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nation of Christ contains a treasure of secrets, rather rever ently to be adored like the ark, than too curiously searched into; for we see that God was jealous for his honour, and would not suffer the ark to be profaned, nor his commandment to be broken, without inflicting a punishment.

"Even he smote of the people fifty thousand and three score and ten men."]-This account of the numbers smitten is expressed in a very unusual manner in the original, which besides the improbability that there should be so many guilty and so many slain, occasions many learned men to question whether we take the matter right. In the original it is, He smote in (or among) the people, three score and ten men; fifty thousand men.' The Syriac and Arabic read it, five thousand and seventy men. The Chaldee reads it, seventy men of the elders, and fifty thousand of the common people. Seventy men as valuable as fifty thousand, so some, because they were priests. Some think the seventy men were the priests. Some think the seventy men were the Beth-shemites that were slain for looking into the ark, and the fifty thousand were those that were slain by the ark, in the land of the philistines. He smote sevenly men, that is, fifty out of a thousand; so some understand it. The Septuagint read it much as we do, he smote seventy men, and fifty thousand men.' Josephus says, only seventy were

smitten.

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The terror that was struck upon the men of Bethshemesh, by this severe stroke, was great. They said, as well they might, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" ver. 20. Some think it speaks their murmuring against God, as if he had dealt hardly and unjustly with them. Instead of quarrelling with themselves, and their own sins, they quarrelled with God and his judgments; as "David was displeased," in a case not much unlike, 2 Sam. vi. 8, 9. I rather think it speaks their awful and reverent adoration of God, as the Lord God, as a holy Lord God, and as a God before whom none is able to stand. This they infer from that tremendous judgment, Who is able to stand before the God of the ark? To stand before God to worship him, blessed be his name, is not impossible; we are, through Christ, invited, encouraged, and enabled, to do it; but to stand before God, to contend with him, we are not able. Who is able to stand before the throne of his immediate glory, and look full upon it? 1 Tim. vi. 16. Who is able to stand before the tribunal of his inflexible justice, and make his part good there? Psalm cxxx. 3.

exliii. 2. Who is able to stand before the arm of his voked power, and either resist or bear the strokes of it? Psalm 1xxvi. 7.

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CHAPTER VII.

In this chapter we have, (1.) The eclipsing of the glory of the ark, by its privacy in Kirjath-jearin for many years, ver. 1, 2. (2.) The appear ing of the glory of Samuel in his public services for the good of Israel, to whom he was raised np to be a judge, and that he was the last that bore that character. This chapter gives all the account we have of him, when he was in the prime of his time; for what we had before was in his childhood, chap. ii. aud iii. what we have of him after be was in his old age, chap. viii. 1. We have him here active, (1.) In the reformation of Israel from their idolatry, ver. 3, 4. (2.) In the reviving of religion among them, ver. 5, 6. (3.) In praying for them against the invading philistines, ver. 7, 8, 9. over whom God, in answer to his prayer, gave them a glorious victory, ver. 10, 11 (4.) In erecting a thankful memorial of that victory, ver. 12. (5.) In improvement of that victory, ver. 13, 14. (6.) In the administration of justice, ver. 15-17. And these were the things for which God was preparing and designing him, in the early vouchsafements of his grace to him.

VER. 1. "And sanctified Eleazar his son, to keep the ark of the Lord."]-Which was not to minister before the ark, for that was to be done by the high priest alone, with the ark in the most holy place, and not then without blood: and by Eleazar's keeping the ark, it seems that he was consecrated as a guards-man, or watch, to keep the ark from being seized by the enemy, or looked into by any of the Israelites. The Lord will always find a residence for his ARK, for when Christ and his salvation are despised by one house, people, or city, the Lord will open the hearts of others to receive his name, Acts xiii. 46, 48.

Ver. 2. "And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord."]-That is, when Israel went up to Shiloh to worship: the altar of incense and sacrifice and the tabernacle were only there, but there was no ark, no mercy-seat, to enquire of the Lord, which made it matter of lamenta tion. The ordinances of God's house, without his presence and glory therein, are like the sacrifices under the law without the ark, which was the glory of all. The christian's greatest lamentation is the loss of the Lord's presence, in hearing, reading, prayer, and meditation.

Ver. 4. "And served the Lord only."]-The_only proof of the truth of our faith and sincere love to the Lord, is to worship and serve him according to his word; for that professor, who will not part with all his idols for the Lord, cannot be said to love the Lord, or serve him in truth.

Ver. 9." And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him."]-This shews the blessing of a praying person in the church, and that though the Lord has appointed mercies for his people, yet he will be sought unto to do it for them.

Ver. 12. "And called the name of it Eben-ezer.”. That is, the stone of help; which stone was set up as a memorial of the great deliverance which the Lord had wrought for Israel: how many Eben-ezers and stones of help may we set up, for the appearances of his mercy, as a God of providence, and as a covenant God of grace, in times of distress, darkness, and tribulation.

Ver. 17. "And there Samuel built an altar unto the Lord."]-Not as a priest, or in contempt of the altar of incense, or burnt-offering, which the Lord had commanded, but a prophet, and to preserve the honour of God in his family, that as he was devoted to the Lord, and while young employed in the service of God, so he would shew his zeal therein to the end of his days: and it was usual for the men of God to build altars to the Lord where they dwelt; thus did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

CHAPTER VIII.

Things went so very well with Israel, in the chapter before, under Samuel's administration, that, methinks, it is a pity to find him so quickly, as we do in this chapter, old, and going off, and things working towards a revolution. But so it is; Israel's good days seldom continue long. We have here, (1.) Samuel decaying, ver. 1. (2.) His sons degenerating, ver. 2, 3. (3.) Israel discontented at the present government, and fond to see a change. For, 1. They petition Samnel to set a king over them, ver. 4, 5. 2. Samuel brings the matter to God, ver. 6. 3. God directs him what answer to give them, by way of reproof, ver. 7, 8. And by way of remonstrance, setting forth the consequences of a change of the government, and how uneasy they would soon be under it, ver. 9-18. 4. They insist upon their petition, ver. 19, 20. 5. Samuel promiseth them, from God, that they shall shortly be gratified, ver. 21, 22. Thus hard is it for the people to know when they are well.

VER. 7. "For they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. ']

It was the Lord's sovereign will and pleasure to reign and rule over his people Israel, as their God and guide, and particularly in raising up governors and rulers over them; which has been called a theocracy, that is, a divine government, because it was immediately under God, and by his direction but such was the rebellion and discontent of the people, and their propensity to the manners of the nations around them, that they said, "Give us a king to judge us,' ver. 5. which desire was a breach of God's cornmand, Numb. xxiii. 2. and a despising his government over them though God granted them their request, it was in displeasure; which shews how dreadful it is to be given up to vanity of mind to wander from the Lord, to despise his authority, and to cleave to the ways of the world. Hence observe, that it is happy for the christian to be denied the request of his own heart when it is not grounded upon the word and promise of God.

Ver. 19. “ And they said, nay; but we will have a king over us."]-After that Samuel had rehearsed in the ears of the people that their desire was displeasing to the Lord, that it was rebellion to his commands, and would bring them into a state of captivity; yet they said, "Nay, but we will have a king over us : which is figurative of the perverseness of our nature, and the rebellion of our wills against the will of God in the dispensations of his providence, when they run contrary to our desires.

CHAPTER IX.

Samuel had promised Israel, from God, that they should have a king; it is strange, that the next news is not of candidates setting up for the government, making an interest in the people, or recommending themselves to Samuel, and, by him, to God, to be put in nomination. Why doth not the prince of the tribe of Judah, whoever he is, look about him now, remembering Jacob's entail of the sceptre on that tribe? Is there never a bold aspiring man in Israel, to say, I will be king, if God will choose me? No, noue appears, whether it is owing to a culpable mean spiritedness, or a laudable humility, I know not; but sure it is what can scarce be paralleled in the history of any kingdom; a crown, such a crown, set up, and nobody bids for it. Most governments began, in the ambition of the prince to rule, but Israel's in the ambition of the people to be ruled. Had any of those elders, which petitioned for a king, afterwards petitioned to be king, I should have suspected that person's ambition to have been at the bottom of the motion; but now (let them have the praise of what was good in them, it was not so much) God having, in the law, undertaken to choose their king, Deut. xvii. 15. they all sit still fil they hear from heaven; and that they do in this chapter, which

begins the story of Saul, their first king, and, by strange steps of providence, brings him to Samuel, to be anointed privately, and so to be prepared for an election by lot, and a public commendation to the people, which follows in the next chapter. Here is, 1. A short account of Saul's parentage and person, ver. 1, 2. 2. A large and particular account of the bringing of him to Samuel, to whom he had been before altogether a stranger. (1.) God, by revelation, had bid Samuel expect him, ver. 15, 16. (2.) God, by providence, led him to Samuel, 1. Being sent to seek his father's asses, he was at a loss, ver. 3-5. 2. By the advice of his servaut, he determined to consult Samuel, ver. 6-10. 3. By the direction of the young maidens, he found him out, ver. 11-14. 4. Samnel, being informed of God cou cerning him, ver. 17. treated him with respect in the gate, ver. 18— 21. in the dining-room, ver. 22-24. and, at length, in private, where he prepared him to hear the surprising news that he must be king, ver. 25--27. And these beginnings had been very hopeful and promising, if it had not been, that the sin of the people was the spring of this great affair.

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VER. 6. "Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man."]-Observe the titles of the prophet: he is called, "a man of God;" that is, one that was highly favoured by God with his presence, and the revelation of his mind and will: he was also an honourable man" in his walk, deportment, and conduct, and was of an honourable name and character; and it should be the earnest desire of every minister and servant of the Lord to obtain such a character; for their employment is truly honourable and great; which should ever render the ministring servants of the Lord honourable in the esteem of the people, 1 Thess. v. 13.

Ver. 9. "For he that is now called a prophet, was before-time called a seer."]-That is, a seeing man. Note, they that undertake to speak to others of the things of God, ought to be seeing men, whose understandings are opened by the Lord to see and discern his mind and will, as it is revealed in his word, that thereby they may give a word of direction to the enquiring mind, of comfort to the mourning soul, and of relief to such as are dejected in spirit; for every gospel minister should be a spiritual SEER in Israel.

Ver. 12. "For there is a sacrifice of the people to-day in the high place."]-In the Hebrew feast it was lawful for holy prophets, immediately inspired, to offer sacrifices, especially peace-offerings, and sacrifices of thanksgiving, upon extraordinary occasions, upon altars erected in other places besides the tabernacle, 1 Sam. vii. 9. xvi. 5. See Judg. xxi. 4. especially at this time, when the ark, which was, as it were, the chief part of the tabernacle, was not in it. But it seems that this sacrifice here spoken of was

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