And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God unto the city.
David’s dependence
Taking David’s conduct as an example to ourselves, we have brought before us the following truths:--
I.
true Godliness engages the soul’s supreme attention, even in time of trial.
1. It draws the thoughts away from self. Dwelling on sorrow increases its bitterness. It grows with observation. We concentrate our mind upon a thing until it becomes far larger than it really is.
2. It fills the void in the heart with consolation. Of all subjects religion is the most powerful thing in the world to occupy the attention, and in its presence every temporal affair sinks into the meanest insignificance.
II.--true Godliness places God’s honour ever before selfish ease. When David left the city in flight, Zadok, the High Priest, brought the ark of God to follow the King.
1. David rejected mere outward symbols and signs. The symbolism of the temple had its proper place and use. It was to accomplish a great, and mighty, and mysterious purpose. But if religion has its public representation and form, it has also its private and individual functions as well.
2. God could help him just as welt without the help of priest, or tabernacle, or service as He could with. Time and place are nothing to God. The tears of theprisoner are as precious to him as the orison of a pope. David was very well content to leave himself in the hands of God without any extraneous help.
III. True religion identifies man’s interests with god’s purposes. We learn practically that the part for us to perform is,
(1) Passive trust and resignation to the divine will, and
(2) Constant faith in God’s dealing. David did not for one moment doubt. His trust was unshaken amid all his trouble. “If I find favour in His eyes, He willbring me again, but if not, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.” I am content to leave it in His hands. (David Howell, D. D.)
David and the ark
I. His spiritual mindedness. He looked beyond the outward symbols to Him who had appointed the use of those symbols as a means of good. “Carry back,” he says, “the ark of God into the city.” He felt that it alone could do nothing for him in his banishment. Here was spirituality of mind, brought, it may be, into livelier exercise by trial, but evidently forming a part of David’s character. And it would be well for us to inquire, How far are we of the same mind with the sweet psalmist of Israel?
II. The simplicity of David’s faith. “If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me again and show me both it and His habitation.” Here was an unwavering confidence in the power of God to bring good out of evil; and a conviction that if the Lord saw fit He would do so. And here we may mark the peculiar and proper office of faith. It leads to effort; it encourages in duty while it prevents a departure from the way of God’s commandments. We beseech you to cultivate more of this spirit, which appeared so conspicuously in the man after God’s own heart; view every turn in your history as appointed by the Lord, and seek to have continually a lively apprehension of His overruling providence.
III. David’s humble resignation to the divine will. That Christian is much to be envied, who, happen what may, can exclaim with sincerity of heart, “It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good”; I desire to acquiesce in the Divine appointments, because “I know in whom I have believed”; I know, that though deep are the water-floods that roll over me, the wisdom of God is deeper than them all. Let us keep in mind, that the sources from whence we look for comfort may become the fruitful springs of bitter anguish. Let us not forget that the most secure of all our earthly comforts are in reality insecure. (S. Bridge, M. A.)
Acquiescence in the will of God.
I.His estimation of divine means and ordinances. The ark and the tabernacle were much mere to him than his throne and his palace. And therefore he only mentions these. “Carry back,” says he, “the ark of God--if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again”--he will bring me again, ands “show me both it and his habitation”--the ark and the tabernacle. Not that he undervalued the privilege of a safe return. Religion is not founded on the destruction of humanity. We are not required to contemn the good things of nature and providence.
II. His faith in divine providence. David views his defeat or his success, his exile or his return, as suspended entirely on the will of God. He does not balance probabilities. Not that he acted the part of an enthusiast, and despised the use of means. This appears obviously from the measures he devised, especially his employing the counsel of Hushai. David knew it was easy for him to take wisdom from the wise, and courage from the brave; and to confound all his devices. He knelt also that it was equally easy for God to turn again his captivity.
III. He professes a full acquiescence in the disposal of the Almighty. “But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee: behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him.” Here are no imprecations of vengeance against seditious subjects, and a rebellious son; no bitter complaints of instruments; no “charging God foolishly”; no “teaching God knowledge.” He falls down at his feet wishing to be raised up, but willing to remain. He mourns, but he does not murmur. What helped to produce this disposition in David? There were two things in himself.
(1) The one was--a sense of his own unworthiness. A consciousness of our desert is necessary to our submission under the afflictive dispensations of Providence.
(2) The other was--his ignorance. For while the former convinced him that he had no right to choose, this persuaded him that he had no ability.
There were also two things in God which aided this acquiescence.
(1) First, his sovereignty. “Has he not a right to do what he wilt with his own?
(2) Secondly, his goodness. The authority of God awes us, But it is something else that produces the cheerfulness of submission. It is the principle which actuates him--which is love; it isthe end he has in view--which is our profit: It is a belief that, however things may be determined, with regard to our feelings--they “shall all work together for our good.” Let us be followers of David in this holy resignation of ourselves to the pleasure of God.
1. It will be very advantageous to yourselves. Now this acquiescence in the will of God is the preparation of the Gospel of peace, with which you are to be shod: Thus prepared, you may travel on through the wilderness. To vary and enlarge the metaphor--impatience turns the rod into a scorpion. While the yoke presses the neck, patience lines it with down; and enables the man to say, It is good for me to bear it.
2. Nothing can be more honourable to religion. To surrender ourselves to the Divine disposal is the purest act of obedience: to subdue our unruly passions is the greatest instance of heroism. It ennobles the possessor. It renders him a striking character. (W. Jay.)
When God’s will is ours
That is the perfection of a man’s nature when his will fits on to God’s like one of Euclid’s triangles super-imposed upon another, and line for line coincides. When his will allows a free passage to the will of God, without resistance, as light travels through transparent glass; when his will responds to the touch of God’s finger upon the keys, like the telegraphic needle to the operator’s hand; then man has attained all that God and religion can do for him, all that his nature is capable of. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The trial-bearing force of spiritual religion
In this chapter David and Absalom appear as the embodiments and representatives of two opposite principles of action:-love of power, and love of God. In Absalom you have the one, and in David the rather. The love of power is an element in our spiritual constitution, implanted for benevolent purposes; and when properly directed, like all other native principles, subserves the most important ends. Like fire or water, as a servant it is a great blessing, but as a master, a great curse. When it grows into a passion, ascends the throne, and grasps the sceptre, it puts down conscience, and turns the man into a ruthless tyrant; ever ready to violate all the laws and trample on all the rights of his species. It has gained this power now in the breast of Absalom; and four evils of character are here developed as the consequence:--
1. Filial rebellion. Inspired by this ambitious impulse, Absalom now east off the authority of David, not only as his sovereign, but as his parent.
2. Mean-spiritedness. In order to gain his ends see what mean manoeuvres he adopts; he rises early in the morning, he goes “beside the way of the gate,” where men resorted to have their social disputes settled by the judgment of the king; and here he clandestinely endeavours to undermine his father’s authority with the people, and to insinuate himself into their affections. Oh! the weakness of the people to be thus cajoled. Yet it has ever been so. Let a prince shake the people by the hand, as Absalom did, and they will forget their own self-respect, their grievances, and even his tyrannies, and follow him. The people must have a higher moral education” before they can obtain a better govermnent.
3. Religious hypocrisy. Under the pretence of paying a vow which he had promised to render unto the Lord in Hebron. “I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow,” &c. (2Sa_15:7-9.) Wicked men have often sought and won their wicked ends in the holy name of religion.
4. Underhanded cunning. “And Absalom sent spies throughout all tribes of Israel,” &c. (2Sa_15:10-12.) In striking and glorious contrast with this, we have the principle of love of God, or spiritual religion, developed in the character of David, before us.
I. Spiritual religion engages the supreme attention of the soul under trial. Two facts will illustrate this.
1. That whatever subject has the most power to draw away the mind from itself, will always be effective in supporting it under trials. The depressing influence of a trial depends greatly upon the amount of attention which the man gives to it.
2. Of all subjects, religion has the most power to draw sway the mind from itself. David felt more interest in the ark now than he felt in the loss of his throne, the wreck of his kingdom, the peril of his life. And so the good man ever feels in his religion.
II. That spiritual religion recognizes God’s superintendence under trial.
1. He regarded it as personal. If “I shall find favour.”
2. He regarded it as being sovereign. If “I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me again.”
3. He regarded it as being adequate. If it is agreeable to His rains, “He will bring me again.” He has the power to do so. All that is required is His will.
III. That spiritual religion identifies man’s will with God’s, under trial. But if He thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth Him good.” A thorough surrender of oar being and will to God is the first duty of all intelligences, and the necessary condition of all true progress in power and blessedness. (Homilist.)
Meek submission to Divine chastisement
“Before corn can be ripened it needeth all kinds of weather. The husbandman is glad of showers as well as sunshine; rainy weather is troublesome, but sometimes the season requireth it.” Even so the various conditions of man’s life are needful to ripen him for the life to come. Sorrows and joys, depressions and exhilarations, have all their part to play in the completion of the Christian character. Were one grief of a believer’s career omitted it may be he would never be prepared for heaven: the slightest change might mar the ultimate result. It is our wisdom to believe in the infallible prudence which arranges all the details of a believing life. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Faith in troublous times
Not when the sun shines, but when the tempest blows and the wind howls about his ears, a man gathers his cloak round him, and cleaves fast to his supporter. The midnight sea lies all black; but when it is cut into by the oar, or divided and churned by the paddle, it flashes up into phosphorescence. And so it is from the tumults and agitations of man’s spirit that there is struck out the light of man’s faith. There is the bit of flint and the steel that comes hammering against it; and it is the contact of these two that brings out the spark. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
