_THE KINGDOM ESTABLISHED._
2 SAMUEL v. 10-25.
The events in David's reign that followed the capture of Mount Zion
and the appointment of Jerusalem as the capital of the country were
all of a prosperous kind. "David," we are told, "waxed greater and
greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him." "And David perceived
that the Lord had established him to be king over Israel, and that He
had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake."
In these words we find two things: a fact and an explanation. The
fact is, that now the tide fairly turned in David's history, and
that, instead of a sad chronicle of hardship and disappointment, the
record of his reign becomes one of unmingled success and prosperity.
The fact is far from an unusual one in the history of men's lives.
How often, even in the case of men who have become eminent, has the
first stage of life been one of disappointment and sorrow, and the
last part one of prosperity so great as to exceed the fondest dreams
of youth. Effort after effort has been made by a young man to get a
footing in the literary world, but his books have proved comparative
failures. At last he issues one which catches in a remarkable degree
the popular taste, and thereafter fame and fortune attend him, and
lay their richest offerings at his feet. A similar tale is to be told
of many an artist and professional man. And even persons of more
ordinary gifts, who have found the battle of life awfully difficult
in its earlier stages, have gradually, through diligence and
perseverance, acquired an excellent position, more than fulfilling
every reasonable desire for success. No man is indeed exempt from
the risk of failure if he chooses a path of life for which he has
no special fitness, or if he encounters a storm of unfavourable
contingencies; but it is an encouraging thing for those who begin
life under hard conditions, but with a brave heart and a resolute
purpose to do their best, that, as a general rule, the sky clears as
the day advances, and the troubles and struggles of the morning yield
to success and enjoyment later in the day.
But in the present instance we have not merely a statement of the
fact that the tide turned in the case of David, giving him prosperity
and enlargement in every quarter, but an explanation of the fact--it
was due to the gracious presence and favour of God. This by no
means implies that his adversities were due to an opposite cause.
God had been with him in the wilderness, save when he resorted to
deceit and other tricks of carnal policy; but He had been with him
to try him and to train him, not to crown him with prosperity. But
now, the purpose of the early training being accomplished, God is
with him to "grant him all his heart's desire and fulfil all his
counsel." If God, indeed, had not been with him, sanctifying his
early trials, He would not have been with him in the end, crowning
him with loving-kindness and tender mercies. But in the time of their
trials, God is with His people more in secret, hid, at least, from
the observation of the world; when the time comes for conspicuous
blessing and prosperity, He comes more into view in His own gracious
and bountiful character. In the case of David, God was not only
with him, but David "perceived" it; he was conscious of the fact.
His filial spirit recognized the source of all his prosperity and
blessing, as it had done when he was enabled in his boyhood to slay
the lion and the bear, and in his youth to triumph over Goliath.
Unlike many successful men, who ascribe their success so largely to
their personal talents and ways of working, he felt that the great
factor in his success was God. If he possessed talents and had used
them to advantage, it was God who had given them originally, and it
was God who had enabled him to employ them well. But in every man's
career, there are many other elements to be considered besides his
own abilities. There is what the world calls "luck," that is to say
those conditions of success which are quite out of our control; as
for instance in business the unexpected rise or fall of markets,
the occurrence of favourable openings, the honesty or dishonesty
of partners and connections, the stability or the vicissitudes of
investments. The difference between the successful man of the world
and the successful godly man in these respects is, that the one
speaks only of his luck, the other sees the hand of God in ordering
all such things for his benefit. This last was David's case. Well
did he know that the very best use he could make of his abilities
could not ensure success unless God was present to order and direct
to a prosperous issue the ten thousand incidental influences that
bore on the outcome of his undertakings. And when he saw that these
influences were all directed to this end, that nothing went wrong,
that all conspired steadily and harmoniously to the enlargement and
establishment of his kingdom, he perceived that the Lord was with
him, and was now visibly fulfilling to him that great principle of
His government which He had so solemnly declared to Eli, "Them that
honour Me, I will honour."
But is this way of claiming to be specially favoured and blessed by
God not objectionable? Is it not what the world calls "cant"? Is it
not highly offensive in any man to claim to be a favourite of Heaven?
Is this not what hypocrites and fanatics are so fond of doing, and is
it not a course which every good, humble-minded man will be careful
to avoid?
This may be a plausible way of reasoning, but one thing is
certain--it has not the support of Scripture. If it be an offence
publicly to recognise the special favour and blessing with which it
has pleased God to visit us, David himself was the greatest offender
in this respect the world has ever known. What is the great burden
of his psalms of thanksgiving? Is it not an acknowledgment of the
special mercies and favours that God bestowed on him, especially in
his times of great necessity? And does not the whole tenor of the
Psalms and the whole tenor of Scripture prove that good men are to
take especial note of all the mercies they receive from God, and
are not to confine them to their own bosom, but to tell of all His
gracious acts and bless His name for ever and ever? "They shall
abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of
Thy righteousness." That God is to be acknowledged in all our ways,
that God's mercy in choosing us in Christ Jesus and blessing us with
all spiritual blessings in Him is to be especially recognized, and
that we are not to shrink from extolling God's name for conferring
on us favours infinitely beyond what belong to the men of the world,
are among the plainest lessons of the word of God.
What the world is so ready to believe is, that this cannot be done
save in the spirit of the Pharisee who thanked God that he was not
as other men. And whenever a worldly man falls foul of one who owns
the distinguishing spiritual mercies that God has bestowed on him,
it is this accusation he is sure to hurl at his head. But this just
shows the recklessness and injustice of the world. Strange indeed if
God in His word has imposed on us a duty which cannot be discharged
but in company with those who say, "Stand by thyself; come not nigh;
I am holier than thou"! The truth is, the world cannot or will not
distinguish between the Pharisee, puffed up with the conceit of his
goodness, and for this goodness of his deeming himself the favourite
of Heaven, and the humble saint, conscious that in him dwelleth no
good thing, and filled with adoring wonder at the mercy of God in
making of one so unworthy a monument of His grace. The one is as
unlike the other as light is to darkness. What good men need to bear
in mind is, that when they do make mention of the special goodness
of God to them they should be most careful to do so in no boastful
mood, but in the spirit of a most real, and not an assumed or formal,
humility. And seeing how ready the world is to misunderstand and
misrepresent the feeling, and to turn into a reproach what is done
as a most sincere act of gratitude to God, it becomes them to be
cautious how they introduce such topics among persons who have no
sympathy with their view. "Cast not your pearls before swine," said
our Lord, "lest they turn again and rend you." "Come near," said the
Psalmist, "and hear, _all ye that fear God_, and I will declare what
He hath done for my soul."
Midway between the two statements before us on the greatness and
prosperity which God conferred on David, mention is made of his
friendly relations with the king of Tyre (ver. 11). The Phœnicians
were not included among the seven nations of Palestine whom the
Israelites were to extirpate, so that a friendly alliance with them
was not forbidden. It appears that Hiram was disposed for such an
alliance, and David accepted of his friendly overtures. There is
something refreshing in this peaceful episode in a history and in a
time when war and violence seem to have been the normal condition of
the intercourse of neighbouring nations. Tyre had a great genius for
commerce; and the spirit of commerce is alien from the spirit of war.
That it is always a nobler spirit cannot be said; for while commerce
_ought_ to rest on the idea of mutual benefit, and many of its sons
honourably fulfil this condition, it often degenerates into the most
atrocious selfishness, and heeds not what havoc it may inflict on
others provided it derives personal gain from its undertakings. What
an untold amount of sin and misery has been wrought by the opium
traffic, as well as by the traffic in strong drink, when pressed by
cruel avarice on barbarous nations that have so often lost all of
humanity they possessed through the fire-water of the _Christian_
trader! But we have no reason to believe that there was anything
specially hurtful in the traffic which Tyre now began with Israel,
although the intercourse of the two countries afterwards led to other
results pernicious to the latter--the introduction of Phœnician
idolatry and the overthrow of pure worship in the greater part of
the tribes of Israel. Meanwhile what Hiram does is to send to David
cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons, by means of whom a more
civilized style of dwelling is introduced; and the new city which
David has commenced to build, and especially the house which is to
be his own, present features of skill and beauty hitherto unknown in
Israel. For, amid all his zeal for higher things, the young king of
Israel does not disdain to advance his kingdom in material comforts.
Of these, as of other things of the kind, he knows well that they are
good if a man use them lawfully; and his effort is at once to promote
the welfare of the kingdom in the amenities and comforts of life,
and to deepen that profound regard for God and that exalted estimate
of His favour which will prevent His people from relying for their
prosperity on mere outward conditions, and encourage them ever to
place their confidence in their heavenly Protector and King.
We pass by, as not requiring more comment than we have already
bestowed on a parallel passage (2 Sam. iii. 2-5), the unsavoury
statement that "David took to him more concubines and wives" in
Jerusalem. With all his light and grace, he had not overcome the
prevalent notion that the dignity and resources of a kingdom were to
be measured by the number and rank of the king's wives. The moral
element involved in the arrangement he does not seem to have at all
apprehended; and consequently, amid all the glory and prosperity that
God has given him, he thoughtlessly multiplies the evil that was to
spread havoc and desolation in his house.
We proceed, therefore, to what occupies the remainder of this
chapter--the narrative of his wars with the Philistines. Two
campaigns against these inveterate enemies of Israel are recorded,
and the decisive encounter in both cases took place in the
neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
The narrative is so brief that we have difficulty in apprehending all
the circumstances. The first invasion of the Philistines took place
soon after David was anointed king over all Israel. It is not said
whether this occurred before David possessed himself of Mount Zion,
nor, considering the structure common in Hebrew narrative, does the
circumstance that in the history it follows that event prove that it
was subsequent to it in the order of time. On the contrary, there is
an expression that seems hardly consistent with this idea. We read
(ver. 17) that when David heard of the invasion he "went _down_ into
the hold." Now, this expression could not be used of the stronghold
of Zion, for that hill is on the height of the central plateau, and
invariably the Scriptures speak of "going up to Zion." If he had
possession of Mount Zion, he would surely have gone to it when the
Philistines took possession of the plain of Rephaim. The hold to which
he went down must have been in a lower position; indeed, "the hold"
is the expression used of the place or places of protection to which
David resorted when he was pursued by Saul (see 1 Sam. xxii. 4).
Further, when we turn to the twenty-third chapter of this book, which
records some memorable incidents of the war with the Philistines, we
find (vers. 13, 14) that when the Philistines pitched in the valley
of Rephaim David was in a hold near the cave of Adullam. The valley
of Rephaim, or "the giants," is an extensive plain to the south-west
of Jerusalem, forming a great natural entrance to the city. When we
duly consider the import of these facts, we see that the campaign was
very serious, and David's difficulties very great. The Philistines
were encamped in force on the summit of the plateau near the natural
metropolis of the country. David was encamped in a hold in the low
country in the south-west, making use of that very cave of Adullam
where he had taken refuge in his conflicts with Saul. This was far
from a hopeful state of matters. To the eye of man, his position may
have appeared very desperate. Such an emergency was a fit time for a
solemn application to God for direction. "David inquired of the Lord,
saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt Thou deliver them into
mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up, for I will doubtless
deliver the Philistines into thine hand." Up, accordingly, David went,
attacked the Philistines and smote them at a place called Baal-perazim,
somewhere most likely between Adullam and Jerusalem. The expression
"The Lord hath broken forth on mine enemies before me, as the breach
of waters," seems to imply that He broke the Philistine host into two,
like flooded water breaking an embankment, preventing them from uniting
and rallying, and sending them in two detachments into flight and
confusion. Considering the superior position of the Philistines, and
the great advantage they seem to have had over David in numbers also,
this was a signal victory, even though it did not reduce the foe to
helplessness.
For when the Philistines had got time to recover, they again came
up, pitched again in the plain of Rephaim, and appeared to render
unavailing the signal achievement of David at Baal-perazim. Again
David inquired what he should do. The reply was somewhat different
from before. David was not to go straight up to face the enemy, as
he had done before. He was to "fetch a compass behind them," that
is, as we understand it, to make a circuit, so as to get in the
enemy's rear over against a grove of mulberry trees. That tree has
not yet disappeared from the neighbourhood of Jerusalem; a mulberry
tree still marks the spot in the valley of Jehoshaphat where,
according to tradition, Isaiah was sawn asunder (Stanley's "Sinai
and Palestine"). When he should hear "the sound of a going" (Revised
Version, "the sound of a march") in the tops of the mulberry trees,
then he was to bestir himself. It is difficult to conceive any
natural cause that should give rise to a sound like that of a march
"in the tops of the mulberry trees;" but if not a natural, it must
have been a supernatural indication of some sound that would alarm
the Philistines and make the moment favourable for an attack. It is
probable that the presence of David and his troop in the rear of the
Philistines was not suspected, the mulberry trees forming a screen
between them. When David got his opportunity, he availed himself
of it to great advantage; he inflicted a thorough defeat on the
Philistines, and smiting them from Geba to Gazer, he appears to have
all but annihilated their force. In this way, he gave the _coup de
grâce_ to his former allies.
We have said that it appears to have been during these campaigns
against the Philistines that the incidents took place which are
recorded fully in the twenty-third chapter of this book. It does not
seem possible that these incidents occurred at or about the time when
David was flying from Saul, at which time the cave of Adullam was
one of his resorts. Neither is it likely that they occurred during
the early years of David's reign, while he was yet at strife with
the house of Saul. At least, it is more natural to refer them to the
time when the Philistines, having heard that David had been anointed
king over Israel, came up to seek David, although we do not consider
it impossible that they occurred in the earlier period of his reign.
The record shows how wonderfully the spirit of David had passed into
his men, and what splendid deeds of courage were performed by them,
often in the face of tremendous odds. We get a fine glimpse here of
one of the great sources of David's popularity--his extraordinary
_pluck_ as we now call it, and readiness for the most daring
adventures, often crowned with all but miraculous success. In all
ages, men of this type have been marvellous favourites with their
comrades. The annals of the British army, and still more the British
navy, contain many such records. And even when we go down to pirates
and freebooters, we find the odium of their mode of life in many
cases remarkably softened by the splendour of their valour, by their
running unheard-of risks, and sometimes by sheer daring and bravery
obtaining signal advantages over the greatest odds. The achievements
of David's "three mighties," as well as of his "thirty," formed
a splendid instance of this kind of warfare. All that we know of
them is comprised within a few lines, but when we call to mind the
enthusiasm that used to be awakened all over our own country by the
achievements of Nelson and his officers, or more recently by General
Gordon, of China and Egypt, we can easily understand the thrilling
effect which these wonderful tales of valour would have throughout
all the tribes of Israel.
The personal affection for David and his heroes which would thus
be formed must have been very warm, nay, even enthusiastic. In the
case of David, whatever may have been true of the others, all the
influence thus acquired was employed for the welfare of the nation
and the glory of God. The supreme desire of his heart was that the
people might give all the glory to Jehovah, and derive from these
brilliant successes fresh assurances how faithful God was to His
promises to Israel. Alike as a man of piety and a man of patriotism,
he made this his aim. Knowing as he did what was due to God, and
animated by a profound desire to render to God His due, he would have
been horrified had he intercepted in his own person aught of the
honour and glory which were His. But for the people's sake also, as a
man of patriotism, his desire was equally strong that God should have
all the glory. What were military successes however brilliant to the
nation, or a reputation however eminent, compared to their enjoying
the favour and friendship of God? Success--how ephemeral it was;
reputation--as transient as the glow of a cloud beside the setting
sun; but God's favour and gracious presence with the nation was a
perpetual treasure, enlivening, healing, strengthening, guiding for
evermore. "Happy is that people that is in such a case; yea, happy is
that people whose God is the Lord."