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From Eternity Past
work for which they are insufficient, while that which they might do,
lies neglected. And because of this the greater work is hindered.
David, in his covenant with Jonathan, had promised that he would
show kindness to the house of Saul. Mindful of this the king made
inquiry, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may
show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He was told of a son of
Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who had been lame from childhood. The
nurse of this child had let him fall, making him a lifelong cripple.
David now summoned the young man to court, and the private posses-
sions of Saul were restored to him for the support of his household; but
the son of Jonathan was himself to be the constant guest of the king.
Mephibosheth had been led to cherish a strong prejudice against David
as a usurper; but the monarch’s continued kindness won the heart of
the young man. Like his father Jonathan, he felt that his interest was
one with that of the king whom God had chosen.
After David’s establishment upon the throne of Israel, the na-
tion enjoyed a long interval of peace. The surrounding peoples soon
thought it prudent to desist from open hostilities, and David refrained
from aggressive war. At last, however, he made war upon Israel’s old
enemies, the Philistines and Moabites, and made them tributary.
Hostile Nations Plot Against David
Then there was formed against David a vast coalition of surround-
ing nations, out of which grew the greatest wars and greatest victories
of his reign and the most extensive accessions to his power. This hos-
tile alliance had been wholly unprovoked by him. The circumstances
were these:
Tidings were received at Jerusalem announcing the death of Na-
hash, king of the Ammonites, who had shown kindness to David when
he was a fugitive from Saul. Desiring to express his appreciation of
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the favor shown him in his distress, David sent a message of sympathy
to Hanun, son of the Ammonite king.
The message of David was misconstrued by Hanun’s counselors.
They “said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor
thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather
sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to
overthrow it?” They could have no conception of the generous spirit