Daily Devotional
9 All this have I seen, and have given mine heart to every work
which is wrought under the sun, and I saw a time that man ruleth over
man to his own hurt.
Brethren:
All these things
before mentioned; and applied my heart unto every work: I have been a
diligent observer of all actions and events. There are some kings,
who use their power tyrannically, whereby they not only oppress their
people, but hurt themselves, bringing the vengeance of God upon their
own heads. In like manner; the wicked princes or rulers, buried, with
state or pomp; who had come and gone Had administered public justice,
which is frequently signified by the phrase of coming in and going
out before the people; from the place of the holy. The seat of
majesty and judgment, which may well be termed, the place, or seat,
of the holy, that is, of God, often called the holy one; who is in a
special manner present in, and presides over those places where
justice is administered: and for whom, and in whose name and stead,
magistrates act, who, therefore, are called gods. And the tribunal
seems to be so called here, to aggravate their sin, who, being
advanced by God into so high and sacred a place, betrayed so great a
trust, and both practiced and encouraged that wickedness which, by
their office, they were obliged to suppress and punish. And they were
forgotten. Although they designed to perpetuate their names and
memories to succeeding ages; in the city where they had so done.
Where they had lived in great splendor, and were buried with great
magnificence, which one might have thought would have kept up their
remembrance, at least, in that place. This is also vanity, that men
should so earnestly thirst after, and please themselves with worldly
glory, which is so soon extinct, and the very memory of which is so
quickly worn out of the minds of men.
Joseph Benson -
18th century theologian
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