Gods Three Arrows, Section 1 – Section 3
§. 1. Of the meaning of this text.
2 SAM. 21. 1.Then there was a famine in the dayes of David, three yeares, yeare after yeare, and David enquired of the Lord.
A Remedy for a famine is here ſet before us. Such a remedy as removed the famine where it was uſed. For it is ſaid, aVerſe 14.After that, God was entreated for the land: that is, ſuch ſatisfaction being made for the ſin which provoked Gods wrath, and brought the famine upon the land, Gods wrath was appeaſed, and thereupon the famine removed. bforeign exoratus.The word tranſlated, entreated, ſignifieth, by entreaty to be moved to do what is deſired. Now David beſought the Lord, to remove that famine, and God granted his deſire.
cforeignThe firſt particle is a copulative particle, and properly ſignifieth, and; yet is it oft uſed as a conjunction of time; eſpecially when it coupleth hiſtories together. Therefore not unfitly is it here tranſlated, then.
But great queſtion is moved about the time, when this famine In what yeare of David the famine began.ſhould be. Whether after all the forementioned hiſtories of Abſaloms rebellion, and Shebaes defection, or before them.
That which hath given occaſion to this queſtion, is a computation of time ſet downe for the beginning of Abſaloms rebellion, thus, And it came to paſſe after forty yeares that 2 Sam. 15. 7.Abſalom ſaid, &c. Thoſe forty yeares are ſuppoſed to be the forty yeares of Davids raigne. Which if it be granted, this famine can neither follow after Abſaloms rebellion, nor be about that time. For David raigned but forty yeares: and this famine continued three yeares.
To take away all queſtion, ſome ſay that this and other hiſtories following to the end of this booke, are not ſet downe in juſt order of time: but, as memorable matters, are ePer foreign. Pet. Mart. Comment. in hunc loc. Tremel, & Iunius an notat. in 2 Sam. 24 1. utra que haec hiſtoria (aempe de Fame & Peſte) per foreign temporum ultimoloco penitur.added after the former hiſtories that depended one upon another.
It cannot be denied but that the Scripture ſometimes ſo tranſpoſeth hiſtories. Neither will I much contend about the tranſpoſing of theſe hiſtories. No great inconvenience will follow thereupon. Yet the ground of all ſeemeth not to be very ſound. For by many arguments it may be evinced that thoſe forty yeares before mentioned, are not to be accounted the forty yeares of Davids raigne.
For firſt, beſide that there is no mention of Davids raigne in that place, the phraſe is thus expreſſed in the originall, fforeign a fine 40 annorū.From the end of forty yeares. Now its more probable that David ended his raigne rather within the forty yeares, then beyond them. Becauſe both in ſacred Scripture, and other writings, the yeare wherein a King dieth is computed in the yeares of his raigne: ſo as, if David had raigned full forty yeares, and entred into another yeare, he would in a round reckoning have beene ſaid to have raigned one and forty yeares. Now if Abſalom began his rebellion at the end of forty yeares, and David raigned no longer then forty yeares at the moſt, how could ſo many things as are noted of Abſaloms rebellion, and the conſequences following thereon, be done in ſo ſhort a time?
2. In the time of Abſaloms rebellion it is ſaid of David, g2 Sam. 17. 8.He is a man of warre, and will not …odge with the people. Yea, David himſelfe offered to go out in battell againſt Abſalom. —18. 2.Yet, i1 King. 1. 1.before David died, ſuch frigidity fell upon him, as with cloathes they could not keepe him warme, but were faine to bring a yong virgin to lie in his boſome. How can ſuch an alteration be thought to be in ſo ſhort a time?
3. All the hiſtories recorded of David in the eight laſt chapters of the firſt of Chronicles, were without all queſtion after Abſaloms rebellion. How then can that rebellion be imagined to be in the end of Davids fortieth yeare?
The forty yeares therefore from the end wherof Abſaloms rebellion began, muſt needs have relation to ſome other thing then the raigne of David. As to the beginning of the Diem pro tempore accipe Hier. Comment. l. 5. in Iſay 19. Dies pro annis numeratur. Ibid lib 7. in Eſa. 16regall government: or to Samuels firſt annointing of David: or to ſome other memorable matter. And ſo this, and the hiſtories following, may well follow as they are ſet in order of time.
The time at large is ſaid to be kforeignin the dayes of David: that is, in the time of his raigne. For the time of a Kings raigne is ſaid to be l1 Sam. 14. 52. 1 King. 4. 25.—14. 30. Daies what they imply. Gen. 47 9.his daies.
This word, daies, is uſed 1. To put them in mind of their ſhort continuance on earth. For our continuance is but of daies, ſoone gone. When Iaakob would ſet out the brevity of his life, he thus expreſſeth it, The daies of the yeares of my pilgrimage. And Iob, thus, Are not mans daies as the daies of an hireling? And David, thus, Thou hast made my daies Iob 7. 1.as an hand breadth.Pſal 39. 5.
David here mentioned, was a King: and the beſt King that ever ſwayed Scepter. His name according to the notation foreign à David foreign Dod amicus, & foreign dilectus. 1 Sam. 13. 14. Acts 13 22. 1 Sam. 18. 16. Pſal. 16. 3.of it, importeth a lovely or friendly one. He was amiable and lovely before God and man: and friendly to all Gods people. He was a man after Gods owne heart. And all Iſrael and Iudah loved him. In the Saints was all his delight.
*foreignFamine importeth want of food for nouriſhment of the body. It comes from a word that ſignifieth to hunger.
The famine here mentioned continued three whole yeares together: and therefore after he had mentioned three yeares, he addeth, mTribus annis continu is. Trem. & Iun.yeare after yeare: that is, as the former Engliſh Tranſlaters turne it, three yeares together.
The courſe which David tooke for removing the famine, was to enquire what courſe the Lord would preſcribe: which is thus expreſſed, David enquired of the Lord: word for word in the originall thus, nforeignSought the face of the Lord.
By the face of God is meant the manifeſtation of his preſence: and in that reſpect its oft tranſlated the preſence of God, as where its ſaid, oGen. 3. 8. foreignAdam hid himſelfe from the preſence of God (Hebr. from the face of God) And where God ſaith, My preſence ſhall go (Hebr. my face.)Exo. 33. 14. foreign
Queſt. What may be here meant by ſeeking the face, or preſence, of the Lord?
Anſw. Enquiring of the Lord what might be the cauſe of that famine, and wherewith he might be pacified. They that thus tranſlate it, Asked counſell of the Lord, rightly aime at the meaning of the phraſe.
Quest. How did David here enquire of the Lord?
Anſw. The particular manner is not expreſſed. Diverſe manners are in other places ſet downe. For, David
1. Sometimes by the High-Prieſt enquired of the Lord, 1 Sam. 22. 15. This was the moſt ordinary way, appointed by the Lord, Exo. 28 30. Numb. 27. 21.
2. Other times by an extraordinary Prophet, 1 Sam. 22. 5. & 2 Sam. 7. 2. Ioſephus the Iew ſaith, that the Prophets made anſwer to David about this famine.
3. Yea, many times alſo by himſelfe, humbly preſenting Davidi Prophetae dixerunt velle Deum, &c. Item, David audiens ex Prophetis Deum velle, &c. Ioſeph. Antiq. Iud. l. 7. c. 12.his ſupplication to God for direction, 1 Sam. 23. 2. & 2 Sam. 5. 19.
It is moſt probable that David here enquired of the Lord by the moſt ſolemne and approved way, which was by the Prieſt. And that, for that end, he went to the Arke of God; and in that reſpect may fitly be ſaid, to ſeeke the face of the Lord.
§. 2. Of the reſolution and obſervations of this text.
THe Summe of this text is, A meanes for removing a Famine.
The Parts are two.
1. A Deſcription of the Famine.
2. A Declaration of the Meanes.
In the Deſcription we have
1. The thing deſcribed, expreſly ſet downe. There was a famine.
2. The aggravation thereof: and that by two circumſtances.
1. The time wherein it fell out. Set out by the King that then raigned. In the daies of David.
2. The continuance thereof: which is
1. Generally expreſſed, Three yeares.
2. Particularly exemplified, Yeare after yeare.
In the declaration of the meanes there is obſervable
1. The perſon that uſed the meanes, David.
2. The action that he did, ſought, or enquired.
3. The object, or party of whom he enquired, Of the Lord.
This text thus opened, affoords ſixe conſiderable obſervations.
I. A famine is a judgement. So is this famine here mentioned: which moved David to enquire about it. The cauſe of this famine rendred by the Lord, in the latter end of this verſe, and the courſe which David tooke for removing it, do evidently prove that this famine was a judgement.
2. A famine may be under a pious Governour. If ever there was a pious Governour, David was he. Many worthy commendations are given of him: yea, he is made a patterne of a good Governour. Therefore a1 King. 3. 14.—11. 38.God himſelfe ſetteth his example as a patterne before his ſucceſſours. And b—15. 11. 2 King. 18. 3.—22. 2.good kings are thus commended, He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord as did David. And evill kings are thus diſcommended, c2 Chro. 28. 1. 1 King 14. 8.He did not that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, like David. Yea, of ſuch as halted, in ſome things doing that which was good, in other things that which was evill, it is ſaid, d1 King. 11. 4.—15. 3.His heart was not perfect as the heart of David. Yet there was a famine in the daies of David.
III. A famine may long continue without intermiſſion. The famine here mentioned continued three whole yeares together. A long time.
IIII. Cauſes of judgements are to be ſought out. The enquirie here mentioned importeth as much.
V. Chiefe Governours ought to be moſt ſolicitous in publique judgements. David the King is herein ſet out as a patterne.
VI. God is to be ſought unto for removing judgements. So David here enquires of the Lord.
§. 3. Of famine a judgment.
I. *See § 2.A Famine is a judgement. As a judgement it is aLev. 26 26, &c. Deut. 28. 23, 38 53.threatned in the law, and put into the catalogue of the curſes, that were fearefull judgements: and bIſa 51. 19. Ier. 42. 16. Ezek. 6. 12.by the Prophets, who were raiſed up to denounce Gods judgments afore-hand to his people. cEzek. 5. 16. 2 Chro. 20 9. Ier. 24. 10.—27. 8.Where the Scripture mentioneth three ſharp mortall arrowes of the Lord which he uſeth to ſhoot as judgements againſt children of men, famine is one: one of the ſharpeſt. d2 Sam. 24. 13.Theſe three arrows, as three ſore judgments, were brought to David for him to chooſe one of them to be ſhot againſt him, but he would not chooſe famine. Where the Lord ſaith, eDeut. 32. 23, 24.I will ſpend mine arrowes upon them, in amplification thereof he addeth, They ſhalbe burnt with hunger, fIoel. 1. 2, &c.—2. 1, &c.Famine is the judgement which the Prophet Ioel doth moſt pathetically bewaile: and for removing whereof he calleth the whole land to prayer and faſting. g1 King. 8. 35, 37.Famine is one of the judgements which Salomon in his effectuall prayer at the dedication of the temple earneſtly deprecateth and prayeth againſt.
In the Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories of the Primitive Churches, it is recorded that a very ſore famine fell out in the dominions Euſeb. Eccle ſiaſt. Hiſt. lib. 9 cap. 7. & 8. Niceph. Caliſt. Eccleſiaſt. Hiſt. l. 7. c. 27. & 28.of Maximinus the Emperour, upon his publiſhing of cruell and bloudy edicts againſt Chriſtians. This Maximinus was the authour of the ſeventh fierce and fiery perſecution. In his Edicts he laid the blame of all publique judgements on Chriſtians. But the foreſaid famine, together with a fearefull plague accompanying the ſame, beſides ſundry rebellions and inſurrections, gave evident demonſtration of Gods indignation againſt that Emperours cruelty.