Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah.
An earnest ministry
The idea of the passage is, Give an earnest warning of the judgment about to break on the people, sound the alarm and startle the population.
I. The nature of an earnest ministry. “Cry aloud.” Let the whole soul go forth in the work. Earnestness is not noise. “A celebrated preacher, distinguished for the eloquence of his pulpit preparations, exclaimed on his death-bed, ‘Speak not to me of my sermons: alas’! I Was fiddling whilst Rome was burning:”
1. It is not frightening people.
2. It is not bustle. He is always on the “go.” Genuine earnestness is foreign to all these things. It has nothing in it of the noise and rattle of the fussy brook, it is like the deep stream rolling its current silently, resistlessly, and without pause.
3. An earnest ministry is living. It is the influence of the whole man.
4. Such a ministry is a matter of necessity. The Divine thing in the man becomes irrepressible, it breaks out as sunbeams through the clouds.
5. Such a ministry is constant. It is not a professional service; it is as regular as the functions of life.
6. Such a ministry is mighty.
II. The need of an earnest ministry. Why was the “cornet” to be now blown in Gibeah, and the “ trumpet” in Ramah? Because there was danger.
1. The moral danger to which souls around us are exposed is great.
2. It is near. It is not the danger of an invading army heard in the distance. The enemy has entered the soul and the work of devastating has commenced.
3. It is increasing. The condition of the unregenerate soul gets worse and worse every hour. (Homilist.)
Cry aloud
But after much observation and many deep yearnings over those who are going astray as sheep without a shepherd, it is my firm conviction that here is at least one key to the situation. This was the method of the great evangelical revival of the last century. Whitefield took his place on Kensington Common; where the bodies of executed criminals were left dangling on the gallows, and there, with twenty or thirty thousand of the lowest rabble before him, he would point to the gallows, and, with that voice which was like the sound of many waters, exclaim: “If you want to know what wages the devil pays his servants, look yonder.” Such methods at first grated on the fine sensibilities of Wesley. He says: “I could scarce reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, having been till lately so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls a sin if it had not been done in a Church.” Can we reconcile ourselves to such irregular methods? Can we accept the twofold requirement and preach the Gospel not only “in season” but “in season, out of season”? (A. J. Gordon, D. D.)
Earnest Christian effort
Godly Baxter says of himself, “I confess, to my shame, that I remember no one sin that my conscience doth so much accuse and judge me for, as for doing so little for the salvation of men s souls, and dealing no more earnestly and fervently with them for their conversion. I confess that, when I am alone, and think of the ease of poor ignorant, worldly, earthly, unconverted sinners, that live not to God, nor set their hearts on the life to come, my conscience telleth me that I should go to as many of them as I can, and tell them plainly what will become of them if they do not turn, and beseech them, with all the earnestness that I can, to come to Christ, and change their course, and make no delay. And though I have many excuses, from other business and from disability and want of time, yet none of them all do satisfy my own conscience when I consider what heaven and hell are, which will one of them be the end of every man’s life. My conscience telleth me that I should follow them with all possible earnestness night and day, and take no denial till they return to God.”
After thee, O Benjamin.
Front-rank men
There is good reason to believe that this was the tribal battle-cry. The R.V., in its margin, favours this idea It there reads, “After thee, Benjamin! (see Judges 5:14).” The reference is to the passage in the Song of Deborah: “After thee,” Benjamin, among thy people.” Many commentators interpret this as addressed to Ephraim; e.g., Delitzsch: “Behind thee,!” i.e., “Ephraim, there followed Benjamin among thy (Ephraim’s) people (hosts).” On the other hand, the Pulpit Commentary reads, “Following thee, O Benjamin, with thy people”; and Dean Stanley (Jewish Church, vol. 1.) renders, “After thee, Benjamin, in thy people.” Psalms 68:1-35, seems to corroborate this interpretation. This psalm is a glorious song of triumph. It refers to past history; it recalls to mind God’s wondrous dealings with His favoured people; the miracles He had wrought for them, the victories He had enabled them to win. The allusion to Zebulun and Naphtali in verse 27 seems to be a direct reference to the Song of Deborah, where these two tribes receive honourable mention (verse 18): “Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.” But first among the four tribes mentioned in the psalm we have Benjamin: “There is little Benjamin, their ruler,” or leader; i.e., ruling or leading the procession. But why thus ruling or leading the festal procession? Perhaps with some reference to the fact that the first judge and the first king had sprung from their tribe. But also, no doubt, because this was the position that its warriors had taken on many a hard-fought field. Though a small tribe, it was famous for its warlike character, and bore out the prediction of Jacob: “Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil” (Genesis 49:27).
I. A noble motto. Lead the way. To be among the first in things that are good is a grand ambition. Emulation is praiseworthy if “a man strive lawfully.” It is not to be confounded with envy, which seeks to outstrip another from mere jealousy; nor with self-exaltation, which springs from vanity; nor with that meanness which seeks to make one’s self great by lowering or debasing another. It is the desire to be in the front rank in what is good; to be zealous and active for the right. “After thee,” then, O my soul, let others be, in striving to do good. “After thee,” in helping the oppressed, in succouring the needy. Not holding back, but pressing to the front. “After thee,” in time of danger and difficulty. Lead the way; join the forlorn hope.
II. A noble motto, without God’s blessing, is unavailing. Hosea depicts the invading hosts in the midst of Benjamin. “The evil day and destruction denounced, is now vividly pictured as actually come. All is confusion, hurry, alarm, because the enemy was in the midst of them. The cornet, an instrument made of horn, was to be blown as an alarm, when the enemy was at hand. The trumpet was especially used for the worship of God. Gibeah and Ramah were cities of Benjamin, on the borders of Ephraim, where the enemy, who had possessed himself of Israel, would burst in upon Judah.” (Pusey). Then in this supreme moment of danger and anxiety an endeavour is made to rally the warriors of the tribe; their battle-cry is raised, “After thee, O Benjamin.” But in vain. The hand of the Lord is against them (verses 9, 10). Without God no effort can be successful. He alone can give the strength. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich. Without it there is no true prosperity; high aspirations cannot be reached; lofty ideals, great efforts will not avail. Against God who can be successful? Learn--We must have God’s blessing on our efforts, otherwise they are in vain. Therefore, “Seek ye the Lord.”
III. A noble motto, when transferred to the cause of sin, becomes doubly disastrous. It is very sad to see splendid opportunities wasted. This is sad. But it is more sad to see noble abilities, precious opportunities, large means used for evil purposes, against God and what is good. To sin is bad enough; but to be a leader and teacher of sin is satanic. The right use of the noble Benjamite motto demands, therefore, the preliminary inquiry in the council chamber of the soul, “In what direction am I going? In what things do I desire to be found amongst the first?” (J. S. S. Sheilds, D. D.)