THE KING’S BUSINESS
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that they weep?" Saul here exhibits a commendable interest in the sorrows of his people. Happy is the people whose king takes the sorrows of the common people to his heart. Our King not only asks why we weep—He weeps with us, making our sor rows His own (John 11:35). v. 6. "And the Spirit of God came (add, mightily) upon Saul." Saul here receives the only preparation for God’s work that really counts .(cf. Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 5; 1:8; 10:38). Only he upon whom the Spirit of God comes can have victory in God’s war. “His anger was kindled greatly." Saul’s anger against the fierce and cruel enemy of Israel and of God, was a direct result of 'the Spirit of God coming upon him. Any man who is filled with the Spirit will have a\ great indignation against sin and some times against sinners. Saul’s anger was not merely at the cruelty of Nahash but at the insults of Nahash, and it may be at his contempt for the people of God. v. 7. “Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it he done unto his oxen.” Though Saul had to a large extent taken the place of Samuel as a leader of the people, he humbly and wise ly joined Samuel with himself as those whom the people were to follow. “And the fear of the Lord fell on the people and they came out with one consent." Saul’s bold conduct awakened confidence in the people, though up to this time he had given them no great reason for trusting him. However, it was not so much confi dence in Saul as “fear of Jehovah” that moved the people (cf. Gen. 35:5; 2 Chron. 14:4; 17:10). For the time being they were a united people and hence a conquer ing people. The people of God need fear no enemy when they are united, but divided one against another they meet with over whelming defeat. v. 8. “And he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thou sand." With almost incredible rapidity God gathered around Saul a mighty army. And
out the “right eyes’’ of professed Chris tians who seek to make a covenant with them. Compromising Christians are always blind in one eye and generally cannot see out of the other. Nahash had but one aim in view, that was to bring the people of God into contempt. He longed to see “reproach upon all Israel” (cf. ch. 17:26). This is always the aim of the world regarding the Church—nothing rejoices the world so much as to have something with which to reproach the Church. Alas! In this com promising age they find much to reproach it with today. v. 4. “ All the people lifted up their voices and wept.” In their extremity the men of Jabesh-Gilead had naturally turned to Saul who had been appointed for the specific purpose of delivering Israel from Nahash (ch. 12:12). When the men about Saul in Gibeah heard the appalling story of Jabesh, “all the people lifted up their voices and wept.” The people of Israel were un duly given to demonstrations of sorrow of this kind (Judges 2:4; 21:2; 1 Sam. 30:4). However, in this case their weeping was an evidence of commendable sympathy with their neighbors in their awful extremity (cf. Rom. 12:16; Gal. 6:2). However, it is quite likely that it was not all mere sympathy; they may have thought that when Nahash has done with Jabesh Gilead he will come to Gibeah next. But what was needed just now was not tears of sym pathy but acts of sympathy and Saul sum moned them from their noisy lamentations to decisive action. v. 5. “Saul came after the herd (rather, following the oxen) out of the held." Saul at this time was certainly a very primitive sort of king. His chief occupation seems to have been humble farming (cf. 1 Kings 19:19; Ps. 78:71). It is much to Saul’s credit that though anointed king, he did not think it beneath him to engage in hon est industry until the call came for the warrior life. After all, productive farm ing is a more kingly pursuit than destruc tive war. “And Saul said, What aileth the people
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