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Patriarchs and Prophets
to do the will of God than ever before. He had new themes for thought.
He had been in the court of the king and had seen the responsibilities
of royalty. He had discovered some of the temptations that beset the
soul of Saul and had penetrated some of the mysteries in the character
and dealings of Israel’s first king. He had seen the glory of royalty
shadowed with a dark cloud of sorrow, and he knew that the household
of Saul, in their private life, were far from happy. All these things
served to bring troubled thoughts to him who had been anointed to be
king over Israel. But while he was absorbed in deep meditation, and
harassed by thoughts of anxiety, he turned to his harp, and called forth
strains that elevated his mind to the Author of every good, and the dark
clouds that seemed to shadow the horizon of the future were dispelled.
God was teaching David lessons of trust. As Moses was trained
for his work, so the Lord was fitting the son of Jesse to become the
guide of His chosen people. In his watchcare for his flocks, he was
gaining an appreciation of the care that the Great Shepherd has for the
sheep of His pasture.
The lonely hills and the wild ravines where David wandered with
his flocks were the lurking place of beasts of prey. Not infrequently the
lion from the thickets by the Jordan, or the bear from his lair among
the hills, came, fierce with hunger, to attack the flocks. According
to the custom of his time, David was armed only with his sling and
shepherd’s staff; yet he early gave proof of his strength and courage in
protecting his charge. Afterward describing these encounters, he said:
“When there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, I
went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth:
and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote
him, and slew him.”
1 Samuel 17:34, 35
, R.V. His experience in these
matters proved the heart of David and developed in him courage and
fortitude and faith.
Even before he was summoned to the court of Saul, David had
distinguished himself by deeds of valor. The officer who brought him
to the notice of the king declared him to be “a mighty valiant man, and
a man of war, and prudent in matters,” and he said, “The Lord is with
him.”
When war was declared by Israel against the Philistines, three of
the sons of Jesse joined the army under Saul; but David remained
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at home. After a time, however, he went to visit the camp of Saul.