The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 422

their love to him, which mll not suffer them to lea'l"e him, or be unfaithful to him for the sake of gaining the favour of the world. 3. Decause it hae been thue, ordained. "Unto you it is gfren," &c. (Phil. i. 29). "With pereecutions" (lllnrk x. 30), which are an occasion of spiritual bleesing (lllatt. v. 10). II. lllm,T ABIDE 1x HIS FELLOWSHIP. "Abide thou with me." 1. By unwaverin relw.n-ce upon him (John xv. 4----7; 1 John ii. 28). 2. By intimate intercourse with him. 3. Br constant obedience to him. III. Frxri SAFETY uXDER ms PROTECTION. "Fear not; with me thou nrt in eafe- guard." "Da,·id spoke thus in the firm belief that the Lord would deliver him from his foe and giYe him the kingdom" (Keil). Christ has "nil power in heaven and in earth,'" and he mll assuredly be "a hiding-place from the wind and a covert from t~e tempest." .1. Because of his love. to them. 2. J3ecnuse of his regard for his, l:ingd=, to which they belong, and which they represent. 3. Because of his express and faithful promise. " Fear not." If the worst that can befall them should happen, e"l"'en then " Thou, Saviour, art their charmed Bower, Their magic Ring, their Rock, their Tower." D. Vers. 1, 2.-Tl,,e ca'16 of .Adu/lam. David kne; well that he could nevermore live in safety at the court of Saul. He would not raise a hand against his king and father-in-law, but he would not place himself again mthin his reach. Better a free- life e,en in deserts and caves of the earth than a life in constant peril in ceiled houses. Behold him then in the cave of Adnllam. I. THE CAPT.llN OF THE REFUGEES. No question arises here respecting the right of re,olt against a perrerse, tyrannical king. We entirely believe in such a right, because the king exists for the good of the people, not the people for the service of the king. We ha"\""e no misgiving as to the right of the British nation to rid itself of King James II., or that of the people in the kingdom of the Two Sicilies to drive :nrny King Francis II. Bnt the case of Saul's royalty over Israel was unique. The people had chosen him by acclamation, and there was no proof as yet that the mass of the people wished to dethrone him. Even if they had so wished, David was not tl,e man to lead their re"\""olt; for it was one of the tests of his fitness for the suc- c-essicin that he should not snatch at the honour lo which he was destined, but wait the ernlation of the Di-.ine purpose, recognising God only as the true and absolute- King of Israel. Therefore, what he did at this period was simpJy for preservation of himself and his relatives. The times were "out of joint," and he had no pro- tection of law or ci,il order against the mad suspicions of the king. So he took refuge in a cavern, waiting for God and hoping in his word. The hero raised no l!tandard of re,olt, and drew no followers by prospect of plunder or revenge. Yet he did draw hundreds of the men of lsraf'I to his place of refuge. These must not be likened to the rioto11S and desperate followere of Cntiline, or even to the "empty persons" who attached themselves to Jephthah. Doubtless there may have been among the young men some who were more adventurous than devout, and cared for their leader's sword and spear more than for his psalms ; but they were in general young men of patriotic temper who bad suffered damage through the misrule of the time, and found the public disorder and tyranny intolerable. They turned their wistful eyes towards one who had borne himself wisely in the station he had occu- pied, and from whom they hoped for a just and prudent administration of public affairs. There are parallels to this position in the history of other nations ; bnt most worthy of our thought is the parallel of the great Son of David, onr Lord Jes~ Christ When he was a young man in Galilee the people were dietreesed under their rulers. The civil government was oppressive; the religions w:rveillanc6 by the chief priests and elders was worse. Heavy burdens were impoeed without pity, and grievo11S abuses of power and office were committed. The eyes of many had failed them, looking long for a deliverer who should be the Consolation of ~raeL Then appeared Jesus of Nazareth, raising no standard of revolt, indeed r~fusing _to be made a king by the voice of the multitude, while himself under the evident d1s- p~easure of the authorities, and exposed to frequent risks of arrest and denth. But to him followere repaired, and they were welcome. Jesus called to him the labour- aa. nu. 1-23.J THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 429