The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 413

cn?_tr grrat fe_a!·s it shonld be regarded as instant proof of the existence of a pcrilonr,1 spmtual cond1tion: and a demand for great searc)1ing of heart. 3. Remembering ho"· much all our Jndgments are coloured by our imperfect moral state, we should pm);, much that G_od ';;ould op_en our eyes to see things_ in his light and lead us in the way eYerlastrng. 4. History and personal experience should teach us that the shortest and indeed only way to extricate ourselves from difficulties induced by our sins is to shun every evil way an~ submit ourselves entirely to God. 5. Reputations are to be held sacred, and all garn at the cost of others' ruin brings a curse with it. 6. One of the best safeguards against the dangerous allurements of wealth and the love_ of worldly J!O':er i~ a lofty spiritual aspiration-sympathy with the Lord's Anornted. 7. It 1s m vam to spend arguments on men who in self-abandonment to their sinful will seek to destroy the institutions of religion; for it is not a question of reason, but of pen-erted, degraded nature. 8. We should avoid the slightest approach to evil, seeing that when indulged in the impetus downwards is so fearful. Yers. 17-23.-The tragedy at Nob. The facts are-1. Saul commands his guards to slay the priests of Nob, but they refuse. 2. Thereupon he commands Doeg to effect their death, who slays eighty-five priests, and procures the destruction of the entire city. 3. Abiathar, escaping to David, makes known to him what has happened. 4. DaYid perceives that his presence at Nob was the occasion of this sad calamity, and admits that he feared the course Doeg would take. 6. He encourages Abiatbar to remain with him, and assures him of safety. This section sets forth s~ul's conduct in the darkest characters, and brings out a turn in the course of events of great consequence to David, while at the same time illustrating several important truths. l. SINFUL MEN ARE SOMETIMES THE INSTRUMENTS OF FULFILLING DIVINE PREDICTIONS OF JUDGMENT. It had been declared as a judgment on the house of Eli that terrible things should befall bis descendants ( eh. ii. 31-36; iii. 11-14). In the fearful destruction at Nob this prediction was partly fulfilled. The sins of Saul brought on retribution for the sins of Eli and bis sons. In this we have an instance of frequent occurrence in lrnman history, both of nations and individuals. The savage ambition of Rome realised the truth of our Saviour's words concerning the judgment due to- impenitent Jerusalem (Matt. xxiii. 34-38; Luke xxi. 20-24). The untruthful conduct of Jacob was most severely chastised by the lying tongues of his sons who• conspired against bis favourite Joseph ; just as now the judgment due to a parent for irreligious example in the home is often realised in the open vices of his children, which perhaps ruin his health and fortune. In all these cases we have to distinguish between the just purpose of God to visit sin by future retribution, and the free. action of the men who are the means of bringing it to pass. Had pestilence, or plagues, or earthquakes be"n more in the line of natural order just then, these would have conserved the Divine purpose. But man's sinful action, free, responsible, was the agency used, thus illustrating the statement which sometimes perplexes superficial students of the Bible-" the wicked, which is thy sword" (Ps. xvii. 13). The metr, • physical question, involved in this conjunction of a righteous retribution with the free agency of man in the perpetration of crimes for which alone they are responsible, rnay be beyond present solution, but the fact is plain. Philosophical difficulties are inherent in common facts, and are not peculiar to theological truth. I!. IN ORDINARY MEN RELIGIOUS INSTINCTS ARE STRONGER THAN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. We need not be surprised that Saul's Hebrew guards decline~ to obey his command to slay the "priests of the Lord." No doubt strong reasons were present to prove their loyalty to their king. Not only is l~yelty a o/st principle of action with good subjects, but the fact that he was of their own tnbe, and had been their choice out of all Israel (eh. x. 19-24), must have made them anxious to sustain his authority against all comers. Even the very weaknes~ea of a monarch will induce some men to put down with strong hand all charged with con- spiracy against him, whether or not the charge be fully established. Yet these men had been wont to recog-nise a higher authority than Sau!'~· They_b~longed to .a race whose vocation in the world was of God. All the sanctities of rehg10us worship and ritual, all the rich instruction of their marvellous history, strengthened and purified  OB. XXII. 1-23.] 'l'HE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.