The success of Joab. The death of Sheba. The officers of David.

LECTURE 539.

The happiness of a sinner who has been forgiven.

The character of Joab had in it something that was praiseworthy, mingled with much that was evil. See how resolutely he followed up the rebel Sheba, throughout all the tribes of Israel! See how vigorously he besieged him in Abel, and advanced his works close up to the city wall, so as to batter it and "to throw it down!" Let us learn from the children of this world, to be wise in our generation as children of light. Let us learn to follow up any advantage we can get, against sin, the world, and the devil, with vigour and resolution, proportioned to

the inestimable value of that which we shall lose if defeated, but which, if we conquer, we shall gain for ever.

In the jeopardy of the town of Abel, the inhabitants were delivered through the seasonable remonstrance of a woman, who first intreated Joab to hold a conference, and then persuaded the men of Abel to save themselves by giving up the rebel Sheba. In this conference, according to the translation in the margin of our bibles, the woman said to Joab, "They plainly spake in the beginning, saying, Surely they will ask of Abel, and so make an end." And this seems to refer to a law, which required peace to be proclaimed, on certain conditions therein prescribed, before a city was besieged. See Deut. 20. 10. Upon this appeal Joab stated the conditions on which he would depart from the city of Abel. And the woman answered for the citizens, and easily persuaded them to fulfil her engagement, that the head of Sheba should be thrown over the wall on the morrow. The object of Joab was thus attained. The siege of Abel was ended. And the last remnant of the rebellion against David was finally suppressed. A woman's wisdom did more in a few hours to settle peace, than might have been compassed in many days by the arms of Joab. The prudence of the meek, and the disposition of the peaceable to resort to reasonable conference for the settlement of disputes, often give them considerable advantage over the strong and the violent. Such persons are a greater blessing to a neighbourhood, or to a state, than the most renowned captains of the age. And as to their own preeminence, in point of happiness and glory, they have this signal testimony from our Saviour, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." Matth. 5. 9.

It is some proof of the entire reestablishment of David's throne. in peace, that we find here nearly the same list of chief state officers, as that which was given us when he was in the height of his prosperity, before his fearful and shameful fall. See Ch. 8. 16-18. And when we marvel to find all things set in order throughout the kingdom, as if there had been no rebellion, we may still more deeply admire the gracious goodness of God, who could bring it to pass, that there should be peace in David's heart also, even as if there had been no sin. And not only so, but he had now learnt to speak thankfully of the blessedness of the man, "whose unrighteousness is forgiven: and whose sin is covered." Ps. 32. 1. He could look back to his past offences, not only with horror at the thought of having so greatly sinned, but with a sweet sense of love vouchsafed by God, in his having been so abundantly forgiven. May this be our case, in whatsoever we have sinned! Whilst the remembrance of our sinfulness keeps us humble, let the recollection of our forgiveness make us thankful! And though we can never be again, after sin committed, exactly as we were before; let us be stirred up to double zeal and devotion, by this thought, that foul as we made ourselves, we may still become, in God's sight, through the blood of Christ, altogether whole and clean.

David giveth up to the Gibeonites seven men of Saul's family. 1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) 3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,

6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 But the king took the two

sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the begining of barley harvest.

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

LECTURE 540.

That atonement must precede the acceptance of prayer. The Gibeonites here mentioned were the descendants of those, who having obtained a league from Joshua by craft, were allowed to dwell in their four cities in the midst of the land of Israel. See Joshua 9. It may be collected from this history, that Saul in his intemperate zeal had attempted to cut them off by the sword. And as this was a violation of the league by which they were protected, it seemed good to God to signify his displeasure, by a three years' famine, which befel the Israelites in the time of David. It was by enquiring of the Lord that David found out the cause of this visitation. If we were more diligent in consulting the will of God, and interpreting his dispensations by taking counsel of his word, we should more often be able to avert his judgments, by a seasonable repentance and amendment.

But it was a great principle, set forth in the Law, that there must be restitution for wrong done, as far as possible, or satisfaction given, in the way of atonement, both towards man and towards God. David therefore enquired of the Gibeonites what satisfaction they would require. They demanded to have seven men of Saul's family given up to them, to be dealt with as they thought fit. "And they hanged them in the hill before the Lord." And they kept them hanging there for a length of time, not allowed by the law to the Israelites; see Deut. 21. 23. There Rizpah, the mother of two of those who were hung up, watched their bodies all the time with maternal affection. And David, hearing of her kind attention, and being probably the more moved thereby to shew kindness to the family of Saul, gave orders for the public burial of the bones of these seven men, together with the bones of Saul and of Jonathan, in the sepulchre of their fathers. ، And after that God was intreated for the land." This may shew us, and it was perhaps designed to shew the Israelites, that prayer is of no avail without atonement first made to God for sin. In other words, we have no access to the Father but by the Son. The more diligently we consult the will of God revealed in his word, we shall become the more deeply persuaded, that no efforts we make, to repent and amend, could lead either to forgiveness or to reformation of life, had not the Son of God become our all sufficient Sacrifice, our Redeemer, our Mediator, the Intercessor for our peace with God, and for our help from heaven. To Him we owe it that we perish not with spiritual famine. To Him we are indebted for access to the Father, for being allowed to draw near to God with the confidence of sons, for being heard' when we pray, and for having our petitions granted. Let us therefore always pray heartily in his name. Let us not be content merely to name Him at the end of our petitions; but let us think of Him throughout our prayers, as if we really felt, that it is by virtue of his merits and mediation that our prayers are heard at all.

Four battles with the Philistines, and the slaughter of four giants. 15 Moreover the Philistines then Sibbechai the Hushathite had yet war again with Israel; slew Saph, which was of the and David went down, and his sons of the giant. servants with him, and fought against the Philistines and David waxed faint.

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16 And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.

17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob:

19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him. 22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

LECTURE 541.

The object, use, and inspiration, of the historical books. On comparing this passage with the corresponding history in the first book of Chronicles, it will be seen that there is some variation in the names and other particulars. See 1 Chron. 20. 4—8. And this is the case with other parts of the history of the books of Samuel and Kings, as repeated in another form in the books of Chronicles. These variations will be a proper subject of comparison when the latter books are explained. But it may be well to remark here, that they throw some light upon the object, and usefulness, of all these historical books, and on the sense in which the whole may be said to be inspired.

The nature of these books then, is not to be a complete and exact account of all the things which befel the people of Israel, according to our ordinary notion of a history; but rather to be a collection of some few chief actions; and they, not always those which were of most importance in a national point of view, but those which throw most light on the particular object of the history. And that object is not, as in our ordinary histories, merely to trace the agency of man, and to furnish lessons of past political experience for the better management of state affairs in time to come. But it is to set forth the dealings of God, with one particular people,