The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 370

"The way of order, though it lead through windings, Is the best. Right forward goes the lightning And the cannon-ball ; quick, by the nearest path, They come, opening with murderous crash their way To blast and ruin ! 11Jy son, ,thq quiet road . Wl1ich men frequent, \there 1;1eace' and blessings travel, Follows the river's course, the valley's bendin&s ; Modestly skirts the corn-field and the vineyard, Revering property's appointtd bounds, • And leading safe, thongh slower, to the mark" (Schiller, • Wallelisteiii '). •. D. Vers. 18-24.-Religious consolation and religwua e:xcitement. The coneolati~n, was tasted by David ; the excitement was shown by Saul. I. CONSOLATION. We are not surprised to learn that David, when driven from his- ho1;1se by ~he deadly malice of !he king, betook himself to the prophet Samuel at his residence m Ramah. In reportmg the treatment he had received to the venerable prophet, he reported it to God, whose authority was represented by Samuel. The path of his life seemed to be blocked by the undeserved ill-will of Saul. Was there· any further instruction for him from the Lord ? 'l'here is no evidence that Samuel had held any communication with David from the time of his visit to Betblehem•to, anoint the young shepherd ; but it may be assumed that he had kept a watchful eye on his career, and prayed much for a youth with so great a destiny. Some painter ought to show us their meeting: the aged prophet, his countenance traced with sorrow for bis own unworthy sons, and not less for the untoward career of Saul, receiving with outstretched arms and ready sympathy the fugitive David, in the very perfection of his gallant youth, yet coming with weary steps and dejected visage. The old man took the young chief to shelter _with him in Naioth, where was a settle>' ment of prophets-a group of dwellings where servants of God lived in retreat and' cultivated sacred song and fraternal fellowship. David was not to tarry long in such a refuge, but it was good for him to visit it. It solaced and strengthened bis spirit in God. Undisturbed by the jealousies of the court and the dangerous frenzy of tLe king, surrounded by an atmosphere of devotion, mingling not merely with aged' seers like Samuel, but also with young men of his own age whose time was spent in sacred study and brightened with music and song, David must have been in his best element. He was a good soldier, and happy at the head of his troops, charging the Philistines. But he was still more a thinker, a poet, a minstrel, a prophet, a man of fernnt spirit toward God, and so must have been happier in the goodly fellowship. of tlie prophets at Naioth than in the rush of battle and the pride of victory. There is no record of the words of consolation and counsel which Samuel spoke to him; but doubtless we have traces and echoes of them in those psalms in which David has discussed the afflictions of the servants of Jehovah, and sung of their ultimate deliverance and reward. Ps. !ix. is traditionally ascribed to the period when the armed men sent by Saul surrounded David's house to put him to death.. As it is highly artificial in structure, it can hardly have been composed on the spur of the moment. Very probably it was written at N aiotb while the impression of the danger was fresh, and was sung among the prophets there. In the case of David we read of no agitation or excitement. It would be little surprising if he, fleeing for liis life, had been overcome by emotion when he found himself in safeguard. But all we read of his bearing is rational and calm. II. ExcITEMENT. It was in the servants of Saul, and subsequently in Saul himselft that a religiouH excitement appeared. Three successive bands were despatched by the king to seize his son-in-law, but with a strange result. As each band saw the "enerated Samuel stand forth at the head of the prophets, they feared to do violence to one under such august protection. Nay, more; the spiritual enthusiasm of the prophets communicated itself to them and overmastered them, so that they forgot tlieir errand and joined in the burst of holy song. King Saul himself, provoked by tl,e failure of his emissaries, went to Naioth, and he was more completely over- powered than they. We ha Ye seen already that his temperament was exceedingly amenable to the impressions of music and song. We remember how he had flung  en. x1x. 1-24.J THE FIRST BOOK OF SA:.\lCEL. 375