I. MoRDID SELFISHNESS. Ily constantly directing his thoughts toward himself instead of toward God and his people, Saul had come to think of nothin"' 0 else but his own safety, power, and honour. Selfishness appears in - 1. Pride and vain- glory. Of this he had previously exhibited unmistakable signs (rh. xv. 12). Yet it was expressly required that his heart shou 1.d not be "lifted up above his brethren" (Dent xvii. 20). 2. The use of power for personal ends. In contrast to charity, it seeketh its own. The king exists for the good of the people, not the· people for the glory of the king. "Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hatb said, My river is my own, and I have made it for myself" (Ezek. xxix. 3). 3. The neglect of the performance of duty to others. Unlike Samuel, when he was judge, Saul had evidently, in his concern for himself, omitted to maintain law and order (ver. 2), and even to resist the encroachments of the Philistines, against whom he had formerly rendered signal service. II. AvowED MISGOVERNMENT (vers. 7-9). 1. Parlisansliip. He placed men of his own tribe in the chief offices of state, and this would not be conducive to the unity of the nation. "Hear now, ye Benjamites." 2. Mercenariness. He sought to attach them to his interest by the lowest motives. "He boasts that he has given fields and vineyarJs to all his Benjamite servants and accomplices; and what he gave to them he must have taken away from others" (Hengstenberg). His reign was oppressive, as it had been predicted. 3. Su6picion of disloyalty, and reproach for want of gratitude and sympathy. "All of you have conspired against me," &c. A man is apt to suspect in others the evil which exists in his own heart. 4. False- hood. Having heard that a number of men bad gathered around David, he said, "My son bath stirred up my servant against me," &c. "There is herein a twofold false accusation: as to David, that he was lying in wait to take his throne and bis life; and as to Jonathan, that be was the cause of this insurrectionary and insidious conduct of David." III. FLAGRANT INJUSTICE (vers. 9-16). The people desired a king that he might judge them (eh. viii. 20). But Saul abused bis judicial office by-1. Receiving and relying upon insufficient testimony. The law required the evidence of at least two witnesses; but he was satisfied with the information of one of his creatures-Doeg the Edomite. 2. A prejudiced prejudgmenf of the guilt of the accused. He sent for Ahimelech "and all his father's house," having already resolved, apparently, upon their destruction. 3. Utter disregard of the plainest proofs of innocence. The priest gave his evidence in a dignified, simple, and straightforward manner. In what he had done he was fully justified. And be bad not done all that was attri- buted to him. "The force of the word begin lies in this, that it would have been his first act of allegiance to David and defection from Saul. This he strenuously repudiates " (Speaker's ' Com.') He was ignorant of any treason in others, guiltless of it himself, and had done no wrong. 4. A rash, precipitate, revengeful, and dis- proportionate sentence. "Thou she.It surely die, Abimelech, thou, and all thy father's house" (ver. 16). IV. PERSISTENT WILFULNESS (ver. 17). "Never was the command of a prince- more barbarously given, never was the command of a prince more honourably dis- obeyed" (M. Henry). "We ought to obey God rather than man." The besetting. sin of Saul received another check; and another merciful warning was given him, which should have made him pause and desist from his evil purpose. But, blinded by passion, and probably thinking (being turned aside by 11. deceived heart) that his course was justifiable, be heeded it not, out.raged the public conscience, as expressed in the refusal of his own body-guard, and gave the order for immediate execution to one of bis vilest servants and accomplices. Wicked men generally find appro- priate instruments for the accomplishment of their wickedness. V. ATROCIOUS CRUELTY (vers. 18, 19). Impelled by the same self-will as formerly led him to spare Agag, he not only destroyed eighty-five "priests of the Lord," but also gave to the sword "the city of priests, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep;" nor was he, as in his attack upon the pro- phets, restrained by the hand of God. 1. In fulfilling their own purposes evil men often unconsciously execute the ,predicted and righteous judgments of Heaven (eh. ii. -4:2(i THE FIHST DOOK OF SAMUEL. [en. XXll. 1-23.
BI-3_6; 111. 11-14). 2: Thos~ jud~1entR, though startling in their immediate occasion, are connected with tlieir main cause. If the house of Eli had not been reduced to a dependent and despised condition by notorious transgression Saul would )iar~ly have dared to commit th(s act. 3. The evil which men do live; after t!tem m its effects, and one generntwn suffers for the preceding (Exod. x.x. 5). 4. Although men in doing wrong may execute the will of God, they are responsible for -their own acts, nnd must sooner or later suffer the penalty due to them. Saul's reckless cruelty aliennted the best of his subjects and hastened his doom. This was not the only instance in which it was displayed (see 2 Sam. x.xi. 1-6) . . VI. 11'.IProus_ REBELLION. In de~troying the serva_nts of ~od for imaginary rebel- lion agamst himself Saul was gmlty of real rebellion agamst the Divine King of Israel. More fully than ever he renewed a conflict which coulrl end only in his defeat. "\Voe to him that striveth ,\;t.11 his Maker." Reflections :-1. How vast is the mischief which self-will works in the world I 2. How b~se do men sometimes be~ome under its dominion I 3. How fearfully is the possess10n of power frequently misused I 4. "How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out l "-D. ', '