I
S A M U E L
CHAP. X.
We
left Samuel and Saul walking together, probably some private way over the
fields down from Ramah, perhaps in the paths of the vineyards, and Saul
expecting to hear from Samuel the word of God. Now here we have, I. The
anointing of Saul then and there, ver. 1. The signs Samuel gave him, ver. 2-6.
And instructions, ver. 7-8. II. The accomplishment of those signs to the
satisfaction of Saul, ver. 9-13. III. His return to his father's house, ver.
14-16. IV. His public election by lot, and solemn inauguration, ver. 17-25. V.
His return to his own city, ver. 26, 27. It is a great work that is here a
doing, the setting up not only of a monarch, but of monarchy itself, in Israel; and therefore in all the
advances towards it much of God is seen.
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Saul
Anointed by Samuel; Samuel's Address to Saul.
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B.
C. 1070.
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1 Then Samuel took a vial
of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it
not because the LORD
hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 2
When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by
Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto
thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath
left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for
my son? 3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou
shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up
to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves
of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4 And they will
salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt
receive of their hands. 5 After that thou shalt come to the hill
of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to
pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company
of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and
a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 6 And
the Spirit of the LORD
will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned
into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto
thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with
thee. 8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I
will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice
sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to
thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
Samuel is here executing the office of a prophet, giving Saul full assurance
from God that he should be king, as he was afterwards, according to these
prophecies which went before of him.
I. He anointed him and kissed him, v. 1. This was not
done in a solemn assembly, but it was done by divine appointment, which made
up the want of all external solemnities, nor was it ever the less valid for
its being done in private, under a hedge, or, as the Jews say, by a
fountain. God's institutions are great and honourable, though the
circumstances of their administration be ever so mean and despicable. 1.
Samuel, by anointing Saul, assured him that it was God's act to make him king:
Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee? And, in token of that,
the high priest was anointed to his office, to signify the conferring of those
gifts upon him that were requisite for the discharge of its duties, and the
same was intimated in the anointing of kings; for whom God calls he qualifies,
and suitable qualifications furnish good proof of a commission. These sacred
unctions, then used, pointed at the great Messiah, or anointed one, the king
of the church, and high priest of our profession, who was anointed with the
oil of the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure, and above all the
priests and princes of the Jewish church. It was common oil, no doubt, which
Samuel used, and we read not of his blessing it or praying over it. But it was
only a vial of oil that he anointed him with, the vessel brittle, because his
kingdom would soon be cracked and broken, and the quantity small, because he
had but little of the Spirit conferred upon him to what David had, who was
therefore anointed with a horn of oil, as were Solomon and Jehu with a box of
oil. 2. By kissing him, he assured him of his own approbation of the choice,
not only his consent to it, but his complacency in it, though it abridged his
power and eclipsed his glory and the glory of his family. "God has
anointed thee," says Samuel, "to be king, and I am
satisfied and very well pleased, in pledge of which take this kiss." It
was likewise a kiss of homage and allegiance; hereby he not only owns him to
be king, but his king, and in this sense we are commanded to kiss the Son,
Ps. ii. 12. God has anointed him, and therefore we must thus acknowledge him
and do homage to him. In Samuel's explication of the ceremony, he reminds him,
(1.) Of the nature of the government to which he is called. He was anointed to
be a captain, a commander indeed, which bespeaks honour and power, but a
commander in war, which bespeaks care, and toil, and danger. (2.) Of the
origin of it: The Lord hath anointed thee. By him he ruled, and
therefore must rule for him, in dependence on him, and with an eye to his
glory. (3.) Of the end of it. It is over his inheritance, to take care of
that, protect it, and order all the affairs of it for the best, as a steward
whom a great man sets over his estate, to manage it for his service and give
an account of it to him.
II. For his further satisfaction he gives him some signs, which should come to
pass immediately, this very day; and they were such as would not only confirm
the word of Samuel in general, and prove him a true prophet, but would confirm
this word to Saul in particular, that he should be king. 1. He should
presently meet with some that would bring him intelligence from home of the
care his father's house was in concerning him, v. 2. These he would
meet hard by Rachel's sepulchre. The first place Samuel directed him to was a
sepulchre, the sepulchre of one of his ancestors, for Rachel died in travail
with Benjamin; there he must read a lecture of his own mortality, and now that
he had a crown in his eye must think of his grave, in which all his honour
would be laid in the dust. Here two men would meet him, perhaps sent on
purpose to look after him, and would tell him the asses were found, and his
father was in pain concerning him, saying, What shall I do for my son?
He would reckon it happened well that he met with these messengers; and it is
good to eye Providence in favourable conjunctures (though the matter be
minute) and to be encouraged to trust it in greater matters. 2. He should next
meet with others going to Bethel, where, it should seem, there was a high
place for religious worship, and these men were bringing their sacrifices
thither, v. 3, 4. It was a token for good to one that was designed for
the government of Israel, wherever he came, to meet with people going to
worship God. It is supposed that those kids and loaves, and the bottle of wine
which the three men had with them, were designed for sacrifice, with the
meat-offerings and drink-offerings that were to attend the sacrifice; yet
Samuel tells Saul that they will give him two of their loaves, and he must
take them. Such a present would look to us now like the relieving of a beggar.
Saul must hereafter remember the time when he received alms, and must
therefore be humble and charitable to the poor. But perhaps it would then be
construed a fit present for a prince; and, as such, Saul must receive it, the
first present that was brought to him, by such as knew not what they did, nor
why they did it, but God put it into their hearts, which made it the more fit
to be a sign to him. These two loaves, which were the first tribute paid to
this newly-anointed king, might serve for an admonition to him not to spend
the wealth of his crown in luxury, but still to be content with plain food.
Bread is the staff of life. 3. The most remarkable sign of all would be his
joining with a company of prophets that he should meet with, under the
influence of a spirit of prophecy, which should at that time come upon him.
What God works in us by his Spirit serves much more for the confirming of
faith than any thing wrought for us by his providence. He here (v. 5,
6) tells him, (1.) Where this would happen: At the hill of God, where
there was a garrison of the Philistines, which is supposed to be near
Gibeah, his own city, for there was the Philistines' garrison, ch.
xiii. 3. Perhaps it was one of the articles of Samuel's agreement with them
that they should have a garrison there, or, rather, after they were subdued in
the beginning of his time they got ground again, so far as to force this
garrison into that place, and thence God raised up the man that should
chastise them. There was a place that was called the hill of God,
because of one of the schools of the prophets built upon it; and such respect
did even Philistines themselves pay to religion that a garrison of their
soldiers suffered a school of God's prophets to live peaceably by them, and
did not only not dislodge them, but not restrain nor disturb the public
exercises of their devotion. (2.) Upon what occasion; he should meet a
company of prophets with music before them, prophesying, and with them he
should join himself. These prophets were not (as it should seem) divinely
inspired to foretel things to come, nor did God reveal himself to them by
dreams and visions, but they employed themselves in the study of the law, in
instructing their neighbours, and in the acts of piety, especially in praising
God, wherein they were wonderfully assisted and enlarged by the Spirit of God.
It was happy for Israel that they had not only prophets, but companies of
prophets, who gave them good instructions and set them good examples, and
helped very much to keep up religion among them. Now the word of the Lord was
not precious, as it had been when Samuel was first raised up, who had been
instrumental in founding these colleges, or religious houses, whence, it is
probable, the synagogues took their rise. What a pity was it that Israel
should be weary of the government of such a man, who though he had not, as a
man of war, expelled the Philistines, yet (which was a greater kindness to
Israel) had, as a man of God, settled the schools of the prophets! Music was
then used as a proper means to dispose the mind to receive the impressions of
the good Spirit, as it did Elisha's, 2 Kings iii. 15. But we have no reason to
look for the same benefit by it now, unless we saw it as effectual as it was
then in Saul's case, to drive away the evil spirit. These prophets had been at
the high place, probably offering sacrifice, and now they came back singing
psalms. We should come from holy ordinances with our hearts greatly enlarged
in holy joy and praise. See Ps. cxxxviii. 5. Saul should find himself strongly
moved to join with them, and should be turned thereby into another man
from what he had been while he lived in a private capacity. The Spirit of God,
by his ordinances, changes men, wonderfully transforms them; Saul, by praising
God in the communion of saints, became another man, but whether a new man or
no may be questioned.
III. He directs him to proceed in the administration of his government as
Providence should lead him, and as Samuel should advise him. 1. He must follow
Providence in ordinary cases (v. 7): "Do as occasion shall
serve thee. Take such measures as thy own prudence shall direct
thee." But, 2. In an extraordinary strait that would hereafter befal him
at Gilgal, and would be the most critical juncture of all, when he would have
special need of divine aids, he must wait for Samuel to come to him, and must
tarry seven days in expectation of him, v. 8. How his failing in
this matter proved his fall we find afterwards, ch. xiii. 11. It was
now a plain intimation to him that he was upon his good behaviour, and, though
a king, must act under the direction of Samuel, and do as he should order him.
The greatest of men must own themselves in subjection to God and his word.
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Saul
Among the Prophets.
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B.
C. 1070.
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9 And it was so,
that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another
heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 And when they
came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the
Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And
it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he
prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is
this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the
prophets? 12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is
their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the
prophets? 13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came
to the high place. 14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his
servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that
they were no where, we came to Samuel. 15 And Saul's uncle
said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 16 And Saul
said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the
matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
Saul has now taken his leave of Samuel, much amazed, we may well suppose, at
what has been done to him, almost ready to question whether he be awake or no,
and whether it be not all a dream. Now here we are told,
I. What occurred by the way, v. 9. Those signs which Samuel had given
him came to pass very punctually; but that which gave him the greatest
satisfaction of all was this, he found immediately that God had given him another
heart. A new fire was kindled in his breast, such as he had never before
been acquainted with: seeking the asses is quite out of his mind, and he
thinks of nothing but fighting the Philistines, redressing the grievances of
Israel, making laws, administering justice, and providing for the public
safety; these are the things that now fill his head. He finds himself raised
to such a pitch of boldness and bravery as he never thought he should be
conscious of. He has no longer the heart of a husbandman, which is low, and
mean, and narrow, and concerned only about his corn and cattle; but the heart
of a statesman, a general, a prince. Whom God calls to any service he will
make fit for it. If he advance to another station, he will give another heart,
to those who sincerely desire to serve him with their power.
II. What occurred when he came near home. They came to the hill (v.
10), that is, to Gibeah, or Geba, which signifies a hill,
and so the Chaldee here takes it as a proper name; he met with the prophets as
Samuel had told him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, strongly and
suddenly (so the word signifies), but not so as to rest and abide upon him. It
came on so as to go off quickly. However, for the present, it had a strange
effect upon him; for he immediately joined with the prophets in their
devotion, and that with as much decorum and as great a transport of affection
as any of them: He prophesied among them. Now,
1. His prophesying was publicly taken notice of, v. 11, 12. He was now
among his acquaintance, who, when they saw him among the prophets, called one
another to come and see a strange sight. This would prepare them to accept him
as a king, though one of themselves, when they had seen how God had advanced
him to the honour of a prophet. The seventy elders prophesied before they were
made judges, Num. xi. 25. Now, (1.) They all wondered to see Saul among the
prophets: What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Though this
school of the prophets was near his father's house, yet he had never
associated with them, nor shown them any respect, perhaps had sometimes spoken
slightly of them; and now to see him prophesying among them was a surprise to
them, as it was long after when his namesake, in the New Testament, preached
that gospel which he had before persecuted, Acts ix. 21. Where God gives
another heart it will soon show itself. (2.) One of them, that was wiser than
the rest, asked, "Who is their father, or instructor? Is is not
God? Are they not all taught of him? Do they not all owe their gifts to him?
And is he limited? Cannot he make Saul a prophet, as well as any of them, if
he please?" Or, "Is not Samuel their father?" Under God, he was
so; and Saul had now lately been with him, which, by his servant, he might
know. No marvel for him to prophesy who lay last night under Samuel's roof.
(3.) It became a proverb, commonly used in Israel, when they would express
their wonder at a bad man's either becoming good, or at least being found in
good company, Is Saul among the prophets? Note, Saul among the prophets
is a wonder to a proverb. Let not the worst be despaired of, yet let not an
external show of devotion, and a sudden change for the present, be too much
relied on; for Saul among the prophets was Saul still.
2. His being anointed was kept private. When he had done prophesying, (1.) It
should seem he uttered all his words before the Lord, and recommended the
affair to his favour, for he went straight to the high place (v.
13), to give God thanks for his mercies to him and to pray for the continuance
of those mercies. But, (2.) He industriously concealed from his relations what
had passed. His uncle, who met with him either at the high place or as soon as
he came home, examined him, v. 14. Saul owned, for his servant knew it,
that they had been with Samuel, and that he told them the asses were found,
but said not a word of the kingdom, v. 14, 15. This was an
instance, [1.] Of his humility. Many a one would have been so elated with this
surprising elevation as to proclaim it upon the house-top. But Saul, though he
might please himself with it in his own breast, did not pride himself in it
among his neighbours. The heirs of the kingdom of glory are well enough
pleased that the world knows them not, 1 John iii. 1. [2.] Of his
prudence. Had he been forward to proclaim it, he would have been envied, and
he knew not what difficulty that might have created him. Samuel had
communicated it to him as a secret, and he knows how to keep counsel. Thus it
appears that he had another heart, a heart fit for government. [3.] Of his
dependence upon God. He does not go about to make an interest for himself, but
leaves it to God to carry on his own work by Samuel, and, for his own part,
sits still, to see how the matter will fall.
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The
Election of a King; Saul Introduced to the People.
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B.
C. 1070.
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17 And Samuel called the
people together unto the LORD
to Mizpeh; 18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the
LORD
God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them
that oppressed you: 19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who
himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye
have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present
yourselves before the LORD
by your tribes, and by your thousands. 20 And when Samuel had
caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was
taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by
their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was
taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22
Therefore they enquired of the LORD
further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD
answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 23 And they
ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher
than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 24 And
Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD
hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all
the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 25 Then Samuel
told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and
laid it up before the LORD.
And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 26
And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men,
whose hearts God had touched. 27 But the children of Belial said,
How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no
presents. But he held his peace.
Saul's nomination to the throne is here made public, in a general assembly of
the elders of Israel, the representatives of their respective tribes at Mizpeh.
It is probable that this convention of the states was called as soon as
conveniently it might, after Saul was anointed, for, if there must be a change
in their government, the sooner the better: it might be of bad consequence to
be long in the doing. The people having met in a solemn assembly, in which God
was in a peculiar manner present (and therefore it is said they were called
together unto the Lord, v. 17), Samuel acts for God among them.
I. He reproves them for casting off the government of a prophet, and desiring
that of a captain. 1. He shows them (v. 18) how happy they had been
under the divine government; when God ruled them, he delivered them out of
the hand of those that oppressed them, and what would they desire more?
Could the mightiest man of valour do that for them which the Almighty God had
done? 2. He likewise shows them (v. 19) what an affront they had put
upon God (who had himself saved them out of all their tribulations, by
his own power, and by such as he had immediately called and qualified) in
desiring a king to save them. He tells them in plain terms, "You have
this day rejected your God; you have in effect done it: so he construes
it, and he might justly, for your so doing, reject you." Those that can
live better by sense than by faith, that stay themselves upon an arm of flesh
rather than upon the almighty arm, forsake a fountain of living waters for
broken cisterns. And some make their obstinacy in this matter to be a presage
of their rejecting Christ, in casting off whom they cast off God, that he
should not reign over them.
II. He puts them upon choosing their king by lot. He knew whom God had chosen,
and had already anointed him, but he knew also the peevishness of that people,
and that there were those among them who would not acquiesce in the choice if
it depended upon his single testimony; and therefore, that every tribe and
every family of the chosen tribe might please themselves with having a chance
for it, he calls them to the lot, v. 19. Benjamin is taken out of all
the tribes (v. 20), and out of that tribe Saul the son of Kish, v.
21. By this method it would appear to the people, as it already appeared to
Samuel, that Saul was appointed of God to be king; for the disposal of the
lot is of the Lord. It would also prevent all disputes and exceptions; for
the lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.
When the tribe of Benjamin was taken, they might easily foresee that they were
setting up a family that would soon be put down again; for dying Jacob had, by
the spirit of prophecy, entailed the dominion upon Judah. Judah is the tribe
that must rule as a lion; Benjamin shall only ravin as a wolf,
Gen. xlix. 10, 27. Those therefore that knew the scriptures could not be very
fond of the doing of that which they foresaw must, ere long, be undone again.
III. It is with much ado, and not without further enquiries of the Lord, that
Saul is at length produced. When the lot fell upon him, every one expected he
should answer to his name at the first call, but, instead of that, none of his
friends could find him (v. 21), he had hidden himself among the
stuff (v. 22), so little fond was he now of that power which yet,
when he was in possession of, he could not without the utmost indignation
think of parting with.
1. He withdrew, in hopes that, upon his not appearing, they would proceed to
another choice, or thus to express his modesty; for, by what had already
passed, he knew he must be the man. We may suppose he was at this time really
averse to take upon him the government, (1.) Because he was conscious to
himself of unfitness for so great a trust. He had not been bred up to books,
or arms, or courts, and feared he should be guilty of some fatal blunder. (2.)
Because it would expose him to the envy of his neighbours that were
ill-affected towards him. (3.) Because he understood, by what Samuel had said,
that the people sinned in asking a king, and it was in anger that God granted
their request. (4.) Because the affairs of Israel were at this time in a bad
posture; the Philistines were strong, the Ammonites threatening: and he must
be bold indeed that will set sail in a storm.
2. But the congregation, believing that choice well made which God himself
made, would leave no way untried to find him out on whom the lot fell. They
enquired of the Lord, either by the high priest, and his breast-plate of
judgment, or by Samuel, and his spirit of prophecy; and the Lord directed them
where they should find him, hidden among the carriages, and thence they
fetched him, v. 23. Note, None will be losers at last by their
humility and modesty. Honour, like the shadow, follows those that flee from
it, but flees from those that pursue it.
IV. Samuel presents him to the people, and they accept him. He needed not to
mount the bench, or scaffold, to be seen; when he stood upon even ground with
the rest he was seen above them all, for he was taller than any of them by head
and shoulders, v. 23. "Look you," said Samuel, "what a king
God has chosen for you, just such a one as you wished for; there is none
like him among all the people, that has so much majesty in his countenance
and such a graceful stateliness in his mien; he is in the crowd like a cedar
among the shrubs. Let your own eyes be judges, is he not a brave and gallant
man?" The people hereupon signified their approbation of the choice, and
their acceptance of him; they shouted and said, Let the king live, that
is, "Let him long reign over us in health and prosperity." Subjects
were wont to testify their affection and allegiance to their prince by their
good wishes, and those turned (as our translation does this) into addresses to
God. Ps. lxxii. 15, Prayer shall be made for him continually. See Ps.
xx. 1. Samuel had told them they would soon be weary of their king, but, in
the mind they are now in, they will never be so: Let the king live.
V. Samuel settles the original contract between them, and leaves it upon
record, v. 25. He had before told them the manner of the king (ch.
viii. 11), how he would abuse his power; now he tells them the manner of
the kingdom, or rather the law, or judgment, or constitution, of it, what
power the prince might challenge and the utmost of the property the subject
might claim. He fixed the land-marks between them, that neither might encroach
upon the other. Let them rightly understand one another at first, and let the
agreement remain in black and white, which will tend to preserve a good
understanding between them ever after. The learned bishop Patrick thinks he
now repeated and registered what he had told them (ch. viii. 11) of the
arbitrary power their kings would assume, that it might hereafter be a witness
against them that they had drawn the calamity upon themselves, for they were
warned what it would come to and yet they would have a king.
VI. The convention was dissolved when the solemnity was over: Samuel sent
every man to his house. Here were no votes passed, nor, for aught that
appears, so much as a motion made, for the raising of money to support the
dignity of their new-elected king; if therefore he afterwards thinks fit to
take what they do not think fit to give (which yet it was necessary that he
should have), they must thank themselves. They went every man to his house,
pleased with the name of a king over them, and Saul also went home to
Gibeah, to his father's house, not puffed up with the name of a kingdom
under him. At Gibeah he had no palace, no throne, no court, yet thither he
goes. If he must be a king, as one mindful of the rock out of which he was
hewn, he will make his own city the royal city, nor will he be ashamed (as too
many are when they are preferred) of his mean relations. Such a humble spirit
as this puts a beauty and lustre upon great advancements. The condition
rising, and the mind not rising with it, behold how good and pleasant it is!
But,
1. How did the people stand affected to their new king? The generality of
them, it should seem, did not show themselves much concerned: They went
every man to his own house. Their own domestic affairs lay nearer their
hearts than any interests of the public; this was the general temper. But,
(1.) There were some so faithful as to attend him: A band of men whose
hearts God had touched, v. 26. Not the body of the people, but a
small company, who because they were fond of their own choice of a king, or
because they had so much more sense than their neighbours as to conclude that
if he was a king he ought to be respected accordingly, went with him to Gibeah,
as his life-guard. They were those whose hearts God had touched, in
this instance, to do their duty. Note, Whatever good there is in us, or is
done by us, at any time, it must be ascribed to the grace of God. If the heart
bend at any time the right way, it is because he has touched it. One touch is
enough, when it is divine. (2.) There were others so spiteful as to affront
him; children of Belial, men that would endure no yoke, that would be pleased
with nothing that either God or Samuel did; they despised him (v.
27) for the meanness of his tribe and family, the smallness of his estate, and
the privacy of his education; and they said, How shall this man save us?
Yet they did not propose any man more likely; nor, whomsoever they had, must
their salvation come from the man, but from God. They would not join with
their neighbours in testifying an affection to him and his government, by
bringing him presents, or addressing him upon his accession to the crown.
Perhaps those discontented spirits were most earnest for a king, and yet, now
that they had one, they quarrelled with him, because he was not altogether
such a one as themselves. It was reason enough for them not to like him
because others did. Thus differently are men affected to our exalted Redeemer.
God hath set him king upon the holy hill of Sion. There is a remnant that
submit to him, rejoice in him, bring him presents, and follow him wherever he
goes; and they are those whose hearts God has touched, whom he has made
willing in the day of his power. But there are others who despise him, who
ask, How shall this man save us? They are offended in him, stumble at
his external meanness, and they will be broken by it.
2. How did Saul resent the bad conduct of those that were disaffected to his
government? He held his peace. Margin, He was as though he had been
deaf. He was so far from resenting it that he seemed not to take notice of
it, which was an evidence of his humility and modesty, and the mercifulness of
his disposition, and also that he was well satisfied with his title to the
crown; for those are commonly most jealous of their honour, and most
revengeful of affronts, that gain their power by improper means. Christ held
his peace when he was affronted, for it was the day of his patience; but there
is a day of recompence coming.
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