All Articles For Day of Shadows

Let us once more examine that Amalekite’s report to David. Here follows his story in his own words. “As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, Behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life...

At the time of the expiration of the events narrated in chap. 1 and in 1 Sam., David and his company still dwelt in Keilah, a city that was located in Philistine territory and that had been given him as a permanent abode by Achish, king of Gad, to whom he had fled to elude Saul, who sought his life. But Saul was now dead, and the logical move for David was to remove to his own land and rejoin his people, that the promise of the kingdom might be fulfilled to him. David’s mind turned to the tribe of...

We now must have regard to David’s lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. If we are to understand this elegy, our approach to it. must be right. Certainly the Song is truly religious both in the objective and subjective sense. For it is the expression of a grief that as to its essence is love of God and His people; and over this people as the Israel of God it is lamented, is this song. This is proved by the statement occurring at verse 12 that David (and his men) “wept and mourned and fasted until even. . . .

As was said, at the time of the expiration of the events narrated in chapter 1 and in I Samuel 31, David and his company were still dwelling in Keilah, a city in Philistia, given him of Achish to whom he had fled to escape Saul’s wrath. Saul being now dead, David returned to his own people, to his tribesmen in Judah. In accordance with the directions of God, for which he had prayed, he settled with his company in Hebron, a place in the most mountainous district of Judah and abounding in venerable associations.

As we saw, in addressing himself to the task of establishing his throne in all Israel, David took no recourse to violence in dealing with his brethren. For he made God his expectation as he had been doing all along. Accordingly, the means which he employed in gathering them under his wing was a benediction invoked over the men of Jabesh and over his brethren in the north country.

The last article dealt with Abner’s opposition to David. He established Ishbosheth in Mahanaim as king over all Israel with the exception of Judah. From Mahanaim he advanced with an army to Gibeon in the south-western part of Benjamin as purposing through conflict against David to subject Judah also to Ishbosheth. As we saw, the plan did not materialize. Anticipating the attack, David opposed a force under Joab. There was a sore battle in which Abner and his army were beaten. A truce was agreed on, but the house of Saul remained hostile.

Leaving David’s presence, Abner went forth to gather all Israel unto his new lord as he had vowed. He was gone but a little while perhaps when the servants of David and Joab came “from a troop”. They had been warring against some enemy of Judah and brought in a great spoil with them. David was still dependent on such raids for his livelihood. For no arrangements with the people had yet been made for the support of himself, his household and his army.

The complaint of David that he lacked power to bring Joab to justice is followed by the notice that, hearing of Abner’s death, Ishbosheth lost heart. The text states that his hands became feeble. He became a do-nothing king. His throne had lost its prop. But seeing that Abner had forsaken him and gone over to David it is not clear why he should have lost heart at this time. Perhaps he did not know or at least refused to believe that Abner was carrying out his threat. But this is not likely.

The last matter with which we were occupied in our previous article is the transactions between David and the elders of Israel in Hebron. David made a covenant with them before the Lord. The covenant concluded, they anointed him king over all Israel. As was stated, the section closes with a statement of David’s age and of the whole time of his reign. He was thirty years old when he began to reign. The whole time of his reign was forty years and the time of his reign over Israel was thirty-three years.

The first invasion of the Philistines was followed by a second. For David had put them to flight but had not pursued and smitten them. Rallying their scattered forces they came up again and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. David again sought the Lord’s counsel and received as answer, “Thou shalt not go up.” These words suppose the question, “Shall I go up?” The Lord now demanded the employment of a different stratagem. For the Philistines would be guarding against another surprise attack from the same direction.