The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-05
Studies in Old Testament History.


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lah He would be likely il permitted
freedom. to be dangerous subject 10
Solomon. DR.. Trumbull says: because
of Joab's fidelity to David personally,
David had spared Joab all these years;
and when David came to his death bed
be was actuated, not by revenge, but by
an aroused conscience, to insist that de
layed justice should be executed against
,boab. This is the way in which Orien-
tails would look at such case" It is
not, it must be confessed, altogether
easy for Christians to view the matter in
exactly this light; but it may be con
coded that David, in Joab's case, was no
more severe than the letter of the Mo-
sale Law required.
But Shimei had been forgiven; does
| it seem in accordance with royal honor
for king on his death bed to covet con-
| dign punishment for forgiven enemy?
Yet the facts may in this case modify
our first judgment of David. Shimei
had been in the last degree insulting to
the king at the time when the kings
heart was breaking for his treacherous
Absalom. Shimei had adroitly secured
the promise of pardon at the opportune
moment when David himself was being
pardoned by his people, and restored to
his royalty. That Shimei was really
penitent for his aggravating insult to
the fleeing king is not probable. He had
remained all the years hater of David.
and would be glad at any time, if he
could do SO safely, to heap insults and
curses upon him. We may look in vain
for the spirit of Christian forgiveness in
David; we must concede that he was
not altogether superior to the barbaric
spirit of his age. But before we fall
into scorn of David because when dying
he charged Solomon to execute ven
geance on Shimei, we should duly weigh
| the fact thet he suffered Shimei to live
on his parole so many years.
That there was stern side to David,
a relentless hatred of his enemies who
were also rebels against the Right, we
may, without losing our respect for him,
| freely admit.
We should be glad to find the record
declaring that the king came to his end
not only rich and full of honors, but in
peace. This, however. so far as we
know. is not said of him. His desire to
be avenged was apparently not in his
last days conducive to his spiritual rest
The psalm which is specially set
for our study does not appear to us to
breathe the better spirit of David; it is
nevertheless one of the best exhibitions
of his power as poet. What imagery
can be holder and grander than this Tvs
| 8-12), expressive of the Divine interposi-
tions against David's enemies in the
critical periods of his career, under the
likeness of gathering storm:
| Then the earth shook and trembled,
The foundations of heaven moved
| And were shaken, because he was wroth.
Then there went up smoke out of his nostrils
And fire out of his mouth deyoured;
| Goals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also. and came down;
And thick darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly;
Yea. he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
And he made darkness payilions 70 and about
him,
Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Concerning the general purport of the
psalm Perowne says: "The royal poet
sketches in few grand outlines the tale
of his life; the record of his marvellous
deliverances and of the victories which
Jehovah has given him; the record, too,
of his own heart, the truth of it's affec-
ton toward God, and the integrity of
purpose by which it had ever been in
fuenced. Throughout that singulary
checkered life-hunted as he had been
by Saul before he came to the throne,
and harassed perpetually after he be
came king by rivals who disputed his
authority and endeavored to steal away
the hearts of his people. compelled
to fly for his life before his own son, and
engaged in long and fierce wars with
foreign nations one thing had never
forsaken him, the love and the presence
of Jehovah. By his help he had SUBJ
dued every enemy, and now, looking
back with devout thankfulness on the
past, he sings this great song of praise
to the God of his life."
A more technical analysis of the psalm
as it appeared in the Psalter is also given
by Perowne: "The psalm consists of
three principal divisions, or strophes,
together with an introduction and con.
clusion: /. Introduction. setting forth
all that Jehovah is to the psalmist Tvs. 2
A.. 2. Strophe l. The record of David's
sufferings and perils and the mighty de
liverance by which he was rescued Tvs.
500. g. Strophe III. The reason for
this deliverance as based upon the char
acter of God and the principles of his
moral governmental I've. 2l-2S). 4. Strophe
III. The blessings which he had re-
ceived in his life; his own preservation
and that of his race Tvs. 29l; help and
strength in battle, rule over all enemies
Tvs 3246). 5. Conclusion, consisting of
a joyful Thanksgiving and acknowledge
ment of all Gods mercies Tvs. 47-5I."