The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 178

Joa.b, is merely described a.s one of the valiant men. 1'his "great host" ha.cl gathereu to David in the cave of Adulla.m, situate within a. few miles of Bethlehem. Drawn thither by personal attachment to himself, they preferred rejection and danger a.nu every hardship of life. Let us learn a. few spiritual lessons from this narrative. All those who are drawn around the true David, the Lord Jesus, are not only Christians but warriors. They a.re to be heroes in the Lord's service-to "fight the good fight of faith." .And as with these "mighty men," according to their individual prowess will they be rewarded in the day of the true David's glory. Many of the noble acts of valour which distinguished these "mighty men" were done in secret, and on their own special ground, never heard of till now, and on this account were they chosen as David's "mighty men" now. Those who are fit to fight the Lord's battles in public are those who have conquered in secret, on their own home ground, and where no eye has seen but God's. The man who knows not, like David himself, what it is to have killed the "lion and the bear" in secret is not fit to stand in the public arena to contend with Goliath of Gath. Here we have the election of David to the throne by God, even while Saul was reigning. Just so is it now. The p1foce of this world reigns, but Jesus is God's chosen One. "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a. vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his .Anointed. . . . Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion." The anointing of David by God is brought before us in 1 Sam. xvi. 12, 13. The election and anointing of David by the people is recorded in the chapter we are now considering. In these two passages we have the election of Jesus and his anointing by God shadowed forth in those of David, even while as yet the world's king was reigning. In the mean time David, thus chosen a.nu anointed of God, is rejected and cast out by the people of God and by the Gentiles. 'fhis is shadowed forth in the rejection by Saul and by Achish, King of Gath (1 Sam. xxi. 10-15). Thus Jesus, the Chosen and .Anointed of God, has been rejected by Jews and Gentiles. "Away with him!" "Crucify him I" was the united cry of both. The rejected king David ta:Ses refuge in the cave of Adullam, and there "a great host as the host of God" gather round him, drawn to him by devoted love, ancl. preferring to be identified with him in his rejection than to be in honour under Saul. How fully we see Christ in all this! As the rejected One, Jesus is now hiding from the view of the world, like David in the cave of Adullam. He has ascended on high, as the Chosen and .Anointed of God. He is King, "set upon his holy hill of Zion." An,l now "a great host, as the host of God," is being gathered out of this world, ":i. multitude which no man can number," drawn a.round this rejected One-drawn by his love, and preferring rejection with him to "enjoyiug the pleasures of sin for a season." The prince of this world is ruling still; but though in the world, his people are not of the world. Saul is not their king, but David; not Sa.tan, but Jesus. "He is precious" to them-the "chief of ten thousand, the altogether lovely." .And just as there was great joy in this outgathered ho_st of David (eh. xii. 40), so there is joy among the people of God. Jesus is their joy. He is coming to reign. They know it. And the joy which David's outgathered ones had in him was indeed only a. faint shadow of that joy which is theirs, for they have "his joy fulfilled in themselves." Ami what was the character of those who were drawn to David ns the rejected one in the cave of .Adullnm? "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, a.ud every one that was bitter of soul, gathered themselves unto him; nnd he bccnmo a captnin over them." Could any passage more accurately describe those who flocketl round the standard of the Lord Jesus when on earth? "Publicans anu harlots, sinners," those out of whom bad been cast seven devils, the broken in heart, the out- cast, the blind and deaf and dumb, the naked and hungry and wretched,-such were those who were drawn to the true David when on earth-drawn by his love, and, with his love constraining them, content to" count all things as dung that they might win Christ, and be found in him." And such are they still who are drawn to the world's rejected One. They are in "distress"-they have nothing, and are full of:want. Wearied with the mockery of a world that has ever cheated them, they have cnst themselves, weary and heavy laden, on Jesus, Again and again they have uttered the cry, " Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." They aro "in d4bt "-debtors to a. broken Law, with the sword of Divine wrath hanging over  170 THE FIRST BOOK OF 'l'HE CHRONICLES. [ea. u.1-47.