_Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David._ PROGRESS AND TERMINATION OF THE CIVIL WAR What grief tales of distress are folded up in these brief words, “There was long war!” Probably it was only irregular war, without much bloodshed; the war of skirmish and surprise, n... [ Continue Reading ]
_To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul._ THE TRANSLATION OF LIFE The kingdom was to pass from the house of Saul to the house of David, and David was to be king “over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” The thought is that kingdoms of an earthly kind change hands, and there... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now then do it._ NOW THEN DO IT I. Remind undecided persons of former impulses. 1. The character and frequency of those impulses have varied greatly in different individuals. 2. These impulses have been usual in you at certain times, and these find a parallel in the case of Israel. These Israeli... [ Continue Reading ]
_Died Abner as a fool dieth?_ THE FOOL’S DEATH There are two or three different renderings of our text. Some take it thus--“Died Abner as a wicked man?” And then the answer is, “No, he did not. He fell by the foul hand of deliberate and deceitful murder.” Others render the text--“Shall Abner die li... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters._ THE MORAL OF AFFLICTION I. What there is in the text expressive of afflictive scenes. 1. Let us observe, that the text contains the speech, which was made at the grave of a very respectable person. 2. The next thing observable in the tex... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people._ “THE KING CAN DO NO WRONG” I. First, then, wherever it is the case that whatsoever the king doeth pleases all the people, this is the outflow of love; and as it is the case with our King, that whatsoever He does pleases all His people, we can truly... [ Continue Reading ]
_Know are not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?_ A GREAT MAN As we review the history of the world, we see it dividing itself into three stages. In the first stage, power is magnified, force is deified, the great man is represented as a sort of Hercules, with his lio... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am this day weak, though anointed king._ BALANCINGS IN LIFE David utters the words which hint at something concerning the balancings in life. I. Some disappointment is sure to follow upon the attainment of our hopes and to intermingle with our joys. Men struggle for riches all life long, and w... [ Continue Reading ]