Whose Son Is This Youth
Table of Contents
Whose Son Is This Youth: No. 1
1 Sam. 17:55.
There were two characters in which Saul had known David. There was another in which he did not know him. There are two characters in which great numbers have known something of Christ, the antitype of David. There is another character in which they know not Christ. What were those characters in which Saul knew David?
He had known David as one who brought musical refreshment to him, and he had known him as his assistant. He had never known him, and he did not know him, as the complete savior. It will be a searching question—In which of these three characters do we know Christ?
In the end of chapter xvi. we find Saul troubled. "And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold, now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on an harp." David is sent for to take this place. " And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer.... And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."
It is therefore evident that Saul well knew David for his amusement. For this purpose " he loved him greatly;" and also as his assistant, or armor-bearer.
Do you ask, How can this be applied to us in this day? How? Isa. 1 t not the very picture of Christendom? Let us ask this grave-looking, religious man, as he walks to what he considers his place of worship. " Well, friend, where are you going this morning?" " I am going to my place of worship. I can assure you there is splendid music, and the best singing in the town.
After a week's worry, cheating, and being cheated, and all the trouble of conscience, it is so soothing to hear the sacred music; it does so refresh one, and drive evil thoughts from one—yes, I feel quite refreshed and well, and the trouble of mind is gone. And it is all sacred, all about Christ. I do love it greatly."
" Well, friend, but what about the salvation of your soul?"
"As to that, all I can say is, Christ is my helper (armor-bearer, like). I know I could not save myself without Him. I could not fight the battle of my salvation without my Armor bearer."
You may say, What can a man want more than this, to know Christ for refreshment, in sacred service of music and song, and as his helper in the great work of saving his soul?
Let us put another question or two. " Well, friend, we see you are delighted with your religion, for soothing, refreshment, and to help you in the battle of salvation. But do you know Jesus as your complete and eternal Savior! Have you redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of your sins? Do you know Him raised from the dead for your justification!
Do you know Him, at the right hand of God, as your unchanging righteousness? Do you know that you have eternal life in Him?”
As we have seen, Saul had known David as his amuser and helper; but he knew him not as the alone savior. And mark, the battle had not to be fought, but the battle had been fought and won by David alone, in the valley of Elah This is the great mistake of all who take Jesus as their helper, instead of their Savior.
Let us look at the shadow in this historical picture, and then at the substance, in the battle fought and won at Calvary. " David took an harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed," &c. But what a change takes place immediately in the next chapter, xvii.! The Philistines gather together to battle. The enemy musters his forces in the broad valley of Elah. In that valley there is no hand of David 'to refresh with sacred song, no David to help as armor-bearer. The terrible Goliath of Gath defies the armies of Israel. Saul and all Israel heard his words, and were dismayed, and greatly -afraid.
And what must be the state of that soul which has only known religion as Sunday refreshment, or Christ as a help and a make-up, in fighting his own battle for salvation: when suddenly, after returning from some soothing evensong or ritual, he finds the Philistines in the valley of death? He trembles with dismay and fear. The soothing melody of sacred music, the sweet notes of the organ, reach him not in the dark valley of death. Satan appears as his defier and accuser. The armies of his sins stare him in the face, and he is alone in the dark valley. He knows no Savior.
And if an army of those deceived with him stand by him, they are all dismayed with him, and afraid. None can help him. Not a man in Israel could meet the giant of Gath. " And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.” No man was found able to help Saul to fight the battle of his salvation. What a picture of a deceived professor brought into the valley of death! Assuredly, -reader, this will one day be your case, if you only know Christ for refreshment and help. Saul found not David here to play the harp, or to bear his armor. No, the anointed of God must be the complete Savior, or nothing.
How striking the details of this inspired picture! The father (Jesse), in his councils, determines to send his son to his brethren. God the Father, in the councils of eternity, determined to send His Son for His brethren in the vale of sin and death.
Forty days had Goliath presented himself, and all seemed lost, when David, the son, was sent from the mountains to the valley of Elah. There he alone met the power of the enemy. Alone he slew the defier of Israel; alone he fought, and won the battle. He was not the helper now of Saul, but the complete victor and savior. See him take the head of the Philistine, and he brought it to Jerusalem. He that descended alone into the valley of Elah now ascends out of the valley of death to the heights of Jerusalem. The work was done, the battle was won. There was the anointed David, the complete savior. There could not be a question, or a doubt, of it.
But Saul knew him not in this character, neither when he went forth to meet the giant, nor when he had slain him. Is this your condition? Do you neither know Jesus as the sent One of the Father, to meet the whole power and charge of Satan, to accomplish eternal salvation; nor as the risen and ascended victorious Christ at Gods right hand?
" When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said.... Abner, whose son is this youth?" Saul knew him not. Neither did Abner know him. "And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell." How many Abners would say the same now as to David's, greater King? Who is the mighty Savior, who came from heaven to fight the battle of our eternal salvation alone? How many would have to say, As such I know Him not!
Just, in like manner," as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand." Does Saul know him now? Not in the least. " And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man?” Now He who died the death of the cross, He who came down into the valley of Elah, this scene of sin and death, " that through death he might destroy him that had the power of deaths that is, the devil;" He who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, when He had by Himself made purgation for our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high! Do you know Him, or do you say, Who is He, and what does it all mean? Are you a stranger to that complete Savior, Jesus, the risen Christ?
Do you say, Well, I will pray to Him to help me to save my soul. Ah, there is the darkness of unbelief. Could Saul have asked David to help him to kill the giant, when David had killed him, and had his head in his hand? Could Saul ask David to go down into the valley of Elah, and help to save him? Impossible! It would have been a flat denial of the wondrous victory of the savior David. Here is the great mistake of the Sauls and the Abners of this day. They would gladly have Christ to help them, if unbelief is only allowed to doubt, and deny that the battle is won, the work once and forever done. " It is finished," Jesus said it in His last words on the cross. God has declared His full and eternal satisfaction, for He has raised Him from the dead. He, the alone Savior, was as distinctly seen by His disciples alive from the dead. He was seen as clearly ascending up to heaven. He was seen as distinctly in brightness above the light of the sun. All this is as clear to faith, to those who have not seen, but believed, as ever was David, the victorious, seen by Abner and Saul.
The whole question is this: the battle had been fought, and David had not to help Saul to light it. The battle of our salvation has been fought, and Christ has not to help us to fight it.
If we turn to a greatly perverted text," Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," and if we examine the context, we shall find it is not working for the salvation of the soul. This they had. They were called saints in Christ Jesus, and as holy ones, or saints, they were to practically manifest, work out, the eternal salvation they had. Oh, let not Satan use this scripture to lead you to think you can work out a salvation of your own, by his delusive, soothing music, and religious refreshment, and ritual performances; or that, if you will try and fight a little now and then, Christ will be your armor-bearer. Thus is Satan leading on the great mass of Christless profession in this day. May God awaken you to your fearful danger! If not, you will surely find your refreshment end in the gloomy valley of death. And there alone, in all the darkness and horror of death, having rejected the eternal salvation preached to you through the finished work of Christ, His death and resurrection—oh, who shall help you there? Can you expect Christ to help you, He whose complete salvation you have rejected? Be not deceived. It will be too late if the unbelieving eye is once closed in death, in the valley of Elah.
It will now be very blessed to turn to the contrast, as we find it in one whose eyes were opened to know David, not for refreshment merely on the harp, not to be the armor-bearer, or helper,, but to own him as the victorious savior.”
Whose Son Is This Youth: No. 2
1 Sam. 17:55.
In Jonathan we have the very opposite of Saul. Saul only knew David as his amuser—playing: on the harp, or his helper—as armor-bearer,. Jonathan knew him as the victorious saviors He, too, had been in the valley of Elah. He had found himself utterly helpless there to meet the power of the adversary: he had been sore afraid and amazed, like a man when he is brought to look death and judgment in the face, and he finds himself utterly helpless. Satan, the accuser,, brings the army of all his sins, like the Philistines in battle array. He cannot deny them. He is; guilty, he feels it, he owns it, yet finds no relief For forty days Jonathan had found no relief. Have you ever known the bitterness and horror of conviction, and death and everlasting judgment before you? Have you had your forty days?
Your fighting your own battle will not do now. The soft, soothing strains of music will not soothe your terrified conscience. But Jonathan now "saw David go forth against the Philistine."' With what intense interest he watched him! Yes, he saw David go forth alone to meet the adversary. He saw him take up those five smooth stones from the brook. He saw him take his sling. He heard those words of faith. He saw David put his hand in his bag, and take thence a stone: he saw the arm lifted up to sling: the stone is gone, the giant falls. "The stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed." He saw all this, and more, he saw him take the sword of the giant, and with his own sword cut off his head therewith. Could he have a single doubt as he saw David take the head of the Philistine and carry it to Jerusalem? He heard his fathers strange questions as David stood before him, with the giant's head in his hand.
As Jonathan saw David descend into the valley of Elah, and do this great work of victory, have you seen by faith the Son of God descend from the glory He had with the Father, to this valley of sin and death? Have you seen Him go to the cross, and there alone win the eternal victory for us? Was it not there, alone before God, He bore the wrath due to us? There He fought the battle for us, but all alone: we helped Him not. Hark to those words as He conquers in death: "It is finished." Yes, as finished as when the head was struck from Goliath of Gath. Could there be a question that it was finished, when David ascended to Jerusalem with his head in his hand? Can there be a question for you, if you see and believe that God hath raised up Jesus from the dead? Could Jonathan help, or could he ask David to help him to kill the giant? Surely not; it was done. Can you help Christ, or can you ask Him to help you to save your soul? Surely not; the work is done. And all is yours the moment you believe God. Yes, yours for eternity.
Now, what was the effect on Jonathan when he beheld the savior David before his eyes? " The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." And what will be the effect on you, if your eyes are open to behold the Savior Jesus? Your heart will be knit with the heart of Christ You will say, He loved me and gave Himself for me. You will sing, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen." Yes, unto Him be glory, will be now your every desire, and will mark your every action. Let us trace the picture a little further.
When Jonathan beheld David, the all-victorious savior, did he ask him to become his helper? No, "Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David; and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." Ah, only let your eyes be open to behold the risen, glorified Savior, who has finished the work of eternal redemption, and you will strip yourself of all self-righteousness. You will take your fastings and fightings, your music and ritual, and lay them all at Jesus' feet, saying, Thou art worthy, Jesus, Lord. Nothing short of the revelation of Jesus, the complete Savior, can strip you of self-righteousness, and self-fighting. Jonathan freely gave up both robe and sword to David, yes, and girdle, too, the emblem of service.
There is not a greater contrast between light and darkness, than there is between living faith in the Person and finished work of Christ, and the dark unbelief of praying to Christ to help you to do the work yourself. This, Jonathan did not do to David. He was saved from the horrors of Elah. He was saved from the defying adversary. He saw and believed: we see not, but we believe on God, who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead:—who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Believing God, we are justified—we are saved. It is done, it is finished; our Jesus is not on the cross now. He is not in the sepulcher now. He is in the brightness of the glory of God. He has neither to fight the battle again, nor to help us to fight it. Peace with God is the everlasting portion of those who, like Jonathan, believe it is done.
Not so poor Saul, the mere imitator of faith. What so offended the old man? Ah, he could not bear that song " Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him."—"And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." It is the same with the poor Sauls of this day. They cannot bear to hear that all who believe in Jesus and the finished work of eternal salvation which He has wrought, have eternal life; that they are justified, and know it; they have peace with God, and they are in the unchanging love and favor of God in Christ—and all through the finished work of Christ. Yes, the Sauls are very wroth, and these sayings displease them sore. And they eye those who believe this glorious gospel from that day forward. Oh, how often in their frenzy of hatred, they cast their javelin at David, for what they do to the members of His body, they do to Christ. " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
What! ascribe such ten thousands of blessings to those who only believe in Christ or to Christ for them, and to ascribe almost nothing to us, with our sacraments, and priests, and music, and services, and long repetitions, and works, and lightings? Why, the most we ever get is a hope, that the giant will be killed by all these. But to say he is killed; to say the work is done; to say you are saved; to know it, and to strip all off and to give all the glory of a present, known, and eternal salvation to Christ—we will not have it, we will not believe it. No, the most we can get here is a hope to be saved hereafter.
Do you say, "But is not this doctrine of a finished salvation—the finished work of Christ—a very dangerous doctrine, and will it not lead to great indifference and carelessness in walk? Our priests tell us to avoid such people, and not to hear them, nor read their tracts and books."
Let us follow the inspired illustration, and see if we have an answer to such queries. Saul did not believe in this savior David; he would still use him for his amusement on the harp; but this only increased his hatred to David. " And David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Sauls hand. And Saul cast the javelin, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall." And the subsequent history describes Saul filled with ever-increasing hatred to David, the savior of Elah, until Saul's death on Gilboa.
It will be so, nay, it is so, with every rejecter of the full, eternal salvation in Christ. The gospel is brought before you. as David stood before Saul with the head of Goliath in his hand. You reject Jesus as your Savior, and go back to use Him for your musical entertainment and soothing pleasure. As sure as Saul hated David, so surely will you hate Christ, and all connected with Him. And yet, as with Saul, you will be troubled with anxious fear: " Saul was yet more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually." (1 Sam. 18:29.) How fearfully true this is of thousands in our day! May every reader of these lines be delivered from this dreadful state!
Jonathan, on the other hand, sees the work is done, is finished. His heart is turned to the savior David. He knows he is saved. He does not ask David to help him fight the giant. He gives up robe and sword. Does this make him indifferent as to David? Saul asks him and all his servants to kill David. Did he? " But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David." (1 Sam. 19:1, 2.) Blessed Jesus, the more the heart knows Thee as the complete Savior, the more shall we delight much in Thee. Thou art our joy, our crown, our all.
Jonathan made one great mistake, as to reward a fatal mistake, he remained in the house of his father, the king, who hated David, the true and future king. Yet in the house of his father he confessed David. Many more particulars as to this may be seen in a tract written years ago.* It would be deeply interesting to trace the future history of these men, as illustrating the two principles of owning Jesus as the complete Savior, to merely using Him for refreshment as in this day. It is enough to see that one * "Jonathan" Morrish, London, engenders deep hatred to Christ; the other, great delight in Him. And this delight is the true spring of an obedient walk. As Jonathan said to David, " Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee." In this, however, we shall do well ever to keep in mind our entire dependence on the Lord—to give up robe, sword, bow, and girdle to Him, the true David. But there can be no real delight in Christ, as the spring of a holy obedience, unless we know Him as our complete and eternal Savior.
In Jonathan and Mephibosheth, we have a double revelation of Christ in those types.. In Jonathan it is the finished work of Christ; in Mephibosheth,, it is the kindness of God revealed in the person of David. Mephibosheth remained identified with David during the days of David's rejection. Jonathan remained in his father's house. How exact the balances of the sanctuary! We need to know both, to really leave the house of Saul and be identified with the present rejected Christ. May we be assured that the battle is over for us; redemption accomplished; and hear, and believe the word of God. "I will surely show thee kindness for Christ's sake!" " Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Certainty of salvation will not lead to indifference about Him who has thus saved us.
C. S.