For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth, etc. This is a highly figurative and sublime representation of the Almighty in his retributive work, especially in relation to Samaria and Jerusalem. He is represented as leaving his holy temple, coming out of his place, and marching with overwhelming grandeur over the high places of the earth, to deal out punishment to the wicked. "Behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him," ere, "The description of this theophany," says Delitzsch, "is founded upon the idea of a terrible storm and earthquake, as in Psalm 18:8. The mountains melt (Judges 5:4; Psalm 68:8) with the streams of water which discharge themselves from heaven and the valleys split with the deep channels cut out by the torrents of water. The similes 'like wax,' etc. (as in Psalm 68:2), and 'like water' are intended to express the complete dissolution of mountains and valleys. The actual facts answering to this description are the destructive influences exerted upon nature by great national judgments." The reference may be to the destruction of the King of Israel by Shalmaneser, and the invasion of Judah by the armies of Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, by the latter of whom the Jews were carried away captive. The passage is an inexpressibly grand representation of God's procedure in relation to sin. Let us look at this procedure in two aspects.

I. AS IT APPEARS TO THE EYE OF MAN. The Bible is eminently anthropomorphic: it presents God to man in human attributes and modes of operation. Two thoughts are suggested:

1. God, in dealing out retribution, appears to man in an extraordinary position. "He cometh forth out of his place." What is his place? To all intelligent beings the settled place of the Almighty is the temple of love, the pavilion of goodness, the mercy seat. The general beauty, order, and happiness of the universe give all intelligent creatures this impression of him. But when confusion and misery fall on the sinner, the Almighty seems to man to come out of his "place" - to step aside from his ordinary procedure. Not that he does so; but in man's view he seems to do so. The Immutable One does not change his purpose. His purpose is benevolent, though in carrying it forward it necessarily brings misery to those who oppose it. Judgment is God's strange work (Isaiah 28:21). He comes out of his place to execute it.

2. God, in dealing out retribution, appears to man in a terrific aspect. He does not appear as in the silent march of the stars or the serenity of the sun; but as in thunderstorms and volcanic eruptions. "The mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire." Though the Almighty is as benign and serene when bringing deserved suffering upon the sinner as he is when filling heaven with gladness, yet to the suffering sinner he always seems terrific. He seems to be rending the heavens, cleaving the mountains, and tearing the earth to pieces. God is evermore presented to an intelligent creature according to the moral state of his soul.

II. AS IT AFFECTS A SINFUL PEOPLE. In God's procedure in relation to sin, what disastrous effects were brought upon Samaria and Jerusalem!

1. God, in his procedure in relation to sin, brings material ruin upon people. "Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof." It means utter ruin. Sin brings material destruction upon a people, brings on commercial decay, political ruin, destroys the health of the body, and brings it ultimately to the dust. Sin brings material ruin.

2. God, in his procedure in relation to sin, brings mental anguish upon a people. "And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate." A disruption between the soul and the objects of its supreme affections involves the greatest anguish. The gods of a people, whatever they may be, are these objects, and these are to be destroyed. "The graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces." The divinities, the fanes, the priests - all shattered. Such is the ruin which sin brings on a people.

CONCLUSION. Mark well that God has a course of conduct in relation to sin; or rather, that God, in his beneficent march, must ever appear terrible to the sinner and bring ruin on his head. It is the wisdom as well as the duty of all intelligent creatures to move in thought, sympathy, and purpose as God moves - move with him, not against him. To move with him is to see him in all the attraction of Fatherhood; to move against him is to see him in all the horrors of an infuriated Judge. - D.T.

This is a highly figurative and sublime representation of the Almighty in His retributive work, especially in relation to Samaria and Jerusalem. He is represented as leaving His holy temple, coming out of His place, and marching with overwhelming grandeur over the high places of the earth, to deal out punishment to the wicked. "The description of this theophany," says Delitzsch, "is founded upon the idea of a terrible storm and earthquake, as in Psalm 18:8. The mountains melt (Judges 5:4, and Psalm 68:9) with the streams of water which discharge themselves from heaven (Judges 5:4), and the valleys split with the deep channels cut out by the torrents of water. The similes 'like wax,' etc. (as in Psalm 68:3), and 'like water' are intended to express the complete dissolution of mountains and valleys. The actual facts answering to this description are the destructive influences exerted upon nature by great national judgments." The reference is undoubtedly to the destruction of the king of Israel by Shalmaneser, and the invasion of Judah by the armies of Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, by the latter of whom the Jews were carried away captive. The passage is an inexpressibly grand representation of God's procedure in relation to sin.

I. As it APEARS TO THE EYE OF MAN. The Bible is eminently anthropomorphic.

1. God, in dealing out retribution, appears to man in an extraordinary position. "He cometh forth out of His place." What is His place? To all intelligent beings, the settled place of the Almighty is the temple of love, the pavilion of goodness, the mercy seat. The general beauty, order, and happiness of the universe give all intelligent creatures this impression of Him. But when confusion and misery fall on the sinner, the Almighty seems to man to come out of His "place," to step aside from His ordinary procedure. Judgment is God's strange work. He comes out of His place to execute it.

2. God, in dealing out retribution, appears to man in a terrific aspect. He does not appear as in the silent march of the stars or the serenity of the sun; but as in thunderstorms and volcanic eruptions. "The mountains shall be molten under Him," etc.

II. As it AFFECTS A SINFUL PEOPLE. In God's procedure in relation to sin what disastrous effects were brought upon Samaria and Jerusalem!

1. God, in His procedure in relation to sin, brings material ruin upon people. Sin brings on commercial decay, political ruin; it destroys the health of the body, and brings it ultimately to the dust.

2. God, in His procedure in relation to sin, brings mental anguish upon a people. A disruption between the soul and the objects of its supreme affections involves the greatest anguish. The gods of a people, whatever they may be, are these objects, and these are to be destroyed. Conclusion — Mark well that God has a course of conduct in relation to sin, or rather, that God, in His beneficent march, must ever appear terrible to the sinner, and bring ruin on his head. It is the wisdom as well as the duty of all intelligent creatures to move in thought, sympathy, and purpose, as God moves — move with Him, not against Him.

(Homilist.)