THE K I N G ’S BUS I NE S S
691
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” The cruse is a type of earthly sup ply. Both were to be taken from Saul. God .providentially preserved David by sending a deep sleep upon the army. There is a rude awakening from sleep for Saul and for Abner, and so there will be a rude awakening for the sin ner. The purposes of God are manifest in His providences. David was as safe in the camp as he would have been in his own house. There is a vein of humor and irony in David’s treatment of Abner. He charges Abner with the crime of inciting Saul to vengeance (v. 19); with lack of care for the king (v. 15), and of being worthy of death. There is a lesson here for us. How can we sleep when our Lord’s cquse is in jeopardy; when His character is be ing assailed? How can we sleep when men are lost, and we are their keepers? Saul’s confession was, “ I have played the fool” (v. 21). There is remorse with Saul, but no repentance. Many a man confesses that he has played the fool, but he will not repent and for sake his evil ways. God compelled Saul to sign his own death warrant, and to acknowledge David as the coming king. So our David must prevail. He must come to His own. Satan may rule for a season, but Christ will come and take the scepter from his hand. God speed the day. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) Human nature says “ strike.” Di vine nature says “ stay.” (2) Do not vent your hatred upon men. Leave vengeance to the hand of God. (3) Sometimes we are called to fight Goliath, and sometimes to fly from Saul.
(4) The sleep of the sinner will have a rude awakening. (5) The purposes of God are made manifest in His providences. (6) The overruling Providence over shadowed David. (7) How can we sleep when the cause of our Lord is at stake? (8) When Saul played the fool, he played into the devil’s hand (v. 21). & , Subject Illustration on forgiveness. On one occasion a statesman came to Sir. Eardley Wilmot, a man of great personal dignity and force of charac ter, who was a distinguished chief jus tice of the Court of Common Pleas. The statesman told LESSON his story in great ex- ILLUSTRATIONS citement and used W. H. Pike strong epithets in describing the mal ice of the one who had wronged him. “ Is not my indignation righteous?” he asked impetuously. “Will it not be manly to resent such an injury?” “ Yes,” was the calm reply, “ it will be manlike to resent it, but it will be God-like to forgive it.” Forgiveness is not of our old nature. When the Duke of Argyl was taken in rebellion in Scotland and brought before James the Second, the King said to him, “ You know that it is in my power to pardon you?” It is reported that the prisoner answered, “ It may be in your power, but it is not in your na ture to forgive,” a speech, which, wheth er true or false, cost him his life. To hold a grudge is human nature. To forgive is Divine. A Quaker had a very quarrelsome neighbor, whose cow often strayed into the Quaker’s well-cultivated field. One morning, having driven the cow right home into its proper pasturage, he called at the owner’s house and said, “Friend T------, I have driven thy cow home once more, and if I find her in my garden again— ” “ Suppose you do,
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker