* the lion had.
All here was supernatural. The lion, though he had killed the
man, yet, contrary to his nature, did not devour him, nor tear
the ass, nor meddle with the travellers that passed by; while
the ass stood quietly by, not fearing the lion, nor betaking
himself to flight: both stood as guardians of the fallen
prophet, till this extraordinary intelligence was carried into
the city which rendered the miracle the more illustrious and
plainly shewed that this event did not happen by chance. This
concatenation of miracles marked the death of the man of God
as a Divine rebuke for his disobedience in eating bread at
idolatrous Beth-el; and here we see, as in various other
cases, that "often judgment begins at the house of God." The
true prophet, for suffering himself to be seduced by the old
prophet, and for receiving that as a revelation from God which
was opposed to the revelation which himself had received, and
which was confirmed by so many miracles, is slain by a lion,
and his body deprived of the burial of his fathers; while the
wicked king and the fallen prophet are both permitted to live.
17:4,6 Le 10:2,5 Job 38:11 Ps 148:7,8 Jer 5:22,23
Da 3:22,27,28 6:22-24 Ac 16:26 Heb 11:33,34
* torn. Heb. broken.
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