The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 484

thRt it wu tbe prinoipRl CRUIJe of the revolt "prophecy" (1 Ohron. xn. 1-8), fl'Om of the ten tribe!l from Rehoboam (l Kingi! which we learn two thinge. The firet that xii. 4). Unleee the leraelitee had themeelves David'e eervice we.s eeeentle.liy the so.me 1mff'ered severely from this exRction, they as iho.t ostablished by Samuel e.t Ramith, would not bo.ve been driven into rebellion There, too, we read of the oompnny of the by sympRthy with the rem11.ins of the native prophets prophesying (1 Sam. xix. 20), their re.oes. Snbsequently we find Jeremiah o.e- eervire undoubtedly being one of minstreley ousing Jehoie.kim of employing foroed ]o.bonr (l So.m. x. 5, 10, 11): and without Samuel's (Jer. xxii. 13), but the severity with which authority David would eoaroely have ven- he condemned it suggests that it ho.cl then tured upon so great an innovo.tion. Even ceased to be oustomo.ry. .Adoram. Hie ap- eo, this consecr1ttion of musio by Sa.nmel, pointment to this office was y,robably e.t e. and David's ordinance whereby there we.s )Rte period in l lavid'e reign. RB he continued eeto.blished a da.ily service, morning and to hold the office under Solomon (l Kings evening, of thanksgiving and pra.ise (1 iv. 6; v. 14, where he is oa.lled .A.doniram), Ohron. xxiii. 80; Neh. xii. 24), is a most and even down to the beginning of Reho- remarkable step forward; and by it the hoe.m'e reign (1 Kings xii. 18). We there service of God ceased to be mere ritual, and ree.d th&t be paid the penalty of his b&teful became "e. reasonable service" (Rom. xii. office ";th bis life. In 2 Chron. x. 18 he is I), snch o.s was repeatedly commended by oa.lled Hadoram. St. Pe.ul to the members of the Christinn Ver. 25.-Sheva. He is called Seraiah in Church (Col. iii. 16, etc.). But secondly, it eh. viii. 17. drew the minds of the people to the evan- Ver. 26.-Ira . . . 'WILll a chief ruler; gelic meo.ning of the Levitioal ordinances. Hebrew, cohen, priest, minister (see ()n this 'fo this do.y hymns form e. most important term. eh. viii. 18). We there find David's part of our solemn services, o.nd se.,m espe• sons holding this confidenti&l office; but the cially adapted to draw out the inner and feuds which resulted from David's sin bad deeper meaning of rites e.nd doctrines. They destroyed the concord of the f&mily, and the did not, indeed. begin with David. There usefulness of David's children. In their are psalms older tbe.n his reign; but this degradation from this office we see also a oonsecration of them to the public daily preparation for their being set aside from the service of God led to an outburst of Divine snccession, and the throne given to Solomon. pse.lmody which raised the minds of the people above the material and grosser ADDITIONAL NoTL elements of their worship, and taught them the true nature of God, and me.de them With tbis chapter ends the second section ascribe to him high e.nd spiritual attributes of David's history; for, as we have already in wonderful contrast with the grovelling seen, the la.et four cbo.ptere are not arranged frivolities of heo.tbeniem. The Levitioal in chronological order, but form an appendix worship was necessarily typical: in the remarkable both for the singularly varied psalms the people learned tbe.t God desireth nature of its contents, and also for its omis- not sacrifice, but the offering of e. broken sions. The Second Book of Samuel is eo and contrite heart. . Even prophecy, in its thoroughly a history of David, that we sense o( epee.king for God, would scarcely should naturally have expected some account have reached the high eminence of future of hie latter years, and of hie manner of <le.ye but for the psalms. For c;nly in a govemment after hie return t.o power. But no.tion deeply imbued with poetry and song such details would have been intereeting could an Isaiah have arisen, capable of politically rather than spiritually, and the giving in so perfect an outward form the two narratives which have gone before are mysteries of Christ's incamation, his vi- complete each in it.self; e.nd in each David carious sa.cri1ice, e.nd universe.I kingdom. is regarded from an entirely distinct point of In the second section, neither the theo- view. In tLe first eight chapters we have cratic nor the prophetic element is in the the history of David ae the theocratic king. forefront. It ie the history of e. fearful sin, As such he tl.kes the heathen for his inhe- and of its stern punishment. The sinner ritance, e.nd founds an empire. Even more is the theocratic king: the punishment remarkable a.re the alterations he makes ie the pollution of his house by incest in the worship or Jehovah. To the old e.nd murder; the ruin of the glory of his Levitical se.orifioee he added e. fe.r more realm, the rending asunder of his empire, spiritual service of pee.Ima and minstrelsy, begun in hie days and consummated in witl,ont which Jude.ism would have been those of his grandson; hie own disgrace and unable t.o develop the evangelical realities flight; and hie sorrowful return to his wbicb lay embedded in its ritual and legal throne, impotent to avenge either the murder ordinances. Alld it is important to notice of hie son or that of the me.n whom he he.d that hie service of sacred song is called choe,m ~n the hopll that he would relee.a_~ OH, XL 1-26.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL.