David's desire for the water of the well of betpilehem.
2 Sam. xxiii. 15 — 17. y4nd David lojiged, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth- lehem, which is by the gate ! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was hy the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he ivould not drink thereof, hut poured it out unto the Lord. And he said. Be it far from me, 0 Lord, that I should do this : is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives ? therefore he would not drink it.
THE best of men are liable to err : but in this they differ widely from the ungodly, that they are glad, as soon as they find out their error, to have it rectified. David inconsiderately expressed a wish for some water out of the well of Bethlehem ; but when he saw what his inconsiderateness had occasioned, and especially
what mi gilt have arisen from it, he was grieved at himself for what he had done, and rejected with ab- horrence the gratification which he had before desired.
This anecdote respecting him may appear unworthy of a distinct consideration : but it is in reality very instructive. Let us consider, L This wish of David's —
To view it aright, we must notice it,
1. As foolishly indulged —
[That water was not necessary to him ; for his army was not at all reduced to straits for want of water : and by the cir- cumstance of its being in the possession of his enemies, it was unattainable, unless his enemies should be first subdued. To wish for it therefore merely to gratify his appetite, was foolish ; and to express that wish to others was wrong. But in him we see a picture of human natvire in general : all are wishing for something which they do not possess, though it be neither necessary to their welfare, nor easy to be attained. " Ye desire and have not," is the account given of men by the voice of inspiration'"^; and it characterizes all from early childhood, till
age or infirmity has cured the disease This tendency
of our minds is decidedly sinful, inasmuch as it argues discon- tent with the lot assigned us by Providence, and too high an estimation of the things of time and sense '^. God, and hea- venly things, may be desired with the utmost intenseness of our souls "^ : but earthly things, whatever they may be, are no further to be desired than as God may be enjoyed in them, or glorified by them'': and, as David in this wish had respect to nothing but mere personal gratification, he so far acted in a way unworthy of his high character.]
2. As rashly countenanced —
[Three of his most distinguished warriors determined, if possible, to gratify his desire ; and, of their own accord, with- out any order from him, cut their way through the Philistine army, drew the water, and brought it to him. This was rash and presumptuous in the extreme. Had they been moved to it by God, as David was to go against Goliath with a sling and a stone, or as Jonathan was to climb up a rock, and, unsupported by any one but his armour-bearer, to attack a Philistine garrison, they would have acted right ; because in executing the divine will they might expect the divine pro- tection : but to go on such an errand without any command
^ Jam. iv. 2. See the Greek. ^ Numb. xi. 4, 5.
«= Ps. xlii. 1, 2. and Ixiii. 1. '^ Ps. Ixxiii. 25.