Bible Commentaries

Discipline

1 Samuel 18:9

WE now enter upon scenes which show that long and most painful discipline is compatible with divine election to high office. David had been anointed, yet he afterwards was hunted as a beast of prey. The secret of the Lord was in his soul, yet the hand of an enemy was madly against him day and night. The inference of mere reason was obvious,—it was this: "Samuel has deceived me the old prophet has mistaken me for another man; and now through his blunder I am exposed to intolerable vexations and injuries: had God chosen me, he would have set me on a high mountain, where no evil hand could have reached me, or hidden me in a defence far away from the storm." This reasoning, as a mere intellectual effort, would have been sound and unanswerable. Yet David never uttered words so reproachful and distrustful. He accepted his ill-fortune in a spirit of 1 Samuel 18:7).—This is quite characteristic of the manners of the East. Everywhere in that part of the world the people are accustomed in this manner to hail the arrival of those who have been any time absent from them. More especially do they do so on the return of a victorious army. Multitudes then issue from the towns and villages through which they are expected to march, in order to form a triumphal procession to celebrate their valour, the principal part being composed of women and children, who band together, and, as they go along, gratify the heroes with dancing, music, and songs in honour of their martial deeds, particularly of such of the chiefs as have greatly distinguished themselves. We find this custom in Persia, Turkey, etc Mr. Campbell, the missionary, witnessed it even in Africa. When he was leaving the city of Lattakoo, he fell in with a party of men who were returning from a distant expedition, after an absence of several months. The news of their approach had reached the town, and the women were hastening to meet them. On joining the party the females marched at their head, clapping their hands and singing with all their might, till they arrived at their homes in the town.

1 Samuel 18:12-30

SAUL was afraid of David. This is most remarkable, for was not Saul the king, and David but the servant? Why then should a king be afraid of a harper? The king had the resources of the nation at his command. In a moment he could have surrounded David by an overpowering force; yet, notwithstanding these advantages, Saul was afraid of the young musician. There must be some explanation of this remarkable fear. What is it? It is the mystery of spiritual character, and that in very deed is the explanation of all the deadliest fear which paralyses the spirit of tyranny and oppression. There was something about David which Saul could not comprehend. Not his physical power, not his social descent, not his musical genius,—there was again and again a look in the young face which haunted the king like a ghostly revelation. That face beamed with 1 Samuel 18:13-15).

A new idea appears to have occurred to Saul, and one which would seem to be inspired by magnanimity. Saul now takes the course up, according to David military promotion. The object was to get David out of the way by sending him to some distant part of the kingdom on any pretence that might arise. The method is a common one today. No matter what honour is given to an enemy if the honour only take him away from sight, and break up his immediate local influence. Men should look into the motives of their honours, for possibly in that motive they may discover reason for humility rather than boasting. A humiliating sight it is to observe a man making an investment of his magnanimity and earning credit for being generous, when in his heart he is inexpressibly mean. As with honours so with gifts, for not seldom are they also oblations to self rather than tributes to the receiver. Study the object of Saul, and then see how his acts fell into relation to it: if we miss the object we cannot but misunderstand the policy; Saul's object was to get rid of David by any means; attempted murder having failed, flattery and promotion were dragged into service. To what extremes are men driven by corrupt motives! The first effort of malice leads in a murderous direction; that is the natural and proper course for malice to take if consistent with itself; but even malice can suspend its fury to play the tricks of generosity. Can a man be really malicious when he offers his supposed enemy a captaincy in his army? This would seem to be impossible, yet it is the plainest prose of every-day life. People who do not search into reason and motive would instantly be led away by the kingly nobleness of conferring honour upon David. Knowing this to be the case it should be our solemn business to interrogate ourselves as to the motives by which our conduct is actuated. Is there a single action in life which will bear analysis as to its moral elements in the sight of God? At this period of the world's history it is more and worse than ignorance to pretend that an action has to be judged by its social aspects. Life is profoundly metaphysical. To shrink from inquiring into motive is to trifle with life; yet, to inquire truly into motive is often to shatter the fairest appearances. "How should man be just with God?" "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?" These inquiries may seem to enshroud life in distressing melancholy, yet they are not the less the inquiries which will bring life into a tone of reality and establish it in a position of complete responsibility.

David continued in his undisturbed course of wise consideration and noble prudence. There was no stoop of servility in his attitude towards the king, yet there was neither aspect nor tone of defiance. David simply took the task that was assigned to him, and wrought out its detail with wisdom and care. This is the way to treat every enemy. Instead of directly attacking hostility and so creating partisanship on its behalf, it is infinitely wiser to go about the daily task with simple faith and obvious 1 Samuel 18:22)

The course of fear still continued, Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually; but David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by. An awful education truly, and only some great end could justify a process so bitter and exasperating. Judged at intermediate points the course of Providence towards David might well be pronounced severe and almost cruel, but not until we come to the end may we permit ourselves to form a compact and final judgment upon the divine action. No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous, nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. It is to the "afterward" we must look. Great surprises of delight are in store for those who lovingly resign themselves to the divine will, and patiently persevere in the course which is divinely appointed. Hope on, hope ever. The seedtime may be rough and bleak, but the harvest will make the heart glad with unutterable joy. Paul was able to say that he gloried in tribulation, and that he was exceedingly glad in all his sorrow. Jesus Christ himself endured the cross, despising the shame, as he looked onward to the joy that was set before him. Let us learn from history the solemn and inspiring lesson that God will never leave nor forsake those who diligently serve in his cause and whose one motive is to know his holy will and do it all. This is the confidence of the good man, and in it he must spend his days, not working for a measurable reward, but for the joy of serving him whose law is life and whose life is immortal blessedness.

Prayer

The tabernacle of God is with men upon the earth. It makes our houses homes; it consecrates all space; it is the gate of heaven. We long for the opening of the gates of thy house that we might come in with many hymns and loud psalms and cheerful praises. We have said we would make the whole day resound with psalms of adoration and anthems of triumph. The day is too short for our music. Behold, our hearts are alive with thankfulness, and our spirits lift themselves up as upon the wings of eagles. Thou hast given a plentiful rain to thine inheritance. Thou hast crowned princes in thy church, and thou hast gathered up the little ones in thine arms and given them the honour of a shepherd's embrace. There is not one without some token of thy care. In every house there is a lamp of thy lighting; in every life thy signature can be found. Thy mercy endureth for ever. He that built all things is God. Thou art building our temple-life—a wondrous structure! Thou didst lay the foundation; every stone is of thine own laying; the topstone shall be brought on with shouting of "Grace, grace unto it;" and when the whole is finished, thy glory will rise upon it and within it, and it shall be God's own sweet home. We bless thee for every life which shows us that the hills do not girdle us in, but beyond the hills are all the summer gardens and largest spaces and liberties celestial. Sometimes we hear, as it were, a voice of singing and banqueting and great joy—one glad thunder of gratitude and delight and consecration. It is the angel bands that sing, the heaven-garnered souls that vent their energy in praise; and we, too, are moving onward, upward, heavenward, to blend our contribution with theirs, to swell the thunder of the fame of him who once despised the shame and submitted to the death of the cross. We thank thee for this religious joy, this Sabbath in the soul, this summer in the life. It makes us glad, it makes us free. This is the Lord's miracle, this is the triumph of the cross. Bind us all to that sacred Tree with closer bonds. May we feel its nearness, answer its pathos, be subdued by its mystery, and be inspired by its sacrifice. Amen.