T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
163
his unction might have been homeopathic in its character. David’s anointing, however, was copious and lasting. “The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day for ward.” -This reminds us of John’s testimony to Jesus “Up on whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remain ing upon him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33). David was a great sinner but he had a great Saviour. He was a great ruler but David’s Son and Lord is greater than he. His assurance was not founded upon his repent ance but upon the promises of God. His delight was to do the will of God (Psa. 40:8). The will is the man. In sal vation, in temptation, in all Christian experience God deals with the will. It is the regnant faculty. The Christian’s secret of a happy and useful life is found in the words “he that willeth to do His will.”
V. 19 David’s adoration and thanksgiving at the revela tion of this great truth is beautiful. Its humility, faith, and gratitude reach a sublimity unequaled since Moses. He seemed to have recognized by faith the Messianic char acter of Nathan’s words, if we may judge by Horsley's and Clarke’s translation of this verse: ‘‘O Lord God, Thou hast spoken of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me in the arrangement about the MAN that is to be from above, O God, Jehovah.”—Gray. V. S3 “Nations, like individuals, are subjects of thy sovereign dealing.”—Butler. V. 25 Faith acts by pleading the accomplishment of the promise. “Do as Thou hast said.” It is the business of faith to put God to His word. 1 To plead upon the mercy that made the promise. 2. Upon the truth that is to make out the promise. 3. Upon the power of the Promiser. 4. Upon the Blood of the Covenant. 5. Upon the love of God to Christ.—Erskine. V. 26 David prays for the glorifying of God’s name; Let thy name be magnified forever; this ought to be the summary and center of all our prayers, the Alpha and Omega of them; begin with Hallowed be thy name, and end with Thine is the glory forever. The narrative shows that the Messianic sense of the prediction was not only under stood, but that it filled David’s heart with the warmest emotions of gratitude and delight. We found this remark partly on the elevated strain of David’s thanksgiving . . . It is abrupt, impassioned, sublime. It is the language of one who has been raised to the same lofty pedestal as Abraham, Isaac, and. Jacob, the illustrious fathers of the nation, and made to'occupy the same relation to the Seed of the Woman. Both in spirit and in sentiment there is a close correspondence between this thanksgiving and that of the Virgin Mary. Generally, the announcement was un derstood by the people as a prediction of the Messiah. Henceforth the Hope of Israel was known as the Son of David.—Blaikie. Last week we studied about one whose life and reign were a sad failure—Saul, the first king of Israel. This week we think of one whose life and reign were a great success—David, Israel’s greatest king. The two' men stand in sharpest contrast. What made the DEVOTIONAL difference? Limited space forbids a COMMENT full answer. Among other things we John A. Hubbard suggest the following: David was a man of faith, while Saul was sadly lacking in this essential thing, as is seSn, for example, in 1 Sam. 13. In the face of danger Saul became panic stricken and “forced” himself to go counter to God’s will, instead of quietly waiting in faith, leaving the conse quences with God. David is mentioned in the great “He roes of Faith” chapter, Hebrews 11 (verse 32). Time fails us also to speak of all his exploits of faith, which are seen practically throughout his career. His faith in Jeho vah enabled him to go against and overcome Goliath (1 Sam. 17:37, 45-47). During the period in which Saul was seeking his life, David’s eyes were unto the Lord. It was a great school of faith for him (see 2 Sam. 22). More than once he had Saul in his power, but refused to touch him, choosing rather to quietly wait in faith for God, in His own time and way, to bring him to the throne. “Through faith he subdued Kingdoms,” extending Israel’s domain far be yond its previous bounds. Then, too, we think of the contrast between the jealous, self-centered, self-seeking spirit of Saul and the truly great and magnanimous soul of David, seen in his dealings with Saul during his life and his lamentation at his death (2 Sam. 1). Seen also in his treatment of Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9), his attitude toward his rebel son Absalom (2 Sam. 18:5, 28-33), and toward Shimei (2 Sam. 16:5-13; 19: 16-23). It is not that we would unduly exalt David, or think of him as a perfect man, for we do not forget that foul, dark
Introduction. The promised deliverer is spoken of first as “the seed of the woman,” then as the seed of Abraham, then as the child of Isaac, then as the son of Jacob, and then as the Shiloh of the, tribe of Judah. Now out of that
tribe the family of David is designated as that in which he was to appear; while with this description of his line age there is conjoined the information that he was to found a kingdom which
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMENTARIES V. V. Morgan
would be universal in its extent and eternal in its duration. Thus in the course of the ages that first Edenic prediction, so nebulous and indistinct, acquired definiteness and pre cision, until at length, when the fulness of time was come, there converged towards Jesus of Nazareth so many lines of prophetic proof that he could be at once identified as the promised Redeemer. But the connection of a predic tion of the Messiah with a message to David regarding the building of the Temple illustrates another peculiarity by which many Old Testament prophecies are distinguished. While some of these ancient oracles stand out clearly from the circumstances and the times in which they were given, and refer simply and alone to Christ, there are others which, while pointing ultimately to him, yet do so through and in connection with the position and history of those to whom they were originally addressed. Now of this latter class the prediction on which I have been remarking is an example. David was himself, in his official position and dignity as king, a prophecy of the Messiah. It is there fore utterly impossible to exhaust the meaning of such a prophecy as this before us, or such a Psalm as the second, without going through David to David’s Son, Who was also David’s Lord. Indeed, from some of David’s own expres sions here, and especially from some of his words in the 89th, 2nd and 110th Psalms, which all reduplicate on this message of Nathan’s, it would almost seem that he himself had some idea of its ultimate reference.—Dr. Taylor. V. 18 This revelation is an epoch-making one for David’s inner life. It brought an entirely new element into his life, which as the Psalms show, moved him powerfully . . . David saw its meaning more and more clearly when he com pared the promise with the Messianic idea which had been handed down from the fathers, and finally attained to per fect certainty by the further inner disclosures attached to this fundamental promise, with which he was occupied day and night. Psa. 2 and Psa. 110 afford special proof that such spiritual disclosures were really given to him. The Messianic hope, which had experienced no further develop ment since Genesis 49, now acquired much greater fulness and life.—Horn. Com, The immediate and partial fulfill ment of this promise was in Solomon (1 Kgs 8:20; 5:5; 1 Chron. 22:9, 10; 28:6-10), but the final and complete fulfillment is in Jesus Christ (Psa. 89:29; Isa. 9:6, 7; 11:1-3, 10; Matt. 22:42-44; Acts 2:30). It was these won derful promises of God that led David to go in and sit be fore Jehovah. There was no irreverance in his sitting in stead of kneeling or standing. He sat there in contempla tion of the wonderful goodness of Jehovah, and in respect ful gratitude, praise, prayer and worship. One may be just as reverent in sitting, if he really sits “before Jeho vah,” as in kneeling. The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost not while they were kneel ing but while “they were sitting” (Acts 2:2).—Torrey.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker