the king had small hope that David would be successful in his courageous
undertaking. Command was given to clothe the youth in the king’s own
armor. The heavy helmet of brass was put upon his head, and the coat of
mail was placed upon his body; the monarch’s sword was at his side. Thus
equipped, he started upon his errand, but erelong began to retrace his
steps. The first thought in the minds of the anxious spectators was that
David had decided not to risk his life in meeting an antagonist in so
unequal an encounter. But this was far from the thought of the brave
young man. When he returned to Saul, he begged permission to lay aside
the heavy armor, saying, “I cannot go with these; for I have not proved
them.” He laid off the king’s armor, and in its stead took only his
staff in his hand, with his shepherd’s scrip, and a simple sling.
Choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, he put them in his bag,
and, with his sling in his hand, drew near to the Philistine. The giant
strode boldly forward, expecting to meet the mightiest of the warriors
of Israel. His armor-bearer walked before him, and he looked as if
nothing could withstand him. As he came nearer to David, he saw but a
stripling, called a boy because of his youth. David’s countenance was
ruddy with health, and his well-knit form, unprotected by armor, was
displayed to advantage; yet between its youthful outline and the massive
proportions of the Philistine, there was a marked contrast.
Goliath was filled with amazement and anger. “Am I a dog,” he exclaimed,
“that thou comest to me with staves?” Then he poured upon David the most
terrible curses by all the gods of his knowledge. He cried in derision,
“Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to
the beasts of the field.”
David did not weaken before the champion of the Philistines. Stepping
forward, he said to his antagonist: “Thou comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the
Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite
thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of
the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to
the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is
a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth
not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give
you into our hands.”
There was a ring of fearlessness in his tone, a look of triumph and
rejoicing upon his fair countenance. This speech, given in a clear,
musical voice, rang out on the air, and was distinctly heard by the
listening thousands marshaled for war. The anger of Goliath was roused
to the very highest heat. In his rage he pushed up the helmet that
protected his forehead, and rushed forward to wreak vengeance upon his
opponent. The son of Jesse was preparing for his foe. “And it came to
pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David,
that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And
David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it,
and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his
forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.”
Amazement spread along the lines of the two armies. They had been
confident that David would be slain; but when the stone went whizzing
through the air, straight to the mark, they saw the mighty warrior
tremble, and reach forth his hands, as if he were struck with sudden
blindness. The giant reeled, and staggered, and like a smitten oak, fell
to the ground. David did not wait an instant. He sprung upon the
prostrate form of the Philistine, and with both hands laid hold of
Goliath’s heavy sword. A moment before, the giant had boasted that with
it he would sever the youth’s head from his shoulders, and give his body
to the fowls of the air. Now it was lifted in the air, and then the head
of the boaster rolled from his trunk, and a shout of exultation went up
from the camp of Israel.
The Philistines were smitten with terror, and the confusion which
ensued, resulted in a precipitate retreat. The shouts of the triumphant
Hebrews echoed along the summits of the mountains, as they rushed after
their fleeing enemies; and they “pursued the Philistines, until thou
come to the valley, and to the gate of Ekron. And the wounded of the
Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto
Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the
Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. And David took the head of
the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his
tent.”
Footnote 1060:
1 Sam. 17:34, 35, Rev. Ver.
Footnote 1061:
1 Sam. 16:18.
Footnote 1062:
See 1 Samuel 17.
DAVID A FUGITIVE—64
After the slaying of Goliath, Saul kept David with him, and would not
permit him to return to his father’s house. And it came to pass that
“the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own soul.”[1063] Jonathan and David made a covenant to
be united as brethren, and the king’s son “stripped himself of the robe
that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his
sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.” David was intrusted with
important responsibilities, yet he preserved his modesty, and won the
affection of the people as well as of the royal household.
“David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely.
And Saul set him over the men of war.” David was prudent and faithful,
and it was evident that the blessing of God was with him. Saul at times
realized his own unfitness for the government of Israel, and he felt
that the kingdom would be more secure if there could be connected with
him one who received instruction from the Lord. Saul hoped also that his
connection with David would be a safeguard to himself. Since David was
favored and shielded by the Lord, his presence might be a protection to
Saul when he went out with him to war.
It was the providence of God that had connected David with Saul. David’s
position at court would give him a knowledge of affairs, in preparation
for his future greatness. It would enable him to gain the confidence of
the nation. The vicissitudes and hardships which befell him, through the
enmity of Saul, would lead him to feel his dependence upon God, and to
put his whole trust in him. And the friendship of Jonathan for David was
also of God’s providence, to preserve the life of the future ruler of
Israel. In all these things, God was working out his gracious purposes,
both for David and for the people of Israel.
Saul, however, did not long remain friendly to David. When Saul and
David were returning from battle with the Philistines, “the women came
out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul,
with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.” One company
sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands,” while another company took up the
strain, and responded, “And David his ten thousands.” The demon of
jealousy entered the heart of the king. He was angry because David was
exalted above himself in the song of the women of Israel. In place of
subduing these envious feelings, he displayed the weakness of his
character, and exclaimed, “They have ascribed unto David ten thousands,
and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and what can he have more
but the kingdom?”
One great defect in the character of Saul was his love of approbation.
This trait had had a controlling influence over his actions and
thoughts; everything was marked by his desire for praise and
self-exaltation. His standard of right and wrong was the low standard of
popular applause. No man is safe who lives that he may please men, and
does not seek first for the approbation of God. It was the ambition of
Saul to be first in the estimation of men; and when this song of praise
was sung, a settled conviction entered the mind of the king, that David
would obtain the hearts of the people, and reign in his stead.
Saul opened his heart to the spirit of jealousy by which his soul was
poisoned. Notwithstanding the lessons which he had received from the
prophet Samuel, instructing him that God would accomplish whatsoever he
chose, and that no one could hinder it, the king made it evident that he
had no true knowledge of the plans or power of God. The monarch of
Israel was opposing his will to the will of the Infinite One. Saul had
not learned, while ruling the kingdom of Israel, that he should rule his
own spirit. He allowed his impulses to control his judgment, until he
was plunged into a fury of passion. He had paroxysms of rage, when he
was ready to take the life of any who dared oppose his will. From this
frenzy he would pass into a state of despondency and self-contempt, and
remorse would take possession of his soul.
He loved to hear David play upon his harp, and the evil spirit seemed to
be charmed away for the time; but one day when the youth was ministering
before him, and bringing sweet music from his instrument, accompanying
his voice as he sang the praises of God, Saul suddenly threw his spear
at the musician, for the purpose of putting an end to his life. David
was preserved by the interposition of God, and without injury fled from
the rage of the maddened king.
As Saul’s hatred of David increased, he became more and more watchful to
find an opportunity to take his life; but none of his plans against the
anointed of the Lord were successful. Saul gave himself up to the
control of the wicked spirit that ruled over him; while David trusted in
Him who is mighty in counsel, and strong to deliver. “The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom,”[1064] and David’s prayer was
continually directed to God, that he might walk before him in a perfect
way.
Desiring to be freed from the presence of his rival, the king “removed
him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand.... But all
Israel and Judah loved David.” The people were not slow to see that
David was a competent person, and that the affairs intrusted to his
hands were managed with wisdom and skill. The counsels of the young man
were of a wise and discreet character, and proved to be safe to follow;
while the judgment of Saul was at times unreliable, and his decisions
were not wise.
Though Saul was ever on the alert for an opportunity to destroy David,
he stood in fear of him, since it was evident that the Lord was with
him. David’s blameless character aroused the wrath of the king; he
deemed that the very life and presence of David cast a reproach upon
him, since by contrast it presented his own character to disadvantage.
It was envy that made Saul miserable, and put the humble subject of his
throne in jeopardy. What untold mischief has this evil trait of
character worked in our world! The same enmity existed in the heart of
Saul that stirred the heart of Cain against his brother Abel, because
Abel’s works were righteous, and God honored him, and his own works were
evil, and the Lord could not bless him. Envy is the offspring of pride,
and if it is entertained in the heart, it will lead to hatred, and
eventually to revenge and murder. Satan displayed his own character in
exciting the fury of Saul against him who had never done him harm.
The king kept a strict watch upon David, hoping to find some occasion of
indiscretion or rashness that might serve as an excuse to bring him into
disgrace. He felt that he could not be satisfied until he could take the
young man’s life and still be justified before the nation for his evil
act. He laid a snare for the feet of David, urging him to conduct the
war against the Philistines with still greater vigor, and promising, as
a reward of his valor, an alliance with the eldest daughter of the royal
house. To this proposal, David’s modest answer was, “Who am I? and what
is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law
to the king?” The monarch manifested his insincerity by wedding the
princess to another.
An attachment for David on the part of Michal, Saul’s youngest daughter,
afforded the king another opportunity to plot against his rival.
Michal’s hand was offered the young man, on condition that evidence
should be given of the defeat and slaughter of a specified number of
their national foes. “Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the
Philistines;” but God shielded his servant. David returned, a victor,
from the battle, to become the king’s son-in-law. “Michal Saul’s
daughter loved him,” and the monarch, enraged, saw that his plots had
resulted in the elevation of him whom he sought to destroy. He was still
more assured that this was the man whom the Lord had said was better
than he, and who should reign on the throne of Israel in his place.
Throwing off all disguise, he issued a command to Jonathan and to the
officers of the court to take the life of the one he hated.
Jonathan revealed the king’s intention to David, and bade him conceal
himself, while he would plead with his father to spare the life of the
deliverer of Israel. He presented before the king what David had done to
preserve the honor and even the life of the nation, and what terrible
guilt would rest upon the murderer of the one whom God had used to
scatter their enemies. The conscience of the king was touched, and his
heart was softened. “And Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be
slain.” David was brought to Saul, and he ministered in his presence, as
he had done in the past.
Again war was declared between the Israelites and the Philistines, and
David led the army against their enemies. A great victory was gained by
the Hebrews, and the people of the realm praised his wisdom and heroism.
This served to stir up the former bitterness of Saul against him. While
the young man was playing before the king, filling the palace with sweet
harmony, Saul’s passion overcame him, and he hurled a javelin at David,
thinking to pin the musician to the wall; but the angel of the Lord
turned aside the deadly weapon. David escaped, and fled to his own
house. Saul sent spies that they might take him as he should come out in
the morning, and put an end to his life.
Michal informed David of the purpose of her father. She urged him to
flee for his life, and let him down from the window, thus enabling him
to make his escape. He fled to Samuel at Ramah, and the prophet,
fearless of the king’s displeasure, welcomed the fugitive. The home of
Samuel was a peaceful place in contrast with the royal palace. It was
here, amid the hills, that the honored servant of the Lord continued his
work. A company of seers was with him, and they studied closely the will
of God, and listened reverently to the words of instruction that fell
from the lips of Samuel. Precious were the lessons that David learned
from the teacher of Israel. David believed that the troops of Saul would
not be ordered to invade this sacred place; but no place seemed to be
sacred to the darkened mind of the desperate king. David’s connection
with Samuel aroused the jealousy of the king, lest he who was revered as
a prophet of God throughout all Israel should lend his influence to the
advancement of Saul’s rival. When the king learned where David was, he
sent officers to bring him to Gibeah, where he intended to carry out his
murderous design.
The messengers went on their way, intent upon taking David’s life; but
One greater than Saul controlled them. They were met by unseen angels,
as was Balaam when he was on his way to curse Israel. They began to
utter prophetic sayings of what would occur in the future, and
proclaimed the glory and majesty of Jehovah. Thus God overruled the
wrath of man, and manifested his power to restrain evil, while he walled
in his servant by a guard of angels.
The tidings reached Saul as he eagerly waited to have David in his
power; but instead of feeling the rebuke of God, he was still more
exasperated, and sent other messengers. These also were overpowered by
the Spirit of God, and united with the first in prophesying. The third
embassage was sent by the king; but when they came into the company of
the prophets, the divine influence fell upon them also, and they
prophesied. Saul then decided that he himself would go, for his fierce
enmity had become uncontrollable. He was determined to wait for no
further chance to kill David; as soon as he should come within reach of
him, he intended with his own hand to slay him, whatever might be the
consequences.
But an angel of God met him on the way, and controlled him. The Spirit
of God held him in its power, and he went forward uttering prayers to
God, interspersed with predictions and sacred melodies. He prophesied of
the coming Messiah as the world’s Redeemer. When he came to the
prophet’s home in Ramah, he laid aside the outer garments that betokened
his rank, and all day, and all night, he lay before Samuel and his
pupils, under the influence of the divine Spirit. The people were drawn
together to witness this strange scene, and the experience of the king
was reported far and wide. Thus again, near the close of his reign, it
became a proverb in Israel that Saul also was among the prophets.
Again the persecutor was defeated in his purpose. He assured David that
he was at peace with him; but David had little confidence in the king’s
repentance. He took this opportunity to escape, lest the mood of the
king should change, as formerly. His heart was wounded within him, and
he longed to see his friend Jonathan once more. Conscious of his
innocence, he sought the king’s son, and made a most touching appeal.
“What have I done?” he asked, “what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin
before thy father, that he seeketh my life?” Jonathan believed that his
father had changed his purpose, and no longer intended to take the life
of David. And Jonathan said unto him, “God forbid; thou shalt not die:
behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he
will show it me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is
not so.” After the remarkable exhibition of the power of God, Jonathan
could not believe that his father would still harm David, since this
would be manifest rebellion against God. But David was not convinced.
With intense earnestness he declared to Jonathan, “As the Lord liveth,
and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.”
At the time of the new moon, a sacred festival was celebrated in Israel.
This festival recurred upon the day following the interview between
David and Jonathan. At this feast it was expected that both the young
men would appear at the king’s table; but David feared to be present,
and it was arranged that he should visit his brothers in Bethlehem. On
his return he was to hide himself in a field not far from the banqueting
hall, for three days absenting himself from the presence of the king;
and Jonathan would note the effect upon Saul. If inquiry should be made
as to the whereabouts of the son of Jesse, Jonathan was to say that he
had gone home to attend the sacrifice offered by his father’s household.
If no angry demonstrations were made by the king, but he should answer,
“It is well,” then it would be safe for David to return to the court.
But if he should become enraged at his absence, it would decide the
matter of David’s flight.
On the first day of the feast the king made no inquiry concerning the
absence of David; but when his place was vacant the second day, he
questioned, “Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither
yesterday nor to-day? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked
leave of me to go to Bethlehem; and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for
our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath
commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes,
let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh
not unto the king’s table.” When Saul heard these words, his anger was
ungovernable. He declared that as long as David lived, Jonathan could
not come to the throne of Israel, and he demanded that David should be
sent for immediately, that he might be put to death. Jonathan again made
intercession for his friend, pleading, “Wherefore shall he be slain?
what hath he done?” This appeal to the king only made him more satanic
in his fury, and the spear which he had intended for David, he now
hurled at his own son.
The prince was grieved and indignant, and leaving the royal presence, he
was no more a guest at the feast. His soul was bowed down with sorrow,
as he repaired, at the appointed time, to the spot where David was to
learn the king’s intentions toward him. Each fell upon the other’s neck,
and they wept bitterly. The dark passion of the king cast its shadow
upon the life of the young men, and their grief was too intense for
expression. Jonathan’s last words fell upon the ear of David as they
separated to pursue their different paths, “Go in peace, forasmuch as we
have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be
between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever.”
The king’s son returned to Gibeah, and David hastened to reach Nob, a
city but a few miles distant, and also belonging to the tribe of
Benjamin. The tabernacle had been taken to this place from Shiloh, and
here Ahimelech the high priest ministered. David knew not whither to
flee for refuge, except to the servant of God. The priest looked upon
him with astonishment, as he came, in haste, and apparently alone, with
a countenance marked by anxiety and sorrow. He inquired what had brought
him there. The young man was in constant fear of discovery, and in his
extremity he resorted to deception. David told the priest that he had
been sent by the king on a secret errand, one which required the utmost
expedition. Here he manifested a want of faith in God, and his sin
resulted in causing the death of the high priest. Had the facts been
plainly stated, Ahimelech would have known what course to pursue to
preserve his life. God requires that truthfulness shall mark his people,
even in the greatest peril. David asked the priest for five loaves of
bread. There was nothing but hallowed bread in the possession of the man
of God, but David succeeded in removing his scruples, and obtained the
bread to satisfy his hunger.
A new danger now presented itself. Doeg, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen,
who had professed the faith of the Hebrews, was now paying his vows in
the place of worship. At sight of this man, David determined to make
haste to secure another place of refuge, and to obtain some weapon with
which to defend himself if defense should become necessary. He asked
Ahimelech for a sword, and was told that he had none except the sword of
Goliath, which had been kept as a relic in the tabernacle. David
replied, “There is none like that; give it me.” His courage revived as
he grasped the sword that he had once used in destroying the champion of
the Philistines.
David fled to Achish, the king of Gath; for he felt that there was more
safety in the midst of the enemies of his people than in the dominions
of Saul. But it was reported to Achish that David was the man who had
slain the Philistine champion years before; and now he who had sought
refuge with the foes of Israel, found himself in great peril. But
feigning madness, he deceived his enemies, and thus made his escape.
The first error of David was his distrust of God at Nob, and his second
mistake was his deception before Achish. David had displayed noble
traits of character, and his moral worth had won him favor with the
people; but as trial came upon him, his faith was shaken, and human
weakness appeared. He saw in every man a spy and a betrayer. In a great
emergency, David had looked up to God with a steady eye of faith, and
had vanquished the Philistine giant. He believed in God, he went in his
name. But as he had been hunted and persecuted, perplexity and distress
had nearly hidden his heavenly Father from his sight.
Yet this experience was serving to teach David wisdom; for it led him to
realize his weakness, and the necessity of constant dependence upon God.
O, how precious is the sweet influence of the Spirit of God as it comes
to depressed or despairing souls, encouraging the faint-hearted,
strengthening the feeble, and imparting courage and help to the tried
servants of the Lord! O, what a God is ours, who deals gently with the
erring, and manifests his patience and tenderness in adversity, and when
we are overwhelmed with some great sorrow!
Every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of
faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance,
we must look up; there is light beyond the darkness. David ought not to
have distrusted God for one moment. He had cause for trusting in him: he
was the Lord’s anointed, and in the midst of danger he had been
protected by the angels of God; he had been armed with courage to do
wonderful things; and if he had but removed his mind from the
distressing situation in which he was placed, and had thought of God’s
power and majesty, he would have been at peace even in the midst of the
shadows of death; he could with confidence have repeated the promise of
the Lord, “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my
kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed.”[1065]
Among the mountains of Judah, David sought refuge from the pursuit of
Saul. He made good his escape to the cave of Adullam, a place that, with
a small force, could be held against a large army. “And when his
brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to
him.” The family of David could not feel secure, knowing that at any
time the unreasonable suspicions of Saul might be directed against them
on account of their relation to David. They had now learned—what was
coming to be generally known in Israel—that God had chosen David as the
future ruler of his people; and they believed that they would be safer
with him, even though he was a fugitive in a lonely cave, than they
could be while exposed to the insane madness of a jealous king.
In the cave of Adullam, the family were united in sympathy and
affection. The son of Jesse could make melody with voice and harp as he
sang, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity!”[1066] He had tasted the bitterness of distrust on
the part of his own brothers; and the harmony that had taken the place
of discord, brought joy to the exile’s heart. It was here that David
composed the fifty-seventh psalm.
It was not long before David’s company was joined by others who desired
to escape the exactions of the king. There were many who had lost
confidence in the ruler of Israel, for they could see that he was no
longer guided by the Spirit of the Lord. “And every one that was in
distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was
discontented,” resorted to David, “and he became a captain over them;
and there were with him about four hundred men.” Here David had a little
kingdom of his own, and in it order and discipline prevailed. But even
in his retreat in the mountains, he was far from feeling secure; for he
received continual evidence that the king had not relinquished his
murderous purpose.
He found a refuge for his parents with the king of Moab, and then, at a
warning of danger from a prophet of the Lord, he fled from his
hiding-place to the forest of Hareth. The experience through which David
was passing, was not unnecessary or fruitless. God was giving him a
course of discipline to fit him to become a wise general, as well as a
just and merciful king. With his band of fugitives he was gaining a
preparation to take up the work that Saul, because of his murderous
passion and blind indiscretion, was becoming wholly unfitted to do. Men
cannot depart from the counsel of God, and still retain that calmness
and wisdom which will enable them to act with justice and discretion.
There is no insanity so dreadful, so hopeless, as that of following
human wisdom, unguided by the wisdom of God.
Saul had been preparing to ensnare and capture David in the cave of
Adullam, and when it was discovered that David had left this place of
refuge, the king was greatly enraged. The flight of David was a mystery
to Saul. He could account for it only by the belief that there had been
traitors in his camp, who had informed the son of Jesse of his proximity
and design.
He affirmed to his counselors that a conspiracy had been formed against
him, and with the offer of rich gifts and positions of honor he bribed
them to reveal who among his people had befriended David. Doeg the
Edomite turned informer. Moved by ambition and avarice, and by hatred of
the priest, who had reproved his sins, Doeg reported David’s visit to
Ahimelech, representing the matter in such a light as to kindle Saul’s
anger against the man of God. The words of that mischievous tongue, set
on fire of hell, stirred up the worst passions in Saul’s heart. Maddened
with rage, he declared that the whole family of the priest should
perish. And the terrible decree was executed. Not only Ahimelech, but
the members of his father’s house,—“four-score and five persons that did
wear a linen ephod,”—were slain at the king’s command, by the murderous
hand of Doeg.
“And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword,
both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and
sheep.” This is what Saul could do under the control of Satan. When God
had said that the iniquity of the Amalekites was full, and had commanded
him to destroy them utterly, he thought himself too compassionate to
execute the divine sentence, and he spared that which was devoted to
destruction; but now, without a command from God, under the guidance of
Satan, he could slay the priests of the Lord, and bring ruin upon the
inhabitants of Nob. Such is the perversity of the human heart that has
refused the guidance of God.
This deed filled all Israel with horror. It was the king whom they had
chosen that had committed this outrage; and he had only done after the
manner of the kings of other nations that feared not God. The ark was
with them; but the priests of whom they had inquired were slain with the
sword. What would come next?
Footnote 1063:
See 1 Samuel 18-22.
Footnote 1064:
Prov. 9:10.
Footnote 1065:
Isa. 54:10.
Footnote 1066:
Ps. 133:1.
THE MAGNANIMITY OF DAVID—65
After Saul’s atrocious slaughter of the priests of the Lord, “one of the
sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled
after David. And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s
priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the
Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I have occasioned the
death of all the persons of thy father’s house. Abide thou with me, fear
not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; but with me thou
shalt be in safeguard.”[1070]
Still hunted by the king, David found no place of rest or security. At
Keilah his brave band saved the town from capture by the Philistines,
but they were not safe, even among the people whom they had delivered.
From Keilah they repaired to the wilderness of Ziph.
At this time, when there were so few bright spots in the path of David,
he was rejoiced to receive an unexpected visit from Jonathan, who had
learned the place of his refuge. Precious were the moments which these
two friends passed in each other’s society. They related their varied
experiences, and Jonathan strengthened the heart of David, saying, “Fear
not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt
be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul
my father knoweth.” As they talked of the wonderful dealings of God with
David, the hunted fugitive was greatly encouraged. “And they two made a
covenant before the Lord; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went
to his house.”
After the visit of Jonathan, David encouraged his soul with songs of
praise, accompanying his voice with his harp as he sang:—
“In the Lord put I my trust;
How say ye to my soul,
Flee as a bird to your mountain?
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string,
That they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
The Lord is in his holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
The Lord trieth the righteous;
But the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul
hateth.”[1071]
The Ziphites, into whose wild regions David went from Keilah, sent word
to Saul in Gibeah that they knew where David was hiding, and that they
would guide the king to his retreat. But David, warned of their
intentions, changed his position, seeking refuge in the mountains
between Maon and the Dead Sea.
Again word was sent to Saul, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of
Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand men chosen out of all Israel, and
went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.” David
had only six hundred men in his company, while Saul advanced against him
with an army of three thousand. In a secluded cave the son of Jesse and
his men waited for the guidance of God as to what should be done. As
Saul was pressing his way up the mountains, he turned aside, and
entered, alone, the very cavern in which David and his band were hidden.
When David’s men saw this, they urged their leader to kill Saul. The
fact that the king was now in their power, was interpreted by them as
certain evidence that God himself had delivered the enemy into their
hand, that they might destroy him. David was tempted to take this view
of the matter; but the voice of conscience spoke to him, saying, “Touch
not the anointed of the Lord.”
David’s men were still unwilling to leave Saul in peace, and they
reminded their commander of the words of God, “Behold, I will deliver
thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem
good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe
privily.” But his conscience smote him afterward, because he had even
marred the garment of the king.
Saul rose up and went out of the cave to continue his search, when a
voice fell upon his startled ears, saying, “My lord the king.” He turned
to see who was addressing him, and lo! it was the son of Jesse, the man
whom he had so long desired to have in his power that he might kill him.
David bowed himself to the king, acknowledging him as his master. Then
he addressed Saul in these words: “Wherefore hearest thou men’s words,
saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have
seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the
cave; and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said,
I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s
anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my
hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not,
know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine
hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to
take it.”
When Saul heard the words of David he was humbled, and could not but
admit their truthfulness. His feelings were deeply moved as he realized
how completely he had been in the power of the man whose life he sought.
David stood before him in conscious innocence. With a softened spirit,
Saul exclaimed, “Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his
voice, and wept.” Then he declared to David: “Thou art more righteous
than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee
evil.... For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?
Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this
day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and
that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.” And
David made a covenant with Saul that when this should take place he
would favorably regard the house of Saul, and not cut off his name.
Knowing what he did of Saul’s past course, David could put no confidence
in the assurances of the king, nor hope that his penitent condition
would long continue. So when Saul returned to his home, David remained
in the strongholds of the mountains.
The enmity that is cherished toward the servants of God by those who
have yielded to the power of Satan, changes at times to a feeling of
reconciliation and favor; but the change does not always prove to be
lasting. After evil-minded men have engaged in doing and saying wicked
things against the Lord’s servants, the conviction that they have been
in the wrong sometimes takes deep hold upon their minds. The Spirit of
the Lord strives with them, and they humble their hearts before God, and
before those whose influence they have sought to destroy, and they may
change their course toward them. But as they again open the door to the
suggestions of the evil one, the old doubts are revived, the old enmity
is awakened, and they return to engage in the same work which they
repented of, and for a time abandoned. Again they speak evil, accusing
and condemning in the bitterest manner the very ones to whom they made
most humble confession. Satan can use such souls with far greater power
after such a course has been pursued than he could before, because they
have sinned against greater light.
“And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and
lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.” The death of Samuel
was regarded as an irreparable loss by the nation of Israel. A great and
good prophet and an eminent judge had fallen in death; and the grief of
the people was deep and heartfelt. From his youth up, Samuel had walked
before Israel in the integrity of his heart; although Saul had been the
acknowledged king, Samuel had wielded a more powerful influence than he,
because his record was one of faithfulness, obedience, and devotion. We
read that he judged Israel all the days of his life.
As the people contrasted the course of Saul with that of Samuel, they
saw what a mistake they had made in desiring a king that they might not
be different from the nations around them. Many looked with alarm at the
condition of society, fast becoming leavened with irreligion and
godlessness. The example of their ruler was exerting a wide-spread
influence, and well might Israel mourn that Samuel, the prophet of the
Lord, was dead.
The nation had lost the founder and president of its sacred schools; but
that was not all. It had lost him to whom the people had been accustomed
to go with their great troubles,—lost one who had constantly interceded
with God in behalf of the best interests of its people. The intercession
of Samuel had given a feeling of security; for “the effectual, fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”[1072] The people felt now that
God was forsaking them. The king seemed little less than a madman.
Justice was perverted, and order was turned to confusion.
It was when the nation was racked with internal strife, when the calm,
God-fearing counsel of Samuel seemed to be most needed, that God gave
his aged servant rest. Bitter were the reflections of the people as they
looked upon his quiet resting-place, and remembered their folly in
rejecting him as their ruler; for he had had so close a connection with
Heaven that he seemed to bind all Israel to the throne of Jehovah. It
was Samuel who had taught them to love and obey God; but now that he was
dead, the people felt that they were left to the mercies of a king who
was joined to Satan, and who would divorce the people from God and
heaven.
David could not be present at the burial of Samuel; but he mourned for
him as deeply and tenderly as a faithful son could mourn for a devoted
father. He knew that Samuel’s death had broken another bond of restraint
from the actions of Saul, and he felt less secure than when the prophet
lived. While the attention of Saul was engaged in mourning for the death
of Samuel, David took the opportunity to seek a place of greater
security; so he fled to the wilderness of Paran. It was here that he
composed the one hundred and twentieth and twenty-first psalms. In these
desolate wilds, realizing that the prophet was dead, and the king was
his enemy, he sang:—
“My help cometh from the Lord,
Which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved;
He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep....
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil;
He shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”[1073]
While David and his men were in the wilderness of Paran, they protected
from the depredations of marauders the flocks and herds of a wealthy man
named Nabal, who had vast possessions in that region. Nabal was a
descendant of Caleb, but his character was churlish and niggardly.
It was the time of sheep-shearing, a season of hospitality. David and
his men were in sore need of provisions; and in accordance with the
custom of the times, the son of Jesse sent ten young men to Nabal,
bidding them greet him in their master’s name; and he added: “Thus shall
ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and
peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I
have heard that thou hast shearers; now thy shepherds which were with
us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the
while they were in Carmel.[1074] Ask thy young men, and they will show
thee. Wherefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes; for we come
in a good day; give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto
thy servants, and to thy son David.”
David and his men had been like a wall of protection to the shepherds
and flocks of Nabal; and now this rich man was asked to furnish from his
abundance some relief to the necessities of those who had done him such
valuable service. David and his men might have helped themselves from
the flocks and herds; but they did not. They behaved themselves in an
honest way. Their kindness, however, was lost upon Nabal. The answer he
returned to David was indicative of his character: “Who is David? and
who is the son of Jesse? There be many servants nowadays that break away
every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and
my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom
I know not whence they be?”
When the young men returned empty-handed, and related the affair to
David, he was filled with indignation. He commanded his men to equip
themselves for an encounter; for he had determined to punish the man who
had denied him what was his right, and had added insult to injury. This
impulsive movement was more in harmony with the character of Saul than
with that of David; but the son of Jesse had yet to learn lessons of
patience in the school of affliction.
One of Nabal’s servants hastened to Abigail, the wife of Nabal, after he
had dismissed David’s young men, and told her what had happened.
“Behold,” he said, “David sent messengers out of the wilderness to
salute our master; and he railed on them. But the men were very good
unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we
were conversant with them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall
unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping
the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil
is determined against our master, and against all his household.”
Without consulting her husband, or telling him of her intention, Abigail
made up an ample supply of provisions, which, laded upon asses, she sent
forward in the charge of servants, and herself started out to meet the
band of David. She met them in a covert of a hill. “And when Abigail saw
David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her
face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said,
Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid,
I pray thee, speak in thine audience.” Abigail addressed David with as
much reverence as though speaking to a crowned monarch. Nabal had
scornfully exclaimed, “Who is David?” but Abigail called him, “my lord.”
With kind words she sought to soothe his irritated feelings, and she
pleaded with him in behalf of her husband. With nothing of ostentation
or pride, but full of the wisdom and love of God, Abigail revealed the
strength of her devotion to her household; and she made it plain to
David that the unkind course of her husband was in no wise premeditated
against him as a personal affront, but was simply the outburst of an
unhappy and selfish nature.
“Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth,
seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from
avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they
that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.” Abigail did not take to herself
the credit of this reasoning to turn David from his hasty purpose, but
gave to God the honor and the praise. She then offered her rich
provision as a peace-offering to the men of David, and still pleaded as
if she herself were the one who had so excited the resentment of the
chief.
“I pray thee,” she said, “forgive the trespass of thine handmaid; for
the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord
fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee
all thy days.” Abigail presented by implication the course that David
ought to pursue. He should fight the battles of the Lord. He was not to
seek revenge for personal wrongs, even though persecuted as a traitor.
She continued: “Though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy
soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with
the Lord thy God; ... and it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall
have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken
concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee prince over Israel; that
this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord,
either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged
himself: and when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then
remember thine handmaid.”[1075]
These words could have come only from the lips of one who had partaken
of the wisdom from above. The piety of Abigail, like the fragrance of a
flower, breathed out all unconsciously in face and word and action. The
Spirit of the Son of God was abiding in her soul. Her speech, seasoned
with grace, and full of kindness and peace, shed a heavenly influence.
Better impulses came to David, and he trembled as he thought what might
have been the consequences of his rash purpose. “Blessed are the
peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.”[1076] Would
that there were many more like this woman of Israel, who would soothe
the irritated feelings, prevent rash impulses, and quell great evils by
words of calm and well-directed wisdom.
A consecrated Christian life is ever shedding light and comfort and
peace. It is characterized by purity, tact, simplicity, and usefulness.
It is controlled by that unselfish love that sanctifies the influence.
It is full of Christ, and leaves a track of light wherever its possessor
may go. Abigail was a wise reprover and counselor. David’s passion died
away under the power of her influence and reasoning. He was convinced
that he had taken an unwise course, and had lost control of his own
spirit.
With a humble heart, he received the rebuke, in harmony with his own
words, “Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him
reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil.”[1077] He gave thanks and
blessings because she advised him righteously. There are many who, when
they are reproved, think it praiseworthy if they receive the rebuke
without becoming impatient; but how few take reproof with gratitude of
heart, and bless those who seek to save them from pursuing an evil
course.
When Abigail returned home, she found Nabal and his guests in the
enjoyment of a great feast, which they had converted into a scene of
drunken revelry. Not until the next morning did she relate to her
husband what had occurred in her interview with David. Nabal was a
coward at heart; and when he realized how near his folly had brought him
to a sudden death, he seemed smitten with paralysis. Fearful that David
would still pursue his purpose of revenge, he was filled with horror,
and sank down in a condition of helpless insensibility. After ten days
he died. The life that God had given him had been only a curse to the
world. In the midst of his rejoicing and making merry, God had said to
him, as he said to the rich man of the parable, “This night thy soul
shall be required of thee.”[1078]
David afterward married Abigail. He was already the husband of one wife;
but the custom of the nations of his time had perverted his judgment and
influenced his actions. Even great and good men have erred in following
the practices of the world. The bitter result of marrying many wives was
sorely felt throughout all the life of David.
After the death of Samuel, David was left in peace for a few months.
Again he repaired to the solitude of the Ziphites; but these enemies,
hoping to secure the favor of the king, informed him of David’s
hiding-place. This intelligence aroused the demon of passion that had
been slumbering in Saul’s breast. Once more he summoned his men of arms,
and led them out in pursuit of David. But friendly spies brought tidings
to the son of Jesse that Saul was again pursuing him; and with a few of
his men, David started out to learn the location of his enemy. It was
night when, cautiously advancing, they came upon the encampment, and saw
before them the tents of the king and his attendants. They were
unobserved; for the camp was quiet in slumber. David called upon his
friends to go with him into the very midst of the foe. In answer to his
question, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” Abishai
promptly responded, “I will go down with thee.”
Hidden by the deep shadows of the hills, David and his attendant entered
the encampment of the enemy. As they sought to ascertain the exact
number of their foes, they came upon Saul sleeping, his spear stuck in
the ground, and a cruse of water at his head. Beside him lay Abner, his
chief commander, and all around them were the soldiers, locked in
slumber. Abishai raised his spear, and said to David, “God hath
delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day; now therefore let me
smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I
will not smite him the second time.” He waited for the word of
permission; but there fell upon his ear the whispered words: “Destroy
him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed,
and be guiltless?... As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or
his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s
anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his
bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear
and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and
no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awakened; for they were all asleep;
because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.” How easily the
Lord can weaken the strongest, remove prudence from the wisest, and
baffle the skill of the most watchful!
[Illustration: DAVID FINDS SAUL ASLEEP. “Destroy him not: for who can
stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?”]
When David was at a safe distance from the camp, he stood on the top of
a hill, and cried with a loud voice to the people, and to Abner, saying,
“Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel?
wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one
of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good
that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because
ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the
king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. And
Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And
David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth
my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what
evil is in mine hand? Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king
hear the words of his servant.” Again the acknowledgment fell from the
lips of the king, “I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will no
more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day;
behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David
answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men
come over and fetch it.” Although Saul had made the promise, “I will no
more do thee harm,” David did not place himself in his power.
This second instance of David’s respect for his sovereign’s life, made a
still deeper impression upon the mind of Saul, and brought from him a
more humble acknowledgment of his fault. He was astonished and subdued
at the manifestation of such kindness. In parting from David, Saul
exclaimed, “Blessed be thou, my son David; thou shalt both do great
things, and also shalt still prevail.” But the son of Jesse had no hope
that the king would long continue in this frame of mind.
David despaired of a reconciliation with Saul. It seemed inevitable that
he should at last fall a victim to the malice of the king, and he
determined again to seek refuge in the land of the Philistines. With the
six hundred men under his command, he passed over to Achish, the king of
Gath.
David’s conclusion that Saul would certainly accomplish his murderous
purpose, was formed without the counsel of God. Even while Saul was
plotting and seeking to accomplish his destruction, the Lord was working
to secure David the kingdom. God works out his plans, though to human
eyes they are vailed in mystery. Men cannot understand the ways of God;
and, looking at appearances, they interpret the trials and tests and
provings that God permits to come upon them, as things that are against
them, and that will only work their ruin. Thus David looked on
appearances, and not at the promises of God. He doubted that he would
ever come to the throne. Long trials had wearied his faith and exhausted
his patience.
The Lord did not send David for protection to the Philistines, the most
bitter foes of Israel. This very nation would be among his worst enemies
to the last; and yet he had fled to them for help in his time of need.
Having lost all confidence in Saul and in those who served him, he threw
himself upon the mercies of the enemies of his people. David was a brave
general, and had proved himself a wise and successful warrior; but he
was working directly against his own interests when he went to the
Philistines. God had appointed him to set up his standard in the land of
Judah, and it was want of faith that led him to forsake his post of duty
without a command from the Lord.
God was dishonored by David’s unbelief. The Philistines had feared David
more than they had feared Saul and his armies; and by placing himself
under the protection of the Philistines, David discovered to them the
weakness of his own people. Thus he encouraged these relentless foes to
oppress Israel. David had been anointed to stand in defense of the
people of God; and the Lord would not have his servants give
encouragement to the wicked by disclosing the weakness of his people, or
by an appearance of indifference to their welfare. Furthermore, the
impression was received by his brethren that he had gone to the heathen
to serve their gods. By this act he gave occasion for misconstruing his
motives, and many were led to hold prejudice against him. The very thing
that Satan desired to have him do, he was led to do; for, in seeking
refuge among the Philistines, David caused great exultation to the
enemies of God and his people. David did not renounce his worship of God
nor cease his devotion to his cause; but he sacrificed his trust in him
to his personal safety, and thus tarnished the upright and faithful
character that God requires his servants to possess.
David was cordially received by the king of the Philistines. The warmth
of this reception was partly due to the fact that the king admired him,
and partly to the fact that it was flattering to his vanity to have a
Hebrew seek his protection. David felt secure from betrayal in the
dominions of Achish. He brought his family, his household, and his
possessions, as did also his men; and to all appearance he had come to
settle permanently in the land of Philistia. All this was gratifying to
Achish, who promised to protect the fugitive Israelites.
At David’s request for a residence in the country, removed from the
royal city, the king graciously granted Ziklag as a possession. David
realized that it would be dangerous for himself and his men to be under
the influence of idolaters. In a town wholly separated for their use,
they might worship God with more freedom than they could if they
remained in Gath, where the heathen rites could not but prove a source
of evil and annoyance.
While dwelling in this isolated town, David made war upon the
Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites, and he left none alive to
bring tidings to Gath. When he returned from battle, he gave Achish to
understand that he had been warring against those of his own nation, the
men of Judah. By this dissembling he was the means of strengthening the
hand of the Philistines; for the king said, “He hath made his people
Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever.”
David knew that it was the will of God that those heathen tribes should
be destroyed, and he knew that he was appointed to do this work; but he
was not walking in the counsel of God when he practiced deception.
“And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto
David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle,
thou and thy men.” David had no intention of lifting his hand against
his people; but he was not certain as to what course he would pursue,
until circumstances should indicate his duty. He answered the king
evasively, and said, “Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do.”
Achish understood these words as a promise of assistance in the
approaching war, and pledged his word to bestow upon David great honor,
and give him a high position at the Philistine court.
But although David’s faith had staggered somewhat at the promises of
God, he still remembered that Samuel had anointed him king of Israel. He
recalled the victories that God had given him over his enemies in the
past. He reviewed the great mercy of God in preserving him from the hand
of Saul, and determined not to betray a sacred trust. Even though the
king of Israel had sought his life, he would not join his forces with
the enemies of his people.
[Illustration: “The piety of Abigail, like the fragrance of a flower,
breathed out all unconsciously in face and Word and action.”]
Footnote 1070:
See 1 Sam. 22:20-23; chapters 23-27.
Footnote 1071:
Ps. 11:1-5.
Footnote 1072:
James 5:16.
Footnote 1073:
Ps. 121:2-8.
Footnote 1074:
Not Mount Carmel, but a place in the territory of Judah, near the
hill-town of Maon.
Footnote 1075:
1 Sam. 25:29-31, Rev. Ver.
Footnote 1076:
Matt. 5:9.
Footnote 1077:
Ps. 141:5.
Footnote 1078:
Luke 12:20.
THE DEATH OF SAUL—66
Again war was declared between Israel and the Philistines. “The
Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in
Shunem,” on the northern edge of the plain of Jezreel; while Saul and
his forces encamped but a few miles distant, at the foot of Mount
Gilboa, on the southern border of the plain. It was on this plain that
Gideon, with three hundred men, had put to flight the hosts of Midian.
But the spirit that inspired Israel’s deliverer was widely different
from that which now stirred the heart of the king. Gideon went forth
strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob; but Saul felt himself to be
alone and defenseless, because God had forsaken him. As he looked abroad
upon the Philistine host, “he was afraid, and his heart greatly
trembled.”[1080]
Saul had learned that David and his force were with the Philistines, and
he expected that the son of Jesse would take this opportunity to revenge
the wrongs he had suffered. The king was in sore distress. It was his
own unreasoning passion, spurring him on to destroy the chosen of God,
that had involved the nation in so great peril. While he had been
engrossed in pursuing David, he had neglected the defense of his
kingdom. The Philistines, taking advantage of its unguarded condition,
had penetrated into the very heart of the country. Thus while Satan had
been urging Saul to employ every energy in hunting David, that he might
destroy him, the same malignant spirit had inspired the Philistines to
seize their opportunity to work Saul’s ruin, and overthrow the people of
God. How often is the same policy still employed by the arch-enemy! He
moves upon some unconsecrated heart to kindle envy and strife in the
church, and then, taking advantage of the divided condition of God’s
people, he stirs up his agents to work their ruin.
On the morrow, Saul must engage the Philistines in battle. The shadows
of impending doom gathered dark about him; he longed for help and
guidance. But it was in vain that he sought counsel from God. “The Lord
answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” The
Lord never turned away a soul that came to him in sincerity and
humility. Why did he turn Saul away unanswered?—The king had by his own
act forfeited the benefits of all the methods of inquiring of God. He
had rejected the counsel of Samuel the prophet; he had exiled David, the
chosen of God; he had slain the priests of the Lord. Could he expect to
be answered by God, when he had cut off the channels of communication
that Heaven had ordained? He had sinned away the Spirit of grace, and
could he be answered by dreams and revelations from the Lord? Saul did
not turn to God with humility and repentance. It was not pardon for sin,
and reconciliation with God, that he sought, but deliverance from his
foes. By his own stubbornness and rebellion he had cut himself off from
God. There could be no return but by the way of penitence and
contrition; but the proud monarch, in his anguish and despair,
determined to seek help from another source.
Then said Saul unto his servants, “Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.” Saul had a full
knowledge of the character of necromancy. It had been expressly
forbidden by the Lord, and the sentence of death was pronounced against
all who practiced its unholy arts. During the life of Samuel, Saul had
commanded that all wizards and those that had familiar spirits should be
put to death; but now, in the rashness of desperation, he had recourse
to that oracle which he had condemned as an abomination.
It was told the king that a woman who had a familiar spirit was living
in concealment at Endor. This woman had entered into covenant with Satan
to yield herself to his control, to fulfill his purposes; and in return,
the prince of evil wrought wonders for her, and revealed secret things
to her.
[Illustration: SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR. “Samuel was not present in
that haunt of evil spirits. That supernatural appearance was produced
solely by the power of Satan.”]
Disguising himself, Saul went forth by night with but two attendants, to
seek the retreat of the sorceress. O, pitiable sight! the king of Israel
led captive by Satan at his will! What path so dark for human feet to
tread as that chosen by one who has persisted in having his own way,
resisting the holy influences of the Spirit of God! What bondage so
terrible as that of him who is given over to the control of the worst of
tyrants—himself! Trust in God, and obedience to his will, were the only
conditions upon which Saul could be king of Israel. Had he complied with
these conditions throughout his reign, his kingdom would have been
secure; God would have been his guide, the Omnipotent his shield. God
had borne long with Saul; and although his rebellion and obstinacy had
well-nigh silenced the divine voice in the soul, there was still
opportunity for repentance. But when in his peril he turned from God, to
obtain light from a confederate of Satan, he had cut the last tie that
bound him to his Maker; he had placed himself fully under the control of
that demoniac power which for years had been exercised upon him, and
which had brought him to the verge of destruction.
Under the cover of darkness, Saul and his attendants made their way
across the plain, and safely passing the Philistine host, they crossed
the mountain ridge, to the lonely home of the sorceress of Endor. Here
the woman with a familiar spirit had hidden herself away that she might
secretly continue her profane incantations. Disguised as he was, Saul’s
lofty stature and kingly port declared that he was no common soldier.
The woman suspected that her visitor was Saul, and his rich gifts
strengthened her suspicions. To his request, “I pray thee, divine unto
me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto
thee,” the woman answered, “Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done,
how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards,
out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to
cause me to die?” Then “Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the
Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.”
And when she said, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” he answered,
“Samuel.”
After practicing her incantations, she said, “I saw gods ascending out
of the earth.... An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle.
And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to
the ground, and bowed himself.”
It was not God’s holy prophet that came forth at the spell of a
sorcerer’s incantation. Samuel was not present in that haunt of evil
spirits. That supernatural appearance was produced solely by the power
of Satan. He could as easily assume the form of Samuel as he could
assume that of an angel of light, when he tempted Christ in the
wilderness.
The woman’s first words under the spell of her incantation had been
addressed to the king, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.”
Thus the first act of the evil spirit which personated the prophet, was
to communicate secretly with this wicked woman, to warn her of the
deception that had been practiced upon her. The message to Saul from the
pretended prophet was, “Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And
Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war
against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more,
neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that
thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.”
When Samuel was living, Saul had despised his counsel, and had resented
his reproofs. But now, in the hour of his distress and calamity, he felt
that the prophet’s guidance was his only hope, and in order to
communicate with Heaven’s ambassador, he vainly had recourse to the
messenger of hell! Saul had placed himself fully in the power of Satan;
and now he whose only delight is in causing misery and destruction, made
the most of his advantage, to work the ruin of the unhappy king. In
answer to Saul’s agonized entreaty came the terrible message,
professedly from the lips of Samuel:—
“Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from
thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him, as he
spake by me; for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and
given it to thy neighbor, even to David. Because thou obeyedst not the
voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the
Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the
Philistines.”
All through his course of rebellion, Saul had been flattered and
deceived by Satan. It is the tempter’s work to belittle sin, to make the
path of transgression easy and inviting, to blind the mind to the
warnings and threatenings of the Lord. Satan, by his bewitching power,
had led Saul to justify himself in defiance of Samuel’s reproofs and
warning. But now, in his extremity, he turned upon him, presenting the
enormity of his sin and the hopelessness of pardon, that he might goad
him to desperation. Nothing could have been better chosen to destroy his
courage and confuse his judgment, or to drive him to despair and
self-destruction.
Saul was faint from weariness and fasting; he was terrified and
conscience-stricken. As the fearful prediction fell upon his ear, his
form swayed like an oak before the tempest, and he fell prostrate to the
earth.
The sorceress was filled with alarm. The king of Israel lay before her
like one dead. Should he perish in her retreat, what would be the
consequences to herself? She besought him to arise and partake of food,
urging that since she had imperiled her life in granting his desire, he
should yield to her request for the preservation of his own. His
servants joining their entreaties, Saul yielded at last, and the woman
set before him the fatted calf and unleavened bread hastily prepared.
What a scene!—In the wild cave of the sorceress, which but a little
before had echoed with the words of doom—in the presence of Satan’s
messenger—he who had been anointed of God as king over Israel sat down
to eat, in preparation for the day’s deadly strife.
Before the break of day he returned with his attendants to the camp of
Israel, to make ready for the conflict. By consulting that spirit of
darkness, Saul had destroyed himself. Oppressed by the horror of
despair, it would be impossible for him to inspire his army with
courage. Separated from the Source of strength, he could not lead the
minds of Israel to look to God as their helper. Thus the prediction of
evil would work its own accomplishment.
On the plain of Shunem and the slopes of Mount Gilboa, the armies of
Israel and the hosts of the Philistines closed in mortal combat. Though
the fearful scene in the cave at Endor had driven all hope from his
heart, Saul fought with desperate valor for his throne and his kingdom.
But it was in vain. “The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines,
and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa.” Three brave sons of the king died
at his side. The archers pressed upon Saul. He had seen his soldiers
falling around him, and his princely sons cut down by the sword. Himself
wounded, he could neither fight nor fly. Escape was impossible, and
determined not to be taken alive by the Philistines, he bade his
armor-bearer, “Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith.” When
the man refused to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed, Saul took
his own life by falling upon his sword.
Thus the first king of Israel perished, with the guilt of self-murder
upon his soul. His life had been a failure, and he went down in dishonor
and despair, because he had set up his own perverse will against the
will of God.
The tidings of defeat spread far and wide, carrying terror to all
Israel. The people fled from the cities, and the Philistines took
undisturbed possession. Saul’s reign, independent of God, had well-nigh
proved the ruin of his people.
On the day following the engagement, the Philistines, searching the
battle-field to rob the slain, discovered the bodies of Saul and his
three sons. To complete their triumph, they cut off the head of Saul and
stripped him of his armor; then the head and the armor, reeking with
blood, were sent to the country of the Philistines as a trophy of
victory, “to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the
people.” The armor was finally put in “the house of Ashtaroth,” while
the head was fastened in the temple of Dagon. Thus the glory of the
victory was ascribed to the power of these false gods, and the name of
Jehovah was dishonored.
The dead bodies of Saul and his sons were dragged to Beth-shan, a city
not far from Gilboa, and near the river Jordan. Here they were hung up
in chains, to be devoured by birds of prey. But the brave men of
Jabesh-gilead, remembering Saul’s deliverance of their city in his
earlier and happier years, now manifested their gratitude by rescuing
the bodies of the king and princes, and giving them honorable burial.
Crossing the Jordan by night, they “took the body of Saul and the bodies
of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt
them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at
Jabesh, and fasted seven days.” Thus the noble deed performed forty
years before, secured for Saul and his sons burial by tender and pitying
hands, in that dark hour of defeat and dishonor.
Footnote 1080:
See 1 Samuel 28, 31.
ANCIENT AND MODERN SORCERY—67
The Scripture account of Saul’s visit to the woman of Endor has been a
source of perplexity to many students of the Bible. There are some who
take the position that Samuel was actually present at the interview with
Saul, but the Bible itself furnishes sufficient ground for a contrary
conclusion. If, as claimed by some, Samuel was in heaven, he must have
been summoned thence, either by the power of God or by that of Satan.
None can believe for a moment that Satan had power to call the holy
prophet of God from heaven to honor the incantations of an abandoned
woman. Nor can we conclude that God summoned him to the witch’s cave;
for the Lord had already refused to communicate with Saul, by dreams, by
Urim, or by prophets.[1085] These were God’s own appointed mediums of
communication, and he did not pass them by to deliver the message
through the agent of Satan.
The message itself is sufficient evidence of its origin. Its object was
not to lead Saul to repentance, but to urge him on to ruin; and this is
not the work of God, but of Satan. Furthermore, the act of Saul in
consulting a sorceress is cited in Scripture as one reason why he was
rejected by God and abandoned to destruction: “Saul died for his
transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word
of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that
had a familiar spirit, _to inquire of it_; and inquired not of the Lord;
therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of
Jesse.”[1086] Here it is distinctly stated that Saul inquired of the
familiar spirit, not of the Lord. He did not communicate with Samuel,
the prophet of God; but through the sorceress he held intercourse with
Satan. Satan could not present the real Samuel, but he did present a
counterfeit, that served his purpose of deception.
Nearly all forms of ancient sorcery and witchcraft were founded upon a
belief in communion with the dead. Those who practiced the arts of
necromancy claimed to have intercourse with departed spirits, and to
obtain through them a knowledge of future events. This custom of
consulting the dead is referred to in the prophecy of Isaiah: “When they
shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto
wizards that peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their
God? _for the living to the dead_?”[1087]
This same belief in communion with the dead formed the corner-stone of
heathen idolatry. The gods of the heathen were believed to be the
deified spirits of departed heroes. Thus the religion of the heathen was
a worship of the dead. This is evident from the Scriptures. In the
account of the sin of Israel at Beth-peor, it is stated: “Israel abode
in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters
of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods;
and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined
himself unto Baal-peor.”[1088] The psalmist tells us to what kind of
gods these sacrifices were offered. Speaking of the same apostasy of the
Israelites, he says, “They joined themselves unto Baal-peor, and _ate
the sacrifices of the dead_;”[1089] that is, sacrifices that had been
offered to the dead.
The deification of the dead has held a prominent place in nearly every
system of heathenism, as has also the supposed communion with the dead.
The gods were believed to communicate their will to men, and also, when
consulted, to give them counsel. Of this character were the famous
oracles of Greece and Rome.
The belief in communion with the dead is still held, even in professedly
Christian lands. Under the name of Spiritualism, the practice of
communicating with beings claiming to be the spirits of the departed,
has become wide-spread. It is calculated to take hold of the sympathies
of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Spiritual beings
sometimes appear to persons in the form of their deceased friends, and
relate incidents connected with their lives, and perform acts which they
performed while living. In this way they lead men to believe that their
dead friends are angels, hovering over them, and communicating with
them. Those who thus assume to be the spirits of the departed, are
regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater
weight than the word of God.
There are many, however, who regard Spiritualism as a mere imposture.
The manifestations by which it supports its claims to a supernatural
character are attributed to fraud on the part of the medium. But while
it is true that the results of trickery have often been palmed off as
genuine manifestations, there have also been marked evidences of
supernatural power. And many who reject Spiritualism as the result of
human skill or cunning, will, when confronted with manifestations which
they cannot account for upon this ground, be led to acknowledge its
claims.
Modern Spiritualism, and the forms of ancient witchcraft and idol
worship,—all having communion with the dead as their vital
principle,—are founded upon that first lie by which Satan beguiled Eve
in Eden: “Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye
eat thereof, ... ye shall be as gods.”[1090] Alike based upon falsehood
and perpetuating the same, they are alike from the father of lies.
The Hebrews were expressly forbidden to engage, in any manner, in
pretended communion with the dead. God closed this door effectually when
he said: “The dead know not anything.... Neither have they any more a
portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.”[1091] “His
breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish.”[1092] And the Lord declared to Israel: “The soul that
turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a
whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will
cut him off from among his people.”[1093]
The “familiar spirits” were not the spirits of the dead, but evil
angels, the messengers of Satan. Ancient idolatry, which, as we have
seen, comprises both worship of the dead and pretended communion with
them, is declared by the Bible to have been demon-worship. The apostle
Paul, in warning his brethren against participating, in any manner, in
the idolatry of their heathen neighbors, says, “The things which the
Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God; and I
would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”[1094] The
psalmist, speaking of Israel, says that “they sacrificed their sons and
their daughters unto devils,” and in the next verse he explains that
they sacrificed them “unto the idols of Canaan.”[1095] In their supposed
worship of dead men, they were, in reality, worshiping demons.
Modern Spiritualism, resting upon the same foundation, is but a revival,
in a new form, of the witchcraft and demon-worship that God condemned
and prohibited of old. It is foretold in the Scriptures, which declare
that “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”[1096] Paul, in his second
letter to the Thessalonians, points to the special working of Satan in
Spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the second
advent of Christ. Speaking of Christ’s second coming, he declares that
it is “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders.”[1097] And Peter, describing the dangers to which the church
was to be exposed in the last days, says that as there were false
prophets who led Israel into sin, so there will be false teachers, “who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
bought them.... And many shall follow their pernicious ways.”[1098] Here
the apostle has pointed out one of the marked characteristics of
Spiritualist teachers. They refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of
God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: “Who is a liar
but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath
not the Father.”[1099] Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the
Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the manifestation of
antichrist.
By the prediction of Saul’s doom, given through the woman of Endor,
Satan planned to ensnare the people of Israel. He hoped that they would
be inspired with confidence in the sorceress, and would be led to
consult her. Thus they would turn from God as their counselor, and would
place themselves under the guidance of Satan. The lure by which
Spiritualism attracts the multitudes is its pretended power to draw
aside the vail from the future, and reveal to men what God has hidden.
God has in his word opened before us the great events of the future,—all
that it is essential for us to know,—and he has given us a safe guide
for our feet amid all its perils; but it is Satan’s purpose to destroy
men’s confidence in God, to make, them dissatisfied with their condition
in life, and to lead them to seek a knowledge of what God has wisely
vailed from them, and to despise what he has revealed in his holy word.
There are many who become restless when they cannot know the definite
outcome of affairs. They cannot endure uncertainty, and in their
impatience they refuse to wait to see the salvation of God. Apprehended
evils drive them nearly distracted. They give way to their rebellious
feelings, and run hither and thither in passionate grief, seeking
intelligence concerning that which has not been revealed. If they would
but trust in God, and watch unto prayer, they would find divine
consolation. Their spirit would be calmed by communion with God. The
weary and the heavy-laden would find rest unto their souls, if they
would only go to Jesus; but when they neglect the means that God has
ordained for their comfort, and resort to other sources, hoping to learn
what God has withheld, they commit the error of Saul, and thereby gain
only a knowledge of evil.
God is not pleased with this course, and has expressed it in the most
explicit terms. This impatient haste to tear away the vail from the
future reveals a lack of faith in God, and leaves the soul open to the
suggestions of the master-deceiver. Satan leads men to consult those
that have familiar spirits; and by revealing hidden things of the past,
he inspires confidence in his power to foretell things to come. By
experience gained through the long ages, he can reason from cause to
effect, and often forecast, with a degree of accuracy, some of the
future events of man’s life. Thus he is enabled to deceive poor,
misguided souls, and bring them under his power, and lead them captive
at his will.
God has given us the warning by his prophet: “When they shall say unto
you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that
peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the
living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”[1100]
Shall those who have a holy God, infinite in wisdom and power, go unto
wizards, whose knowledge comes from intimacy with the enemy of our Lord?
God himself is the light of his people; he bids them fix their eyes by
faith upon the glories that are vailed from human sight. The Sun of
Righteousness sends its bright beams into their hearts; they have light
from the throne of heaven, and they have no desire to turn away from the
source of light, to the messengers of Satan.
The demon’s message to Saul, although it was a denunciation of sin and a
prophecy of retribution, was not meant to reform him, but to goad him to
despair and ruin. Oftener, however, it serves the tempter’s purpose best
to lure men to destruction by flattery. The teaching of the demon-gods,
in ancient times, fostered the vilest license. The divine precepts
condemning sin and enforcing righteousness, were set aside; truth was
lightly regarded, and impurity was not only permitted but enjoined.
Spiritualism declares that there is no death, no sin, no judgment, no
retribution; that “men are unfallen demigods;” that desire is the
highest law; and that man is accountable only to himself. The barriers
that God has erected to guard truth, purity, and reverence, are broken
down, and many are thus emboldened in sin. Does not such teaching
suggest an origin similar to that of demon-worship?
The Lord presented before Israel the results of holding communion with
evil spirits, in the abominations of the Canaanites: they were without
natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by
every corrupt thought and revolting practice. Men do not know their own
hearts; for “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked.”[1101] But God understands the tendencies of the depraved nature
of man. Then, as now, Satan was watching to bring about conditions
favorable to rebellion, that the people of Israel might make themselves
as abhorrent to God as were the Canaanites. The adversary of souls is
ever on the alert to open channels for the unrestrained flow of evil in
us; for he desires that we may be ruined, and be condemned before God.
Satan was determined to keep his hold on the land of Canaan, and when it
was made the habitation of the children of Israel, and the law of God
was made the law of the land, he hated Israel with a cruel and malignant
hatred, and plotted their destruction. Through the agency of evil
spirits, strange gods were introduced; and because of transgression, the
chosen people were finally scattered from the land of promise. This
history Satan is striving to repeat in our day. God is leading his
people out from the abominations of the world, that they may keep his
law; and because of this, the rage of “the accuser of our brethren”
knows no bounds. “The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”[1102] The antitypical
land of promise is just before us, and Satan is determined to destroy
the people of God, and cut them off from their inheritance. The
admonition, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation,”[1103]
was never more needed than now.
The word of the Lord to ancient Israel is addressed also to his people
in this age: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek
after wizards, to be defiled by them;” “for all that do these things are
an abomination unto the Lord.”[1104]
[Illustration: Caravan Crossing the Desert.]
Footnote 1085:
1 Sam. 28:6.
Footnote 1086:
1 Chron. 10:13, 14.
Footnote 1087:
Isa. 8:19.
Footnote 1088:
Num. 25:1-3.
Footnote 1089:
Ps. 106:28.
Footnote 1090:
Gen. 3:4, 5.
Footnote 1091:
Eccl. 9:5, 6.
Footnote 1092:
Ps. 146:4.
Footnote 1093:
Lev. 20:6.
Footnote 1094:
1 Cor. 10:20.
Footnote 1095:
Ps. 106:37, 38.
Footnote 1096:
1 Tim. 4:1.
Footnote 1097:
2 Thess. 2:9.
Footnote 1098:
2 Peter 2:1, 2.
Footnote 1099:
1 John 2:22, 23.
Footnote 1100:
Isa. 8:19, 20.
Footnote 1101:
Jer. 17:9.
Footnote 1102:
Rev. 12:10, 12.
Footnote 1103:
Mark 14:38.
Footnote 1104:
Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:12.
DAVID AT ZIKLAG—68
David and his men had not taken part in the battle between Saul and the
Philistines, though they had marched with the Philistines to the field
of conflict. As the two armies prepared to join battle, the son of Jesse
found himself in a situation of great perplexity. It was expected that
he would fight for the Philistines. Should he in the engagement quit the
post assigned him, and retire from the field, he would not only brand
himself with cowardice, but with ingratitude and treachery to Achish,
who had protected him and confided in him. Such an act would cover his
name with infamy, and would expose him to the wrath of enemies more to
be feared than Saul. Yet he could not for a moment consent to fight
against Israel. Should he do this, he would become a traitor to his
country,—the enemy of God and of his people. It would forever bar his
way to the throne of Israel; and should Saul be slain in the engagement,
his death would be charged upon David.
David was caused to feel that he had missed his path. Far better would
it have been for him to find refuge in God’s strong fortresses of the
mountains than with the avowed enemies of Jehovah and his people. But
the Lord, in his great mercy, did not punish this error of his servant
by leaving him to himself in his distress and perplexity; for though
David, losing his grasp on divine power, had faltered, and turned aside
from the path of strict integrity, it was still the purpose of his heart
to be true to God. While Satan and his host were busy, helping the
adversaries of God and of Israel to plan against a king who had forsaken
God, the angels of the Lord were working to deliver David from the peril
into which he had fallen. Heavenly messengers moved upon the Philistine
princes to protest against the presence of David and his force with the
army in the approaching conflict.
“What do these Hebrews here?”[1110] cried the Philistine lords, pressing
about Achish. The latter, unwilling to part with so important an ally,
answered, “Is not this David the servant of Saul the king of Israel,
which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no
fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?”
But the princes angrily persisted in their demand: “Make this fellow
return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him,
and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an
adversary to us; for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his
master? should it not be with the heads of these men? Is not this David,
of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his
thousands, and David his ten thousands?” The slaughter of their famed
champion and the triumph of Israel upon that occasion were still fresh
in the memory of the Philistine lords. They did not believe that David
would fight against his own people; and should he, in the heat of
battle, take sides with them, he could inflict greater harm on the
Philistines than would the whole of Saul’s army.
Thus Achish was forced to yield, and calling David, said unto him,
“Surely as Jehovah liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and
thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not
found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day.
Nevertheless the lords favor thee not. Wherefore now return, and go in
peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.”
David, fearing to betray his real feelings, answered, “But what have I
done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been
with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of
my lord the king?”
The reply of Achish must have sent a thrill of shame and remorse through
David’s heart, as he thought how unworthy of a servant of Jehovah were
the deceptions to which he had stooped. “I know that thou art good in my
sight, as an angel of God,” said the king; “notwithstanding the princes
of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.
Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s servants
that are come with thee; and as soon as ye be up early in the morning,
and have light, depart.” Thus the snare in which David had become
entangled was broken, and he was set free.
After three days’ travel, David and his band of six hundred men reached
Ziklag, their Philistine home. But a scene of desolation met their view.
The Amalekites, taking advantage of David’s absence, with his force, had
avenged themselves for his incursions into their territory. They had
surprised the city while it was left unguarded, and having sacked and
burned it, had departed, taking all the women and children as captives,
with much spoil.
Dumb with horror and amazement, David and his men for a little time
gazed in silence upon the blackened and smouldering ruins. Then as a
sense of their terrible desolation burst upon them, those battle-scarred
warriors “lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power
to weep.”
Here, again, David was chastened for the lack of faith that had led him
to place himself among the Philistines. He had opportunity to see how
much safety could be found among the foes of God and his people. David’s
followers turned upon him as the cause of their calamities. He had
provoked the vengeance of the Amalekites by his attack upon them; yet,
too confident of security in the midst of his enemies, he had left the
city unguarded. Maddened with grief and rage, his soldiers were now
ready for any desperate measures, and they threatened even to stone
their leader.
David seemed to be cut off from every human support. All that he held
dear on earth had been swept from him. Saul had driven him from his
country; the Philistines had driven him from the camp; the Amalekites
had plundered his city; his wives and children had been made prisoners;
and his own familiar friends had banded against him, and threatened him
even with death. In this hour of utmost extremity, David, instead of
permitting his mind to dwell upon these painful circumstances, looked
earnestly to God for help. He “encouraged himself in the Lord.” He
reviewed his past eventful life. Wherein had the Lord ever forsaken him?
His soul was refreshed in recalling the many evidences of God’s favor.
The followers of David, by their discontent and impatience, made their
affliction doubly grievous; but the man of God, having even greater
cause for grief, bore himself with fortitude. “What time I am afraid, I
will trust in Thee,”[1111] was the language of his heart. Though he
himself could not discern a way out of the difficulty, God could see it,
and would teach him what to do.
Sending for Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “David inquired
of the Lord, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake
them?” The answer was, “Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and
shalt without fail recover all.”[1112]
At these words the tumult of grief and passion ceased. David and his
soldiers at once set out in pursuit of their fleeing foe. So rapid was
their march, that upon reaching the brook Besor, which empties, near
Gaza, into the Mediterranean Sea, two hundred of the band were compelled
by exhaustion to remain behind. But David with the remaining four
hundred pressed forward, nothing daunted.
Advancing, they came upon an Egyptian slave, apparently about to perish
from weariness and hunger. Upon receiving food and drink, however, he
revived, and they learned that he had been left to die, by his cruel
master, an Amalekite belonging to the invading force. He told the story
of the raid and pillage; and then, having exacted a promise that he
should not be slain or delivered to his master, he consented to lead
David’s company to the camp of their enemies.
As they came in sight of the encampment, a scene of revelry met their
gaze. The victorious host were holding high festival. “They were spread
abroad upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing, because of
all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the
Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.” An immediate attack was
ordered, and the pursuers rushed fiercely upon their prey. The
Amalekites were surprised and thrown into confusion. The battle was
continued all that night and the following day, until nearly the entire
host was slain. Only a band of four hundred men, mounted upon camels,
succeeded in making their escape. The word of the Lord was fulfilled.
“David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away; and David
rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither
small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything
that they had taken to them; David recovered all.”
When David had invaded the territory of the Amalekites, he had put to
the sword all the inhabitants that fell into his hands. But for the
restraining power of God, the Amalekites would have retaliated by
destroying the people of Ziklag. They decided to spare the captives,
desiring to heighten the honor of the triumph by leading home a large
number of prisoners, and intending afterward to sell them as slaves.
Thus, unwittingly, they fulfilled God’s purpose, keeping the prisoners
unharmed, to be restored to their husbands and fathers.
All earthly powers are under the control of the Infinite One. To the
mightiest ruler, to the most cruel oppressor, he says, “Hitherto shalt
thou come, but no further.”[1113] God’s power is constantly exercised to
counteract the agencies of evil: he is ever at work among men, not for
their destruction, but for their correction and preservation.
With great rejoicing, the victors took up their homeward march. Upon
reaching their companions who had remained behind, the more selfish and
unruly of the four hundred urged that those who had had no part in the
battle should not share the spoils; that it was enough for them to
recover each his wife and children. But David would permit no such
arrangement. “Ye shall not do so, my brethren,” he said, “with that
which the Lord hath given us, ... as his part is that goeth down to the
battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part
alike.” Thus the matter was settled, and it afterward became a statute
in Israel that all who were honorably connected with a military campaign
should share the spoils equally with those who engaged in actual combat.
Besides recovering all the spoil that had been taken from Ziklag, David
and his band had captured extensive flocks and herds belonging to the
Amalekites. These were called “David’s spoil;” and upon returning to
Ziklag, he sent from this spoil presents to the elders of his own tribe
of Judah. In this distribution, all those were remembered who had
befriended him and his followers in the mountain fastnesses, when he had
been forced to flee from place to place for his life. Their kindness and
sympathy, so precious to the hunted fugitive, were thus gratefully
acknowledged.
It was the third day since David and his warriors returned to Ziklag. As
they labored to restore their ruined homes, they watched with anxious
hearts for tidings of the battle which they knew must have been fought
between Israel and the Philistines. Suddenly a messenger entered the
town, “with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head.”[1114] He was at
once brought to David, before whom he bowed with reverence, expressing
recognition of him as a powerful prince, whose favor he desired. David
eagerly inquired how the battle had gone. The fugitive reported Saul’s
defeat and death, and the death of Jonathan. But he went beyond a simple
statement of facts. Evidently supposing that David must cherish enmity
toward his relentless persecutor, the stranger hoped to secure honor to
himself as the slayer of the king. With an air of boasting, the man went
on to relate that during the battle he found the monarch of Israel
wounded, and sore pressed by his foes, and that at his own request the
messenger had slain him. The crown from his head and the golden
bracelets from his arm he had brought to David. He confidently expected
that these tidings would be hailed with joy, and that a rich reward
would be his for the part that he had acted.
But “David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the
men that were with him. And they mourned, and wept, and fasted, until
even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the
Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the
sword.”
The first shock of the fearful tidings past, David’s thoughts returned
to the stranger herald, and the crime of which, according to his own
statement, he was guilty. The chief demanded of the young man, “Whence
art thou?” And he answered, “I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine
hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” Twice, David had had Saul in his
power; but when urged to slay him, he had refused to lift his hand
against him who had been consecrated by the command of God to rule over
Israel. Yet the Amalekite feared not to boast that he had slain the king
of Israel. He had accused himself of a crime worthy of death, and the
penalty was inflicted at once. David said, “Thy blood be upon thy head;
for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the
Lord’s anointed.”
David’s grief at the death of Saul was sincere and deep, evincing the
generosity of a noble nature. He did not exult in the fall of his enemy.
The obstacle that had barred his access to the throne of Israel was
removed, but at this he did not rejoice. Death had obliterated the
remembrance of Saul’s distrust and cruelty, and now nothing in his
history was thought of but that which was noble and kingly. The name of
Saul was linked with that of Jonathan, whose friendship had been so true
and so unselfish.
The song in which David gave utterance to the feelings of his heart,
became a treasure to his nation, and to the people of God in all
subsequent ages:—
“Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places!
How are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
Publish it not in the streets of Askelon;
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Ye mountains of Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings:
For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away,
The shield of Saul as of one not anointed with oil....
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet delicately,
Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan;
Very pleasant hast thou been unto me;
Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!”[1115]
Footnote 1110:
See 1 Samuel 29, 30.
Footnote 1111:
Ps. 56:3.
Footnote 1112:
1 Sam. 30:8, Rev. Ver.
Footnote 1113:
Job 38:11.
Footnote 1114:
See 2 Sam. 1:2-16.
Footnote 1115:
2 Sam. 1:19-27, Rev. Ver.
DAVID CALLED TO THE THRONE—69
The death of Saul removed the dangers that had made David an exile. The
way was now open for him to return to his own land. When the days of
mourning for Saul and Jonathan were ended, “David inquired of the Lord,
saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said
unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said,
Unto Hebron.”[1120]
Hebron was twenty miles north from Beersheba, and about midway between
that city and the future site of Jerusalem. It was originally called
Kirjath-arba, the city of Arba, the father of Anak. Later it was called
Mamre, and here was the burial-place of the patriarchs, “the cave of
Machpelah.” Hebron had been the possession of Caleb, and was now the
chief city of Judah. It lies in a valley surrounded by fertile hill
country and fruitful lands. The most beautiful vineyards of Palestine
were on its borders, together with numerous plantations of olive and
other fruit trees.
David and his followers immediately prepared to obey the instruction
which they had received from God. The six hundred armed men, with their
wives and children, their flocks and herds, were soon on the way to
Hebron. As the caravan entered the city, the men of Judah were waiting
to welcome David as the future king of Israel. Arrangements were at once
made for his coronation. “And there they anointed David king over the
house of Judah.” But no effort was made to establish his authority, by
force, over the other tribes.
One of the first acts of the new-crowned monarch was to express his
tender regard for the memory of Saul and Jonathan. Upon learning of the
brave deed of the men of Jabesh-gilead in rescuing the bodies of the
fallen leaders, and giving them honorable burial. David sent an embassy
to Jabesh with the message, “Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have
showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried
him. And now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will
requite you this kindness.” And he announced his own accession to the
throne of Judah, and invited the allegiance of those who had proved
themselves so true-hearted.
The Philistines did not oppose the action of Judah in making David king.
They had befriended him in his exile, in order to harass and weaken the
kingdom of Saul, and now they hoped that because of their former
kindness to David the extension of his power would, in the end, work to
their advantage. But David’s reign was not to be free from trouble. With
his coronation began the dark record of conspiracy and rebellion. David
did not sit upon a traitor’s throne; God had chosen him to be king of
Israel, and there had been no occasion for distrust or opposition. Yet
hardly had his authority been acknowledged by the men of Judah, when
through the influence of Abner, Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was
proclaimed king, and set upon a rival throne in Israel.
Ishbosheth was but a weak and incompetent representative of the house of
Saul, while David was pre-eminently qualified to bear the
responsibilities of the kingdom. Abner, the chief agent in raising
Ishbosheth to kingly power, had been commander-in-chief of Saul’s army,
and was the most distinguished man in Israel. Abner knew that David had
been appointed by the Lord to the throne of Israel, but having so long
hunted and pursued him, he was not now willing that the son of Jesse
should succeed to the kingdom over which Saul had reigned.
The circumstances under which Abner was placed, served to develop his
real character, and showed him to be ambitious and unprincipled. He had
been intimately associated with Saul, and had been influenced by the
spirit of the king to despise the man whom God had chosen to reign over
Israel. His hatred had been increased by the cutting rebuke that David
had given him at the time when the cruse of water and the spear of the
king had been taken from the side of Saul, as he slept in the camp. He
remembered how David had cried in the hearing of the king and the people
of Israel, “Art not thou a valiant man? And who is like to thee in
Israel? Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king?... This
thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy
to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s
anointed.”[1121] This reproof had rankled in his breast, and he
determined to carry out his revengeful purpose, and create division in
Israel, whereby he himself might be exalted. He employed the
representative of departed royalty to advance his own selfish ambitions
and purposes. He knew that the people loved Jonathan. His memory was
cherished, and Saul’s first successful campaigns had not been forgotten
by the army. With determination worthy a better cause, this rebellious
leader went forward to carry out his plans.
Mahanaim, on the farther side of Jordan, was chosen as the royal
residence, since it offered the greatest security against attack, either
from David or from the Philistines. Here the coronation of Ishbosheth
took place. His reign was first accepted by the tribes east of Jordan,
and was finally extended over all Israel except Judah. For two years the
son of Saul enjoyed his honors in his secluded capital. But Abner,
intent upon extending his power over all Israel, prepared for aggressive
warfare. And “there was long war between the house of Saul and the house
of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul
waxed weaker and weaker.”
At last, treachery overthrew the throne that malice and ambition had
established. Abner, becoming incensed against the weak and incompetent
Ishbosheth, deserted to David, with the offer to bring over to him all
the tribes of Israel. His proposals were accepted by the king, and he
was dismissed with honor, to accomplish his purpose. But the favorable
reception of so valiant and famed a warrior excited the jealousy of
Joab, the commander-in-chief of David’s army. There was a blood-feud
between Abner and Joab, the former having slain Asahel, Joab’s brother,
during the war between Israel and Judah. Now Joab, seeing an opportunity
to avenge his brother’s death, and rid himself of a prospective rival,
basely took occasion to waylay and murder Abner.
David, upon hearing of this treacherous assault, exclaimed, “I and my
kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner
the son of Ner; let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s
house.” In view of the unsettled state of the kingdom, and the power and
position of the murderers,—for Joab’s brother Abishai had been united
with him,—David could not visit the crime with just retribution, yet he
publicly manifested his abhorrence of the bloody deed. The burial of
Abner was attended with public honors. The army, with Joab at their
head, were required to take part in the services of mourning, with rent
garments and clothed in sackcloth. The king manifested his grief by
keeping a fast upon the day of burial; he followed the bier as chief
mourner; and at the grave he pronounced an elegy which was a cutting
rebuke of the murderers. “The king lamented over Abner, and said:—
“Died Abner as a fool dieth?
Thy hands were not bound.
Nor thy feet put into fetters;
As a man falleth before wicked men,
So fellest thou.”
David’s magnanimous recognition of one who had been his bitter enemy,
won the confidence and admiration of all Israel. “All the people took
notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatsoever the king did pleased
all the people. For all the people and all Israel understood that day
that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.” In the
private circle of his trusted counselors and attendants, the king spoke
of the crime, and recognizing his own inability to punish the murderers
as he desired, he left them to the justice of God: “Know ye not that
there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am
this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah,
be too hard for me. The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to
his wickedness.”
Abner had been sincere in his offers and representations to David, yet
his motives were base and selfish. He had persistently opposed the king
of God’s appointment, in the expectation of securing honor to himself.
It was resentment, wounded pride, and passion, that led him to forsake
the cause he had so long served; and in deserting to David he hoped to
receive the highest position of honor in his service. Had he succeeded
in his purpose, his talents and ambition, his great influence and want
of godliness, would have endangered the throne of David and the peace
and prosperity of the nation.
“When Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were
feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.” It was evident that the
kingdom could not long be maintained. Soon another act of treachery
completed the downfall of the waning power. Ishbosheth was foully
murdered by two of his captains, who, cutting off his head, hastened
with it to the king of Judah, hoping thus to ingratiate themselves in
his favor.
They appeared before David with the gory witness to their crime, saying,
“Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought
thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul,
and of his seed.” But David, whose throne God himself had established,
and whom God had delivered from his adversaries, did not desire the aid
of treachery to establish his power. He told these murderers of the doom
visited upon him who boasted of slaying Saul. “How much more,” he added,
“when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his
bed? Shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take
you away from the earth? And David commanded his young men, and they
slew them.... But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the
sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.”
After the death of Ishbosheth, there was a general desire among the
leading men of Israel that David should become king of all the tribes.
“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake,
saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.” They declared, “Thou
wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and the Lord said to
thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over
Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and King
David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord.” Thus through
the providence of God the way had been opened for him to come to the
throne. He had no personal ambition to gratify, for he had not sought
the honor to which he had been brought.
[Illustration: THE CORONATION OF DAVID. “The time had come, and David by
solemn rite, was consecrated to his office as God’s vicegerent.”]
More than eight thousand of the descendants of Aaron, and of the
Levites, waited upon David. The change in the sentiments of the people
was marked and decisive. The revolution was quiet and dignified,
befitting the great work they were doing. Nearly half a million souls,
the former subjects of Saul, thronged Hebron and its environs. The very
hills and valleys were alive with the multitudes. The hour for the
coronation was appointed; the man who had been expelled from the court
of Saul, who had fled to the mountains and hills and to the caves of the
earth to preserve his life, was about to receive the highest honor that
can be conferred upon man by his fellow-man. Priests and elders clothed
in the garments of their sacred office, officers and soldiers with
glittering spear and helmet, and strangers from long distances, stood to
witness the coronation of the chosen king. David was arrayed in the
royal robe. The sacred oil was put upon his brow by the high priest; for
the anointing by Samuel had been prophetic of what would take place at
the inauguration of the king. The time had come, and David, by solemn
rite, was consecrated to his office as God’s vicegerent. The scepter was
placed in his hands. The covenant of his righteous sovereignty was
written, and the people gave their pledges of loyalty. The diadem was
placed upon his brow, and the coronation ceremony was over. Israel had a
king by divine appointment. He who had waited patiently for the Lord,
beheld the promise of God fulfilled. “And David went on, and grew great,
and the Lord God of hosts was with him.”[1122]
[Illustration: Jerusalem. “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem,
so the Lord is round about his people.”]
Footnote 1120:
See 2 Sam. 2-4; 5:1-5.
Footnote 1121:
1 Sam. 26:15, 16.
Footnote 1122:
2 Sam. 5:10.
THE REIGN OF DAVID—70
As soon as David was established on the throne of Israel, he began to
seek a more appropriate location for the capital of his realm. Twenty
miles from Hebron, a place was selected as the future metropolis of the
kingdom. Before Joshua had led the armies of Israel over Jordan, it had
been called Salem. Near this place, Abraham had proved his loyalty to
God. Eight hundred years before the coronation of David, it had been the
home of Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God. It held a central
and elevated position in the country, and was protected by an
environment of hills. Being on the border between Benjamin and Judah, it
was in close proximity to Ephraim, and was easy of access to the other
tribes.
In order to secure this location, the Hebrews must dispossess a remnant
of the Canaanites, who held a fortified position on the mountains of
Zion and Moriah. This stronghold was called Jebus, and its inhabitants
were known as Jebusites. For centuries, Jebus had been looked upon as
impregnable; but it was besieged and taken by the Hebrews under the
command of Joab, who, as the reward of his valor, was made
commander-in-chief of the armies of Israel. Jebus now became the
national capital, and its heathen name was changed to Jerusalem.
Hiram, king of the wealthy city of Tyre, on the Mediterranean Sea, now
sought an alliance with the king of Israel, and lent his aid to David in
the work of erecting a palace at Jerusalem. Ambassadors were sent from
Tyre, accompanied by architects and workmen, and long trains laden with
costly wood, cedar-trees, and other valuable material.
The increasing strength of Israel in its union under David, the
acquisition of the stronghold of Jebus, and the alliance with Hiram,
king of Tyre, excited the hostility of the Philistines, and they again
invaded the country with a strong force, taking up their position in the
valley of Rephaim, but a short distance from Jerusalem. David with his
men of war retired to the stronghold of Zion, to await divine direction.
“And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the
Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said
unto David, Go up; for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into
thine hand.”[1125]
David advanced upon the enemy at once, defeated and destroyed them, and
took from them the gods which they had brought with them to insure their
victory. Exasperated by the humiliation of their defeat, the Philistines
gathered a still larger force, and returned to the conflict. And again
they “spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.” Again David sought
the Lord, and the great I AM took the direction of the armies of Israel.
God instructed David, saying, “Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass
behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let
it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the
mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then shall the
Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” If
David, like Saul, had chosen his own way, success would not have
attended him. But he did as the Lord had commanded, and he “smote the
host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer. And the fame of David
went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all
nations.”[1126]
Now that David was firmly established upon the throne, and free from the
invasions of foreign foes, he turned to the accomplishment of a
cherished purpose,—to bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem. For many
years the ark had remained at Kirjath-jearim, nine miles distant; but it
was fitting that the capital of the nation should be honored with the
token of the divine presence.
David summoned thirty thousand of the leading men of Israel; for it was
his purpose to make the occasion a scene of great rejoicing and imposing
display. The people responded gladly to the call. The high priest, with
his brethren in sacred office, and the princes and leading men of the
tribes, assembled at Kirjath-jearim. David was aglow with holy zeal. The
ark was brought out from the house of Abinadab, and placed upon a new
cart drawn by oxen, while two of the sons of Abinadab attended it.
The men of Israel followed, with exultant shouts, and songs of
rejoicing, a multitude of voices joining in melody with the sound of
musical instruments; “David and all the house of Israel played before
the Lord ... on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on
cornets, and on cymbals.”[1127] It had been long since Israel had
witnessed such a scene of triumph. With solemn gladness the vast
procession wound its way along the hills and valleys toward the holy
city.
But “when they came to Nachon’s threshing-floor, Uzzah put forth his
hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And
the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there
for his rashness;[1128] and there he died by the ark of God.” A sudden
terror fell upon the rejoicing throng. David was astonished and greatly
alarmed, and in his heart he questioned the justice of God. He had been
seeking to honor the ark as the symbol of the divine presence. Why,
then, had that fearful judgment been sent to turn the season of gladness
into an occasion of grief and mourning? Feeling that it would be unsafe
to have the ark near him, David determined to let it remain where it
was. A place was found for it near by, at the house of Obed-edom the
Gittite.
The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment upon the violation of a most
explicit command. Through Moses the Lord had given special instruction
concerning the transportation of the ark. None but the priests, the
descendants of Aaron, were to touch it, or even to look upon it
uncovered. The divine direction was, “The sons of Kohath shall come to
bear it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.”[1129]
The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it
by the staves, which were placed in rings upon each side the ark, and
were never removed. To the Gershonites and Merarites, who had in charge
the curtains and boards and pillars of the tabernacle, Moses gave carts
and oxen for the transportation of that which was committed to them.
“But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none; because the service of the
sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear _upon their
shoulders_.”[1130] Thus in the bringing of the ark from Kirjath-jearim,
there had been a direct and inexcusable disregard of the Lord’s
directions.
David and his people had assembled to perform a sacred work, and they
had engaged in it with glad and willing hearts; but the Lord could not
accept the service, because it was not performed in accordance with his
directions. The Philistines, who had not a knowledge of God’s law, had
placed the ark upon a cart when they returned it to Israel, and the Lord
accepted the effort which they made. But the Israelites had in their
hands a plain statement of the will of God in all these matters, and
their neglect of these instructions was dishonoring to God. Upon Uzzah
rested the greater guilt of presumption. Transgression of God’s law had
lessened his sense of its sacredness, and with unconfessed sins upon
him, he had, in face of the divine prohibition, presumed to touch the
symbol of God’s presence. God can accept no partial obedience, no lax
way of treating his commandments. By the judgment upon Uzzah, he
designed to impress upon all Israel the importance of giving strict heed
to his requirements. Thus the death of that one man, by leading the
people to repentance, might prevent the necessity of inflicting
judgments upon thousands.
Feeling that his own heart was not wholly right with God, David, seeing
the stroke upon Uzzah, had feared the ark, lest some sin on his part
should bring judgments upon him. But Obed-edom, though he rejoiced with
trembling, welcomed the sacred symbol as the pledge of God’s favor to
the obedient. The attention of all Israel was now directed to the
Gittite and his household; all watched to see how it would fare with
them. “And the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household.”
Upon David the divine rebuke accomplished its work. He was led to
realize, as he had never realized before, the sacredness of the law of
God, and the necessity of strict obedience. The favor shown to the house
of Obed-edom led David again to hope that the ark might bring a blessing
to him and to his people.
At the end of three months, he resolved to make another attempt to
remove the ark, and he now gave earnest heed to carry out in every
particular the directions of the Lord. Again the chief men of the nation
were summoned; and a vast assemblage gathered about the dwelling-place
of the Gittite. With reverent care the ark was now placed upon the
shoulders of men of divine appointment, the multitude fell into line,
and with trembling hearts the vast procession again set forth. After
advancing six paces, the trumpet sounded a halt. By David’s direction,
sacrifices of “oxen and fatlings” were to be offered. Rejoicing now took
the place of trembling and terror. The king had laid aside his royal
robes, and had attired himself in a plain linen ephod, such as was worn
by the priests. He did not by this act signify that he assumed priestly
functions, for the ephod was sometimes worn by others besides the
priests. But in this holy service he would take his place as, before
God, on an equality with his subjects. Upon that day, Jehovah was to be
adored. He was to be the sole object of reverence.
Again the long train was in motion, and the music of harp and cornet,
trumpet and cymbal, floated heavenward, blended with the melody of many
voices. “And David danced before the Lord,” in his gladness keeping time
to the measure of the song.
David’s dancing in reverent joy before God has been cited by
pleasure-lovers in justification of the fashionable modern dance; but
there is no ground for such an argument. In our day, dancing is
associated with folly and midnight reveling. Health and morals are
sacrificed to pleasure. By the frequenters of the ballroom, God is not
an object of thought and reverence; prayer or the song of praise would
be felt to be out of place in their assemblies. This test should be
decisive. Amusements that have a tendency to weaken the love for sacred
things and lessen our joy in the service of God, are not to be sought by
Christians. The music and dancing in joyful praise to God at the removal
of the ark had not the faintest resemblance to the dissipation of modern
dancing. The one tended to the remembrance of God, and exalted his holy
name. The other is a device of Satan to cause men to forget God and to
dishonor him.
The triumphal procession approached the capital, following the sacred
symbol of their invisible King. Then a burst of song demanded of the
watchers upon the walls that the gates of the holy city should be thrown
open:—
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.”
A band of singers and players answered,—
“Who is this King of glory?”
From another company came the response,—
“The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.”
Then hundreds of voices, uniting, swelled the triumphal chorus,—
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.”
Again the joyful interrogation was heard, “Who is this King of glory?”
And the voice of the great multitude, “like the sound of many waters,”
was heard in the rapturous reply,—
“The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”[1131]
Then the gates were opened wide, the procession entered, and with
reverent awe the ark was deposited in the tent that had been prepared
for its reception. Before the sacred inclosure, altars for sacrifice
were erected; the smoke of peace-offerings and burnt-offerings, and the
clouds of incense, with the praises and supplications of Israel,
ascended to heaven. The service ended, the king himself pronounced a
benediction upon his people. Then with regal bounty he caused gifts of
food and wine to be distributed for their refreshment.
All the tribes had been represented in this service, the celebration of
the most sacred event that had yet marked the reign of David. The Spirit
of divine inspiration had rested upon the king, and now as the last
beams of the setting sun bathed the tabernacle in a hallowed light, his
heart was uplifted in gratitude to God that the blessed symbol of his
presence was now so near the throne of Israel.
Thus musing, David turned toward his palace, “to bless his household.”
But there was one who had witnessed the scene of rejoicing, with a
spirit widely different from that which moved the heart of David. “As
the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal, Saul’s
daughter, looked through a window, and saw King David leaping and
dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.” In the
bitterness of her passion, she could not await David’s return to the
palace, but went out to meet him, and to his kindly greeting poured
forth a torrent of bitter words. Keen and cutting was the irony of her
speech:—
“How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself
to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain
fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!”
[Illustration: MODERN JERUSALEM BY MOONLIGHT.]
David felt that it was the service of God which Michal had despised and
dishonored, and he sternly answered: “It was before the Lord, which
chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me
ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore will I play
before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base
in mine own sight; and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of,
of them shall I be had in honor.” To David’s rebuke was added that of
the Lord: because of her pride and arrogance, Michal “had no child unto
the day of her death.”
The solemn ceremonies attending the removal of the ark had made a
lasting impression upon the people of Israel, arousing a deeper interest
in the sanctuary service, and kindling anew their zeal for Jehovah.
David endeavored, by every means in his power, to deepen these
impressions. The service of song was made a regular part of religious
worship, and David composed psalms, not only for the use of the priests
in the sanctuary service, but also to be sung by the people in their
journeys to the national altar at the annual feasts. The influence thus
exerted was far-reaching, and it resulted in freeing the nation from
idolatry. Many of the surrounding peoples, beholding the prosperity of
Israel, were led to think favorably of Israel’s God, who had done such
great things for his people.
The tabernacle built by Moses, with all that appertained to the
sanctuary service, except the ark, was still at Gibeah. It was David’s
purpose to make Jerusalem the religious center of the nation. He had
erected a palace for himself, and he felt that it was not fitting for
the ark of God to rest within a tent. He determined to build for it a
temple of such magnificence as should express Israel’s appreciation of
the honor granted the nation in the abiding presence of Jehovah their
King. Communicating his purpose to the prophet Nathan, he received the
encouraging response, “Do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is
with thee.”[1132]
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, giving him a
message for the king. David was to be deprived of the privilege of
building a house for God, but he was granted an assurance of the divine
favor to him, to his posterity, and to the kingdom of Israel: “Thus
saith Jehovah of hosts; I took thee from the sheepcote, from following
the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel; and I was with thee
whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of
thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the
great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my
people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of
their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness
afflict them any more, as beforetime.”
As David had desired to build a house for God, the promise was given,
“The Lord telleth thee that he will make thee a house.... I will set up
thy seed after thee.... He shall build a house for my name, and I will
stablish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
The reason why David was not to build the temple, was declared: “Thou
hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars; thou shalt not
build a house unto my name.... Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who
shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his
enemies;... his name shall be Solomon [peaceable], and I will give peace
and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my
name.”[1133]
Though the cherished purpose of his heart had been denied, David
received the message with gratitude. “Who am I, O Lord God?” he
exclaimed, “and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast
spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come;” and he
then renewed his covenant with God.
David knew that it would be an honor to his name, and would bring glory
to his government, to perform the work that he had purposed in his heart
to do; but he was ready to submit his will to the will of God. The
grateful resignation thus manifested is rarely seen, even among
Christians. How often do those who have passed the strength of manhood,
cling to the hope of accomplishing some great work upon which their
hearts are set, but which they are unfitted to perform! God’s providence
may speak to them, as did his prophet to David, declaring that the work
which they so much desire is not committed to them. It is theirs to
prepare the way for another to accomplish it. But instead of gratefully
submitting to the divine direction, many fall back as if slighted and
rejected, feeling that if they cannot do the one thing which they desire
to do, they will do nothing. Many cling, with desperate energy, to
responsibilities which they are incapable of bearing, and vainly
endeavor to accomplish a work for which they are insufficient, while
that which they might do, lies neglected. And because of this lack of
co-operation on their part, the greater work is hindered or frustrated.
David, in his covenant with Jonathan, had promised that when he should
have rest from his enemies, he would show kindness to the house of Saul.
In his prosperity, mindful of this covenant, the king made inquiry, “Is
there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him
kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”[1134] He was told of a son of Jonathan,
Mephibosheth, who had been lame from childhood. At the time of Saul’s
defeat by the Philistines at Jezreel, the nurse of this child,
attempting to flee with him, had let him fall, thus making him a
life-long cripple. David now summoned the young man to court, and
received him with great kindness. The private possessions of Saul were
restored to him, for the support of his household; but the son of
Jonathan was himself to be the constant guest of the king, sitting daily
at the royal table. Through reports from the enemies of David,
Mephibosheth had been led to cherish a strong prejudice against him as a
usurper; but the monarch’s generous and courteous reception of him, and
his continued kindness, won the heart of the young man; he became
strongly attached to David, and like his father Jonathan, he felt that
his interest was one with that of the king whom God had chosen.
After David’s establishment upon the throne of Israel, the nation
enjoyed a long interval of peace. The surrounding peoples, seeing the
strength and unity of the kingdom, soon thought it prudent to desist
from open hostilities; and David, occupied with the organization and
upbuilding of his kingdom, refrained from aggressive war. At last,
however, he made war upon Israel’s old enemies, the Philistines, and
upon the Moabites, and succeeded in overcoming both, and making them
tributary.
Then there was formed against the kingdom of David a vast coalition of
the surrounding nations, out of which grew the greatest wars and
victories of his reign, and the most extensive accessions to his power.
This hostile alliance, which really sprung from jealousy of David’s
increasing power, had been wholly unprovoked by him. The circumstances
that led to its rise were these:—
Tidings were received at Jerusalem announcing the death of Nahash, king
of the Ammonites,—a monarch who had shown kindness to David when he was
a fugitive from the rage of Saul. Now, desiring to express his grateful
appreciation of the favor shown him in his distress, David sent
ambassadors with a message of sympathy to Hanun, the son and successor
of the Ammonite king. “Said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun the
son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me.”[1135]