stood the Ark, a box about a yard long, plated with gold and having a
wreath of gold round it, under the outspread wings of two golden
angels. Inside that box were two flat stones, on which were written
the Commandments that God had given to His people, the children of
Israel. The priests had charge of the tabernacle, and of all that was
in it; and they took special care of the Ark, which was the chief
treasure of the nation.
Now it was Samuel's duty to shut the wooden doors of the tabernacle at
night, and sleep close to the great purple curtain and watch--a very
trying thing for one so young in such a large, silent place. One night
as he lay there asleep on his mat before the purple curtain, with the
great lamp burning low and red, and shadows flickering about the silent
place, he was suddenly roused by what sounded like Eli's voice calling
him. At once he answered, "Here am I," and ran to the side of the aged
priest. But the old man told the wondering boy that he had not called
him, and with gentle words bade him lie down again, calling him his son.
Samuel went back to his mat, but after a while he heard the voice once
more; and again he thought it was Eli, and ran to his bedside, saying
that he _did_ call him. Eli now saw that God was calling the boy, and
told him to go and lie down, and if he heard the voice again, to
answer, "Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth." Then the boy Samuel,
in wonder and fear, returned to his sleeping-mat before the great
purple curtain, and lay down with the light shining upon him. Once
more he heard the voice calling,--
"Samuel, Samuel."
"Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth," he replied in a trembling
voice. Then Samuel heard a voice, which told him that God meant to
punish Eli for not checking his sons, who were very wicked men, and had
done many things which were wrong in His sight; also that He had chosen
him to be the leader and judge of the people of Israel after Eli.
The boy slept again, the temple lamp burned low before the great
curtain, and the place was silent until the gray light of morning stole
in. Then Samuel rose, and as he unbarred the wooden doors of the
tabernacle and opened them wide, the dawn was breaking over the hills
in clouds of crimson and gold, filling the holy place with the light of
a new day.
The breath of morning was in his face as he looked out to the east and
the rising sun; and he felt a changed boy, for he had received a
message from God Himself--a call to lead the people of Israel; yet he
feared to tell Eli of his vision, so great and so terrible. But after
a while the old priest awoke, and calling him to his bedside put
questions to him; and when he heard that he had had a vision, he bade
the boy tell him all, both good and bad, and Samuel did so.
[Illustration: The child Samuel.]
The story grieved the old man, but even yet he did not check his sons,
who were now too strong for him; and for some years more they went on
in their wicked ways, and he still remained the chief priest. But as
he grew older and weaker Samuel grew stronger; and when he became a
man, he became known through all the land for his wisdom, and the
people said that Samuel was a friend of God, who had guidance from the
Most High for His people. So he continued to live at Shiloh as Eli's
chief helper until the old man passed away; and so the little boy of
the tabernacle became in due time the chief prophet, the ruler, and the
judge of Israel.
DAVID THE SHEPHERD YOUTH.
I.
Now it happened in the days of Samuel that the tribes of Israel made up
their mind to choose a king to rule over them. Their choice fell upon
a leader whose name was Saul, and who was made the first king of Israel.
King Saul was a brave man and a wise leader, who made the name of the
Israelites feared by all their enemies round about. But after a time
he acted in a way displeasing to God, and was reproved by Samuel in His
name. Saul, however, went on in his sinful ways, and this filled the
heart of the prophet Samuel, who was now an old man, with sore trouble
and distress.
Samuel lived, among his young men on the little hill of Ramah, mourning
because of King Saul's sinful ways. But there came a time when God
told him--perhaps in a vision--to mourn no longer. He was to fill a
small horn with oil and go to the village of Bethlehem, and there
anoint one of the sons of Jesse the shepherd to be the next king; but
at first the old man was afraid to go, lest King Saul should hear of it
and kill him.
Then one day he left Ramah early in the morning, riding on an ass, with
a young man behind him driving a cow; for he gave out that he was going
to offer a sacrifice to God. Their path lay to the southwards, and on
by the camel road into the Hebron hills. It was a long ride, in hot
autumn weather, along these stony paths glistening in the Eastern sun.
The watchers on the walls of Bethlehem saw Samuel, while he was yet a
long way off, riding slowly up the rough path, with his servant driving
a cow before him; and they were alarmed, for the old prophet was the
chief judge in the land. Then the leading men of the place hastened
out through the gate in the wall to meet him, and ask if he came to
them in peace.
He answered that he had come to offer a sacrifice, and bade them wash
themselves in the stream, and put on clean clothing, that they might
join him in it. Riding through the low arch in the walls, he asked for
Jesse, a wealthy shepherd of the place, who had hundreds of flocks and
herds; and when he found him, he ordered him and his sons to wash and
dress and come to the feast also. Jesse thought he was highly
honoured, for he had eight sons, and he was pleased that they should
show themselves before the great prophet and judge of Israel.
A fire of sticks was kindled upon the flat rock outside the village
walls, on which the sacrifices were always made; and the prophet killed
the cow he had brought, and cut it in pieces for burning. Part of the
flesh was then placed upon the wood, and as the old man raised his
hands to heaven the flames leapt up and burned the flesh; and all the
time the men of the village stood round him in their rough cloaks and
striped kerchiefs, looking on in silence at this solemn act of worship.
Women in their tunics of coarse blue and red, with strings of coins in
their dark hair, stood apart at a distance, for they were not allowed
to share in the worship of the men. The feast was to come next, at
which the women would be allowed to serve the men; but before Samuel
would permit it to begin, there was something else, that must be done.
Calling Jesse to him, he said that he wished to see his sons. Jesse
knew at once that something important was about to happen; but the
people did not know, and wondered why the feast was delayed, and what
it all meant when Jesse called his sons forward by their names, and
bade them walk slowly, one at a time, past the aged prophet. First
came the eldest, in striped cloak and gray tunic, carrying his thick
war-spear in his hand; and when Samuel marked his height and his fine
face, he said,--
"Here, surely, is the chosen king."
But the voice of God within him seemed to whisper, "Nay, I have
rejected him. God sees not as man sees; for man looks upon the outward
appearance, but God looks upon the heart."
Then Samuel told Jesse that his eldest son was not chosen, and he
passed on. Jesse next called up his second son, who walked slowly past
the prophet, with sweeping cloak and club in hand, armed for the fight.
"Neither hath God chosen this," Samuel said to the father; and the
second son passed on. Jesse then called forward the third, who also
walked past the old prophet with head erect, and spear in hand, hoping
that he would be chosen.
"Neither hath God chosen this," was all that the grim old man said of
him.
The people sat in the sunshine, on the slope of the hill outside the
village walls, shading their eyes and looking on in silence, until
seven of the sons of Jesse, dressed and armed like chiefs, had gone
slowly past the old man with the keen black eyes; but Samuel made no
movement, and Jesse was deeply grieved.
"God hath not chosen these. Are all thy children here?" Samuel asked,
turning sharply to the shepherd, who trembled as he replied,--
"There remains yet David; but he is my youngest son, and is watching
the sheep."
David was too young to be thought of in this important business. He
was down in the hollow with his shepherd's staff and dog and sling,
playing upon his harp, and watching from afar the fire and smoke and
crowds, as he kept his father's flocks.
"Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down to the feast until he
comes," was the stern reply. The brothers were angry at this useless
waste of time; but one of them was soon leaping down the stony path to
the valley, shouting with his hand to his mouth, and waving a stick in
the air to attract his young brother's attention.
The people waited in the sunshine, and soon they saw David, with his
tunic pulled through his leather belt so as to leave his legs free,
running swiftly up the hill, for he was very fleet of foot. He came in
his shepherd's torn and soiled garb, and had to wash at the brook
before he was fit to stand before the prophet.
When at length he drew near, Samuel saw a young man, not tall, but
clearly of great strength, with light hair, ruddy cheeks, and bright
eyes; and he thought the youth very good to look upon as he stood
before him dressed in his striped tunic and leather girdle, from which
hung his shepherd's club, sling, and knife. Samuel looked at his frank
face, and as he looked God said to him,--
"Arise, anoint him: for this is he."
Going forward, the old man bade the shepherd youth kneel down and
uncover his head. And David did so, taking off his bright kerchief,
little knowing what was about to happen. Then raising his horn before
the astonished people, Samuel poured the sweet-smelling oil upon the
young man's head, saying as he did so that God had chosen this young
man to be a prince in Israel.
Upon this the people raised a great shout of joy, and Samuel gave the
signal for the feast that was to follow. Then the men all sat down on
the ground about the large wood fire, while the women came forward to
serve them.
II.
David, the shepherd of Bethlehem, was not a mere boy when the prophet
Samuel called him from watching his sheep to pour scented oil upon his
head, and tell him, before all the people of the village, that he would
one day be a prince in the land. He was already a village hero, for
one day he had killed a lion that sprang upon one of his sheep as they
fed in the valley to the south, near the desert country.
He had also killed a bear that tried to seize one of his young lambs;
for David was so strong that he could break an iron bow with his hands,
and so swift on his feet that he could catch a wild deer in a race over
good ground. He was not so tall as his fighting brothers, but he was
stronger, and knew how to use the sword, bow, club, sling, and spear;
for all the young men of the villages learned the use of these weapons
in their sports and games.
The lad was also fond of music, and could play and sing. Sitting in
the shade of a shadowy rock, or at the mouth of a dark cave, as he
watched his sheep wandering to and fro in the sunshine, he often played
strange music upon a rude harp made by himself; and he would sing songs
of his own making about the white flocks and herds, the green hills and
cool streams, the red-cheeked women at the well, and the young men of
the village where he had his home. He was called the "sweet singer,"
and his skill on the harp was well known in the villages round about
Bethlehem.
When he left his own village and went to live with Samuel's young men
at Ramah, to learn to read and write, he learned also to play upon the
pipe and guitar, the tambourine and large harp, and to sing, not songs
of love and war, but praises of God and of His goodness to men. Under
the teaching of Samuel his heart opened towards God as a flower to the
sun. Yet he did not always stay at Ramah, but often came back to his
home, to help his father, and to watch the sheep with his brothers, who
thought him too forward and did not like him much.
King Saul was now very unhappy, for the aged prophet Samuel would not
see him, and the king felt that God was not with him; and he often had
fits of sickness when he was in deep trouble, and only music could
soothe his mind. Hearing that a harper was wanted for the king, one of
David's friends praised his playing, his wisdom, his bravery, and his
good looks, saying that God was with him; and when King Saul heard this
he sent a messenger to Bethlehem for the shepherd-harper. Now no one
ever came before the king without a gift in his hand, so Jesse sent
with David an ass laden with a sack of wheat, a kid, and a skin of
wine, as a present to King Saul.
With his ruddy cheeks, and his long fair hair falling upon his blue
tunic, David pleased the gloomy king as he stood before him; and when
the youth played softly upon the harp, and sang shepherd songs of love,
passing from these into songs in praise of God, the king loved the
youth greatly, and sent word to his father that he would keep David
beside him.
Jonathan, the king's son, and Michal, the king's daughter, also learnt
to love the shepherd-singer as he went in and out before the king.
Then Saul made him one of his fighting chiefs, who stood daily before
him; and whenever his sickness came upon the king he called for the
shepherd-harper, and David played music both sad and gay until the
cloud passed from the king's mind. Sometimes David stayed at Gibeah,
where the king's house was, and sometimes at Bethlehem; and always once
a year he went home to the great family feast of the new moon, when all
his father's relatives were gathered together.
III.
The fighting between King Saul and the Philistine tribes, who lived
near the seacoast, never ceased; for the Philistines had made up their
minds to make the men of Israel their servants, and King Saul was
determined that his people should be free.
Once upon a time the Philistines gathered their young men, and came,
with their battle-flags and drums, up the great Vale of Elah, the
valley of oaks, to attack Saul's people. Stopping at the village of
Succoth, they chose a secure place, and put up their black tents among
the thick bushes, camping about ten miles from the round hill of
Bethlehem.
[Illustration: David and Goliath.]
Then King Saul sent out messengers to sound the war-horns up and down
the valleys, and gather his fighting-men to drive back their old
enemies. Three of David's brothers grasped their spears and bows, and
joined King Saul with the men of the tribe of Judah; but David stayed
for the time at Bethlehem, to take care of his old father and the
flocks.
In those days soldiers had to find their own food, and armies sat down
before each other for many days before they began to fight. After a
time Jesse sent David with asses laden with corn and cakes for his
brothers, and ten little cheeses for their captain; and David led them
through the hills and down the wide glen to the camping-place opposite
Succoth, where the king's men looked across the valley to their foes on
the opposite slope, while the river ran between.
Then one day the Philistines sent out a champion, a giant named Goliath
of Gath, who wore a helmet of brass and a brazen coat of mail of very
great weight. He had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a gorget of
brass between his shoulders. The staff of his spear was like a
weaver's beam, and his shield-bearer went before him. This champion
sent a boastful challenge to the Israelites, bidding them send out a
man to fight with him. "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill
me, then will we be your servants," ran the message; "but if I prevail
against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants."
This challenge he repeated for forty days, but there was no man found
among the men of Israel who dared to go out against Goliath of Gath.
Then Saul made it known that whoever could kill Goliath should have
great riches, should marry the princess his daughter, and win great
honour for himself and for his family.
Now when David reached the place with the food for his brothers, he was
amazed to see that the men of Israel were so much afraid, and he asked,
"Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living
God?" And those who stood around told him how the giant warrior had
come out day after day, and how the king had promised to enrich the man
who should slay him.
Then it was told to King Saul how David had come and had asked about
the king's promise. So the king sent for the youth; and when he had
been brought in, David said, "Let no man's heart be troubled, for thy
servant will go and fight with the Philistine." But Saul said, "Thou
art not able to go out against him; for thou art but a youth, and he a
man of war from his youth."
Then David told Saul how he had killed with his own hands a fierce
lion, and a bear which had stolen a lamb from the flock. "The Lord
that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the
bear. He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine," he said
simply. And Saul said, "Go, and the Lord be with thee."
The king then armed David with his own armour; but the mail was too
heavy for the young man, and he said, "I cannot fight with these, for I
have not tested them." So he took his shepherd's staff in his hand,
and choosing five smooth stones out of the brook, put them in his
shepherd's bag; and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the
Philistine.
When Goliath looked at David he was filled with scorn, and disdained
him; for he was but a youth, as any one could plainly see. And with a
frown upon his face he said angrily, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to
me with staves? I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and
to the beasts of the field."
Then David said to the boastful Philistine, "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
bodies 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 army 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."
Upon this the giant came near to meet David; and the youth made haste
and took a stone out of his bag, and slung it with such skill and force
that it smote Goliath in the forehead, and sank so deeply that the huge
warrior fell lifeless to the ground. David then ran and stood upon the
body of the giant, and having no weapon except his sling, cut off
Goliath's head with his own sword. When the Philistines saw that their
champion had fallen, they turned and ran without more ado.
Then with loud shouts the men of Israel rushed across the vale of oaks,
shooting their arrows as they ran, for they were good bowmen.
Scattering the Philistines, they drove them back to their own country,
until they took refuge in their walled towns of Gath and Ekron.
After this the men of Israel returned to their enemy's camp at Succoth,
and plundered the tents, wagons, sacks, and baggage. When this had
been done they feasted and rejoiced over the victory, and drove off the
horses and cattle of their foes, carrying everything up to their own
towns and villages in the hills. And from that day forward David was
the hero of all the young men of the army of Saul.
IV.
The tall, gloomy king now sent for David, the hero of the battle of
Succoth, and leaning on his spear among his chiefs, Saul told the young
shepherd of Bethlehem that he must not return any more to his father's
house, for he was to be one of the chief captains of the army. And
David was glad, for he loved fighting. When Jonathan, the king's son,
saw the young shepherd standing daily among the chiefs in his father's
tent, he took a strong liking for him; and as time passed his soul was
knit with David's, until he loved him as he loved himself. And the
king was pleased that his son and David were such good friends.
One day Jonathan took David into his tent, and there the young men
promised to be friends all their lives till death should part them.
Now David was very poor compared with the king's son, and had only the
rough clothing of a herdsman, thick and strong, but not beautiful; so
Jonathan took off his fine cloak, his gay tunic, his rich belt, and
even his glittering sword and bow, and put them all upon David, giving
them freely to him as a present. Then the king's son brought out other
clothes and weapons, and dressed himself once more like a
soldier-prince.
And when the young men came out of the tent into the sunshine, both
dressed like princes, the people saw that they were as brothers; and
the king saw it too, and thought that Jonathan was very foolish. But
David was so strong and brave, and such a favourite with the tribesmen,
that the king set him over a troop of young men; and whenever Saul went
out to fight, David and his band went with him, and this greatly
pleased the chiefs and the fighting-men of the army.
King Saul went on fighting with his old enemies the Philistines, who
came up at certain seasons of the year to plunder the land, and had to
be chased down the long valleys, and back into their walled towns
again; but with David's help the king was now able to beat them as he
had never done before. And each time they drove the Philistines down,
the young men returned leaping, running, dancing, and showing off their
skill and strength on the way; and the villagers would often come out
to meet them, and rejoice also.
After one of these fights, as the tribesmen came back, with David
riding beside the tall, dark king, the young women of the towns came
out and danced before them on the road. Beating their tambourines,
they shouted wild songs in praise of the fighting-men, singing and
answering each other in turn after the manner of the Hebrews. King
Saul listened, and his brows grew dark as he heard them praising his
brave young captain more than himself.
"Saul hath slain his thousands," sweetly sang one band of maidens.
"And David his tens of thousands," answered another.
These girls little dreamed what harm they were doing with their
light-hearted songs. David himself was pleased with the praise of the
young women, as we might expect; but as the tall king rode on he grew
more angry, saying to himself as he spurred forward his horse, "What
more can he have but the kingdom itself?" And he watched David from
that day forward, to see whether the young man was aiming at being king.
King Saul's sickness of mind returned from time to time, and day after
day David stood before him, playing upon his harp and singing the
king's praises; but now Saul would not listen. David's music did not
make him well as it had before, but rather worse, for he was full of
suspicion of his young chief, and hated the sight of him. But the
king's friends thought David's music was the best thing to restore the
king to health.
Now the dark-faced king was never without a weapon near his hand; and
holding his long spear, he would sit and listen to the young harper,
now pleased, now angry, for he sometimes liked David and sometimes
hated him. Twice he seized a little spear and flung it at him, crying
out that he would pin him to the wall; but his aim was bad. Perhaps he
did not mean to harm him; but at all events David avoided the weapon
and ran out.
The king in his sickness of mind next became afraid of his young
captain. Wishing to have him out of his sight, he set him over a band
of a thousand fighting-men, and bade him live with them at a distance.
But the men who were under David liked him more than ever.
King Saul now wished that David was dead, so fiercely did he hate him;
but he did not think it wise to kill him himself, so he made a plan to
get him killed. He offered him his daughter Merab for a wife, if he
would go down the hills and fight the Philistines in their own country;
and the crafty king said this, hoping that they would kill him.
Now David had no wish to marry Merab, but he loved fighting, so he went
willingly, fought stoutly with the Philistines, and came back alive.
Then Saul broke his promise, and gave Merab to another man, who gave
him a rich present, as was the custom when a king's daughter was
wedded; and David was not sorry, for Michal, Merab's younger sister,
loved the brave young captain, and he loved her in return.