The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 119

HOMILETICS. Y<'rs. 1-9.-Se~l,iur, liglit. The facts are-1. The Philistines, oppressed by Provi- d:n_ce, are uncert?.m "·hat to do "·1th the ark.. 2. They, consulting· the priests and d1nn<'rs, are adnsed to send the ark away with all due honours and safeguards in case it is sent at all. 3. They are instructed how to carry out the advice and warned not to refuse so to <lo. 4. Having done their best, they are to learn th~ truth from the i,;sue. The incidents recorded furnish an instance of men seeking· lig·ht. The c1·ents of the past few months had clashed with their material interests and a series of obse1.-ations had ginn rise to the opinion that these events were t;·aceable to n restlessness on the part of the Hebrew Divinity. They did not wish to send back the ark. At the same time, there might be some error in the observations already made• and if so, the troubles of the land and the presence of the ark would be a mere co'. •ncidence. This then was more than an ordinary case of perplexity. The Philistines (~ew the ark to be a s~perior power. Their dou~t was whether it was indicating its 11nnd by the events which troubled the land, and 1f so, what should be their conduct rn relation to it. Thus the crude ideas and superstitious conduct of heathens embrace trntlis which find expression in modem experience. I. There ARE IN HUMAN LIFE SEASONS OF DEEP PERPLEXITY, WHEN MEN WANT TO KNOW TEE TRUTH COKCERNING Goo. More intelligently than the Philistines, we believe in God as the Lord of all, and the ever-present Worker in human affairs. Although -events mo,e on in well-defined lines of natural order, we know that God uses them to indicate his mll, in conjunction with the intimations furnished by his word and ~pirit. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." But amidst the voices that fall on the ear, and owing_ to dulness of perception, the flOul sometimes is in great doubt concerning the mind of God, and what course should be pursued. This is especially true when events run counter to our desires and apparent interests, and when pride of spirit is cherished. Home may be wrecked. Business may bode dis- aster. Great decisions have to be taken. In each God has a will of his own, and conduct must have primary regard to him. The desire to do right is out of proportion to the perception of what in the particular instance is right. II. The COURSE TO DE ADOPTED FOR THE REMOVAL OF PERPLEXITY. The Philistines prond themselves to be men of good sense hy the course they took. The particular methods of obtaining more light will always depend on the spiritual state and previous attainments of those seeking it; yet the main lines pursued will be the same. Sum- marising then the reference here to men of experience, and the advice given by them, we see e, course available for all. 1. To act on the experience of the past. The priests and diviners were the embodiments of generations of experience in matters pertaining to the gods. Their advice, therefore, was the product of experience. Like- wise for every man there is a rich store of wisdom in the events of his own life, in the records of history, in the judgment of contemporaries. Experience is a process which gradually enkindles and feeds a lamp within the spirit of a man. It is one of God's ways of making our path plain. Especially .should the experience of others both show us the line of duty and warn us of the risk of shutting our eyes to the light. The reference to the experience of Pharaoh, under circumstances in some respects similar to theirs, was extremely judicious on the part of the Philistine priests. 2. Tc fulfil all lcnown religious obligations. Th_e advic~ to send back the ark intact 1 ':"ith due honours and with emblems of confess10n of sm, was based on the best religious lmowled 0o-e of the people. The only way of ascertaining the real mind of the Hebrew , Divinity was to honour and propitiate it. In this crude conception we have a great principle. Our escape from many perplexities depends largely on our careful perform- ance of such religious duties as are imposed by our pres~nt knowledge. No m!1n can know the will of God as he ought unless he obey that will as far as he know~ 1t, and at any cost. If prayer is a clear duty, pray; if confession of sin, confess; if some great act of self-denial, perfonn it. 'lhe perceptive powers are clea~er w~en calmed t,y true practical religion. The discharge of high duties fits f?r.d1scern!ng ?ther~. A sound spiritual condition, conserved by daily observanc~ of religious obhgat10ns, 11 a powerful sol vent of doubts. " If any man will do the will of God, he shall know of -CR. VI. 1-21.] THE FJnST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 1]/j