David and Goliath

I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts.” I Sam. xvii. 45.

THIS is the scene that the artists love, and the children. A thousand times the painters have set their hand to the portrayal of the great deed which David wrought that day. When the painter has been ignoble he has given us David’s exultation over the dead giant. When he has been of larger simpler mind, he has shown us the ruddy boy in his joy of battle — the straight out right arm which has just launched the smooth stone, the intent gaze awaiting the sure result. And however pictured, the children have understood.

Is it more than a child’s tale, though a true? Is there any moral here, or fixed principle worth our learning? Is it not to be found in David’s motive, in the cause anti (Bti)tx Snterpretationsf which nerved his hand and set his heart aflame with holy zeal and rage?

“I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied... that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel... and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth,” “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

There is need that this high note shall be struck again in the service of God. More and more the motive in service comes to be purely humanitarian. The Gospel must be preached and missions maintained that humanity, which is in sore distress with the consequences of sin, may have the benefits of Christian civilization.’’ Oppression is everywhere, disease, ignorance and degradation, and the

I Sam. xvii.
45-47.

I Sam. xvii.
26.

Motive in
service.

Mo yom in tfje Snn

Put God
iirst.

Gospel emancipates, heals, enlightens and uplifts. “Earth,” we say, ^’ needs a better ideal, a loftier ethic.” The human mind lies fallow, it must be broken up that better seed may grow. The millions of heathendom are enslaved to superstition and ignorance, and the Gospel must be preached because where the Gospel goes these things diminish or vanish.

The Goliaths of intemperance and impurity must be fought and slain, because such an appalling proportion of the population find drunkards’ graves, or are sacrificed to human lust. From these evils humanity must be redeemed and protected.

But the humanitarian appeal, the humanitarian motive, are losing force. We do not care intensely any more about the girl babies suffocated in the mud of the Ganges, the child-widow, sorrowful under anti 0ti)tv Snterpretationg her palm tree, or the procession staggering on to the grave of the drunkard.

Might it not be worth while once more to think of God in all this; of His rights in every human being — rights outraged by all this sin and shame? Might it not be worth trying, at least, to reestablish as a mxOtive the exaltation of the Lord in this world? Might it not be well to begin again to look upon sin not merely, nor primarily, as something which is hurtful to man, but an insult to God?

Suppose we could enthrone again as the central motive in missions Paul’s great word: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, BUT UNTO HIM who died for them and rose again.” The men, in and out of Scripture,

John xxi.
15-17.

2 Cor. V.
14, IS-Heb. xi.

1-40.

Mo 9^oom in tfje 3nn

Num. xiv.
13-16.

Genesis

and human
nature.

who have taken David’s ground, who have put God and His great name first, and whose passion has been to make that name known and exalted in the earth, are the men who have prevailed in prayer and won notable victories in the conflicts of faith.