The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 597

"Bec11uBe David WlUI about t<> boast proudly and to glory in the number of hie peoplo God determined to punish him by reducing their number, either by famine, war1 0 ; pestilence" (S. Schmid). 1. Sinful actiona serve to manifest the hidden sin of the heart. 2. 'l'hey show the connection between such sin and its just retribution, a. They make oha.stisement more signal and salutary, 4. They are often overruled to the glory of God and the welfare of men. [Note: Some of the difficulties indicated above would be removed by regarding the first sentence as "the heading of the whole chapter which goes on to describe the sin which kindled this anger, viz. the numbering of th~ people" (' Speaker's Commentary ') ; and by reading, "And one moved David," etc. ; i.e. "one of his courtiers or attendants, who is therefore called sata.n, or an adversal'y, either designedly or consequentially both to David and his people. The people were themselves very culpable; as they knew, or might have known, that, upon being numbered, they were to pay the prescribed ransom, which yet they neglected or refused to do; as partners in the offence, they justly shared in the penalty inflicted" (Chandler), But this explanation is not satisfactory.J-D. Ver. 2 (1 Chron. ni. 2).-(Tmc XING's PALACE.) Bel.I-elation. This chapter con- tains the spiritual history of a great soul in its "fall and rising again," its sin and recovery-its (1) self-elation, (2) self-will (vers. 3, 4), (3) self-deception (during many months), (4) self-conviction (by self-examination, ver. 10), (5) self-abasement, (6) self- surrender (ver. 14), (7) self-devotion for the people (ver. 17), and self-dedication to God (vers. 24, 25). Of self-elation, pride, presumption, vain-glory (the sin of David), it may be said that it is- 1 A COMMON EFFECT OF EXTRAOBDINABY PBOSPEBITY, temporal or spiritual. Pride; war, famine, or pestilence; suffering and humiliation; peace and industry; prosperity -pride again; such is the melancholy circle of human affairs (Exod. viii. 14:). "If we knew how to enjoy our blessings in the fear of God, they would be continued unto us ; but it is the sin of man that he extracts, even from the mercies of God, the poison which destroys his comforts; he grows fat upon the bounties of Heaven, spurns its laws, and awakens its vengeance" (R. Watson). II. AN UNGRATEFUL PEBVEBSION OF DIVINE BENEll'ITB. "The grave sin of proud exaltation, which David and the people of Israel here had in common, presupposed the elevation to victory and power that God had bestowed by his gracious mind; and its consequence was the judgment that revealed God's anger against the perversion of his favours into plans of self-aggrandizement" (Erdmann). What should produce thankful- ne.ss and humility too often results in unthankfulness and vain-glory (2 Kings xx. 13). III. A SPECIAL TEMPTATION OF TEE EVIL ONE. (1 Tim. iii. 6.) "And Satan [an adversary] stood up," etc. (1 Chron. xxi 1). "We see that God and Satan both had their hand in the work; God by permission, Satan by suggestion; God as a Judge, Satan as an enemy; God as in a just punishment for sin, Satan as in an act of sin; God in a wise ordination of it to good, Satan in a malicious intent to confusion" (Hall). IV. A GRIEVOUS EXHIBITION OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS; inconsideration of dependence, self-ignorance, self-deception, and foolish infatuation (Jer. :rlix. 16). "David, when strongly tempted to this gratification of his vanity, was not at all sensible of the evil of such an act; while Joab was. Joab, though a man of blood,and apparently hardened in iniquity, could see through David's vain and arrogant feelings, while David himself, whose miud was under ordinary circumstances eminently sensitive and pious, could not discover the impiety of his proceeding, but persevered in evil for several months. Such is the infatuation of sin!" (Lindsay). V. A PECULIAR PRovocATIVE OF DIVINE WRATH (1 Sam. ii. 3; Prov. xvi. 5); most od.ions of all things in the sight of God, because most directly opposed ro him. "Pride is the beginning of sin" (Ecclus. L 13). •• And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this is undue exaltation when the soul abandons him to whom it ought to cleave as its end, and becomes a kind of end to itself, This happens when it becomes its own satisfaction. And it does so when it fallH away from that unchangeable good which ought to satisfy it more than itself" (Augustine, ''l'he City of liod,' xiv. 13). VI. A PEJll!ilCIOUjj INF'l,UENCE IN BELATION TO OTHER PEOPLE; inciting in them & OR. XXIV, 1-25.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 613