The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 194

Vers. 1-15, 19-22.-The service of the supreme King. In the attitude of David and in the services rendered to him at this juncture in his history we have hints as to our true bearing toward the King of kings at all times. I. THAT WE MAY SOMETIMES SERVE Gon BEST BY PATIENT WAITING. For some years after David knew that he was to be King of Israel, he bad to "bide bis time." His duty was to" keep himself close" (ver. 1). Any 1,ositive effort to acquire the royal sent would ha~e been premature; it would have been disloyal, and would only have defeated bis own end. There are times when we bnve to wait for opportunity to offer (e.g. the missionaries of Madagascar until the death of the cruel Ranavalona). Patience as well as zeal is a factor in the service of the Supreme. "All things come to him who knows bow to wait." Our eagerness must not run into impatience; activity should be early, but not premature. II. 'l'HAT IK THE ACTIVE SERVICE OF Gon WE SHOULD EMPLOY ALL OUR AVAILABLE nESOURCEB. The men of Benjamin "could use both the right hand and the left," etc. (ver. 2). "Of the Gadites there separated themselves ... men of might, and men of war, fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler,'' etc. (ver. 8). These soldiers of the army of David were men that were thoroughly and perfectly equipped for their work. No mere "food for powder" were they; they were trained and skilled, competent to do all that was possible in the military achievements of the age. As soldiers in the nobler spiritual campaign for which we have enlisted, we are to be mnsters of the art of war; we are to be able to do all that is possible to skilled and faithful men. To be this we must: 1. Serve with all our spiritual faculties; cultivate strength and speed, be o.s the lion for one and as the roe for the other; we must summon all our mental and moral capabilities to the work-memory, reflection, reason, imagination, emotion, etc.; we must employ argument, wit, illustration, remonstrance, entreaty, etc. 2. 'l'urn our physical as well as our spiritual faculties to account. 3. Know how to defend as well as to attack, bow to use shield RB well as sword (ver. 8). 4. Lay bold on favourable occasion (vers. 15, 19-21). And in thus putting out all our talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30) we must remember that (1) only patient continuance in holy effort will make us skilful and serviceable; the Benjamites must have bad to go through much discipline before they could shoot as well with one hand as with the other. We must not be daunted or discouraged by the crudeness or even the clumsiness of our first attempts. (2) Faithful service will make its mark ot.l ourselves as well as others (ver. 8); we shall acquire the lion-face, the countenance which will say, without words," Let no man trouble me; for I bear in m:i, body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Th us will the strength of our soul pass into c.ur eye, and body and spirit will be allies iu the cause of the King. OH,Xlt.1-4.0.] TRE FIRST nooK OF THE CHRONICLES. 187