David" (ver. 8). When a man becomes the servant of the great Kin" he knows that his spiritual adversaries will seek to slay him ; or, if he does not, h:• soon discovers that no one is more certain to be assailed by temptations than he who has just entered the army of the living God. 1. " The WU'l'ld n will come up against him-the various hostile influences which breathe and move in unregenerate or unsanctifiecl society. 2. "The flesh" will assail him-all those impulses toward evil which are born of the lower appetites and passions. 3. "The devil" will seek to" devour" him-the "princi- palities and powers," the spiritual forces which, though unseen, are strong opponents in the field. II. TH.AT HE MUST CONSULT THE WILL OF GOD IN THE CONDUCT OF THE CAMPAICJ~. "David inquired of God" (ver. 10); "David inquired again of God" (ver. 11); "David did as God commanded him•• (ver. 16). The King of Israel was far from relying on his own generalship; and when he had succeeded so well (vers. 11, 12), his good fortune did not tempt him to presume; he still inquired of God, and acted in strict accordance with Divine direction. This spirit of inquiry and obedience must be ours also. We must not lean on our own understanding, but ask for the guidance of his Spirit, both for his direct illumination aud for his help through the written Word; and when we have been victorious, we must see that the spirit of presumption is not admitted, but carefully excluded, and we must still inquire and obey. Ill. TH.AT HE SHOULD BEEK TO INFLICT UPON THE ENEMY A COMPLETE DEFEAT. David not only smote the enemy (ver. 11), but he burnt their gods with fire (ver. 12). And again he smote and pursued them "from Gibeon even to Gazer" (ver. 16). It is our wisdom to extirpate our enemy; not only to stun but to slay the spiritual foe. It must be war a outrance or it will prove to be unsuccessful. Nothing can be more dangerous and unwise than to maintain a dubious and wavering contest with some besetting sin. We are to be conquerors, "more than conquerors," completely and thoroughly successful, as generals who not only keep possession of their ground, but drive the enemy before them and take possession of their camp, seizing or burning their goods. IV. THAT BE MUST BE 0AUTIOUS AS WELL AS COURAGEOUS. God did not allow David to fight the Philistines when he would have had to engage them at a dis- advantage. He instructed his servant to adopt 1\ plo.n more suited to the occasion (vers. 14, 15). We are not to expect victory from God if we are negligent of the means we take to win it. If we are obviously unequal to the task under one set of conditions, we must change them and place ourselves in more favourable ones. V. THAT BE MUST AS0RIDF. THE VI0TORY TO THE DIVINE ABM. David said, "God hath broken in," etc. (ver. 11). Our spirit, if not our language, must be that of the psalmist," Not unto us, 0 Lord, not unto us," etc.-C. Vere. 1, 2.-Hiram and David. The act of Hiram here in sending messengers to David with timber and masons and carpenters to build a house for himself, shows how David's influence had made itself felt far and near. We are furnished with the reason of this influence (see eh. xi. 9). It was because "the Lord was with him." 'l'hus it ever is with the Christian: "The Lord is with him." Heuce his influence. Christ in us is the mighty power for a holy life and for producing a perm1ment impression. Men like Hiram will pay homage to this, however morally distant they may be from conversion to God, And this is the power the true Christian should seek to possess, and the influence he should wield. "And David perceived that the Lord had confirmed him king ove1· Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel." Observe the latter part of this passage. Kings are to remember why they are kings. It is on account of God's kingdom and God's people. When they forget their relation to Goel, God's people, o.nd God's work, they forget their true mission in God's world. "Hy me kings reign." 'l'ho sub;'ect should never forget the relation in which he stands to God; how much less should the king forget it 1-W.
Vers. B-12.-First battle in the valley of Repbaim. No sooner was David anointed than the Philistines wero stirred up in opposition. This opposition aros,', doubtless, from the conviction that, if he were established on the throne, he would take revenge on them for the national dishonour at the battle of Gilboa1 in which Saul wa11 228 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [ou, xiv. 1-17,
slain. They therefore resolved, before his throne was consolidated, to accomplish his destru~tion. David's characteristic _feat~re was, in every emergency of this kind, to cast himself upon God and seek his gmdance, The assurance of victory was clear and unqualified: "And the Lord said, .. , Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand." The result of the battle was a great victory for Israel. Another feature in David's character was to ascribe all victory to God. "Then David said, God bath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters." Observe, he calls himself the Lord's "hand." This is our true relation to God at all times. Ourselves and all we have are but the "baud" to be put into God's hand to use. Observe, too, that David burns the "gods" which the Philistines, in the hurry and confusion of flight, had left behind. They were no temptation to him to idolatry, but they might have bP.en to some among his ranks; therefore every vestige of idolatry shall be stamped out and every temptation removed. In all our battles for the Lord, if we would have him with us and ensure success, every idol must be stamped out and God alone exalted. It must be Christ and Christ alone in every heart and before every eye.-W"