The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 439

hl•lief thnt his nature was too tender and sympathetic for wha.t he re"arded as the proper delivery of tbe dark side of the message, Joab was a. bard and blunt man, and he wanted RUcb II man for a work which, because disagreeable, had better be "Ot rid of as quickly as possible. If David should be angry with the Cusbite, and slay him, ,J oab would not caro for that, provided, in the blunt and straight announcement of Ahsalom's death, no tenderness was displayed and no effort made to compromise himseif. Such men 11s he scorn tenderness 11s weakness. They abhor what they term "sentiment." Jonb's character fit_ted him to send the painful tidings so bluntly and unfeelingly announcl•d by Cush1 (vers. 31, 32). As a rule, character finds work in affinity with itself, and Joa.b was right in the adaptation he sought for his purpose. As character is often o. prophecy of work that will be rlone when occasion a.rises, so work done is often _I\ revelation of character. Not any one can be a. hangman. Not any one can be a consoler of the sick and dying. Even in the ChriMtian Church there are kinds of work for which a peculiar firmness and almost severity of character is most suited. Only an .Ambrose could. overawe an emperor. On the other band, most departments of Church work give scope for men of the .Ahimaaz stamp rather than that of Gushi. , Ill. AN INJURED CONSCIENCE BEADil.Y ADAPTS ITSELF TO PAINFUL WORK ISSlJr.\"G OUT OF FOil:MER VIOLENCE TO ITSELF. Joab bad done violence to his conscience in positive disobedience to the king's commands (vers. 12-14). As every wrong to conscience renders its testimony for right the feebler, it was comparatively easy to frame a. blunt, unsympa.thizing message for the Cushite to deliver to the king. There wa.s as real disregard for David's feelings in the framing of the hard, unfeeling message as in setting a.side his co=a.nd to spare the life of .Absalom. Thus it is seen tha.t the human conscience has the wonderful and terrible power of adapting itself to the environment produced by its own a.]?use, and so of being continuously affected for evil. A " sea.red conscience " is another expression for the gradual deterioration of sensibility produced by the enforced habit of accommodating itself to deeds which are the natural outcome of former misdeeds. Sympathetic enthusiasm. The son of Zadok espoused tbe cause of David (eh. xv, 27, 36) in spite of the attractions for young men of Absalom's manners (eh. xv.1-6). It was a noble- thing for this young man to hold to a right cause in the day of adver- sity, and to place the fleetness of his feet and the vigilance of his ea.I'll and eyes at the command of the exile. The zeal with which he offered his services to Joab to convey the news of success to the king, was in keepinF: with his past reputation, and, as the sequel shows, was blended with a tender regard for the king's feelings. In contrast with the action of Joab and his servant Cushi in relation to David, that of Ahimaaz is an instructive example of the elements that enter into a commendable, sympathetic enthusiasm. I. A JUST AND GOOD CAUSE. There may be great enthusiasm, but it may be wicked because manifested in an evil cause. It was to the honour of the son of Zadok that all the force of his nature was devoted to the righteous claims of the Lord's anointed. He had identified himself with the servant of Jehovah in the day of trouble. In the great conflict of his age he was on the right side. This is the primary consideration with us all in the exercise of our powers, whether the questions at issue be political, social, or religious. We can take no credit for enthusiasm, and indeed it will be otherwise our sin, unless we take pains to see that we side with what is essentially just and good. Energy spent in advocacy or encouragement of a party, a movement, a system, a belief, or a practice, is not of moral worth apartfrom conscientious motive. Especially in the supreme question of every age, the claims of Christ as against the demand on our submission and service of lower and often unholy claims, the question comes-On which side are we? .Are we with the rightful Kin~ or with his adversaries? II.. ENTIRE SELF-DEVOTION, Ahimaaz had deliberately identified the whole interests of his life with the ea.use of the exiled king, He was not a mere observer of the con- flict. His very life had been at stake when he entered into the compact (eh. xv. 27, 33) and sought out the banished monnrch. He had gone out to fight the battle with Joab, and was most eager to render the choicest service on the close of the day of victory. Enthusiasm which consists of nppruval and delight in the season of prosperity, or in verbal admiration, is of 110 substantial worth. 'l.'he mec. who crossed hill and d"L, 448 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [cH. xvm. 1-83,