise  from  which  the  enemies  were  driven  out. 
By  every  good  spiritual  and  moral  influence  He 
had  striven  to  protect  them  and  prosper  them. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  with  Judah,  within 
whose  borders  were  Jerusalem  and  the  seat  of 
the  Davidic  line.  Being  a  prophet  in  Judah 
Isaiah  regards  his  country  as  the  special  planting 
or  choice  vine  of  the  Lord.  Yet,  just  as  the 
parable  indicates  that  no  amount  of  expense  and 
labour  can  possibly  overcome  some  inherent 
defect  in  the  soil  of  the  vineyard  so  now  it  is 
revealed  that  God's  disappointment  lies  in  the 
failure  of  His  people  to  shew  justice  and  righteous- 

38 


PARABLES    OF   FACT 

ness  in  their  lives.  Despite  all  the  protection 
and  safeguards  afforded  them,  likewise  all  the 
encouragement  and  rich  blessings  extended  them, 
there  have  issued  lawlessness  and  oppression 
where  peace  and  love  should  have  prevailed. 
The  delightful  play  upon  words  which  appears 
in  the  Hebrew  text  of  the  closing  sentence  is  lost 
in  our  English  translation.  Even  written  in  an 
English  form  the  assonance  and  charm  are  felt : 

"  He  looked  for  mispat  and  lo  !  mispah, 
for  zedhakah  and  lo  !  zeakah." 

The  contrast  is  brought  home  realistically  and 
there  can  be  no  evasion  of  its  thrust.  The  evils 
which  are  described  in  the  remaining  portion  of 
the  chapter  (Isa.  v.)  shed  light  upon  the  extent 
of  sin  and  unrighteousness  among  the  people. 
All  moral  restraint  had  been  loosened,  religious 
privileges  had  been  abused,  despised  and 
neglected,  and  from  many  souls  a  cry  or  shriek 
of  despair  and  suffering  was  heard.  A  suggestion 
is  therefore  made  that  no  remedy  can  be  found 
except  to  make  an  end  of  all  since  every  other 
effort  had  been  futile. 

God's  messengers  might  relate  a  similar 
parable  in  modern  times.  To  do  so  might 
necessitate  courage  even  greater  and  stronger 
than  was  Isaiah's.  In  so  far  as  the  influence  of 
Christianity  has  affected  nations  we  have  evi- 
dences of  the  great  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  It  is 
no  ordinary  coincidence  that  Jesus  speaks  in 

39 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

parables  of  the  vineyard  and  that  in  His  narration 
of  the  parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen 
(Mark  xii.  i-io)  His  words  descriptive  of  the 
creation  and  defence  of  the  vineyard  itself  are, 
in  the  Greek  New  Testament,  almost  strictly 
identical  with  those  of  the  Greek  in  the  Septua- 
gint  version  of  this  Old  Testament  parable. 
Jesus  has  no  need  to  interpret  the  parables  of  the 
Wicked  Husbandmen,  the  Barren  Fig-Tree 
(Luke  xiii.  6-9),  or  the  Vine  and  Its  Branches 
(John  xv.  1-8).  We  read  that  after  Jesus 
concluded  the  parable  of  the  Wicked  Husband- 
men saying  : — "  The  stone  which  the  builders 
rejected  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner  "  there 
was  fierce  anger  "  for  they  knew  that  He  had 
spoken  the  parable  against  them." 

YESTERDAY'S  CONSTRUCTION 

When  we  consider  the  Construction  of  God's 
Vineyard  of  Yesterday  in  its  effects  upon  our 
world  and  our  lives,  we  recall  the  many  hopes 
and  dreams  of  humanity  for  a  day  of  happiness 
and  mutual  helpfulness.  By  various  means 
God  has  surrounded  His  people  with  the  sunshine 
of  Christian  graces,  gifts  and  helps  which  have 
tended  and  promised  to  enrich  life  in  all  its 
aspects  and  to  bear  a  rich  harvest  of  good  fruit. 

The  vineyard  is  representative  in  our  day  of 
Christian  civilization  throughout  the  world, 

40 


and  we  must  remember  the  labour  which  has 
been  expended  upon  giving  that  vineyard  to 
the  nations.  What  more  could  God  have  done 
for  the  vineyard  than  He  has  done  ?  Jesus  gave 
His  life  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God.  God  has  richly  endowed  nations  and 
individuals  with  power  to  extend  that  Kingdom, 
and  has  given  them  blessings  and  privileges 
which  were  expected  to  bear  fruit.  Isaiah's 
description  of  God's  goodness  to  his  own  nation 
might  with  profit  be  applied  to  the  history  of 
several  nations  such  as  our  own.  There  have 
been  occasions  when  God's  hand  seemed  to  be 
guiding  the  affairs  of  our  people  in  no  uncertain 
way,  and  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  we, 
too,  have  been  a  chosen  people,  but  we  should 
ask  ourselves  '  chosen  for  what  ? ' 

Under  the  Christian  dispensation  a  new  people 
has  arisen  representative  of  all  nations  who 
have  come  to  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ  as  their 
Lord.  They  are  the  choice  plant  from  which 
so  much  is  expected.  They  are  of  the  body  of 
Christ  who  said,  "  I  am  the  Vine,  ye  are  the 
branches."  From  the  Christian  Church  and 
from  those  who  are  bound  to  Him  either  in 
membership  of  that  Church  or  by  reason  of  their 
Christian  heritage  through  receiving  boundless 
mercies  and  opportunities,  God  has  looked  to 
see  good  fruit  in  beautiful  lives,  in  noble  spirits, 
in  loving  service  and  in  sympathetic  endeavour 

41 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

to  sweeten  and  hallow  all  life  around  by  raising 
the  fallen  and  easing  the  burden  of  the  oppressed. 
The  test  of  national  and  personal  response  to 
God  lies  in  the  degree  of  our  production  of  fruit 
for  God. 

TO-DAY'S  PRODUCTION 

Whereas  there  are  many  proofs  of  the  careful 
construction  and  preparation  of  the  vineyard, 
there  is  also  evidence  of  failure  to  produce  fruit 
commensurate  with  the  labour  expended.  We 
consider  the  production,  and  we  behold  how 
some  of  the  favoured  nations  have  not  borne  the 
fruit  they  ought  to  have  produced.  That  the 
standards  for  testing  productivity  vary  accord- 
ing to  opportunity  and  circumstances  must  be 
admitted :  for  example,  whilst  we  recognise 
how  highly  favoured  Spain  was  in  the  Middle 
Ages  and  how  she  pioneered  across  the  seas 
carrying  her  civilization  to  other  nations,  yet 
we  cannot  view  with  approbation  her  decline 
from  her  high  estate.  We  are  convinced  that 
she  could  have  produced  more  and  better  fruit. 
Similarly,  in  respect  of  our  own  nation  we  cannot 
be  proud  of  the  results  of  our  history  when  we 
consider  how  rich  have  been  our  opportunities. 
Alike  in  our  international,  national,  social  and 
religious  life,  we  are  but  a  remnant  of  what 
God  expected  us  to  be.  "  There  are  the 

4* 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

foxes,  the  little  foxes,  that  spoil  the  vines." 
A  national  departure  from  religious  standards 
and  a  wave  of  irreligion  are  features  common  to 
the  life  of  several  nations  in  modern  times. 
Nations  are  losing  the  virtue  and  sanctity  of 
Christian  home  life.  The  '  New  Morality '  is  a 
serious  peril  to  Christian  Morality  as  it  tends  to 
extend  licence  and  sin,  its  fruits  being  crippled 
lives  associated  with  sorrow  and  suffering. 
The  failure  to  find  harmony  among  the  nations 
which  profess  to  be  Christian  and  to  pursue  the 
way  of  peace  and  brotherhood  is  in  itself  a 
rebuke  of  national  pride  and  selfishness.  We 
have  reason  to  be  proud  of  what  has  been  accom- 
plished in  God's  name,  but  we  have  also  to 
confess  that  in  many  ways  we  are  a  disappoint- 
ment to  Him  because  we  have  not  produced 
for  His  glory  the  purest,  sweetest  and  noblest 
fruits.  Everywhere  are  the  oppressions  of  a 
merciless  and  remorseless  social  organisation ; 
the  cry  of  the  poor,  the  outcast  and  defeated  is 
heard  amidst  all  the  noises  of  modern  machinery  ; 
and  tariff  conflicts  between  nations  threaten  them 
with  evils  as  grave  as  those  from  armaments. 
Within  these  nations  we  look  in  vain  for  the 
evidence  that  the  Church  reflects  clearly  the 
glory  and  power  of  Christ.  She  is  hesitant, 
and  her  voice  is  indistinct.  We  wonder  what 
will  be  the  issue  of  it  all,  and  we  turn  to  consider 
the  parable's  warning. 

43 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

TO-MORROW'S  DESTRUCTION 

In  our  parable  '  to-morrow '  sees  the  destruc- 
tion and  devastation  of  the  vineyard.  It  is  left 
derelict,  and  so  it  must  ever  be  where  God  is 
forsaken  and  His  love  and  provision  are  despised. 
Down  the  centuries  we  hear  the  prophet's  cry 
of  doom  to  every  such  fruitless  planting.  Great 
nations  and  empires  have  passed  away,  and  in 
some  instances  their  glory  is  but  a  faded  memory. 
Such  is  the  warning  which  is  written  large  over 
the  pages  of  Israel's  history  as  clearly  as  over 
the  history  of  Greece  and  Rome.  Neglect  of 
opportunity  to  bear  good  fruit  for  mankind, 
departure  from  the  highest  standards  of  virtue, 
and  the  enthronement  of  false  gods,  lead  in- 
evitably to  desolation  and  gloom.  No  nation 
can  afford  to  slight  the  privileges  which  God  has 
given.  The  Church  dare  not  be  disobedient  to 
her  heavenly  vision  ;  and  the  individual  Christian 
must  never  be  unmindful  of  the  words,  "  By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

Sin's  harvest  cannot  be  evaded,  but  the  Gospel 
message  proclaims  the  love  of  God  which  seeks 
us,  saves  us,  renews  us,  and  restores  to  us  the 
locust-eaten  years.  It  tells  us  that  apart  from 
Jesus  we  cannot  bear  fruit — "He  that  abideth  in 
Me  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much 
fruit." 


44 


CHAPTER   IV 
(c)  "  THE   WOMAN   OF   TEKOAH " 

"  THE  Woman  of  Tekoah  came  to  the  king  and 
fell  on  her  face  to  the  ground  and  did  obeisance 
and  said,  *  Help,  O  King.'  And  the  king  said 
to  her,  '  What  is  the  matter  ? '  And  she  said, 
1 1  am  a  mourning  woman,  a  widow,  and  my 
husband  is  dead.  I  had  two  sons  who  strove 
together  in  the  field  where  there  was  no  one 
between  them  to  separate  them ;  and  the  one 
attacked  the  other  and  killed  him.  Behold,  now, 
the  whole  clan  has  risen  up  against  thine  hand- 
maid and  said,  "  Give  up  him  that  smote  his 
brother  and  we  shall  kill  him  for  the  life  of  his 
brother  whom  he  slew  and  thus  shall  we  also 
destroy  the  heir."  So  shall  they  quench  my 
coal  which  is  left  that  there  be  preserved  to  my 
husband  neither  a  name  nor  a  remainder  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth.' 

"  And  the  king  said  to  the  woman,  '  Go  to 
thine  house  and  I  shall  command  concerning 
thee.'  But  the  Tekoan  woman  said  to  the  king, 
'  O  my  lord,  the  king,  the  iniquity  be  upon  me 
and  my  father's  house,  and  the  king  and  his 
throne  be  guiltless.'1  And  the  king  said,  '  Who- 

1  The  words  probably  mean  "  I  and  my  father's  house 
shall  suffer,  not  the  king  and  his  throne." 

45 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

ever  speaks  to  thee,  bring  him  to  me  and  he  shall 
not  touch  thee  any  more.'  Then  she  said,  '  Let 
the  king  remember  the  Lord  thy  God  so  that  the 
avenger  of  blood  may  not  further  destroy  lest 
they  extirpate  my  son.'  And  he  said,  '  As  the 
Lord  liveth  there  shall  not  fall  one  hair  of  thy 
son  to  the  ground  ! '  Then  the  woman  said, 
'  Let  thine  handmaid  speak  a  word,  I  pray,  unto 
my  lord,  the  king  '  ;  and  he  said,  '  Speak.'  And 
the  woman  said  : — '  Wherefore  hast  thou  devised 
such  a  thing  against  the  people  of  God  ?  And  by 
the  king's  speaking  this  word  he  is  as  one  guilty 
in  that  the  king  doth  not  bring  home  again  his 
banished  one.  For  we  must  needs  die,  and  are 
as  water  spilt  upon  the  ground  which  cannot  be 
gathered  up  again  ;  and  God  taketh  not  life  away 
but  deviseth  devices  not  to  banish  from  him  a 
banished  one.'  " — 2  Sam.  xiv.  4-14. 

This  amazing  story  which  achieved  its  purpose 
so  dexterously  and  subtly  introduces  another 
type  of  the  narratives  of  fact.  It  is  an  acted 
parable  and  is  one  of  a  group  which  made  their 
appeal  along  somewhat  similar  lines.  In  all 
probability  its  plan  was  borrowed  from  one  of 
the  ancient  stories  told  around  camp  fires,  as  it 
does  not  suggest  the  freshness  and  originality  of 
Nathan's  parable.  Though  the  aim  of  both 
stories  was  the  same — to  procure  a  judgment 
from  David  which  might  be  turned  to  good 
purpose  against  him — they  approached  their 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

purpose  along  widely  different  channels.  Tragedy 
overhangs  both.  In  each  of  them  the  king's 
conscience  must  be  awakened.  His  own  guilt 
is  brought  vividly  before  him  in  one  instance  by 
direct  accusation  and  in  the  other  by  the  under- 
lying insinuation  that  the  king  himself  had 
known  what  it  was  to  be  banished  through  sin. 
Whereas  Nathan  can  directly  interpret  and  apply 
his  parable  the  Tekoahite  finds  it  necessary  to 
pursue  her  dialogue  and  action  in  order  to  give 
the  interpretation. 

Taken  by  itself  the  above  story  lacks  the 
natural  appeal  of  Nathan's  which,  taken  alone, 
is  a  story  that  impresses  itself  upon  the  mind. 
This  acted  parable  requires  its  explanation  in 
order  to  be  fully  appreciated,  and  at  each  stage 
of  the  unfolding  of  the  meaning  we  seem  to  see 
a  man  standing  in  the  shadows  controlling  and 
directing  the  whole  stage-management  of  the 
various  scenes.  That  man  is  Joab,  the  brave 
but  astute  and  blood-thirsty  leader  of  David's 
army,  the  man  who  knew  the  secret  of  the  king's 
blackest  sin  and  who  would  later  give  David 
cause  to  lament  the  day  that  he  had  sent  that 
fatal  letter  to  him  concerning  the  murder  of 
Uriah.  Again,  though  this  parable  lacks  the 
high  spiritual  tone  of  Nathan's,  it  possesses  in 
germ  what  has  become  a  precious  theological 
conception  of  God  which  is  particularly  set  forth 
in  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  and  is  fre- 

47 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

quently  emphasised  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus, 
e.g. — It  is  not  the  Father's  will  that  one  of  His 
children  should  perish  (Matt,  xviii.  14). 

The  parable's  historical  setting  lies  between 
two  of  the  saddest  tragedies  in  Bible  history. 
Following  upon  a  most  dishonourable  act  by 
Amnon,  David's  eldest  son,  when  he  ravished 
Tamar,  his  half-sister,  Absalom,  the  king's 
beloved  son,  had  awaited  his  opportunity  for 
revenge  and  two  years  later  he  murdered  Amnon 
under  cruel  and  deceitful  circumstances.  Thus 
the  king  was  reminded  of  Nathan's  words  that 
the  sword  would  not  depart  from  his  house. 
The  second  tragedy  was  that  in  which  the  young 
man  Absalom's  vanity,  disobedience  and  lust 
for  power  reached  their  consummation  and 
caused  to  be  wrung  from  a  father's  heart  that 
had  already  been  broken  amid  sorrows,  dis- 
appointments and  remorse  these  immortal  words, 
"  Oh  my  son  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son  Absalom  ! 
Would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  0  Absalom,  my 
son,  my  son  !  "  Absalom  was  banished  from  the 
king's  court  after  Amnon's  death,  but  aided  by 
Joab  he  plotted  to  be  recalled.  When  Joab  saw 
that  the  occasion  was  opportune  he  devised  the 
fictitious  story  which  was  narrated  and  acted  so 
skilfully  by  the  woman  of  Tekoah. 

There  are  individual  opinions  upon  the  opening 
words  of  Chapter  xiv  all  dependent  upon  the 
meaning  of  the  word  translated  in  the  Authorised 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

Version  as  '  towards.'  It  may  be  derived  from 
^N  (towards)  or  hj>  (against),  but  great  support  is 
given  to  the  view  that  it  should  be  *  against '  by 
the  fact  that  in  the  only  other  instance  in  the 
Old  Testament  where  the  word  f?s  is  used  with 
that  for  '  heart '  (Daniel  xi.  28)  the  meaning 
cannot  be  other  than  '  against '  or  *  at  enmity 
with.'  It  was  quite  natural  for  the  king's  heart 
to  be  against  Absalom  whilst  the  father's  heart 
yearned  for  his  return.  We  are  not  justified  in 
reading  into  the  word  a  forced  meaning  prompted 
by  the  king's  deep  grief  when  Absalom  was  slain. 
Rather  should  we  be  guided  by  the  facts  that  a 
strong  appeal  was  necessary  to  cause  the  king 
to  relent  and  lift  the  ban  ;  also,  that  even  when 
he  sanctioned  a  return  from  banishment  he 
would  not  permit  his  son  to  come  into  his  pres- 
ence. May  it  not  be  that  Joab  hoped  for  much 
from  the  restoration  of  Absalom  to  favour  ? 
Absalom  was  heir  to  the  throne  and  we  can  under- 
stand how  Joab  was  displeased  when  he  observed 
"  that  the  king's  heart  was  against  Absalom." 

Not  far  from  Bethlehem  was  Tekoah,  made 
famous  in  Biblical  history  as  the  home  of  Amos. 
There  lived  the  shrewd  and  very  wise  woman 
whom  Joab  secured  to  fulfil  his  plans.  We 
cannot  but  admire  her  clever  acting  and  her  bold, 
courageous  reasoning ;  she  manifests  a  deep 
penetration  and  insight  into  human  character, 
is  quick  in  repartee  and  exceptionally  tactful, 

49  » 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

painstaking  and  persevering  to  achieve  her 
object.  Not  until  her  story  is  completed  and  a 
sacred  pledge  of  security  and  fulfilment  obtained 
from  the  king,  does  she  proceed  to  enlighten  him  as 
to  the  purpose  of  her  story.  That  she  succeeds  so 
well  in  obscuring  from  him  so  long  the  deeper  mean- 
ing of  her  words,  adds  to  the  value  of  her  narrative. 
A  charge  may  be  laid  against  this  parable  and 
others  of  a  similar  nature  that  it  cannot  be 
regarded  as  a  true  parable  because  the  woman 
very  obviously  acted  it,  and  made  it  up  on  a 
fiction  knowing  it  to  be  such.  It  is  true  that 
when  compared  with  certain  parables  it  does 
not  bear  the  same  stamp  of  possibility  in  truth 
as  does  that  of  the  Ewe  Lamb  or  of  the  Vineyard, 
but  we  might  set  it  against  such  New  Testament 
parables  as  those  of  the  '  Ten  Virgins,'  or 
*  The  Judgment '  ('  Inasmuch ')  or  '  The 
Labourers  in  the  Vineyard,'  in  all  of  which  the 
truth  possibility  is  no  greater  than  in  the  story 
told  by  the  Woman  of  Tekoah.  The  real  want 
of  truth  lies  in  her  action  because  her  own 
character  is  interwoven  with  the  tale  she  unfolds. 

THE  HEIR 

The  first  part  of  the  story  deals  with  the  heir 
whose  death  will  mean  the  extirpation  of  a 
family  and  name.  This  was  a  calamity  to  be 
averted  if  at  all  possible,  and  on  this  point  the 
woman  pleads  well.  She  professes  real  and 

50 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

deep  mourning.  The  Hebrew  text  strengthens 
an  interpretation  which  may  seem  redundant 
in  its  description,  but  is  very  necessary  to  the 
woman's  narrative.  She  mourns  as  a  mother 
who  has  just  had  one  of  her  two  sons  killed, 
and  thus  she  emphasises  the  fact  that  she  is  a 
mourning  woman  ;  that  is,  her  loss  has  been 
quite  recent.  She  is  also  a  widow  through  the 
death  of  her  husband.  Though  sounding  like 
a  pleonasm  this  description  is  also  essential  to 
her  story  because  otherwise  she  could  not  effect 
so  powerful  an  appeal  to  preserve  the  name 
and  remainder  to  the  family. 

By  the  code  of  laws  then  prevailing  the 
relatives  of  the  family  were  justified  in  seeking 
blood-vengeance,  a  life  for  a  life,  upon  the  son 
who  slew  his  brother.  The  widow  makes  no 
complaint  against  the  law,  knowing  that  the 
king  must  uphold  the  law.  What  she  endeavours 
to  secure  is  mercy  which  will  somehow  operate 
to  prevent  the  clan  from  rooting  out  entirely 
her  husband's  seed.  To  describe  her  son  as  her 
coal  and  remainder  is  adroit  since  it  awakens  a 
natural  pity  and  sympathy.  Let  him  be  slain 
and  the  embers  cannot  be  rekindled. 

THE  KING 

The  second  part  is  concerned  with  the  king. 
The  tender  chords  of  the  king's  heart  are  reached 
by  the  woman's  dejection  and  plea.  When  her 

51 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

words  play  upon  these  chords  the  king  cannot 
withstand  an  impulse  to  defend  the  woman, 
though  he  knows  the  danger  to  himself  in  so 
setting  aside  the  customs  of  his  people.  It  has 
been  made  clear  to  him  that  the  clan  seek  blood 
more  in  order  to  destroy  the  heir  than  to  inflict 
legal  punishment.  Rather  than  that  the  king 
should  be  compromised  by  his  compassionate 
resolution,  the  woman  disarms  him  of  all  sus- 
picion and  astutely  encloses  him  within  her  net 
by  offering  to  bear  all  the  responsibility  herself. 
The  mother-love  and  spirit  of  sacrifice  are  thus 
very  forcibly  presented  to  David,  and  his  earlier 
resolve  is  strengthened  into  firm  determination. 
He  will  risk  punishment  upon  anyone  who  may 
speak  against  her — a  bold  step  even  for  the  king 
in  face  of  the  recognised  laws.  Under  her  strong 
pleading  that  a  sacred  promise  be  given  that 
the  avenger  of  blood  will  not  be  permitted  to 
destroy  her  son,  he  swears  that  her  son  will  be 
saved. 

THE  FATHER 

The  king  has  spoken.  The  parable  is  ended. 
Its  meaning  is  now  unfolded,  and  it  concerns 
David  not  as  a  king  but  as  a  father.  Having 
satisfied  herself  that  the  king's  determination 
is  fixed,  the  suppliant  reveals  to  him  by  clever 
suggestion  and  innuendo  as  also  by  logical 
reasoning  that  a  king  who  can  thus  abrogate 

52 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

the  law  for  her  son  can  surely  take  steps  to 
preserve  his  own  heir  and  son.  By  his  decree 
in  her  favour  he  condemns  his  own  action  and 
is  guilty  of  wrong  in  not  restoring  his  banished 
son.  Can  the  father-heart  resist  her  argument 
"  we  must  needs  die  and  are  as  water  spilt  on  the 
ground,  which  cannot  be  gathered  up  again  "  ? 
Thus,  using  what  was  probably  a  familiar  saying 
she  proceeds  to  compare  David's  attitude  as 
king  and  father  with  the  love  and  compassion  of 
God  who,  whilst  He  does  not  seek  to  return  a 
soul  after  He  has  taken  it  away,  yet  lovingly 
plans  that  a  banished  child  be  not  kept  in  exile. 
Amnon  is  dead.  He  cannot  be  brought  back. 
Absalom  is  yet  alive  and  is  both  son  and  heir. 
If  the  king  should  hesitate  to  bring  him  back 
surely  the  father  will  have  mercy.  The  reason- 
ing is  sound  and  very  personal  because  it  reminds 
the  king  of  God's  mercy  to  him  when  he  stood 
condemned  to  death  for  his  own  sin. 

It  may  be  said  that  it  was  only  David  the 
king  who  relented,  and  that  David  the  father 
did  not  forgive  his  son  because  he  would  not 
allow  the  returned  exile  to  see  him  and  that  by  so 
doing  he  encouraged  him  in  his  treachery  to  the 
throne.  Such  an  interpretation  can  scarcely 
be  accepted.  The  obverse  may  be  the  truer 
explanation.  Whilst  the  father's  heart  would 
cry,  "  Come  home ;  come  home  ;"  the  king  must 
observe  as  far  as  possible  the  requirements  of 
the  law. 

53 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

There  are  aspects  of  this  story  which  find  a 
sympathetic  chord  in  every  heart,  and  the  most 
important  experience  depicted  is  that  which 
suggests  that  there  arise  occasions  when  we  are 
called  upon  to  decide  between  contending 
principles  such  as  faced  David  when  law  and 
love,  king  and  father  were  contending  within  his 
breast.  Occasions  arise  such  as  that  when 
Napoleon  was  faced  by  a  mother  whose  son  had 
been  sentenced  to  death  ;  when  the  great  soldier 
said  that  it  was  justice  which  must  be  observed 
she  replied  that  she  asked  for  mercy  and  not 
justice.  Many  parents  have  known  the  perplexity 
of  David's  mind  and  heart  when  a  child  who  had 
done  an  irreparable  wrong  to  the  parent  sought 
to  be  restored  to  the  love  and  fellowship  of  the 
home.  There  are  cases  where  husband  and  wife 
have  reached  a  serious  impasse  and  the  conflict 
which  has  to  be  waged  between  right  and  wrong, 
truth  and  love,  almost  rends  the  soul.  Where 
truth  will  pain  love  would  soothe  and  where  to 
do  the  right  may  mean  offence  to  another,  to 
do  wrong  will  leave  a  lasting  sense  of  shame. 
Employers  face  the  crisis  when  asked  to  reinstate 
their  former  servants  who  have  wronged  them, 
and  employees  also  face  the  conflict  when 
honesty  is  asked  to  prevail  over  duty  and 
obedience  to  a  dishonest  master. 

What  is  the  Christian  attitude  in  such  cases  ? 
In  the  light  of  Gospel  teaching  the  three  words, 

54 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

'  heir,  king  and  father,'  have  a  powerful  appli- 
cation, in  which  we  may  see  the  message  which 
Jesus  came  to  teach  and  fulfil.  Acting  under 
His  guidance  we  are  brought  to  make  wise 
decisions  because  just  as  the  Tekoan  woman 
won  the  heart  of  David  by  reference  to  God's 
mercy  so  are  our  hearts  strengthened  to  do  that 
which  is  acceptable  to  God  by  reference  to  what 
God  has  done  for  us  and  others.  Sin  banishes 
us  from  God.  When  we  sin  we  become  aware 
that  we  have  somehow  alienated  ourselves  from 
Him.  We  become  God's  banished  heirs.  The 
law  may  exact  its  full  pound  of  flesh  but  the 
King  can  pardon.  Where  the  law  decrees  death 
the  King  can  give  life.  What  the  law  could  not 
do  God  has  done  for  His  people  through  the  gift 
and  sacrifice  of  Jesus.  He  has  devised  means 
for  bringing  us  home  because  Jesus  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  the  lost — the  banished  ones. 
God  does  more  than  forgive.  He  restores  us  and 
reinstates  us.  He  makes  us  heirs  and  joint- 
heirs.  He  awaits  the  homecoming  of  the 
wanderer  and  His  token  of  love  is  not  the  King's 
pardon  but  the  Father's  kiss.  Therefore — 
"  Being  all  fashioned  of  the  selfsame  dust, 
Let  us  be  merciful  as  well  as  j  ust" 

— LONGFELLOW,  Tales  of  a  Wayside  Inn. 
because 

"...  earthly  power  doth  then  show  likest  God's 

When  mercy  seasons  justice." 

— SHAKESPEARE,  Merchant  of  Venue. 

55 


CHAPTER  V 
(d)  "  THE  POOR  WISE  MAN  " 

"  THERE  was  a  small  city  and  in  it  were  few  men. 
And  there  came  unto  it  a  great  king  who  encircled 
it  and  built  great  siege-works  against  it  ;  but 
there  happened  to  be  in  it  a  poor  wise  man  who 
by  his  cunning  caused  the  city  to  be  saved  ;  yet 
not  a  man1  remembered  that  poor  man1."  — 
Eccles.  ix.  14-15. 

This  simple  but  attractive  parable  has  not 
received  the  care  and  attention  which  it  merits. 
Hidden  amidst  numerous  proverbs  the  story 
suffers  from  being  regarded  only  as  a  passing 
illustration  of  how  wisdom  may  be  despised 
though  it  be  of  great  consequence  in  an  hour  of 
crisis.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  identify 
the  story  with  an  actual  incident  in  history,  but 
they  have  all  been  mere  conjectures.  For  a 
satisfactory  grasp  of  the  narrative  attention  is 
directed  to  an  alternative  translation  of  the 
Hebrew  word  («?£)  '  there  was  found  '  and  to  a 
series  of  contrasts  contained  in  the  narrative.  The 
verb  Nyip  necessitates  an  ambiguity  to  give  the 


1  In  both  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  texts  there  are  two  words 
used  for  '  man  '  and  the  texts  emphasise  the  word  '  that  '  in 
'  that  poor  man.' 

56 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

meaning  '  there  was  found J  because  the  text  reads 
better  that  the  great  king  besieging  the  city 
'found  '  its  deliverer  there.  Another  form  is  the 
impersonal  use  of  the  verb,  '  one  found  in  it ; ' 
although  such  an  interpretation  makes  a  distinct 
break  upon  the  sequence  of  the  verbs  and  con- 
junctions used  in  the  Hebrew  text.  Since  the 
verb  possesses  strongly  the  idea  of  a  sudden 
discovery  such  as  might  result  from  the  arrival 
of  a  visitor,  or  the  occasion  that  one  *  happened 
to  be  there  '  though  not  usually  resident,  we  are 
able  to  set  forth  a  series  of  contrasts — a  small  city 
and  a  mighty  king ;  few  men  in  it  and  great 
siege-works  encompassing  it ;  there  had  come  a 
poor  wise  man  and  also  a  great  ruler  of  men  ;  the 
poor  man  saves  from  the  powerfully  wealthy 
man  ;  whilst  someone  might  have  remembered 
a  wise  man  yet  no  man  remembered  that  poor 
man.  In  verse  16  it  is  revealed  clearly  that 
emphasis  should  be  laid  upon  the  city's  neglect 
of  the  man  because  of  his  poverty  even  though 
his  wisdom  was  accepted  as  valuable. 

Unnecessary  as  they  are  to  an  adequate 
appreciation  of  the  parable  a  few  sentences  may 
be  devoted  to  the  historic  events  which  scholars 
have  associated  with  it.  Were  it  possible  to 
decide  upon  one  of  them  definitely  the  result 
would  be  very  valuable  as  an  aid  in  fixing  the 
probable  date  of  the  writing  of  Ecclesiastes. 
The  occasions  suggested  are  : — 

57 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

(1)  The  siege  of  Dor  in  218  B.C.  by  Antiochus  III 
(the  Great).     This  siege  was  said  to  have 
been  raised  because  the  city  was  '  hard  to 
be  taken '  and  on  account  of  the  approach 
of  Nicolaus. 

(2)  The     siege    of    Dor    about     139    B.C.     by 
Antiochus  VII  is  described  in  I  Mace.  xv. 
II,  13,  25  ;    also  by  Josephus  (Antiq.  xiii, 
vii  and  viii).      There  is  no  indication  that 
the  city  was  taken.    But  Antiochus  was  then 
greatly   helped    by    Simon,    high   priest    at 
Jerusalem. 

(3)  The    siege    of    Bethsura    in    162    B.C.    by 
Antiochus  V,  when  the  city  was  taken  mainly 
as  a  result  of  starvation  though  after  a  battle 
was  fought  (i  Mace.  vi.  31). 

(4)  Abel-Beth-Maacah   is   the   city   which   was 
delivered  from  siege  by  a  wise  woman  who 
reasoned  with  Joab  that  it  was  better  for 
the   citizens  that  she   should  give  him  the 
head  of  Sheba  whom  he  pursued  than  that 
the  whole  city  should  perish.    Though  this 
seems    the    most    favourable     analogy     it 
suffers  from  two  defects — the  deliverer  was 
a  wise    woman  and  the   besieger  was   not 
a  king. 

(5)  The  deliverance  of  Athens  by  a  stratagem  of 
Themistocles  when  Xerxes  attacked  that  city, 
yet  the  saviour  of  Athens  was  ostracized  in 
471  B.C.     In  this  case,  however,  Themistocles 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

had    great    honour    immediately    after    the 

withdrawal  and  defeat  of  the  Persians. 

(6)  The  assault  upon  Syracuse  by  the  Romans 

in  212  B.C.  when  Archimedes  strove  to  deliver 

the  city  without  success — an  event  which 

adds  value  to  a  translation  which  says  the 

poor  wise  man  '  would  save  the  city '  rather 

than  that  he  saved  it.     The  siege  of  Syracuse 

lasted   nine   years,   Archimedes   was   not   a 

wealthy   man   nor   was    he    of   high    rank. 

Cicero    found    his    tomb    forgotten    by   the 

Syracusans.     "  Not  a  man  remembered  that 

poor  man."     If  the  suggested  emendation  be 

accepted  whereby  it  is  not  claimed  that  the 

city  was  saved  but  that  the  poor,  wise  man 

would  save  it  then  the  siege  of  Syracuse  may 

have  been  the  occasion  referred  to. 

Though  it  may  be  of  service  to  know  the  actual 

historical  occasion  to  which  the  parable  refers,  the 

story  is,  nevertheless,  precious  as  a  parable  if  we 

retain  only  its  substance.     The  story  of  the  Good 

Samaritan  loses  nothing  through  our  inability 

to  identify  '  a  certain  man '  or  the  '  Samaritan.' 

If  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  emphasis  must 

rest  upon  the  poverty  of  the  wise  man  there  need 

be  no  difficulty  in  the  interpretation.    Many  wise 

men  who  were  poor  have,  through  use  of  their 

wisdom,  rightly  or  wrongly,  become  rich.     Not 

so  in  this  parable  ;  and  its  significance  lies  in  the 

indication  that  but  for  his  poverty  the  wise  man 

59 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

would  have  been  remembered.  There  is  a 
common  remark  that  public  service  is  seldom 
appreciated  as  it  deserves  to  be.  A  man  who  is 
lauded  and  idolised  to-day  has  his  name  and 
honour  foully  besmirched  to-morrow.  So  long 
as  danger  threatens  and  the  enemy's  ramparts 
are  being  strengthened  the  poor  man's  wisdom  is 
recognised,  his  word  obeyed  and  his  position 
exalted.  When  deliverance  is  achieved  and  the 
foe  has  withdrawn  the  city  relapses  into  the  old 
routine,  the  poor  wise  man  returns  to  his  humble 
abode  and  lowly  task,  there  to  be  forgotten  by 
those  whom  he  has  served  so  well.  It  may  not 
be  inappropriate  to  recall  the  changed  fortunes 
of  men  in  high  office  during  the  recent  Great  War. 
Some  of  them  are  already  experiencing  that 
forgetfulness  of  a  people  in  our  own  and  other 
lands  who  remember  them  not. 

Is  there  not  room  for  a  readjustment  of  the 
valuations  of  human  service  ?  A  rich  man 
makes  a  trifling  remark  and  it  is  boomed  abroad. 
In  his  humble  circle  the  poor  man  makes  a  speech 
of  which  every  sentence  is  a  gem  and  no  more  is 
heard  of  it.  We  need  sound,  balanced  judgment. 
Every  wise  man  is  not  a  poor  man  and  every  rich 
man  is  not  a  wise  man.  Had  a  rich  man's 
wisdom  delivered  that  small  city  his  social 
eminence  would  have  helped  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  his  deed.  Many  of  our  greatest 
inventors,  discoverers,  artists  and  literati  were 

60 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

poor  men  and  had  to  undergo  ignominy  and 
abuse  before  doors  were  gratefully  opened  to 
their  wisdom  and  skill.  Appreciation  came  in 
several  instances  when  it  was  too  late.  It  is 
necessary  to  mention  only  a  few  like  Dr.  Wm. 
Harvey,  Galileo,  Columbus,  Turner,  Goldsmith, 
Chatterton,  Francis  Thompson,  and  Carlyle. 
To-day  we  know  scarcely  anything  of  the  mighty 
ones  who  derided  them. 

"  Seven  wealthy  towns  contend  for  Homer  dead, 
Through  which  the  living  Homer  begged  his  bread." 

Truly  the  deeds  live  on  though  the  actors  are 
forgotten.  This  is  a  view  which  raises  the 
despondent  spirit.  It  is  also  true  that  under 
modern  conditions  there  is  a  better  opportunity 
afforded  the  poor  man  to  give  evidence  of  his 
abilities.  This  we  owe  very  greatly  to  the 
teaching  of  Jesus,  which  has  given  to  the  indi- 
vidual a  value  and  which  assures  us  that  no  deed 
rendered  even  unto  the  least  is  lost  or  forgotten. 
Jesus  has  immortalized  deeds  by  poor  people 
such  as  the  anointing  of  feet,  the  gifts  out  of 
poverty  by  a  widow,  the  mere  offer  of  a  cup  of 
water  and  the  menial  service  of  washing  men's 
feet  rendered  by  One  who  had  not  where  to  lay 
His  head.  Thanks  to  the  Gospel-Spirit,  but 
especially  to  the  influence  of  Christ's  own 
personality  and  life,  the  modern  world  regards 
the  wisdom  and  work  of  the  very  poorest  man 

61 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

with  an  increasing  sense  of  gratitude.  His  deeds 
are  enshrined  in  golden  memories  and  grateful 
hearts.  Robert  Burns  sensed  this  when  he 
wrote — 

"  For  a'  that,  and  a'  that, 
Our  toils  obscure  and  a'  that  ; 
The  rank  is  but  the  guinea  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  ( gold  )  for  a'  that" 

Even  the  poor  man  should  not  serve  merely  to  be 
remembered  for  his  works,  but  the  deeds  of  the 
poorest  of  benefactors  merit  the  gratitude  and 
remembrance  of  all  who  have  benefited  thereby. 


62 


CHAPTER   VI 
(e)    "THE    ESCAPED   PRISONER" 

"  THE  prophet  went  out  and  waited  by  the  way 
for  the  king,  and  he  was  disguised  with  a  cover 
upon  his  eyes.  As  the  king  passed  by  he  called 
out  to  the  king  and  said,  '  Thy  servant  went 
out  into  the  midst  of  the  battle,  and  behold,  a 
man  turned  aside  and  brought  a  man  to  me 
and  said,  "  Guard  this  man  :  if  by  any  means 
he  be  missing  then  shall  thy  life  be  in  place  of 
his  life  or  thou  shalt  weigh  a  talent  of  silver." 
Now  it  happened  that  as  thy  servant  was  busy 
here  and  there,  he  vanished.' 

"  Then  the  king  of  Israel  said  unto  him,  '  So 
is  the  judgment.  Thyself  hast  decided.' 

"  And  he  (the  prophet)  hastened  and  removed 
the  cover  from  off  his  eyes,  and  the  king  of 
Israel  recognised  him  that  he  was  of  the 
prophets.  And  he  said,  *  Thus  saith  the  Lord  : 
Because  thou  hast  let  go  out  of  thy  hand  the 
man  of  my  curse,  thy  life  shall  be  in  place  of  his 
life  and  thy  people  for  his  people.'  " — I  Kings  xx. 
38-42. 

In  this,  another  acted  parable  seeking  judg- 
ment from  a  king,  we  are  presented  with  an 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

introduction  and  a  narrative  which  indicate  some 
of  the  crude  moral  standards  of  an  early  civiliza- 
tion. They  must  not  be  valued  by  our  modern 
conceptions  of  social  or  international  relation- 
ships, but  be  related  to  their  contingent  purpose, 
which  is  that  of  demanding  fullest  obedience 
to  the  command  of  God  and  the  identification 
of  our  own  will  with  God's  will.  Judged  by 
twentieth  century  standards  we  should  con- 
gratulate and  honour  any  victor  who  embraces 
his  fallen  enemy  as  a  brother  in  the  spirit  in 
which  Ahab  received  Benhadad.  But  this  is 
to  miss  the  point  of  the  story,  because  the 
historian's  aim  is  to  drive  home  the  lesson  that 
victory  resulted  from  God's  intervention  and 
God's  support.  The  victory  had  been  promised 
and  its  fruit  assured  conditionally — upon  the 
ground  that  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  should  not  let 
Benhadad,  king  of  Syria,  escape  from  his  hands. 
The  incidents  merit  a  brief  reference.  Ahab 
was  a  great  soldier,  fearless,  indomitable  and 
not  altogether  ruthlessly  unkind.  Possessor  of 
many  excellent  kingly  qualities  and  abilities 
he  might  have  been  a  great  and  potent  king. 
What  special  gifts  he  had  been  endowed  with 
he  prostituted  to  base  ends.  His  failure  to 
honour  God  and  to  encourage  religion  in  the 
national  life  was  presageful  of  disasters  and 
wreck.  No  good,  but  rather  much  evil,  followed 
upon  his  marriage  to  a  heathen  foreigner  under 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

whose  baneful  influence  he  was  brought  to 
despise  the  premonitions  given  him  by  God's 
messengers.  At  least  one  dastardly  crime 
darkened  his  reign,  so  that  his  wife's  name 
and  his  own  name  have  become  significant  of 
covetousness  and  cold-blooded  murder  far 
exceeding  the  enormity  of  Macbeth's  cruel  deed. 
Twice  he  was  given  victory  over  Benhadad  of 
Damascus,  and  on  the  second  occasion  the 
Syrian  King  was  actually  delivered  into  his 
hands,  but  he  set  him  free  after  getting  from 
him  some  specious  promises.  This  liberation  of 
Benhadad  cost  Ahab  his  life  on  a  subsequent  oc- 
casion, and  brought  much  distress  upon  his  people. 

THE  MASKED  PROPHET 

The  parable  gathers  around  the  foregoing 
incidents.  A  nameless  prophet — whom  Josephus 
identifies  as  Micaiah,  the  son  of  Imlah,  because 
Ahab  appears  to  have  cast  him  into  prison  on 
account  of  a  prophecy  which  threatened  him — 
waits  by  the  roadside  to  intercept  the  king  as  he 
passes  along  flushed  with  victory  and  exulting 
in  his  magnanimity.  The  introduction  to  this 
scene  is  somewhat  difficult  to  understand.  The 
prophet  invites  one  of  his  brethren  in  the  school 
of  the  prophets  to  wound  him,  and  he  declares 
that  he  asks  this  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
Because  he  refuses,  the  brother  prophet  is 
condemned  to  death,  not  for  disappointing  his 

65  E 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

fellow,  but  for  disobeying  God's  command. 
Having  succeeded  in  obtaining  another  man 
who  would  and  who  did  strike  and  wound  him, 
the  prophet  covers  the  wound  with  a  linen  cloth 
(not '  ashes  ')  which  serves  not  only  as  a  bandage, 
but  also  as  a  disguise  over  his  eyes.  Why  all 
this  preparation  was  necessary  is  not  easy  to 
explain.  Possibly  it  was  to  encourage  him  in 
his  purpose,  and  to  reassure  him  that  he  was  on 
one  of  God's  errands.  Thus  disguised,  he  meets 
the  king  and  submits  for  royal  judgment  his  story. 
He  had  been  engaged  in  the  recent  campaign, 
when  suddenly  there  was  brought  to  him  a 
prisoner  whom  he  was  charged  to  hold  under 
guard  on  penalty  of  life  or  the  forfeiture  of  a 
large  sum  of  silver. 

There  is  uncertainty  about  the  translation 
of  the  Hebrew  word  (sar)  which  may  be  part  of 
the  verb  T)D  to  turn  aside,  or  may  be  a  gloss  for 
(sar)  "ifr  ,  which  means  a  captain  or  prince.  The 
latter  reading  is  the  more  attractive  because  it 
embraces  the  thought  of  obedience  due  to  a 
commander's  order,  but  it  does  not  conform  with 
the  Septuagint  translation  which  indicates  that 
'  a  man  carried  out  unto  me  a  man '  and  thus 
supports  our  translation  that  *  a  man  turned 
aside.'  The  Septuagint  rendering  is  somewhat 
more  explicit  throughout,  stating  as  it  does  that 
if  by  any  means  the  prisoner  '  shall  leap  forth ' 
his  guard's  life  will  be  forfeit,  or  a  talent  of  silver 

66 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

must  be  weighed  in  the  balance.  Then  comes 
the  fatal  denouement — a  confession  that  he 
has  let  the  prisoner  escape,  or,  as  the  Hebrew 
text  has  it,  l  he  was  not.'  He  had  gone  while 
the  guard's  attention  was  set  upon  other  duties. 
What  can  the  king  say  ?  Ignorant  of  the  applica- 
tion of  the  story  to  his  own  action,  he  decrees 
the  sentence  and  so  condemns  himself.  It  is  a 
repetition  of  the  method  used  to  elicit  self- 
condemnation  from  David  regarding  both  Uriah 
and  the  banishment  of  Absalom. 

THE  KING  UNMASKED 

When  the  prophet's  mask  is  removed  and  the 
king  recognises  him  as  one  of  the  prophets,  his 
own  words  come  home  to  him,  '  Thyself  hast 
decided.'  He  knows  instinctively  what  is  pur- 
posed, and  he  can  read  into  the  parable  its 
application.  One  may  picture  him  suddenly 
humiliated  and  crestfallen  ;  all  his  laughter  and 
joy  subdued,  and  his  hopes  from  the  alliance 
with  Benhadad  absolutely  shattered.  He  hears 
the  sentence  of  God  fall  from  the  prophet's  lips 
in  words  which  speak  of  death  and  destruction. 
He  is  doomed.  What  he  has  sought  to  evade, 
he  must  now  face — his  responsibility  to  God 
for  the  care  and  preservation  of  God's  people. 
The  mask  of  deception  falls  from  him,  and  he  is 
aware  that  his  disloyalty  and  disobedience  are 
discovered.  Rather  than  confess  his  sin  as  did 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

David,  he  goes  to  his  house  sullen  and  angry. 
He  is  unrepentant,  but  he  cannot  escape  from 
the  prophet's  words.  They  follow  him  every- 
where until  he  allies  himself  with  Jehoshaphat 
of  Judah  to  fight  against  the  Syrians  at  Ramoth- 
gilead.  There  he  remembers  the  fatal  sentence, 
and  he  fears  to  enter  upon  the  battle  in  his  royal 
array.  Regal  dress  is  worn  by  the  king  of  Judah, 
who  is  unaware  that  this  may  make  him  a  target 
for  the  Syrian  sharp-shooters,  whereas  Ahab 
disguises  himself  for  the  fray.  All  his  caution 
avails  nothing.  He  falls  and  his  people  suffer  a 
fearful  slaughter  at  the  hand  of  that  very  nation 
to  whose  king  he  had  shown  the  mercy  for- 
bidden by  God — "  thy  life  shall  be  for  his  life 
and  thy  people  for  his  people." 

For  many  years  thereafter  Israel  came  under 
the  ravaging  scourge  of  the  Syrians,  a  punish- 
ment which  could  have  been  avoided  had  Ahab 
obeyed  God.  His  will  had  been  impaired  as  a 
consequence  of  neglect  and  religious  indifference. 
The  sufferings  of  his  people  had  been  hidden  to  a 
vision  blinded  by  sin  and  selfishness.  Self- 
aggrandisement  being  his  ambition,  his  nation's 
highest  interests  were  sacrificed  to  his  motives, 
and  opportunities  to  develop  the  national  life 
were  neglected  and  spurned. 

From  what  we  know  of  Ahab's  character,  we 
are  justified  in  concluding  that  his  motive  in 
preserving  the  life  of  his  foe  was  other  than  a 

68 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

merciful  one.  There  must  have  been  something 
which  he  hoped  to  derive  by  way  of  a  return 
to  his  kindness.  His  action  opens  up  for  us 
the  question  which  had  to  be  faced  by  the 
leaders  of  our  own  allied  forces  in  the  recent 
Great  War.  There  are  in  our  midst  those  who 
assert  that  the  greatest  mistake  in  the  whole 
campaign  was  the  decision  of  the  victorious 
armies  not  to  proceed  right  into  Berlin.  Such 
people  attribute  much  of  the  world's  present 
trouble  to  a  premature  peace.  Would  the 
Allies  have  been  justified  in  pursuing  what 
would  have  been  a  policy  of  mere  retaliation 
and  vengeance  ?  Surely  the  decision  reached, 
no  matter  its  consequences,  was  more  in  har- 
mony with  modern  thought  and  Christian  prac- 
tice than  would  have  been  a  continuation  of 
the  needless  waste  of  life. 

History  indicates  that  nations  have  come 
to  this  considerate  attitude  towards  enemies 
very  slowly.  We  cannot  judge  the  times  of 
Ahab  by  our  standards  of  political  wisdom. 
In  accordance  with  the  practice  of  his  time,  and 
quite  apart  from  any  consideration  of  his  duty 
to  God,  Ahab  made  a  mistake  for  which  it  was 
anticipated  that  he  should  require  to  pay 
heavily  later  in  his  career.  To-day,  people 
are  thinking  more  of  the  preservation  than  of  the 
destruction  of  life,  and  a  king's  duty,  as  it  is 
also  a  nation's  duty,  is  to  protect  even  an 

69 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

enemy's  life  rather  than  to  destroy  it.  Nations 
have  come  to  recognise  their  mutual  dependence 
upon  each  other  and  that  they  are  all  members 
of  one  great  family.  By  means  of  conference 
and  arbitration,  questions  of  difficulty  and 
differences  can  now  be  dealt  with  in  a  friendly 
manner  which  gives  more  satisfaction  to  all 
parties  and  permits  the  development  of  national 
interests  to  proceed  without  the  fear  of  inter- 
ruption which  must  always  exist  where  arma- 
ments are  used  to  settle  disputes. 

For  this  advance  upon  the  conditions  of 
former  days,  the  world  is  undoubtedly  indebted 
to  the  penetration  of  Christian  truth  into  the 
conscience  of  humanity.  Though  all  men  may 
not  recognise  Christ  as  their  Lord,  they  are 
yet  prepared  to  reverence  His  teachings  and 
the  value  of  His  truth  when  applied  to  modern 
perplexities.  Our  Lord's  parables  of  the 
Talents,  the  Ten  Virgins,  the  Rich  Fool  and 
the  Sheep  and  Goats  point  to  the  importance  of 
trusteeship.  The  parable  of  the  Escaped 
Prisoner  is  also  a  story  of  trusteeship,  and  it 
may  be  profitable  to  us  to  consider,  in  the 
light  of  this  interesting  Old  Testament  story, 
our  Christian  Trusteeship. 

TRUSTEESHIP. 

God  has  reposed  in  each  of  us  a  trust.  He 
has  put  into  our  charge  particular  responsi- 

70 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

bilities  in  which  we  must  not  fail  if  we  would 
escape  vexation  later  on.  We  must  protect 
and  save  our  honour,  our  good  name,  our  home 
and  its  sanctity,  our  own  and  our  neighbours' 
characters.  We  are  to  use  every  power  we  can 
to  restrain,  control  and  suppress  every  foe 
which  may  threaten  that  which  we  must  guard. 
The  principle  of  '  Laissez-faire '  is  dangerous 
in  the  sphere  of  moral  responsibility.  If  we  do 
not  concentrate  upon  our  tasks  we  shall  find 
some  day  that  the  enemy  whom  we  have 
neglected  will  return  to  injure  us. 

Opportunity  is  given  us  to  carry  out  a  truly 
good  work  for  God  and  our  brethren,  but  we 
are  so  much  preoccupied  with  trivial  matters 
of  our  personal  affairs  that  we  miss  the  tide  of 
opportunity.  Saul  suffered  for  permitting  Agag 
to  live,  and  in  modern  times  there  are  homes  and 
lives  in  ruins,  health  which  is  undermined,  ideals 
which  have  vanished,  youth  lost  and  souls 
wrecked  because  a  trust  reposed  in  us  has  been 
neglected  or  an  opportunity  has  been  let  slip 
from  our  power.  Prisoners  have  been  put  into 
our  charge.  We  have  known  that  we  had 
power  to  prevent  evils,  temptations  and  vices 
from  continuing  to  afflict  men  ;  yet  owing  to 
our  neglect  and  disobedience  these  foes  have 
succeeded  in  eluding  their  guards.  The  lost 
opportunities  of  life  return  to  mock  us  and 
often  to  defeat  us. 

71 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

"  But  the  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead 
Will  never  come  back  to  me." 

— TENNYSON,  Break,  Break,  Break. 

To  many  of  us  who  pass  along  life's  highway 
self-satisfied  and  possibly  somewhat  elated, 
there  cry  out  the  messengers  or  monitors  of  God 
whose  words  turn  our  joy  to  sorrow,  our  sweet- 
ness to  gall  and  our  pride  to  shame.  They  may 
be  nameless  prophets,  yet  we  recognise  their 
words  to  be  true.  They  may  come  to  us  in  the 
silences  of  life  when  we  are  alone  with  God 
or  with  the  spirits  of  those  whom  memory 
recalls  ;  in  the  vision  of  a  face,  in  a  cherished 
lock  of  hair,  in  the  dim  ink  and  browned  pages 
of  an  old  letter  or  in  the  eyes  which  penetrate 
to  our  soul  from  a  picture  or  photograph. 
There  they  await  us  and  confound  us. 

"  If  I  had  known  ! 
Ah,  love,  if  I  had  known." 

Not  the  good  of  which  we  boast  and  are  proud, 
but  the  wrong  we  did  not  right,  the  evil  we  did 
not  vanquish,  the  venom  we  did  not  eradicate — 
these  are  the  sources  of  our  condemnation. 
Their  harvest  of  sorrow  follows  us.  We  are 
reminded  of  the  love  we  could  have  given,  the 
work  we  meant  to  do,  the  good  which  won  our 
approval  but  not  our  support,  the  painful 
thorns  we  could  have  extracted  and  the  blessings 
to  others  which  we  could  have  secured.  Now 
they  are  gone  !  gone  ! !  and  for  ever  ! ! ! 

72 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

Ahab  returned  to  his  house  angry  and  sullen. 
So  do  many  of  us  when  we  are  reminded  of  our 
disobedience  and  neglect.  If  we  return  to  God 
however,  we  shall  possess  abundant  hope  and 
joy.  He  tells  us  in  Jesus  of  the  victories  which 
may  yet  be  won  when  we  receive  Jesus  into 
our  hearts  and  enthrone  Him  as  king  of  our 
lives.  Our  attitude  towards  God  when  our  whole 
life  is  unmasked  may  be  that  of  displeasure 
or  despair  or  penitence.  Soul-death  follows 
upon  the  first  two,  but  hope,  life,  joy  and  salva- 
tion follow  upon  the  last.  We  cannot  bring 
back  that  which  *  is  not,'  but  we  can  rebuild 
and  seek  to  atone  in  such  ways  as  will  provide 
us  with  peace  and  happiness  and  our  fellow- 
men  with  comfort  and  blessing. 


CHAPTER   VII 
(/)  "  THE    SLUGGARD  " 

"  I  PASSED  by  a  slothful  man's  field  and  by  a 
garden  of  the  type  of  man  who  lacks  under- 
standing. Lo  !  the  whole  of  it  grew  thorns, 
nettles  covered  its  surface  and  its  stone  walls 
were  broken  down.  Then  I  beheld  and 
pondered  in  my  mind.  I  saw  and  was  taught  a 
lesson  : — A  little  sleep  ;  a  little  slumber  ;  a  little 
folding  of  hands  to  lie  down,  and  thy  poverty 
shall  come  ravaging  and  thy  wants  as  an  armed 
man." — Proverbs  xxiv.  30-34. 

The  book  of  Proverbs  is  peculiar  in  its  use  of 
the  word  '  sluggard  '  or  *  slothful  man.'  Closely 
related  to  this  parable  is  the  lesson  of  the  ant  to 
the  man  of  sloth  in  Proverbs  vi.  6-n,  where  the 
same  closing  verses  appear,  thus  suggesting  that 
in  one  of  the  sections  these  verses  were  a  later 
insertion  by  a  scribe.  It  is  interesting  to  observe 
that  the  Septuagint  version  in  both  chapters 
varies  considerably  from  the  Hebrew.  In 
Chapter  vi,  in  addition  to  the  ant  the  bee  is 
given  as  an  example  of  industry  and  husbandry  ; 
and  in  Chapter  xxiv  the  language  is  more 
figurative  than  parabolical  (e.g.  "  Even  as  a  field 

74 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

is  a  witless  man ").  Its  description  is  more 
exhaustive  and  less  ambiguous.  It  tells  how 
neglect  of  a  garden  renders  the  soil  inoperative 
through  exhaustion  of  its  fertility  and  the  closing 
verses  suggest  more  than  do  those  of  the  Hebrew 
text  the  process  of  repose — a  dozing,  a  nap,  then 
a  deep  sleep.  Instead  of  poverty  and  want 
'  coming  upon '  the  sluggard  they  are  revealed 
as  f  going  out  running '  before  him  like  a  good 
herald.  The  application  is  practically  the  same 
in  both  texts  and  the  one  helps  to  elucidate  the 
other  since  each  leaves  upon  the  reader's  mind 
a  vivid  picture  of  idleness,  neglect,  ruin,  deso- 
lation and  subsequent  poverty  coming  rapidly 
and  irresistibly.  Though  the  story  may  never 
have  been  recounted,  but  be  merely  a  soliloquy 
by  the  writer,  it  ranks  among  Old  Testament 
Parables  by  reason  of  its  simple  description  of 
one  of  the  seven  deadly  sins.  It  is  more  fre- 
quently used  in  art  and  literature  than  the  others 
and  it  has  a  direct  message  to  every  age,  nation 
and  individual. 

Its  scene  is  in  the  sphere  of  agriculture  where, 
possibly  more  consistently  than  in  any  other 
occupation,  a  man  must  work  faithfully,  ener- 
getically and  laboriously.  Agriculture  was, 
anciently,  the  common  occupation  in  the  East 
and  even  in  modern  times,  when  mechanical 
implements  may  lessen  the  burden  of  labour, 
there  is  always  need  for  the  farmer  and  gardener 

75 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

to  be  early  afield  if  he  will  seek  a  harvest.  In 
countries  where  the  noon-day  heat  prohibits 
outdoor  toil  and  where  the  darkness  comes  on 
suddenly  it  is  imperative  that  the  agriculturist 
should  be  early  at  his  task.  Our  narrative 
passes  from  a  consequence  to  a  cause,  from  weeds 
and  sterility  to  neglect  and  idleness.  It  attri- 
butes the  sluggard's  folly  to  a  lack  of  under- 
standing as  well  as  to  inherent  laziness.  Whilst 
the  passer-by  is  aware  immediately  that  the 
owner  is  indolent  he  concludes  that  he  is  also 
of  that  class  of  men  who  are  ignorant  of  what  is 
best  in  their  occupation.  There  are  two  Hebrew 
words  used  for  man  in  verse  30,  the  first  for  an 
individual  and  the  other  for  a  general  type. 
Very  obviously  the  owner  is  foolish  because  he 
does  not  seem  to  know  that  his  lack  of  under- 
standing will  bring  speedily  upon  him  utter  want 
and  poverty.  Perhaps  there  is  a  play  upon 
words  in  the  use  of  the  Hebrew  words  for 
'  lacking '  (chasar)  in  verse  30  and  *  thy  wants  J 
(machsoreka)  in  verse  34,  each  of  which  is 
derived  from  the  same  root  ("ion  chaser). 

Krummacher  has  related  that  among  the 
disciples  of  Hillel  was  one  Saboth  whose  weakness 
was  idleness.  Hillel  sought  to  cure  him  of  his 
fault.  When  he  took  Saboth  to  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom  where  was  a  standing  pool  full  of  vermin 
and  covered  with  muddy  weeds  he  said,  "  Here 
let  us  rest."  Because  of  poisonous  vapours  the 


PARABLES    OF    FACT 

disciple  would  not  rest  there.  "  Thou  are  right, 
my  son  :  this  bog  is  like  the  soul  of  a  slothful 
man,"  replied  the  teacher.  A  little  later  he 
shewed  Saboth  a  field  well  described  in  our 
parable  and  pointing  to  its  condition  said,  "  A 
little  while  ago,  thou  didst  see  the  soul :  now 
behold  the  life  of  an  idle  man."  The  lesson 
bore  fruit  in  the  pupil's  life.  "  To  pass  such 
fields,"  said  St.  Gregory,  "  is  to  look  into 
the  life  of  a  careless  liver  and  to  take  a  view 
of  his  deeds."  An  old  Arab  proverb  says  that 
"  sloth  and  much  sleep  remove  from  God  and 
bring  on  poverty,"  whilst  we  have  many  familiar 
sayings  in  which  the  same  meaning  is  inherent, 
such  as — No  sweat,  no  sweet ;  no  pains,  no  gains  ; 
early  to  bed,  early  to  rise.  Sloth  was  the 
youthful  defect  in  Thomson,  the  author  of  The 
Castle  of  Indolence.  On  one  occasion  when  he 
had  overslept  and  was  roused  he  is  reported  to 
have  said — "  Troth,  man,  I  see  nae  motive  for 
rising."  In  his  description  of  indolence  he  speaks 
of  an  enchanter  who  enticed  thoughtless  way- 
farers and  destroyed  their  strength  by  a  round  of 
pleasures  which  sapped  all  vigour  and  lulled  men 
into  false  security  and  happiness. 

No  scene  is  so  distressing  as  that  of  a  neglected 
garden.  Apart  from  its  infertility  and  want  of 
beauty  such  a  garden  is  a  constant  menace.  Its 
weeds  spread  seeds  all  around  which  injure  other 
gardens  and  cause  extra  labour  to  their  owners. 

77 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

Soon  the  walls  fall  down  and  the  place  is  laid 
waste.  Ruin,  desolation  and  poverty  are  written 
large  over  the  scene  and  we  wonder  why  any 
owner  could  ever  have  failed  to  preserve  the  place 
in  its  fertility,  tidiness  and  utility.  Too  fre- 
quently we  must  conclude  as  did  the  writer  of  the 
parable  that  the  cause  has  been  indolence  and 
ignorance.  The  former  consists  in  the  love  of 
ease,  the  latter  in  failure  to  apprehend  with  what 
rapidity  destruction  will  come.  Alike  in  the 
cultivation  of  land  and  in  the  cultivation  of 
social,  moral  and  spiritual  qualities  the  parable 
bears  its  message.  Indolence  and  sloth  are  fatal. 
Bunyan  depicts  Sloth  as  having  a  better  head 
than  Simple  but  not  making  use  of  it.  Whereas 
history  points  to  the  work  of  men  and  women 
whose  diligence  and  early-rising  brought  to  their 
labours  abundant  fruits,  it  also  reveals  lives 
which  might  have  been  most  helpful  to  mankind 
rendered  derelict,  abortive  and  bankrupt  through 
lack  of  application. 

Not  only  in  the  ranks  of  business  men  but  also 
among  spiritual  and  moral  leaders  vision,  inspira- 
tion and  courage  have  resulted  from  faithful  and 
diligent  cultivation.  The  soul  must  be  tended 
most  carefully  and  all  weeds  eradicated.  Habits 
require  active  watchfulness  lest  they  propagate 
evil  influences.  Thoughts  must  conform  with 
high  ideals  and  actions  should  be  consistently 
good,  kind  and  loving.  Power  has  come  to  men 


PARABLES   OF    FACT 

of  God  most  frequently  as  it  did  to  the 
Wesleys,  Archbishop  Leighton,  Samuel  Ruther- 
ford, Murray  McCheyne  and  others — by  the 
consecrated  hours  spent  with  God  each  morning 
before  entering  upon  other  daily  duties.  The 
garden  of  family  life  must  also  be  carefully  tended 
if  the  best  results  are  to  be  procured.  The  sons 
of  Eli  were  weeds  in  their  own  home  but  they 
were  also  a  poisonous  influence  upon  the  social 
and  religious  life  of  Israel.  Eli's  indolence 
brought  shame  upon  his  people. 

The  love  of  ease  is  very  aptly  described — first 
a  little  sleep,  just  that  turning-over  in  one's  bed 
for  a  few  minutes  ;  then  a  little  slumber  in  which 
drowsiness  creeps  on  and  one  forgets  the  flight 
of  time  ;  and  finally,  when  habit  has  hardened 
into  principle  one  calmly  folds  hands  upon  the 
breast  and  sinks  into  a  sound  sleep  oblivious  of 
the  calls  of  duty,  of  the  world  and  of  humanity. 

"  'Tis  the  voice  of  the  sluggard,  I  heard  him  complain, 
You  have  waked  me  too  soon,  I  must  slumber  again." 

— WATTS. 

Whether  verse  33  is  a  description  of  the  sluggard's 
laziness  or  an  expression  of  his  own  desires  does 
not  seriously  matter,  as  in  either  case  the  issue 
is  the  same — poverty  and  want. 

The  rapidity  with  which  the  sequence  develops 
is  very  characteristically  depicted.  Poverty  will 
come  in  *  ravaging.'  Some  understand  the 

79 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

Hebrew  word  for  ravaging  to  mean  '  like  a  high- 
wayman '  because  it  is  derived  from  the  verb 
'  to  walk  '  and  is  a  term  which  "  belongs  to  a  time 
when  men  who  frequented  the  public  roads  were 
likely  to  be  robbers."  Seeing  that  the  con- 
cluding clause  speaks  of  an  armed  man  who 
probably  carries  off  one's  goods  the  translation 
*  poverty  will  come  in  ravaging '  appears  to  be 
both  satisfactory  and  accurate.  If  men  would 
only  realise  that  whilst  they  are  slothful,  poverty 
and  affliction  are  already  on  their  way  they  would 
be  up  and  doing.  The  one  talent  man  loses 
altogether  the  talent  he  has  buried  and  he  is 
punished  in  addition  for  his  neglect  and  failure 
as  a  steward.  The  point  of  several  parables 
taught  by  Jesus  lay  in  His  references  to  the 
certain  reward  of  folly  and  indolence.  He  urges 
us  to  watch  and  pray  continually  and  in  His  own 
life  He  set  the  example  of  diligence,  perseverance 
and  hardship.  Of  the  Master  it  is  said  : — "  A 
great  while  before  day,  he  went  out,  and 
departed  into  a  solitary  place,  and  there  prayed." 
"  Work  while  it  is  day ;  the  night  cometh 
when  no  man  can  work." 


80 


PARABLE    AS     FABLE 


F 


CHAPTER  VIII 
(a)  "  THE    KING   OF   THE   TREES " 

"  THE  trees  went  out  set  upon  anointing  a  king 
over  themselves  and  they  said  to  the  olive- 
tree  :  '  Be  king  over  us ' ;  but  the  olive  said 
to  them  :  '  Shall  I  forsake  my  fatness  by  which 
gods  and  men  are  honoured  to  go  to  lord  it  over 
the  trees  ? '  Then  the  trees  said  to  the  fig- 
tree  :  '  Come  thou,  be  king  over  us ' ;  but 
the  fig-tree  answered  them  :  '  Shall  I  leave  my 
sweetness  and  my  good  fruit  to  go  to  lord  it 
over  the  trees  ? '  So  the  trees  said  to  the  vine  : 
*  Come  thou,  be  king  over  us ' ;  but  the  vine 
replied  to  them  :  '  Shall  I  leave  my  wine  which 
cheereth  gods  and  men  to  go  to  lord  it  over 
the  trees  ? '  All  the  trees  then  said  to  the 
thorn-bush  :  '  Come  thou,  be  king  over  us '  ; 
and  the  thorn-bush  said  to  the  trees  :  *  If  indeed 
you  anoint  me  to  be  king  over  you,  come, 
trust  in  my  shadow  ;  but  if  not,  let  fire  go  forth 
from  the  thorn  and  let  it  burn  up  the  cedars  of 
Lebanon.'" — Judges  ix,  8-15. 

The  '  Parable  as  Fable  '  brings  us  to  the  second 
of  the  categories  outlined  in  Chapter  I.    The 

83 


THE   OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

fable  is  associated  with  a  very  early  stage  of 
literature  and  "  draws  its  characters  from  the 
lower  brute  creation  and  even  from  the  in- 
animate world.  Thus  foxes  and  wolves,  eagles 
and  tortoises,  trees  and  flowers,  pots  and  pans 
converse  with  one  another  like  human  beings  " 
(A.  C.  Zenos).  There  are  two  fables  in  the  Old 
Testament — Jotham's  (given  here)  and  Jehoash's 
(in  next  chapter) — in  both  of  which  trees  are 
made  to  speak  and  to  teach.  Neither  of  the 
fables  can  be  interpreted  without  reference  to  the 
particular  historical  occasions  to  which  it  is 
related,  but  they  become  parables  for  two 
reasons :  first,  even  without  the  historical 
information  they  are  stories  which  have  obviously 
some  lesson,  however  obscure,  to  teach ;  and 
second,  they  suggest  (at  least  locally)  a  moral. 
They  embodied  such  a  moral  originally  and 
were  spoken  for  that  purpose.  Under  modern 
circumstances  they  cannot  be  altogether  lacking 
in  appeal,  message  and  warning,  for  they  com- 
pel us  to  ask  their  meaning. 

The  fable  of  the  election  of  a  king  over  the 
trees  is  common  to  many  countries,  languages 
and  literatures.  Sir  James  G.  Fraser  gives 
a  very  interesting  chapter  to  Jotham's  Fable 
in  his  P 'oik-Lore  of  the  Old  Testament,  reveal- 
ing how  popular  this  type  of  story  was  in  an- 
tiquity. In  various  forms  it  is  found  in  the 
fables  of  JEsop,  in  a  poem  by  Callimachus  the 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

Alexandrian  poet,  in  Armenian  stones  and  in 
writings  by  Phaedrus  which  became  very  popular 
during  the  Middle  Ages.  As  described  by 
Josephus  the  fable  of  Jotham  entrances  a 
reader,  and  in  that  form  it  should  certainly  be 
read  because  of  its  delightful  narrative  and 
its  naive  summing-up  where  we  learn  that 
Jotham  told  his  listeners  "  that  what  he  had 
said  was  no  laughing  matter." 

WHAT  WERE  THE  CIRCUMSTANCES  ? 

After  Gideon's  death  there  was  a  family  feud 
— no  uncommon  experience  in  olden  times — 
which  was  aggravated  by  the  fact  that  he  left 
seventy  sons  by  recognised  wives  and  one  son 
by  a  concubine.  So  well  had  Gideon  acquitted 
himself  as  leader  and  liberator,  that  he  had 
been  asked  to  become  king.  The  desire  for  a 
monarchy  had  already  possessed  the  Israelites 
and  it  grew  stronger  daily.  Though  he  had 
been  highly  admired  and  appraised,  yet  Gideon 
declined  all  preferred  honours  and  set  before 
the  people  the  true  viewpoint :  "I  will  not 
rule  over  you,  neither  will  my  son  rule  over  you  : 
the  Lord  will  rule  over  you."  Gideon's  seventy 
sons  were  willing  to  abide  by  his  decision,  but 
the  remaining  son,  Abimelech,  had  great  and 
mischievous  ambitions.  He  planned  well  and 
trusted  much  to  a  reactionary  movement 
against  the  house  of  Gideon  by  Baal-worshippers. 

85 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

His  mother,  reputed  to  be  very  wealthy,  was  a 
native  of  Shechem,  and  the  Shechemites  had 
been  enraged  when  Gideon  overthrew  the  altajrs 
erected  to  Baal.  With  an  open  and  generous 
purse,  and  by  a  strong  religious  appeal  to  the 
men  of  Shechem  to  avenge  themselves,  Abime- 
lech  proceeded  to  slay  the  seventy  sons  of 
Gideon  near  the  very  spot  where  the  altars  of 
Baal  had  been  cast  down  by  Gideon.  His  net 
failed  to  enclose  the  youngest  son,  Jotham,  who 
escaped,  only  to  make  a  dramatic  appearance 
on  Mount  Gerizim,  where  he  shouted  out  his 
story.  Truth  and  righteousness  cannot  be 
altogether  exterminated.  There  is  always  '  some 
youngest  son '  who  escapes  and  later  perplexes  ; 
who  keeps  alive  the  spirit  of  truth  and  goodness 
and  proves  that  judgment  is  the  Lord's. 

The  warriors  of  Shechem  assembled  near  a 
station  or  post  which  is  described  as  '  an  oak 
of  a  garrison '  and  there  they  proclaimed 
Abimelech  king.  Their  celebrations  were  rudely 
disturbed  and  seriously  clouded  when  a  voice  was 
heard  ringing  out  from  a  projecting  ledge  on 
Mount  Gerizim  where  Jotham  stood,  shouting 
so  that  all  could  hear.  Shechem  (now  Nablus) 
lay  in  a  valley  between  two  hills — Mt.  Ebal  on 
the  north  and  Mt.  Gerizim  on  the  south — and 
it  is  said  that  at  certain  times  the  human  voice 
can  be  heard  clearly  over  the  width  of  the 
valley.  There  are  sound  reasons  for  regarding 

86 


PARABLE   AS    FABLE 

the  occasion  on  which  the  parable  was  narrated 
to  have  been  a  later  assembly  of  the  people, 
so  that  time  had  elapsed  during  which  Jotham 
learned  of  Abimelech's  proposals  ;  but  this  is 
unnecessary.  As  a  lonely  fugitive,  Jotham 
garners  all  the  information  he  can  about 
Abimelech's  movements,  and  his  sudden  appear- 
ance makes  the  irony  and  bitter  sarcasm  of  his 
words  the  more  annoying.  His  best  opportunity 
was  on  that  day  when  they  gathered  around  the 
*  oak  of  the  garrison ' — the  mercat-cross  of 
Shechem. 

Recent  excavations  have  located  the  tower 
of  Shechem.  The  modern  name  for  a  suburb  of 
the  city  (*  Balata ')  may  be  derived  from  the 
Aramaic  '  Ballut '  (oak)  and  so  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  the  venerable  tree  which  formed  a 
sacred  and  central  feature  of  an  ancient  sanc- 
tuary of  the  plain.  Under  the  oak  of  Shechem 
Jacob  concealed  the  idols  and  amulets  of  his 
household.  Under  the (  oak  of  Shechem  '  Joshua 
set  up  the  witness-stone  and  gave  his  farewell 
messages  to  the  people.  It  is  possible  that 
the  tower  of  Shechem  may  be  identified  with 
the  *  oak  of  the  garrison,'  which  term  has  also 
been  translated  '  the  massebah-tree '  (i.e.  the 
tree  under  which  the  massebah  or  sacred  stone 
was  set  up).  Having  delivered  his  scathing 
and  threatening  prophecy,  Jotham  fled,  but 
the  sting  of  his  words  remained. 

8? 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

THE  FABLE 

The  parable  is  simple.  In  the  light  of  histori- 
cal knowledge  it  is  pungent.  Having  decided 
to  have  a  king  the  trees  proceed  to  elect  one. 
We  experience  some  difficulty  in  reconciling 
this  decision  to  appoint  a  king  with  the  refusals 
to  accept  office,  but  that  circumstance  may  be 
passed  over  because  the  story  emphasises  the 
acceptance  of  kingship  and  not  the  decision 
that  there  should  be  a  king.  Among  the 
Israelites  the  desire  to  have  a  monarch  had 
steadily  grown.  Gideon  and  his  sons  had 
declined  the  honour  when  it  was  proposed  to 
them.  Every  true  Israelite  would  regard  God 
as  king  and  would  refuse  the  crown.  Abimelech's 
eagerness  to  rule  was  a  mark  of  his  baseness. 
For  this  reason  Jotham  tells  how  the  great, 
useful  and  valuable  trees  decline  the  offer  of 
lordship  over  the  trees,  because  they  realise 
that  in  their  own  sphere  they  are  of  more  use  to 
gods  and  men  than  they  could  possibly  be  by 
waving  to  and  fro  over  other  trees. 

Regarding  the  phrase  i  gods  and  men '  we 
observe  that  trees  are  not  supposed  to  be  in  a 
position  to  speak  of  *  God,'  but  they  do  speak  of 
gods  in  the  same  way  as  of  men.  Olive  and 
vine  were  used  by  the  heathen  and  Israelites 
in  worship  and  in  religious  ritual.  In  some 
instances  the  gods  were  supposed  to  receive 

88 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

the  juice  of  the  vine.  As  for  men,  they  had  many 
services  to  which  they  could  apply  the  fruits 
of  olive,  fig  and  vine.  It  would  not  be  advisable 
for  the  trees  to  forsake  their  natural  sphere  of 
greatest  utility.  The  thorn-bush  or  bramble  has 
not  the  same  high  ideals  of  office  and  respon- 
sibility. It  is  a  low,  creeping  and  grovelling 
plant  which  seldom  reaches  higher  than  six  feet. 
It  is  prickly,  bears  small  leaves  and  insignificant 
flowers,  and  is  suitable  only  for  fuel. 

If  there  is  any  tree  which  ought  not  to  be  king 
of  the  trees  that  tree  is  the  thorn-bush ;  yet 
this  is  the  tree  which  is  keen  to  agree  condition- 
ally to  become  ruler  of  the  trees.  It  lusts  for 
supremacy,  not  because  the  others  have  refused 
the  office,  but  because  it  desires  pre-eminence 
and  power.  What  a  subtle  proposal  lies  in  the 
condition  set  forth — let  the  others  humble 
themselves  by  taking  shelter  under  the  shadow 
of  the  thorn-bush.  They  must  then  be  wholly 
under  the  control  of  the  thorn-bush  and  their 
fruitfulness  and  growth  restricted  to  whatever 
limits  their  king  may  permit.  This  is  an  un- 
acceptable as  well  as  a  preposterous  condition. 
Unwillingness  to  accept  it  means  destruction, 
for  fire  will  issue  to  burn  up  all  the  good  trees. 
The  thorn-bush  may  wear  a  crown,  but  it  is  still 
fit  only  to  be  fuel. 

p£  Abimelech  expects  the  faithful  followers  of 
Gideon's  house  and  the  worshippers  of  Israel's 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

God  to  submit  to  him — a  usurping,  murderous 
and  unscrupulous  Canaanite.  He  may  be  made 
king  but  his  heart  remains  treacherous,  his 
hands  blood-stained,  and  his  reign  a  period  of 
destruction  and  death.  The  men  of  Shechem 
will  one  day  be  destroyed  by  him  whom  now 
they  seek  foolishly  to  honour.  Almost  in  a 
literal  sense  fire  went  out  from  Abimelech  to 
destroy  the  men  of  Shechem.  Later,  they 
rebelled  against  his  yoke,  and  he  laid  waste  their 
city,  burning  their  tower.  In  the  end  he  perished, 
crushed  by  a  mill-stone  aimed  at  him  by  a  woman. 

MODERN  ABIMELECHS 

The  fable  has  its  valuable  suggestions  to  our 
own  times.  There  are  always  Abimelechs  in 
society  —  covetous,  crafty  and  contemptible. 
There  are  grasping  usurpers  who  are  never 
content  to  fill  a  humble  role,  but  are  eager  to 
occupy  positions  for  which  they  are  unqualified. 
Theirs  is  "  vaulting  ambition  which  o'erleaps 
itself."  Self-aggrandisement  is  often  the  motive 
of  public  service,  and  the  Abimelechs  leave  no 
stone  unturned  until  they  achieve  their  selfish 
purposes.  They  elbow  others  aside  and  decry 
the  labour  of  good  men.  Where  honourable 
and  well-qualified  men  decline  honours,  the 
Abimelechs  claim  them  with  avidity.  They  even 
snatch  them  though  unfit  to  use  them  with  profit 
to  their  fellowmen.  All  civic,  ecclesiastical  and 

90 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

commercial  circles  suffer  from  this  type  of 
strategist.  Possibly  on  account  of  the  hesitation 
of  big-hearted,  broad-minded  and  high-souled 
men  to  accept  posts  of  responsibility,  the  adven- 
turer gets  his  opportunity. 

There  is  urgent  demand  that  wherever  men 
are  endowed  with  gifts  they  should  dedicate  them 
to  God  through  service  to  humanity.  Our 
people  need  to  be  educated  to  discern  the  true 
type  of  public  man  for  leadership.  The  populace 
is  too  easily  deceived.  When  Jesus  was  on  trial 
the  people  at  Jerusalem  cried  out  that  they  knew 
no  king  but  Caesar.  Not  many  years  thereafter 
the  Roman  legions  came  and  burned  up 
Jerusalem.  The  Nemesis  is  inevitable.  The 
supplanter  does  not  escape.  The  very  trickery 
by  which  young  Jacob  deceives  Isaac  is  later 
practised  by  his  own  sons  upon  Jacob  grown 
old.  Unscrupulous  dealing  in  business  or  religion, 
in  friendship  or  society  brings  its  own  retribution. 
If  men  who  are  fit  to  direct  the  affairs  of  state, 
city,  church  or  business  persist  in  electing  the 
upstart  and  demagogue  to  offices  of  responsibility 
and  control,  then  they  must  experience  that  it 
will  be  on  the  same  condition  as  laid  down  by  the 
thorn-bush — bow  down  or  be  ruined.  No 
tyranny  is  so  oppressive  as  that  exercised  by  the 
democrat  become  autocrat  or  dictator.  Beneath 
his  iron  heel  there  is  neither  liberty  nor  prosperity. 

We  are  conscious   of  the  crises  which  arise 

91 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

in  our  individual  inward  lives.  Selfish,  proud, 
covetous,  boastful  and  conceited  elements  in  our 
life  are  continually  seeking  the  mastery.  They 
may  be  enthroned  only  at  the  cost  of  our  peace 
of  mind,  our  purity  and  honour.  Each  of  us 
has  a  king  to  appoint  over  his  soul.  The  thorn- 
bush  and  destroyer  is  self  ;  the  noble  and  fruit- 
bearing  tree  is  Jesus,  the  True  Vine. 


92 


CHAPTER   IX 
(b)   "THE   THISTLE   AND   CEDAR" 

"  THEN  Amaziah  sent  messengers  to  Jehoash, 
the  son  of  Jehoahaz,  son  of  Jehu,  king  of  Israel, 
saying,  '  Come,  let  us  look  one  another  in  the 
face.'  And  Jehoash  the  king  of  Israel  sent  to 
Amaziah,  king  of  Judah,  saying  : — 

"  '  The  thistle  that  was  in  Lebanon  sent  unto 
the  cedar  that  was  in  Lebanon  saying,  "  Give 
thy  daughter  to  my  son  to  wife  :  "  and  there 
went  by  a  wild  beast  of  the  plain  which  was  in 
Lebanon  and  trampled  down  the  thistle.' ' 
— 2  Kings,  xiv,  8-9. 

There  is  much  similarity  in  the  two  fables  of 
the  Old  Testament  which  are  here  classified 
among  the  parables  of  that  book.  Apart  from 
the  power  of  speech,  attributed  in  each  of  them 
to  vegetable  life,  there  is  an  element  of  parallel- 
ism in  the  types  of  plant  life  introduced  and  in 
the  method  of  effecting  an  issue  to  the  stories. 
In  each  case  the  thistle  or  bramble  which  grows 
in  the  shade  of  its  big  brothers,  represents  the 
spirit  of  arrogance,  swollen  pride  and  provocative 
ambition.  Whereas,  in  Jotham's  fable,  the 
thorn  symbolises  fuel  which  will  destroy  the 

93 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

cedars  of  Lebanon,  in  Jehoash's  fable  a  beast 
of  the  plain  is  regarded  as  part  of  the  scheme  for 
the  destruction  of  the  thistle.  There  is  no 
indication  that  any  knowledge  of  events  is 
ascribed  to  the  wild  animal  in  question  or  that 
it  was  aware  of  the  important  part  it  was  playing 
in  frustrating  the  over-reaching  ambition  of  the 
thistle.  Further,  strict  parallelism  between  all 
details  of  the  story  and  actual  events  in  history 
cannot  be  insisted  upon,  since  whereas  in  the 
fable  the  cedar  and  the  beast  cannot  be  identical 
yet  in  historical  fact  Jehoash,  king  of  Israel, 
as  symbolised  by  the  cedar,  was  in  reality  the  one 
who,  as  symbolised  by  the  wild  beast,  crushed 
the  thistle  which  symbolised  Amaziah  of  Judah. 
To  possess  a  full  array  of  the  circumstances  of 
this  story,  the  narratives  in  2  Chron.  xxv.  and 
2  Kings  xiv.  should  be  read  together.  They  are 
inter-related  and,  conjointly,  apart  from  textual 
criticisms,  they  aid  us  in  understanding  the 
salient  historical  references.  From  them  we 
learn  how  success  crowned  the  campaigning  of 
both  Jehoash  of  Israel  and  Amaziah  of  Judah. 
The  former  reigned  at  a  time  when  Israel  had 
reached  a  great  height  of  military  power  and 
national  splendour.  He  had  delivered  his 
country  from  bondage  to  Syria,  and  although 
religion  was  at  a  low  ebb  because  of  national 
godlessness,  yet  he  is  portrayed  as  one  who  would 
have  preferred  to  leave  Amaziah  undisturbed, 

94 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

and  Judah  in  the  peaceful  position  of  a  vassal 
state  to  Israel.  Amaziah  had  also  cast  off  a 
yoke  by  defeating  the  Edomites.  He  had 
engaged  mercenary  troops  from  among  the 
Ephraimites,  but  on  the  advice  of  a  prophet  he 
dismissed  them  and  was  victorious  without  their 
aid.  His  success  opened  the  door  to  idol- 
worship  and  to  irreverence  towards  God ;  and 
the  dismissal  of  the  mercenaries  led  to  destructive 
raids  both  in  Judah  and  in  Israel  by  those  bands 
of  men  who  were  thus  deprived  of  their  antici- 
pated spoils  and  rewards.  Thus  with  an  offended 
God  and  an  aggrieved  king  of  Israel,  the  outlook 
for  Amaziah  was  not  propitious.  He  himself 
aggravated  the  position  by  the  tactlessness  and 
folly  which  too  often  accompany  success  and 
precede  ignominious  failure  and  defeat.  He 
rejected  the  warnings  of  God's  messenger  who 
reminded  him  that  the  idols  which  failed  to  save 
Edom  from  his  (Amaziah' s)  own  hands  could  not 
now  defend  Judah.  In  response  to  his  threat 
to  punish  the  prophet,  he  was  given  the  warning 
of  God's  vengeance  upon  himself,  and  what 
resulted  later  is  described  thus : — "  It  came  of 
God." 

Having  surveyed  the  historical  relationships 
and  purveyed  the  setting  incidental  to  our  story, 
we  may  now  consider  a  sentence  upon  the  inter- 
pretation of  which  there  is  no  agreement  among 
scholars  and  which  has  a  very  direct  bearing, 

95 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

not  so  much  upon  the  meaning  of  the  story  as 
upon  our  appreciation  and  application  of  it. 
Amaziah's  words  : — "  Let  us  look  one  another 
in  the  face "  have  been  variously  interpreted 
as  signifying  any  one  of  the  following : — 

(1)  A  challenge  to  fight  Israel  either  to  avenge 
the  raids  of  the  Ephraimites,  or   to  assert 
independence  ;  or  simply  a  provocative  step 
following  upon  his  recent  successes. 

(2)  A  request  for  a  conference  to  adjust  the 
difficulties  which  had  resulted  from  the  raids 
upon  Judean  and  Israelitish  towns. 

(3)  An  approach  for  consideration  of  a  marriage 
alliance  between  the  two  kingdoms. 

If  it  is  permissible  to  deduce  from  the  fable, 
there  seems  to  be  no  escape  from  the  third 
suggestion,  but  its  consequences  appear  to  be 
altogether  out  of  proportion  as  well  as  out  of 
relationship  to  such  a  claim  or  approach.  The 
fable  reveals  a  certain  detachment  of  interest 
in  its  second  part  which  meets  this  objection. 
The  destruction  of  the  thistle  is  not  carried  out 
by  the  cedar  but  by  a  third  party  who  has  not 
entered  into  the  question  of  the  council.  This 
is  a  simple  and  natural  possibility.  A  marriage 
alliance  would  be  rendered  impossible  in  con- 
sequence of  the  beast's  intervention ;  but  such 
a  condition  would  invalidate  the  development 
whereby  the  intervention  was  actually  effected 
by  the  king,  who  is  represented  by  the  cedar. 

96 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

There  may  be  a  confusion  of  metaphors,  and 
it  is  always  possible  that,  as  '  it  is  of  God,' 
so  God  can  choose  Jehoash  as  His  instrument 
to  accomplish  His  purpose. 

May  not  the  explanation  of  the  parable  lie 
in  the  thought  that  Amaziah  sought  a  conference 
to  deal  with  the  raids  upon  his  towns,  and  that 
as  a  condition  of  agreement  he  insisted  upon 
a  marriage  alliance  ?  By  this  means  we  can 
comprehend  the  force,  irony,  disdain  and  haughti- 
ness of  the  words  used  by  Jehoash.  He  stands 
like  one  of  the  mighty  cedars  of  Lebanon  such 
as  that '  Grand  Old  Man '  of  Lebanon,  who  has 
been  described  in  modern  times  as  keeping  his 
lonely  vigil  outside  the  enclosure  of  cedars, 
6,000  feet  above  the  Mediterranean  where  "  he 
not  only  guards  the  wood,  but  also  surveys  the 
land "  and  still,  "  under  their  shade  grow 
barberry,  wild  rose  and  bramble — giant  monarch 
and  impudent  impostor."  To  such  a  tree  the 
beast  of  the  plain  is  harmless,  but  alike  to  the 
sapling  cedars  and  all  small  shrubs  he  is  a 
serious  menace.  Even  to-day,  wild  goats  break 
through  the  breaches  in  the  enclosure  walls 
and  trample  down  the  growing  bushes.  This 
point  is  made  explicit  in  the  fable.  Not  the 
cedar,  but  an  animal  of  the  field  crushes  the 
thistle  and  the  cedar  continues  to  reign  un- 
disturbed. 

Objection  may  be  taken  to  the  moral  and 

97  G 


THE   OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

spiritual  application  of  this  parable  on  the 
ground  that  it  was  spoken  ostensibly  for  a 
specific  occasion  and  to  an  interested  individual. 
In  reply  it  may  be  argued  that  the  parable 
of  the  Good  Samaritan  was  also  spoken  under 
such  circumstances  and  was  even  applied  by 
Jesus  to  an  individual  case — "  Go  and  do  thou 
likewise  " — but  that  the  value  of  the  story  has 
been  universally  recognised  and  appreciated 
and  so  the  story  has  become  part  of  the  universal 
library  of  the  codes  of  good  conduct.  In  a 
similar  sense,  we  may  regard  this  Old  Testament 
Parable  because  it  has  for  us  in  our  day  a  message 
as  clear  and  definite  as  it  had  for  Amaziah  in  his. 
"  Pride  goeth  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty 
spirit  before  a  fall,"  Prov.  xvi.  18.  There  are 
conditions  of  life  in  which  success  is  more 
dangerous  than  failure.  Wherever  success 
engenders  presumption,  vaulting  ambition,  or 
conceit,  the  danger  signal  is  present.  Success 
may  beget  arrogance,  boasting  and  indiscretion 
which  prompt  men  to  enter  the  lists  with  those 
who  are  their  superiors  alike  in  strength,  char- 
acter and  position.  Only  a  superior  could  make 
the  demand,  "  Give  thy  daughter  to  my  son  to 
wife  "  yet,  as  in  the  parable,  there  are  those  who, 
dazzled  by  the  glare  of  their  own  successes, 
claim  either  for  themselves  or  others  such 
positions  or  rewards  as  they  are  quite  unsuited 
to  hold.  They  intermeddle  to  their  discom- 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

fiture  and  hurt.  Cedars  have  no  need  to  worry 
about  the  ambitions  of  thistles :  they  may 
grow  close  together,  but  their  sphere  and  purpose 
are  quite  distinct.  It  is  as  absurd  for  the 
thistle  to  think  of  an  alliance  with  the  cedar 
as  for  the  cedar  to  form  an  alliance  with  the 
thistle.  We  must  resist  every  temptation  to 
imagine  ourselves  superior  to  what  we  are. 
Without  any  discussion  of  what  is  termed 
*  class  '  distinction  or  *  social  difference  '  we 
have  to  recognise  that  when  God  created  a 
thistle  He  had  no  intention  of  making  it  into  a 
lordly  cedar,  either  in  height  or  in  utility.  Jesus 
Christ  sought  to  stress  the  need  for  each  man  to 
fill  his  own  niche  which  no  other  can  fill  so  well. 
He  indicated  also  that  just  in  proportion  as  we 
may  thus  fulfil  our  allotted  duty  and  bear  its 
responsibility,  shall  we  be  promoted  or  given 
increased  responsibilities.  We  must  suppress 
and  extinguish  within  ourselves  that  fire  which 

"  Preys  upon  high  adventure  .  .  . 
...  a  fever  at  the  core, 

Fatal  to  him  who  bears,  to  all  who  ever  bore." 

— BYRON. 

An  important  point  in  the  parable  of  the 
Pharisee  and  the  Publican  is  that  the  latter  knew 
and  faithfully  observed  his  position  before  God, 
whereas  the  former  was  blind  to  the  truth  of  the 
situation.  He  knew  neither  humility  nor  rever- 
ence towards  God.  A  little  success  or  a  little 

99 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

righteousness  may  deceive  us  into  thinking 
ourselves  stronger  or  better  than  we  are.  To 
flaunt  our  self-righteousness  before  God  or  man 
is  sure  to  incur  for  us  a  well-merited  punishment. 
In  Amaziah's  case,  his  kingdom  was  taken  from 
him  and  Jerusalem  was  devastated. 

No  matter  where  men  go  they  find  here  a  cedar, 
and  there  a  thistle :  in  the  crowded  city  life  and 
in  the  seclusion  of  rural  life  ;  in  the  market  and 
in  the  shop  ;  in  the  church,  the  school  and  the 
home  ;  and  in  the  many  forms  of  social  life 
and  human  endeavour — it  is  always  the  same — 
here  a  cedar,  and  there  a  thistle — men  and 
women  with  various  thoughts,  tastes,  pursuits 
and  gifts.  Some  are  intoxicated  with  success 
whilst  others  are  humbled.  The  former  acquire 
foolish  pride  and  assume  superior,  unbecoming 
airs  ;  they  scorn  advice  and  kindly  warnings  ; 
they  are  thistle  characters,  incapable  of  develop- 
ment and  growth.  They  differ  from  the  cedars 
in  height,  depth  and  girth.  They  cannot  soar 
so  high  ;  their  roots  are  not  so  deeply  entrenched 
and  established,  and  their  influence  is  not  so  far- 
reaching. 

Just  as  Amaziah's  heart  was  not  right  with 
God,  so  there  are  those  whose  religion  is  not 
deeply  rooted  but  very  near  the  surface,  often 
hypocritical.  The  crux  of  this  matter  lies  in 
the  hidden  depth.  The  roots  are  not  seen. 
Selfishness  and  harsh,  cruel,  intemperate  and 

IOO 


PARABLE    AS    FABLE 

evil  desires  or  motives  may  not  be  obvious  to 
the  public  or  to  the  congregation.  Yet,  "  by 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  The  girth 
of  a  tree  depends  upon  its  roots.  Travellers 
have  reported  upon  cedars  which  are  41  feet  in 
girth  with  large,  spreading  branches.  Our  girth 
is  our  measure  of  influence.  History  is  full  of 
lordly*  cedars,  the  great,  noble  minds  and  hearts 
who  have  brought  rich  blessings  to  mankind 
and  who  have  laboured  steadfastly  independent 
of  all  the  envyings,  criticisms,  and  petty 
ambitions  of  the  conceited  and  puffed-up  thistles. 
Especially  true  is  this  in  the  case  of  Christian 
lives  by  means  of  which  the  branches  of  Christ's 
Kingdom  are  stretching  out  so  that  all  nations 
may  rest  in  their  shade. 


101 


PARABLES    OF    FANCY 


CHAPTER  X 
(a)  "THE    SOILED  WAIST-CLOTH" 

"  THUS  said  the  Lord  unto  me — '  Go  and  acquire 
for  thyself  a  linen  waist-cloth  and  put  it  upon 
thy  loins,  but  thou  shalt  not  cause  it  to  come 
through  water '.  So  I  acquired  the  waist-cloth 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  I  set  it 
upon  my  loins,  and  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  unto  me  a  second  time  saying — '  Take  the 
waist-cloth  which  thou  hast  acquired,  which  is 
upon  thy  loins,  and  arise,  go  to  Euphrates  and 
bury  it  there  in  a  hole  of  the  rock '.  And  I 
went  and  buried  it  in  Euphrates  according  as 
the  Lord  commanded  me.  Then  it  came  to  pass 
after  many  days  that  the  Lord  said  unto  me — 
*  Arise,  go  to  Euphrates  and  take  thence  the 
waist-cloth  which  I  commanded  thee  to  bury 
there '.  So  I  went  to  Euphrates  and  I  digged 
and  took  the  waist-cloth  from  the  place  wherein 
I  had  buried  it,  and  behold,  the  waist-cloth 
was  marred  ;  it  was  not  profitable  for  anything 
at  all. 

"And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me 
saying — '  Thus  saith  the  Lord  ;  After  this  man- 
ner shall  I  mar  the  pride  of  Judah  and  the  great 

105 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

pride  of  Jerusalem.  This  evil  people  who 
refuse  to  hear  my  words,  who  walk  in  the 
stubbornness  of  their  heart  and  have  gone 
after  other  gods  to  serve  them  and  worship 
them  shall  be  as  this  waist-cloth  which  is  not 
profitable  for  anything  at  all.  For  as  the 
waist-cloth  cleaveth  unto  the  loins  of  a  man, 
so  have  I  caused  to  cleave  unto  me  the  whole 
house  of  Israel  and  the  whole  house  of  Judah,' 
saith  the  Lord,  l  that  they  might  be  unto  me  for 
a  people  and  for  a  name,  and  for  a  praise  and 
for  a  glory ;  but  they  did  not  give  ear.' ' 
— Jeremiah  xiii,  i-n. 

As  the  first  among  '  Parables  of  Fancy,'  this 
interesting  narrative  about  the  waist-cloth  that 
was  marred  challenges  us  to  prove  that  it  is 
such  a  parable  rather  than  one  of  fact.  Did 
Jeremiah  really  go  through  the  action  of  the 
story,  or  was  it  given  him  in  vision,  or  is  it  a 
story  narrated  as  though  it  had  been  experienced 
for  the  purpose  of  teaching  the  nation  a  neces- 
sary and  very  urgent  lesson  ?  The  answers  to 
such  questions  require  reference  to  a  perplexing 
interpretation.  The  Hebrew  word  Perath,  trans- 
lated Euphrates  in  our  text,  is  regarded  by  many 
modern  scholars  as  a  reference  to  the  Wady 
Farah  which  is  only  a  few  miles  distant  from 
Anathoth,  the  home  of  Jeremiah.  There  are 
found  a  fountain  and  stream  "  which  soak  into 
the  sand  and  fissured  rock  of  the  surrounding 

1 06 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

desert."  On  the  other  hand,  Euphrates  is 
about  250  miles  distant  and  is  not  enclosed  by 
rock  as  the  story  requires. 

It  is  not  easy  to  believe  that  the  prophet 
walked  such  a  great  distance  on  two  occasions 
in  order  to  learn  an  obvious  lesson  and  a  lesson 
which  could  have  been  so  easily  demonstrated 
nearer  home.  If  Euphrates  is  the  correct 
rendering,  then  the  story  is  a  parable  of  fancy 
rather  than  of  fact,  and  if  the  Wady  Farah  is 
intended,  we  have  either  a  parable  of  fancy 
(given  as  vision)  or  a  parable  of  fact  in  which 
the  prophet  acted  the  story  under  divine  guid- 
ance. We  are  constrained  to  accept  the  con- 
clusion of  Principal  G.  A.  Smith — "  That  the 
Wady  Farah  was  the  scene  of  the  parable  is 
possible,  though  not  certain.  But  the  ambiguity 
of  these  details  does  not  interfere  with  the 
moral  of  the  whole."  Remembering  that  the 
whole  narrative  is  recorded  as  being  under  the 
constraint  of  God's  direction,  and  that  the  story 
has  reference  to  the  burial  of  Israel  in  a  place 
where  the  nation  becomes  quite  unprofitable, 
we  retain  in  our  text  the  word  Euphrates  as 
symbolising  the  land  of  captivity  and  we  incline 
towards  regarding  the  whole  story  as  visionary 
in  its  inception  though  narrated  as  having 
been  experienced. 

Another  word  whose  interpretation  makes  a 
radical  difference  in  the  meaning  and  application 

107 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

of  the  story  is  that  which  is  given  as  l  waist- 
cloth.'  Cheyne  holds  the  view  that  no  word 
is  so  appropriate  and  dignified  as  *  waist- 
wrapper  '  and  he  quotes  the  Arabic  proverb— 
'  He  is  unto  me  as  a  waist-wrapper.'  The 
waist-cloth  was  bound  very  close  to  the  body 
under  other  clothing,  and  it  must  be  distinguished 
from  the  girdle,  which  was  a  waist-belt  wrapped 
around  and  over  other  garments.  The  girdle 
was  often  adorned  and  ornamented,  a  circum- 
stance which  might  justify  the  description  of 
Judah  and  Israel  as  a  praise  and  a  glory  for 
God,  but  this  is  to  read  into  the  word  *  waist- 
cloth  '  the  idea  of  such  ornamentation  as  neces- 
sitates the  meaning  waist-belt  or  girdle.  So 
very  clear  is  the  command  to  put  it  upon  the 
loins  that  there  can  scarcely  be  any  doubt  that 
it  is  the  '  waist-cloth '  which  is  bound  close 
to  the  skin  ;  for  it  was  caused  '  to  cleave  unto 
me '  which  can  scarcely  be  said  of  the  ordinary 
waist-belt  or  girdle. 

Emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  material  of  which 
the  waist-cloth  consists.  It  is  linen.  All  the 
priestly  garments  were  linen  and  because  of 
that  linen  symbolised  holiness.  Possibly  this 
does  not  wholly  explain  why  linen  is  mentioned 
in  the  parable.  Israel  was  indeed  expected 
to  be  holy  unto  the  Lord,  but  two  of  the  useful 
qualities  of  linen  are  that  it  wears  well  and 
can  be  long  preserved.  It  was  used  in  the 

108 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

burial  of  mummies,  and  there  have  been  in- 
stances in  which  new  linen  has  withstood  the 
ravages  of  time  over  many  centuries.  When 
washed  it  is  again  practically  new,  but  if  it  is 
left  soiled  and  contaminated  in  any  way  with 
damp,  it  will  rot.  Jeremiah  makes  good  use  of 
the  recognised  qualities  of  linen.  The  waist- 
cloth  which  he  acquires  or  buys  must  not  be 
put  in  water  after  he  has  worn  it.  He  buries 
it  soiled  in  a  hole  or  chink  of  rock.  May  not 
Euphrates  mean  simply,  in  the  land  with  which 
the  river  is  identified  rather  than  mean  a  refer- 
ence to  the  near  presence  of  water  ?  He  buries 
it  where  it  should  be  dry  and  long-preserved, 
but  after  many  days  he  digs  it  up  only  to  find 
that  it  is  altogether  useless.  Is  not  the 
suggestion  here  that  the  uselessness  of  the  linen 
has  resulted  from  its  earlier  corruption  rather 
than  from  its  contact  with  water  or  damp  ?  It 
was  buried  in  an  unclean  and  soiled  condition, 
the  consequences  of  which  were  decay  and 
rottenness. 

The  parable  has  thus  a  vivid  application 
to  the  condition  of  Judah  since  it  indicates 
that  the  corruption  of  the  nation  will  not  result 
from  its  exile  in  a  distant  land  where  it  will  be 
buried,  but  from  the  sin  which  has  already 
wrought  uncleanness  among  the  people  before 
they  are  removed.  Their  only  chance  of  life 
and  preservation  lies  in  an  immediate  cleansing. 

109 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

Once  the  national  life  is  defiled,  no  hiding  or 
burial  even  in  a  distant  land  will  arrest  the 
process  of  decay  and  death.  The  canker  will 
work  its  deadliest  havoc  unless  it  is  treated  in 
the  earliest  stages  when  the  nation  is  still 
closely  bound  to  righteousness  and  purity.  Thus 
the  Lord  is  described  as  emphasising  primarily 
that  the  nation  is  an  evil  people,  disobedient, 
haughty  and  stubborn,  idolatrous  and  imperti- 
nent. God  had  chosen  them  to  be  a  peculiar 
people  unto  Himself  and  had  bound  them 
closely  to  Himself  by  His  love  and  tokens  of 
mercy.  He  sought  them  as  a  great  praise  and 
glory,  but  sin  had  already  so  corrupted  their 
life  that  He  foresees  the  final  issue — never 
again  can  the  nation  be  a  praise  and  glory  for 
God  upon  the  earth.  We  are  given  a  glimpse 
of  God  dealing  patiently  and  lovingly  with 
His  people,  delivering  to  them  through  teachers 
and  prophets  His  messages  of  reconciliation 
and  restoration  ;  pleading  with  them  to  repent 
and  be  converted,  but  all  His  appeals  fall  upon 
deaf  ears  and  cold,  stubborn  hearts.  They 
did  not  hear — it  is  God's  deep  grief  for  His 
people.  We  feel  that  the  final  words  are  drawn 
most  reluctantly  from  Him,  and  they  are 
echoed  in  the  words  of  Jesus  in  His  lament  over 
Jerusalem — "  But  ye  would  not." 

A  nation  which  had  been  separated  as  a  holy 
people  through  whom  God's  name  was  to  be 

no 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

praised  and  honoured  will  now  be  completely 
unprofitable  in  consequence  of  their  refusal  to 
obey  and  honour  Him.  Does  the  parable  fail 
when  we  observe  that  it  is  God  who  will  mar 
the  pride  of  Judah  ?  No  :  because  the  humilia- 
tion is  put  upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem  not  by 
God  but  by  their  own  neglect  of  God.  He 
states  the  issue.  It  was  their  duty  to  seek  the 
cleansing,  not  His  to  purify  them  when  their 
hearts  were  turned  away  from  Him. 

In  a  sense  peculiar  to  the  New  Testament 
and  its  message  of  grace,  God  has  again  caused 
a  people  to  cleave  unto  Him  for  the  purpose 
"  that  they  might  be  for  a  people,  and  for  a  name 
and  for  a  praise  and  for  a  glory  "  because  in 
Jesus  He  has  taken  His  Church  to  be  "  a  chosen 
generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation, 
a  peculiar  people  :  that  ye  should  shew  forth 
the  praises  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of 
darkness  into  his  marvellous  light."  Individual 
members  of  the  Church  can  cleave  unto  God 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  A  Church  which 
neglects  the  call  and  service  of  God,  which 
boasts  in  its  own  strength,  which  compromises 
with  sin  and  which  corrupts  the  faith  once 
delivered  through  the  Lord  is  a  Church  like 
Jeremiah's  waist-cloth.  Amid  the  godless  and 
irreligious  where  it  lies  in  its  corrupt  state,  it 
will  become  completely  unprofitable  to  God  and 
humanity.  The  same  words  apply  to  every 

in 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

professing  believer  in  Jesus  Christ  whose  pro- 
fession means  that  he  is  knit  to  the  Lord  and 
that  God's  Holy  Name  can  be  honoured  and 
glorified  in  and  through  him.  In  modern  times 
we  seldom  hear  the  confesison  that  we  are 
unprofitable  servants.  Among  the  lessons  to  be 
derived  from  this  parable  of  the  Soiled  Waist- 
Cloth  may  well  be  a  new  conception  of  the 
honour  and  majesty  of  God,  a  fresh  sense  of  our 
responsibility  to  maintain  the  glory  of  God's 
name,  and  a  wish,  by  pure  life  and  consecrated 
service,  to  keep  ourselves  closely  bound  to  Him 
in  that  love  which  has  manifested  a  desire  never 
to  let  us  go. 


112 


CHAPTER   XI 
(b)    "THE   POTTER" 

"  THE  word  which  came  unto  Jeremiah  from  the 
Lord,  saying, '  Arise,  and  go  down  to  the  potter's 
house  and  there  shall  I  cause  thee  to  hear  my 
words.' 

"  So  I  went  down  to  the  potter's  house,  and 
behold,  he  was  executing  a  work  upon  the  wheels  ; 
and  the  vessel  which  he  was  making  of  clay  was 
marred  in  the  hand  of  the  potter  :  so  he  (began) 
again  and  he  made  it  another  vessel  as  it  seemed 
good  in  the  eyes  of  the  potter  to  make. 

"  And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me 
saying,  '  Am  I  not  able  to  do  to  you,  0  house  of 
Israel,  even  as  this  potter  ?  '  saith  the  Lord. 
*  Behold,  as  the  clay  in  the  hand  of  the  potter 
so  are  ye  in  my  hand,  0  house  of  Israel.  Immedi- 
ately I  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation  and 
concerning  a  kingdom  either  to  root  up,  or  to 
break  down,  or  to  destroy,  and  that  nation  shall 
return  from  its  evil  concerning  which  I  have 
spoken,  then  shall  I  repent  of  the  evil  which 
I  promised  to  do  to  it.  Again,  immediately, 
I  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation  and  concerning 
a  kingdom  to  build  or  to  plant,  and  it  do  evil 

113  H 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

in  my  sight  so  that  it  do  not  hearken  to  my  voice 
then  shall  I  repent  the  good  with  which  I  have 
said  I  would  do  it  good.'  " — Jer.  xviii.  i-io. 

The  relation  of  the  potter  to  the  clay  with  all 
its  inherent  possibilities  and  suggestiveness,  is 
one  which  has  been  rendered  most  strikingly  in 
such  writings  as  the  Rubaiyat  of  Omar  Khayyam 
and  Browning's  Rabbi  Ben  Ezra.  It  was  very 
commonly  used  by  the  Hebrews,  and  in  the 
Bible  there  are  several  references  to  the  potter 
and  the  clay.  Had  Jeremiah  merely  narrated 
the  potter's  action,  we  should  have  possessed 
another  parable  of  fact,  but  he  states  that  he  was 
directed  by  the  Lord  to  go  down  to  the  potter's 
house  and  that  the  lesson  would  be  borne  in  upon 
his  own  mind  as  he  looked  on  and  meditated. 
It  was  not  necessary  for  him  actually  to  go 
down  since  it  is  almost  certain  that  he  knew 
the  potter's  practice  ;  but  whether  he  went  down 
to  the  potter's  house  in  fact  or  in  fancy,  leaves 
the  story  as  a  parable  of  fancy  given  under 
suggestion  from  the  word  of  the  Lord.  He 
projects  the  thoughts  which  came  to  him  upon 
the  relationship  existing  between  God  and  Israel, 
and  indicates  very  clearly  and  effectively  the 
providence,  patience  and  mercy  of  God  towards 
a  people  who  had  placed  much  strain  upon  His 
love  and  compassion. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  upon  critical 
analysis  of  the  parable,  discussing  whether 

114 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

Jeremiah  was  responsible  only  for  the  first 
four  or  six  verses.  To  exclude  the  remaining 
verses  leaves  the  story  suspended  in  the  air. 
The  whole  narrative  is  part  of  a  complete 
section  embraced  by  chapters  xviii.-xx.  and  in 
chapter  xix.  there  is  presented  a  symbolical  act 
in  which  the  smashing  of  a  potter's  earthen 
bottle  proclaims  emphatically  to  the  priests  and 
ancients  of  the  people  that  when  their  nation's 
heart  is  hardened  and  God's  word  is  not  obeyed, 
destruction  must  inevitably  ensue.  Our  parable 
is  preparatory  to  that  awful  day  and  is  delivered 
in  the  hope  that  the  people  will  repent  and  turn 
to  God  that  His  will  may  be  wrought  through 
them.  To  assign  the  parable  to  any  particular 
period  in  Jeremiah's  life  is  not  easy,  though  it  is 
probably  to  be  associated  with  the  early  years 
of  Jehoiakim.  It  indicates  that  the  nation  was 
passing  through  a  critical  period  when  a  new 
vision,  high  ideal  and  consecration  of  national 
life  might  lead  to  a  glorious  revival  with  recovery 
of  honour  and  prestige. 

The  house  of  the  potter  was  probably  situated 
in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  south  of  Jerusalem. 
There  is  the  traditional  site  of  the  potter's  field 
mentioned  in  Matt,  xxvii.  7,  where  many 
evidences  of  the  existence  of  potteries  have  been 
unearthed,  and  above  them  there  is  what  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  gate  of  the  potsherd. 
The  potter  did  his  work  upon  wheels.  These 

"5 


THE   OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

were  two  discs  of  which  the  larger  and  lower 
was  usually  made  of  stone  (though  later  of  wood). 
With  his  feet  he  turned  this  wheel,  and  as  it  was 
connected  by  a  central  support  to  the  upper  disc 
(which  was  often  made  of  wood)  this  upper  wheel 
was  set  in  motion.  Upon  the  latter  he  shaped, 
moulded  and  dressed  the  clay,  having  both 
hands  free  for  his  work.  In  Thomson's  Land 
and  the  Book,  p.  521,  there  is  a  description  of 
the  potter  as  seen  at  his  task,  and  the  writer 
tells  that  after  waiting  for  a  long  time  the 
incident  described  in  our  parable  happened  at 
last — "  From  some  defect  in  the  clay,  or  because 
he  had  taken  too  little,  the  potter  suddenly 
changed  his  mind,  crushed  his  growing  jar 
instantly  into  a  shapeless  mass  of  mud,  and 
beginning  anew,  fashioned  it  into  a  totally 
different  vessel." 

Jeremiah  had  doubtless  looked  upon  such  a 
scene  before,  but  he  had  not  then  received  from 
it  its  message  as  given  by  God.  On  this  special 
occasion  he  is  caused  to  hear  God's  voice.  The 
potter  proceeds  with  his  labour  altogether 
unconscious  of  its  influence  upon  an  observer's 
mind.  By  simple  everyday  facts  of  common 
experience  we  may  learn  God's  ways.  Michael 
Fairless's  Roadmender  preaches  silently  while 
he  sits  breaking  stones  near  the  white  gate. 
There  are  always  spectators  who,  unknown  to 
the  workman,  are  being  impressed  and  taught. 

116 


If  we  visit  the  potter's  workshop  in  the  company 
of  Jeremiah,  we  see  how  the  artist  uses  and  works 
upon  the  clay  with  deft  hands.  He  has  a  plan 
for  the  clay  in  his  mind,  and  he  seeks  to  reveal 
it  and  give  it  substance  in  an  earthen  vessel. 
Alas,  for  some  reason  not  given  to  us  he  finds 
that  it  is  marred.  There  is  a  flaw  : 

"  What  strain  o'  the  stuff,  what  warpings  past  the  aim  !  " 

No  longer  can  it  fulfil  its  destined  purpose  in 
accordance  with  the  craftsman's  plan ;  but  he 
is  not  finished  with  it.  He  does  not  discard  it. 
On  the  contrary,  he  conceives  for  it  immediately 
another  purpose.  This  may  not  mean  a  vessel 
so  beautiful  in  its  workmanship  or  so  delicate 
in  its  lines  as  would  have  been  the  other,  but 
it  may  be  as  useful  to  men.  The  clay  is  fashioned 
into  another  vessel.  Looking  on  admiring,  we 
hear  suddenly  the  words  which  flash  through 
Jeremiah's  mind  as  he,  too,  beholds — "  Am  I 
not  able  to  do  to  you,  0  house  of  Israel,  even 
as  this  potter  ?  Behold,  as  the  clay  in  the  hand 
of  the  potter  so  are  ye  in  my  hand."  Not 
spoken,  yet  quite  audible,  are  the  words  which 
we  are  constrained  by  God  to  hear.  For  that 
very  purpose  God  has  caused  Jeremiah  to  go 
down  to  the  potter's  house.  He  is  permitted  a 
glimpse  of  God's  way  in  dealing  with  men  and 
nations. 

When  applied  to  the  house  of  Israel  there  is 
117 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

no  difficulty  in  recognising  the  parable's  meaning, 
challenge  and  supplication.  The  nation  was 
chosen  by  God  for  a  very  high  and  important 
function — to  be  a  separate  people  through  whose 
might,  beauty  and  holiness  their  God  would  be 
reverenced  throughout  the  world.  Clay  has 
no  freedom  of  will  whereby  it  can  resist  the 
potter's  efforts.  It  may  be  refractory  and 
difficult  to  work  according  as  it  is  good  or  poor 
clay  for  the  purpose.  If  it  be  the  proper  clay 
for  what  is  planned,  then  it  will  in  all  probability 
be  used  again  for  the  same  purpose,  but  the 
parable  indicates  that  the  potter  has  met  with 
a  disappointment.  He  cannot  make  what  was 
expected  ;  he  will  therefore  form  what  is  within 
the  compass  of  the  class  of  material  in  his  hand. 
This  defect  appears  only  when  the  clay  has 
been  put  to  the  test. 

A  nation's  condition  differs  from  that  of  clay. 
A  nation  has  a  will  and  can  refuse  permission 
to  God  to  mould  it.  It  is  easier  also  for 
God  to  exercise  sovereignty  over  an  individual's 
life  than  over  a  nation's  because  the  latter 
embraces  so  many  complexities  and  vagaries  of 
mind  and  will  that  to  get  a  whole  nation's  will 
harnessed  to  God's  will,  is  very  difficult.  It 
demands  infinite  patience,  and  it  premises  the 
right  of  God  to  claim  that  His  will  be  done. 
The  parable  deals  with  both  of  these  features. 
Over  against  a  national  departure  from  obedience 

118 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

to  God's  law  and  teaching,  we  hear  God  asserting 
His  authority  and  sovereignty.  His  people 
cannot  evade  or  disregard  Him.  What  He  must 
do  will  be  done  immediately.  Should  they 
persist  in  resistance  to  His  purpose,  He  will 
act  speedily.  He  will  repent  of  the  high  ideal 
and  make  of  them  another  vessel.  If,  however, 
an  unsatisfactory  nation,  such  as  the  house  of 
Israel  was,  repents  and  turns  to  God  He  will 
in  this  case  also  immediately  set  to  work  to  bless 
that  people  and  to  annul  whatever  evil  their 
own  wickedness  had  been  bringing  upon  them. 
We  may  so  interpret  verse  10  as  to  read  into 
it  a  meaning  suggesting  destruction,  death  and 
a  closed  door  against  hope  and  restoration ; 
nevertheless  it  must  be  observed  that  the 
parable's  most  powerful  meaning  lies  in  its 
supplication  to  a  nation  to  appreciate  the  mercy 
and  loving-kindness  of  God  as  He  assures  them 
that  though  He  has  been  frustrated  in  His  first 
design  for  their  life,  they  may,  by  His  grace, 
be  re-made  and  restored  as  an  honour  to  Him. 
It  is  the  gospel  of  a  second  chance  proclaiming 
God's  everlasting  mercy,  patience  and  love. 
He  may  be  forced  to  repent  of  His  goodness, 
but  He  prefers  to  relent  from  His  judgments. 
Since  individual  citizens  constitute  a  nation 
the  parable  speaks  also  to  each  man  and  woman. 
We  are  so  unstable  and  refractory  that  we  deny 
to  God  the  best  we  can  give  Him.  Our  lives 

119 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

break  or  are  marred  upon  the  wheels.  By 
adversity,  failure  or  deliberate  evil  we  soil  our 
lives.  We  lose  contact  with  the  great  forces 
which  might  mould  us  aright.  Broken  hearts, 
soiled  souls,  marred  lives,  shattered  visions, 
low  ideals  and  fading  hopes  result  from  flaws 
which  were  unseen  or  unknown.  We  are  subject 
to  many  influences  which  rob  us  of  our  beauty 
and  strength.  Of  ourselves  we  may  be  proud, 
self-centred  and  stubborn,  declining  to  allow 
God's  spirit  free  course  in  our  lives.  We  are 
conscious  of  what  He  wishes  to  make  us,  for  in 
Jesus  Christ  we  possess  the  Divine  Pattern. 
We  lie  in  His  hand — marred,  soiled,  broken. 
Such  is  our  estimate  of  ourselves.  What  is  His  ? 
He,  the  Divine  Potter,  sees  new  possibilities 
even  in  the  broken,  inert  clay.  There  is  no 
waste  in  that  workshop.  The  potter's  house 
is  a  place  of  hope,  revival  and  restoration.  In 
His  loving  and  tender  hand  the  blemishes  are 
used  to  remake  us.  Out  of  ruin,  despair,  wreck 
and  calamity  of  soul  and  out  of  maimed  lives 
He  can  produce  new  souls  and  strong  lives. 
We  cannot  define  or  limit  the  bounds  of  His 
judgment  if  we  refuse  Him  the  opportunity  to 
recreate  us.  This  is  a  truth  revealed  in  several 
of  the  parables  of  Jesus.  To  those  who  repent 
of  sin  and  disobedience,  yielding  their  lives  to 
God  in  Jesus,  who  is  the  revelation  of  His  love 
and  patience,  there  is  the  assured  promise  of  a 

120 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

new  life  and  fresh  discovery  of  the  value  of  one's 
own  soul.  Readers  of  modern  writings  such 
as  Broken  Earthenware  (H.  Begbie),  The  Ever- 
lasting Mercy  (J.  Masefield),  God  in  the  Slums 
(H.  Redwood)  and  One  Thing  I  Know  (A.  J. 
Russell)  cannot  fail  to  appreciate  the  moral  and 
influence  of  this  Old  Testament  Parable  which 
is  perennially  fresh  and  ever  new.  It  throbs 
with  the  optimism  of  Browning's  Rabbi  Ben 
Ezra  and  the  radiant  hope  of  Jesus  Christ 
rather  than  with  the  gloom  and  pessimism  of 
Omar  Khayyam 

"  So  take  and  use  Thy  work  : 
Amend  what  flaws  may  lurk, 

What  strain  o'  the  stuff,  what  warpings  past  the  aim  ! 
My  times  be  in  Thy  hand  ! 
Perfect  the  cup  as  planned." 

— Ben  Ezra. 

'  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creation.' 
2  Cor.  v.  17. 


121 


CHAPTER  XII 

(c)  "  MICAIAH— A  FAITHFUL  MINISTER 
OF  GOD 

"  I  SAW  all  Israel  scattered  upon  the  mountains 
as  a  flock  which  had  no  shepherd  ;  and  the 
Lord  said  : — "  These  have  no  master  ;  let  them 
return  each  to  his  house  in  peace." — I  Kings 
xxii.  17. 

"  I  saw  the  Lord  seated  upon  His  throne 
and  all  the  heavenly  host  stood  by  Him  on  the 
right  hand  and  on  the  left.  And  the  Lord 
said  : — "  Who  will  entice  Ahab  that  he  will 
go  up  and  fall  in  Ramoth-gilead  ?  "  And  one 
spoke  in  this  manner  and  another  in  that  man- 
ner ;  then  the  spirit  came  forth  and  stood 
before  the  Lord  and  said  : — "  I  shall  entice 
him."  But  the  Lord  said  unto  him  : — "  In 
what  way  ?  "  And  he  said  :  "I  shall  go  out 
and  become  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all 
his  prophets."  And  He  said :  "  Thou  shalt 
entice  and  also  prevail.  Go  forth  and  do 
accordingly." — i  Kings,  xxii.  19-22. 

Divided  as  it  is  into  two  sections,  this  narrative 
is  one  of  the  most  alluring  and  illuminating  of 
all  the  stories  regarding  God's  messengers.  The 

122 


PARABLES   OF   FANCY 

first  part  is  the  real  parable  and  the  second  part, 
which  is  also  parabolic,  explains  the  first  by 
shewing  under  what  misleading  and  dangerous 
counsel  the  conditions  described  in  the  first 
part  were  set  up.  The  charm  of  the  narrative 
so  holds  readers  that  the  prophetic  and  visionary 
elements  sink  into  obscurity.  A  few  explana- 
tory words  about  the  history  of  the  period 
enable  us  to  follow  the  stories  with  under- 
standing and  appreciation.  When  first  spoken 
they  would  require  no  specific  reference  to 
contemporary  events  because  they  would  be 
self-revealing  and  explanatory.  When  originally 
narrated  their  appeal  to  men's  minds  would  be 
much  richer  than  it  can  possibly  be  at  this 
distance  from  the  events  referred  to. 

THE  BACKGROUND. 

The  background  of  the  canvas  is  easily 
portrayed.  It  reveals  more  clearly  all  that 
occurred  at  the  momentous  meeting  of 
Jehoshaphat  of  Judah  with  Ahab  of  Israel, 
which  forms  the  foreground.  Jehoshaphat  had 
prospered  and  established  his  kingdom.  He 
was  a  pious  king  and  he  consolidated  the  strength 
of  Judah  alike  in  defence,  in  war,  in  religion, 
in  law  and  in  wealth.  Though  Judah  and 
Israel  had  been  previously  hostile,  they  were 
now  friendly  and  at  peace.  Indeed,  the  royal 
houses  were  united  by  a  marriage  alliance  be- 

123 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

tween  children  of  the  kings.  Ahab,  King  of 
Israel,  had  treated  his  conquered  enemy, 
Benhadad  of  Syria,  too  leniently,  and  allowed 
the  Syrians  to  continue  comfortably  in  Ramoth- 
gilead  upon  a  promise  that  they  would  restore 
the  city.  Now  he  sought  to  reclaim  the  city 
and  desired  the  aid  of  Jehoshaphat  in  his  cam- 
paign. Ignorant  of  his  ally's  fears  and  sus- 
picions, Ahab  was  not  fully  prepared  for  the 
question  of  Jehoshaphat  which  asked  whether 
the  venture  was  acceptable  to  God. 

THE  FOREGROUND. 

We  regard  now  the  scene  in  the  foreground 
— the  meeting  of  the  kings.  Ahab  knows 
that  he  cannot  anticipate  God's  blessing 
upon  his  latest  adventure,  and  he  resorts 
to  the  device  of  summoning  400  mercenary 
prophets  whose  views  will  coincide  with  his 
own.  They  tell  him  to  go  up  and  conquer, 
but  their  plausibility  and  servility  are  all  too 
apparent  to  Jehoshaphat,  who  suspects  mischief 
and  asks  most  slightingly  if  there  is  not  besides 
a  "  prophet  of  the  Lord."  The  400  were 
doubtless  prophets  of  the  Lord,  but  with  their 
first  loyalty  to  the  King.  Is  there  not  an 
approved  prophet  of  the  Lord  known  for  his 
devotion  to  God  ?  One  can  visualise  that  scene 
where  the  strong,  religious  king  asks  the  arro- 
gant, idol-worshipping  king  for  a  true  messenger 

124 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

from  the  Lord.  The  question  gets  under 
Ahab's  armour  and  guise,  unveiling  a  fear  in  his 
heart.  He  admits  that  he  has  not  summoned 
one  man  whom  he  knows  to  be  true  to  God  and 
whom  he  hates  just  because  of  his  courageous 
stand  for  God  and  righteousness.  His  words 
are  an  admission  of  previous  wrong-doing  when 
conviction  came  home  to  him  through  that 
man  of  God — Micaiah,  who  was  possibly  the 
unknown  prophet  who  narrated  to  Ahab  the 
parable  of  the  escaped  prisoner.  Secretly  urged 
to  side  with  the  400  prophets,  Micaiah  proves 
himself  a  valiant  hero  for  his  Lord  ;  one  of  that 
noble  line  of  courageous  servants  who,  like 
Elijah  at  Carmel,  Stephen  at  Jerusalem,  Luther 
at  Worms  and  Knox  at  Edinburgh,  fear  not 
majorities  or  rulers  so  long  as  they  are  them- 
selves true  to  God — he  proclaims  in  parable  the 
fatal  issue  to  Ahab's  adventure,  and  Ahab 
recognises  instinctively  what  the  parable  means 
for  himself.  That  Ahab  sensed  the  danger  is 
proved  by  his  disguise  for  the  battle  and  his 
attempt  to  contrive  Jehoshaphat's  death  in 
place  of  his  own. 

The  short  parable  has  its  paradoxical  diffi- 
culties. Sheep  are  not  expected  to  come  into 
the  pens  of  their  own  accord  from  the  outlying 
grazings  far  scattered  upon  the  hillsides.  Again, 
there  is  small  comfort  in  appending  the  words 
"^in  peace  "  to  a  return  home  from  destruction. 

125 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

As  a  probable  interpretation,  the  parable  should 
be  regarded  more  as  a  warning  than  as  a  sequel 
to  the  king's  folly.  It  is  symbolical  of  the 
condition  of  God's  people  when  they  are  under 
the  leadership  of  a  king  who  has  already  ceased 
to  perform  the  duties  of  God's  anointed  to  his 
nation.  Ere  it  is  too  late,  the  army  should  be 
disbanded  and  each  man  go  home  in  peace. 
Opposed  to  the  king's  policy,  which  means  the 
complete  dismemberment  of  the  nation,  Micaiah 
advises  peace  and  preservation. 

In  view  of  the  warning  thus  given,  it  is  truly 
astonishing  that  Jehoshaphat  united  with  Ahab 
to  attack  Ramoth-gilead.  Much  more  astound- 
ing is  that  action  when  the  prophet's  words 
are  considered.  They  confirm  the  suspicions 
of  Jehoshaphat  regarding  the  400  prophets  into 
whom  the  lying  spirit  had  entered.  This  idea 
of  a  lying  spirit  is  most  repugnant  to  us,  but 
it  was  common,  acceptable  and  even  agreeable 
to  the  Hebrew  mind.  To  understand  this  as  the 
work  of  the  Lord  whereby  He  allows  prophets 
to  be  deceived  in  order  that  His  purpose  may 
ultimately  be  achieved  does  not  deprive  the 
text  of  its  meaning.  But  this  interpreta- 
tion would  react  very  harshly  upon  the  true 
prophet's  declarations  and  would  condemn  rather 
than  justify  his  allegiance  to  God.  Apart  from 
textual  uncertainties,  it  may  be  concluded 
that  behind  the  parable  "  lies  a  great  truth 

126 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

to  which  religious  experience  of  all  ages  bears 
witness.  The  man  who  sells  himself  to  work 
evil,  loses  his  power  of  discerning  between 
good  and  evil ;  the  flattering  tongue  of  a  number 
of  worldly  prophets  prevails  with  such  a  man 
over  the  utterance  of  the  one  spiritually  minded 
seer  "  (Barnes).  New  Testament  writers  made 
use  of  the  doctrine  of  a  false  spirit  entering 
into  the  Church  and  into  the  hearts  of  Church 
leaders  to  deceive  them  and  to  seek  to  bring 
about  the  overthrow  of  God's  citadel  upon 
earth  by  giving  a  wrong  conception  of  God's 
purpose. 

GOD'S  FAITHFUL  SERVANT. 

Micaiah  can  be  dissociated  from  his  parable 
only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  His  life  and 
power  are  closely  linked  to  the  incidents  to 
which  his  words  are  related ;  and  he  impresses 
us  by  reason  of  his  courage,  steadfastness  to 
God's  cause,  indomitable  perseverance  in  face 
of  overwhelming  odds  and  cheerful  submission 
to  affliction.  In  him  we  possess  a  noble  type 
of  servant  in  God's  Kingdom.  He  will  not  pander 
to  any  class  or  section.  Gold  cannot  buy  his 
loyalty,  nor  can  flattery  divert  him  from  his 
duty.  Unafraid  of  the  foe's  big  battalions  and 
their  treachery  and  wiles,  he  fears  only  God. 
Invited  to  side  with  the  majority,  he  prefers 
to  be  on  God's  side.  He  fears  neither  king 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

nor  prophets  because  it  is  his  joy  to  serve  God 
whom  he  beheld  in  vision  and  whose  voice  he 
obeyed.  His  defence  lies  in  the  words — "  I 
saw  the  Lord."  Such  visions  have  been  the 
inspiration  and  security  of  all  faithful  servants 
of  God.  Though  alone  in  witnessing  for  God, 
they  have  the  vision  of  the  Lord  beside  them, 
and  this  makes  all  the  difference.  Seeing  the 
Lord  did  more  for  Moses  and  Paul  in  a  few 
minutes  than  did  years  of  religious  education 
and  care. 

To  the  Christian  Church  of  modern  times  the 
parable  bears  its  precious  moral.  Material  and 
worldly  forces  have  become  so  established 
within  the  citadel  that  there  are  many  and 
serious  temptations  to  God's  messengers  to 
compromise.  In  the  guise  of  true  servants 
there  are  treacherous  deceivers  who  urge  the 
faithful  servant  to  bow  to  their  opinion  by 
denying  obedience  to  God's  voice.  We  recall 
that  the  essence  of  all  the  temptations  of  Jesus 
Christ  lay  in  the  offers  to  Him  of  power  and 
worship  if  He  would  but  surrender.  He  warned 
His  disciples  against  the  leaven  (the  spirit  of 
false  teaching)  of  the  Pharisees.  He  told  them 
not  to  fear  those  who  would  cast  them  into 
prison  or  lay  hands  upon  them,  but  to  fear  Him 
who  had  power  over  their  souls.  No  wrong 
merits  so  great  condemnation  as  an  evil  sugges- 
tion which  is  sugar-coated  with  a  religious 

128 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

profession.  Such  a  deceiving  spirit  passed 
through  a  crowd  one  day  in  Jerusalem,  and 
the  crowd  were  enticed  and  tricked  into  ex- 
claiming— "  Crucify  him  !  "  and  "  We  have  no 
king  but  Caesar  !  " 

If  ever  in  history  God's  people  needed  careful 
shepherding,  now  is  the  time.  We  read  that 
"  when  He  saw  the  multitudes,  He  was  moved 
with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted 
and  were  scattered  abroad,  as  sheep  having  no 
shepherd."  Matt.  ix.  36.  As  truly  as  there 
was  need  for  fidelity  and  enthusiasm  in  Christ's 
time,  so  also  to-day  the  compassion  and  love 
of  Christ's  ambassadors  are  needed  in  the 
world. 


129 


CHAPTER   XIII 
(d)   "THE   PLOUGHMAN" 

"  GIVE  ear  and  hear  my  voice  ;  hearken  and 
hear  my  word. 

"  Does  the  ploughman  plough  all  the  day  to 
sow  ?  Does  he  lay  open  and  break  up  his  soil  ? 
When  he  has  levelled  its  surface  does  he  not 
scatter  black  cummin  and  sprinkle  cummin, 
set  the  wheat  in  rows,  the  barley  in  marked-out 
order  and  rye  in  its  borders  ?  And  his  God 
trains  him  aright ;  He  teaches  him  ;  for  black 
cummin  is  not  threshed  with  a  sharp  stone 
nor  is  a  wagon-wheel  turned  about  upon  cummin. 
But  black  cummin  is  beaten  out  with  a  staff 
and  cummin  with  a  rod.  Bread  corn  is  beaten 
out  because  he  will  not  ever  be  treading  it  out, 
and  though  he  urge  forward  the  wheel  of  his 
wagon  and  his  horses,  he  does  not  crush  it. 

"  This  also  came  forth  from  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 
He  makes  wisdom  distinguished ;  He  exalts 
understanding." — Isaiah  xxviii.  23-29. 

In  justification  of  the  inclusion  of  this  homely 
agricultural  song  among  the  Parables  of  the 
Old  Testament,  reference  need  only  be  made 
to  the  Gospel  of  Mark,  iv.  26-33,  where  Jesus 

130 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

is  reported  to  have  spoken  in  parables  when  He 
used  forms  of  speech  not  dissimilar  to  that 
form  which  appears  in  the  closing  verses  of 
Isaiah  xxviii.  Mark  does  not  describe  the 
parables  as  having  been  delivered  in  the  form  of 
narratives  of  fact,  but  rather  as  an  appeal  to  the 
minds  of  Christ's  listeners.  '  So  is  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  as  if  a  man  should  cast  seed  into  the 
ground  .  .  .'  As  Jesus  applied  the  routine 
of  agricultural  labour  to  express  a  truth,  even 
so  in  our  parable  did  Isaiah  also  utilise  it  to 
show  that  each  class  of  seed  requires  its  own 
soil,  treatment,  harvest  and  threshing,  and  to 
direct  the  thought  of  his  audience  to  God,  whose 
wisdom  is  manifested  in  all  the  care  and  pre- 
vision which  inspire  the  ploughman  in  his  tasks. 
With  a  thrust  which  is  straight  and  unerring 
he  points  the  nation  to  God's  unfailing  mercy 
and  protection  of  those  who  trust  in  Him. 

Commentators  are  almost  unanimous  in  their 
appreciation  of  this  parable  alike  for  its  song, 
its  comfort  and  its  lesson.  There  are  divers 
opinions  regarding  its  historical  setting  and 
textual  associations,  but  in  respect  of  its  spiritual 
value  and  message  there  is  agreement.  Orelli 
regards  the  chapter  as  a  gloomy  discourse  which 
closes  with  a  sunbeam  in  the  form  of  "  a  calmly- 
conceived  and  instructive  parable,"  while 
Delitzsch  says  that  Isaiah  here  proves  himself 
a  master  of  the  mashal  by  giving  a  mashal-song, 

131 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

which  is  left  for  interpretation  by  his  hearers. 
God  in  its  heart  is  the  inspiration,  key  and 
director  of  all.  The  song's  theme  revolves 
around  revelations  of  God  and  of  His  wonderful 
goodness.  The  ploughman's  art  is  shown  to  be 
God-inspired,  not  self-created  or  self-suggested. 
"  His  God  trains  him  aright."  God's  purposes 
are  declared  to  be  consistent  with  rational  laws, 
and  what  is  regarded  as  thus  divinely  provided 
in  the  simple  functions  of  husbandry,  is  set 
forth  as  applicable  in  the  life  of  nations  and  of 
individuals.  Where  men  see  chaos,  upheaval, 
disaster,  disappointment  and  decay,  God  works 
consistently  towards  a  definite  achievement. 
His  methods  are  not  stereotyped  but  varied,  just 
as  the  agriculturist  must  study  seasons,  seeds 
and  soils  as  well  as  the  different  modes  of  treat- 
ment and  development  to  get  the  best  results. 
Harvesting  and  threshing  processes  are  also 
varied — delicate  grains  will  not  be  threshed  with 
a  sharp  stone  and  the  wagon-wheel  will  not  be 
turned  about  upon  them.  In  like  manner  God's 
dealings  with  the  many  types  of  men  are  shown 
to  be  exercised  in  accordance  with  human 
capacity  and  divine  requirement.  In  order  to 
receive  from  a  nation  or  an  individual  that 
response  to  His  love  and  care  which  God  antici- 
pates He  deals  with  His  people  in  accordance 
with  natural  and  acquired  endowments,  oppor- 
tunities and  character. 

132 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

Whatever  may  have  been  its  historical  back- 
ground, the  parable  appears  to  have  been  written 
in  defence  of  God's  control  and  direction  of 
national  affairs.  It  is  no  merely  modern  com- 
plaint against  God  that  He  measures  out  His 
mercies  unequally  and  unjustly.  Some  people 
are  called  upon  to  endure  more  suffering  and 
loss  than  others,  and  there  are  many  seemingly 
inconsistent  circumstances.  By  means  of  the 
parable  Isaiah  indicates  that  in  all  God's  dealings 
there  is  consistency  of  aim  if  not  of  method, 
and  that  God's  works  must  be  contemplated 
not  by  their  divergent  operations  but  by  their 
ultimate  purpose.  Thus  might  men  be  encour- 
aged to  put  their  trust  in  God. 

For  its  practical  information  upon  agricultural 
work,  the  parable  has  a  special  value  quite 
apart  from  its  parabolical  meaning.  It  sheds 
light  upon  a  domestic  and  social  aspect  of 
Hebrew  life,  which  is  nowhere  else  in  the  Bible 
so  well  portrayed.  The  opening  clause  arrests  a 
modern  reader  by  its  question,  "  Does  the 
ploughman  plough  all  the  day  to  sow  ?  "  This 
is  doubtless  a  reference  to  the  practice  of  sowing 
the  seeds  first  and  thereafter  ploughing  so  as  to 
cover  the  seeds  as  a  protection  against  the 
ravages  of  insects  and  birds  and  as  a  means  of 
conserving  moisture  for  the  seeds.  The  plough- 
share did  not  go  deep,  and  sometimes  it  became 
necessary  to  have  more  than  one  ploughing  to 

133 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

secure  a  safe  sowing.  It  is  very  doubtful  if 
there  was  any  harrowing  in  the  modern  sense  of 
that  word.  The  soil  having  been  levelled  in  a 
simple  and  rather  rough  manner,  the  seed  was 
sown  according  to  its  kind  and  covered  in  the 
process  of  subsequent  ploughing.  To  conclude 
the  first  clause  with  the  word  '  day '  and  carry 
forward  the  words  *  to  sow '  into  the  next  clause 
renders  a  more  intelligible  meaning  which 
coincides  with  the  Septuagint  translation,  "  Does 
the  ploughman  plough  all  the  day  (i.e.  continu- 
ously) ?  Does  he  make  ready  the  sowing  before 
the  working  of  the  soil  ?  "  Here  we  learn  that 
God's  plough  must  follow  the  sowing  of  the 
seeds  in  human  hearts,  and  that  what  men  may 
think  will  destroy  will  be  for  their  protection 
and  prosperity. 

Each  class  of  seed  requires  its  own  particular 
form  of  sowing  in  order  that  it  may  bear  fruit. 
Some  seeds  must  be  broadly  scattered  whereas 
others  need  only  be  slightly  sprinkled — black 
cummin  is  scattered  and  cummin  is  sprinkled. 
The  former  seed  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  type 
of  fennel-flower  which  was  used  for  seasoning 
purposes  by  bakers,  although  some  commen- 
tators have  regarded  it  as  black  poppy  seed. 
Cummin  is  grown  for  use  as  a  condiment.  Other 
seeds  such  as  barley,  wheat  and  rye,  which  were 
more  valuable  and  were  sown  in  the  winter,  had 
to  be  laid  in  furrows  by  hand.  This  explains 

'34 


PARABLES    OF    FANCY 

the  term  '  marked  out '  because  each  seed  had 
its  own  place  in  the  row.  Just  as  a  heavier 
and  rougher  type  of  oats  is  frequently  sown 
around  fields  of  good  grain  in  this  country,  so 
rye  was  set  in  the  borders  as  a  protection  from 
birds,  rodents  and  wild  animals.  The  plough- 
man followed  the  sower  and  his  plough  turned 
over  the  soil  upon  the  seeds.  Unless  given 
their  particular  forms  of  treatment  the  seeds 
would  not  germinate  properly,  and  from  this  fact 
the  parable  goes  on  to  answer  the  natural 
questions,  "  How  does  the  agriculturist  know 
all  this  ?  Who  has  taught  him  ?  "  The  answer 
is  that  God  has  trained  him,  that  the  farmer 
depends  upon  God,  and  that  his  faith  in  God 
encourages  him  to  sow  the  seeds. 

As  with  the  sowing  so  it  was  with  the  harvest- 
ing and  threshing.  There  cannot  be  similarity 
and  identity  of  harvest  processes,  since  what 
might  suffice  for  one  crop  may  be  injurious  to 
another.  The  harvest-period  was  usually  free 
from  rain,  and  threshing  took  place  in  the  open 
air.  Spread  out  upon  the  threshing-floor  the 
finer  crops  were  threshed  by  means  of  a  flail  or 
rod  or  by  treading  under  foot ;  the  coarser  and 
heavier  crops  required  either  the  threshing- 
sledge  or  the  threshing- wagon.  The  former 
consisted  of  wooden  planks  joined  together, 
which  had  stones  or  knives  set  in  the  under-side, 
and  it  could  be  drawn  by  man  or  beast,  usually 

135 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

beast.    The  latter  was  the  '  wagon-wheel,'  and 
to-day    it    consists    of    several    parallel    rollers 
each  of  which  has  three  or  four  iron  discs  so 
arranged  that  the  discs  of  one  roller  extend  into 
the  spaces  left  by  the  others.    This  explains 
the   introduction  of  the  words   '  wheel  of  the 
wagon  '  and  '  his  horses,'  although  some  authori- 
ties omit  reference  to  the  horses  and  suggest  a 
change  of  text.     But  the  point  of  this  threshing 
reference  is  quite  clear.     Under  a  process  which 
might  be  expected  to  destroy  it,  the  bread-corn 
(as  distinguished   from  the  spice-corn)   is  safe 
from   injury.     From   an   experience    so   simple 
and  so  common  in  a  land  of  husbandry,  there  is 
no    difficulty   in    deducing   a    spiritual    lesson. 
Since   the   husbandman   knows   this   to   be   an 
instinct-experience   given  him   by  God,   surely 
the  God  who  has  taught  him  and  so  planned  to 
provide  harvest  fruits  by  means  which  would 
threaten  to  destroy  them,   is   a   God   of  such 
wisdom  and  understanding  that  man  may  say, 
"  Though  He  slay  me  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him." 
Not  only  is  God's  wisdom  unsearchable  but  His 
counsel  to  men  is  most  wonderful  and  through 
them  He  exalts  understanding. 

In  his  poem  "  The  Everlasting  Mercy  "  our 
Poet  Laureate,  Mr.  John  Masefield,  describes  a 
lesson  derived  from  the  ploughman's  task.  He 
refers  to  Jesus  as  the  "  ploughman  of  the 
sinner's  soul  "  and  indicates  how  necessary  it 

136 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

becomes  that  the  plough's  colter  should  be 
driven  deep  in  certain  lives  before  they  can 
provide  satisfactory  fruit.  When  Saul  Kane 
beheld  an  old  ploughman  at  his  task  he 
meditated  upon  the  parable  of  that  task  to  his 
own  soul.  If  our  study  of  Isaiah's  parable 
has  spoken  a  message  to  our  souls  regarding 
God's  wonderful  and  merciful  works  in  our 
lives  we  shall  henceforth  "  welcome  each  rebuff  " 
believing  that  "  all  things  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  God." 


137 


CHAPTER  XIV 
(e)  "  THE  GREAT  EAGLES  " 

"  THE  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me  saying — 
'  Son  of  man,  put  forth  a  riddle  and  speak  a 
parable  unto  the  house  of  Israel ;  and  thus 
shalt  thou  say — Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah. — 

1  The  great  eagle  of  the  great  wings  and  long 
pinion  full  of  plumage  of  variegated  hues  came 
unto  Lebanon  and  took  the  boughs  of  the 
cedar.  He  plucked  off  the  head  of  its  young 
shoots  and  carried  it  unto  a  land  of  merchandise. 
He  set  it  in  a  city  of  merchants  and  he  took 
from  the  seed  of  the  land  and  planted  it  in  a 
field  of  seed.  It  took  hold  by  many  waters. 
He  set  it  a  water-side  plant  and  it  sprouted 
and  became  a  creeping  vine  of  low  stature, 
its  branches  turning  towards  him  and  its  roots 
were  under  him.  And  it  became  a  vine  and 
brought  forth  branches  and  shot  forth  green 
boughs. 

"  *  There  was  also  another  great  eagle  of  great 
wings  and  much  plumage,  and  lo,  this  vine 
bent  its  roots  towards  him  and  set  forth  its 
branches  to  him  that  he  might  water  it  (from 
the  bed  of  its  planting).  This  was  planted 

138 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

in  a  good  field  beside  many  waters  in  order 
that  it  should  bear  shoots  and  produce  fruit 
and  become  an  honourable  vine.  Say  thou, — 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah  ;  Shall  it  thrive  ? 
Shall  he  not  dig  up  its  roots  and  cut  off  its 
fruit  so  that  it  shall  wither  ?  All  its  fresh- 
springing  leaves  shall  wither  and  that  without 
great  force  or  many  people  to  pluck  it  up  from 
its  roots.  Yea,  behold,  planted,  shall  it  prosper  ? 
Shall  it  not  utterly  wither  as  the  east  wind 
touches  it  ?  It  shall  wither  upon  the  bed  of 
its  sprouting'." — Ezekiel  xvii.  i-io. 

This  story  appears  in  one  of  the  most  arresting 
chapters  of  the  book  of  Ezekiel,  containing  as 
it  does  many  unique  Hebrew  words  which  are 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  Old  Testament  and 
some  words  which  are  peculiar  to  Ezekiel. 
There  is  also  in  the  story's  sequel  a  striking 
resemblance  to  the  conclusion  of  Christ's 
parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed  wherein  He  speaks 
of  the  fowls  of  the  air  finding  shelter  in  the 
shadow  of  the  tree's  branches.  Again,  the 
true  prophetic  note  rings  throughout  the  story 
while  we  are  provided  with  a  vividly  historical 
parabolical  narrative  which  the  prophet's 
simple  interpretation  elucidates.  There  are  tex- 
tual and  metaphorical  difficulties,  but  the 
message  is  not  obscured  by  them  and  we  are 
left  with  a  parable  which  was  spoken  for  a 
momentous  occasion  of  national  responsibility 

139 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

and  national  decision.  It  indicates  an  attempt 
on  the  part  of  Ezekiel  to  save  Jerusalem  from 
destruction  and  to  preserve  the  glory  of  Israel 
as  the  people  of  God.  It  affords  a  valuable 
glimpse  of  the  true  prophet  of  God  as  a  man 
who  is  so  concerned  about  the  honour  of  his 
God  that  he  comes  as  a  fearless  messenger 
to  exhort,  rebuke,  warn  and  appeal.  Another 
unusual  feature  of  this  chapter  is  its  parabolical 
appendix  (vs.  22-24)  in  which  God  announces 
what  will  be  the  ultimate  conclusion  to  the 
story,  a  conclusion  which  finds  its  fullest  con- 
summation only  in  and  through  the  gift  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  in  the  extension  of  His  King- 
dom throughout  the  world.  We  cannot  trace 
any  other  historical  application  for  the  closing 
sentences  of  the  chapter  than  that  which  is 
found  in  Him  who  is  the  Hope  of  the  Ages. 

THE  DATE 

Most  scholars  suggest  as  the  probable  date 
of  the  parable  a  time  within  a  few  years  before 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar in  the  year  587  B.C.  Whether  Ezekiel 
narrated  his  story  in  Babylon,  where  he  shared 
captivity  with  some  of  his  people,  or  spoke 
it  in  Jerusalem  and  Judah  is  a  point  which 
must  be  left  undecided.  In  the  former  case 
he  may  have  heard  of  the  perfidy  and  disloyalty 
of  King  Zedekiah,  and  he  may  have  had  inner 

140 


PARABLES   OF   FANCY 

knowledge  of  the  intentions  of  Nebuchadnezzar  ; 
in  the  latter  he  would  speak  with  more  immediate 
realisation  of  the  impending  doom  ;  but  the 
question  of  the  prophet's  domicile  does  not 
affect  the  value  of  the  narrative  because  the 
interpretation  of  the  parable  leaves  no  doubt 
regarding  the  historical  reference,  and  we  are 
not  justified  in  asserting  that  the  parable  was 
spoken  after  the  destruction  of  the  Holy  City. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  give  a  later  date 
to  the  whole  chapter  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
not  a  homogeneous  work  and  that  the  closing 
verses,  22-24,  must  have  been  a  later  addition. 
There  appears  to  be  no  valid  reason  for  thinking - 
that  the  chapter  was  the  work  of  more  than 
one  writer.  It  is  definite  that  the  thoughts 
if  not  the  actual  words  of  the  closing  verses 
were  familiar  in  the  time  of  Jesus  and  as  words  of 
prophecy  they  could  be  recorded  five  centuries, 
as  easily  as  one  century,  before  Christ. 

THE  OCCASION 

When  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon, 
overran  Judah,  he  removed  into  captivity  in 
Babylon  the  king,  Jehoiachin,  and  all  the  chief 
men  of  Judah  including  the  expert  artisans 
and  technicians.  He  set  the  king's  uncle  over 
Judah  and  gave  him  a  new  name,  Zedekiah 
for  Mattaniah.  But  he  was  to  rule  as  a  vassal 
under  covenant  to  serve  the  king  of  Babylon 

141 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

faithfully  so  long  as  he  was  in  possession  of 
that  territory.  The  country  was  sorely  stricken, 
yet  there  were  great  hopes  for  the  future, 
dependent  upon  diligence  and  fidelity.  Indica- 
tions given  in  the  parable  are  to  the  effect  that 
Zedekiah  could  and  did  prosper  through  his 
attachment  to  Babylon,  although  he  was  re- 
stricted in  suzerainty  and  in  scope  for 
development. 

Instead  of  being  true  to  the  covenant,  he 
schemed  an  alliance  with  Hophra,  the  Pharaoh 
of  Egypt,  who  failed  in  the  end  to  render  that 
aid  which  Zedekiah  anticipated,  and  so  the 
latter  was  left  to  incur  punishment  for  his 
treachery  and  brought  upon  Jerusalem  its 
destruction.  Ezekiel  is  constrained  to  shew 
that  this  breach  of  covenant  with  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  also  a  sin  against  God  in  whose 
name  the  covenant  was  drawn  up  and  accepted. 
God  is  revealed  as  the  guiding  power  behind 
the  national  experience.  Thus  infidelity  to 
Babylon's  king  is  faithlessness  towards  God 
for  which  Judah  must  suffer.  Breach  of  a 
covenant's  sanctity  merits  judgment  because 
a  covenant  is  sacred  not  only  before  men  but 
also  before  God.  Had  Zedekiah  given  heed 
to  this  parable,  Jerusalem  would  probably 
have  been  saved,  although  it  is  obvious  that 
the  king  had  already  turned  his  heart  towards 
Egypt  and  begun  his  insurrection  against 

142 


PARABLES   OF   FANCY 

Nebuchadnezzar.  The  parable  assumes  the 
natural  consequences  to  such  mistrust  and 
perfidy,  and  it  proclaims  the  doom  of  the  city 
whilst  it  also  promises  a  redemptive  work  of 
restoration  and  healing  through  which  God's 
people  will  become  a  blessing  to  all  nations. 

THE  EAGLE 

The  symbolism  of  the  eagle  need  not  be 
regarded  either  as  an  influence  of  Babylonish 
thought  upon  the  prophet  or  as  definitely 
Babylonish  in  its  conception,  because  Assyria 
had  its  eagle-headed  god,  Nisroch,  and  in  the 
Old  Testament  the  eagle  was  a  symbol  of  God's 
power  and  watchfulness.  He  bears  His  people 
on  eagle's  wings  (Exodus  xix.  4).  He  watcheth 
over  His  people  even  as  an  eagle  stirreth  up  her 
nest,  fluttereth  over  her  young,  spreadeth 
abroad  her  wings,  taketh  them,  beareth  them 
on  her  wings  (Deut.  xxxii.  n,  12).  As  a 
royal  bird  the  eagle  was  a  suitable  symbol 
for  the  King  of  Kings  and  for  the  rulers  of  great 
dominions.  In  such  a  sense  the  two  eagles 
are  introduced  in  the  parable.  One  is  great, 
long-winged,  rich  in  plumage  and  handsomely 
coloured,  whereas  the  other  is  also  great,  long- 
winged  and  rich  in  plumage,  but  lacks  the 
many  colours  of  the  former.  One  is  *  the  great 
eagle '  and  the  other  is  simply  '  a  great  eagle/ 
The  great  eagle  symbolises  Nebuchadnezzar 

H3 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

and  the  might  of  Babylon  whose  dominion  held 
sway  over  many  nations  with  their  varied 
languages  and  customs.  Egypt  is  the  second 
eagle.  Its  power  had  been  reduced  and  its 
territory  seriously  diminished  after  the 
battle  of  Charchemish  in  605  B.C.  when 
Nebuchadnezzar  inflicted  upon  Egypt  a  great 
defeat  and  extended  his  own  rule  through 
Assyria  right  to  the  Egyptian  boundary  at  the 
Wady  of  Arish.  In  the  year  597  B.C., 
Nebuchadnezzar,  the  great  eagle,  carried  into 
captivity  King  Jehoiachin  of  Judah  with  all 
his  best  men  and  the  leaders  in  various  spheres 
of  life,  leaving  "  the  poorest  sort  of  the  people 
of  the  land."  The  captives  are  the  boughs  or 
"  the  picked  parts  "  of  the  cedar  of  Lebanon 
and  the  King  is  "  the  head  of  its  young  shoots  " 
as  described  in  the  parable.  Jehoiachin  had 
reigned  only  three  months  and  he  was  eighteen 
years  old,  truly  the  head  of  Judah's  young 
shoots. 

LEBANON  AND  ITS  CEDARS 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  Cedars  of 
Lebanon  in  the  story  of  the  Thistle  and  Cedar. 
Here  it  need  merely  be  stated  that  the  wood- 
work of  the  royal  palace  at  Jerusalem  was  of 
cedarwood,  and  that  *  Lebanon '  was  a  term 
used  to  denote  Jerusalem  by  reason  of  the 
presence  in  that  city  of  so  much  work  in  cedar- 

144 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

wood.  One  of  the  greatest  of  Solomon's  palaces 
was  known  as  '  the  house  of  the  forest  of 
Lebanon.'  Because  of  its  height  and  stately 
appearance  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  symbolised 
the  royal  house  and  supplied  the  metaphor 
which  identified  it  with  the  king  as  the  highest 
in  social  rank.  A  special  feature  of  its  life  and 
growth  is  that  it  must  have  dry  soil,  and  will 
not  thrive  beside  water.  There  was,  therefore, 
very  sound  reason  in  the  action  of  the  great 
eagle  who  took  of  the  seed  of  the  land  and  planted 
it  as  a  '  water-side  plant,'  not  as  a  cedar. 

THE  VINE 

Without  any  attempt  to  explain  the  absurdity 
of  an  eagle  having  conscious  knowledge  of 
arboriculture,  or  of  a  vine  possessing  the  wit 
to  turn  towards  a  particular  class  of  eagle — 
although  it  has  been  demonstrated  scientifically 
that  plants  have  nerves  and  that  bees  and  birds 
play  an  important  part  in  the  development  of 
plants — we  learn  that  this  '  seed  of  the  land ' 
was  set  where  it  had  a  chance  of  prosperous 
growth.  It  would  not  become  a  great  vine, 
but  as  a  low,  creeping  vine  it  might  yet  bear 
a  fullness  of  fruit,  becoming  an  honourable  vine. 
Nebuchadnezzar  appointed  Zedekiah,  a  native 
of  the  land,  to  rule  over  Judah  within  the 
restricted  limits  that  whilst  he  was  a  humble 
and  feudatory  dependent  monarch,  he  might 

145  K 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

still  enjoy  happiness  and  flourish.  At  first  the 
result  was  very  promising  because  *  the  vine 
brought  forth  branches  and  shot  forth  green 
boughs  ;  "  but  that  success  engendered  conceit 
in  Zedekiah  and  he  began  to  be  restless  under 
his  covenant  with  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  chafed 
and  squirmed,  then  looked  for  a  new  superior 
by  directing  his  thoughts  towards  an  alliance 
with  Egypt.  A  relationship  with  that  great 
country  was  entered  upon — "lo,  this  vine  bent 
its  roots  towards  him  " — and  emphasis  may  be 
laid  upon  that  word  '  bent,'  which  signifies  a 
yearning  attitude.  It  pined  for  the  other  eagle 
like  a  thirsty  plant,  when  close  beside  it  were 
many  waters  in  the  "  bed  of  its  plantation." 

SHALL  IT  THRIVE  ? 

This  question  explains  the  use  of  the  word 
'  riddle  '  in  verse  2,  and  the  purpose  of  the  parable 
is  to  answer  the  question  by  showing  that  just  as 
Nebuchadnezzar  will  not  tolerate  such  treachery 
and  perfidy,  so,  too,  God  will  not  fail  to  visit 
His  wrath  upon  the  covenant-breaking  king. 
Zedekiah  had  pledged  himself  to  fidelity  in  God's 
name,  and  the  God  whom  he  had  wronged  would 
be  avenged.  The  description  of  that  issue  is 
very  graphic.  The  vine  must  be  uprooted  and 
its  fruit  stripped  off ;  a  withering  east  wind 
will  devastate  its  fresh,  sprouting  leaves,  which 
will  crumble  into  dust.  Even  in  that  place 

146 


PARABLES   OF    FANCY 

where  it  was  flourishing  "  upon  the  bed  of  its 
sprouting "  it  must  wither.  Zedekiah's  pros- 
perity was  brief.  Egypt  failed  to  support  him, 
and  his  base  ingratitude  and  unfaithfulness 
received  their  merit.  He  had  apparently  not 
known  what  had  already  been  revealed  to  the 
prophets — that  Egypt's  power  was  waning,  and 
that  help  from  that  direction  was  not  possible. 
His  sons  were  slain  before  his  eyes.  He  himself 
was  blinded,  bound  in  brass  fetters  and  borne 
away  captive  to  Babylon.  Jeremiah  asserts  that 
Zedekiah  was  weak-willed,  vacillating  and  unable 
to  withstand  his  princes.  Because  of  his  selfish 
nature  he  had  no  serious  concern  for  the  nation's 
welfare  and  he  acted  falsely  and  deceitfully 
with  those  who  trusted  him. 

COVENANT  SANCTITIES 

Zedekiah's  disloyalty  affected  more  than  him- 
self. It  brought  a  nation  and  its  proud  city 
to  the  dust.  National  covenants  are  often  made 
to  depend  upon  the  will  of  one  man  or  a  small 
coterie  of  men.  Failure  to  implement  the 
conditions  of  the  covenant  may  plunge  thousands 
into  misery.  History  is  replete  with  instances 
of  such  broken  covenants,  and  rarely  has  the 
destroyer  of  a  sacred  pledge  been  known  to  escape 
the  evil  consequences  of  such  an  act  of  insincer- 
ity. Nations  have  wallowed  in  warfare,  social 
conditions  have  been  upheaved,  domestic 

H7 


THE    OLD   TESTAMENT   PARABLES 

relationships  have  been  devastated  in  con- 
sequence of  disloyalty  to  solemn  agreements. 
In  very  recent  years  the  outbreak  of  a  world- 
wide war  costing  ten  million  lives,  with  the 
additional  losses  and  sorrows  which  follow  in- 
evitably upon  war,  resulted  from  breach  of  a 
sacred  covenant.  Movements  such  as  the  League 
of  Nations  may  accomplish  much  good  for  man- 
kind if  the  sanctity  of  covenants — international, 
personal  and  social — can  be  brought  home  to 
everyone.  But  no  league  can  substitute  God 
or  usurp  His  supreme  command.  Wherever  His 
Holy  Name  is  invoked  in  sealing  a  covenant  He 
becomes  the  Supreme  King  and  Judge  of  men's 
acts.  He  can  cause  the  very  wrath  of  men  to 
praise  Him,  and  He  can  bring  to  naught  the  evil 
works  of  darkness.  Inspiration  and  courage  are 
born  when  men  feel  that  loyalty  to  God's 
covenant  must — simply  must,  because  of  God's 
own  being  and  nature — work  out  for  good  to 
mankind. 

THE  PLANTING  OF  THE  LORD 

In  contrast  to  the  failure  of  the  seed  which 
Nebuchadnezzar  set,  Ezekiel  was  moved  to  tell 
of  the  plant  which  God  set.  The  chapter  which 
opens  with  judgment  concludes  with  mercy, 
tenderness,  promise  and  growing  beauty.  There 
is  a  touch  of  the  Eternal  Love  of  God  in  the 
closing  verses  which  must  not  be  missed.  There 

148 


PARABLES  OF  FANCY 

is  a  reversion  to  the  thought  of  a  cedar  and  its 
topmost  young  twigs.  From  the  latter  God 
selects  a  tender  shoot  which  is  planted,  not  by 
water,  but  upon  a  prominent  hill  where  it  will 
thrive  and  grow,  true  to  its  species  as  a  good 
cedar.  Its  branches  will  shelter  all  sorts  of 
birds,  and  this  work  of  the  Lord  will  be  known 
to  all  the  trees.  Thus  did  God  promise  to  the 
house  of  Judah  a  Saviour  under  the  spreading 
branches  of  whose  Church  all  nations  of  the 
earth  will  come  to  rest  and  all  nations  will  behold 
the  amazing  works  of  God.  "  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which 
a  man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field  :  which  indeed 
is  the  least  of  all  seeds  ;  but  when  it  is  grown, 
it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a 
tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  lodge 
in  the  branches  thereof."  (Matt.  xiii.  31,  32). 


149 


CONCLUSION 

THIS  study  of  the  Old  Testament  Parables  could 
not  conclude  with  a  better  promise  and  brighter 
hope  than  are  contained  in  the  closing  verses  of 
Ezekiel  xvii.  We  have  reached  the  stage  where 
we  anticipate  a  new  revelation  which  will  fulfil 
God's  promises.  This  new  revelation  will  be 
more  precious  to  us  on  account  of  what  the  old 
one  has  meant  to  our  souls.  Doubtless,  in  the 
course  of  reading  this  book  we  have  traced  a 
historical  process  of  divine  revelation  and  of 
human  development  which  constrains  us  to 
await  patiently  and  wistfully  the  coming  of  Him 
of  whom  it  was  written — "  Without  a  parable 
spake  He  not  unto  them." 

We  have  journeyed  along  a  road  upon  which 
we  have  met  with  men  not  altogether  unlike 
ourselves  in  their  desires  and  practices.  We 
have  been  privileged  to  behold  moral  and  spiritual 
conflicts  in  the  souls  of  men.  We  have  discerned 
the  wondrous  works  of  God  in  His  dealings  with 
individuals  and  nations,  and  we  have  seen  the 
gradual  unfolding  of  the  unfailing  love  of  God. 

Looking  back  over  the  pages  of  this  book  we 
may  conclude  that  its  parables  of  fact  deal  with 
moral  issues,  and  its  parables  of  fancy  with  the 

150 


CONCLUSION 

spiritual  relationship  between  God  and  man. 
If  our  study  has  deepened  our  interest  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  given  us  cause  for  a  fuller 
appreciation  of  the  parables  spoken  by  Jesus, 
we  shall  not  have  read  in  vain. 


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