And observe the nature and ground of their confidence, in this their time of need and pressure: "And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies." Alas, what a miserable ground of confidence! Not a word about _the Lord Himself_. They thought not of _Him_ as the source of their strength; they made not _Him_ their shield and buckler. No! they trusted in the ark; they vainly imagined that it could save them. How vain! How could _it_ avail them aught when unaccompanied by the presence of the Lord of hosts, the G.o.d of the armies of Israel? Impossible! But He was no longer there; He had been grieved away by their unconfessed and unjudged sin; nor could any symbol or ordinance ever supply His place.
However, Israel vainly imagined that the ark would do all for them; and great was their joy, though not well founded, when it made its appearance among them, accompanied, not by Jehovah, but by the wicked priests Hophni and Phinehas. "And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again." All this was very imposing; but, ah, it was hollow; their triumph was as baseless as it was unbecoming; they ought to have known themselves much better than to make such an empty display. Their shout of triumph harmonized badly with their low moral condition in the sight of G.o.d; and yet it will ever be found that those who know least of themselves set up the highest pretensions, and a.s.sume the highest position. The Pharisee in the Gospel looked down with an air of proud indifference on the self-abased publican; he imagined himself very high up and the publican very low down in the scale; yet how different were G.o.d"s thoughts about the two! Thus it is the broken and contrite heart will ever be the dwelling-place of G.o.d, who, blessed be His name, knows how to lift up and comfort every such heart as none else can do. Such is His peculiar work--the work in which He delights.
But the men of this world will always attach importance to high pretensions. They like them, and, generally speaking, give a high place in their thoughts to those who a.s.sume to be somewhat; while, on the other hand, they will seek to put the really self-abased man still lower. Thus, in the instructive scene before us in this chapter, the Philistines attached no small importance to the shout of the men of Israel. It was like themselves, and therefore they could apprehend and appreciate it. "And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid; for they said, G.o.d is come into the camp," etc. They naturally supposed that the shout of triumph was based on a reality: they saw not what was beneath the surface; they understood not the meaning of a defiled priesthood, a despised sacrifice, a desecrated temple. They beheld the outward symbol, and imagined that power accompanied it; hence their fear. How little did they know that their fear and Israel"s triumph were alike groundless. "Be strong," said they, "and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight." Here was the resource of the Philistines--"quit yourselves _like men_." Israel could not do this. If prevented by sin from bringing the resources of G.o.d to bear upon their circ.u.mstances, they were weaker than other men; Israel"s only hope was in G.o.d; and if G.o.d were not there, if it were a mere conflict between man and man, an Israelite was no match for a Philistine. The truth of this was most fully established on the occasion to which we are referring. "The Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten." How else could it be? Israel could but be smitten and fly when their shield and buckler, even G.o.d Himself, was not in their midst. They were smitten; the glory departed from them; the ark was taken; they were shorn of their strength; their shout of triumph was exchanged for the piercing cry of sorrow; their portion was defeat and shame; and the aged Eli, whom we may regard as the representative of the existing system of things, fell with that system, and was buried in its ruins.
Chapters v. and vi. embrace the period during which "Ichabod" was written upon the nation of Israel. During this time G.o.d ceased to act publicly for Israel, and the ark of His presence was carried about from city to city of the uncirc.u.mcised Philistines. This period is full of instruction. The ark of G.o.d among strangers, and Israel for the time being set aside, are circ.u.mstances which cannot fail to interest the mind and fix the attention of the intelligent and thoughtful student of Scripture.
"And the Philistines took the ark of G.o.d, and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of G.o.d, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon." Here we are presented with the sad and humiliating result of Israel"s unfaithfulness. With what a careless hand and faithless heart had they kept the ark of G.o.d when it could ever be brought to find a lodging-place in the temple of Dagon! How deeply Israel had failed!
They had let go everything; they had given up that which was most sacred, to be profaned and blasphemed by the uncirc.u.mcised.
And now the ark of Jehovah, which belonged to the holiest of all, is placed by the Philistines in the house of their G.o.d. The shadow of Dagon was to be subst.i.tuted for the wings of the cherubim and the beams of the divine glory. Such were the thoughts of the lords of the Philistines; but not so G.o.d"s thoughts. Israel, on the one hand, had failed in defending the ark; they had failed to recognize the great truth that it should ever have been connected with the presence of G.o.d among them. On the other hand, the lords of the Philistines might presume to insult the sacred symbol of the divine presence by impiously a.s.sociating it with Dagon their G.o.d. In a word, the Israelites might prove faithless, and the Philistines profane, but the G.o.d of Israel must ever be true to Himself, ever true to His own holiness, and Dagon must fall prostrate before the ark of His presence. "And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold: only the stump of Dagon was left to him" (chap. v. 3, 4).
We can hardly conceive a more humiliating condition of things at this crisis in Israel"s history. They beheld the ark s.n.a.t.c.hed from their midst; they had proved themselves unfit and unable to occupy the place of G.o.d"s witnesses in the view of the nations around them; and as to the grounds of triumph by the enemies of the truth, it was enough to say, "The ark is in the house of Dagon." This was truly terrible, when looked at from one point of view; but oh, how ineffably glorious when looked at from another! Israel had failed, and had let go everything that was sacred and precious; they had allowed the enemy to lay their honor in the dust, and trample on their glory; yet G.o.d was above all, beyond all; He remained sovereign over all. Here was the deep source of consolation to every faithful heart. If Israel would not act in defence of G.o.d"s truth, He must act Himself; and so He did. The lords of the Philistines had vanquished Israel; but the G.o.ds of the Philistines must fall prostrate before that ark which of old had driven back the waters of Jordan. Here was divine triumph. In the darkness and solitude of the house of Dagon--where there was no eye to see, no ear to hear--the G.o.d of Israel was acting in defence of those great principles of truth which His Israel had so failed to maintain.
Dagon fell, and in his fall proclaimed the honor of the G.o.d of Israel.
The darkness of the moment only afforded an opportunity for the divine glory to shine out with brilliancy. The scene was so thoroughly emptied of the creature that the Creator could show Himself in His own proper character. "Man"s extremity was G.o.d"s opportunity." His failure made room for the divine faithfulness. The Philistines had proved stronger than Israel; but Jehovah was stronger than Dagon.
Now all this is replete with instruction and encouragement at a time like the present, when the people of G.o.d are so sadly declining from that deep tone of devotedness and separation which ought to characterize them. We should bless the Lord for the full a.s.surance of His faithfulness--"He cannot deny Himself"; "The foundation of G.o.d standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His, and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Hence, in darkest times He will maintain His truth and raise up a witness for Himself, even though it should be in the house of Dagon. Christians may depart from G.o.d"s principles, but the principles remain the same: their purity, their power, their heavenly virtue, are in no wise affected by the fickleness and inconsistency of faithless professors, and in the end truth will triumph.
However, the effort of the Philistines to keep the ark of G.o.d among them proved a complete failure. They could not make Dagon and Jehovah dwell together--how blasphemous the attempt! "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" None! The standard of G.o.d can never be lowered so as to accommodate itself to the principles which govern the men of this world; and the attempt to hold Christ with one hand and the world with the other must issue in shame and confusion of face. Yet how many are making that effort! How many are there who seem to make it the great question, how much of the world they can retain without sacrificing the name and privileges of Christians! This is a deadly evil, a fearful snare of Satan, and it may with strict propriety be denominated the most refined selfishness. It is bad enough for men to walk in the lawlessness and corruption of their own hearts; but to connect evil with the holy name of Christ is the climax of guilt.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the G.o.d of Israel, ... Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other G.o.ds whom ye know not, and come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?" (Jer. 7:3, 8-10). Again, we read, as one of the special characteristics of the last days, that men shall have "a form of G.o.dliness, but deny the power thereof." The _form_ suits the worldly heart, because it serves to keep the conscience at ease, while the heart enjoys the world in all its attractiveness. What a delusion! How needful the apostolic admonition, "_From such turn away_"! Satan"s masterpiece is the amalgamation of things apparently Christian with things decidedly unholy. He deceives more effectually by this scheme than any other, and we need more spiritual perception to detect it in consequence. The Lord grant us this, for He knows how much we need it.
Chapter vii. Pa.s.sing over much that is valuable in chapters v. and vi., we must dwell a little upon Israel"s happy restoration, in connection with the ministry of "the faithful priest."
Israel had been allowed to mourn for many a day the absence of the ark; their spirits drooped under the withering influence of idolatry; and at length their affections began to go out after the Lord. But in this revival we learn how deeply they had been sunk in death. This is always the case. When Jacob of old was called upon to go up to Bethel from amid the defilement of Shechem, he had but little idea of how he and his family had become entangled in the meshes of idolatry. But the call to "_go up to Bethel_" roused his dormant energies, quickened his conscience, and sharpened his moral perception. Hence he says to his household, "Put away the strange G.o.ds that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments." The very idea of Bethel, where G.o.d had appeared to him, exerted a reviving influence on the soul of Jacob; and he being revived himself was enabled to lead others also in fresh power.
Thus it is with Jacob"s seed in this chapter. "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange G.o.ds and Ashtaroth from among you, and _prepare your hearts unto the Lord_, and serve Him _only_; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."
We observe here what a downward course Israel had been pursuing in connection with the house of Eli. The first step in evil is to place confidence in a form apart from G.o.d; apart too from those principles which make the form valuable. The next step is to set up an idol.
Hence we find Israel saying of the ark, "That _it_ may save us." But now the word of the prophet is, "Put away the strange G.o.ds and Ashtaroth from among you."
Reader, is there not a solemn admonition in all this for the professing Church? Truly there is. The present is preeminently a day of form without power. The spirit of cold and uninfluential formalism is moving upon the face of Christendom"s troubled waters, and soon all will settle down in the deathlike calm of false profession, which will be broken in upon only by "the shout of the archangel and the trump of G.o.d."
However, the att.i.tude a.s.sumed by Israel in the 7th chapter forms a perfect contrast to the scene in the 4th chapter: "And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord" (an expression of their weak, helpless condition), "and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord." This was real work, and we can say, _G.o.d is here now_. There is no confidence in a mere symbol or lifeless form; there is no empty pretension or vain a.s.sumption, no shout or baseless vaunting; all is deep and solemn reality. The earnest cry, the water poured out, the fast, the confession--all tell out the mighty change which had taken place in Israel"s moral condition. They now betake themselves to the faithful priest, and through him to the Lord Himself. They speak not now of fetching the ark. No; their word is, "Cease not to cry unto the Lord our G.o.d for us, that HE will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking-lamb, and offered it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him." Here was the source of Israel"s power. The sucking-lamb--G.o.d"s gracious providing in tender remembrance of their need--gave a new aspect to their circ.u.mstances; it was the turning-point in their history on this occasion.
And observe, the Philistines seem to have been in total ignorance of all that was going on between Jehovah and Israel. They doubtless imagined that, inasmuch as they heard no shout of triumph, the Israelites were, if possible, in a more impoverished condition than before. They do not make the earth to ring again, as in chap. iv.; but ah, there was a silent work going on which a Philistine"s eye could not see, nor a Philistine"s heart appreciate! What could a Philistine know about the penitential cry, the water poured out, or the sucking-lamb offered up? Nothing. The men of this world can only take cognizance of that which lies on the surface. The outward show, the pomp and glare, the a.s.sumption of strength and greatness in the flesh, are well understood by the world; but they know nothing of the reality of a soul exercised before G.o.d. And yet this latter is what the Christian should most earnestly seek after. An exercised soul is most precious in the sight of G.o.d; He can dwell with such at all times. Let us not a.s.sume to be anything, but simply take our proper place in the sight of G.o.d, and He will surely be our spring of power and energy, according to the measure of our need.
"And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel." Such were the happy results of simple dependence upon the G.o.d of the armies of Israel: it was somewhat like the glorious display of Jehovah"s power on the sh.o.r.es of the Red Sea. "The Lord is a man of war" when His people need Him, and their faith can count on Him as their present help in time of need.
Whenever Israel truly turned to Jehovah, He was ever ready to appear in their behalf; but the glory must be _all_ His own. Israel"s shout of empty triumph must be hushed, in order that the voice of Jehovah may be distinctly heard. And how blessed to be silent, and let Jehovah speak! What power in His voice to bring peace to His people, and to strike terror into the hearts of His enemies! "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name?"
Chapter viii. In this chapter we have a very marked step towards the setting up of a king in Israel. "And it came to pa.s.s, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.... And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment." Sad picture! How like man in every age! Man corrupts himself and all committed to him at the first opportunity.
Moses and Joshua foresaw Israel"s turning away after their departure (Deut. 31:29; Josh. 23:15, 16); and Paul could say to the Ephesian elders: "I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." So here; Israel no sooner recovers from the effects of the immorality of Eli"s sons than they are made to feel the direful effects of the avarice of Samuel"s sons, and thus are they hurried along the path which ended in the rejection of Jehovah and the setting up of Saul. "When Samuel was old, _he made_ his sons judges." But this was a very different thing indeed from G.o.d"s appointment. The faithfulness of Samuel was no guarantee for his sons; just as we find in the boasted theory of apostolic succession. What kind of successors have we seen? How far have they resembled their predecessors? Paul could say, "I have coveted no man"s silver or gold": can the so-called successors say so? Samuel could say, "Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before His anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose a.s.s have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith?" But alas, Samuel"s sons and successors could not say this! To them "filthy lucre" was the leading spring of action.
Now we find in this chapter that Israel makes this evil of Samuel"s sons the ostensible reason for asking a king. "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us _like all the nations_." Fearful declension! Israel satisfied to come down to the level of the nations around! and all because Samuel was old and his sons covetous. The Lord is shut out. Had they looked up to Him, they would have had no reason for seeking to put themselves under the guardianship of a poor mortal like themselves. But ah, the Lord"s ability to guide and keep them was little thought of in all this scene! They cannot see beyond Samuel and his sons: if no help can be found from them, they must at once step down from their high elevation of having Jehovah as their King and make to themselves a human head like the nations around them. The att.i.tude of faith and dependence on G.o.d cannot be maintained by the natural man. _Outwardly_ G.o.d had been owned as their King; but now it is not so: a king must now be their recognized head. We shall soon see the sad result of all this.
Chapters ix.-xiii. These chapters furnish us with the character of Saul, together with his anointing and the opening of his rule. I shall not dwell upon it in this Introduction, being merely desirous to call the reader"s attention to the steps which led to the setting up of a king in Israel.
Saul was emphatically the man after Israel"s heart: he had all that the flesh could desire--"a choice young man, and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people." This was all very imposing to those who could only look upon the outward appearance; but what lay beneath this attractive exterior! Saul"s whole course is marked with selfishness and pride, under the cloak of humility. True, the Spirit came upon him as one set apart to be an office-bearer among the people of G.o.d;[8] but he was throughout a self-seeker, and he only used the name of G.o.d for his own ends, and the things of G.o.d as a pedestal on which to set forth his own glory.
The scene at Gilgal is truly characteristic, and develops much of Saul"s principle of action. Impatient to wait for G.o.d"s time, he "forces himself," and offers a burnt-offering, and has to hear from the lips of Samuel these solemn words: "Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy G.o.d which He commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee." This is just the sum of the matter, so far as Saul is concerned. "Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord; thy kingdom shall not continue." Solemn verities! Saul, the man after man"s heart, is set aside, to make room for the man after G.o.d"s heart. The children of Israel had abundant opportunity of testing the character of the man whom they had chosen to lead them forth, and fight their battles.[9] The reed on which they had so earnestly desired to lean had broken, and was about to pierce their hand. Man"s king, alas, what was he? Set him in an emergency, and how does he carry himself? Bustling self-importance marks all his actings. No dignity, no holy confidence in G.o.d, no acting on the broad principles of truth. Self, self, and that, too, in the most solemn scenes, and while apparently acting for G.o.d and His people. Such was man"s king.
[8] My reader should accurately distinguish between the Holy Ghost coming _upon_ people and the Holy Ghost dwelling and acting _in_ them.
The statement in 1 Sam. x. 6 may present a difficulty to some minds.
"The Spirit of the Lord will come _upon_ thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man." This is not the Spirit producing the new birth, but merely fitting Saul to be an office-bearer. Were it regeneration, it would not merely be the Spirit coming _upon_, but acting _in_, a man. Saul the _office-hearer_ and Saul the _man_ are quite distinct, and this distinction must be maintained in reference to many of the characters both in the Old and New Testament Scriptures.
[9] It is to be noted that Saul, though appointed by G.o.d"s order to Samuel, is nevertheless the _people"s_ choice and acclaimed by them as such (1 Sam. x. 24)--G.o.d thus selecting for them the man after _their_ heart.--[Ed.]
Chapter. xiv. This beautiful chapter furnishes a striking contrast between the efficacy of Israel"s expedient, and that of the _old principle_ of simple faith in G.o.d. Saul sits beneath a pomegranate tree, in display of empty pomp without any real power; while Jonathan, acting in the spirit of faith, is made the happy instrument of working salvation for Israel. Israel, in unbelief, had asked for a king to fight their battles, and doubtless they imagined that, when blessed with a king, no enemy could stand before them: but was it so? One word in chap. xiii. gives the reply: "All the people followed him _trembling_." What a change! How different from the mighty host who, of old, had followed Joshua into the strongholds of Canaan! And yet they now had their longed-for king before them; but, G.o.d was not there, and hence their trembling. Let man have the fairest, the most imposing ordinance, without the sense of G.o.d"s presence, and he is weakness itself. Let him have the presence of G.o.d in power, and nothing can resist him. Moses had, of old, done wonders with a simple rod in his hand; but now, Israel, with the man after their own heart full in their view, could do nought but tremble before their enemies.
"All the people followed him trembling." How truly humiliating! "Nay; but we will have a king over us; ... that our king may judge us, and _go out before us and fight our battles_." Truly "it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in princes." Jonathan proved this, most blessedly. He goes up against the Philistines in the power of that word, "There is no restraint with the Lord to save by many or by few." It was "the Lord" who filled his soul, and having Him, "many or few" made no difference. Faith does not reckon on circ.u.mstances, but on G.o.d.
And mark the change upon Israel the moment that faith begins to act amongst them. The trembling was transferred from Israel to the Philistines; "and there was a trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked; so it was a very great trembling."
Israel"s star was now decidedly in the ascendant, simply because Israel was acting upon the principle of faith. Jonathan looked not to his father Saul for deliverance, but to Jehovah; he knew that He was a man of war, and on Him he leaned for the deliverance of Israel in the day of trouble. Blessed dependence! None like it. Human ordinances perish--human resources vanish away; but "they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever." "It was a very great trembling," for G.o.d was putting His terror into their hearts, and filling Israel with joy and triumph. Jonathan"s faith was owned of G.o.d in the establishment of those who had previously fled from the field of conflict into the mountains. Thus it is ever; one can never walk in the power of faith without giving an impetus to others; and, on the other hand, one coward heart is sufficient to deter a great many. Moreover, unbelief always drives one from the field of service or conflict, while faith, as surely, leads one into it.
But what of Saul in all this? How did he co-operate with the man of faith? He was perfectly incapable of any such acting. He sat under the pomegranate tree, unable to inspire courage into the hearts of those who had chosen him to be their captain; and when he did venture to move, or rather to bustle forth, he could do nought but hinder the precious results of faith by his rashness and folly. But we must hasten on to the close of these introductory remarks.
Chapter xv. presents us with the final testing and setting aside of man"s king. "GO, SMITE AMALEK." This is the test which really made manifest the moral condition of Saul"s heart. Had he been right before G.o.d, he would have executed G.o.d"s judgment upon Amalek. But the issue proved that Saul had too much in common with Amalek to carry out the divine will in his destruction. What had Aamalek done? "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt." In a word, Amalek stands before the spiritual mind as the first great obstacle to the progress of the redeemed from Egypt to Canaan; and we know what it is which fills a similar place in reference to those who now set out to follow the Lord Jesus.
Now, Saul had been just showing himself as a most decided obstacle in the way of the man of faith; indeed, his entire course was one of hostility to the principles of G.o.d. How, then, could he destroy Amalek? Impossible. "He spared Agag." Just so. Saul and Agag suited each other but too well, nor had he power to execute the judgment of G.o.d on this great enemy of His people. And mark the ignorance and self-complacency of this unhappy man. "And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: _I have performed the commandment of the Lord_." Performed the commandment of the Lord, while Agag, king of the Amalekites, was yet alive! Oh, to what lengths of vain delusion will one go when not walking uprightly before G.o.d!
"What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in my ears?" Solemn, heart-searching inquiry! In vain is recourse had to the plausible matter of "_sacrifice unto the Lord_." Miserable resource for disobedient hearts! As if the Lord would accept a sacrifice from one walking in positive rebellion against His commandment. How many since Saul"s day have sought to cover a disobedient spirit with the plausible mantle of "sacrifice unto the Lord." Samuel"s answer to Saul is of universal application, viz.: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." The Lord seeks not offerings, but obedience: the subject heart and acquiescent spirit will glorify Him more than the cattle upon a thousand hills.
How important to have this great principle pressed home upon the conscience, when so many are cloaking all sorts of disobedience with the word, Sacrifice, sacrifice! "_To obey is better than sacrifice._"
It is far better to have the will in subjection to G.o.d than to load His altar with the costliest sacrifices. When the will is in subjection, everything else will take its due place; but for one whose will is in rebellion against G.o.d to talk of sacrificing to Him is nothing but deadly delusion. G.o.d looks not at the amount of the sacrifice, but at the spirit from which it springs. Moreover, it will be found that all who, in Saul"s spirit, speak of sacrificing unto the Lord, have concealed beneath some selfish object--some Agag or other--the best of the sheep--or something attractive to the flesh, which is more influential than the service or worship of the blessed G.o.d.
May all who read these pages seek to know the real blessedness of a will entirely subject to G.o.d, for in it will be found that blessed rest which the meek and lowly Jesus promised to all who were heavy laden--the rest which He Himself found in being able to say, "I thank Thee, O Father, ... _for so it seemed good in Thy sight_." G.o.d had desired Saul to destroy Amalek, but his heart desired to spare something which to _him_, at least, seemed good and desirable; he was ready to carry out the will of G.o.d in reference to all that was "_vile and refuse_" but he thought he might make some exceptions, as if the line of distinction between that which was "refuse" and that which was "good" was to be drawn by his judgment, and not by the unerring judgment of Him who looked at Amalek from a true point of view, and saw in Agag one who, with all his delicacy, would resist Israel as strongly as ever, and this was His ground of controversy with Amalek, which Saul was unable to understand or appreciate.
The close of this chapter shows us, but too plainly, the current in which Saul"s thoughts and desires were flowing. He had just heard the solemn appeal of Samuel, and the denunciations of G.o.d against him, concluded with these solemn words, "The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou." These stunning words had just fallen upon his ear; yet so full was he of self, that he could say, "_Honor me_ now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel."
This was Saul. "_The people_," said he, "spared what should have been destroyed;"--it was their fault, but "_honor me_." Alas, what vanity!
A heart steeped in iniquity seeking honor from his fellow-worms.
Rejected of G.o.d as an office-bearer, he clings to the thought of human honor. It seems that, provided he could maintain his place in the estimation of his people, he cared but little what G.o.d thought of him.
But he was rejected of G.o.d, and the kingdom torn from him; nor did it avail him much that Samuel turned again, and stood by, while Saul went through the form of worshiping the Lord, in order that he might not forfeit his place and influence amongst his people.
"Then said Samuel, Bring hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites; and Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless, among women.
_And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal._" Agag"s delicacy could not deceive one who was taught of G.o.d. How remarkable to find him hewing Agag in pieces _at Gilgal_! Gilgal was the place where the reproach of Egypt was rolled away from Israel;[10] and, in tracing their history, we find it a.s.sociated with much power over evil. Here it was, then, that this Amalekite came to his end by the hand of righteous Samuel. This is most instructive. When the soul is blessed with the realization of its full deliverance from Egypt, by the power of death and resurrection, it is in the best position for obtaining victory over evil. Had Saul known anything of the spirit and principle of Gilgal, he would not have spared Agag. He was ready enough to go thither to "renew the kingdom," but by no means so to crush and set aside all that savored of the flesh. But Samuel, acting in the energy of the Spirit of G.o.d, dealt with Agag according to the principles of truth; for it is written, "The Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." _The king of Israel ought to have known this._
[10] It was at Gilgal, upon their crossing Jordan, that Israel was circ.u.mcised after the forty years" uncirc.u.mcision in the wilderness; and to this place Joshua oft led them back after their victories. The meaning of this for us Christians is given in Phil. iii. 3--no self-confidence.--[Ed.]
CHAPTER I
DAVID ANOINTED
We now come to our theme--our rich and varied theme--the life and times of David, king of Israel.
In looking through Scripture, we observe how wonderfully the blessed G.o.d has ever brought good out of evil. It was Israel"s sin to reject their King, Jehovah, and seek to set up a man over them; and in that man, who first wielded the sceptre over them, they had learnt how vain was the help of man. The Lord was now about to bring blessing to His people out of all their evil and folly.
Saul had been set aside, in the government of G.o.d; he had been weighed in the balance, and found wanting; his kingdom was to pa.s.s away from under his hand, and a man after G.o.d"s own heart was about to be set upon the throne, to the glory of G.o.d, and the blessing of His people.