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A Call to Repentance
v. 1. Hear ye now what the Lord saith, in this closing address to the Israelites, Arise, contend thou before the mountains, the prophet being called upon to be a witness of the judicial controversy which was to be decided in the presence of the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice, for the mountains and hills, having stood during the time of Israel's entire history, could witness to the facts which were here brought out.
v. 2. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, Jehovah's cause, which He wanted to have decided in the present suit, and ye strong foundations of the earth, literally, "ye immovable bases of the earth," that cannot be shaken by any ordinary means; for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel, trying to effect a definite settlement in court.
v. 3. O My people, what have I done unto thee? namely, in inflicting any kind of wrong. And wherein have I wearied thee? by requirements which were too rigorous. Testify against me! He was ready to entertain any reply which they might want to make concerning His charges.
v. 4. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, the act by which Israel had really been made the Lord's people, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, Cf Exo_20:2; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, who were their leaders through the wildernesses of Sinai and Arabia.
v. 5. O My people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted, the counsel he took in trying to bring about their downfall, and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, between the first station after Balaam's blessing and the first station on the soil of the Holy Land, Cf Num_25:1; Jos_4:19, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord, how truly and righteously He performed the deeds of His almighty power in carrying out His counsel of love toward His people. Israel being unable to answer this challenge of the Lord and admitting the guilt charged in His statement, is ready to make amends.
v. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? the prophet asks in the name of the people, in order to restore the relationship which had been so rudely disturbed by their transgressions. Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? these being considered the choicest sacrifices.
v. 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? which, as it were, would flow in torrents in order to appease His wrath. Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? the most precious possession being offered in expiation, by way of atonement. But the Lord shows that such outward offerings were not sufficient to restore the relationship of love which obtained, but that He requires the consecration of the heart.
v. 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, Jehovah Himself had made known to them how they might remain in fellowship with Him; and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to perform that which was right, and to love mercy, to practice the discharge of all the beneficent duties enjoined in the Law, and to walk humbly with thy God? Without these actual, outward expressions of the faith of the heart in the virtues as here named there can, be no true worship of Jehovah. Even so today the good works of the Christians are the exponents and proofs of the faith living in their heart.