The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 99

11re not under law, but under grace" (Rom. vi. 6, 14). The revelation of God &nd man, of sin and holiness, in the cross of Christ ; the deliverance from condemn&tion Hecured thereby; the new Divine power which is imparted to the believer; the love t-0 Iris Redeemer which is planted in his heart; the filial relation into which he is brought to God ; the new hopes by which he is i-nspired ;-these roecue him from slavery to sin, and give him freedom and will and power to serve God and righteous- ness (see Rom. vi. and vii., and viii. 1-4). The rightful Sovereign is repl&ced on the throne, strong to govern, not yet with absolutely universal and perfect ~way, but with the assured prospect of it. Let, then, those who groan under the consciousness uf their moral weakness accept the great Deliverer, and submit themselves to his methods of imparting strength to the soul. III. THE SEEMING RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN DAVID AND ms DIVINE SoN. It might seem as if our Lord Jesus, like David, might say, "I am . . . weak, thoul(h nnointed King." Long has he been exalted to his throne at the right hand of God, ns Lord of all; •· from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (Heb. x. 13). Yet how sm:ill a portion of mankind is actually under his moral and spiritual sway! and these how imperfectly! How much power have his foes, even where he does really rule! a\.nd his open foes and false friends seem to speak and act as they please with impunity. lt is not, however, that he is "weak," or that any are "too hard for" him. He is long-suffering. and delays to es:ecute judgment; but let his enemies continue impenitent and incorrigible, and they will learn by experience that he is strong to punish them. "Vengeance has leaden feet, but iron hands." " The mill of God grinds late, but it grinds to powder." Meanwhile he uses his foes as slaves to aid in working out his purposes. And 11.11 to the limits of his moral and spiritual rule, we must remember that, in extending and perfecting it, he pays respect to the freedom of men, It is not a matter of mere power, but of instruction and persuasion. He counsels, warns, invites, manifests his own yearning pity and love, stirs the conscience, moves the heart; but he does not compeJ-ca.nnot do so consistently with ~his own purpose or the nature of man and of the rule he would establish. But let us yield OUl'selves heartily to him, and we shall find that he is as strong as ever to save and make strong those who trust in him.-G. w. Ver. 39.-Sure retribution. "'The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness." In the Revised Version the words are rendered as a wish : "The Lord reward the wicked doer according to his wickedness." The substantial meaning is the same in both translations. "In his impotence to punish Joab himself, David remits him to the just judgment of God" (' Speaker's Commentary'). The words may be taken in respect to all evil-doers. None can escape the judgment of God, even if they escape punishment from men. I. THE CF.RTAn."TY OF THE DIVINE PCJNIBIDIENT oF EVIL-DOERS, This follows from: 1. TAe relations of God to men. .AB Ruler, Lawgiver, Judge. He will certainly not fail in the exercise of the functions which belong to these relations. Even if we think of him as Father, we may be equally certain that impenitent sinners· will not go unpunished. What would a father be worth who should allow a depraved son to defy himself, and seriously injUl'e other children of the family, with impunity? If he can by any means, gentle or severe, reform him, well,-this he will prefer; but if not, he mUbi; banish and abandon him. And to say that Omnipotent love need not and cannot resort to this extremity of punishment is to go beyond our knowledge, and contrary to the plain statements of Holy Writ, where the chastisement whic)l reforms and foe punishment which crushes are_ clearly distinguished. :o ~ake Geh~nna a pur- gatory is certainly to add to the teachmg of OUl' Lord respecting 1t. 2. His threaten- ings. Those of conscience and those of Holy Writ. They abound throughout the Bible, and are nowhere more frequent and awful than in the teaching of the tender and Jc,ving Christ. 3. His ch,ara,cf,er. As holy and just, loving righteousness and batinu iniquity; truthful in regard to his threatenings as well as his promises. 4. Hi, omni;ciena. Men often succeed in hiding their evil deeds or themselves from their f.e!low-men; but it is impossible thus to escape Divine judgments (see Job xxx:iv. 21, 2i). 6. His omnipoten~. Criminals may in some states of society be, like Joab, too strong to be puniRhed by those in au~hority; but God is mightier than the mightiest. OIJ. IV, 1-12,] THE SECOND BOOK 01!' SAMUEL. 99