The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 210

"Lord, thou knowest all tbinge; thou knowcst that I love thee" (John :di. 17). So David, with hie heart too full for adequate utterance, finds eatiafaction in the thought that God knew what his thoughts and feelings were. l. 'fHE FELT INADEQUACY OF LANGUAGE TO EXPRICSB THE DEEPEST THOUGHTS ANO FEELINGS OF THE GODLY BOUL. In our ordinary condition we feel not this difficulty. Our e:i.pressions are_ more likely to go beyond our thoughts 11.nd feelings, especially when we use forms of devotion prepared by others, But when the soul is deeply stirred, es David's at this time, we stru~le in vain to express fully what is within. It is thus with 1. Our Beme of the muue of God's gifts. Chri~t, God's "unspeakable Gift" (2 Cor. ix. 15), Salvation. Everlasting life. Gifts of God associated with these which are from time to time bestowed-special help in temptation, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexities as to truth or duty, etc. 2. Our semie of the love wliich bestows them. We can only say, "How great is thy goodness!" "How excellentiR thy loving-kindness!'.' '' God S-O loved the world; " "The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Ps. xxxi. 19; xn:vi. 7; John iii. 16; Epb. iiL 19). Or, as David (var. 22), "Thou art great, 0 Lord God ; for there is none like unro thee." 3. The emotio11s excited by tl,em, Our gratitude, affection, penitence, humility, confidence, joy (" unspeakable," 1 Pet. i. 8); longing for fuller experience of them (" groanings whicb cannot be uttered," Rom. viii. 26), anticipations of their perfect enjoyment (2 Cor. v. 2--4). In our times of inteD.88 devotion we feel how utterly impossible it is fully to express what is in our hearts. : IL .THE SA.TISFA.C~N wmcH A.RISES FROM Gon·s PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF us. "'What can David say more_ unto thee?" I cannot express what I feel; and I need not labour ro do so, " For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant." It is the same thought which St. Paul expresses, 111hen, speaking of the unutterable groanings with which the Holy Spirit intercedes in the Christian soul, he says, "He that sea.rcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit" (Rom. viii. 27). God knows much more about us thau our words express ; is not dependent for his knowledge of us on our own account of ourselves. As we cannot by any words conceal from him the evil which is in us, so our deficiencies of expression will '.not hinder his discernment of the good. Even earthly parents see the meaning which their children try to express in stammering words and broken sentences; how much more does the heavenly Father, who is not at all dependent for his knowledge of us on our words, see beyond the poor utterances of his children, into their hearts! This is (1) a comfort under the consciousness of imperfect and unworthy utterance in our add~esses to God; and (2) a. reason for not labouring too much to express ourselves fully and worthily. But it is not a reason for either (1) declining t,o speak to God at all,-David did not actually sink into silence because be felt that he could not ~qua.tely express himself, and tha~ God knew ~lll?- (see what follows); or (2) accustoming ourselves to .careless expression before him. Siuce (1) the endeavour to speak aright aids right thought.and feeling, these grow in the eudeavour to utter them; (2) in family and social worship our language aids or hinders others; and (3) we should ever offer to God our best, poor as we may feel it to be. And we may indefinitely improve both in thought and expression by the careful employment of the helps presented in Holy Scripture and uninspired devotional booka. Christian poets, too, may much assist us to find suitable, though it may be still inadequate, utterance for our deepest thoughts and emotions. Finally: 1. David'a emotions on this occasion are at once an example and a reproach to 'l/.li. For the gifts and promises of God to us, if not greater than those to him, a.re gren.ter than his understanding of them could be. They stand out t,o us in the light whlch str.ealllll from Jesus Christ, unfolding into all the precious· revelations and assurances of the gospel, and all the happy ei:periences which the Holy Spirit produces, Yet how seldom are we so affected as to feel language too poor for the expression of the wonder, love, e.nd gratitude which we feel I 2. How sad to be utterly insensible to the goodu,etM; of God and the greatness of his gifts to us !-G. W. Ver, 21.-God's works and Grxl'a lU!art and wwds, David looks on those great things which God had promised him a.s if already accomplished, so great confidence had he in the power and faithfulneSB of the Promiser; and, conscious that they were due to uo worthiness or power of his own, he acknowledges that ell originated in the hear, otr. vrr. 1-29.J 'l'lIE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 215