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June 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
from law. The laws of God are uniform , and they form a base of calculation? Because of n atu ra l laws, we can fore see w hat effects will come from certain actions. So in sp iritual things, we can calculate w hat God will do, for He is unchangeable— “ the same yesterday, today and forever.” In the first instance, the danger and the need were indi vidual. Now, a nation is involved, b u t God is th e same. Then David’s life only was a t stake. Now, God’s honor is a t stake. David believed th a t God was able, and availed himself of th e opportunity. When word was brought to Saul of David’s purpose to challenge Goliath, he sent for him and attem pted to dis suade him, bu t David was no t to be persuaded. Saul finally consented bu t insisted th a t David should be clothed in his (Saul’s) armor. David obediently dons th e armor, bu t quickly doffs it, for “ he had not proved it” (v. 39). W hat a spectacle— David in Saul’s arm o r!— a type of worldly power. Had he attem pted to fight in it, he would have quickly fallen a prey to Goliath. The world can al ways out-arm or us, bu t all worldly methods fail when used by th e church. F aith must be untramm elled; th ere must be freedom, scope for action. Having pu t off the misfit armor, David armed himself w ith the weapons which he had tried and proved,— the staff, stones, scrip, sling— and went his way, b u t his de pendence was no t upon stone or sling, bu t upon God alone. (2) DAVID DISDAINED BY THE PHILISTINE, “Am I a dog?” v. 43. David looked very weak and helpless to Goliath. Goliath is a type of Satan. Three things characterize him : (1) Bold stru ttin g , w ith brazen face. (2.) Boastful prophesy ing, “ I will give thy flesh unto th e fowls of th e air and the beasts of th e field” (v. 44). (3) Blasphemous defying of God and His people. There he stands in the valley of E lat, ten feet high, per fectly armed. He has issued his challenge for fo rty days. F o rty is always the number of probation— th e period of testing. Man’s abilities to w ithstand tem ptation were fully tested for 4000 years, bu t Satan was victorious un til Jesus Christ (our David) came upon the scene and defeated him. (3) DAVID DEFIES AND DEFEATS GOLIATH, “The b attle is th e Lord’s” v. 47. David goes out to meet the boastful giant. He looks weak and helpless, bu t he is fully armed, for he has picked up five stones from the brook. David was a type of Christ. The five stones correspond to the five books of th e P en ta teuch. When Christ met and defeated Satan, he used one stone (Deuteronomy) ou t of th e five (th e P entateuch) (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10). Viewed alone, how mysterious and m ighty seems Satan. Measured by God, how he dwarfs. God is his Master. The gian t moved leisurely tow ard David, b u t David moved quickly toward Goliath (v 48). He took one stone from his sling, the giant lifted th e visor of his helmet, David sends th e stone w ith un erring aim, and God gave it sup ernatu ral power, for it penetrated the g ian t’s fore head. Then David completed th e conquest w ith Goliath’s own sword. So w ith S atan ’s own weapon (death ) our Lord defeated him (Heb. 2 :1 4 ). Victory over Satan is always through Christ, and His Word, The Secret of David’s Victory. He learned to know God in secret! In th e secret conflict w ith the lion and th e bear he learned God’s power. The outward m anifestation of a victorious life resu lts from secret victories. We must learn to slay the lion and the bear (ambition, lust, temper, unkind th o u g h ts). We must never boast. The man w ith out depth will always be boasting of his prowess.
and have bu t little of the sp irit of tru e discernment. We often m istake th e manly for the man. But God revealed to Samuel th a t His anointed was not among th e seven, and David is sent for, for he has not been counted of sufficient importance to be called to the sacrifice, bu t left to tend th e sheep. Here we have God’s choice— a shepherd lad. The Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him ; for th is is he” and David was anointed in the m idst of his brethren. (1) DAVID DECLINES SAUL’S ARMOR, “ I cannot go w ith these.” v. 39. F ou r years had passed since he had been anointed by Samuel,— years spent between the palace of th e king,— where he amused and soothed the moody Saul by playing on his harp— and his fa th e r’s home, where he tended th e sheep. He is now between eighteen and twenty four years of age. The Philistines, the deadly and unconquered foes of Is rael for hundreds of years, had gathered to battle. The forces of Israel and of the Philistines were encamped on opposite hills, whose crests were about a mile apart, form ing a deep ravine about 400 yards wide a t the bottom , w ith steep sides. Each arm y was secure by reason of th e dif ficulty of approach, being protected by rocks and hushes on eith er side. The Philistines, having a gian t champion— Goliath— proposed a single combat to decide th e fortunes of war. David had come down to th e camp w ith a present from his fath e r to his brothers who were in th e army. He be came greatly interested in th e account of Goliath’s chall enge, w ith the resu lt th a t he became the chief acto r in a most memorable conflict, out of which some im portant lessons come. Israel was frightened and dismayed by the stru ttin g giant, who defied God’s army, and this is suggestive of the readiness of the church to yield to the boasts of th e (so- called) scholars who parade th eir intellect and attainm ents and boast of th eir prowess. Where is Saul, th e king, the m ighty leader? Where is Jon athan , the brave champion? Is th ere no courage left in the. army? Saul was head and shoulders above David, physically, bu t he was out of harmony w ith God and th ere fore was w ithout moral courage. David’s h ea rt was stirred. He feels th a t the cause of God, His honor, His name, Israel’s honor, are all a t stake. Here is an opportunity to vindicate God, and David de term ines th a t he will tak e upon his h ea rt God’s cause, and upon his shoulders, God’s battle. David’s first victory was over th e flesh. His brothers, when they knew of his purpose, taun ted him w ith his youth and inexperience and said, “Go home to the sheep.” Here was a g reat tem ptation to assert himself, for was he not conscious th a t he had bden anointed? But he won th e vic tory, and th is was th e beginning of a victorious life, for “He th a t ru leth his own sp irit is g reater th an he th a t ta k eth a city.” How much g reater is th e victory over self th a n th e victory over another! It is not humbling, bu t ele vating. It is a duty we owe ourselves. I t leaves no sad, b u t glad, memories. It may not bring us fame or name, but it will bring self-respect. H ere is an opportunity for us all. His second victory was over unbelief. There was every thing in th e situation to dismay faith and encourage doubt. But David reasoned from his past experience. He said, “ I had a conflict w ith a lion and a bear, and God delivered me then. Why not now?” T h at was a tim e of need; so was this. T h at was a tim e of danger; so was this. He reasoned
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