upon him,--when the advance then always keeps
equal pace with the preceding depths of humiliation (we need think only
of David's time, and compare it with the period of the Judges),--then
indeed it appears all the more clearly, that the hand of God is ever
active in bringing this promise to a sure and firm fulfilment. In the
history of the world there is only one power--that of Judah--in which,
notwithstanding all defeats, the promise, "Thy hand shall be in the
necks of thine enemies," is ever, after all, fulfilled anew; only one
power, the victorious energy of which may indeed be overcome by sleep,
but never by death; only one power which can speak as does David in the
name of his family in Ps. xviii. 38-40: "I pursue mine enemies and
overtake them, I do not return till they are consumed; I crush them,
and they cannot rise: they fall under my feet. And Thou girdest me with
strength for the war, Thou bowest down those that rise against
me."--Luther remarks on this passage: "These promises must be
understood in spirit and faith. This may be seen from the history of
David, where it often appears as if God had altogether forgotten him,
and what He had promised to him. After he had already been elected, he
was, for ten years, not able to obtain a fixed place, or residence in
the whole kingdom; and when at last he took hold of the reins of
government, he fell into great, grievous, heinous sin, and was sore
vexed when he had to bear the punishment of it. Therefore these two
things--promise and [Pg 60] faith--must always be combined; and it is
necessary that a man who has a divine promise know well the art which
Paul teaches in Rom. iv. 18, to believe in hope even against hope.--The
kingdom of Israel, too, was assailed by so great weakness, and pressed
down by so many burdens, that it appeared as if every moment it would
fall; and this was especially the case when sin, and punishment in
consequence of sin, broke in upon them, as, for instance, after David's
adultery with Bathsheba, and oftentimes besides. Yet, even in all such
temptations, it always remains, on account of the promise."--It must be
carefully observed that the words, "Thy hand shall be in the neck of
thine enemies," are placed between, "Thy brethren shall praise thee,"
and "Before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father," and that,
immediately after this, Judah's victorious power against the enemies of
God's people is again pointed out. This teaches us that th