he darkens the character of Saul, and loads David with praises. But we are in danger of carrying it yet further, for we think of God as a far purer being than this Israelite's Yahweh was to him. If we say that God willed that David should succeed Saul, because he was a prince more nearly after His heart, we cannot help thinking of David as nobler than Saul; whereas the writer of this story half-unconsciously started from the belief that whichever turned out to be the stronger must be the one whom Yahweh had chosen. Let us ever be on our guard against this idea. In this world the crown of victory is often worn by sin, and the side that is worsted for the time is often the side of God.

دو

In this story, as well as in that of the rejection of Saul, some fine thoughts are well expressed. We are struck by the words, "Man judges by the outward show, but Yahweh looks within; " that is to say, "The world, as a rule, values a rich, handsome, powerful man above a poor, deformed, and weak one; but Yahweh judges a man by his heart, by the measure of his righteousness.' This is nobly said; but it is curious to notice how, when Saul is chosen king, our attention is fixed upon his physical superiority. Samuel points out his great stature, and says to the people, "See what a king Yahweh has chosen; for there is not his like among all the people.' 99 1 Even our writer himself, though he has just declared that Yahweh thinks only of that which is within, cannot help telling us with delight of David's fair complexion, beautiful eyes, and noble appearance, when first he brings him upon the stage. His instincts were too strong for his convictions!

Our story tells us that the spirit of Yahweh left Saul, and that an evil spirit sent by Yahweh troubled him. This points to a change for the worse in Saul's character; and it is a fact that his life is divided into two periods, in the latter of which he appears in a much less favorable light than in the former. The change did not take place suddenly, nor was it the result of Samuel's journey to Bethlehem; but it came about gradually, and can be explained without much difficulty from the special circumstances of the case. We have already seen that Saul was at first a zealous partisan of Samuel's school, but that he afterwards changed his policy. He saw that if he continued his jealous defence of Yahweh's glory in the mode encouraged by the fanaticism of the prophets he would soon bring Israel to destruction, and 1 1 Samuel x. 23, 24. 2 See p. 492.

he was therefore compelled gradually to change his tactics, to live at peace with the Canaanites, to tolerate heathen practices, and to relax to some extent his strenuous efforts to enforce the full demands of Yahweh in all their rigor. His character suffered greatly by this change; not so much because he incurred the displeasure of the prophets as because he was acting more or less against the conviction of his own conscience. If the prophetic rapture had been altogether outside his own experience, if he had been of a naturally cool and calculating disposition, he would have been able to bear the fanatical opposition of his old allies far better. But Saul was of a highly-wrought and passionate temperament. Hitherto the stormy violence of his nature had expressed itself in zeal for Yahweh's glory, but now this vent was closed against it by the dictates of prudence. The fire, thus confined, could not but break through in some other direction, and reveal itself in bursts of frenzy. And, again, what is harder to bear than the opposition of former friends, especially when their opinions still find an echo in our hearts in spite of ourselves?

Neither music nor anything else could avail in the long run to divert these bursts of madness. The evil was too deep-rooted. If Saul could be at peace once more with himself and with the policy he found himself pursuing, if his bloodthirsty zeal for Yahweh could be transformed into a holy zeal for God, then, but then only, would the demon depart from him. As it was, his moral nature could not bear the strain of these two hostile forces tearing him two ways his fanatical zeal for Yahweh, and his rational love of his people.

“A1

CHAPTER XXVIII.

JONATHAN AND DAVID.

1 SAMUEL XVII. 1-XVIII. 4, XVIII. 17-XX.

LL the time that Saul was king the war between the Israelites and the Philistines was raging fiercely; and Saul endeavored, as far as he could, to collect all the heroes round his person." These are the concluding words of the account of the first victory which Saul gained over

the Philistines through the valor of Jonathan,1 and they serve to connect that story with the one that follows.

War had broken out again. The Philistines had led their troops into the field, and had penetrated to Shochoh. a city of Judah, where their progress had been stayed by the Israelite army. The two camps were separated only by a singie valley. One army was encamped on each of the opposing slopes, but neither dared to quit its own position and endeavor to storm that of the enemy. After a time, however, a certain Goliath of Gath advanced as a champion from the Philistine ranks. He was a terrible opponent: six ells and a span (nearly ten feet) in height, his head cased in a brazen helmet, a scaled coat of mail, weighing five thousand shekels (about three quarters of a hundredweight), on his breast, his legs protected by brazen greaves, a war-mace of the same material hanging between his shoulders, the shaft of his spear like a weaver's beam, and its head weighing more than six hundred shekels. His armor-bearer carried a huge shield before him.' Such was the dread champion who stepped from the ranks of the Philistines and scornfully cried to the Israelites, "Why draw yourselves up in battle array? Am not I a Philistine, and are not all you servants of Saul? Choose a champion, then, and let him come out and face me! If he can slay me, then we will submit to you; but if I prevail, you shall serve us.' So cried the Philistine; and when he saw that none of the Israelites would venture on single combat with him, he broke into contemptuous taunts. "Dare you not? I defy the armies of Israel! Come, choose your man, for I am ready." But no one dared to accept his challenge. All the heroes that surrounded Saul felt their hearts sink within them when they looked upon the giant. Every day he came out again and uttered bitter taunts, "forty days" long.

His

Such was the state of things when a certain David arrived at the camp of Israel. He was the son of a Bethlehemite named Jesse, who was already far advanced in years. three elder brothers, Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah, were serving in Saul's army; whereas he himself, being the youngest, had remained at home. In consequence of no one's accepting the challenge of Goliath, the campaign had been dragged out until Jesse was sure his sons would want more provisions, for each soldier had to provide for himself. Accordingly he sent David with an ephah (about half

1 1 Samuel xiv. 52.

a bushel) of parched corn and ten loaves of bread for his brothers, besides ten pieces of cheese as a present for their captain. He was also to ask after their welfare, and see whether they were in want of anything.1 It was morning when he reached the army of the Israelites, closely beset by the foe, and the soldiers were just being drawn out in battle array. David left the provisions in charge of the keepers of the baggage, went to the front, found his brothers, and asked after their welfare. As they were standing together talking, the giant advanced again and hurled his boastful defiance at the Israelites. Mortified, humiliated, and amazed, David inquired what all this meant, and was soon informed how scornfully the Philistine champion dared the Israelite army to battle, and what magnificent promises the king had made to any one who should succeed in slaying him; how he would load him with riches, give him his daughter to wife, and release his whole family from military duties. "What!" exclaimed David, "Is the man who slays this Philistine to receive so much? Is so great a reward to be given for so small a service? What is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the army of the living God?" On repeating his question again and again he always received the same answer, till at last his language attracted the attention of several of the Israelites, and amongst them of Eliab, his eldest brother. Eliab resented the contemptuous tone in which his young brother spoke, and said, "What have you come here for? To see the battle, I suppose! Why did you not stay to look after the sheep? I know you well. You are capable of any piece of madness." "Why, surely," answered David, "there is no harm in asking! You need not be so angry." Upon this he went to another part of the camp, saw the Philistine again, heard the horror-stricken soldiers speak about him, found himself less and less able to contain his Indignation, and gave out more and more distinctly and decidedly that he at least had courage to accept the challenge. At length the news reached Saul that there was a young man in the camp who seemed inclined to undertake the combat, and accordingly David was led into the royal presence.

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1

No sooner was he brought before Saul than he cried out, in a burst of warlike zeal, "Let not my liege's heart fail him because of this Philistine! I will go out and fight with him." But Saul hesitated to accept him as Israel's cham

1 After an amended version.

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pion. "Do you know what you are doing?" he asked. Surely you are no match for him! You are but a lad, and he has been trained to war from his youth." But David answered, "It is no mere folly in me to dare to do this thing; for once when I was pasturing my father's flocks, we were surprised by a lion, and he stole one of the sheep. So I gave him chase, and struck at him till he let go the sheep. Then he turned round upon me; but I seized him by the throat and throttled him. And another time I did the same to a bear. I have conquered a lion and a bear, and surely this Philistine is no stronger than they were! Why should not I go out and lay him low, and take away the shame of Israel? For who is this uncircumcised wretch, that he should dare to insult the army of the living God? Yahweh defended me against the lion and the bear, and he will bring me back as scathless from the battle with this Philistine." Saul's hesitation was now completely overcome. He saw that however young his champion might be, he was no mere reckless boy. With the words, "Go! and may Yahweh help you! he accepted David's championship. In order to give the young hero every chance, Saul wished to equip him with his own armor and his own weapons. David allowed himself to be thus prepared for the battle, but when he had placed the helmet on his head and the armor on his limbs, and had girt the sword to his side, he found that these unaccustomed arms so encumbered his movements that, after a second trial,1 he laid them aside. So he went to meet the Philistine in his own dress, in which he felt at ease, his shepherd's staff in his hand, five smooth stones in his wallet, and no weapon but his sling. A stream of curses poured from the savage lips of his opponent when he saw him approach. What! a fair-fleshed, blooming boy with nothing but a stick in his hand, to be matched with him, armed as he was from head to foot, and with his shield-bearer at his side! "Am I a dog?" he cried in fury. "Come near, and as sure as Dagon lives I will give your flesh to the wolves and vultures!" "Nay," answered David, "but that fate is yours and your countrymen's, for you have insulted the armies of Israel's God. You trust in sword and lance and shield, but I repose on Yahweh's might. This day shall it be seen that victory waits not on the strength of arms, but on Yahweh's will alone."

1 After an amended version.