The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 172

havo concluded that the fulfilment of this promise was utterly outside the reach of all possibility! Look at the arguments of despair with which Satan could assail him. 1. There was already a monarch established in his throne. The choice of the whole people. And a~ the time the promise was made to David everything indicated he was the worthy choice of Israel. He had the hold which popular election, Divine approval, a generous disposition, great physical courage and prowess, great natural kingliness, conspired to give him. Nor had he any lack of heirs. There were three conspicuous sons-Jonathan, Abinadab, Melchi-shua, all worthy to succeed him. One of them, by bis noble generosity and kindness, which blended with the noblest martial qualities, made him the darling and pride of the nation. There were other sons and grandsons. How was it possible that all these should be superseded and he made king? Especially impossible would this seem when he remembered that: 2. He did not belong to a tribe whose rulership woold be acceptable to Israel, and did not even belong to the chief family of that tribe. Ephraim aspired to be the leading tribe of Israel. Her land centrally situate, she had been, from the days of Joseph downward, the leading tribe. They might as their first king accept a man of Benjamin, not caring to press their claims when they were securing one from a tribe always in friendliest alliance with their own, and too small to dream of rivalling them in importance. But would Ephraim ever admit Judah her rival to give Israel a king? And even if they wero willing, would the great families of Judah accept that of Jesse as the royal house, when the family of Caleb was still found in Hebron? Yea, if they were willing, would his own family be? There were his brothers, great in warlike force ; the eldest sufficiently kingly for Samuel to deem him the chosen of the Lord. There was his uncle Joab, probably no older than himself, and his brothers, all of them capable of ambition. Why should he be the one? Did his pride or legitimate complacency venture to go back to the great day at Ephes-dammim when he slew Goliath 't There was Eleazar, who in the same conflict had supported David ana won a great renown, and Jashobeam, who" slew three hundred at one time," and half a score of others who had done deeds of romantic fame. So that even before the enmity of San! broke out there was enough to make David despair of his ever seeing the promise fulfilled. Then next: 3. Saul with all his f<Yrces sets himself to destroy David. The insanity that overtook Saul seemed to leave David no hope. The enmity so persistent; the whole soldiery of the kingdom available and employed to seize and destroy him; the land a little land-not much larger than Yorkshire ;-what chance was there of surviving such a pursuit? The only defenders he could find were the rabble of outlawed people or men of broken character and fortunes, who could not lose by any change, but possibly might gain. Should he meet Saul in battle, his name would have a stigma of rebellion fatal to all kingly hopes. Should he avoid a. battle, it was hard to see by what other means he could avoid the certain fate which seemed awaiting him. And when year after year this lasted, and David was "hunted like a partridge on the mountains," how inevitably would all hope of the fulfilment of God's promise fade from his soul I And yet the greatest difficulty of all remains to be noted. At last he cuts the knot of suspense, and, giving up all hope of the crown, he seeks to secure his life, nnd nctually: 4. He enlists in the service of the enemies of Israel. We know not with what reserva~ tions he enters the service of Achish, whether he had intended the treason of fighting against Israel, or the treason of siding with Israel against the Philistines nfter receiving their hospitality and pledging faithfulness to them. Despair was working its usual folly and recklessness; and he had put himself in one of those false positions which are above all things to be avoided, And doing so, he not only abandoned for over all thought of being king, but seemed to make the throne impossible. But even hero God steps in, and, by raising up opposition on the part of the lords of the l'hilistines, saves him from the shame which would have dishonoured him whother he had fought against Israel or Israel's enemies, But put all these together: the settledness of Uio dynasty of Saul; the disadvantages of pavid's birth; the persecutions of Saul; his own break-down in faith;-and would you m his circumstances have been ever able to hopo for the fulfilment of this great promise? Would you not rather have looked back on it as the dream of a friendly nature and as nothing more? Are there more impediments to-day in the way of God's promise to you being fulfilled than studded the way to ·,he fulfilment of these? Yet observe, spite of nll these impossibilities- 164 THE FIRST IlOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on. x1. 1-47.