There is great force in the entreaty of the apostle to the Corinthians— “We beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” —based, as it is, on the fullest presentation of the gospel in the three preceding chapters (2 Cor. 6:11We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1)). To the upright in heart such pleading for practical godliness will not be disregarded, neither will instruction by example be unwelcome. In this way a true biography is often helpful, but to be true it must be inspired. In the scriptures the saints of God are not screened, and the brightest may serve as a warning as well as an example.
David was rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord and celebrating his praise in the happy strains of Psa. 34, when a question of every-day life brought to light that he was not, as to it, guided by the will of God. Let us not on this account question his sincerity. It is possible to receive and enjoy truth and sing to the Lord with a heart filled with a sense of His love, and yet to discover soon after that faith is not up to the requirements of the truth enjoyed. While this should humble us, it affords an opportunity for the display of the unwearied grace of God and leads to prayer for a truer condition before Him. The question that came before David in Adullam was one of duty. His aged father and mother sought his protection. Could they bear the dangers and hardships which were before him? Should he, to spare them, seek a quieter sphere than could be found in the land of Israel? He was not ignorant of the purpose of God in taking him from the sheep-cot and from following the sheep; and, since he could sing so heartily of His grace, why not also ask to be shown His way? Called, as he was, to occupy in due time the throne of Israel, every step he took was either for or against his calling. No principle is more simple or more insisted on than this for Christians (2 Peter 1:1010Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (2 Peter 1:10)). Let their confession of the grace of God be ever so full, clear, and joyous, they will miss their way in the midst of the pressing claims and perplexing questions of this life if they lose sight of their high destiny, of their calling of God to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. This is the declared end and purpose of God in bestowing His love upon them. He has made them His children, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We need to remind ourselves of this; for wisdom, as well as strength, is needed that we may live for this end, and against everything, whether in the church or out of it, inconsistent with it.
Saul had abandoned the responsibilities of his calling for self-gratification: shall David his for the sake of his parents? The importance of the question is our plea for dwelling on it; for duties and cares may lead a true soul astray when mere self-seeking would alarm it. Now the claims of natural affection are not to be refused: scripture maintains them (Ex. 20:1212Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12), 1 Tim. 5:88But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)). They must, however, be subordinate to the higher claims of Him Who created all things for His pleasure. Neither the dead nor the living, however dear, must be allowed to interfere (Luke 9:59-6159And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. (Luke 9:59‑61)). He must be first, and all needed things will be added.
David, in the joy of his heart, had said in this psalm,
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me:
I will teach you the fear of the LORD;”
and again,
“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,
And his ears are open to their cry;”
yet he turned away from what he knew was “the inheritance of the LORD” (compare 1 Sam. 26:1919Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. (1 Samuel 26:19)) and sought help in his difficulty from idolatrous Moab. This was neither the fear nor the way of the LORD. It was the way of nature. Jesse was the grandson of Ruth the Moabitess; how natural then, and convenient also, for his son to seek an asylum there, and this he did. “He said to the king of Moab, Let my father and mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you till I know what God will do for me.” Having got thus into Moab, he and his followers are next found “in hold” there; for to leave the path of God is easier than to return to it, and how many have left it for the sake of their families, who would not for their own.
From 2 Sam. 8:22And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. (2 Samuel 8:2) we learn that, when upon the throne of Israel, friendship could no longer be maintained between David and the Moabites. They were the enemies of Jehovah and of His people. Even Saul knew it (1 Sam. 14:4747So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. (1 Samuel 14:47)), wiser in this than the children of light. How painfully inconsistent therefore was this seeking their good offices in the time of trouble whereas he must deal in judgment with them, when in power! Serious thought! And what can be more inconsistent than for the saints of God, who will assuredly be assessors with Christ when in righteousness He shall judge the world, to seek its friendship now in order to secure its momentary patronage and protection! And when this is done by those who say “Hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord” the inconsistency is greater still. That the saints will judge the world is distinctly stated in 1 Cor. 6:22Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1 Corinthians 6:2). It is the subject of the earliest prophecy, and is found with much minuteness of detail in the latest (Jude 14, 1514And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 14‑15), Rev. 19:22For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (Revelation 19:2) to 20:4). It cheered Israel in captivity (Dan. 7:2727And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel 7:27)), and is set before the churches by the Lord Himself for the encouragement of the faithful in the time of apostacy (Rev. 2:26, 2726And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Revelation 2:26‑27)).
There is, however, more than inconsistency. Jehovah of hosts was the God of Israel. “Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by Jehovah, the shield of my help, and Who is the sword of thy excellency!” Moab had another god and magnified himself against Jehovah (Jer. 48). In the expressive language of the prophet, “his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.” What could there be in common between David and the king of Moab? And what can there be in common between the world and the servants of Christ, when its friendship is enmity with God? Is not the gospel a witness that, notwithstanding the fullest display of the love of God in Christ, the world is still opposed? Why beseech men to be reconciled to God if they are so? Moab for its own ends may smile on David, but it is Moab still. And the world may bestow its favors, its patronage, and protection on Christians, if they sink so low as to solicit them; but it is the world still, with its own god, its own aims, objects, and interests, and alas! to add, its own doom.
There was a difference truly, between David's flight to Gath in thorough distrust of God, and his turning to Moab for the sake of his aged parents. To deliver him from Gath, he was humiliated before the Philistines. To restore him from Moab, the Lord, in sovereign grace, intervened by the prophet Gad, that is, by his word. He said to him, “Abide not in the hold, depart and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed and came into the forest of Hareth.” At this time Saul was giving way to frightful excesses. Hearing that David was in Judah, he at once held a council with his servants to take him! and this led to the horrible slaughter of the priests through the treachery of Doeg. David seemed to be putting himself in his power, but the authority of God's word was supreme. He knew well that obedience meant his giving up a position of apparent quietness and facing persecution, danger, and distress; yet he obeyed, and in the wilderness of Judah and its caves, he composed some of the most instructive and beautiful of his psalms. He has thus strengthened the faith of those who have taken the path of God in this evil world, a path so clearly enjoined in His word (2 Cor. 6:2, 14-182(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)
14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑18); 2 Tim. 2:1919Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2 Timothy 2:19), 2 John 10, 1110If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 10‑11), Rev. 18:44And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)).
Psa. 57, 63, and 142. from their titles date from about this time, a time of intense peril, yet of unequaled blessing, for David. Saul's forces were greatly increased, and he was more determined than ever to seek out his prey and destroy him. David felt it keenly——
“Refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Lord;
I said, Thou art my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living” (142).
yet, let his enemies rage as they may, he was never more sensible of the boundless range of the power of the Most High God, or more simply dependent on Him for protection.
“I will cry unto God Most High,
Unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me
From the reproach of him that would swallow me up” (57.).
There was also the testimony of his conscience as to his path. He had followed no human judgment. He had obeyed the Lord, and to Him he could appeal as to that path—
“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path” (142.).
He could thus walk with God where there was nothing to ensnare. How unlike the path of nature! Before Goliath he was bold in “the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,” for then it was a question of power, and before many. Now, in the desert, it is one of love, of personal love, known and enjoyed in the soul when alone. “O God, thou art my God.” His song in the wilderness of Judah (Psa. 63) is thus full of beauty, but a beauty that only those will appreciate whose separation to God is a divine reality.
“Because thy loving kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise thee,
Thus will I bless thee while I live:
I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness;
And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips”
David had no such experiences in Moab. Christians may have much truth, profess much truth, and circulate much truth; but to live before God in the power and holy joy of the truth, they must be in a true path.