The example of those who minister in holy things should be such as to

impress the people with reverence for God, and with fear to offend him.

When men, standing “in Christ’s stead”[1003] to speak to the people

God’s message of mercy and reconciliation, use their sacred calling as a

cloak for selfish or sensual gratification, they make themselves the

most effective agents of Satan. Like Hophni and Phinehas, they cause men

to “abhor the offering of the Lord.” They may pursue their evil course

in secret for a time; but when at last their true character is exposed,

the faith of the people receives a shock that often results in

destroying their confidence in religion. There is left upon the mind a

distrust of all who profess to teach the word of God. The message of the

true servant of Christ is doubtfully received. The question constantly

arises, “Will not this man prove to be like the one we thought so holy,

and found so corrupt?” Thus the word of God loses its power upon the

souls of men.

In Eli’s reproof to his sons are words of solemn and fearful

import,—words that all who minister in sacred things would do well to

ponder: “If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but

if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?” Had their

crimes injured only their fellow-men, the judge might have made

reconciliation by appointing a penalty, and requiring restitution; and

thus the offenders might have been pardoned. Or had they not been guilty

of a presumptuous sin, a sin-offering might have been presented for

them. But their sins were so interwoven with their ministration as

priests of the Most High, in offering sacrifice for sin; the work of God

was so profaned and dishonored before the people, that no expiation

could be accepted for them. Their own father, though himself high

priest, dared not make intercession in their behalf; he could not shield

them from the wrath of a holy God. Of all sinners, those are most guilty

who cast contempt upon the means that Heaven has provided for man’s

redemption,—who “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put

him to an open shame.”[1004]

Footnote 1001:

Gen. 18:19.

Footnote 1002:

See 1 Sam. 2:12-36.

Footnote 1003:

2 Cor. 5:20.

Footnote 1004:

Heb. 6:6.

THE ARK TAKEN BY THE PHILISTINES—57

Another warning was to be given to Eli’s house. God could not

communicate with the high priest and his sons; their sins, like a thick

cloud, had shut out the presence of his Holy Spirit. But in the midst of

evil the child Samuel remained true to Heaven, and the message of

condemnation to the house of Eli was Samuel’s commission as a prophet of

the Most High.

“The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open

vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his

place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the

lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God

was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the Lord called

Samuel.”[1010] Supposing the voice to be that of Eli, the child hastened

to the bedside of the priest, saying, “Here am I, for thou calledst me.”

The answer was, “I called not, my son, lie down again.” Three times

Samuel was called, and thrice he responded in like manner. And then Eli

was convinced that the mysterious call was the voice of God. The Lord

had passed by his chosen servant, the man of hoary hairs, to commune

with a child. This in itself was a bitter yet deserved rebuke to Eli and

his house.

No feeling of envy or jealousy was awakened in Eli’s heart. He directed

Samuel to answer, if again called, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant

heareth.” Once more the voice was heard, and the child answered, “Speak,

for thy servant heareth.” So awed was he at the thought that the great

God should speak to him, that he could not remember the exact words

which Eli bade him say.

“And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at

which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that

day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning

his house. When I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him

that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;

because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And

therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s

house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.”

Before receiving this message from God, “Samuel did not yet know the

Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him;” that is,

he was not acquainted with such direct manifestations of God’s presence

as were granted to the prophets. It was the Lord’s purpose to reveal

himself in an unexpected manner, that Eli might hear of it through the

surprise and inquiry of the youth.

Samuel was filled with fear and amazement at the thought of having so

terrible a message committed to him. In the morning he went about his

duties as usual, but with a heavy burden upon his young heart. The Lord

had not commanded him to reveal the fearful denunciation, hence he

remained silent, avoiding, as far as possible, the presence of Eli. He

trembled, lest some question should compel him to declare the divine

judgments against one whom he loved and reverenced. Eli was confident

that the message foretold some great calamity to him and his house. He

called Samuel, and charged him to relate faithfully what the Lord had

revealed. The youth obeyed, and the aged man bowed in humble submission

to the appalling sentence. “It is the Lord,” he said; “let him do what

seemeth him good.”

Yet Eli did not manifest the fruits of true repentance. He confessed his

guilt, but failed to renounce the sin. Year after year the Lord delayed

his threatened judgments. Much might have been done in those years to

redeem the failures of the past; but the aged priest took no effective

measures to correct the evils that were polluting the sanctuary of the

Lord, and leading thousands in Israel to ruin. The forbearance of God

caused Hophni and Phinehas to harden their hearts, and to become still

bolder in transgression. The messages of warning and reproof to his

house were made known by Eli to the whole nation. By this means he hoped

to counteract, in some measure, the evil influence of his past neglect.

But the warnings were disregarded by the people, as they had been by the

priests. The people of surrounding nations also, who were not ignorant

of the iniquities openly practiced in Israel, became still bolder in

their idolatry and crime. They felt no sense of guilt for their sins, as

they would have felt, had the Israelites preserved their integrity. But

a day of retribution was approaching. God’s authority had been set

aside, and his worship neglected and despised, and it became necessary

for him to interpose, that the honor of his name might be maintained.

“Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched

beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.” This expedition

was undertaken by the Israelites without counsel from God, without the

concurrence of high priest or prophet. “And the Philistines put

themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel

was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the

field about four thousand men.” As the shattered and disheartened force

returned to their encampment, “the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath

the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines?” The nation was ripe

for the judgments of God, yet they did not see that their own sins had

been the cause of this terrible disaster. And they said, “Let us fetch

the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it

cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” The

Lord had given no command or permission that the ark should come into

the army; yet the Israelites felt confident that victory would be

theirs, and uttered a great shout when it was borne into the camp by the

sons of Eli.

The Philistines looked upon the ark as the god of Israel. All the mighty

works that Jehovah had wrought for his people were attributed to its

power. As they heard the shouts of joy at its approach, they said, “What

meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And

they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the

Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And

they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods?

These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the

wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines,

that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Quit

yourselves like men, and fight.”

The Philistines made a fierce assault, which resulted in the defeat of

Israel, with great slaughter. Thirty thousand men lay dead upon the

field, and the ark of God was taken, the two sons of Eli having fallen

while fighting to defend it. Thus again was left upon the page of

history a testimony for all future ages,—that the iniquity of God’s

professed people will not go unpunished. The greater the knowledge of

God’s will, the greater the sin of those who disregard it.

The most terrifying calamity that could occur had befallen Israel. The

ark of God had been captured, and was in the possession of the enemy.

The glory had indeed departed from Israel when the symbol of the abiding

presence and power of Jehovah was removed from the midst of them. With

this sacred chest were associated the most wonderful revelations of

God’s truth and power. In former days, miraculous victories had been

achieved whenever it appeared. It was shadowed by the wings of the

golden cherubim, and the unspeakable glory of the shekinah, the visible

symbol of the most high God, had rested over it in the holy of holies.

But now it had brought no victory. It had not proved a defense on this

occasion, and there was mourning throughout Israel.

They had not realized that their faith was only a nominal faith, and had

lost its power to prevail with God. The law of God, contained in the

ark, was also a symbol of his presence; but they had cast contempt upon

the commandments, had despised their requirements, and had grieved the

Spirit of the Lord from among them. When the people obeyed the holy

precepts, the Lord was with them to work for them by his infinite power;

but when they looked upon the ark, and did not associate it with God,

nor honor his revealed will by obedience to his law, it could avail them

little more than a common box. They looked to the ark as the idolatrous

nations looked to their gods, as if it possessed in itself the elements

of power and salvation. They transgressed the law it contained; for

their very worship of the ark led to formalism, hypocrisy, and idolatry.

Their sin had separated them from God, and he could not give them the

victory until they had repented of and forsaken their iniquity.

It was not enough that the ark and the sanctuary were in the midst of

Israel. It was not enough that the priests offered sacrifices, and that

the people were called the children of God. The Lord does not regard the

request of those who cherish iniquity in the heart; it is written that

“he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer

shall be abomination.”[1011]

When the army went out to battle, Eli, blind and old, had tarried at

Shiloh. It was with troubled forebodings that he awaited the result of

the conflict “for his heart trembled for the ark of God.” Taking his

position outside the gate of the tabernacle, he sat by the highway-side

day after day, anxiously expecting the arrival of a messenger from the

battle-field.

At length a Benjamite from the army, “with his clothes rent, and with

earth upon his head,” came hurrying up the ascent leading to the city.

Passing heedlessly the aged man beside the way, he rushed on to the

town, and repeated to eager throngs the tidings of defeat and loss.

The sound of wailing and lamentation reached the watcher beside the

tabernacle. The messenger was brought to him. And the man said unto Eli,

“Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great

slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas,

are dead.” Eli could endure all this, terrible as it was, for he had

expected it. But when the messenger added, “And the ark of God is

taken,” a look of unutterable anguish passed over his countenance. The

thought that his sin had thus dishonored God, and caused him to withdraw

his presence from Israel, was more than he could bear; his strength was

gone, he fell, “and his neck brake, and he died.”

The wife of Phinehas, notwithstanding the impiety of her husband, was a

woman who feared the Lord. The death of her father-in-law and her

husband, and above all, the terrible tidings that the ark of God was

taken, caused her death. She felt that the last hope of Israel was gone;

and she named the child born in this hour of adversity, Ichabod, or

“inglorious;” with her dying breath mournfully repeating the words, “The

glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.”

But the Lord had not wholly cast aside his people, nor would he long

suffer the exultation of the heathen. He had used the Philistines as the

instrument to punish Israel, and he employed the ark to punish the

Philistines. In time past the divine presence had attended it, to be the

strength and glory of his obedient people. That invisible presence would

still attend it, to bring terror and destruction to the transgressors of

his holy law. The Lord often employs his bitterest enemies to punish the

unfaithfulness of his professed people. The wicked may triumph for a

time as they see Israel suffering chastisement; but the time will come

when they too must meet the sentence of a holy, sin-hating God. Wherever

iniquity is cherished, there, swift and unerring, the divine judgments

will follow.

The Philistines removed the ark in triumph to Ashdod, one of their five

principal cities, and placed it in the house of their god Dagon. They

imagined that the power which had hitherto attended the ark would be

theirs, and that this, united with the power of Dagon, would render them

invincible. But upon entering the temple on the following day, they

beheld a sight which filled them with consternation. Dagon had fallen

upon his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. The priests

reverently lifted the idol, and restored it to its place. But the next

morning they found it, strangely mutilated, again lying upon the earth

before the ark. The upper part of this idol was like that of a man, and

the lower part was in the likeness of a fish. Now every part that

resembled the human form had been cut off, and only the body of the fish

remained. Priests and people were horror struck; they looked upon this

mysterious event as an evil omen, foreboding destruction to themselves

and their idols before the God of the Hebrews. They now removed the ark

from their temple, and placed it in a building by itself.

The inhabitants of Ashdod were smitten with a distressing and fatal

disease. Remembering the plagues that were inflicted upon Egypt by the

God of Israel, the people attributed their afflictions to the presence

of the ark among them. It was decided to convey it to Gath. But the

plague followed close upon its removal, and the men of that city sent it

to Ekron. Here the people received it with terror, crying, “They have

brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our

people.” They turned to their gods for protection, as the people of Gath

and Ashdod had done; but the work of the destroyer went on, until, in

their distress, “the cry of the city went up to heaven.” Fearing longer

to retain the ark among the homes of men, the people next placed it in

the open field. There followed a plague of mice, which infested the

land, destroying the products of the soil, both in the store-house and

in the field. Utter destruction, by disease or famine, now threatened

the nation.

For seven months the ark remained in Philistia, and during all this time

the Israelites made no effort for its recovery. But the Philistines were

now as anxious to free themselves from its presence as they had been to

obtain it. Instead of being a source of strength to them, it was a great

burden and a heavy curse. Yet they knew not what course to pursue; for

wherever it went, the judgments of God followed. The people called for

the princes of the nation, with the priests and diviners, and eagerly

inquired, “What shall we do to the ark of Jehovah? Tell us wherewith we

shall send it to his place?” They were advised to return it with a

costly trespass-offering. “Then,” said the priests, “ye shall be healed,

and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”

To ward off or to remove a plague, it was anciently the custom among the

heathen, to make an image in gold, silver, or other material, of that

which caused the destruction, or of the object or part of the body

specially affected. This was set up on a pillar or in some conspicuous

place, and was supposed to be an effectual protection against the evils

thus represented. A similar practice still exists among some heathen

peoples. When a person suffering from disease goes for cure to the

temple of his idol, he carries with him a figure of the part affected,

which he presents as an offering to his god.

It was in accordance with the prevailing superstition that the

Philistine lords directed the people to make representations of the

plagues by which they had been afflicted,—“five golden emerods, and five

golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines;

for,” said they, “one plague was on you all, and on your lords.”

These wise men acknowledged a mysterious power accompanying the ark—a

power which they had no wisdom to meet. Yet they did not counsel the

people to turn from their idolatry to serve the Lord. They still hated

the God of Israel, though compelled by overwhelming judgments to submit

to his authority. Thus sinners may be convinced by the judgments of God

that it is in vain to contend against him. They may be compelled to

submit to his power, while at heart they rebel against his control. Such

submission cannot save the sinner. The heart must be yielded to God—must

be subdued by divine grace—before man’s repentance can be accepted.

How great is the long-suffering of God toward the wicked! The idolatrous

Philistines and backsliding Israel had alike enjoyed the gifts of his

providence. Ten thousand unnoticed mercies were silently falling in the

pathway of ungrateful, rebellious men. Every blessing spoke to them of

the Giver, but they were indifferent to his love. The forbearance of God

was very great toward the children of men; but when they stubbornly

persisted in their impenitence, he removed from them his protecting

hand. They refused to listen to the voice of God in his created works,

and in the warnings, counsels, and reproofs of his word, and thus he was

forced to speak to them through judgments.

There were some among the Philistines who stood ready to oppose the

return of the ark to its own land. Such an acknowledgment of the power

of Israel’s God would be humiliating to the pride of Philistia. But “the

priests and the diviners” admonished the people not to imitate the

stubbornness of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and thus bring upon

themselves still greater afflictions. A plan which won the consent of

all was now proposed, and immediately put in execution. The ark, with

the golden trespass-offering, was placed upon a new cart, thus

precluding all danger of defilement; to this cart, or car, were attached

two kine, upon whose necks a yoke had never been placed. Their calves

were shut up at home, and the cows were left free to go where they

pleased. If the ark should thus be returned to the Israelites by the way

of Beth-shemesh, the nearest city of the Levites, the Philistines would

accept this as evidence that the God of Israel had done unto them this

great evil; “but if not,” they said, “then we shall know that it is not

his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.”

On being set free, the kine turned from their young, and lowing as they

went, took the direct road to Beth-shemesh. Guided by no human hand, the

patient animals kept on their way. The divine presence accompanied the

ark, and it passed on safely to the very place designated.

It was now the time of wheat harvest, and the men of Beth-shemesh were

reaping in the valley. “And they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark,

and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a

Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone; and they

clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto

the Lord.” The lords of the Philistines, who had followed the ark “unto

the border of Beth-shemesh,” and had witnessed its reception, now

returned to Ekron. The plague had ceased, and they were convinced that

their calamities had been a judgment from the God of Israel.

The men of Beth-shemesh quickly spread the tidings that the ark was in

their possession, and the people from the surrounding country flocked to

welcome its return. The ark had been placed upon the stone that first

served for an altar, and before it additional sacrifices were offered

unto the Lord. Had the worshipers repented of their sins, God’s blessing

would have attended them. But they were not faithfully obeying his law;

and while they rejoiced at the return of the ark as a harbinger of good,

they had no true sense of its sacredness. Instead of preparing a

suitable place for its reception, they permitted it to remain in the

harvest-field. As they continued to gaze upon the sacred chest, and to

talk of the wonderful manner in which it had been restored, they began

to conjecture wherein lay its peculiar power. At last, overcome by

curiosity, they removed the coverings, and ventured to open it.

All Israel had been taught to regard the ark with awe and reverence.

When required to remove it from place to place, the Levites were not so

much as to look upon it. Only once a year was the high priest permitted

to behold the ark of God. Even the heathen Philistines had not dared to

remove its coverings. Angels of heaven, unseen, ever attended it in all

its journeyings. The irreverent daring of the people at Beth-shemesh was

speedily punished. Many were smitten with sudden death.

The survivors were not led by this judgment to repent of their sin, but

only to regard the ark with superstitious fear. Eager to be free from

its presence, yet not daring to remove it, the Beth-shemites sent a

message to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, inviting them to take it

away. With great joy the men of this place welcomed the sacred chest.

They knew that it was the pledge of divine favor to the obedient and

faithful. With solemn gladness they brought it to their city, and placed

it in the house of Abinadab, a Levite. This man appointed his son

Eleazar to take charge of it, and it remained there for many years.

During the years since the Lord first manifested himself to the son of

Hannah, Samuel’s call to the prophetic office had come to be

acknowledged by the whole nation. By faithfully delivering the divine

warning to the house of Eli, painful and trying as the duty had been,

Samuel had given proof of his fidelity as Jehovah’s messenger; “and the

Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And

all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established

to be a prophet of the Lord.”

The Israelites as a nation still continued in a state of irreligion and

idolatry, and as a punishment they remained in subjection to the

Philistines. During this time, Samuel visited the cities and villages

throughout the land, seeking to turn the hearts of the people to the God

of their fathers; and his efforts were not without good results. After

suffering the oppression of their enemies for twenty years, the

Israelites “mourned after the Lord.” Samuel counseled them, “If ye do

return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange

gods, and Ashtaroth, from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the

Lord, and serve him only;”—here we see that practical piety, heart

religion, was taught in the days of Samuel as taught by Christ when he

was upon the earth. Without the grace of Christ, the outward forms of

religion were valueless to ancient Israel. They are the same to modern

Israel.

There is need to-day of such a revival of true heart religion as was

experienced by ancient Israel. Repentance is the first step that must be

taken by all who would return to God. No one can do this work for

another. We must individually humble our souls before God, and put away

our idols. When we have done all that we can do, the Lord will manifest

to us his salvation.

With the co-operation of the heads of the tribes, a large assembly was

gathered at Mizpeh. Here a solemn fast was held. With deep humiliation

the people confessed their sins; and as an evidence of their

determination to obey the instructions they had heard, they invested

Samuel with the authority of judge.

The Philistines interpreted this gathering to be a council of war, and

with a strong force set out to disperse the Israelites before their

plans could be matured. The tidings of their approach caused great

terror in Israel. The people entreated Samuel, “Cease not to cry unto

the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the

Philistines.”

While Samuel was in the act of presenting a lamb as a burnt-offering,

the Philistines drew near for battle. Then the Mighty One who had

descended upon Sinai amid fire and smoke and thunder; who had parted the

Red Sea, and made a way through Jordan for the children of Israel, again

manifested his power. A terrible storm burst upon the advancing host,

and the earth was strewn with the dead bodies of mighty warriors.

The Israelites had stood in silent awe, trembling with hope and fear.

When they beheld the slaughter of their enemies, they knew that God had

accepted their repentance. Though unprepared for battle, they seized the

weapons of the slaughtered Philistines, and pursued the fleeing host to

Beth-car. This signal victory was gained upon the very field where,

twenty years before, Israel had been smitten before the Philistines, the

priests slain, and the ark of God taken. For nations as well as for

individuals, the path of obedience to God is the path of safety and

happiness, while that of transgression leads only to disaster and

defeat. The Philistines were now so completely subdued that they

surrendered the strongholds which had been taken from Israel, and

refrained from acts of hostility for many years. Other nations followed

this example, and the Israelites enjoyed peace until the close of

Samuel’s sole administration.

That the occasion might never be forgotten, Samuel set up, between

Mizpeh and Shen, a great stone as a memorial. He called the name of it

Ebenezer, “the stone of help,” saying to the people, “Hitherto hath

Jehovah helped us.”

[Illustration: “Guided by no human hand, the patient animals kept on

their way.”]

Footnote 1010:

See 1 Samuel 3-7.

Footnote 1011:

Prov. 28:9.

THE SCHOOLS OF THE PROPHETS—58

The Lord himself directed the education of Israel. His care was not

restricted to their religious interests; whatever affected their mental

or physical well-being was also the subject of divine providence, and

came within the sphere of divine law.

God had commanded the Hebrews to teach their children his requirements,

and to make them acquainted with all his dealings with their fathers.

This was one of the special duties of every parent,—one that was not to

be delegated to another. In the place of stranger lips, the loving

hearts of the father and mother were to give instruction to their

children. Thoughts of God were to be associated with all the events of

daily life. The mighty works of God in the deliverance of his people,

and the promises of the Redeemer to come, were to be often recounted in

the homes of Israel; and the use of figures and symbols caused the

lessons given to be more firmly fixed in the memory. The great truths of

God’s providence and of the future life were impressed on the young

mind. It was trained to see God alike in the scenes of nature and the

words of revelation. The stars of heaven, the trees and flowers of the

field, the lofty mountains, the rippling brooks,—all spoke of the

Creator. The solemn service of sacrifice and worship at the sanctuary,

and the utterances of the prophets, were a revelation of God.

Such was the training of Moses in the lowly cabin home in Goshen; of

Samuel, by the faithful Hannah; of David, in the hill dwelling at

Bethlehem; of Daniel, before the scenes of the captivity separated him

from the home of his fathers. Such, too, was the early life of Christ at

Nazareth; such the training by which the child Timothy learned from the

lips of his “grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice,”[1015] the truths

of Holy Writ.

Further provision was made for the instruction of the young, by the

establishment of the schools of the prophets. If a youth desired to

search deeper into the truths of the word of God, and to seek wisdom

from above, that he might become a teacher in Israel, these schools were

open to him. The schools of the prophets were founded by Samuel, to

serve as a barrier against the wide-spread corruption, to provide for

the moral and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to promote the future

prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with men qualified to act in

the fear of God as leaders and counselors. In the accomplishment of this

object, Samuel gathered companies of young men who were pious,

intelligent, and studious. These were called the sons of the prophets.

As they communed with God, and studied his word and his works, wisdom

from above was added to their natural endowments. The instructors were

men not only well versed in divine truth, but those who had themselves

enjoyed communion with God, and had received the special endowment of

his Spirit. They enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people, both

for learning and piety.

In Samuel’s day there were two of these schools,—one at Ramah, the home

of the prophet, and the other at Kirjath-jearim, where the ark then was.

Others were established in later times.

The pupils of these schools sustained themselves by their own labor in

tilling the soil or in some mechanical employment. In Israel this was

not thought strange or degrading; indeed, it was regarded a crime to

allow children to grow up in ignorance of useful labor. By the command

of God, every child was taught some trade, even though he was to be

educated for holy office. Many of the religious teachers supported

themselves by manual labor. Even so late as the time of the apostles,

Paul and Aquila were no less honored because they earned a livelihood by

their trade of tent-making.

The chief subjects of study in these schools were the law of God, with

the instructions given to Moses, sacred history, sacred music, and

poetry. The manner of instruction was far different from that in the

theological schools of the present day, from which many students

graduate with less real knowledge of God and religious truth than when

they entered. In those schools of the olden time it was the grand object

of all study to learn the will of God, and man’s duty toward him. In the

records of sacred history were traced the footsteps of Jehovah. The

great truths set forth by the types were brought to view, and faith

grasped the central object of all that system,—the Lamb of God that was

to take away the sin of the world.

A spirit of devotion was cherished. Not only were students taught the

duty of prayer, but they were taught how to pray, how to approach their

Creator, how to exercise faith in him, and how to understand and obey

the teachings of his Spirit. Sanctified intellects brought forth from

the treasure-house of God, things new and old, and the Spirit of God was

manifested in prophecy and sacred song.

Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that

which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion

and gratitude to God. What a contrast between the ancient custom and the

uses to which music is now too often devoted! How many employ this gift

to exalt self, instead of using it to glorify God! A love for music

leads the unwary to unite with world-lovers in pleasure-gatherings where

God has forbidden his children to go. Thus that which is a great

blessing when rightly used, becomes one of the most successful agencies

by which Satan allures the mind from duty and from the contemplation of

eternal things.

Music forms a part of God’s worship in the courts above, and we should

endeavor, in our songs of praise, to approach as nearly as possible to

the harmony of the heavenly choirs. The proper training of the voice is

an important feature in education, and should not be neglected. Singing,

as a part of religious service, is as much an act of worship as is

prayer. The heart must feel the spirit of the song, to give it right

expression.

How wide the difference between those schools taught by the prophets of

God, and our modern institutions of learning! How few schools are to be

found that are not governed by the maxims and customs of the world!

There is a deplorable lack of proper restraint and judicious discipline.

The existing ignorance of God’s word, among a people professedly

Christian, is alarming. Superficial talk, mere sentimentalism, passes

for instruction in morals and religion. The justice and mercy of God,

the beauty of holiness, and the sure reward of right-doing, the heinous

character of sin, and the certainty of its terrible results, are not

impressed upon the minds of the young. Evil associates are instructing

the youth in the ways of crime, dissipation, and licentiousness.

Are there not some lessons which the educators of our day might learn

with profit from the ancient schools of the Hebrews? He who created man

has provided for his development in body and mind and soul. Hence, real

success in education depends upon the fidelity with which men carry out

the Creator’s plan.

The true object of education is to restore the image of God in the soul.

In the beginning, God created man in his own likeness. He endowed him

with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of

his being were harmonious. But the fall and its effects have perverted

these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God

in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised,

and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the

perfection in which he was first created, is the great object of

life,—the object that underlies every other. It is the work of parents

and teachers, in the education of the youth, to co-operate with the

divine purpose; and in so doing they are “laborers together with

God.”[1016]

All the varied capabilities that men possess—of mind and soul and

body—are given them by God, to be so employed as to reach the highest

possible degree of excellence. But this cannot be a selfish and

exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to

receive, is benevolence and love. Every faculty, every attribute, with

which the Creator has endowed us, is to be employed for his glory and

for the uplifting of our fellow-men. And in this employment is found its

purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.

Were this principle given the attention which its importance demands,

there would be a radical change in some of the current methods of

education. Instead of appealing to pride and selfish ambition, kindling

a spirit of emulation, teachers would endeavor to awaken the love for

goodness and truth and beauty,—to arouse the desire for excellence. The

student would seek the development of God’s gifts in himself, not to

excel others, but to fulfill the purpose of the Creator and to receive

his likeness. Instead of being directed to mere earthly standards, or

being actuated by the desire for self-exaltation, which in itself dwarfs

and belittles, the mind would be directed to the Creator, to know him,

and to become like him.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and _the knowledge of

the Holy_ is understanding.”[1017] The great work of life is

character-building; and a knowledge of God is the foundation of all true

education. To impart this knowledge, and to mould the character in

harmony with it, should be the object of the teacher’s work. The law of

God is a reflection of his character. Hence the psalmist says, “All thy

commandments are righteousness;” and “through thy precepts I get

understanding.”[1018] God has revealed himself to us in his word and in

the works of creation. Through the volume of inspiration and the book of

nature, we are to obtain a knowledge of God.

[Illustration: THE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE. “The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.”]

It is a law of the mind that it gradually adapts itself to the subjects

upon which it is trained to dwell. If occupied with commonplace matters

only, it will become dwarfed and enfeebled. If never required to grapple

with difficult problems, it will after a time almost lose the power of

growth. As an educating power, the Bible is without a rival. In the word

of God the mind finds subject for the deepest thought, the loftiest

aspiration. The Bible is the most instructive history that men possess.

It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and a divine hand has

preserved its purity through all the ages. It lights up the far-distant

past, where human research seeks vainly to penetrate. In God’s word we

behold the power that laid the foundation of the earth and that

stretched out the heavens. Here only can we find a history of our race

unsullied by human prejudice or human pride. Here are recorded the

struggles, the defeats, and the victories of the greatest men this world

has ever known. Here the great problems of duty and destiny are

unfolded. The curtain that separates the visible from the invisible

world is lifted, and we behold the conflict of the opposing forces of

good and evil, from the first entrance of sin, to the final triumph of

righteousness and truth; and all is but a revelation of the character of

God. In the reverent contemplation of the truths presented in His word,

the mind of the student is brought into communion with the infinite

mind. Such a study will not only refine and ennoble the character, but

it cannot fail to expand and invigorate the mental powers.

The teaching of the Bible has a vital bearing upon man’s prosperity in

all the relations of this life. It unfolds the principles that are the

corner-stone of a nation’s prosperity,—principles with which is bound up

the well-being of society, and which are the safeguard of the

family,—principles without which no man can attain usefulness,

happiness, and honor in this life, or can hope to secure the future,

immortal life. There is no position in life, no phase of human

experience, for which the teaching of the Bible is not an essential

preparation. Studied and obeyed, the word of God would give to the world

men of stronger and more active intellect than will the closest

application to all the subjects that human philosophy embraces. It would

give men of strength and solidity of character, of keen perception and

sound judgment,—men who would be an honor to God and a blessing to the

world.

In the study of the sciences also, we are to obtain a knowledge of the

Creator. All true science is but an interpretation of the handwriting of

God in the material world. Science brings from her research only fresh

evidences of the wisdom and power of God. Rightly understood, both the

book of nature and the written word make us acquainted with God by

teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through which he

works.

The student should be led to see God in all the works of creation.

Teachers should copy the example of the Great Teacher, who from the

familiar scenes of nature drew illustrations that simplified his

teachings, and impressed them more deeply upon the minds of his hearers.

The birds caroling in the leafy branches, the flowers of the valley, the

lofty trees, the fruitful lands, the springing grain, the barren soil,

the setting sun gilding the heavens with its golden beams,—all served as

means of instruction. He connected the visible works of the Creator with

the words of life which he spoke, that whenever these objects should be

presented to the eyes of his hearers, their thoughts might revert to the

lessons of truth he had linked with them.

The impress of Deity, manifest in the pages of revelation, is seen upon

the lofty mountains, the fruitful valleys, the broad, deep ocean. The

things of nature speak to man of his Creator’s love. He has linked us to

himself by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. This world is not

all sorrow and misery. “God is love,” is written upon every opening bud,

upon the petals of every flower, and upon every spire of grass. Though

the curse of sin has caused the earth to bring forth thorns and

thistles, there are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are hidden

by roses. All things in nature testify to the tender, fatherly care of

our God, and to his desire to make his children happy. His prohibitions

and injunctions are not intended merely to display his authority, but in

all that he does, he has the well-being of his children in view. He does

not require them to give up anything that it would be for their best

interest to retain.

The opinion which prevails in some classes of society, that religion is

not conducive to health or to happiness in this life, is one of the most

mischievous of errors. The Scripture says: “The fear of the Lord tendeth

to life; and he that hath it shall abide satisfied.”[1019] “What man is

he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep

thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from

evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”[1020] The words of wisdom

“are life unto those that find them, and health to all their

flesh.”[1021]

True religion brings man into harmony with the laws of God, physical,

mental, and moral. It teaches self-control, serenity, temperance.

Religion ennobles the mind, refines the taste, and sanctifies the

judgment. It makes the soul a partaker of the purity of heaven. Faith in

God’s love and overruling providence lightens the burdens of anxiety and

care. It fills the heart with joy and contentment in the highest or the

lowliest lot. Religion tends directly to promote health, to lengthen

life, and to heighten our enjoyment of all its blessings. It opens to

the soul a never-failing fountain of happiness. Would that all who have

not chosen Christ might realize that he has something vastly better to

offer them than they are seeking for themselves. Man is doing the

greatest injury and injustice to his own soul when he thinks and acts

contrary to the will of God. No real joy can be found in the path

forbidden by Him who knows what is best, and who plans for the good of

his creatures. The path of transgression Leads to misery and

destruction; but wisdom’s “ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her

paths are peace.”[1022]

The physical as well as the religious training practiced in the schools

of the Hebrews may be profitably studied. The worth of such training is

not appreciated. There is an intimate relation between the mind and the

body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual

attainment, the laws that control our physical being must be heeded. To

secure a strong, well-balanced character, both the mental and the

physical powers must be exercised and developed. What study can be more

important for the young than that which treats of this wonderful

organism that God has committed to us, and of the laws by which it may

be preserved in health?

And now, as in the days of Israel, every youth should be instructed in

the duties of practical life. Each should acquire a knowledge of some

branch of manual labor, by which, if need be, he may obtain a

livelihood. This is essential, not only as a safeguard against the

vicissitudes of life, but from its bearing upon physical, mental, and

moral development. Even if it were certain that one would never need to

resort to manual labor for his support, still he should be taught to

work. Without physical exercise, no one can have a sound constitution

and vigorous health; and the discipline of well-regulated labor is no

less essential to the securing of a strong and active mind and a noble

character.

Every student should devote a portion of each day to active labor. Thus

habits of industry would be formed, and a spirit of self-reliance

encouraged, while the youth would be shielded from many evil and

degrading practices that are so often the result of idleness. And this

is all in keeping with the primary object of education; for in

encouraging activity, diligence, and purity, we are coming into harmony

with the Creator.

Let the youth be led to understand the object of their creation,—to

honor God, and bless their fellow-men; let them see the tender love

which the Father in heaven has manifested toward them, and the high

destiny for which the discipline of this life is to prepare them,—the

dignity and honor to which they are called, even to become the sons of

God,—and thousands would turn with contempt and loathing from the low

and selfish aims and the frivolous pleasures that have hitherto

engrossed them. They would learn to hate sin, and to shun it, not merely

from hope of reward or fear of punishment, but from a sense of its

inherent baseness,—because it would be a degrading of their God-given

powers, a stain upon their God-like manhood.

God does not bid the youth to be less aspiring. The elements of

character that make a man successful and honored among men,—the

irrepressible desire for some greater good, the indomitable will, the

strenuous exertion, the untiring perseverance,—are not to be crushed

out. By the grace of God they are to be directed to objects as much

higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are

higher than the earth. And the education begun in this life will be

continued in the life to come. Day by day the wonderful works of God,

the evidences of his wisdom and power in creating and sustaining the

universe, the infinite mystery of love and wisdom in the plan of

redemption, will open to the mind in new beauty. “Eye hath not seen, nor

ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which

God hath prepared for them that love him.”[1023] Even in this life we

may catch glimpses of His presence, and may taste the joy of communion

with heaven; but the fullness of its joy and blessing will be reached in

the hereafter. Eternity alone can reveal the glorious destiny to which

man, restored to God’s image, may attain.

[Illustration: In the Carpenter Shop. “Every youth should be instructed

in the duties of practical life.”]

Footnote 1015:

2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15.

Footnote 1016:

1 Cor. 3:9.

Footnote 1017:

Prov. 9:10.

Footnote 1018:

Ps. 119:172, 104.

Footnote 1019:

Prov. 19:23.

Footnote 1020:

Ps. 34:12-14.

Footnote 1021:

Prov. 4:22.

Footnote 1022:

Prov. 3:17.

Footnote 1023:

1 Cor. 2:9.

THE EARLIER KINGS

“The throne is established by righteousness,” and “upholden by

mercy.”

“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my

servant,” “His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun

before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a

faithful witness in heaven.”

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the

government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called

... the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace

there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his

kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with

justice from henceforth even forever.”

THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL—59

The government of Israel was administered in the name and by the

authority of God. The work of Moses, of the seventy elders, of the

rulers and judges, was simply to enforce the laws that God had given;

they had no authority to legislate for the nation. This was, and

continued to be, the condition of Israel’s existence as a nation. From

age to age, men inspired by God were sent to instruct the people, and to

direct in the enforcement of the laws.

The Lord foresaw that Israel would desire a king, but he did not consent

to a change in the principles upon which the State was founded. The king

was to be the vicegerent of the Most High. God was to be recognized as

the head of the nation, and his law was to be enforced as the supreme

law of the land.[1025]

When the Israelites first settled in Canaan, they acknowledged the

principles of the theocracy, and the nation prospered under the rule of

Joshua. But increase of population, and intercourse with other nations,

brought a change. The people adopted many of the customs of their

heathen neighbors, and thus sacrificed, to a great degree, their own

peculiar, holy character. Gradually they lost their reverence for God,

and ceased to prize the honor of being his chosen people. Attracted by

the pomp and display of heathen monarchs, they tired of their own

simplicity. Jealousy and envy sprung up between the tribes. Internal

dissensions made them weak; they were continually exposed to the

invasion of their heathen foes, and the people were coming to believe

that in order to maintain their standing among the nations, the tribes

must be united under a strong central government. As they departed from

obedience to God’s law, they desired to be freed from the rule of their

divine Sovereign; and thus the demand for a monarchy became wide-spread

throughout Israel.

Since the days of Joshua, the government had never been conducted with

so great wisdom and success as under Samuel’s administration. Divinely

invested with the threefold office of judge, prophet, and priest, he had

labored with untiring and disinterested zeal for the welfare of his

people, and the nation had prospered under his wise control. Order had

been restored, and godliness promoted, and the spirit of discontent was

checked for the time. But with advancing years the prophet was forced to

share with others the cares of government, and he appointed his two sons

to act as his assistants. While Samuel continued the duties of his

office at Ramah, the young men were stationed at Beersheba, to

administer justice among the people near the southern border of the

land.

It was with the full assent of the nation that Samuel had appointed his

sons to office; but they did not prove themselves worthy of their

father’s choice. The Lord had, through Moses, given special directions

to his people that the rulers of Israel should judge righteously, deal

justly with the widow and the fatherless, and receive no bribes. But the

sons of Samuel “turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted

judgment.” The sons of the prophet had not heeded the precepts which he

had sought to impress upon their minds. They had not copied the pure,

unselfish life of their father. The warning given to Eli had not exerted

the influence upon the mind of Samuel that it should have done. He had

been to some extent too indulgent with his sons, and the result was

apparent in their character and life.

The injustice of these judges caused much dissatisfaction, and a pretext

was thus furnished for urging the change that had long been secretly

desired. “All the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and

came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and

thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all

the nations.”[1026] The cases of abuse among the people had not been

referred to Samuel. Had the evil course of his sons been known to him,

he would have removed them without delay; but this was not what the

petitioners desired. Samuel saw that their real motive was discontent

and pride, and that their demand was the result of a deliberate and

determined purpose. No complaint had been made against Samuel. All

acknowledged the integrity and wisdom of his administration; but the

aged prophet looked upon the request as a censure upon himself, and a

direct effort to set him aside, He did not, however, reveal his

feelings; he uttered no reproach, but carried the matter to the Lord in

prayer, and sought counsel from him alone.

And the Lord said unto Samuel: “Hearken unto the voice of the people in

all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they

have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all

the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out

of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served

other gods, so do they also unto thee.” The prophet was reproved for

grieving at the conduct of the people toward himself as an individual.

They had not manifested disrespect for him, but for the authority of

God, who had appointed the rulers of his people. Those who despise and

reject the faithful servant of God, show contempt, not merely for the

man, but for the Master who sent him. It is God’s words, his reproofs

and counsel, that are set at naught; it is his authority that is

rejected.

The days of Israel’s greatest prosperity had been those in which they

acknowledged Jehovah as their king,—when the laws and the government

which he had established were regarded as superior to those of all other

nations. Moses had declared to Israel concerning the commandments of the

Lord: “This is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the

nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great

nation is a wise and understanding people.”[1027] But by departing from

God’s law the Hebrews had failed to become the people that God desired

to make them, and then all the evils which were the result of their own

sin and folly they charged upon the government of God. So completely had

they become blinded by sin.

The Lord had, through his prophets, foretold that Israel would be

governed by a king; but it does not follow that this form of government

was best for them, or according to his will. He permitted the people to

follow their own choice, because they refused to be guided by his

counsel. Hosea declares that God gave them a king in his anger.[1028]

When men choose to have their own way, without seeking counsel from God,

or in opposition to his revealed will, he often grants their desires, in

order that, through the bitter experience that follows, they may be led

to realize their folly and to repent of their sin. Human pride and

wisdom will prove a dangerous guide. That which the heart desires

contrary to the will of God, will in the end be found a curse rather

than a blessing.

God desired his people to look to him alone as their lawgiver and their

source of strength. Feeling their dependence upon God, they would be

constantly drawn nearer to him. They would become elevated and ennobled,

fitted for the high destiny to which he had called them as his chosen

people. But when a man was placed upon the throne, it would tend to turn

the minds of the people from God. They would trust more to human

strength, and less to divine power, and the errors of their king would

lead them into sin, and separate the nation from God.

Samuel was instructed to grant the request of the people, but to warn

them of the Lord’s disapproval, and also make known what would be the

result of their course. “And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto

the people that asked of him a king.” He faithfully set before them the

burdens that would be laid upon them, and showed the contrast between

such a state of oppression and their present comparatively free and

prosperous condition. Their king would imitate the pomp and luxury of

other monarchs, to support which, grievous exactions upon their persons

and property would be necessary. The goodliest of their young men he

would require for his service. They would be made charioteers and

horsemen and runners before him. They must fill the ranks of his army,

and they would be required to till _his_ fields, to reap _his_ harvests,

and to manufacture implements of war for _his_ service. The daughters of

Israel would be taken for confectioners and bakers for the royal

household. To support his kingly state he would seize upon the best of

their lands, bestowed upon the people by Jehovah himself. The most

valuable of their servants also, and of their cattle, he would take, and

“put them to his own work.” Besides all this, the king would require a

tenth of all their income, the profits of their labor, or the products

of the soil. “Ye shall be his servants,” concluded the prophet. “And ye

shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have

chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” However

burdensome its exactions should be found, when once a monarchy was

established, they could not set it aside at pleasure.

But the people returned the answer, “Nay; but we will have a king over

us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may

judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

“Like all the nations.”—The Israelites did not realize that to be in

this respect unlike other nations was a special privilege and blessing.

God had separated the Israelites from every other people, to make them

his own peculiar treasure. But they, disregarding this high honor,

eagerly desired to imitate the example of the heathen! And still the

longing to conform to worldly practices and customs exists among the

professed people of God. As they depart from the Lord, they become

ambitious for the gains and honors of the world. Christians are

constantly seeking to imitate the practices of those who worship the god

of this world. Many urge that by uniting with worldlings and conforming

to their customs, they might exert a stronger influence over the

ungodly. But all who pursue this course, thereby separate from the

Source of their strength. Becoming the friends of the world, they are

the enemies of God. For the sake of earthly distinction they sacrifice

the unspeakable honor to which God has called them, of showing forth the

praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous

light.[1029]

With deep sadness, Samuel listened to the words of the people; but the

Lord said unto him, “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.”

The prophet had done his duty. He had faithfully presented the warning,

and it had been rejected. With a heavy heart he dismissed the people,

and himself departed to prepare for the great change in the government.

Samuel’s life of purity and unselfish devotion was a perpetual rebuke

both to self-serving priests and elders, and to the proud, sensual

congregation of Israel. Although he assumed no pomp and made no display,

his labors bore the signet of Heaven. He was honored by the world’s

Redeemer, under whose guidance he ruled the Hebrew nation. But the

people had become weary of his piety and devotion; they despised his

humble authority, and rejected him for a man who should rule them as a

king.

In the character of Samuel we see reflected the likeness of Christ. It

was the purity of our Saviour’s life that provoked the wrath of Satan.

That life was the light of the world, and revealed the hidden depravity

in the hearts of men. It was the holiness of Christ that stirred up

against him the fiercest passions of false-hearted professors of

godliness. Christ came not with the wealth and honors of earth, yet the

works which he wrought showed him to possess power greater than that of

any human prince. The Jews looked for the Messiah to break the

oppressor’s yoke, yet they cherished the sins that had bound it upon

their necks. Had Christ cloaked their sins and applauded their piety,

they would have accepted him as their king; but they would not bear his

fearless rebuke of their vices. The loveliness of a character in which

benevolence, purity, and holiness reigned supreme, which entertained no

hatred except for sin, they despised. Thus it has been in every age of

the world. The light from heaven brings condemnation on all who refuse

to walk in it. When rebuked by the example of those who hate sin,

hypocrites will become agents of Satan to harass and persecute the

faithful. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer

persecution.”[1030]

Though a monarchical form of government for Israel had been foretold in

prophecy, God had reserved to himself the right to choose their king.

The Hebrews so far respected the authority of God as to leave the

selection entirely to him. The choice fell upon Saul, a son of Kish, of

the tribe of Benjamin.

The personal qualities of the future monarch were such as to gratify

that pride of heart which prompted the desire for a king. “There was not

among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.”[1031] Of noble

and dignified bearing, in the prime of life, comely and tall, he

appeared like one born to command. Yet with these external attractions,

Saul was destitute of those higher qualities that constitute true

wisdom. He had not in youth learned to control his rash, impetuous

passions; he had never felt the renewing power of divine grace.

Saul was the son of a powerful and wealthy chief, yet in accordance with

the simplicity of the times, he was engaged with his father in the

humble duties of a husbandman. Some of his father’s animals having

strayed upon the mountains, Saul went with a servant to seek for them.

For three days they searched in vain, when, as they were not far from

Ramah,[1032] the home of Samuel, the servant proposed that they should

inquire of the prophet concerning the missing property. “I have here at

hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver,” he said; “that will I give

to the man of God, to tell us our way.” This was in accordance with the

custom of the times. A person approaching a superior in rank or office

made him a small present, as an expression of respect.

As they drew near to the city, they met some young maidens who had come

out to draw water, and inquired of them for the seer. In reply they were

told that a religious service was about to take place, that the prophet

had already arrived, there was to be an offering upon “the high place,”

and after that a sacrificial feast. A great change had taken place under

Samuel’s administration. When the call of God first came to him, the

services of the sanctuary were held in contempt. “Men abhorred the

offering of the Lord.”[1033] But the worship of God was now maintained

throughout the land, and the people manifested an interest in religious

services. There being no ministration in the tabernacle, sacrifices were

for the time offered elsewhere; and the cities of the priests and

Levites, where the people resorted for instruction, were chosen for this

purpose. The highest points in these cities were usually selected as the

place of sacrifice, and hence were called the high places.

At the gate of the city, Saul was met by the prophet himself. God had

revealed to Samuel that at that time the chosen king of Israel would

present himself before him. As they now stood face to face, the Lord

said to Samuel, “Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall

reign over my people.”

To the request of Saul, “Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house

is,” Samuel replied, “I am the seer.” Assuring him also that the lost

animals had been found, he urged him to tarry and attend the feast, at

the same time giving some intimation of the great destiny before him:

“On whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy

father’s house?” The listener’s heart thrilled at the prophet’s words.

He could not but perceive something of their significance; for the

demand for a king had become a matter of absorbing interest to the whole

nation. Yet with modest self-depreciation, Saul replied, “Am not I a

Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the

least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then

speakest thou so to me?”

Samuel conducted the stranger to the place of assembly, where the

principal men of the town were gathered. Among them, at the prophet’s

direction, the place of honor was given to Saul, and at the feast the

choicest portion was set before him. The services over, Samuel took his

guest to his own home, and there upon the housetop he communed with him,

setting forth the great principles on which the government of Israel had

been established, and thus seeking to prepare him, in some measure, for

his high station.

When Saul departed, early next morning, the prophet went forth with him.

Having passed through the town, he directed the servant to go forward.

Then he bade Saul stand still to receive a message sent him from God.

“And Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed

him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah hath anointed thee to be

captain over his inheritance?” As evidence that this was done by divine

authority, he foretold the incidents that would occur on the homeward

journey, and assured Saul that he would be qualified by the Spirit of

God for the station awaiting him. “The Spirit of Jehovah will come upon

thee,” said the prophet, and thou “shalt be turned into another man. And

let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion

serve thee; for God is with thee.”

As Saul went on his way, all came to pass as the prophet had said. Near

the border of Benjamin he was informed that the lost animals had been

found. In the plain of Tabor he met three men who were going to worship

God at Bethel. One of them carried three kids for sacrifice, another

three loaves of bread, and the third a bottle of wine, for the

sacrificial feast. They gave Saul the usual salutation, and also

presented him with two of the three loaves of bread. At Gibeah, his own

city, a band of prophets returning from the “high place” were singing

the praise of God to the music of the pipe and the harp, the psaltery

and the tabret. As Saul approached them, the Spirit of the Lord came

upon him also, and he joined in their song of praise, and prophesied

with them. He spoke with so great fluency and wisdom, and joined so

earnestly in the service, that those who had known him exclaimed in

astonishment, “What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul

also among the prophets?”

As Saul united with the prophets in their worship, a great change was

wrought in him by the Holy Spirit. The light of divine purity and

holiness shone in upon the darkness of the natural heart. He saw himself

as he was before God. He saw the beauty of holiness. He was now called

to begin the warfare against sin and Satan, and he was made to feel that

in this conflict his strength must come wholly from God. The plan of

salvation, which had before seemed dim and uncertain, was opened to his

understanding. The Lord endowed him with courage and wisdom for his high

station. He revealed to him the Source of strength and grace, and

enlightened his understanding as to the divine claims and his own duty.

The anointing of Saul as king had not been made known to the nation. The

choice of God was to be publicly manifested by lot. For this purpose,

Samuel convoked the people at Mizpeh. Prayer was offered for divine

guidance; then followed the solemn ceremony of casting the lot. In

silence the assembled multitude awaited the issue. The tribe, the

family, and the household were successively designated, and then Saul,

the son of Kish, was pointed out as the individual chosen. But Saul was

not in the assembly. Burdened with a sense of the great responsibility

about to fall upon him, he had secretly withdrawn. He was brought back

to the congregation, who observed with pride and satisfaction that he

was of kingly bearing and noble form, being “higher than any of the

people from his shoulders and upward.” Even Samuel, when presenting him

to the assembly, exclaimed, “See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that

there is none like him among all the people?” And in response arose from

the vast throng one long, loud shout of joy, “God save the king!”

Samuel then set before the people “the manner of the kingdom,” stating

the principles upon which the monarchical government was based, and by

which it should be controlled. The king was not to be an absolute

monarch, but was to hold his power in subjection to the will of the Most

High. This address was recorded in a book, wherein were set forth the

prerogatives of the prince and the rights and privileges of the people.

Though the nation had despised Samuel’s warning, the faithful prophet,

while forced to yield to their desires, still endeavored, as far as

possible, to guard their liberties.

While the people in general were ready to acknowledge Saul as their

king, there was a large party in opposition. For a monarch to be chosen

from Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes of Israel—and that to the

neglect of both Judah and Ephraim, the largest and most powerful—was a

slight which they could not brook. They refused to profess allegiance to

Saul, or to bring him the customary presents. Those who had been most

urgent in their demand for a king were the very ones that refused to

accept with gratitude the man of God’s appointment. The members of each

faction had their favorite, whom they wished to see placed on the

throne, and several among the leaders had desired the honor for

themselves. Envy and jealousy burned in the hearts of many. The efforts

of pride and ambition had resulted in disappointment and discontent.

In this condition of affairs, Saul did not see fit to assume the royal

dignity. Leaving Samuel to administer the government as formerly, he

returned to Gibeah. He was honorably escorted thither by a company, who,

seeing the divine choice in his selection, were determined to sustain

him. But he made no attempt to maintain by force his right to the

throne. In his home among the uplands of Benjamin he quietly occupied

himself in the duties of a husbandman, leaving the establishment of his

authority entirely to God.

Soon after Saul’s appointment, the Ammonites, under their king, Nahash,

invaded the territory of the tribes east of Jordan, and threatened the

city of Jabesh-gilead. The inhabitants tried to secure terms of peace by

offering to become tributary to the Ammonites. To this the cruel king

would not consent but on condition that he might put out the right eye

of every one of them, thus making them abiding witnesses to his power.

The people of the besieged city begged a respite of seven days. To this

the Ammonites consented, thinking thus to heighten the honor of their

expected triumph. Messengers were at once dispatched from Jabesh, to

seek help from the tribes west of Jordan. They carried the tidings to

Gibeah, creating wide-spread terror. Saul, returning at night from

following the oxen in the field, heard the loud wail that told of some

great calamity. He said, “What aileth the people that they weep?” When

the shameful story was repeated, all his dormant powers were roused.

“The Spirit of God came upon Saul, ... and he took a yoke of oxen, and

hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel

by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after

Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.”

Three hundred and thirty thousand men gathered on the plain of Bezek,

under the command of Saul. Messengers were immediately sent to the

besieged city, with the assurance that they might expect help on the

morrow, the very day on which they were to submit to the Ammonites. By a

rapid night march, Saul and his army crossed the Jordan, and arrived

before Jabesh in “the morning watch.” Like Gideon, dividing his force

into three companies, he fell upon the Ammonite camp at that early hour,

when, not suspecting danger, they were least secure. In the panic that

followed, they were routed, with great slaughter. And “they which

remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.”

The promptness and bravery of Saul, as well as the generalship shown in

the successful conduct of so large a force, were qualities which the

people of Israel had desired in a monarch, that they might be able to

cope with other nations. They now greeted him as their king, attributing

the honor of the victory to human agencies, and forgetting that without

God’s special blessing all their efforts would have been in vain. In

their enthusiasm, some proposed to put to death those who had at first

refused to acknowledge the authority of Saul. But the king interfered,

saying, “There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day the

Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.” Here Saul gave evidence of the

change that had taken place in his character. Instead of taking honor to

himself, he gave the glory to God. Instead of showing a desire for

revenge, he manifested a spirit of compassion and forgiveness. This is

unmistakable evidence that the grace of God dwells in the heart.

Samuel now proposed that a national assembly should be convoked at

Gilgal, that the kingdom might there be publicly confirmed to Saul. It

was done; “and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings

before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced

greatly.”

Gilgal had been the place of Israel’s first encampment in the promised

land. It was here that Joshua, by divine direction, set up the pillar of

twelve stones to commemorate the miraculous passage of the Jordan. Here

circumcision had been renewed. Here they had kept the first Passover

after the sin at Kadesh, and the desert sojourn. Here the manna ceased.

Here the Captain of the Lord’s host had revealed himself as chief in

command of the armies of Israel. From this place they marched to the

overthrow of Jericho and the conquest of Ai. Here Achan met the penalty

of his sin, and here was made that treaty with the Gibeonites which

punished Israel’s neglect to ask counsel of God. Upon this plain, linked

with so many thrilling associations, stood Samuel and Saul; and when the

shouts of welcome to the king had died away, the aged prophet gave his

parting words as ruler of the nation.

“Behold,” he said, “I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said

unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king

walketh before you; and I am old and gray-headed; ... and I have walked

before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness

against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I

taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I

oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes

therewith? and I will restore it to you.”

With one voice the people answered, “Thou hast not defrauded us, nor

oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man’s hand.”

Samuel was not seeking merely to justify his own course. He had

previously set forth the principles that should govern both the king and

the people, and he desired to add to his words the weight of his own

example. From childhood he had been connected with the work of God, and

during his long life one object had been ever before him,—the glory of

God and the highest good of Israel.

Before there could be any hope of prosperity for Israel, they must be

led to repentance before God. In consequence of sin they had lost their

faith in God, and their discernment of his power and wisdom to rule the

nation,—lost their confidence in his ability to vindicate his cause.

Before they could find true peace, they must be led to see and confess

the very sin of which they had been guilty. They had declared the object

of the demand for a king to be, “That our king may judge us, and go out

before us, and fight our battles.” Samuel recounted the history of

Israel, from the day when God brought them from Egypt. Jehovah, the King

of kings, had gone out before them, and had fought their battles. Often

their sins had sold them into the power of their enemies, but no sooner

did they turn from their evil ways than God’s mercy raised up a

deliverer. The Lord sent Gideon and Barak, and “Jephthah and Samuel, and

delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye

dwelled safe.” Yet when threatened with danger they had declared, “A

king shall reign over us,” when, said the prophet, “Jehovah your God was

your king.”

“Now therefore,” continued Samuel, “stand and see this great thing,

which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to-day?

I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye

may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done

in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king. So Samuel called unto

the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.” At the time of

wheat harvest, in May and June, no rain fell in the East. The sky was

cloudless, and the air serene and mild. So violent a storm at this

season filled all hearts with fear. In humiliation the people now

confessed their sin,—the very sin of which they had been guilty: “Pray

for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not; for we have

added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.”

Samuel did not leave the people in a state of discouragement, for this

would have prevented all effort for a better life. Satan would lead them

to look upon God as severe and unforgiving, and they would thus be

exposed to manifold temptations. God is merciful and forgiving, ever

desiring to show favor to his people, when they will obey his voice.

“Fear not,” was the message of God by his servant; “ye have done all

this wickedness; yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve

the Lord with all your heart; and turn ye not aside; for then should ye

go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are

vain. For the Lord will not forsake his people.”

Samuel said nothing of the slight which had been put upon himself; he

uttered no reproach for the ingratitude with which Israel had repaid his

life-long devotion; but he assured them of his unceasing interest for

them: “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray

for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the

Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great

things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall

be consumed, both ye and your king.”

Footnote 1025:

See Appendix, Note 11.

Footnote 1026:

See 1 Samuel 8-12.

Footnote 1027:

Deut. 4:6.

Footnote 1028:

Hos. 13:11.

Footnote 1029:

1 Peter 2:9.

Footnote 1030:

2 Tim. 3:12.

Footnote 1031:

1 Sam. 9:2.

Footnote 1032:

See Appendix, Note 12.

Footnote 1033:

1 Sam. 2:17.

THE PRESUMPTION OF SAUL—60

After the assembly at Gilgal, Saul disbanded the army that had at his

call arisen to overthrow the Ammonites, reserving only two thousand men

to be stationed under his command at Michmash, and one thousand to

attend his son Jonathan at Gibeah. Here was a serious error. His army

was filled with hope and courage by the recent victory; and had he

proceeded at once against other enemies of Israel, a telling blow might

have been struck for the liberties of the nation.

Meanwhile their warlike neighbors, the Philistines, were active. After

the defeat at Ebenezer, they had still retained possession of some hill

fortresses in the land of Israel; and now they established themselves in

the very heart of the country. In facilities, arms, and equipments, the

Philistines had great advantage over Israel. During the long period of

their oppressive rule, they had endeavored to strengthen their power by

forbidding the Israelites to practice the trade of smiths, lest they

should make weapons of war. After the conclusion of peace, the Hebrews

had still resorted to the Philistine garrisons for such work as needed

to be done. Controlled by love of ease, and the abject spirit induced by

long oppression, the men of Israel had, to a great extent, neglected to

provide themselves with weapons of war. Bows and slings were used in

warfare, and these the Israelites could obtain; but there were none

among them, except Saul and his son Jonathan, who possessed a spear or a

sword.[1034]

It was not until the second year of Saul’s reign that an attempt was

made to subdue the Philistines. The first blow was struck by Jonathan,

the king’s son, who attacked and overcame their garrison at Geba. The

Philistines, exasperated by this defeat, made ready for a speedy attack

upon Israel. Saul now caused war to be proclaimed by the sound of the

trumpet throughout the land, calling upon all the men of war, including

the tribes across the Jordan, to assemble at Gilgal. This summons was

obeyed.

The Philistines had gathered an immense force at Michmash,—“thirty

thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand

which is on the sea-shore in multitude.”[1035] When the tidings reached

Saul and his army at Gilgal, the people were appalled at thought of the

mighty forces they would have to encounter in battle. They were not

prepared to meet the enemy, and many were so terrified that they dared

not come to the test of an encounter. Some crossed the Jordan, while

others hid themselves in caves and pits, and amid the rocks that

abounded in that region. As the time for the encounter drew near, the

number of desertions rapidly increased, and those who did not withdraw

from the ranks were filled with foreboding and terror.

When Saul was first anointed king of Israel, he had received from Samuel

explicit directions concerning the course to be pursued at this time.

“Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal,” said the prophet; “and,

behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to

sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offering. Seven days shalt thou tarry,

till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.”[1036]

Day after day Saul tarried, but without making decided efforts toward

encouraging the people and inspiring confidence in God. Before the time

appointed by the prophet had fully expired, he became impatient at the

delay, and allowed himself to be discouraged by the trying circumstances

that surrounded him. Instead of faithfully seeking to prepare the people

for the service that Samuel was coming to perform, he indulged in

unbelief and foreboding. The work of seeking God by sacrifice was a most

solemn and important work; and God required that his people should

search their hearts and repent of their sins, that the offering might be

made with acceptance before him, and that his blessing might attend

their efforts to conquer the enemy. But Saul had grown restless; and the

people, instead of trusting in God for help, were looking to the king

whom they had chosen, to lead and direct them.

Yet the Lord still cared for them, and did not give them up to the

disasters that would have come upon them if the frail arm of flesh had

become their only support. He brought them into close places, that they

might be convicted of the folly of depending on man, and that they might

turn to him as their only help. The time for the proving of Saul had

come. He was now to show whether or not he would depend on God, and

patiently wait according to his command, thus revealing himself as one

whom God could trust in trying places as the ruler of his people, or

whether he would be vacillating, and unworthy of the sacred

responsibility that had devolved upon him. Would the king whom Israel

had chosen, listen to the Ruler of all kings? Would he turn the

attention of his faint-hearted soldiers to the One in whom is

everlasting strength and deliverance?

With growing impatience he awaited the arrival of Samuel, and attributed

the confusion and distress and desertion of his army to the absence of

the prophet. The appointed time came, but the man of God did not

immediately appear. God’s providence had detained his servant. But

Saul’s restless, impulsive spirit would no longer be restrained. Feeling

that something must be done to calm the fears of the people, he

determined to summon an assembly for religious service, and by sacrifice

entreat the divine aid. God had directed that only those consecrated to

the office should present sacrifices before him. But Saul commanded,

“Bring hither a burnt-offering;”[1037] and, equipped as he was with

armor and weapons of war, he approached the altar, and offered sacrifice

before God.

[Illustration: SAMUEL REPROVING SAUL. “Samuel’s countenance was full of

anxiety and trouble.... Saul offered excuses for his presumptuous act.”]

“And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the

burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that

he might salute him.” Samuel saw at once that Saul had gone contrary to

the express directions that had been given him. The Lord had spoken by

his prophet that at this time he would reveal what Israel must do in

this crisis. If Saul had fulfilled the conditions upon which divine help

was promised, the Lord would have wrought a marvelous deliverance for

Israel, with the few who were loyal to the king. But Saul was so well

satisfied with himself and his work, that he went out to meet the

prophet as one who should be commended rather than disapproved.

Samuel’s countenance was full of anxiety and trouble; but to his

inquiry, “What hast thou done?” Saul offered excuses for his

presumptuous act. He said: “I saw that the people were scattered from

me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the

Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I,

The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not

made supplication unto the Lord; I forced myself therefore, and offered

a burnt-offering.

“And Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept

the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee; for now

would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now

thy kingdom shall not continue; the Lord hath sought him a man after his

own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his

people.... And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of

Benjamin.”

Either Israel must cease to be the people of God, or the principle upon

which the monarchy was founded must be maintained, and the nation must

be governed by a divine power. If Israel would be wholly the Lord’s, if

the will of the human and earthly were held in subjection to the will of

God, he would continue to be the ruler of Israel. So long as the king

and the people would conduct themselves as subordinate to God, so long

he could be their defense. But in Israel no monarchy could prosper that

did not in all things acknowledge the supreme authority of God.

If Saul had shown a regard for the requirements of God in this time of

trial, God could have worked his will through him. His failure now

proved him unfit to be the vicegerent of God to his people. He would

mislead Israel. His will, rather than the will of God, would be the

controlling power. If Saul had been faithful, his kingdom would have

been established forever; but since he had failed, the purpose of God

must be accomplished by another. The government of Israel must be

committed to one who would rule the people according to the will of

Heaven.

We do not know what great interests may be at stake in the proving of

God. There is no safety except in strict obedience to the word of God.

All his promises are made upon condition of faith and obedience, and a

failure to comply with his commands cuts off the fulfillment to us of

the rich provisions of the Scriptures. We should not follow impulse, nor

rely on the judgment of men; we should look to the revealed will of God,

and walk according to his definite commandment, no matter what

circumstances may surround us. God will take care of the results; by

faithfulness to his word we may in time of trial prove before men and

angels that the Lord can trust us in difficult places to carry out his

will, honor his name, and bless his people.

Saul was in disfavor with God, and yet unwilling to humble his heart in

penitence. What he lacked in real piety, he would try to make up by his

zeal in the forms of religion. Saul was not ignorant of Israel’s defeat

when the ark of God was brought into the camp by Hophni and Phinehas;

and yet, knowing all this, he determined to send for the sacred chest

and its attendant priest. Could he by this means inspire confidence in

the people, he hoped to re-assemble his scattered army, and give battle

to the Philistines. He would now dispense with Samuel’s presence and

support, and thus free himself from the prophet’s unwelcome criticisms

and reproofs.

The Holy Spirit had been granted to Saul to enlighten his understanding

and soften his heart. He had received faithful instruction and reproof

from the prophet of God. And yet how great was his perversity! The

history of Israel’s first king presents a sad example of the power of

early wrong habits. In his youth, Saul did not love and fear God; and

that impetuous spirit, not early trained to submission, was ever ready

to rebel against divine authority. Those who in their youth cherish a

sacred regard for the will of God, and who faithfully perform the duties

of their position, will be prepared for higher service in after-life.

But men cannot for years pervert the powers that God has given them, and

then, when they choose to change, find these powers fresh and free for

an entirely opposite course.

Saul’s efforts to arouse the people proved unavailing. Finding his force

reduced to six hundred men, he left Gilgal, and retired to the fortress

at Geba, lately taken from the Philistines. This stronghold was on the

south side of a deep, rugged valley, or gorge, a few miles north of the

site of Jerusalem. On the north side of the same valley, at Michmash,

the Philistine force lay encamped, while detachments of troops went out

in different directions to ravage the country.

God had permitted matters to be thus brought to a crisis, that he might

rebuke the perversity of Saul, and teach his people a lesson of humility

and faith. Because of Saul’s sin in his presumptuous offering, the Lord

would not give him the honor of vanquishing the Philistines. Jonathan,

the king’s son, a man who feared the Lord, was chosen as the instrument

to deliver Israel. Moved by a divine impulse, he proposed to his

armor-bearer that they should make a secret attack upon the enemy’s

camp. “It may be,” he urged, “that the Lord will work for us; for there

is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”[1038]

The armor-bearer, who also was a man of faith and prayer, encouraged the

design, and together they withdrew from the camp, secretly, lest their

purpose should be opposed. With earnest prayer to the Guide of their

fathers, they agreed upon a sign by which they might determine how to

proceed. Then passing down into the gorge separating the two armies,

they silently threaded their way, under the shadow of the cliff, and

partially concealed by the mounds and ridges of the valley. Approaching

the Philistine fortress, they were revealed to the view of their

enemies, who said, tauntingly, “Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of

the holes where they had hid themselves,” then challenged them, “Come up

to us, and we will show you a thing,” meaning that they would punish the

two Israelites for their daring. This challenge was the token that

Jonathan and his companion had agreed to accept as evidence that the

Lord would prosper their undertaking. Passing now from the sight of the

Philistines, and choosing a secret and difficult path, the warriors made

their way to the summit of a cliff that had been deemed inaccessible,

and was not very strongly guarded. Thus they penetrated the enemy’s

camp, and slew the sentinels, who, overcome with surprise and fear,

offered no resistance.

Angels of heaven shielded Jonathan and his attendant, angels fought by

their side, and the Philistines fell before them. The earth trembled as

though a great multitude with horsemen and chariots were approaching.

Jonathan recognized the tokens of divine aid, and even the Philistines

knew that God was working for the deliverance of Israel. Great fear

seized upon the host, both in the field and in the garrison. In the

confusion, mistaking their own soldiers for enemies, the Philistines

began to slay one another.

Soon the noise of the battle was heard in the camp of Israel. The king’s

sentinels reported that there was great confusion among the Philistines,

and that their numbers were decreasing. Yet it was not known that any

part of the Hebrew army had left the camp. Upon inquiry it was found

that none were absent except Jonathan and his armor-bearer. But seeing

that the Philistines were meeting with a repulse, Saul led his army to

join the assault. The Hebrews who had deserted to the enemy now turned

against them; great numbers also came out of their hiding-places, and as

the Philistines fled, discomfited, Saul’s army committed terrible havoc

upon the fugitives.

Determined to make the most of his advantage, the king rashly forbade

his soldiers to partake of food for the entire day, enforcing his

command by the solemn imprecation, “Cursed be the man that eateth any

food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.” The victory

had already been gained, without Saul’s knowledge or co-operation; but

he hoped to distinguish himself by the utter destruction of the

vanquished army. The command to refrain from food was prompted by

selfish ambition, and it showed the king to be indifferent to the needs

of his people when these conflicted with his desire for self-exaltation.

To confirm this prohibition by a solemn oath showed Saul to be both rash

and profane. The very words of the curse give evidence that Saul’s zeal

was for himself, and not for the honor of God. He declared his object to

be, not “that the Lord may be avenged on _his_ enemies,” but “that _I_

may be avenged on _mine_ enemies.”

The prohibition resulted in leading the people to transgress the command

of God. They had been engaged in warfare all day, and were faint for

want of food; and as soon as the hours of restriction were over, they

fell upon the spoil, and devoured the flesh with the blood, thus

violating the law that forbade the eating of blood.

During the day’s battle, Jonathan, who had not heard of the king’s

command, unwittingly offended by eating a little honey as he passed

through a wood. Saul learned of this at evening. He had declared that

the violation of his edict should be punished with death; and though

Jonathan had not been guilty of a willful sin, though God had

miraculously preserved his life, and had wrought deliverance through

him, the king declared that the sentence must be executed. To spare the

life of his son would have been an acknowledgment on the part of Saul

that he had sinned in making so rash a vow. This would have been

humiliating to his pride. “God do so, and more also,” was his terrible

sentence; “thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.”

Saul could not claim the honor of the victory, but he hoped to be

honored for his zeal in maintaining the sacredness of his oath. Even at

the sacrifice of his son, he would impress upon his subjects the fact

that the royal authority must be maintained. At Gilgal, but a short time

before, Saul had presumed to officiate as priest, contrary to the

command of God. When reproved by Samuel, he had stubbornly justified

himself. Now, when his own command was disobeyed,—though the command was

unreasonable and had been violated through ignorance,—the king and

father sentenced his son to death.

The people refused to allow the sentence to be executed. Braving the

anger of the king, they declared, “Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought

this great salvation in Israel? God forbid; as the Lord liveth, there

shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought

with God this day.” The proud monarch dared not disregard this unanimous

verdict, and the life of Jonathan was preserved.

Saul could not but feel that his son was preferred before him, both by

the people and by the Lord. Jonathan’s deliverance was a severe reproof

to the king’s rashness. He felt a presentiment that his curses would

return upon his own head. He did not longer continue the war with the

Philistines, but returned to his home, moody and dissatisfied.

Those who are most ready to excuse or justify themselves in sin are

often most severe in judging and condemning others. Many, like Saul,

bring upon themselves the displeasure of God, but they reject counsel

and despise reproof. Even when convinced that the Lord is not with them,

they refuse to see in themselves the cause of their trouble. They

cherish a proud, boastful spirit, while they indulge in cruel judgment

or severe rebuke of others who are better than they. Well would it be

for such self-constituted judges to ponder those words of Christ: “With

what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye

mete, it shall be measured to you again.”[1039]

Often those who are seeking to exalt themselves are brought into

positions where their true character is revealed. So it was in the case

of Saul. His own course convinced the people that kingly honor and

authority were dearer to him than justice, mercy, or benevolence. Thus

the people were led to see their error in rejecting the government that

God had given them. They had exchanged the pious prophet, whose prayers

had brought down blessings, for a king who in his blind zeal had prayed

for a curse upon them.

Had not the men of Israel interposed to save the life of Jonathan, their

deliverer would have perished by the king’s decree. With what misgivings

must that people afterward have followed Saul’s guidance! How bitter the

thought that he had been placed upon the throne by their own act! The

Lord bears long with the waywardness of men, and to all he grants

opportunity to see and forsake their sins; but while he may seem to

prosper those who disregard his will and despise his warnings, he will,

in his own time, surely make manifest their folly.

[Illustration: Jonathan and the Armor Bearer. “Come up to us, and we

will show you a thing.”]

Footnote 1034:

1 Sam. 13:22.

Footnote 1035:

1 Sam. 13:5.

Footnote 1036:

1 Sam. 10:8.

Footnote 1037:

See 1 Samuel 13.

Footnote 1038:

See 1 Samuel 14.

Footnote 1039:

Matt. 7:2.

SAUL REJECTED—61

Saul had failed to bear the test of faith in the trying situation at

Gilgal, and had brought dishonor upon the service of God; but his errors

were not yet irretrievable, and the Lord would grant him another

opportunity to learn the lesson of unquestioning faith in his word and

obedience to his commands.

When reproved by the prophet at Gilgal, Saul saw no great sin in the

course he had pursued. He felt that he had been treated unjustly, and

endeavored to vindicate his actions, and offered excuses for his error.

From that time he had little intercourse with the prophet. Samuel loved

Saul as his own son, while Saul, bold and ardent in temper, had held the

prophet in high regard; but he resented Samuel’s rebuke, and thenceforth

avoided him so far as possible.

But the Lord sent his servant with another message to Saul. By obedience

he might still prove his fidelity to God, and his worthiness to walk

before Israel. Samuel came to the king, and delivered the word of the

Lord. That the monarch might realize the importance of heeding the

command, Samuel expressly declared that he spoke by divine direction, by

the same authority that had called Saul to the throne. The prophet said,

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to

Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and

spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and

sheep, camel and ass.”[1040] The Amalekites had been the first to make

war upon Israel in the wilderness; and for this sin, together with their

defiance of God and their debasing idolatry, the Lord, through Moses,

had pronounced sentence upon them. By divine direction, the history of

their cruelty toward Israel had been recorded, with the command, “Thou

shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt

not forget it.”[1041] For four hundred years the execution of this

sentence had been deferred; but the Amalekites had not turned from their

sins. The Lord knew that this wicked people would, if it were possible,

blot out his people and his worship from the earth. Now the time had

come for the sentence, so long delayed, to be executed.

The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked, emboldens men

in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and

terrible for being long delayed. “The Lord shall rise up as in Mount

Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do

his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange

act.”[1042] To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act.

“As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the

wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” The Lord is

“merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and

truth, ... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Yet he will

“by no means clear the guilty.”[1043] While he does not delight in

vengeance, he will execute judgment upon the transgressors of his law.

He is forced to do this, to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from

utter depravity and ruin. In order to save some, he must cut off those

who have become hardened in sin. “The Lord is slow to anger, and great

in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.”[1044] By terrible

things in righteousness he will vindicate the authority of his

downtrodden law. And the very fact of his reluctance to execute justice,

testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth his judgments, and

to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor.

But while inflicting judgment, God remembered mercy. The Amalekites were

to be destroyed, but the Kenites, who dwelt among them, were spared.

This people, though not wholly free from idolatry, were worshipers of

God, and were friendly to Israel. Of this tribe was the brother-in-law

of Moses, Hobab, who had accompanied the Israelites in their travels

through the wilderness, and by his knowledge of the country had rendered

them valuable assistance.

Since the defeat of the Philistines at Michmash, Saul had made war

against Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and against the Amalekites and the

Philistines; and wherever he turned his arms, he gained fresh victories.

On receiving the commission against the Amalekites, he at once

proclaimed war. To his own authority was added that of the prophet, and

at the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his standard. This

expedition was not to be entered upon for the purpose of

self-aggrandizement; the Israelites were not to receive either the honor

of the conquest or the spoils of their enemies. They were to engage in

the war solely as an act of obedience to God, for the purpose of

executing his judgment upon the Amalekites. God intended that all

nations should behold the doom of that people that had defied his

sovereignty, and should mark that they were destroyed by the very people

whom they had despised.

“Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that

is over against Egypt. And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites,

alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of

the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good; and

would not utterly destroy them. But everything that was vile and refuse,

that they destroyed utterly.”

This victory over the Amalekites was the most brilliant victory that

Saul had ever gained, and it served to rekindle the pride of heart that

was his greatest peril. The divine edict devoting the enemies of God to

utter destruction was but partially fulfilled. Ambitious to heighten the

honor of his triumphal return by the presence of a royal captive, Saul

ventured to imitate the customs of the nations around him, and spared

Agag, the fierce and warlike king of the Amalekites. The people reserved

for themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden,

excusing their sin, on the ground that the cattle were reserved to be

offered as sacrifices to the Lord. It was their purpose, however, to use

these merely as a substitute, to save their own cattle.

Saul had now been subjected to the final test. His presumptuous

disregard of the will of God, showing his determination to rule as an

independent monarch, proved that he could not be trusted with royal

power as the vicegerent of the Lord. While Saul and his army were

marching home in the flush of victory, there was deep anguish in the

home of Samuel the prophet. He had received a message from the Lord,

denouncing the course of the king: “It repenteth me that I have set up

Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not

performed my commandments.”[1045] The prophet was deeply grieved over

the course of the rebellious king, and he wept and prayed all night for

a reversing of the terrible sentence.

God’s repentance is not like man’s repentance. “The Strength of Israel

will not lie, nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should

repent.”[1045] Man’s repentance implies a change of mind. God’s

repentance implies a change of circumstances and relations. Man may

change his relation to God by complying with the conditions upon which

he may be brought into the divine favor, or he may, by his own action,

place himself outside the favoring condition; but the Lord is the same

“yesterday, and to-day, and forever.”[1046] Saul’s disobedience changed

his relation to God; but the conditions of acceptance with God were

unaltered,—God’s requirements were still the same; for with him there

“is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”[1047]

With an aching heart the prophet set forth the next morning to meet the

erring king. Samuel cherished a hope that, upon reflection, Saul might

become conscious of his sin, and by repentance and humiliation, be again

restored to the divine favor. But when the first step is taken in the

path of transgression, the way becomes easy. Saul, debased by his

disobedience, came to meet Samuel with a lie upon his lips. He

exclaimed, “Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the

commandment of the Lord.”

The sounds that fell on the prophet’s ears disproved the statement of

the disobedient king. To the pointed question, “What meaneth then this

bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I

hear?” Saul made answer, “They have brought them from the Amalekites;

for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to

sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly

destroyed.” The people had obeyed Saul’s directions; but in order to

shield himself, he was willing to charge upon them the sin of his

disobedience.

The message of Saul’s rejection brought unspeakable grief to the heart

of Samuel. It had to be delivered before the whole army of Israel, when

they were filled with pride and triumphal rejoicing over a victory that

was accredited to the valor and generalship of their king, for Saul had

not associated God with the success of Israel in this conflict; but when

the prophet saw the evidence of Saul’s rebellion, he was stirred with

indignation, that he, who had been so highly favored of God, should

transgress the commandment of Heaven, and lead Israel into sin. Samuel

was not deceived by the subterfuge of the king. With mingled grief and

indignation he declared, “Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath

said to me this night.... When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast

thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed

thee king over Israel?” He repeated the command of the Lord concerning

Amalek, and demanded the reason of the king’s disobedience.

Saul persisted in self-justification: “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of

the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought

Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But

the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things

which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy

God in Gilgal.”

In stern and solemn words the prophet swept away the refuge of lies, and

pronounced the irrevocable sentence: “Hath the Lord as great delight in

burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of

rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as

iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,

he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

As the king heard this fearful sentence, he cried out, “I have sinned;

for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words;

because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” Terrified by the

denunciation of the prophet, Saul acknowledged his guilt, which he had

before stubbornly denied; but he still persisted in casting blame upon

the people, declaring that he had sinned through fear of them.

It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty, that actuated the

king of Israel as he entreated Samuel, “I pray thee, pardon my sin, and

turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.” If Saul had had true

repentance, he would have made public confession of his sin; but it was

his chief anxiety to maintain his authority, and retain the allegiance

of the people. He desired the honor of Samuel’s presence in order to

strengthen his own influence with the nation.

“I will not return with thee,” was the answer of the prophet; “for thou

hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from

being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to depart, the king, in an

agony of fear, laid hold of his mantle to hold him back, but it rent in

his hands. Upon this, the prophet declared, “The Lord hath rent the

kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of

thine, that is better than thou.”

Saul was more disturbed by the alienation of Samuel than by the

displeasure of God. He knew that the people had greater confidence in

the prophet than in himself. Should another by divine command be now

anointed king, Saul felt that it would be impossible to maintain his own

authority. He feared an immediate revolt, should Samuel utterly forsake

him. Saul entreated the prophet to honor him before the elders and the

people by publicly uniting with him in a religious service. By divine

direction, Samuel yielded to the king’s request, that no occasion might

be given for a revolt. But he remained only as a silent witness of the

service.

An act of justice, stern and terrible, was yet to be performed. Samuel

must publicly vindicate the honor of God, and rebuke the course of Saul.

He commanded that the king of the Amalekites be brought before him.

Above all who had fallen by the sword of Israel, Agag was the most

guilty and merciless; one who had hated and sought to destroy the people

of God, and whose influence had been strongest to promote idolatry. He

came at the prophet’s command, flattering himself that the danger of

death was past. Samuel declared: “As thy sword hath made women

childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel

hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord.” This done, Samuel returned to his

home at Ramah, Saul to his at Gibeah. Only once thereafter did the

prophet and the king ever meet each other.

When called to the throne, Saul had a humble opinion of his own

capabilities, and was willing to be instructed. He was deficient in

knowledge and experience, and had serious defects of character. But the

Lord granted him the Holy Spirit as a guide and helper, and placed him

in a position where he could develop the qualities requisite for a ruler

of Israel. Had he remained humble, seeking constantly to be guided by

divine wisdom, he would have been enabled to discharge the duties of his

high position with success and honor. Under the influence of divine

grace, every good quality would have been gaining strength, while evil

tendencies would have lost their power. This is the work which the Lord

proposes to do for all who consecrate themselves to him. There are many

whom he has called to positions in his work because they have a humble

and teachable spirit. In his providence he places them where they may

learn of him. He will reveal to them their defects of character, and to

all who seek his aid he will give strength to correct their errors.

But Saul presumed upon his exaltation, and dishonored God by unbelief

and disobedience. Though when first called to the throne he was humble

and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident. The very first

victory of his reign had kindled that pride of heart which was his

greatest danger. The valor and military skill displayed in the

deliverance of Jabesh-gilead had roused the enthusiasm of the whole

nation. The people honored their king, forgetting that he was but the

agent by whom God had wrought; and though at first Saul ascribed the

glory to God, he afterward took honor to himself. He lost sight of his

dependence upon God, and in heart departed from the Lord. Thus the way

was prepared for his sin of presumption and sacrilege at Gilgal. The

same blind self-confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof. Saul

acknowledged Samuel to be a prophet sent from God; hence he should have

accepted the reproof, though he could not himself see that he had

sinned. Had he been willing to see and confess his error, this bitter

experience would have proved a safeguard for the future.

If the Lord had then separated himself entirely from Saul, he would not

have again spoken to him through his prophet, intrusting him with a

definite work to perform, that he might correct the errors of the past.

When one who professes to be a child of God becomes careless in doing

his will, thereby influencing others to be irreverent, and unmindful of

the Lord’s injunctions, it is still possible for his failures to be

turned into victories if he will but accept reproof with true contrition

of soul, and return to God in humility and faith. The humiliation of

defeat often proves a blessing by showing us our inability to do the

will of God without his aid.

When Saul turned away from the reproof sent him by God’s Holy Spirit,

and persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the only

means by which God could work to save him from himself. He had willfully

separated himself from God. He could not receive divine help or guidance

until he should return to God by confession of his sin.

At Gilgal, Saul had made an appearance of great conscientiousness, as he

stood before the army of Israel offering up a sacrifice to God. But his

piety was not genuine. A religious service performed in direct

opposition to the command of God, only served to weaken Saul’s hands,

placing him beyond the help that God was so willing to grant him.

In the expedition against Amalek, Saul thought he had done all that was

essential of that which the Lord had commanded him; but the Lord was not

pleased with partial obedience, nor willing to pass over what had been

neglected through so plausible a motive. God has given men no liberty to

depart from his requirements. The Lord had declared to Israel, “Ye shall

not do ... every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes;” but ye shall

“observe and hear all these words which I command thee.”[1048] In

deciding upon any course of action, we are not to ask whether we can see

that harm will result from it, but whether it is in keeping with the

will of God. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end

thereof are the ways of death.”[1049]

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” The sacrificial offerings were, in

themselves, of no value in the sight of God. They were designed to

express, on the part of the offerer, penitence for sin and faith in

Christ, and to pledge future obedience to the law of God. But without

penitence, faith, and an obedient heart, the offerings were worthless.

When, in direct violation of God’s command, Saul proposed to present a

sacrifice of that which God had devoted to destruction, open contempt

was shown for the divine authority. The service would have been an

insult to Heaven. Yet with the sin of Saul and its result before us, how

many are pursuing a similar course. While they refuse to believe and

obey some requirement of the Lord, they persevere in offering up to God

their formal services of religion. There is no response of the Spirit of

God to such service. No matter how zealous men may be in their

observance of religious ceremonies, the Lord cannot accept them if they

persist in willful violation of one of his commands.

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity

and idolatry.” Rebellion originated with Satan, and all rebellion

against God is directly due to satanic influence. Those who set

themselves against the government of God have entered into an alliance

with the arch-apostate, and he will exercise his power and cunning to

captivate the senses and mislead the understanding. He will cause

everything to appear in a false light. Like our first parents, those who

are under his bewitching spell see only the great benefits to be

received by transgression.

No stronger evidence can be given of Satan’s delusive power than that

many who are thus led by him, deceive themselves with the belief that

they are in the service of God. When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled

against the authority of Moses, they thought they were opposing only a

human leader, a man like themselves; and they came to believe that they

were verily doing God service. But in rejecting God’s chosen instrument,

they rejected Christ; they insulted the Spirit of God. So, in the days

of Christ, the Jewish scribes and elders, who professed great zeal for

the honor of God, crucified his Son. The same spirit still exists in the

hearts of those who set themselves to follow their own will in

opposition to the will of God.

Saul had had the most ample proof that Samuel was divinely inspired. His

venturing to disregard the command of God through the prophet, was

against the dictates of reason and sound judgment. His fatal presumption

must be attributed to satanic sorcery. Saul had manifested great zeal in

suppressing idolatry and witchcraft; yet in his disobedience to the

divine command he had been actuated by the same spirit of opposition to

God, and had been as really inspired by Satan, as are those who practice

sorcery; and when reproved, he had added stubbornness to rebellion. He

could have offered no greater insult to the Spirit of God, had he openly

united with idolaters.

It is a perilous step to slight the reproofs and warnings of God’s word

or of his Spirit. Many, like Saul, yield to temptation until they become

blind to the true character of sin. They flatter themselves that they

have had some good object in view, and have done no wrong in departing

from the Lord’s requirements. Thus they do despite to the Spirit of

grace, until its voice is no longer heard, and they are left to the

delusions which they have chosen.

In Saul, God had given to Israel a king after their own heart, as Samuel

said when the kingdom was confirmed to Saul at Gilgal, “Behold the king

_whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired_.”[1050] Comely in

person, of noble stature and princely bearing, his appearance accorded

with their conceptions of royal dignity; and his personal valor and his

ability in the conduct of armies, were the qualities which they regarded

as best calculated to secure respect and honor from other nations. They

felt little solicitude that their king should possess those higher

qualities which alone could fit him to rule with justice and equity.

They did not ask for one who had true nobility of character, who

possessed the love and fear of God. They had not sought counsel from God

as to the qualities a ruler should possess, in order to preserve their

distinctive, holy character as his chosen people. They were not seeking

God’s way, but their own way. Therefore God gave them such a king as

they desired,—one whose character was a reflection of their own. Their

hearts were not in submission to God, and their king also was unsubdued

by divine grace. Under the rule of this king, they would obtain the

experience necessary in order that they might see their error, and

return to their allegiance to God.

Yet the Lord, having placed on Saul the responsibility of the kingdom,

did not leave him to himself. He caused the Holy Spirit to rest upon

Saul to reveal to him his own weakness, and his need of divine grace;

and had Saul relied upon God, God would have been with him. So long as

his will was controlled by the will of God, so long as he yielded to the

discipline of his Spirit, God could crown his efforts with success. But

when Saul chose to act independently of God, the Lord could no longer be

his guide, and was forced to set him aside. Then he called to the throne

“a man after his own heart;”[1051]—not one who was faultless in

character, but who, instead of trusting to himself, would rely upon God,

and be guided by his Spirit; who when he sinned, would submit to reproof

and correction.

Footnote 1040:

See 1 Samuel 15.

Footnote 1041:

Deut. 25:19.

Footnote 1042:

Isa. 28:21.

Footnote 1043:

Eze. 33:11; Ex. 34:6, 7.

Footnote 1044:

Nah. 1:3.

Footnote 1045:

1 Sam. 15:11, 29.

Footnote 1046:

Heb. 13:8.

Footnote 1047:

James 1:17.

Footnote 1048:

Deut. 12:8, 28.

Footnote 1049:

Prov. 14:12.

Footnote 1050:

1 Sam. 12:13.

Footnote 1051:

1 Sam. 13:14.

THE ANOINTING OF DAVID—62

A few miles south of Jerusalem, “the city of the great King,” is

Bethlehem, where David, the son of Jesse, was born more than a thousand

years before the infant Jesus was cradled in the manger, and worshiped

by the wise men from the East. Centuries before the advent of the

Saviour, David, in the freshness of boyhood, kept watch of his flocks as

they grazed on the hills surrounding Bethlehem. The simple shepherd boy

sang the songs of his own composing, and the music of his harp made a

sweet accompaniment to the melody of his fresh young voice. The Lord had

chosen David, and was preparing him, in his solitary life with his

flocks, for the work he designed to commit to his trust in after-years.

While David was thus living in the retirement of his humble shepherd’s

life, the Lord God was speaking about him to the prophet Samuel. “And

the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I

have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil,

and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided

me a king among his sons.... Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am

come to sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I

will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him

whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and

came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming,

and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.”[1055] The

elders accepted an invitation to the sacrifice, and Samuel called also

Jesse and his sons. The altar was built, and the sacrifice was ready.

All the household of Jesse were present, with the exception of David,

the youngest son, who had been left to guard the sheep, for it was not

safe to leave the flocks unprotected.

When the sacrifice was ended, and before partaking of the

offering-feast, Samuel began his prophetic inspection of the

noble-appearing sons of Jesse. Eliab was the eldest, and more nearly

resembled Saul for stature and beauty than the others. His comely

features and finely developed form attracted the attention of the

prophet. As Samuel looked upon his princely bearing, he thought, “This

is indeed the man whom God has chosen as successor to Saul,” and he

waited for the divine sanction that he might anoint him. But Jehovah did

not look upon the outward appearance. Eliab did not fear the Lord. Had

he been called to the throne, he would have been a proud, exacting

ruler. The Lord’s word to Samuel was, “Look not on his countenance, or

on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord

seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but

the Lord looketh on the heart.” No outward beauty can recommend the soul

to God. The wisdom and excellence revealed in the character and

deportment, express the true beauty of the man; and it is the inner

worth, the excellency of the heart, that determines our acceptance with

the Lord of hosts. How deeply should we feel this truth in the judgment

of ourselves and others. We may learn, from the mistake of Samuel, how

vain is the estimation that rests on beauty of face or nobility of

stature. We may see how incapable is man’s wisdom of understanding the

secrets of the heart, or of comprehending the counsels of God, without

special enlightenment from heaven. The thoughts and ways of God in

relation to his creatures are above our finite minds; but we may be

assured that his children will be brought to fill the very place for

which they are qualified, and will be enabled to accomplish the very

work committed to their hands, if they will but submit their will to

God, that his beneficent plans may not be frustrated by the perversity

of man.

[Illustration: BETHLEHEM FROM THE EAST]

Eliab passed from the inspection of Samuel, and the six brothers who

were in attendance at the service, followed in succession to be observed

by the prophet; but the Lord did not signify his choice of any one of

them. With painful suspense, Samuel had looked upon the last of the

young men; the prophet was perplexed and bewildered. He inquired of

Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” The father answered, “There

remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.” Samuel

directed that he should be summoned, saying, “We will not sit down till

he come hither.”

The lonely shepherd was startled by the unexpected call of the

messenger, who announced that the prophet had come to Bethlehem and had

sent for him. With surprise he questioned why the prophet and judge of

Israel should desire to see him; but without delay he obeyed the call.

“Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to

look to.” As Samuel beheld with pleasure the handsome, manly, modest

shepherd boy, the voice of the Lord spoke to the prophet, saying,

“Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” David had proved himself brave and

faithful in the humble office of a shepherd, and now God had chosen him

to be captain of his people. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and

anointed him in the midst of [from among] his brethren; and the Spirit

of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” The prophet had

accomplished his appointed work, and with a relieved heart he returned

to Ramah.

Samuel had not made known his errand, even to the family of Jesse, and

the ceremony of anointing David had been performed in secret. It was an

intimation to the youth of the high destiny awaiting him, that amid all

the varied experiences and perils of his coming years, this knowledge

might inspire him to be true to the purpose of God to be accomplished by

his life.

The great honor conferred upon David did not serve to elate him.

Notwithstanding the high position which he was to occupy, he quietly

continued his employment, content to await the development of the Lord’s

plans in his own time and way. As humble and modest as before his

anointing, the shepherd boy returned to the hills, and watched and

guarded his flocks as tenderly as ever. But with new inspiration he

composed his melodies, and played upon his harp. Before him spread a

landscape of rich and varied beauty. The vines, with their clustering

fruit, brightened in the sunshine. The forest trees, with their green

foliage, swayed in the breeze. He beheld the sun flooding the heavens

with light, coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and

rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. There were the bold summits of

the hills reaching toward the sky; in the far-away distance rose the

barren cliffs of the mountain wall of Moab; above all spread the tender

blue of the overarching heavens. And beyond was God. He could not see

him, but his works were full of his praise. The light of day, gilding

forest and mountain, meadow and stream, carried the mind up to behold

the Father of lights, the Author of every good and perfect gift. Daily

revelations of the character and majesty of his Creator, filled the

young poet’s heart with adoration and rejoicing. In contemplation of God

and his works, the faculties of David’s mind and heart were developing

and strengthening for the work of his after-life. He was daily coming

into a more intimate communion with God. His mind was constantly

penetrating into new depths, for fresh themes to inspire his song, and

to wake the music of his harp. The rich melody of his voice poured out

upon the air, echoed from the hills as if responsive to the rejoicing of

the angels’ songs in heaven.

Who can measure the results of those years of toil and wandering among

the lonely hills? The communion with nature and with God, the care of

his flocks, the perils and deliverances, the griefs and joys, of his

lowly lot, were not only to mould the character of David, and to

influence his future life, but through the psalms of Israel’s sweet

singer, they were, in all coming ages, to kindle love and faith in the

hearts of God’s people, bringing them nearer to the ever-loving heart of

Him in whom all his creatures live.

David, in the beauty and vigor of his young manhood, was preparing to

take a high position with the noblest of the earth. His talents, as

precious gifts from God, were employed to extol the glory of the divine

Giver. His opportunities of contemplation and meditation served to

enrich him with that wisdom and piety that made him beloved of God and

angels. As he contemplated the perfections of his Creator, clearer

conceptions of God opened before his soul. Obscure themes were

illuminated, difficulties were made plain, perplexities were harmonized,

and each ray of new light called forth fresh bursts of rapture, and

sweeter anthems of devotion, to the glory of God and the Redeemer. The

love that moved him, the sorrows that beset him, the triumphs that

attended him, were all themes for his active thought; and as he beheld

the love of God in all the providences of his life, his heart throbbed

with more fervent adoration and gratitude, his voice rang out in a

richer melody, his harp was swept with more exultant joy; and the

shepherd boy proceeded from strength to strength, from knowledge to

knowledge; for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.

Footnote 1055:

See 1 Samuel 16.

DAVID AND GOLIATH—63

When King Saul realized that he had been rejected by God, and when he

felt the force of the words of denunciation that had been addressed to

him by the prophet, he was filled with bitter rebellion and despair. It

was not true repentance that had bowed the proud head of the king. He

had no clear perception of the offensive character of his sin, and did

not arouse to the work of reforming his life, but brooded over what he

thought was the injustice of God in depriving him of the throne of

Israel, and in taking the succession away from his posterity. He was

ever occupied in anticipating the ruin that had been brought upon his

house. He felt that the valor which he had displayed in encountering his

enemies, should offset his sin of disobedience. He did not accept with

meekness the chastisement of God; but his haughty spirit became

desperate, until he was on the verge of losing his reason. His

counselors advised him to seek for the services of a skillful musician,

in the hope that the soothing notes of a sweet instrument might calm his

troubled spirit. In the providence of God, David, as a skillful

performer upon the harp, was brought before the king. His lofty and

heaven-inspired strains had the desired effect. The brooding melancholy

that had settled like a dark cloud over the mind of Saul was charmed

away.

When his services were not required at the court of Saul, David returned

to his flocks among the hills, and continued to maintain his simplicity

of spirit and demeanor. Whenever it was necessary, he was recalled to

minister before the king, to soothe the mind of the troubled monarch

till the evil spirit should depart from him. But although Saul expressed

delight in David and his music, the young shepherd went from the king’s

house to the fields and hills of his pasture with a sense of relief and

gladness.

David was growing in favor with God and man. He had been instructed in

the way of the Lord, and he now set his heart more fully to do the will

of God than ever before. He had new themes for thought. He had been in

the court of the king, and had seen the responsibilities of royalty. He

had discovered some of the temptations that beset the soul of Saul, and

had penetrated some of the mysteries in the character and dealings of

Israel’s first king. He had seen the glory of royalty shadowed with a

dark cloud of sorrow, and he knew that the household of Saul, in their

private life, were far from happy. All these things served to bring

troubled thoughts to him who had been anointed to be king over Israel.

But while he was absorbed in deep meditation, and harassed by thoughts

of anxiety, he turned to his harp, and called forth strains that

elevated his mind to the Author of every good, and the dark clouds that

seemed to shadow the horizon of the future were dispelled.

God was teaching David lessons of trust. As Moses was trained for his

work, so the Lord was fitting the son of Jesse to become the guide of

his chosen people. In his watchcare for his flocks, he was gaining an

appreciation of the care that the Great Shepherd has for the sheep of

his pasture.

The lonely hills and the wild ravines where David wandered with his

flocks were the lurking-place of beasts of prey. Not infrequently the

lion from the thickets by the Jordan, or the bear from his lair among

the hills, came, fierce with hunger, to attack the flocks. According to

the custom of his time, David was armed only with his sling and

shepherd’s staff; yet he early gave proof of his strength and courage in

protecting his charge. Afterward describing these encounters, he said:

“When there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, I

went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth;

and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him,

and slew him.”[1060] His experience in these matters proved the heart of

David, and developed in him courage and fortitude and faith.

Even before he was summoned to the court of Saul, David had

distinguished himself by deeds of valor. The officer who brought him to

the notice of the king declared him to be “a mighty valiant man, and a

man of war, and prudent in matters,” and he said, “The Lord is with

him.”[1061]

When war was declared by Israel against the Philistines, three of the

sons of Jesse joined the army under Saul; but David remained at home.

After a time, however, he went to visit the camp of Saul. By his

father’s direction he was to carry a message and a gift to his elder

brothers, and to learn if they were still in safety and health. But,

unknown to Jesse, the youthful shepherd had been intrusted with a higher

mission. The armies of Israel were in peril, and David had been directed

by an angel to save his people.

As David drew near to the army, he heard the sound of commotion, as if

an engagement was about to begin. And “the host was going forth to the

fight, and shouted for the battle.”[1062] Israel and the Philistines

were drawn up in array, army against army. David ran to the army, and

came and saluted his brothers. While he was talking with them, Goliath,

the champion of the Philistines, came forth, and with insulting language

defied Israel, and challenged them to provide a man from their ranks who

would meet him in single combat. He repeated his challenge, and when

David saw that all Israel were filled with fear, and learned that the

Philistine’s defiance was hurled at them day after day, without arousing

a champion to silence the boaster, his spirit was stirred within him. He

was fired with zeal to preserve the honor of the living God and the

credit of his people.

The armies of Israel were depressed. Their courage failed. They said one

to another, “Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy

Israel is he come up.” In shame and indignation, David exclaimed, “Who

is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the

living God?”

Eliab, David’s eldest brother, when he heard these words, knew well the

feelings that were stirring the young man’s soul. Even as a shepherd,

David had manifested daring, courage, and strength but rarely witnessed;

and the mysterious visit of Samuel to their father’s house, and his

silent departure, had awakened in the minds of the brothers suspicions

of the real object of his visit. Their jealousy had been aroused as they

saw David honored above them, and they did not regard him with the

respect and love due to his integrity and brotherly tenderness. They

looked upon him as merely a stripling shepherd, and now the question

which he asked was regarded by Eliab as a censure upon his own cowardice

in making no attempt to silence the giant of the Philistines. The elder

brother exclaimed angrily, “Why camest thou down hither? and with whom

hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and

the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou

mightest see the battle.” David’s answer was respectful but decided:

“What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”

The words of David were repeated to the king, who summoned the youth

before him. Saul listened with astonishment to the words of the

shepherd, as he said, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy

servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul strove to turn

David from his purpose, but the young man was not to be moved. He

replied in a simple, unassuming way, relating his experiences while

guarding his father’s flocks. And he said, “The Lord that delivered me

out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will

deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David,

Go, and the Lord be with thee.”

For forty days the host of Israel had trembled before the haughty

challenge of the Philistine giant. Their hearts failed within them as

they looked upon his massive form, in height measuring six cubits and a

span. Upon his head was a helmet of brass, he was clothed with a coat of

mail that weighed five thousand shekels, and he had greaves of brass

upon his legs. The coat was made of plates of brass that overlaid one

another, like the scales of a fish, and they were so closely joined that

no dart or arrow could possibly penetrate the armor. At his back the

giant bore a huge javelin, or lance, also of brass. “The staff of his

spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred

shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him.”

Morning and evening, Goliath had approached the camp of Israel, saying

with a loud voice, “Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am

not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you,

and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill

me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and

kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the

Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man,

that we may fight together.”