I
S A M U E L
CHAP. XXIX.
How
Saul, who was forsaken of God, when he was in a strait was more and more
perplexed and embarrassed with his own counsels, we read in the foregoing
chapter. In this chapter we find how David, who kept close to God, when he was
in a strait was extricated and brought off by the providence of God, without
any contrivance of his own. We have him, I. Marching with the Philistines,
ver. 1, 2. II. Excepted against by the lords of the Philistines, ver. 3-5.
III. Happily dismissed by Achish from that service which did so ill become
him, and which yet he knew not how to decline, ver. 6-11.
|
David with the Philistines.
|
B. C. 1055.
|
|
|
1
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the
Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And
the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but
David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish. 3 Then
said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here?
And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David,
the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or
these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me
unto this day? 4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth
with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow
return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and
let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary
to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it
not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is not this
David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his
thousands, and David his ten thousands?
Here is, I. The great strait that David was in, which we may suppose he
himself was aware of, though we read not of his asking advice from God, nor of
any project of his own to get clear of it. The two armies of the Philistines
and the Israelites were encamped and ready to engage, v. 1. Achish, who
had been kind to David, had obliged him to come himself and bring the forces
he had into his service. David came accordingly, and, upon a review of the
army, was found with Achish, in the post assigned him in the rear, v.
2. Now, 1. If, when the armies engaged, he should retire, and quit his post,
he would fall under the indelible reproach, not only of cowardice and
treachery, but of base ingratitude to Achish, who had been his protector and
benefactor and had reposed a confidence in him, and from whom he had received
a very honourable commission. Such an unprincipled thing as this he could by
no means persuade himself to do. 2. If he should, as was expected from him,
fight for the Philistines against Israel, he would incur the imputation of
being an enemy to the Israel of God and a traitor to his country, would make
his own people hate him, and unanimously oppose his coming to the crown, as
unworthy the name of an Israelite, much more the honour and trust of a king of
Israel, when he had fought against them under the banner of the uncircumcised.
If Saul should be killed (as it proved he was) in this engagement, the fault
would be laid at David's door, as if he had killed him. So that on each side
there seemed to be both sin and scandal. This was the strait he was in; and a
great strait it was to a good man, greater to see sin before him than to see
trouble. Into this strait he brought himself by his own unadvisedness, in
quitting the land of Judah, and going among the uncircumcised. It is strange
if those that associate themselves with wicked people, and grow intimate with
them, come off without guilt, or grief, or both. What he himself proposed to
do does not appear. Perhaps he designed to act only as keeper to the king's
head, the post assigned him (ch. xxviii. 2) and not to do any thing
offensively against Israel. But it would have been very hard to come so near
the brink of sin and not to fall in. Therefore, though God might justly have
left him in this difficulty, to chastise him for his folly, yet, because his
heart was upright with him, he would not suffer him to be tempted above
what he was able, but with the temptation made a way for him to escape, 1
Cor. x. 13.
II. A door opened for his deliverance out of this strait. God inclined the
hearts of the princes of the Philistines to oppose his being employed in the
battle, and to insist upon his being dismissed. Thus their enmity befriended
him, when no friend he had was capable of doing him such a kindness. 1. It was
a proper question which they asked, upon the mustering of the forces, "What
do these Hebrews here? v. 3. What confidence can we put in them, or
what service can we expect from them?" A Hebrew is out of his place,
and, if he has the spirit of a Hebrew, is out of his element, when he
is in the camp of the Philistines, and deserves to be made uneasy there. David
used to hate the congregation of evil doers, however he came now to be
among them, Ps. xxvi. 5. It was an honourable testimony which Achish, on this
occasion, gave to David. He looked upon him as a refugee, that fled from a
wrongful prosecution in his own country, and had put himself under his
protection, whom therefore he was obliged, in justice, to take care of, and
thought he might in prudence employ; "for (says he) he has been with me these
days, or these years," that is, a considerable time, many days
at his court and a year or two in his country, and he never found any fault in
him, nor saw any cause to distrust his fidelity, or to think any other than
that he had heartily come over to him. By this it appears that David had
conducted himself with a great deal of caution, and had prudently concealed
the affection he still retained for his own people. We have need to walk in
wisdom towards those that are without, to keep our mouth when the wicked is
before us, and to be upon the reserve. 3. Yet the princes are peremptory
in it, that he must be sent home; and they give good reasons for their
insisting on it. (1.) Because he had been an old enemy to the Philistines;
witness what was sung in honour of his triumphs over them: Saul slew his
thousands, and David his ten thousands, v. 5. "It will be a
reproach to us to harbour and trust so noted a destroyer of our people; nor
can it be thought that he will now act heartily against Saul who then acted so
vigorously with him and for him." Who would be fond of popular praise or
applause when, even that may, another time, be turned against a man to his
reproach? (2.) Because he might be a most dangerous enemy to them, and do them
more mischief then all Saul's army could (v. 4): "He may in the
battle be an adversary to us, and surprise us with an attack in the rear,
while their army charges us in the front; and we have reason to think he will
do so, that, by betraying us, he may reconcile himself to his master. Who can
trust a man who, besides his affection to his country, will think it his
interest to be false to us?" It is dangerous to put confidence in a
reconciled enemy.
|
David
Leaves the Philistines.
|
B. C. 1055.
|
|
|
6
Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD
liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in
the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since
the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour
thee not. 7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou
displease not the lords of the Philistines. 8 And David said unto
Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long
as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the
enemies of my lord the king? 9 And Achish answered and said to
David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God:
notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up
with us to the battle. 10 Wherefore now rise up early in the
morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye
be up early in the morning, and have light, depart. 11 So David
and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of
the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
If the reasons Achish had to trust David were stronger than the reasons which
the princes offered why they should distrust him (as I do not see that, in
policy, they were, for the princes were certainly in the right), yet Achish
was but one of five, though the chief, and the only one that had the title of
king; accordingly, in a council of war held on this occasion, he was
over-voted, and obliged to dismiss David, though he was extremely fond of him.
Kings cannot always do as they would, nor have such as they would about them.
I. The discharge Achish gives him is very honourable, and not a final
discharge, but only from the present service. 1. He signifies the great
pleasure and satisfaction he had taken in him and in his conversation: Thou
art good in my sight as an angel of God, v. 9. Wise and good men
will gain respect, wherever they go, from all that know how to make a right
estimate of persons and things, though of different professions in religion.
What Achish says of David, God, by the prophet, says of the house of David
(Zech. xii. 8), that it shall be as the angel of the Lord. But the
former is a court-compliment; the latter is a divine promise. 2. He gives him
a testimonial of his good behaviour, v. 6. It is very full and in
obliging terms: "Thou hast been upright, and thy whole conduct has
been good in my sight, and I have not found evil in thee."
Saul would not have given him such a testimonial, though he had done far more
service to him than Achish. God's people should behave themselves always so
inoffensively as if possible to get the good word of all they have dealings
with; and it is a debt we owe to those who have acquitted themselves well to
give them the praise of it. 3. He lays all the blame of his dismission upon
the princes, who would by no means suffer him to continue in the camp.
"The king loves thee entirely, and would venture his life in thy hand; but
the lords favour thee not, and we must not disoblige them, nor can we
oppose them; therefore return and go in peace." He had better part
with his favourite than occasion a disgust among his generals and a mutiny in
his army. Achish intimates a reason why they were uneasy. It was not so much
for David's own sake as for the sake of his soldiers that attended him, whom
he calls his master's servants (namely, Saul's), v. 10. They
could trust him, but not them. (4.) He orders him to be gone early, as soon as
it was light (v. 10), to prevent their further resentments, and the
jealousies they would have been apt to conceive if he had lingered.
II. His reception of this discourse is very complimental; but, I fear, not
without some degree of dissimulation. "What?" says David, "must
I leave my lord the king, whom I am bound by office to protect, just
now when he is going to expose himself in the field? Why may not I go and fight
against the enemies of my lord the king?" v. 8. He seemed
anxious to serve him when he was at this juncture really anxious to leave him,
but he was not willing that Achish should know that he was. No one knows how
strong the temptation is to compliment and dissemble which those are in that
attend great men, and how hard it is to avoid it.
III. God's providence ordered it wisely and graciously for him. For, besides
that the snare was broken and he was delivered out of the dilemma to which he
was first reduced, it proved a happy hastening of him to the relief of his own
city, which sorely wanted him, though he did not know it. Thus the disgrace
which the lords of the Philistines put upon him prove, in more ways than one,
an advantage to him. The steps of a good man ore ordered by the Lord, and
he delighteth in his way. What he does with us we know not now, but we
shall know hereafter, and shall see it was all for good.
Contents
|
Next
Section
