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sheep and came not into m ind in th e review of n a tu re ’s offspring. B u t the eye of Jehovah was resting upon th is despised youth. “ God h ath chosen the foolish things to confound th e wise.1’ F lesh should not glory in H is presence. When th e forgotten David appears on th e scene, we recognize in him one who would give all th e glory to God who was about to pu t th e sceptre into his hand. David stands before us as th e m arked type of th e Lord Jesus, who, when He appeared amongst men, was despised, overlooked, forgotten. How happy it is to note David’s occupation. Nothing can more sweetly illu strate God’s though ts of the kingly office th a n the work of a shepherd. When it is not executed in th e sp irit of a shepherd, it fails of Jts end. King David fully entered into this, as may be seen in those touching words, “These sheep, w hat have they done?” He as th e Lord’s shepherd k ep t th e people on th e mountains of Israel ju st as he had kep t his fath e r’s sheep in the retirem en t of Bethlehem . Our Lord presents H imself as th e faith fu l and good Shepherd. T ruly we may say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I Shall not w ant.” There is something in the shepherd character which seems to be much in harmony w ith th e divine mind, inasmuch as we find th e F ath e r, th e Son and th e Spirit, all in th a t char acter (Ps. 23; Jn. 10; Acts 20; l Pet. 5). No sooner had th e anointing oil been poured upon David th a n he was called fo rth to stand before Saul. Now forsaken of God and, troub led w ith an evil spirit, th is unhappy man needed th e soothing notes Qf David’s h arp . W retched man— sad monument of the resu lts of a self-seeking course. David, however, did not h esitate to ta k e his place as a servant, even in th e house of one who was to prove .his most b itter enemy. F rom th e moment David’s history opens, he is seen as a
blessing to His people out of all th e ir evil and folly. Saul had been set aside in the govern m ent of God. He had been weighed in th e balance and found wanting. “The Lord said unto Samuel, How long w ilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have re jected h im ?” There was much th a t was affecting in th e melancholy fall of th is unhappy man. He had oncA, elicted from Israel th e shout of “ God save th e K ing.” This was th e second office bearer whom it had been Samuel’s lot to see stripped of his robes. How ever, Samuel was called to en ter into th e thoughts of God in reference to Saul. Sentim entalism may weep over fallen greatness bu t faith grasps the g reat tru th th a t God’s un erring counsel shall stan d , and He will do all His pleasure. “F ill thy horn w ith oil and go: I will send thee to Jesse th e Bethlehem ite, for I have provided me a king among his sons.” Thus w ith a sacrifice he sets off to th e city of David where an obscure youth tended a few sheep in th e wilderness. Amongst th e sons of Jesse th e re would seem to have been some very f a ir 1specimens of n atu re— some whom Samuel, if left to th e exercise of his own judgm ent, would have fixed upon to succeed to th e crown of Israel. But n atu ra l attractio n had nothing to do w ith the Lord’s election. He looks beneath th e gilded surface of men and things, and judges according to His own un erring principles. How solemn is th e Lord’s word: “Look not on his countenance, or th e height of his sta t ure; because I have refused him : for th e Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on th e outw ard ap pearance bu t th e Lord looketh on the h e a rt.” Even Samuel was *611 nigh snared by th e form er had not th e Lord in terfered to teach him th e value of th e la tte r. Even Jesse though t no t of David. The ruddy youth was in the solitude of the w ilderness w ith the
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