A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 1 Samuel · Chapter 7
1 Sam. CHAP. VII.
CHapter the Seventh of the Firſt of Samuel, is a Relation of the Acts of Samuel under his double capacity, both as he was a Prophet to Iſrael, and as he was a Judge over them and theſe his Acts do relate both to a time of War, and to a time of Peace. Remarks upon the former are,
Firſt, The Introduction before the War; the Ark was fetch'd up by the Men of Kiriath Jearim, where it long abode, v. 1, 2. 'Tis a wonder they durſt fetch it at the Bethſhemites requeſt, for fear of the like fate, but this pious People well knew that the Calamity was not to be charged upon the Ark, but upon their careleſneſs and Irreverent Curioſity, which they reſolved to avoid: The perdition of their Neighbours was a Caution to them, ſo they place it in the Houſe of Abinadab in the Hill, and conſecrated Eleazar his Son to keep it from all kind of ſuch prophane touches, as had coſt ſo dear.
N. B. This Abinadab was undoubtedly a good Man, and Joſephus the Jew calls him a Levite, yet they Sanctified the Son for this Service, becauſe the younger and ſtronger for it, and not the Father, who probably was Superannuated, or at leaſt cumbred with the cares of a great Domeſtick Charge, which might either divert him from, or diſtract him in the Service of God: Lavater ſaith, that Ahitub the Prieſt (then living at Shilo) did Conſecrate Eleazar, not to be either Levite, or Prieſt, which he was not before, for in Iſrael Men were not made ſuch, but born ſuch; therefore was he only ſet apart to attend upon this Work, as ſome ſay; however this is certain, that the Ark abode here for Twenty Years, v. 2.
N. B. It was not carried to Shilo (its former place) becauſe either that place was deſtroyed by the Philiſtines, when they took the Ark Captive, as is intimated, Jer. 7.12, 14. and 26.6, 9. compared with this Hiſtory; or if Shilo was not deſtroyed, yet was it abhorred by the Lord for the Abominations there committed by thoſe prophane Prieſts the Sons of Eli.
N. B. This Kiriath Jearim (which ſignifies the City of the Woods) was now become the place of the Arks Reſidence, to which the Pſalmiſt alludeth, [We heard of it at Ephratah, or at Shiloh in Ephraim, we found it in the Fields of the Wood, or at Kiriath Jearim.] Pſal. 132.6. After it was loſt to Shiloh, it was found here, where an Eleazar attendeth it, when both the Lines of Eleazar and Ithamar, are out of that Service the firſt Line failing in Jephtah's time (as above) and the latter now interrupted by the Death of Phinehas Eli's Son, 1 Sam. 14.3. and this time was long, e're Samuel could, reclaim Iſrael from Idolatry; they are loſt to the Ark, when it was not loſt to them▪
The Second Remark is, The General Convention that Samuel call'd to Miſpeh, both for Reforming their lost Religion, and for recovering their loſt Liberty.
Firſt, Touching their Religion, 'tis a wonder, that the Iſraelites ſhould be ſo long inſenſible (neither the late loſs of the Ark, nor the great Slaughter of their Army could bring them to a right ſenſe of their ſins) as not for Twenty Years together, never to lament after the Lord, nor after his Ark now brought among them to Kiriath Jearim, where they let it lay in an obſcure place, ſo near the Philiſtines.
N. B. And where indeed it lay all Samuel's Days, until David fetch'd it up from thence, 2 Sam. 6.2. which was Forty Years after, Acts 13.21. and now was it Twenty Years before Samuel could bring Iſrael to this Solemn Repentance related here, v. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. They were ſo habituated and hardened in their Idolatry, and ſinful practices were ſo rooted in them, that notwithſtanding all Samuel's powerful Preaching ſo frequently among them, they refuſed to return, until God ſtop'd them in their Curſed Cariers, by letting looſe the Bands of the Philiſtines upon them, and grievouſly to oppreſs them; and thereby God made their Hearts generally more Malleable to the Hammer of his Word in the Hand of Samuel.
N. B. Then 'tis ſaid, they univerſally Lamented after the Lord, and after his Ark they had ſo long neglected, cleaving ſo cloſe to Baalim & Aſhtaroth, until they were almoſt choaked with them; ſo now are they willing to abandon them, and to embrace the true Worſhip of God: In order hereunto Iſrael, is (as it were) Baptized and waſhed from the filth of their Idolatry. This was done either, (1.) Figuratively, by pouring forth whole Rivers of Tears out of their Eyes, to teſtifie their exceſſive Sorrow for their ſins, as Pſal. 6.6, 7, 8. and 119.136. Jer. 9.1. Lam. 3.48, 49. Or, (2.) They poured Water out before the Lord literally, properly and really, becauſe 'tis ſaid, they firſt drew it, &c. which was a Rite and Ceremony ſuitable to thoſe times, uſual in their Legal Purifications, &c.
N. B. Samuel ſtruck with his Hammer while the Iron was hot; 'tis ſaid, he then Judged Iſrael in Miſpah, v. 6. that is, he then reformed all Abuſes againſt God and his Law, and redreſſed all Injuries betwixt Man and Man, ſo render'd them capable of the following Mercy.
The Third Remark is, Secondly touching the Recovery of their Liberty from the Philiſtines Tyranny: Samuel began at the right end, in reforming Religion firſt, and then reſtoring Civil Liberty, which was thus obtained from the Lord.
Firſt, The Lords of the Philiſtines (who had formerly beheld with amazement the return of God's Ark againſt the courſe of Nature, &c. chap. 6.12, 17.) come forth with their Forces againſt Iſrael when they were Fasting and Praying at this General Convention, which they look'd upon, as the foundation of their Rebellion from under the Philistines Yoke of Oppreſſion, and on whom they deſigned to aſſault while unarmed, that ſo they might blast the Bud of any Inſurrection.
Secondly, Iſrael hears of it, and fears an Aſſault, being Conſcious to themſelves of ſuch heinous Impiety, inſomuch, that as they durſt not look Man in the Face in a Battle againſt the Philiſtines, ſo nor much leſs durſt they look God in the Face, in a Prayer for their own Deliverance, but they preſs upon Samuel to pray for them, as Moſes had done for their Fore-fathers, then it was the cry, [Deliver us from the Egyptians,] now it was, [Deliver us from the Philiſtines,] v. 7, 8.
Thirdly, Samuel in imitation of Divine Bounty, doth more for Iſrael than they deſired, he not only prays for them (which was all that they requeſted) but he alſo Sacrifices for them to the Lord.
N. B. [He takes a Sucking Lamb, &c.] v. 9. wherein Obſerve firſt, It was a Lamb (a Figure of Chriſt) that ſpotleſs Lamb of God, by whom we prevail over all our Spiritual Enemies, as Iſrael did here over the Philiſtines, and probably Samuel propoſed it purpoſely to point out to the People that Peace and Salvation muſt only be expected from the Lamb of God.
Secondly, It was no Magnificum Munus, ſaith Mendoza, no coſtly Sacrifice, it was no fat Oxe, but a Sucking Lamb, even of all ſorts of Lambs, of the leaſt and loweſt price, to ſhew, that the Lord looks more at the Willingneſs of the Offerer, than at the Worthineſs of the Offering.
Thirdly, it was a Sucking-Lamb, Hebr. [Teleh Chaleb] a Lamb of Milk, which the Vulgar falſly reads, a fat Lamb, but Sucking, which it might be, though it was more than eight Days old, and ſo that Law, Exod. 23.19. was not violated, nor was that Law which commands the dividing of the parts, &c. Levit. 1.12. Though Samuel Offer'd up this whole Lamb, perhaps with Tail, Feet, and Intrails, for he had no time to put it into parts, according to cuſtom, for Samſon's former caſe, was now become Samuel's [The Philiſtines were upon him,] juſt ready to fall on, v. 10.
Fourthly, It was a Sucking Lamb, ready to be weaned, and ſo it was taken off from the Ewe-Dam, to teach Iſrael that they muſt be weaned from their former wickedneſs, and become now a new People Dedicated to the Lord in all Holineſs.
N. B. That Samuel did not tranſgreſs any Law of God, appeareth in this, that the Lord accepted his Offering, and anſwered by fire from Heaven, and though we are not told, that fire from Heaven did fall upon Samuel's Sacrifice, to conſume it (the uſual Token of Divine acceptance) yet did it fall foul upon Samuels and Iſrael's Enemies, when God Thundered upon the Philiſtines, wherewith he did not only fright them, but fire them alſo with Spires of Lightning and hot Thunderbolts, juſt when they were ready to fall on upon a Faſting and a Praying People.
N. B. At the Prayer of Samuel God doth this, to ſhew plùs precando quam praeliando, &c. more good may be done by Divine Prayer, than by Humane Power: Ʋnarmed Iſrael had no more to do here than to purſue, v. 11. and to take up the Weapons (that the Philiſtines in their fright had thrown away) and ſo ſlay them with their own Swords: Nor was this all God did for Iſrael; but Joſephus ſaith, The Earth trembled and open'd and ſo devoured many of them: Iſrael purſued them to Bethcar, which ſignifies the Houſe of the Lamb; the place of this Victory was ſo call'd from the Lamb, which Samuel Sacrificed to procure the performance of his Mother Hannah's Prediction, chap. 2.10. and Samuel ſet up a Stone as a Trophee of this Victory, calling it Ebenezer, a Stone of help, v. 12. this place did the more deſerve a double Monument, becauſe it was the very place, where Iſrael had been formerly ſo fatally beaten, and the Ark of God taken, &c. chap 4.1. call'd ſo there by way of Anticipation; and where now Iſrael recovers their loſt Liberties; for this Victory was ſo formidable and fatal to the Philiſtines, that they durſt no more rally their ſcattered Troops, nor recruit their Vanquiſh'd Army to make any new Incurſions in Samuel's Day, v. 13. And the Cities formerly loſt, were reſtored by thoſe Creſt-faln Philiſtines unto Iſrael, yea, and not only they, but the very Amorites (the moſt Valiant of all the Canaanites) come and truckle to, and made Peace with Iſrael, v. 14.
The Fourth Remark concerneth the ſecond part of this Chapter, namely, the Acts of Samuel in the time of Peace after this Time of War was accompliſhed: He judged Iſrael all the Days of his Life, v. 15. that is, thirty eight years alone; and though Saul was an Ordinary King in his two laſt Years, yet Samuel was the extraordinary Judge, which Office from God Saul could not take from him; and Samuel, being a mixt perſon, a Prophet, as well as Judge, exerciſed his Office in the former Years of Saul, as chap. 11.7. and 15.32, 33. and their times are joyn'd together, Acts 13.20, 21. He is commended here,
Firſt, For his Prudence towards the Republick, in going his Yearly Circuits for the Peoples eaſe and conveniency, adminiſtring Juſtice publickly at three places, Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpeh, v. 16. and privately at his own Houſe in Ramah; this Good Man was ever in Action for the publick good. And,
Secondly, For his Piety toward Religion in building an Altar for extraordinary Sacrifices, v. 17. when probably both Tabernacle and Altar were deſtroy'd at Shilo: He had no word from the Lord, as a Prophet, to remove the Ark out of the private Houſe at Kiriath Jearim, that was not done till David's Day, yet might he have a word for building this Altar, that his Sacrifices might be joyned with his Prayers for direction in all Emergencies, &c.