Authorized Version. up into any of the cities of Ju'dah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And Da'vid said, not. Revised Version. up into any of the cities of Ju'dah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And Da' countrymen. His first need, then, was to regain his lost popularity. How should it be done? 1 Sam. 30. 26-31 shows his first step in this direction, taken about the time that the news came of the overthrow of Saul. The towns mentioned in that passage are all hamlets in the uplands of southern Judah, within twenty miles of each other, between Hebron and Ziklag. He had ruled his warriors so carefully while an outlaw that, on the whole, the feeling of Judah toward him was friendly; but he needed more than twenty square miles of friends if he would reach the throne. Not all the glory of his past history, the tender love shown him by the aged prophet Samuel, the presence with him of the prophet Gad and the high priest Abiathar, his great deeds in war, the noble army that he had organized and now led, nor his gifts as a bard, led to any popular action on his behalf. So he was compelled, in a sense, to inquire of the Lord. "His home at Ziklag was burned to the ground; was it worth while to rebuild it? Now that Saul was dead was it politic, was it right, to remain in the land of the Philistines? The slaughter at Gilboa had given these foes possession of a large tract of country; the north submitted to them without a blow, and many of the Israelite cities between the plain of Esdraelon and the river were destroyed by their inhabitants or occupied by the enemy. What the adherents of Saul might do was still unknown. Any hasty or indiscreet movement might provoke a civil war, and weaken the nation when it most needed prudence and undivided counsels."-Deane. Shall I go up—“ David knew that he was to be king, but how to attain the throne he knew He had no unholy ambition, and in matters of so great responsibility he wished Jehovah to guide him."-Terry. Going up" meant assuming royal authority. Any of the cities of Judah—It would be absurd to think of assuming royal authority in the northern part of the kingdom or on the eastern side of Jordan. Not only were the "cities of Judah" near at hand, but they were already more or less in sympathy with the young aspirant to the throne. The estrangement which was afterward so distinctly recognized between "Ephraim and Judah "— that is, the tribes that clustered around each of these prominent tribes—had already its beginnings. All the north pulled together and the south was a community by itself. The dividing line ran from east to west, a few miles north of Jerusalem. The west coast was still in the hands of the Philistines; east of the Dead Sea and in the lower part of the Jordan valley reigned the kings of Moab and Edom; and in the more northerly part, where the Israelites maintained possession of territory east of the Jordan, they were disposed to side with the northerly tribes rather than with the easterly. The Lord said-Just how David inquired and in just what manner the Lord answered we are not told. David probably summoned Abiathar, with the ephod. and in the presence of his captains applied to the Urim and Thummim. Precisely what these were no man knows. The words mean “lights" and "perfections." They were in the breastplate of the high priest, which breastplate was made of four rows of precious stones, three in each row, and set in a square of gold. It was fastened to the ephod, which, in its turn, may be best described as being two square pieces of beautiful cloth, one worn on the front and one on the back of the body, and fastened at the shoulders. The Urim, "lights," may have been the twelve stones in the breastplate on which the Thummim, or "perfections," were engraved. Or, as there was a pocket behind the breastplate, they may have been three precious stones cast into this pocket or pouch, one of which represented Yes, another No, and the third No answer; the one drawn out by the high priest would answer the question. Or, as Züllig and Trench suppose, they may have been a diamond with some engraving upon it, indicating the name of the Deity. Go up-God's answers to prayer are not all of them immediately intelligible, as was this, but his providence is as minute and personal to-day as it was in David's time, and "if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." David's decision, guided by God, was now to promptly claim the monarchy. Authorized Version. Revised Version. Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto vid said, Whither shall I go up? And he 2 He'bron. 21 Sam. 30. 31; ver. 11; chap. 5. 1, 3; 1 Kings 2. 11. Whither shall I go up-As the principle of casting the lot was underneath most antique modes of deciding questions beyond the range of ordinary human wisdom, it is probable that David selected perhaps three of the most eligible places to be his capital city, and then "drew," the answer being Hebron. This city is described at length in the BACKGROUND of this lesson. It is one of the most ancient cities of the world, and at the present time is as prosperous relatively as the rest of Palestine. It is one of the most bigoted cities in Palestine, no Christian being permitted to reside within its limits, the Western traveler being subjected to insult wherever he goes. There is no wall about the city, and it does not ravel off in ragged suburbs, as most of our American towns do, but the streets and squares end plumb with each last house, and the city itself is built solidly, giving it a quaint and unique appearance. A fine French road, thoroughly macadamized, leads from Hebron to Jerusalem. crown. ONE CANNOT WELL DISTINGUISH David's traits as king from his traits as candidate for the From our earliest glimpse of him until he sinks in feebleness on the bed of death we see: 1. A vivid sense of God's presence. The Lord was his chief counselor, consulted first in every emergency. 2. Personal prowess, quite chivalrous in its character. David's adventures with Jonathan, Abigail, Saul in the cave, etc., resemble the adventures of some peerless mediaval knight far more than the doings of an Eastern despot. 3. Promptitude in all his movements. Napoleon could hardly have outdone him in celerity. 4. A patience that was sublime and that has been rarely matched in ancient or modern history. One example of many is his quiet waiting for the disintegration of the northern kingdom. He was himself "the Lord's anointed," and he well knew all the political and military advantages arising from this fact. After Saul's death he might have swept everything before him; but he never made an unnecessary stroke. 5. Headlong affection. He loved tremendously. 6. The heart and fancy of a poet. He led his troops in a charge one day and wrote a hymn the next; and, so far as we can date the Psalms, those of his advanced age are as sweet and fresh as those of his youth. 7. The cool head and steady nerve of a statesman. His purpose was of steel. His directions to his son and successor concerning the lives of men who had threatened the harmony of the kingdom might have been given by a Richelieu or a Mazarin. 8. This rich and varied life was keyed to one note, loy Authorized Version. Revised Version. 2 So Da'vid went up thither, and his 3 two 2 said, Unto He'bron. So Da'vid went up 21 Sam. 30. 5. alty to God. This loyalty was so intense that his cause and God's cause became identical, and he could not readily distinguish between the Lord's enemies and his own. This trait goes far in explaining the deprecatory psalms; and, in spite of all his sins and blunders, must impress every impartial reader as the leading characteristic of King David. INQUIRING OF GOD. Many Christians add to themselves much unnecessary trouble by failing to inquire concerning the will of God. He has promised to direct our paths, and there is no special doubt or difficulty or perplexity through which we may not receive guidance from above. We receive directions from God in six different ways: 1. The commands of superiors. For children at home the will of their parents is the will of God. For employees of all grades the commands of their employers, always supposing that what is enjoined is not clearly sinful. 2. Reason and conscience will often, if we allow them free speech, give a response which at once commends itself as a divine reply. If one course be morally right, the other morally wrong, one in manifest guidance with the laws of Christ, the other in plain opposition to them, there is no room for further question. 3. The counsels of wise and good men. Consulting them our course may often become clear, yet we may not submit blindly to them. 4. Holy Scripture is to be consulted, not at all by the superstitious turning over its pages, but by careful study of its revelations and precepts. From the Proverbs, the gospels, and the epistles especially a Christian may obtain most of the instruction of the will of God that he will require. 5. The providence of God. Often we are prompted by our best desires to courses which God never gives us the ability and opportunity to pursue. 6. Everywhere and always we may depend on direct divine guidance. Psalm 25. 4 furnishes a prayer we should all offer. By direct influence on the minds and hearts of those who seek him God becomes their guide; the Spirit seeks those who are willing to be led by him. But we must be careful not to make up our minds before we inquire of God, and never to make anything a matter of prayer simply in order that we may obtain a feeling of divine approval of the course chosen. DIVINE GUIDANCE. 1. Urgently needed by us quite as much as by David; but we never feel our need of it so much as when we experience past failures. 2. Should be diligently sought by us as well as by him (Psalm 34. 4). 3. Is always graciously given (Psalm 32. 8; 37. 23; 48. 14; Isa. 30. 21; 42. 16; Prov. 3. 6). 4. Should be faithfully followed by us as by him, with humble obedience; with entire dependence; without hesitation or delay; with cheerfulness, zeal, and energy. 5. Is gradually confirmed in the experience of him who obeys (John 7. 17; Hosea 6. 3). 6. Is widely beneficial, contributing to the good of all who share our perplexity and distress. 7. Always terminates in glory (Prov. 3. 35). 2. David went up-We are to think of his journey as a march of an army, or, rather, the migration of a large company of guerillas. There were few household effects and few women and children in the company; it was made up of bronzed youths inured to hardship, among whom rank and fame were secured by daring deeds rather than by anything comparable to modern military skill. They were strong enough to go into any town and establish themselves as the ruling force in that town, since they had proved strong enough to maintain their dominance outside of town and fortification, which was a desperate thing to attempt to do in those days. Now the country was in anarchy; there was no king. His two wives-David was still a young man, probably about thirty years of age, but his matrimonial experiences had already been varied and manifold. When Goliath of Gath confronted the armies of Israel Saul had promised that the man who killed him should be enriched with great riches and be made son-in-law of the king; and in apparent fulfillment of this promise, when David had killed Goliath, he promised to him his eldest daughter, Merab. But before the marriage Merab's younger sister, Michal, Authorized Version. wives also, A-hin'o-am the Jez' re-el-i-tess, and Ab'i-gail Na'bal's wife the Car'mel-ite. Revised Version. thither, and his two wives also, A-hin'o-am the Jez're-el-i-tess, and Ab'i-gail the wife had displayed her attachment for David, and Merab never became his wife. Saul gave Michal to David with malicious intent, "that she might be a snare to him." As a dowry the slaughter of a hundred Philistines was asked. David brought evidences of the death of two hundred, A STREET IN HEBRON. and was married a young woman his wrath was aroused, and he was about to inflict bloody vengeance upon him when the beautiful Abigail supplied him and his followers with provisions and appeased his anger. Ten days after this Nabal died, and David sent for Abigail and made her his wife. By her he had a son who was called Chileab (2 Sam. 3. 3; 1 Chron. 3. 1). A Jezreelitess was a native of Jezreel, a little Authorized Version. 3 And 4 his men that were with him did Da'vid bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of He'bron. 4 5 And the men of Ju'dah came, and there they anointed Da'vid king over the house of Ju'dah. And they told Da'vid, saying, That "the men of Ja'besh-gil'e-ad were they that buried Saul. 41 Sam. 27. 2, 3; 30. 1; 1 Chron. 12. 1. Ver. 11; chap. 5. 5. 1 Sam. 31. 11, 13. Revised Version. of Na'bal the Car'mel-ite. And his men that were with him did Da'vid bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in 4 the cities of He'bron. And the men of Ju'dal came, and there they anointed Da'vid king over the house of Ju'dah. And they told Da'vid, saying, The men of Ja'besh-gil'e-ad were they that buried town in Judah very near to the southern Carmel, of which we will presently speak. It is to be carefully distinguished from the great and splendid city in which Ahab built his ivory palace, and which was long the capital city of the Israelitish kingdom. A Carmelite is a resident of Carmel, a little town in the mountainous region of Judah (Josh. 15. 55), which, like the southern Jezreel, is to be carefully distinguished from the more famous Carmel, that mountain range which was the picturesque scene of so many of the deeds of Elijah and Elisha. These two women had had an adventurous career. They were taken by David to the court of Achish at Gath (1 Sam. 27. 3); were made captive when the Amalekites plundered Ziklag (1 Sam. 30. 5), but were presently rescued by David and his men (1 Sam. 30. 18). History contains few lives more romantic than that of Abigail, whom we watch as a hopeful Hebrew maiden; then, still young and beautiful, as the childless wife of the rich and surly Nabal; then as participator in the rough and ready life of the young hero of the nation as he fled in guerilla warfare from cave to cave throughout the “mountain of Judah;" then amid the barbaric splendor and voluptuous idolatry of Achish's capital; then in the wild confusion and fury of the midnight onset of the Amalekites, who flung herself and her sister wife as captives on some fleet camel or horse and sped southward over the rocks and sands; then during the second onset in the wilderness, when she woke to find herself again in the grasp of her hero husband; then the removal to Hebron, of which our lesson tells; and a little later the triumphal procession to Jerusalem, and a life of luxury amid the splendors of the most splendid court of the age. Ahinoam, of whom less is said, was equally faithful, and shared most of these perils and triumphs. 3. His men that were with him-What a set of madcap adventurers they were is seen from Second Samuel and First Chronicles. Every man with his household-Some of them had wealth, and could easily, in oriental fashion, purchase for themselves wives from the wealthy homes in Judah, for the mountain district of Judah always favored David. Others, doubtless, had taken to themselves beautiful captives from the heathen towns south and west which they so often raided and sacked. The cities of Hebron-The tiny towns which surrounded it and which depended upon it. II. THE KING OF JUDAH. VERSES 4-7. 4. The men of Judah-The division of sympathy between Judah and Israel was noticeable in very early days, even before the tribes reached Palestine, and it was continued and emphasized in many ways through the centuries. The "men" of Judah were the active politicians, the elders, the representatives of leading families, the heads of clans, the autocrats, each of whom held over a small part of the territory peculiar prerogatives which were rooted in power rather than in constitutional right. Anointed David king-Samuel had done so prophetically. This was a ceremony akin to the more modern ceremony of coronation. Over the house of Judah-This was a tribal secession, and it would seem at first to have been of doubtful wisdom, but verse 1 seems to state that it was by direct divine guidance, and the outcome was so favorable to the interests of David as to fully justify this opinion. Judah was now, as it became again after Solomon's downfall, a separate kingdom. The years during which Israel and Judah were unified as a kingdom were, counted together, about 112. They told David-The courtiers. |