I Chronicles 14
The contents of this chapter belong to a period of time
subsequent to the
taking of the fort of
But if found here in the same order of place as there, they
would have
followed upon ch.9:9; Keil attributes
this difference to the desire of our
compiler to represent the bringing of the ark to
undertaking on becoming king of the united people. Considering the contents
of
this chapter, and remembering that it stands between the unsuccessful attempt
to
bring home the ark and the final successful bringing of it, it would seem a far
more
natural thing to suppose that this suggested its present order;
for compare ch.15:1-2.
The parallel is very close. As far as to the word “Elishua” (v.
5), there is no
difference in the least degree material, except that the word “concubines” is
found in Samuel, and preceding the word “wives” of our v. 3 (yet see ch.3:9).
The two names Elpalet and
Nogah are also not found in the parallel, but
our
compiler is consistent with himself; for see ch.3:6-7. Further, our
v.12 states that
the
idols of the Philistines were by David’s command “burned with fire,” while
the
Hebrew text of Samuel only states that “David
and his men removed them”
(μaeC;Yiw"), where the Authorized Version incorrectly translates “burned them.”
1 “Now
Hiram king of
cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him
an house.”
The Kethiv abandons here the
invariable analogy of Chronicles,
and
reads Hiram for “Huram,” which
latter form, however, is replaced in
the Keri. Beside this Hiram or Huram,
the king, there was another Hiram
or Huram, the same king’s chief
artificer, and whom he sent to the help of
Solomon (I Kings 7:13, 40; II Chronicles 2:13; 4:11, 16).
The
willing aid which this king lent to David on this occasion,
in supplying
cedar timber and workmen, was “the commencement of that
amity between
the Tyriaus and the Hebrews, so
mutually advantageous to the two nations,
the one agricultural and the other commercial” (Milman’s ‘History of the
Jews,’ 1:239). The meaning of the name Hiram is probably
“noble,” or
“high.born.” This disposition, at all events, he seems to have
illustrated in
his generous friendship to David, Solomon, and their
people. Very little to
be relied upon is known of him outside Scripture, but his
reign is said to
have extended from B.C. 1023-990.
The act of Hiram here in sending messengers to David with
timber and
masons and carpenters to build a house for himself, shows how
David’s
influence had made itself felt far and near. We are furnished with
the reason
of
this influence (see ch.11:9). It was because “the
Lord was with him.”
Thus it ever is with the Christian: “The Lord is with him.” Hence his influence.
CHRIST IN US is the mighty power for a holy life and for
producing a permanent impression.
Men like Hiram will pay homage to
this, however morally distant they may be from conversion to God. And
this is the power the true Christian should seek to possess, and the
influence he should wield. “And David perceived that the Lord had
confirmed him king over
because of his
people
Kings are to remember why they are kings. It is on
account of God’s
kingdom and God’s people.
When they forget their relation to God, God’s
people, and God’s work, they forget their true mission in God’s
world.
“By me
kings reign” (Proverbs 8:15). The subject should never forget the
relation in which he stands to God; how much less should the king forget it!
2 “And
David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over
5:12 reads aCeni, the Piel conjugation. The
present form is obscure, taceni. It may
be
considered either an irregular Niphal third person
feminine; or Niphal infinitive
absolute (II Samuel 19:43); or possibly even an irregular Piel form, in which case
the
pronoun “he” will need to be supplied
as the subject. Supposing that any
special connection subsists between this and the previous verse,
it is not
necessary to consider it remote. Then, as now, the building of a
house for
one’s self, much more the building of a noble palace on the part
of a king,
is
an indication of feeling settled and “confirmed.” It was a partial
indication of the “lifted-up kingdom” that the king should have a
palace of
magnificence. This must have weighed all the more in the case of a
nation which,
not
for its sacred things, nor for its king, nor for its people, had ever had as
yet
any
adequate and worthy housing -
“because of his people
The Lord Confirmed David King (v.2)
To many readers this phraseology seems simply the language
of superstition,
to
be classed with similar language in which primitive and heathen nations are
wont to attribute the triumphs of their warriors and the greatness of their kings
to
their tutelar (guardian) and national deities. But
believers in the inspiration
and
authority of Holy Scripture will see in this declaration an assurance of
that wise and watchful care which God exercises over all men and all
communities, and which is,
for wise purposes, so clearly and devoutly
related and recorded in the documents of Hebrew history.
ARE FROM GOD.
The strength of character, wisdom and sagacity,
firmess,
justice, clemency, affability, — all qualities that make an able ruler
of men, are the endowment of the supreme Lord. In the case of
David we
observe peculiar gifts lavishly bestowed. The same providential
care is to
be recognized in the long and severe discipline by which the
son of Jesse
was fitted for a throne. It was doubtless this preparatory
training,
combined with the sore experience through which the nation had
passed,
which rendered David’s accession so popular.
AUTHORIZED.
The Lord having prepared David for the throne and the
throne for him, the monarch proceeded to fulfill his royal duties
with the
happy assurance that the hearts of his people were subject to
him, and with
the knowledge that he was supported by faithful and powerful
allies. It
cannot, indeed, be said that monarchy is the favorite form of
government
with the Lord of all; for when He gave
to their infirmities. The form of government
is of secondary importance,
but the necessity of
civil rule is written upon the constitution of man
and of society.
Equity, impartiality, righteousness, — these are the principles
of all true moral rule, human and Divine. The governor who is
guided by
personal ambition, who is the prey of petty prejudices, who is given
to
intrigues, who rules by oppression, IS NO TRUE KING OF MEN!
POWER AND GRACE TO THE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.
“David perceived that the Lord had confirmed him king.” Thus his
faith was strengthened and his courage was sustained. The man who, in
the
fulfillment of life’s duties, cannot see beyond his
own purposes and
plans, is for all high intents enfeebled by this
unworthy view of his life;
whilst he who recognizes that he is the “minister of God,” is supported
by this conviction, his aims are ennobled and his influence
is hallowed
by it. Especially must this be the case with those
whose influence and
responsibility are unusually great.
GOD. Some rulers have
been called to account by their fellow-potentates
and some by their subjects. There is, however, danger lest the
powerful
should forget their inevitable responsibility. At the bar of God all kings
must stand; at His throne
they too must sue for mercy, WHEN THERE
THEY TAKE THEIR
PLACES WITH THEIR SUBJECTS,
BEFORE THE
HIGHEST AND FINAL TRIBUNAL!
“Be wise now
therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. (Psalm 2:10)
3 “And
David took more wives at
sons and daughters.” As matter of
course, we do not look in this connection for
any
remarks to be made by the writer condemnatory of David’s enlargement of the
harem, or of his having an harem at all. Yet it is open
to us to note how, at a time
when polygamy was “winked at,”
and no sin was necessarily to lie on this account
at
the door of David, yet by this very
thing he was undermining the peace
and unity of his own family, the comfort of his
declining years once and again,
and the very
stability of his house in the days of Solomon his son. The less
necessitated we are to
regard David’s polygamy in the light of individual sin, the
more emphatic in the light of
history does the tendency of the practice proclaim
itself as THOROUGHLY and IRREDEEMABLY BAD!
4 “Now
these are the names of his children which he had in
The names of the children born to David in
comparison of this list with that of Ibid. vs. 5-9, see that place.
It will be observed
that the present list agrees with that of II Samuel 5 in respect of eleven
names, and
with ch.3:5-8, so far as number goes, with all thirteen - “Shammua, and Shobab,
Nathan, and Solomon, 5 And
Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet, 6 And Nogah,
and Nepheg, and Japhia, 7 And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.”
8 “And
when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over
all
of it, and went out against them.” In this and the next eight verses David
achieves two important victories over the Philistines. From a careful comparison of
this passage with the parallel and with II Samuel 23:12-14, it appears
likely that
the
meaning is that “David went out against them” after having “gone down”
first to the “hold,” probably at the “
said that the Philistines went up to seek David, the sequel makes it evident
that they
did
not seek him as friends. And it is to be
remembered that the Philistines held
territory near
9 “And the
Philistines came and spread themselves” – The
root, fv"p;
appears here for the çf"n;
I – in v. 18 of the parallel place. So
also again in v.13
of
this chapter - “in the
translate “healers,” and yet others “chiefs.” Though not Canaanites, they once held
portions of
Old Testament,’ p. 351) thinks they were descendants of Japheth (Genesis 14:5;
15:20; Deuteronomy 2:9-11; 3:11). The “valley” was south of
whether more southeast or southwest is not certain; probably the
former
(Joshua 15:8; 18:16; Isaiah 17:5).
10 “And
David inquired of God,” -
The “inquiring” was made, as matter
of
course, through the high priest, and not merely, as we should say, in
private prayer (Judges 1:1,3; 20:23, 27; I Samuel 23:2, 4;
30:8; II Samuel 2:1).
The directness of the Divine answer was some echo of the
old reply when
was
authorized to go up against the Canaanites (Judges 1:2) - “saying, Shall I
go up against the
Philistines? And wilt thou
deliver them into mine hand?
And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will
deliver them into thine
hand.”
Inquiring of God Concerning Common Things
(v. 10)
If David, as a skilful general, counted his forces,
estimated their strength, set them on
vantage-ground, drawn out a plan of battle, and, swayed by his own
energy, led them
on
to victory, he
would only have acted as Saul had acted. He would have taken
up
the position of the independent sovereign, rather than that of the prince and
vicegerent of Jehovah. It was important that, at the very outset of his kingly
career,
he should make it publicly and distinctly known that he
was king only as
Jehovah’s servant. He could not make this
known better than by “inquiring
of the Lord” on the first occasion of national anxiety. It is always of great
importance that we start right. But it might be said that this was only a
business matter, and so quite within the power of David to arrange,
and he
need not “inquire of God” at all about it. That sentiment is a common, but
a
sadly mistaken one. It divides our life into two parts, the one of which we
can manage
ourselves, but
for the other we need the help of God.
There
can
really be no distinction of the “sacred” and the “secular.” There can
properly be no circle drawn round within which alone prayer can be
acceptable. Nothing
interests us that does not interest our God. “In
everything, by prayer and supplication,… we may make known our
requests unto him.” (Philippians
4:6)
and the subtle self-seeking they manifest, when they try to make the
GOD-SPHERE limited and narrow. The awakened
and sincere heart
is prepared to say
before God:
“Take
my body, spirit, soul;
Only
thou possess the whole?
The God-sphere IS A MAN’S WHOLE LIFE, HIS WHOLE
THOUGHT, HIS
EVERY INTEREST. Nothing is too
great for
God to compass; nothing too
small for him to use and glorify.
The things we count most common —
air and sunshine and
rain — are His. And the things in our lives that seem most
trivial fit into
His great plan and should be referred to Him. The Apostle James,
says that our very “journeyings,” our very “buyings and sellings,”
must be made dependent on the Lord’s will (James 4:13-15).
(“O
Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself:
it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” – Jeremiah
10:23). Modern sentiment tends to limit the sphere within which prayer is
appropriate; it is assumed that it should not deal with the material
world,
which is under fixed law. But law is not something out
beyond the control
of God. (I highly
recommend Genesis 17 – The Names of God –
El Shaddai by Nathan Stone – this web site – CY – 20121) All
laws are within the God-sphere, so
we may “inquire of God”
about them.
shall be referred to Him, and in everything His counsel and
direction
shall be taken. “I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of
to do it for them” (Ezekiel
36:37). This claim may be shown in
detailed
application to the circumstances of our lives. The kind of reference
to God
takes different forms for different kinds of things.
LITTLE THAN BY THE GREAT. Practical observation of life proves
that it is harder to do little things in a right spirit than to
do great ones.
(Jesus said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
also in much: and he that
is unjust in the least is unjust also in
much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, WHO WILL COMMIT TO YOUR TRUST THE TRUE
RICHES?” (Luke
16:10-11 - Many a man stands well before mighty
swords and spears, and falls before a pebble slung by a youth. Few of us
can stand the serious testing of the commoner scenes and relations of our lives.
Yet the Divine testings come most
frequently in connection with them; and
sometimes God even makes us do
nothing — wait; and He watches to see
whether, even concerning this, we will “inquire of Him.”
11 “So
they came up to Baal-perazim; and David smote them
there.
Then David said, God hath broken in upon
mine enemies by mine
hand like the breaking forth of waters:
therefore they called the
name of that place Baal-perazim.” Baal-perazim; literally, master
of
breaches. Gesenius traces this meaning, through the intermediate idea of
“possessor,” to that (in this case, that place),
which “possesses,” i.e. is the
subject of such a signal overwhelming as is here described, the
scene of
overwhelming defeats, like
the irresistible rush of waters (Isaiah 28:21).
The God of Battles (vs. 9-11)
This is one of the many passages in the Old Testament where
God is
represented as presiding over and prospering the military expeditions
of the
Israelites. Rationalists see in such passages nothing more than
evidence
that the Hebrews were a warlike people, and that they, like other nations,
attributed their successes in war to the intervention and favor of
their
Deity. But those who believe in the inspiration and authority of
Scripture
cannot be satisfied with such an explanation. The text casts light upon
this.
IS THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF BATTLES.
It would be
barbarous and absurd to suppose that the benevolent Ruler of all
prefers
war in itself to peace, that He takes pleasure in the carnage
and agony, the
bereavement and desolation, which are distinctive of war. But as all
strength and valor, all foresight, skill, and patience are His
gifts, to Him
must ultimately be traced the force, the generalship, by which
victories are
won.
CONFLICTS OF THE NATIONS. There can be no question that the
course of human history has been, to a large extent, governed by
the wars
which have occupied so
much of the energy and have consumed
so much
of the blood and the treasure of mankind. We have read of “the fifteen
decisive battles of the world.” They who believe in the
providential
government of the world at all can scarcely refuse to believe that
the
warfares of
the nations have been permitted and overruled for good by
God. Great principles, even principles of a moral kind, have
sometimes
been fought upon the field of battle. Civilization and
barbarism, slavery and
freedom, brute force and enlightenment, have thus contended
together for
the mastery and the victory.
INTERESTED HIMSELF IN THE WARS OF THE JEWS.
Ø
The contests between
Between a
morally superior and certain morally inferior races. When
wars took place between the Israelites and the Canaanites or
Philistines, it is plain to
every student of history that the victory of
the most flagrant and disgusting vice. (Since
more like Canaanites and Phoenicians, I wonder who will be the
superior moral force that brings us down to our knees? - CY – 2012)
The cause of
pollution; the cause of David was that of comparative justice, purity,
and spirituality.
Ø
The victories of
to the Vietnam War, when the NOW generation espoused the
slogan - “MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR” –
in war, furthered the interests of mankind – CY – 2012) Had
human race would have been clouded with awful darkness.
(The same could be said of the
The independence and
nationality of the Hebrews formed a distinct
step forward in the march of humanity. (So has democracy in
Ø
The triumphs of David
were a link in that chain which led to the
redemption of mankind. We cannot separate the Old Testament,
historically or religiously, from the New Testament. The kingdom
and the conquests of David have relation to the kingdom and the
conquests of Him who was Son of David and Son of God
12 “And
when they had left their gods there,” - The
parallel translates more
literally, “And there they
left,” as we might also do here; and goes on to read
“their images,” in place
of “their gods” (II Samuel 5:21). “David gave a
commandment, and they were burned with fire.”These they burned
with fire, according to the command of Deuteronomy 7:5, 25.
Hatred of Idolatry (v, 12)
The conduct of David, in directing that the idols of the
Philistines should be
“burned with fire,”
arose from the fervor of his religious feelings and his
contempt for idolatrous usages. It must always be borne in mind, in
reading
of
the wars between
Old Testament history, were more social and religious than political.
Isolated
from surrounding nations, the people of
to be witnesses to the one true God. Hence their repugnance to and hatred
of
polytheism in all its offensive and degrading manifestations.
Of God’s work for Himself. Idolaters “worship and serve the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever” (Romans 1:25).
Whether adoration be paid to the
handiwork of the great Maker of all or to
the workmanship of men’s own hands, God is robbed of the reverence
and service WHICH ARE DUE TO HIM ALONE!
portrayed in Psalm 115! — “They
have mouths, but they speak not,
eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear
not: noses have they,
but they smell not: They have hands, but
they handle not: feet
have they, but they walk not: neither
speak they through their throat. They that make them are like
unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” (Psalm 115:5-8).
It is the absurd and
superstitious confidence that men have placed in idols
which has rendered religion the laughing-stock of the thoughtless
and
superficial. (I recommend Spurgeon
Sermon – To the Thoughtless –
this web site - CY – 2012)
PRACTICE IT. History
abounds with proofs of this. The greater the hold
which idolatry has over a nation, and the more cruel, sensuous,
and
capricious are the deities worshipped, the more degraded is the moral
condition of the community. We know well how sunk were the
Philistines
and their neighbors, by reason of their religion, in the
depths of vice and sin.
A PURER AND NOBLER FAITH. David’s “rough and ready” method of
dealing with the Philistine “gods” was natural to his impulsive
disposition.
(That because he was “a man after God’s own heart” - Acts 13:22 –
God had commanded it
to be done – Deuteronomy 7:5,25 – CY –
2012). We are assured by inspired predictions that the time shall
come
when the idolatrous peoples, illumined by the rays of the gospel,
shall of
their own accord “cast their idols
to the moles and to the bats”
(Isaiah 2:20). So far from the abolition of idolatry being the precursor to
universal irreligion, we have every reason to believe that upon the ruins of
heathenism shall be reared the stately and holy
which an enlightened and regenerated race shall offer unceasing adorations
TO THE
ONE GOD, THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST, AND THE SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN!
First
No sooner was David anointed than the Philistines were
stirred up in
opposition. This opposition arose, doubtless, from the conviction
that, if he
were established on the throne, he would take revenge on them for the
national dishonor at the battle of Gilboa,
in which Saul was slain. They
therefore resolved, before his throne was consolidated, to
accomplish his
destruction. David’s characteristic feature was, in every emergency of
this
kind, to cast himself upon God and seek His
guidance. The assurance of
victory was clear and unqualified: “And
the Lord said,… Go up, for I will
deliver them into thine hand.” The result of the battle was a great victory
for
God. “Then David
said, God hath broken in upon
mine enemies by mine
hand like the breaking forth of waters.” Observe, he calls himself the
Lord’s “hand.” This is our true relation to God at all times. Ourselves and
all
we have are but the “hand” to be put
into God’s hand to use. Observe,
too,
that David
burns the “gods” which the Philistines, in the hurry and
confusion of flight, had
left behind. They were no temptation to him to
idolatry, but they might have
been to some among his ranks; therefore
every vestige
of idolatry shall be stamped out and every temptation
removed. In all our battles for
the Lord,
if we would have Him with us
and ensure success, every
idol must be stamped out and GOD ALONE
EXALTED! It must be Christ and CHRIST ALONE in every heart
and before every eye.
13 “And
the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the
valley.” In this and the next three verses David defeats the Philistines
again. In the valley; i.e. the
in
the parallel place, though left in no obscurity here.
14 “Therefore
David inquired again of God; and God said unto him,
Go not up after them; turn away from them,
and come upon them
over against the mulberry trees.” The meaning of the directions as here
given is sufficiently evident, yet it is somewhat more forcibly
expressed in
II Samuel 5:23, “Thou shalt not go up,” i.e. “against the Philistines” (see
v. 10, here, and note the form of David’s inquiry); “but fetch a compass
behind them.” The mulberry trees were evidently behind the Philistines. The
Hebrew word for the trees here spoken of is μyaik;B]h", and the correct
rendering of it is probably neither “mulberry” nor, as the Septuagint and
Vulgate translate, “pear” trees.
But judging
from the probable derivation
(hk;B;, to weep), they were trees of the balsam species, and it seems that
this is as far as we can safely
conjecture. One of the latest authorities
(see Condor’s ‘Handbook to the Bible,’ p.
398, 2nd edit.) pronounces it
an
“unknown species.” The tree, strange to say, is only mentioned here and
in
the parallel place. A summary of opinions as to the tree intended may be
found in Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ which states “some believe pear
trees are meant; others
the aspen or poplar, whose leaves tremble
and rustle with the
slightest breeze, even when the breeze is not
perceptible. It may have been to the rustling of these
leaves that
the ‘going in the tree tops’ refers – II Samuel 5:24”and this is just
sufficient to show that it is not as yet identified with any semblance of
certainty. However, it is easy to understand how the balsam species, from
which the exuding gum resembles “tears,” might come by the name set
forth in the present Hebrew root.
15 “And it
shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going” - This is not a
mere generic or longer form of expression to signify a sound itself. There
is
significance in the word“going.” The sense
of the Hebrew word would be
thrown out more emphatically by such a rendering as, the sound
of steps
(literally, stepping). When the motion of the agitated
leaves simulated the
sound of steps, the stepping of men, then David and his army were to step
forth to battle. Though the root of the “stepping” spoken of as heard in the
trees is not identical with that of the “going” repeated twice in the remainder
of
the verse — “in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt
go out to battle: for God is gone
forth” - yet
it does alliterate to some extent
with it, and rather creates the impression that it was intended to do so.
However,
II Samuel 5:24 does not sustain this impression, inasmuch
as a different word,
“Thou shalt bestir thyself,” is there employed, in place of the first occurrence
of
our supposed alliteration, in the clause, “Thou
shalt go out.” There is something
stirring to the imagination, and probably it was felt so by David
and his men, in the
signal unseen yet not
unheard, and in a sense not of earth, but
midway
between earth and heaven. The very various voices of the various trees,
according to the character of their foliage, may well set poetry
going, and
startle or fascinate imagination, as the case may be. The music of
one tree
or
grove is as different from that of another as can be — listen to the
difference between the melancholy plaint so unceasing of some
plantation
of
firs, and the multitudinous, silvery, rippling of but one white poplar of
good size. Presumably the sound in the present case more resembled that
of
the steady tramp of them that march - “before thee to smite the host
of the Philistines.”
16 “David
therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the
host of the Philistines from
reads Geba. As Geba and Gibeon were both situate very near to
(on the north), as well as near to
one another,
both texts may be correct, and
each mean what it says. But Isaiah 28:21 confirms the reading
that
1:3). The nearness of the
Philistines’ approach to the city of
daring on the one hand, and the loud call now for the merciful interposition
of
Jehovah on behalf of his people. Gazer. Hebrew hr;z]G;, both here and in
the
parallel because of the accent. Else the name is
hours distant from
Judges 1:29; here, ch.20:4), or “four Roman miles northward
from Nicopolis,
now
the large ruin of Tell Jezar.
17 “And
the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD
brought the fear of him upon all nations.” This was the
direct consequence
of David having surrendered himself entirely into
the hands of the great
Commander Himself, the Lord of all hosts. How often had Saul used all
earthly power and been
impatient to do so, so that he could not wait even
for the right human
agency! But he failed, and for every failure lessened his
influence among those round him far and wide. God made the victories of
David marvelous, and therein made him marvelous, from the time of
Goliath up to the present moment. To trust self and self’s well-nigh
superhuman exertions shall still leave a man an utter failure. To trust God
and rigidly follow His bidding will exalt a man, and will save him from his
own liability to error and inevitable loss of reputation thereby. From all this
narrative we may be very forcibly reminded of two things.
against even the very worst of foes — our spiritual foes.
fight
before us, for us, and with us!
Second
The utter discomfiture of the Philistines and the victory
of
the
former with alarm, and a second attempt was made against
David again cast himself upon the Lord. This time the mode of attack by
David was, at the command of God, to be varied. The attack
was not
forbidden, but, instead of advancing against the Philistines openly.
David
was
to strike off in such a direction as to turn their flank and to come upon
them from the front of the mulberry trees or baca
bushes. An important
spiritual truth underlies this part of the narrative. In this second
attack it
would only have been natural that David should have adopted the
same
mode as before, especially when his plans had met with such success. But,
however right and in every
respect preferable that course might have
appeared, it was not God’s way. God will have His
people ENTIRELY
DEPENDENT UPON HIMSELF and not upon past
experiences!
The manna gathered today will not do for tomorrow. It must
be gathered each
day
afresh. The successful way in the past may not be His way in the future, and
must never be relied on. It is not past
dealings or ways with us; IT IS
HIMSELF! The look of the soul in every step must be upward. I must put
nothing — not even God’s past ways with me in life —
between my soul
and him. IT MUST BE GOD, AND GOD ALONE, ALL THE WAY!
And “the sound of
going in the tops of the
mulberry trees,” as the sign of
God’s leading, is not without meaning. It indicates still the upward look.
The sign was to come from above. There the eye and the ear too were to
be
directed. It was nothing in itself,
any more than any ordinance or means
of
grace. It was an “outward sign” of an “inward” and deeper reality —
GOD; “God is gone forth
before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.”
The breeze of wind moving the tops of the mulberry trees was the vehicle
of the
Holy Spirit — GOD’S PRESENCE GOING BEFOE, which is at all times
the Christian’s safety, strength,
and victory.
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