e exalted
position which Judah, when compared with his brethren, occupies, rests
mainly on this:--that he is their fore-champion in the warfare against
the world, and that God has endowed him with conquering power against
the enemies of His kingdom. The history of David is best calculated to
show and convince us, how closely these two things are connected with
each other. That he was called to verify the truth of the promise given
to Judah, "Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies," was first
seen in his victory over Goliath the Philistine, fore-champion of the
world's power. After David's word had been fulfilled, "The Lord who
delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the
bear. He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine," and the
Philistines had fled, seeing that their champion was dead (1 Sam. xvii.
37-51), then also were fulfilled the other words: "Thy brethren shall
praise thee, the sons of thy father shall bow before thee." "And it
came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter
of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel,
singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and
with instruments of music. And the women answered one another as
they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his
ten thousands."--And in Sam. xviii. 16, it is said: "But all Israel and
Judah _loved_ David, _because_ he went out and came in before
them;"--and in 2 Sam. v. 2, when the ten tribes acknowledged [Pg 61]
David as their king, they said: "Also in time past, when Saul was king
over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel." David
would never have succeeded in overcoming the jealousy and envy of the
other tribes, unless the promise, "Thy hand shall be in the neck of
thine enemies," had been fulfilled in him.--_Before Judah shall how
down the sons of his father._ I have already remarked, in my commentary
on Rev. xix. 10, that there is very little ground for the common
distinction between religious and civil [Greek: proskunesis] (bowing
down, worship). The true distinction is between that [Greek:
proskunesis] which is given to God, either directly or indirectly, in
those who bear His image, in the representatives of His gifts and
offices,--and that [Greek: proskunesis] which is exacted apart from,
and against God. "The God of Scripture demands to be honoured in those
who bear His image, who hold His offi