The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 204

recogniHing the merciful help of God, refuses to mar the joy of victory by personal retaliation. 3. At the invitation of Samuel the people assembled in Gilgal for the recognition of Saul as victorious king, coupled with thanksgiving to God. To an ordinary observer looking on the conflict between Israel and Ammon, it would seem to be simply a struggle of men with men. The preceding verses (6---11) show that an element more than human entered into the conflict, and Saul gratefully refers to this in saying, 11 To-day the Lord bath wrought. salvation in Israel." The subsequent celebration of worship by Samuel was a recognition of the same fact. I. It is THE CONCURRENCE OF Goo's ACTION WITH THAT OF MAN WHICH BRINGS ABOUT RESULTS OF A JOYOUS CHARACTER. The personal will and muscular and mental energy of Saul, aided by the co-operating powers of the people, led to the defeat 'Of the Ammonites. , That was the visible human element. But these powers were set o.t work and sustained by the action directly on the nature of Saul by the Spirit of God (ver, 6), and indirectly through the awe inspired thereby on the minds and bodies of the people. The issue, therefore, is to be ascribed to concurrent action of the human and Divine, the latter partly direct and partly indirect. In a general w0;y it may be said that all effects realised by man are by this concurrence of action. For even when they exercise their power of willing and devising in a wrong direction, it cis only possible in consequence of the energy of God sustaining those powers of volition and thought. But the more specific sense in which the con- currence is true may be seen by taking instances. 1. In the realisation of 1.llessiani,: purposes. The appearance of Christ on earth was the result of a long double lir:e uf action.' The· descendants of Abraham freely cherished the hope of MesHiali, «n(I by effort of their own will they -contributed, as described in the Old Testament, t lie human ,line of. action towards this issue. But all this time, and along with all these acts, the Spirit of God was at work, making them willing to be a separate people, controlling events to secure their isolation, inspiring their prophets with rapt visiu11 of the future, and at last corning on the one honoured among women for the perfect- ing of all that had been hoped and laboured for (Luke i. 27-35). 2. In the prod1tc- tion of the Bible. In revelation, as a whole, we have a long train of human events intertwined with a successive manifestation of the Divine will. The Bible is the record of the coi;nbination. This holy Book itself is what it is, in its historical portions, because human hands gathered out the selected facts in pursuance of a principle given of God. Moreover, the devout exercises of human spirits in such portions as the Psalms were free, yet concurrent with a Divine influence in their initiu- tion ; and ils o.lso in the selection of them subsequently for the benefit of mankind. 3. In the victories achieved by Christia·,.. iy. The victories of Christianity have come about by the free effort of individual minds combining under forms of Church organisation. Men have spoken, written, entreated, sympathised, prayed. Some critics ascribe all success in heathen lands to sheer force of superior intelligence and moral influence; and in civilised lands to what of moral excellence there may be in ronnectlon with a great superstition, enforced as this is by a zeal that takes captive the uncritical. But the solution is that God is a co-worker with the Church. The human and Divine action are concurrent, the one being the vehicle through which the other operates. 4. In tlie sanctification of the soul. The work to be done before the human soul can rise to the highest form of life is enormous. Few men consider what iR involved in "enterinq into the kingdom of !teaven'' even on earth. To rise to the life of the "kingdom' means work, conflict, suppression, elevation, excision, nurture, self-denial, aspiration, ambition, persistence within a sphere into which only the eye of God can penetrate. Yet all the expenditure of energy the greatest mind can command is of itself inadequate. \Ve are conquerors and "more than con- querors through Christ," who helpeth us. lie" worketh within us to will and to do." In this subtle concurrence of the DiYine aud human the highest form of life is realised for the "whole body, Bou!, and spirit.'' II. It is DEFITTING TO SEIZE OCCASION FOR RECOGNISING Goo's CONCURRENT ACTION WITH US IN BRINGING GOOD ISSUES TO PASS. It was fit that Saul should publicly recognise the hand of God in his first victory. The spontaneity of the act, and the magnanimous spirit that would not mar the joy of the victory by personal retalia- tion on his despisers, indicate that at this period of his history lie possessed some-  THE FIHST IlOOK OF SA:ilUEL. [CH, XI, 1-16.