Dav. Gath.

IV. =Gen. Asp. Per.= 1. Ind. 2. Neg. Law. 3. Prog.

Review Questions

What resulted from these evil tendencies in Is'ra-el?

How many oppressors were there? Who were the first oppressors? Over what part of the country was the first oppression? Who delivered Is'ra-el from it? What was the second oppression? What part of the country suffered from it? Who was the deliverer? Where was the battle fought? What was the third oppression, and where? Who delivered Is'ra-el? What was the fourth oppression? Where was it? Who was the deliverer? Where was the victory won? What was the fifth oppression?

Over what part of the country was it? Who delivered Is'ra-el from it? What was the sixth oppression? Over what part of the land was it? Who delivered from it?

What was the last oppression? How did it differ from the others? What three names are a.s.sociated in the deliverance from its power? What are the three general aspects of this period?

NINTH STUDY

The Rise of the Israelite Empire

PART ONE

The coronation of Saul marks an epoch in the history of Is'ra-el. From that point, for five hundred years, the chosen people were under the rule of kings.

I. =The Causes Leading to the Monarchy.= The kingdom was not an accidental nor a sudden event. There had been a gradual preparation for it through all the period of the judges.

1. Notice the =tendency toward settled government=. In the time of Gid'e-on the people desired him to become a king (Judg. 8. 22, 23). His son attempted to make himself a king, but failed (Judg. 9). We find judges setting up a semi-royal state, and making marriages for their children outside of their tribe (Judg. 12. 9, 13, 14); and a.s.sociating their sons with themselves (Judg. 10. 4; 1 Sam. 8. 1, 2). All these show a monarchical trend in the time.

2. Another cause was the =consolidation of the surrounding nations=. In the days of the conquest there were few kings in the lands neighboring Pa'les-tine. We read of "lords" and "elders," but no kings, among the Phi-lis'tines, the Mo'ab-ites, the Am'mon-ites, and the Phoe-ni'cians (Judg. 3. 3; 1 Sam. 5. 8; Num. 22. 7). But a wave of revolution swept over all those lands, and very soon we find that every nation around Is'ra-el had its king (1 Sam. 21. 10; 12. 12; 22. 3; 2 Sam. 5. 11). The movement of Is'ra-el toward monarchy was in accordance with this spirit.

3. There was a =danger of invasion=, which impelled the Is'ra-el-ites to seek for a stronger government (1 Sam. 12. 12). They felt themselves weak, while other nations were organized for conquest, and desired a king for leader in war.

4. Then, too, the =rule of Sam'u-el= led the Is'ra-el-ites to desire a better organization of the government. For a generation they had enjoyed the benefit of a wise, strong, and steady rule. They felt unwilling to risk the dangers of tribal dissension after the death of Sam'u-el, and therefore they sought for a king.

5. But underlying all was the =worldly ambition= of the people. They were not willing to remain the people of G.o.d and work out a peculiar destiny. They wished to be like the nations around, to establish a secular state, to conquer an empire for themselves (1 Sam 8. 5-20). It was this worldly spirit, whose results Sam'u-el saw, which made him unwilling to accede to the wish of the Is'ra-el-ites. But the very things against which he warned them (1 Sam. 8. 11-18) were just what they desired.

II. =The Character of the Is'ra-el-ite Kingdom.= When men change their plans G.o.d changes his. He desired Is'ra-el to remain a republic, and not to enter into worldly relations and aims. When, however, the Is'ra-el-ites were determined G.o.d gave them a king (1 Sam. 8. 22); but his rule was not to be like that of the nations around Is'ra-el. We ascertain the divine ideal of a kingdom for his chosen people:

1. =It was a theocratic kingdom.= That is, it recognized G.o.d as the supreme ruler, and the king as his representative, to rule in accordance with his will, and not by his own right. Only as people and king conformed to this principle could the true aims of the kingdom be accomplished (1 Sam. 12. 13-15). And if the king should deviate from this order he should lose his throne. Disobedience to the divine will caused the kingdom to pa.s.s from the family of Saul to that of Da'vid (1 Sam. 13. 13, 14; 15. 26).

2. =It was a const.i.tutional kingdom.= The rights of the people were carefully guaranteed, and there was a written const.i.tution (1 Sam. 10.

25). Nearly all the Oriental countries have always been governed by absolute monarchs, but Is'ra-el was an exception to this rule. The people could demand their rights from Re-ho-bo'am (1 Kings 12. 3, 4).

A'hab could not take away nor even buy Na'both's vineyard against its owner's will (1 Kings 21. 1-3). No doubt the rights of the people were often violated, but the violation was contrary to the spirit of the monarchy.

3. =It was regulated by the prophets.= The order of prophets had a regular standing in the Is'ra-el-ite state. The prophet was a check upon the power of the king, as a representative both of G.o.d's will and the people's rights. He spoke not only of his own opinions, but by the authority of G.o.d. Notice instances of the boldness of prophets in rebuking kings (1 Sam. 15. 16-23; 2 Sam. 12. 1-7; 1 Kings 13. 1-6; 17.

1; 22. 7-17). The order of prophets was like the House of Commons, between the king and the people.

III. =The Reign of Saul.=

1. This may be divided into two parts: 1.) A _period of prosperity_, during which Saul ruled well, and freed Is'ra-el from its oppressors on every side (1 Sam. 14. 47, 48). 2.) Then a _period of decline_, in which Saul's kingdom seems to be falling in pieces, and only preserved by the prowess and ability of Da'vid. After Da'vid's exile the Phi-lis'tines again overran Is'ra-el, and Saul's reign ended in defeat and death.

2. We observe that Saul's reign was =a failure=, and left the tribes in worse condition than it found them. 1.) He failed _in uniting the tribes_; for tribal jealousies continued (1 Sam. 10. 27), and at the close of his reign broke out anew in the establishment of rival thrones (2 Sam. 2. 4, 8, 9). 2.) He failed _in making friends_. He alienated Sam'u-el, and with him the order of prophets (1 Sam. 15. 35); he alienated Da'vid, the ablest young man of his age and the rising hope of Is'ra-el, and drove him into exile (1 Sam. 21. 10); he alienated the entire order of the priests, and caused many of them to be ma.s.sacred (1 Sam. 22. 18). 3.) He failed _to advance religion_, left the tabernacle in ruins, left the ark in seclusion, broke up the service, and drove the priests whom he did not murder into exile (1 Sam. 22. 20-23). 4.) He failed _to liberate Is'ra-el_; at his death the yoke of the Phi-lis'tines was more severe than ever before (1 Sam. 31. 1-7). The most charitable view of Saul was that he was insane during the latter years of his life. The cause of his failure was a desire to reign as an absolute monarch, and an unwillingness to submit to the const.i.tution of the realm.

[For Blackboard Outline and Review Questions see end of the lesson.]

PART TWO

IV. =The Reign of Da'vid.= This was a brilliant period; for it was led by a great man, in nearly every respect the greatest, after Mo'ses, in Is'ra-el-ite history.

1. Notice the =condition of Is'ra-el at his accession=. This will throw into relief the greatness of his character and his achievements.

1.) It was a _subject people_. Under Phi-lis'tine yoke; its warriors slain, many of its cities deserted; Da'vid himself probably at first tributary to the king of Gath.

2.) It was a _disorganized people_. The tribes were divided; national unity was lost; and two thrones were set up, one at He'bron, the other at Ma-ha-na'-im (2 Sam. 2. 4-9).

[Ill.u.s.tration: EMPIRE OF =DAVID=]

3.) It was a _people without religion_. The tabernacle was gone; the ark was in neglect; there was no altar and no sacrifice; the priests had been slain.

We can scarcely imagine Is'ra-el at a lower ebb than when Da'vid was called to the throne.

2. We ascertain =Da'vid's achievements=, the results of his reign. 1.) _He united the tribes._ At first crowned king by Ju'dah only, later he was made king over all the tribes, by the desire of all (2 Sam. 5. 1-5).

During his reign we find but little trace of the old feud between E'phra-im and Ju'dah, though it was not dead, and destined yet to rend the kingdom asunder.

2.) _He subjugated the land._ The conquest of Pal'es-tine, left incomplete by Josh'u-a, and delayed for nearly three hundred years, was finished at last by Da'vid in the capture of Je'bus, or Je-ru'sa-lem (2 Sam. 5. 6, 7), in the overthrow of the Phi-lis'tines (2 Sam. 5. 17-25), and in the final capture of their capital city (1 Chron. 18. 1). At last Is'ra-el was possessor of its own land.

3.) _He organized the government._ He established a capital (2 Sam. 5.

9). He built a palace (2 Sam. 5. 11); notice that the builders were from Tyre, showing that the Is'ra-el-ites were not advanced in the arts. He established a system of government, with officers in the court and throughout the realm (1 Chron. 27. 25-34). Contrast all this with Saul, who ruled from his tent, like a Bed'ou-in sheik.

4.) _He established an army._ There was a royal bodyguard, probably of foreigners, like that of many European kings in modern times (2 Sam. 8.

18; 15. 18). There was a band of heroes, like Arthur's Round Table (2 Sam. 23. 8-39). There was "the host," the available military force, divided into twelve divisions, one on duty each month (1 Chron. 27.

1-15).

5.) _He established religion._ No sooner was Da'vid on the throne than he brought the ark out of its hiding place, and gave it a new home in his capital (1 Chron. 16. 1). The priesthood was organized, and divided into courses for the service of the tabernacle (1 Chron. 23. 27-32; 24.

1-19). He wrote many psalms, and caused others to be written, for the worship of G.o.d. Two prophets stood by his throne (1 Chron. 29. 29), and two high priests stood by the altar (1 Chron. 24. 3). This organization and uplifting of the public worship had a great effect upon the kingdom.

6.) _He conquered all the surrounding nations._ These wars were largely forced upon Da'vid by the jealousy of the neighboring kingdoms. In turn his armies conquered and annexed to his dominions the land of the Phi-lis'tines (1 Chron. 18. 1), Mo'ab (2 Sam. 8. 2), Syr'i-a, even to the great river Eu-phra'tes (2 Sam. 8. 3-6); E'dom (2 Sam. 8. 14), Am'mon, and the country east of Pal'es-tine (2 Sam. 10. 1-14; 12.

26-31). The empire of Da'vid thus extended from the frontier of E'gypt to the Eu-phra'tes River, fulfilling the promise of Josh. 1. 4. It was at least six times the area of the twelve tribes.

7.) We may add that _he reigned as a theocratic king_. He realized more than any other monarch the divine ideal of a ruler, and so was "the man after G.o.d's own heart" (1 Sam. 13. 14); if not altogether in personal character, yet in the principles of his government. He respected the rights of his subjects, had a sympathy for all people, obeyed the voice of the prophets, and sought the interests of G.o.d's cause.[12]

Blackboard Outline

I. =Cau. Lea. Mon.= 1. Ten. tow. set. gov. 2. Con. sur. nat. 3. Dan.

inv. 4. Ru. Sam. 5. Wor. am. peo.

II. =Char. Isr. Kin.= 1. Theo. kin. 2. Cons. kin. 3. Reg. by pro.

III. =Rei. Sau.= 1. Pros. and dec. 2. Fai. 1.) Un. tri. 2.) Mak. fri.

3.) Adv. rel. 4.) Lib. Isr.

IV. =Rei. Dav.= 1. Con. Isr. acc. 1.) Sub. 2.) Dis. 3.) Wit. rel.