Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 1 · Verse 3
3. And Iudah ſaid vntounto his brother Simeon: Go vp with me into my lot, that we may fight agaynſt the Chananites, and I wyl alſo go with thee into thy lot. And Simeon went with hym.
The tribe of Iudah doth aſſociate to it ſelfe the Simeonites to make warre againſt the Chananites, which moſt euidentlye teſtifieth that the anſwer of God dyd not ſpeake of any one ſinguler man, but of the whole tribe of Iudah. For neither Othoniel, Why Simeon is taken into felowſhyp wyth Iudah.nor yet Caleb had any brother which was called Simeon, and therefore there is no mencion made of them by Gods oracle, but it comprehendeth the whole tribe of Iudah. But the cauſe why Simeon is called of Iudah to be as a companion of hys warre, and that they twoo ayded one an other is, bycauſe the poſſeſſion of the tribe of Simeon was mingled and ſcattered among the fieldes and countries belonging to the tribe of Iudah. Neighbourhed therefore made them to defende and ſuccour one the other. And this coniunction of theſe two tribes is moſt manifeſtly gathered out of the .xv. chapter of the booke of Ioſua. It is not agaynſt fayth to vſe the ayde of men.Let vsus learne hereby, that it is not agaynſt the true fayth for vsus to vſe vſual aydes and mans ſtrength, when occaſion ſerueth, to obtayne the eaſelyer thoſe thinges which God of his goodnes hath liberally promiſed vntounto vsus. God had promiſed vntounto the tribe of Iudah, that he would geue the land of Chanaan into their handes, which althoughe they of Iudah faythfullye beleued, yet were they not afeard to cal vntounto them the Symeonites whych were their neighbours, that they myght bee ayded of them in their fight. For by that meanes they thought they ſhould be the ſtronger to ouercome their enemies. Chriſt hath no otherwyſe confuted the deuyl, which counſelled hym to caſt him ſelfe down hed long, vnderunder the pretence of Gods promiſe, wherin he ſayd, that he had now committed his health to the Angels, whych ſentence he put foorth out of the holye ſcriptures. But the ſonne of God anſwered, that God muſt not be tempted, but he muſt rather vſe ſtaires which were made for that purpoſe, to ſerue to come downe by. Moreouer, al they are counted to tempt God, which truſting to gods promiſes do neglect humane helpe, which are already or maye be eaſelye prepared and gotten. Dauid in the latter booke of Samuel ſetteth him ſelfe foorth vntounto vsus as an example, who beyng wonderfullye adourned with the promiſes of God, vſed for al that in the inſurrection of Abſalon, not onelyonly to flye away, but alſo the diligence of Chuſay the Arachite and of the Prieſtes. Yea and Paul the Apoſtle as it is written in the Actes of the Apoſtels, althoughe his onelye confidence was in Chriſt, yet he appealed vntounto Ceſar, & made a diſcenſion betwene the Phariſies and Saduces, and teſtified that he was a Citizen of Rome. It is euident therfore by theſe manyfeſt examples, that we muſt vſe the helpe of nature and wyſdome to obtayne thoſe thinges, which God hath promiſed to geue vsus.Yong men are to be exhorted to good ſtudies Wherefore the yong men of our tyme are diligently to be admoniſhed to labour to attayne vntounto languages, good artes and ſciences, and that wyth great ſtudy. Which they may (when oportunity ſerueth) vſe in preaching and defending the Goſpell. For although God hauehave promiſed that the preaching of hys woord ſhalbe fruitful through the benefite of his ſpirite: yet muſt euerye man inſtruct him ſelfe in hys vocation according to his hability. Neyther ought men to bragge out of ſeaſon (as phanatical men are accuſtomed to do) God according to hys promyſe wyl be with vsus when we ſhal ſpeake. He hath promiſed in dede, and wyll ſurely perfourme, when tyme wyl not ſerue, or that a man can not either thincke or meditate what to ſpeake. But if libertye be geuen, and leaſure graunted to fynde, diſpoſe, and wyſely to deuiſe thoſe thinges which we ſhould ſpeake, then can we not be excuſed, but that we tempt God, when as we neglect to do theſe thinges. Yea rather let vsus plucke all thinges vntounto vsus, what ſo euer they be, ſo farrefoorth as godlynes permitteth, and occaſion offereth it ſelfe, to helpe our labour to obtayne thoſe thinges which are already promiſed vsus.
Furthermore,Princes & publicke weales may make leagues ſomtimes this coniunction of Iudah wyth Simeon doth admoniſhe the readers, that it is lawful in thoſe warres which ar taken in hand iuſtly to make a league, whereby Princes or publique weales maye be ioyned together to defende honeſt thynges,The godly ought not to ioyne them ſelues wyth the vngodly. as Iudah now ioyned fellowſhyp wyth the Symeonites to fyght againſt the Chananites. But thys muſt be taken heede of, that ſuch coniunction and league be ioyned together wythout fault, neyther ought the godly to ioyne them ſelues in league wyth the vngodlye. For the ſcripture reproueth Ioſaphat, who otherwyſe was a godly kyng, for making league wyth wycked Achab, and other kynges are often tymes reprehended by the Prophetes, for ioyning them ſelues in league eyther wyth the Egiptians, or els wyth the Aſſirians. But ſurelye this Simeon was of the ſame region that Iudah was, and both their endeauours tended to thys ende, religiouſly to fulfyl the wyll of God. I knowe there be ſome whych by the example of Aſa kyng of Iudah beyng well prayſed, defende ſuche leagues made wyth Infidels. For he beyng greuouſlye oppreſſed of Baſa kyng of the ten Tribes, as it is wrytten in the fyrſt booke of the Kynges, ſent vntounto Benadab kyng of Siria (as appeareth in the .xvi. chapter) a certayne ſomme of gold and ſyluer, and he made a couenant wyth hym of that condicion that he ſhoulde inuade the kyng of Iſrael, whereby he myght bee deliuered from hys oppreſſion. But they whych affirme thoſe thynges, ſhould conſider wyth them ſelues two thynges. Fyrſt, that the kyngdome of the tenne Tribes had now fallen from God, and from woorſhypping of hym. Wherfore if an vngodlye kyng was ſtyrred vp agaynſt it, the ſame is not for all that to be conferred wyth thoſe, whych confeſſing them ſelues to be Chriſtians, do incenſe Tyrannes whych are of a ſtraunge religion agaynſt other Chriſtians. Beſydes that, thys deede of Aſa kyng of Iudah is mencioned in the holy ſcriptures. But we cannot fynde that it was allowed to be well done. Yea if we looke vponupon the latter booke of Chronicles the ſyxtene chapter, we ſhall ſee that that kyng was moſt greuouſly rebuked of God by the Prophet for ſuche a wycked deede. For it is thus wrytten: At that tyme came Hanani the Sear to Aſa kyng of Iudah, and ſayde vntounto hym: bycauſe thou haſte truſted in the kyng of Siria, and not rather put thy truſt in the Lorde thy God, therefore is the hoſte of the kyng of Siria eſcaped out of thyne hande. Had not the Ethiopes and they of Ludim an exceadyng ſtrong hoſte wyth many Chariotes and horſemen? And yet bycauſe thou dyddeſt put thy truſt in the Lorde, he delyuered them into thyne hand. For the Lorde and hys eyes beholde al the earth, to ſtrengthen them that are of perfect hart towarde hym. But thou herein haſt done foolyſhly, and therfore from hence foorth thou ſhalt hauehave warres. &c. For I ſhewed before that we myght without daunger diſcommende thys example whych they bryng of thys kyng, when as God doth ſo ſharpelye chaſten hym by hys Prophet. But we wyll entreate of thys more largely afterward.