VI

A SCRAP OF PAPER: THE

MORALITY OF NATIONS

TEXT:-"Shall he break the covenant and be delivered? As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head."-Ezekiel 17: 15,

19.

It is a very common saying that "history repeats itself" and even a casual glance at the past centuries will show you how the wheel revolves and the experiences of the nations are reproduced again and again. Striking indeed was the parallel we noted last Sunday evening between the case of Israel that called for "The Day! The Day!" little dreaming that "The day of the Lord would be darkness and not light," and the case of Germany twenty-seven centuries later that toasted "The Day! The Day!" little thinking that it may prove for her the day not of "world power" but "downfall." Hardly less striking is the parallel we find in our text

to-night. As far back as six hundred years before Christ here was a nation that looked upon her treaties as "a scrap of paper," and, regardless of honor, violated her pledged and plighted word. There is no need that I should review this long story of Judah's perfidy. Suffice it to say that Zedekiah and his counsellors had bound themselves as the representatives of the kingdom to "serve the King of Babylon." The honor of the nation was pledged to that. Under a solemn compact they had agreed also to enter into no alliance with Egypt against Babylon. But in a secret and treacherous hour Judah tore her treaty to shreds. For the sake of a military advantage that might be gained she sent her ambassadors to Egypt to secure the support of the infantry and cavalry of Pharaoh. Her pledge to Babylon was nothing, her honor nothing, her promise nothing. But it proved to be a gross miscalculation. Egypt was not able to furnish the expected help. "Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war by casting up mounds, and building forts, to cut off many persons" (17: 17). The treacherous hopes of Judah fell to the ground. And then

the prophet Ezekiel pointed out that for all this treachery and for the violation of her honor there are two results that will surely come. The first is that the violation of their word to men will be regarded by Jehovah as the violation of their word to Him and consequently His vengeance will visit them. The second result is that on the ground where they violated their honor, on that very ground would they be humbled before the eyes of men. "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die" (17:16).

THE MODERN PERFIDY

Leave behind you now the twenty-five centuries that lie between and you can read again the same story in the history of the German Empire to-day. In company with the other great nations of Europe, Germany put her signature to a solemn compact that guaranteed the neutrality of Belgium for all the future. That pledge goes back as far as 1839. From

time to time throughout the past century it was confirmed. Germany's honor was behind it; behind it also her pledged word. Prince Bismarck recognized the binding character of that treaty in 1870 and in the Franco-Prussian war the neutrality of Belgium was observed. But for the sake of a supposed military advantage in the present crisis Germany tore her treaty to shreds. It was only "a scrap of paper." To strike a swift blow at France it was necessary to pass over Belgian soil. In the presence of that selfish purpose all her honor was thrown to the winds. In the words of the German Chancellor, "Necessity knows no law." Right or wrong "he must hack his way through." With a calm defiance of all decency and honor, he says, "This is an infraction of international law. We are compelled to over-rule the legitimate protests of the Luxemburg and Belgian governments. We shall repair the wrong when our military aims have been achieved." Military aims then annul treaties; military necessity knows no law; the slaughter of thousands of innocent and peaceable citizens and the destruction of medieval monuments constitute a wrong that is to be repaired, as if that kind of