The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 605

but exercises of holin81!11. We undel'!ltand their moaning. Thoy Al'tl messages sent to us by God, to exflore our hearts, to sound the depth of our love to him, and to fathom our faith in God (Cyprian, 'De Mort&litate '), 6. Presenting a terrible picture of the evil of sin, by exhibiting, not only the natural consequences thereof, but also its degnLding effect on the ignorant and unbelieving, who pass rapidly from the extreme of fear to the opposite extreme of recklessness, licentiousness, and despair (1 Cor. xv, 82). ••So they resolved to take their enjoyment quickly, and with A sole view t.o gratification; regarding their lives and their riches alike as things of a day, And fear of gods or law of men there was none to stop them" (Thucydides). 6. Teaching the solidarity of the race; and, more especially, constraining "the higher and more privile11:ed ranks of mankind to own their oneness of life with the humbler and more degraded or even savage classes" (Bushnell). 7. Promoting, in still other ways, the advancement of mankind in knowledge, virtue, and piety; for it is through the discipline of suffering that the race, like the individ11J1.l, "learns obedience." "The Lord's dee.ling herein is not penal, but paternal and medicinal" (Guild).-D. Vere. 17-19 (1 Chron. xxi. 16-19).-(ZroN.) Silf-devotion. "These sheep, what have they done?" etc. (ver. 17). AB througb. one man many suffer, so through one man many are delivered from suffering and greatly benefited. This is especially the case when, like David, he is their head and representative, the shepherd of the flock of God (ver. 17; eh. v. 2). His numbering the people in a spirit of self-exaltation was the occasion (not the cause, ver. 1) of the pestilence; his intercession for them in a spirit of self-devotion is now the means in connection with which the calamity is limited in its durauon (from three days to nine hours) and wholly removed (ver. 25). Already, with an" &'l<"ful rose of dawn," the agent of destruction goes forth on his mission, and a "~eat cry " of distress reaches the city (Exod. xii. 80). Then the king 11:athers the elders together (at the tabernacle and before the curtained ark, eh. vii. 2; xii. 20; xv. 25; adjoining the palace in Zion, eh. v. 7); they are clothed with sackcloth, and over- whelmed with fear and grief (1 Chron. xxi. 16; eh. xii. 16; xv. 80); and at length, "about the time of assembly," or evening oblation (Acts iii. 1), there appears (beyond the Tyroprean Valley) on Monnt Moriah (2 Chron. iii. 1), "by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite" Gust outside the city), "the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem;" and they" fell upon their faces" in humiliation before the Lord. "Signi- ficantly, it was as the Divine command of mercy sped to arrest the arm of the angel- messenger of the judgm.ent, that he became visible to David and his compimions in prayer" (Edersheim). "As in 2 Kings vi. 17 the source of seeing the heavenly powers was in Elisha, and by his mediation the eyes of his servant were opened, so here the flia-ht of David's mind communicated itself to the elders of his retinue, whom he collected about him; and, after he had repaired to the place where he saw the vision, was revealed even to the sons of A.raunah " (Hengstenberg). "And David said unto God," etc. "And Gad came that day to David," etc. (ver. 18; 1 Chro11. :u1. 18). Here is- I. A FEARFUL VISION OF .TUDGKE!."T impending over the people. This judgment may be regarded as representing that to which nations are exposed in this world, and individuals both here and hereafter; real, terrible and imminent; the reBult and reilection of human sin and guilt, which • Blackens in the cloud, Flashes across its ma.as the jagged fire, Whirls in the whirlwind and pollutes the air, Tums all the joyoUB melodies of earth To murmurings of doom." (Te.lfonrd.) L Similar judgment bas been already executed (ver. 15; Jude 7; Rom. v. 12; Rev. ii. 11 • xxi. 8). "The wages of sin is death." 2. Solemn warnings of its certain and apeedy approach have been repeatedly given (vers.18, 17; 2 Pet. ii. 8; 1 These. v. 2, 8). 8. Only a few persons have any adequate impression thereof; whilst they behold" the wrath to oome," the rest are blind and unconcerned, immersed in the pleasures and Clll, XXIV, 1-25.] TiiE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 621