The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 120

The triumph of patient fidelity. The first three \rersee bring into view the realization of David's most cherished desires, the ripe consummation of all his wCA.rying toils nnd cares. The goal on which Samuel had directed his eye (1 Sam. x. 1 ; xvi. 1-13) was now attained. The wisdom of his Belf-restraint ,vhen persecuted, and of his trusting more to Divine care than to human weapons, was now fully justified. 'l'he historian places toget~er the human popular view of the situation, and the Divine purpose that had to be eflected. The being bone of their bone, and the great services rendered to Israel in days of trial, were the natural and political facts which warranted the great gathering at Hebron on that day; and the trel\Sured-up saying of the Lord that this very ma.n should feed his people and be their captain, was the Divine declaration now se,e::i by them to harmonize with the natural and political facts. There is here the language of expediency, and a kind of apology for past opposition to David; for the fact that G<'d had so spoken ought from the first to have prevented all controversy a.nd rendered th<! nation one in enthusiasm for the divinely chosen man. The acceptance of the authority of the declaration is not absolute, but because they now see what they pro- fess not hitherto to have seen-that by nature and services he is fit to be the shepherd and ca.pt.ain of Israel I. Gon's APPOINTMENTS ARE BASED ON NATURAL PRINCIPLES. The selection or David out of the sons of Jesse was not a mere arbitrary aot warranted by no considera- tions of propriety and fitness. He was the best of the family and of the nation for the specific purpose to be wrought out. His qualities were not bestowed after the call to the position-though grace wonld abound for development of what was already pos- sessed ; they were in him by nature. God uses up what he has prepared in the work- ing out of ordinary natural processes. When the people said, "We are thy bone and thy flesh," they were referring to one prominent instance of natural fitness for the position of authority then assigned to David; his common kinship with them would ensure the sympathy which ought ever to exist between ruler and ruled. The Divine appointment rested, among other fitnesses, on this natural basis. The formal fitness lay in the fact of kinship; but God saw a.I.so that in the case of this man the sympathies natural to the fact of kinship were exceptionally strong and deep and broad. There was also a Divine recognition of those other natural qualities of statesmanship and valour nnd generosity, which would render a decree that he should be king but the formulation of a natural adaptation plus the information to men that the Supreme Being will so regulate affairs that this natural adaptation shall manifest itself. We may be sure that the same holds good of all that God ordains. He uses up what is best in nature for the ends in view. Abraham was the fittest man to be commissioned to fouud a family through which Messiah should come. The choice of Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, and administer law among a people hitherto without law, was evidently based on his natural and acquired qualities. That which may seem to be an BE:ception to this rule is no exception, namely, the appointment of plain and unlettered men to first est.ablish the kingdom of Christ after his ascension. For looking at the spiritual nature of the kingdom, that it is diffused by the spiritual renovation of men by the power of the Holy Spirit, it was befitting that men who bad no brilliant gifts wherewith to dazzle others, and so induce the impression that the new cause was one in which human wisdom prevailed, should become the channels through which the power of God might assert itself (1 Cor. i. 23-31; ii. 4, 5). The most illustrious inlltance of the truth before us is that in the case of our Saviour. By condescending to become bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, made like unto his brethren, there is laid a natural fitness for his becoming the Feeder of his people and the Captain of our salvation. The sympathy of nature thus rendered possible sets forth the wisdom which appointed him to be a Prince and a Saviour. History reveals no exceptions to the rule. JI. THE EVIDENCE TO HEN OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT WILL LIE IN SERVICES ACTUALLY RESDERED. The origiLal Divine appointment of David was prior even to his appearance before Goliath ; for God's purposes are not the product of changes in time, and the declaration by Samuel to David was only for hill guidance and encouragement in view Ctt. \', 1-2G.) 'l'tiE SECOND MOK OF SAMUEL. 12!