"And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?" These words let us into the secret of Samuel"s sorrow in reference to Saul, during the long period of his separation from him. In the last verse of chap. xv.
we read, "And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul." This was natural. There was much that was affecting--deeply affecting to the heart in the melancholy fall of this unhappy man. He had once elicited from Israel the shout of "G.o.d save the king." Many an eye, full of enthusiasm, had doubtless rested upon "the choice young man and the goodly," and now all this was gone; Saul was rejected, and Samuel felt constrained to take a position of entire separation from him as one whom G.o.d had set aside. This was the second office-bearer whom it had been Samuel"s lot to see stripped of his robes of office; he had been the bearer of heavy tidings to Eli, at the opening of his career; and now, at the close of it, he was called upon to deliver, in the ear of Saul, the announcement of the judgment of heaven against his course. However, Samuel was called to enter into the thoughts of G.o.d in reference to Saul. "How long wilt _thou_ mourn for Saul, seeing _I_ have rejected him?" Communion with G.o.d will ever lead us to acquiesce in His ways.
Sentimentalism may weep over fallen greatness, but faith grasps the great truth that G.o.d"s unerring counsel shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure. Faith could not shed a tear over Agag, when hewed in pieces before the Lord, neither would it continue over a rejected Saul, because it ever flows in harmony with G.o.d, in His ways. But there is a wide difference between nature and faith; while the former sits down to weep, the latter arises and fills the horn with oil.
It is well to ponder this contrast. We are all too apt to be carried away by mere sentiment, which is often truly dangerous. Indeed, inasmuch as it is of nature, it must flow in a current different from the thoughts of the Spirit of G.o.d. Now, the most effectual remedy against the working of mere sentiment is a strong, deep, thorough, abiding conviction of the reality of the purpose of G.o.d. In the view of this, sentimentality withers and dies, while, on the other hand, faith lives and flourishes in the atmosphere of the purpose of G.o.d.
This is impressively taught in the first verse of chap. xvi.--"How long wilt thou mourn?... Fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons."
Yes; human sorrow must flow on until the heart finds repose in the rich resources of the blessed G.o.d. The varied blanks which human events leave in the heart can only be filled up by the power of faith in the precious word, "_I have provided_." This really settles everything. This dries the tear, alleviates the sorrow, fills the blank. The moment the spirit rests in the provision of G.o.d"s love, there is a period put to all repinings. May we all know the power and varied application of this truth; may we know what it is to have our tears dried up, and our horn filled by the conviction of our Father"s wise and merciful provision. This is a rare blessing; it is difficult to get completely above the region of human thought and feeling. Even a Samuel is found replying to the divine command, and manifesting a slowness to run in the way of simple obedience. The Lord said, "_Go_;"
but Samuel said, "_How can I go_?" Strange inquiry! yet how fully it develops the moral condition of the human heart. Samuel had been mourning for Saul, and now, when told to go and anoint one to fill his place, his reply is, "How can I?" Now we may be quite sure that faith never says this. There is no such word as "how" in the vocabulary of faith. No; the divine command no sooner marks out the path, than faith takes it up in willing obedience, not counting the difficulties.
However, the Lord, in tender mercy, meets His servant in his difficulty. "And the Lord said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord." Thus with a full horn and a sacrifice he sets off to the city of David, where an obscure and unthought-of youth tended a few sheep in the wilderness.
Amongst the sons of Jesse, there would seem to have been some very fair specimens of nature--some whom Samuel, if left to the exercise of his own judgment, would have fixed upon to succeed to the crown of Israel. "And it came to pa.s.s when they were come, that he looked upon Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord"s anointed is before Him." But it was not so. Natural attraction had nothing to do with the Lord"s election.
He looks beneath the gilded surface of men and things, and judges according to His own unerring principles. We learn something of Eliab"s haughty and self-sufficient spirit in chap. xvii. But the Lord puts no confidence in the legs of a man, and thus Eliab was not His chosen vessel. It is very remarkable to find Samuel so much and so often astray in this chapter. His mourning for Saul, his hesitation to go and anoint David, his mistake about Eliab, all shows how much astray he was as to the ways of G.o.d. How solemn is the Lord"s word, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
This is the great difference; "_the outward appearance_," and "_the heart_." Even Samuel was well-nigh snared by the former, had not the Lord graciously interfered to teach him the value of the latter. "Look not on his countenance." Memorable words! "Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pa.s.s before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pa.s.s by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. Again, Jesse made _seven of his sons_ to pa.s.s before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these." Thus the perfection, as it were, of nature pa.s.sed before the prophet, but all in vain; nature could produce nought for G.o.d or His people. And, what is still more remarkable, Jesse thought not of David in all this! The ruddy youth was in the solitude of the wilderness, with the sheep, and came not into mind in this review of nature"s offspring. But, ah the eye of Jehovah was resting upon this despised youth, and beholding in him the one who was to stand in the line through which, according to the flesh, Christ should come, to occupy the throne of David, and rule over the house of Israel for ever. Truly "G.o.d seeth not as man seeth," for He "hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise; and G.o.d hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath G.o.d chosen--yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. i. 27-29). If Eliab, or Shammah, or Abinadab, or any one of the "seven sons" of Jesse had had the anointing oil poured upon his head, flesh might have gloried in the presence of G.o.d; but the moment David--the forgotten David--appears on the scene, we recognize in him one who would give all the glory to Him who was about to put the sceptre into his hand.
In a word, David stands before us as the marked type of the Lord Jesus, who, when He appeared amongst men, was despised, overlooked, and forgotten. And I may just add here, that we shall find, in ranging through David"s instructive history, how strikingly he shadowed forth the true beloved of G.o.d.
"And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.
And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: FOR THIS IS HE." "There remaineth yet the youngest." Surely he could not be the elect one, thought Jesse. Man cannot understand the ways of G.o.d. The very instrument which G.o.d is about to make use of is overlooked or despised by man. "Arise, anoint him: for this is he," is G.o.d"s perfect reply to the thoughts of Jesse and Samuel.
And how happy it is to note David"s occupation. "Behold, he keepeth the sheep." This was afterwards referred to by the Lord, when He said to David, "I took thee from the sheep-cote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel." Nothing can more sweetly ill.u.s.trate G.o.d"s thoughts of the kingly office than the work of a shepherd. Indeed, when it is not executed in the spirit of a shepherd, it fails of its end. King David fully entered into this, as may be seen in those touching words, "_These sheep_, what have they done?"
The people were the Lord"s sheep, and he, as the Lord"s shepherd, kept them on the mountains of Israel, just as he had kept his father"s sheep in the retirement of Bethlehem. He did not alter his character when he came from the sheep-cote to the throne, and exchanged the crook for the sceptre. No; he was the shepherd still, and he felt himself responsible to protect the Lord"s flock from the lions and bears which ever prowled around the fold. The prophetic allusion to the true David is touching and beautiful. "Therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their G.o.d, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it." (Ezek.
x.x.xiv. 22-24). Our Lord in John x. presents Himself as the faithful and good Shepherd who loves and cares for His sheep; and, doubtless, in John vi., He had more or less reference to His shepherd character.
"And this is the Father"s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." This is a great principle of truth. Independent of His own personal love for the sheep--so wonderfully attested in life and in death--the Lord Jesus, in the above memorable pa.s.sage, presents Himself as one responsible--voluntarily so, no doubt--to the Father, to keep every member of the loved and valued flock through all the vicissitudes of this life, and present them in resurrection-glory, at the last day. Such is the Shepherd to whom a Father"s hand has committed us; and, oh, how has He provided for us for time and eternity, by placing us in such hands--the hands of an ever-living, ever-loving, all-powerful Shepherd, whose love many waters cannot quench; whose power no enemy can countervail; who holds in His hand the keys of death and h.e.l.l, and who has established His claim to the guardianship of the flock, by laying down His life for it. Truly we may say, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." How can we want while Jesus feeds us? Impossible. Our foolish hearts may often desire to feed on noxious pasture, and our Shepherd may have to prove His gracious care by denying us the use of such, but one thing is certain, that those whom Jesus feeds shall not want any _good_ thing.
There is something in the shepherd character which would seem to be much in harmony with the divine mind, inasmuch as we find the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, all acting in that character. The 23d psalm may be primarily viewed as the experience of Christ delighting in the a.s.surance of His Father"s shepherd-care. Then, in John x., we find the Son presented as the good Shepherd. Lastly, in Acts xx. and 1 Pet. v., we find the Holy Ghost acting in that blessed capacity, by raising up and gifting for the work the subordinate shepherds. It is edifying to mark this. It is like our G.o.d to present Himself in the most endearing relationship, and that most calculated to win our confidence and draw out our affections. Blessed be His name forever! His ways are all perfect; there is none like Him.
I would just direct the reader"s attention to the contrast between the circ.u.mstances in which Samuel found David, and those in which he found Saul. He will remember that Saul was in pursuit of his father"s a.s.ses, when he came in contact with Samuel. I do not interpret this fact, I merely refer to it. I believe it is expressive, in the way of evil, just as David"s occupation, in the sheep-cote, was expressive of his future career, as the shepherd of Israel.[11] When we see David tending his father"s sheep in the wilderness, overlooked, or thought little of in the circle of his brethren, we are led to look for something corresponding in his after-course; nor are we disappointed.
Just so, when we see Saul in search of his father"s a.s.ses, we are led to look for something corresponding in his character and habits afterwards. Trifling circ.u.mstances often teach a great deal. David"s affectionate and tender solicitude for the Lord"s flock and forgetfulness of self, may all be traced in the circ.u.mstances in which he is introduced to our notice; and, on the other hand, Saul"s ambitious, self-seeking spirit may be traced in the object of his pursuit when he came in contact with Samuel. However, I simply leave the suggestion with the reader to use as the Lord may lead him, only reminding him that nothing can be insignificant which the Spirit has recorded concerning men who appear throughout in such marked contrast, and who each, in his way, occupied such an important place in the history of the people of G.o.d.
[11] "Yea, man is born as a wild a.s.s"s colt" says Job xi. 12, describing man"s natural condition--wilful, unmanageable, unclean.
Compare Exod. xiii. 13, and Hosea viii. 9. Saul and Israel were only too manifestly pictured in this unsuccessful search after his father"s a.s.ses. David was the keeper of his father"s sheep. [Ed.]
One can only say, Blessed be the grace which took up one to be ruler over His people, who manifested those traits of character which were most blessedly adapted to his work. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." Thus, then, David is fully before us as the Lord"s anointed, and we have now to trace him in all his wanderings and vicissitudes, while rejected of man, and waiting for the kingdom.
CHAPTER II
THE VALLEY OF ELAH
No sooner had the anointing oil of the Lord been poured upon David, than he was called forth from his retirement to stand before king Saul, now forsaken of G.o.d, and troubled with an evil spirit. This unhappy man needed the soothing notes of David"s harp to dispel the horrid influence of that spirit which now haunted him from day to day.
Wretched man! sad monument of the results of a self-seeking course!
David, however, did not hesitate to take his place as _a servant_, even in the house of one who was afterwards to prove his most bitter enemy. It was quite the same to him where he served or what he did; he would protect his father"s flocks from lions and bears, or dispel an evil spirit from Saul. In fact, from the moment David"s history opens, he is seen as a servant, ready for every kind of work, and the valley of Elah furnishes a most striking manifestation of his servant character.
Saul would seem to have had little idea of who it was that stood before him, and whose music refreshed his troubled spirit; he knew not that he had in his presence the future king of Israel. "He loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer." The selfish Saul would gladly use the services of David in his need, though ready to shed his blood when he understood who and what he was.
But let us turn our thoughts to the deeply interesting scenes in the valley of Elah.
"Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle." Here now we come to something calculated to bring out the true character and worth of Saul and David, the man of form and the man of power. It is trial that brings out the reality of a man"s resources. Saul had already been proved, for "all the people had followed him trembling,"
nor was he likely to prove a more soul-stirring leader on this occasion. A man forsaken of G.o.d, and plagued by an evil spirit, was but little adapted to lead on an army to battle, and still less to meet, single-handed, the powerful giant of Gath.
The struggle in the valley of Elah was rendered exceedingly peculiar by the challenge, on the part of Goliath, to decide the matter by single combat; it was the very method in which an _individual_ might be signalized. It was not, as in ordinary cases, army against army, but it was a question of who, throughout all the host of Israel, would venture to stand before the terrific uncirc.u.mcised foe. In fact, it is plain that the blessed G.o.d was about to make manifest again to Israel that, as a people, they were utterly powerless, and that their only deliverance, as of old, was the arm of Jehovah, who was still ready to act in His wondrous character of "a man of war," whenever faith addressed Him as such.
For forty successive days did the Philistine draw near and present himself in the view of the unhappy Saul and his awe-struck army. And observe his bitter taunt--"Am not I a Philistine, and _ye servants to Saul_?" Alas! it was but too true; they had come down from their high elevation as servants to Jehovah to become mere servants to Saul.
Samuel had forewarned them of all this--he had told them that they would become footmen, bakers, cooks, and confectioners to their self-chosen master; and all this, as their choice, instead of having the Lord G.o.d of Israel as their sole master and King. Nothing will teach man, however, save bitter experience; and the cutting taunts of Goliath would, no doubt, teach Israel afresh the real nature of their condition under the crushing rule of the Philistines. "Choose you a _man_ for you, and let him come down to me," said the giant. How little did he know who was about to be his antagonist. He, in all his boasted fleshly strength, vainly imagined that no Israelite could stand before him.
And here we may inquire, what of Jonathan in all this scene? He who had acted in such simple faith and energy in chap. xiv., why was he not now ready to go forth against this champion? I doubt not if we look particularly at his actings, we shall find that his faith was not of that simple, independent character which would carry a man through all kinds of difficulties. The defect in his faith appears in the words, "_If_ they say thus," etc. Faith never says "if:" it has to do only with G.o.d. When Jonathan said "There is no restraint to the Lord," he uttered a fine principle of truth, and one which should have carried him on without an "if." Had Jonathan"s soul been reposing simply in the ability of _G.o.d_, he would not have sought for a sign.
True, the Lord graciously gave him the sign, just as He had given one to Gideon before, for He ever meets His servants in all their needs.
However, Jonathan does not make his appearance in the valley of Elah; he had, it seems, done his work, and acted according to his measure; but, in the scene now before us, there was a demand for something far deeper than anything Jonathan had known.
But the Lord was secretly preparing an instrument for this new and more difficult work. And, my reader, may we not say it is ever thus that the blessed G.o.d acts? He trains in secret those whom He is about to use in public. He makes His servants acquainted with Himself in the secret solemnity of His sanctuary, and causes His greatness to pa.s.s in review before them, that thus they may be able to look with a steady gaze at the difficulties of their path. Thus it was with David. He had been alone with G.o.d while keeping the sheep in the wilderness; his soul had become filled with the thought of G.o.d"s power; and now he makes his appearance in the valley of Elah, in all the simplicity and self-renouncing dignity of a man of faith. The emptiness of man had been fully proved by the forty days of Goliath"s haughty boasting.
Saul could avail nothing; Jesse"s three eldest sons could avail nothing; yea, even Jonathan could avail nothing; all was lost, or seemed to be, when the stripling David entered the scene, clothed in the strength of Him who was about to lay in the dust the pomp and glory of the proud Philistine. The words of Goliath were reported to David, and in them he at once recognized a blasphemous defiance of the living G.o.d. "Who," said he, "is this uncirc.u.mcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of _the living G.o.d_?" David"s faith recognized in the trembling host before him the army of the living G.o.d, and he at once made it a question between Jehovah and the Philistine.
This is most instructive: for no change of circ.u.mstances can ever rob the people of G.o.d of their dignity in the eye of faith. They may be brought low in the view of man, as in Israel"s case on the present occasion, but faith ever recognizes what G.o.d has imparted; and hence David, as he beheld his poor brethren fainting in the view of their terrible enemy, was enabled to acknowledge those with whom the living G.o.d had identified Himself, and who ought not, therefore, to be defied by an uncirc.u.mcised Philistine. When faith is in exercise, it brings the soul into direct connection with the grace and faithfulness of G.o.d and His purposes toward His people. True, Israel had brought all this sorrow and humiliation upon themselves by their unfaithfulness; it was not of the Lord that they should quail in the presence of an enemy; it was the fruit of their own doing, and faith would ever apprehend and acknowledge this. Still, the question is, "Who is this uncirc.u.mcised Philistine?" This is the inquiry of faith. It was not the army of _Saul_ that the man of faith beheld. No; it was the army of the _living G.o.d_--an army under the command of the same Captain that had led His hosts through the Red Sea, through the terrible wilderness, and through Jordan. Nothing less, nothing lower than this, was in the eye of faith.
But then, how little are the judgment and the actings of faith understood or valued when things get low amongst the people of G.o.d!
This is very apparent on every page of Israel"s history, and, we may say, on every page of the Church"s history also. The path of simple, childlike faith is far removed from human sight; and if the Lord"s people sink into a low, carnal state, they can never understand the principle of power in the soul of one really acting by faith. He will be misunderstood in various ways, and have wrong motives attributed to him; he will be accused of setting himself up, or acting wilfully, independently. All these things must be expected by one who stands in the breach, at a time when things are low. Through lack of faith in the majority, a man is left alone, and then, when he is led to act for G.o.d, he will be misinterpreted.
Thus it was in David"s case. Not only was he left alone in the time of difficulty, but he had to endure the taunt of the flesh, administered by Eliab, his eldest brother. "And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab"s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? _I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart_; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." (Chap. xvii. 28.) This was the judgment of Eliab, in reference to the actings of David. "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" David was borne onward by an energy quite unknown to Eliab, nor was he careful to enter upon a defence of his course to his haughty brother. Why had not Eliab acted himself for the defence of his brethren? Why had not Abinadab or Shammah acted?
Because they were faithless; simply this. Not only had those three men remained powerless, but the whole congregation had remained terror-stricken in the presence of the enemy, and now, when one appeared in their midst whom G.o.d was about to use marvellously, not one could understand him.
"And David said to Saul, Let no man"s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine." Precious faith! no difficulty deters it--nothing stands in its way. What was the Philistine to David? Nothing. His tremendous height, his formidable armor, were mere circ.u.mstances; _and faith never looks at circ.u.mstances, but looks straight to G.o.d_. Had not David"s soul been buoyed up by faith, he could not have uttered the words, "Thy servant will go;" for, harken to the words of him who ought to have been the first to face Israel"s dreadful enemy: "And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine." What language for the king of Israel! What a contrast between the man of office and the man of power! Surely Saul ought to have gone forth in the defence of the flock which had been intrusted to his care; but, ah! Saul cared not for Israel, unless so far as Israel was connected with himself, and hence his exposing his person on their behalf never, we may safely say, entered his selfish heart; and not only was he unable and unwilling to act himself, but would fain clog the energies of one who, even now, was putting forth the precious fruits of that divine principle implanted within him, and which was about to prove him so fit for the high office which the purpose of G.o.d had a.s.signed to him, and to which His anointing oil had dedicated him.
"_Thou_ art not able." True, but Jehovah was; and David was leaning simply upon the strength of His arm. His faith laid hold of the ability of Him who had appeared to Joshua beneath the walls of Jericho, with a sword drawn in His hand, as "Captain of the host of the Lord." David felt that Israel had not ceased to be the Lord"s host, though so far sunk from what they were in Joshua"s day. No; they were still the army of the Lord, and the battle was just as much the Lord"s battle as when the sun and the moon were arrested in their course in order that Joshua might execute the judgment of G.o.d upon the Canaanites. Simple faith in G.o.d sustained the spirit of David, though Eliab might accuse him of pride, and Saul might talk of his want of ability.
My reader, there is nothing that can possibly give such energy and persevering power as the consciousness of acting _for G.o.d_, and that G.o.d is acting _with us_. This removes every obstacle; it lifts the soul above all human influence, and brings it into the very region of power omnipotent. Let us only be fully a.s.sured that we _are_ on the Lord"s side, and that His hand is acting with us, and nothing can drive us from the path of service and testimony--conduct us whither it may. "I can do all things," said the apostle, "through Christ which strengtheneth me." And again, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
The very weakest saint can do all things through Christ. But if man"s eye rests on this weak saint, it seems like presumption to talk of "doing all things."
Thus, when Saul looked upon David, and compared him with Goliath, he judged rightly when he said, "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." It was a comparison of flesh with flesh, and, as such, it was quite correct. To compare a stripling with a giant would leave little room for hesitation as to the issue of the conflict; but he ought to have compared the strength of Goliath with that of the G.o.d of the armies of Israel. This was what David did. "And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father"s sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncirc.u.mcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living G.o.d." This was the argument of faith.
The hand that had delivered from one difficulty would deliver from another. There is no "if" in all this. David did not wait for a sign; he simply said, "_Thy servant will go_." David had felt the power of G.o.d"s presence with him in secret before he came forth to present himself in public as the servant of G.o.d and of Israel. As another has remarked, David had not boasted of his triumph over the lion and the bear; no one seemed to have heard of it before; nor would he probably have spoken of it, had it not been for the purpose of showing what a solid ground of confidence he had in reference to the great work on which he was about to enter. He would fain show that it was not in his own strength he was going forth. So was it in the matter of Paul"s rapture to the third heaven: for fourteen years had that circ.u.mstance remained buried as a secret with the apostle, nor would he have divulged it, had not the carnal reasonings of the Corinthians compelled him to do so.
Now, both these cases are full of practical instruction for us. With the majority of us, alas, there is too great a readiness to talk of our doings, or, at least, to think much of them. The flesh is p.r.o.ne to glory in anything that might exalt _self_; and if the Lord, despite of the evil in us, has accomplished any little service by our instrumentality, how speedily is it communicated in a spirit of pride and self-complacency. It is all right to speak of the Lord"s grace, and to have our hearts filled with thankful adoration because of it; but this is very different from boasting of things connected with self.
David, however, kept the secret of his triumph over the lion and the bear concealed in his own bosom, and did not bring it forth until the fitting occasion; nor does he, even then, speak of himself as having achieved aught, but he simply says, "_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." Precious, self-renouncing faith!--faith that counts on G.o.d for everything, and trusts the flesh in nothing--faith which brings G.o.d into every difficulty, and leads us, with deepest thankfulness, to hide self, and give Him all the glory.
But it frequently needs much spirituality to detect the vast difference between the language of faith and the language of mere commonplace and formal religiousness. Saul a.s.sumed the garb and phraseology of religiousness; we have already seen much of this in his history, and we see it in his interview with David. Mere _religiousness_ and _faith_ here are seen in marked contrast. When David had made the clear and unequivocal statement of faith in the presence and power of Jehovah, Saul added, "_Go, and the Lord be with thee_." But, ah, how little did he know what was involved in having the Lord with him. He _seemed_ to trust the Lord, but _in reality_ he trusted his armor. Had he understood what he said, why think of putting on armor? "The Lord be with thee" was in Saul"s mouth a mere commonplace: it really meant nothing, for he had no idea of David"s going _simply_ with the Lord.
It is well to dwell upon, and distinctly point out, the evil of this--the evil of using words which, so far as we are concerned, mean nothing, but which involve a trifling with the Lord"s name and truth.
How often do we speak of trusting the Lord, when, in reality, we are leaning on some circ.u.mstance, or set of circ.u.mstances. How often do we speak of living by the day, in simple dependence upon G.o.d, when, if we judged the positive condition of our souls before G.o.d, we should find that we were looking to some human or earthly source of supply. This is a sad evil, and should be most carefully watched against. It was just what Saul exhibited, when, having made use of the apparently devout expression, "The Lord be with thee," he proceeded to "arm David with his armor, and he put a helmet of bra.s.s upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail." He had no other idea but that David was to fight in the usual way. No doubt, it was _professedly_ in the name of the Lord: but he thought David _ought to use means_. But it happens that we frequently speak of using means and really shut out G.o.d; we profess to use means in dependence upon G.o.d, and, in reality, use the mere name of G.o.d in dependence upon the means. This is virtually, and according to the judgment of faith, to make a G.o.d of our means. Whether had Saul more confidence, in the Lord or in the armor? In the armor, no doubt; and so with all who do not truly walk by faith; it is the _means_ they lean upon, and not upon G.o.d.
My reader will, doubtless, perceive how strikingly all this bears upon the t.i.tle of this little book, viz., "The Life of Faith." We can hardly dwell upon any point in our subject more important than that suggested by the interesting scene on which we are immediately dwelling. The man of means, and the man of faith, are really before us; and we can at once perceive how far the latter proceeds in the use of means. Means are to be used, no doubt, but only such means as are perfectly consistent with the full and blessed action of faith, and also with the untarnished glory of the G.o.d of all power and grace. Now David felt that Saul"s armor and coat of mail were not such means, and he, therefore, refused them. Had he gone with them, the victory would not have been so manifestly the Lord"s. But David had professed his faith in the Lord"s deliverance, and not in human armor. True, means will be used; but let us take care that our means do not shut out G.o.d.[12]
[12] Faith, waiting on G.o.d, allows Him to use what means soever He pleases. It does not ask Him to bless _our_ means, but lets Him use His own.