God to come down from his rocky fastness into the lower lands of Judah. The command must have tried his faith, but he did not hesitate to obey, and took shelter in the forest of Hareth, a place not now to be found, as no woods remain in Judea. The benefit of his obedience soon appears, for he learnt what would hardly have come to his ears in the rocks to the eastward, that the Philistines, profiting by Saul's madness and the people's disunion, were besieging Keilah, a fortified city in the lowlands of Judah on their border, and devastating the country round, especially the threshing-floors where the corn was collected after harvest..

The spirit of the warrior who had “slain his ten thousands " awoke within David. He inquired of the Lord, probably through Gad, and received his bidding to go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah. His men would have hung back, doubting their own strength, but the answer of the Lord was repeated, and the sudden attack of the 400 outlaws routed and dismayed the Philistines, and rescued Keilah. It seems to have been here that Abiathar the priest came to him with the Urim and Thummim, and he had recourse to this sacred mode of inquiry, when Saul, hearing of his deliverance of Keilah, thought himself secure of severing him when shut into the city. David made inquiries whether the people of Keilah whom he had saved could be trusted not to surrender him to the King, and received for answer that they would certainly deliver him up. He therefore was obliged to leave the place and continue his wanderings. From this time began that wonderful life of his, haunting the hills and forests, defending the Israelites from all their enemies, whether Philistine or Amalekite robbers, and though continually hunted by the King, never lifting a hand against him, but honouring him as the Lord's anointed, and even loving him for what he once had been, through all. Many exceedingly 'brave men joined him, among them another of the priestly family, whose exploits are thus described :

:

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow :

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

Moreover, a brave company of Gadites swam the Jordan to join David; and likewise a band of the men of Judah, under his nephew Amasai, and even some Benjamites.

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains.

These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.

And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

LESSON LXXVII.

THE TREACHERY OF THE ZIPHITES.

B.C. 1059.-1 SAM. xxiii. 14-28.

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David

hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? *

Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.

And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion

on me.

Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.

See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed + David and his men round about to take them.

But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

COMMENT. After leaving Keilah, David found a shelter in a wild tract, still called Tell Ziph, not far from Hebron; and here, while Saul was seeking him everywhere, Jonathan contrived one more loving meeting with him, comforting him for the being put above him with the assurance, "I shall be next unto thee." But the men of Ziph gave Saul information where David was, and he came with a great army, and had surrounded the whole district where David was lurking, when the tidings came that there was a Philistine invasion, and he was obliged to hurry away to make head against the enemy. Again the deliverance was providential, and David gave thanks for it in the 54th Psalm, which shows how keenly his loving spirit felt unkindness and treachery, and how strong his trust was.

Save me, O God, by thy name,

And judge me by thy strength.
Hear my prayer, O God;

Give ear to the words of my mouth.

*The Wilderness

+ Surrounded.

The rock of escapings.

For strangers are risen up against me,
And oppressors seek after my soul:
They have not set God before them.
Behold, God is mine helper:

The LORD is with them that uphold my soul.
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies:
Cut them off in thy truth.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee :

I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
For he hath delivered me out of all trouble :

And mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies.

David speaks of the Ziphites as treating him as a stranger, and thus foretells how the Romans should join with Herod and the Chief Priests in besetting the true Messiah, and cutting Him off from the face of the earth.

And to us he has left a verse of precious praise: “I will praise thy name, because it is so comfortable”—as it stands in the Prayerbook. Like David, through all troubles and adversities, may the praise of our God ever be our comfort. Our translation has put in the word desire into the last verse; but good critics tell us that this is a mistake, and that the meaning is, that, while comforted by the Lord, the Psalmist can look on his enemies without fear or dismay.

LESSON LXXVIII.

THE CAVE OF ENGADDI.

B.C. 1059.-1 SAMUEL Xxiii. 29; xxiv.

And David went up, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.

And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

*

And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in: and David and his men remained in the sides of the

cave.

And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the

* Folds built up with stones.

LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.*

And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine band against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed.

Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.

The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

As saith the proverb of the ancients, + Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

:

After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.

For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.

And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

* Secretly.

The saying of old time.