PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY
PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY
RSS I may say there has been a good bit of exercise locally as to what we might take up in our meetings here. We had thought a little that we might have something on the responsible side, and the privilege side.
JT The early chapters of this book bring out both sides. David represents the responsible element, and how that was becoming almost extinct in his old age, but resuscitation came in and he was enabled to assert the rights of God, and in that way overthrow the antichristian element in Adonijah, and enthrone the true king, Solomon. Then following upon all that, Solomon brought in the house; 1 Kings presents the heavenly side of things, so that the latter part would conform with the thought of privilege.
WB-t Is your thought that the period of time that is being brought before us corresponds with the present time, that Christendom, so to speak, is being covered with clothes, but there is no vitality?
JT There is a strong analogy at any rate. I think, it is a type intended by the Spirit to foreshadow our own period. The responsible element, represented in David here, is become well nigh extinct and the spirit of antichrist lifts up its head, taking advantage of this.
WB-t There is a verse in Psalm 71 that points to this time: “Now also, when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have proclaimed thine arm unto [this] generation, thy might to every one that is to come”, Psalm 71:18. In this first verse [p. 230] of 1 Kings 1, it says, king David was old; that is, the moment had come that he prayed about years before. In verse 15 it says, “the king was very old”.
JT Age should not detract from us spiritually. Certainly it did not in the case of Moses. His age had not detracted from his spiritual sensibilities and energy. In the Psalms we read of freshness and vigour in old age, so that I think this reference to David is rather a reproach. Although David could not help being old literally, there was evidently weakness spiritually.
HG He was weak when he went out to face Ishbibenob, the giant. It says he “was exhausted”, although he was a smaller man than Goliath, 2 Samuel 21:15.
WB-t There is here typically what we can see at the present time in Christendom; spiritual vitality is disappearing and raiment is applied to keep things going.
JT The clothes have no vitality in themselves. They are very useful to keep in heat or to exclude cold, but if there is no heat to keep in they are valueless, so that what is needed is vitality inwardly, and evidently Abishag comes in as a divine remedy. If we have responsibility without vitality the things of God, so to say, go to the wall. It requires the energy of life to sustain divine rights.
RSS What would the clothes represent?
JT External appliances which are necessary for the regulation of the temperature of the body while life is there, but useless on a corpse. Isaiah 1 corresponds. Outward religious observances are valueless when the inward state is wrong.
LTF Would you distinguish between David as looked at in God’s purpose and in responsibility?
JT Certainly. The most casual reader will notice a very great difference between the end of 1 Chronicles and the beginning of 2 Chronicles, and [p. 231] the end of 2 Samuel and the beginning of 1 Kings. In Chronicles we have nothing of what is recorded in our chapter; it is more the David of purpose. He is engaged with the house and the material for the house; he is marked by fulness not only of affection but of intelligence. He instructs Solomon in the fullest way as to the building of the house, evincing most extraordinary spiritual vigour and understanding. Solomon sits upon the throne of Jehovah in Chronicles, and thus there is the resumption of relations with Israel as brought out of Egypt and brought into the land. Solomon goes to Gibeon, in Chronicles, where the tabernacle was. Chronicles is rather the connection with the earthly side, with Israel, so the temple there has a veil, and the altar is mentioned, and Solomon is answered publicly by fire from heaven. Therefore in Chronicles it is evidently the earthly side of things; how Christ shall take up the threads in relation to Israel and establish everything according to God’s counsels on earth, for Israel and for the nations too. Kings takes account more of Christianity and how the responsible side had weakened, and how resuscitation is brought about, so that the antichristian element is overthrown, and that primarily not by outward force but by the introduction of what is positive. That is to say, Christ is introduced typically in a positive way, and antichrist in that way is brought to nothing; his overthrow here is not brought about by outward force, but by the bringing in of Christ positively in the power of the Spirit, and that I think is what fits in with our own position now. It is a question of bringing in Christ, in the power of the Spirit, so that all will see the folly of antichrist. Adonijah’s folly became apparent, and then there was complete collapse.
RML It refreshes your spirit to pass from David in his decline to David revived, and then to Solomon [p. 232] in his vigour. Some of us have been considering that a little.
GAT Is your thought that wherever Christ is brought in, what is not of Christ has to go?
JT That is what we ought to be exercised about. God will deal with antichrist according to 2 Thessalonians 2:8; “whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall annul by the appearing of his coming”. But that period has not arrived. Antichrist is here in principle, as John tells us; “even now there have come many antichrists”, 1 John 2:18. Then he goes on to say that “He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son”, 1 John 2:22. He has not yet arrived; the complete denial of the Father and Son has not yet occurred in Christendom, but the antichristian spirit is at work. “Even now”, he says, “there have come many antichrists”.
RSS How is their presence shown?
JT It shows in various forms of activity against Christ. Without declaring themselves professionally as antichristian, they act against Christ among God’s people. What marked them at the beginning was, going out. “They went out from among us”, John says, “that they might be made manifest that none are of us”, 1 John 2:19. That is, the apostolic spirit and power forced them out, but I doubt whether that marks the present time. The spirit of antichrist is active against Christ amongst God’s people now, and the point is for us to know how to meet it; this chapter affords instruction in this respect.
HG As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, and like Adonijah, their folly shall be manifest to all. There is a complete exposure, without the thing being fully developed as antichrist.
JT That is very excellent. You might deal with a thing judicially without manifesting the folly of it, and I think it is greater to expose a thing by the positive than to deal with it in an arbitrary way.
[p. 233] Even in cases of discipline amongst God’s people that ought to be the principle, that the folly and evil of a thing is manifested before it is formally dealt with. “Those that sin convict before all”, 1 Timothy 5:20. When a man is convicted it is manifest that he has been sinful, and so I think the spirit of antichrist should be in that way exposed.
AFM It would seem from verse 5 that Adonijah exalts himself consequent upon Abishag coming in. It says: “And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself”. Would you mind saying a word about what Abishag stands for?
JT There can be no question that she represents some vital element, or rather, you might say, a life giving element. Her service was to infuse warmth into David; that was the point. So it is for us to gather up by experience and observation what it is that brings that about amongst us.
HG It is evidently a wonderful element. I mean when applying this to the present moment, one feels that the crisis in the history of the world has become the occasion of morally infusing new blood amongst us.
JT I think that is right; the exercise has brought about freshness and vigour, old age in spiritual things is serious. The energy of youthfulness is what pleases God. Indeed He reminds Israel of what she had been in her youth; Jeremiah 2.
Ques Is there any connection with first love?
JT “Thou hast left thy first love”, Revelation 2:4. It is suggestive, because the Holy Spirit would bring us back to the energy and freshness of youth.
MLH Will you emphasise a little more the point that our brother brought out? I want to get hold of this thought of infusing life at this time.
JT It is, I think, the form in which divine love comes in and brings about resuscitation. I have no doubt that it all centres objectively in the Lord’s supper. That is where divine love focuses itself before us, but it is intended to have a subjective effect in our souls; and I believe the Lord has emphasised the Supper so that we should return to the vigour and freshness of youth.
GAT Is the thought, in this young virgin being brought in to infuse warmth into the heart of David, that the young amongst us would be expected to carry on what the old ones have to leave?
JT Well, the energy of life is brought into this passage to support the responsible element. You see, while we are down here responsibility remains. Hence the Lord appeals seven times over, as you might say, in addressing the assemblies, to the responsible element in their midst; to the angel of the assembly in Ephesus, in Smyrna, in Pergamos, in Thyatira, in Sardis, in Philadelphia and in Laodicea. Each angel addressed represents those responsible in his respective assembly. Now the power of life brought in in the Spirit would support that. As the responsible element accepts its responsibility it is supported by the energy of life, and I think that Abishag here suggests to us that which the Lord has brought about, namely, the revival of affection for Himself and for one another, which I think is contemplated in Philadelphia. It is brotherly love, and where that exists there is support for the rights of Christ. The rights of Christ are maintained, and correspondingly, all that goes with the house of God and its principles is maintained. Hence it says, “Let every one who names the name of [the] Lord”; (2 Timothy 2:19) that is a question of His rights. Let such “withdraw from iniquity”.
WB-t It is remarkable how all the coasts of Israel were searched for this young virgin, and when found certain things are said of her that were [p. 235] said of Rebecca.
RSS It is said of her that she cherished him and ministered to him, and that is what we have to do, to cherish what is of God amongst us, and to minister to the people of God, and seek to maintain what is here.
JT “Strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die”, Revelation 3:2.
MLH Was that which is introduced in Solomon the result of her ministry to David?
JT Yes, only you must bring in the other elements that follow, Bath-sheba, Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. They all follow on this and all tend to the one end; namely, the assertion of divine rights in Solomon, but the first thing to bring in is this life-giving element.
JB Later, Adonijah sought Abishag for his wife. That is, the enemy seeks to control that which produces warmth and life among the saints.
JS I suppose David meets his responsibility here more definitely than he did at the time of Absalom’s rebellion. He meets it and takes the advice of those who had God’s interests at heart.
JT Yes. But before we come to that we should notice that it is said of Adonijah that “his father had not grieved him at any time in saying, Why doest thou so?” David was not only weak in vitality but the moral element had been greatly weakened. He had not displeased Adonijah. That is to say, things had been allowed to pass without protest, which is very often apparent among God’s people. Things that are really against Christ are allowed to pass without protest. It is bad enough not to be able to meet them, but it is worse not even to protest against such things.
LTF Does this reviving come about by a peculiar ministry of [p. 236] Christ?
JT I think it does; the ministry that keeps us in accord with the Supper.
LTF Would it be a ministry that addresses itself to the heart rather than the intelligence? Something that addresses itself to the heart has a warming influence.
JT The Lord’s supper focuses for us all the love of God and the love of Christ. These are presented to us and kept before us in the Supper, and I have no doubt the recovery of the Lord’s supper and its re-establishment amongst the people of God has been used to this end, but in addition to Abishag you have the prophet. That is an important feature, a prophetic ministry, which I believe may easily be traced. Would you not say so?
RSS Yes, in Nathan.
WCR I was wondering if the principles we are considering would be found in connection with Eutychus, who fell down from the third story, and Paul says: “Be not troubled, for his life is in him”. Paul fell on him and apparently revived him. Would the revival of Paul’s ministry be what we need for that which has grown cold?
JT It is quite a feature of it. Paul’s ministry stands in relation to the Lord’s supper especially.
BTF What would you say the promise given to Bath-sheba regarding Solomon represents?
JT It was a question of counsel. David had sworn in regard to Solomon that he should be king, so that in a way David was doubly responsible. On that account there should have been no question in his mind as to Solomon, and yet he never displeased Adonijah. He had uttered no protest against the aspirations of Adonijah, which I think is rather solemn. So much is allowed to pass amongst us, you know, that obviously is not right.
GWW Do you not think that was just the principle of decadence in connection with responsibility?
[p. 237] The thought of God is more or less before the soul, but the passing over of that which is in opposition to it brings about the state of decadence.
JT I think that is it. One has often noticed the inability or indisposition to even protest. Although you may feel you cannot cope with the difficulty, at any rate, you lift up your voice against what is against Christ. However covered it may be, you test it and you lift up your voice against it; this David omitted to do here.
GAT Sometimes we pass things over rather than allow them to be the means of bringing trouble.
JT But it is a poor thing to be silent when the rights of Christ are in any way infringed.
JK It is more in accordance with God’s mind to make at least a protest.
JT Very often power comes in with the protest. God comes in to support it.
AFM Do you regard this principle of antichrist, as found in Adonijah, as corresponding with what we find all around us in the terrible doctrines that have been formulated, or do you come closer than that? I was wondering if the saints were responsible for what we see around us, like Russellism, Christian Science, etc. That is all the spirit of antichrist, is it not?
JT A godly man would have an exercise as to everything that is found in the sphere of Christendom. You feel with Christ about things. The addresses to the assemblies cover the whole history of Christendom. If with the Lord, you feel things with Him; not only what may be connected with the few you are walking with, but the whole sphere of Christendom. The Lord’s name is connected with it, and you would feel with Him about things.
AFM I was thinking that concurrently with the revival of the Supper and affection for Christ,
[p. 238] these terrible things are being formulated by the enemy as an offset to that.
JT There are “many antichrists”, 1 John 2:18. It is the character of them here. They had not avowed themselves openly. They went out that they might be manifest. They did not take on opposition to Christ openly. It is rather the character of their course, not what they said or taught that is in view.
WB Would you say that in a measure Luther was right? They were called Protestants. They protested against certain things done at that time.
JT Yes, only they made the formal protest and supported it by worldly organisation, which has now resulted in Christendom, a leavened thing. If they had made their protest and withdrawn, and depended on the Lord and the Spirit, then they would have had the truth of the assembly.
WB Instead of that they used military arms and all that sort of thing to support it.
RSS So that merely a protest is hardly sufficient?
JT No, but one feels if you make one in the right way the Lord comes in to help, provided you do not lean on a brother to do it, or form a combination with others. If one has faith the Lord will come in to help in the protest, but the Reformers formed a worldly organisation to support theirs, which the Lord could not go on with.
GAT If something was wrong, would you not speak to such a one before protesting?
JT Yes, but the danger is of forming special compacts for supporting a certain thought, or resisting a certain thought, which simply brings about a party or sect. If you make a protest look to the Lord to support it. He comes in, and as He comes in you have things divinely supported, and God is glorified in it.
ALM Paul did that way, he was fearless in meeting and contending with evil.
JT Yes, he said, “I withstood him to [the] face”, Galatians 2:11. He did it on his own account, and the Lord supported him in it.
DR Is that what is set forth in Bath-sheba retiring to the king in her effort to overthrow the antichrist? Adonijah did not form a compact with her.
JT Bath-sheba is moved by the word of the prophet. It is by Nathan’s word she is guided as to what to do. In fact she was remiss too. She apparently was not exercised of herself. Nathan brought about the exercise. It was the prophet.
WB-t Would you say it was a matter of life and death to her?
JT And so it is now.
HG The prophet often discerns dangers that get in amongst us and has courage to expose them, with a view of the continuance or saving of the testimony.
JT That is the thought. He was in that way a seer. He saw how things were, and Nathan really brings about the exercise. It is his word that brings about the movement.
WCR It says in John’s epistle, “prove the spirits”. That is in connection with the spirit of antichrist. Bath-sheba had not proved the spirits, but Nathan had.
AFM Do you connect Nathan with the ministry of Abishag?
JT I think he is a counterpart. He goes to the one to whom the promise was made. He acts with skill and intelligence. It says in verse 11, “And Nathan spoke to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard”. He goes to her first because it was to her the promise was made. Like Israel when Peter spoke to them; “For to you is the promise” he says, “and to your children, and to all who [are] afar off”, Acts 2:39. It was for them to be moved at that time. They had crucified Christ but now the promise was to them; “of whom” ..., says Paul, “[is] the Christ”, Romans 9:5. He had come to them and they had a claim. It was for them to come out and assert themselves. Three thousand did and they came into all the good of the true Solomon, in that way, but Peter’s word was a prophetic word.
AFM So Bath-sheba represents the responsible element, does she not?
JT She does from the maternal side. David was the paternally responsible element. Now, looking at the saints as represented in Bath-sheba, the promises are ours. We come in for all that refers to Christ, now and we do not want to lose these things. We are to share with Him in His glory.
AFM Hence the value of a prophetic ministry.
JT Yes, Paul says: “For whatever promises of God [there are], in him is the yea, and in him the amen”, but it is “for glory to God by us”, 2 Corinthians 1:20. He states this, and then seeks that the Corinthians should be in the good of these things, of what was in Christ. Hence, no matter how you look at it, we should lay hold of what is available for us, and not let the enemy take it away from us. We are in danger of being deprived of things. The danger is always present, the antichristian element endeavouring to take away what belongs to Christ.
DR Do you not think that if the Lord had His place in our midst, that which is antichristian would be exposed?
JT No doubt, but there is a constant tendency, not only to overlook that responsibility should be sustained by life, but to lose the sense of responsibility altogether; that these things are carried out in the energy of life by a right spirit being with us. It is very inspiring to see here how everything of God goes forward, and that His counsels are effected also that antichrist typically is exposed and comes [p. 241] to nothing.
GWW It is not so much what is going on in Christendom outwardly, but the hindering of that which is according to God, seeking to introduce what would be destructive into our very midst. We are not only to see it in its terrible form all around, but how in an insidious way Satan seeks to instil these things into our midst. Hence we want, in regard to the Supper, strength which is of God, that what is contrary to Christ may be detected.
AP Were not these things in David’s kingdom from the start?
JT It is very remarkable in reading the Psalms how conspicuous the antichristian element is, as ever present to the spirit of the psalmists. From John’s writing up to the present the antichristian spirit has existed, and the godly have always had to contend with it, and it continues now; so that the “many antichrists” exist and the little children are always exposed. Young Christians are peculiarly exposed to antichristian influences.
FWT Will you please explain how the Supper works in connection with responsibility?
JT What I think has come before us is that the Supper introduces the vital element, by which the responsible persons are supported in carrying out their obligations in maintaining the rights of Christ.
GWW In the Supper we have the exact opposite of what characterises antichrist, it refers to the One who went down to establish divine pleasure; in antichrist we see one going up to establish his own. Therefore when our souls are in the good of what is set forth in the Supper we are on our guard against the insidious spirit of antichrist; we shall not exalt man after the flesh.
JT It says, ‘Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself‘ . “I will be king; and he provided [p. 242] himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him”. He exalted himself.
DR Do you connect the antichristian spirit with the spirit set forth in Judas? It says of Jesus, “was troubled in spirit” (John 13:21) and later He said to Judas, “What thou doest, do quickly”, John 13:27.
JT The elements were all there. The Lord exposed him and he went out after he received the morsel.
JK How do the ninth and tenth verses of John’s third epistle connect with the antichristian spirit?
JT That surely would be an antichristian spirit, only Diotrephes casts others out of the assembly, whereas the antichrist went out. I think it is very beautiful to see how the prophet, and the priest, and Benaiah the military representative, all combine and bring in the true man, the true king, Solomon. How very encouraging that God has helped in that way and brought about the enthronement of Christ in the saints’ affections, to the utter confusion and exclusion of all that is antichrist!
RSS We have had a good deal on the side of Nathan the prophet. Now how does Zadok the priest come in in connection with this?
JT The priestly state is ever needed in having to do with God; it was by the priest the true king was anointed. It says, “Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel”; All is in perfect order here, it seems to me. There is resuscitation, for those responsible, the assertion of the rights of Christ in David; the prophetic word; and then the priestly element as anointing Solomon. It is very beautiful to see the true man, not only recognised, but anointed.
WB The priest seems to take the lead there. Nathan the prophet comes in first and produces exercise, but in carrying out the wishes of the king the priest takes [p. 243] the lead?
JT You see there is order in that. The priestly side naturally takes precedence of everything when it is present, but you know it has to be present; and I think the work of the Spirit is to bring about a priestly state among God’s people. Otherwise you do not have things according to God. Without a priest you do not have divine service. I am only introducing that remark as an additional feature. It is not a question of service, but without a priest you do not have things according to God. The prophet brings in God and exercises your soul, and then you are a priest as truly exercised.
EJW Benaiah seems to be the man in whom God’s power is shown. He takes the place of Joab. Joab comes out in his true character in this chapter, for he is carried away with Adonijah, but there is another man associated with Nathan and Zadok — Benaiah. I suppose he would represent the power of God working with that of which you were speaking. It is a great comfort to think that the power of God at the present time is with that which is working for the maintenance of the rights of Christ here. It is not only discernment in Nathan, and the priestly element in Zadok, but also the power of God with us. His power meeting the enemy I mean.
JT Yes, that is very nice. Benaiah was finally over the host instead of Joab; 1 Kings 2:35.
AFM I suppose the point is that these elements should be existent amongst the saints at the present time.
DR Referring to what you said about the priest having divine sensibilities, is that what the apostle had in view when, in writing to the Corinthians, he said, “Thus there is not a wise person among you?”, 1 Corinthians 6:5.
JT Yes. The priest is essential. If things are to be established and preserved according to God we must have [p. 244] the priest.
MLH Does the priest not come in here in confirmation or support of the divine order, in accordance with the promise made to Bath-sheba?
JT Yes. The way the facts are stated is very beautiful and inspiring: “Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Long live king Solomon!” Then it says, ‘All the people came up after him’ . How great the victory; how complete it was! You have not only the assertion of the rights of Christ, but you secure the people in that way. There may be a fear that in raising your voice for Christ you will cause a disturbance and perhaps division. These of course are things you do not want, but the result is, if you really act for God you save not only the rights of God, but the people as well. The saints are preserved. “A true witness delivereth souls”, Proverbs 14:25. He really serves the people and secures them.
WB-t That is very encouraging.
JT Yes, “Thy people” it says, “shall be willing in the day of thy power”, Psalm 110:3. One has to reckon on that. The saints are perhaps, not as far away as you may think.
WB-t We are a little afraid sometimes to act like Nathan.
JT You have to count on what is of God in the saints however weak it may become in effect. When a true saint hears the “trumpet” sound he usually responds.
WB-t “The people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them”.
JT And further in regard to David, when he refers to Solomon he says, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it”. What a great change from the beginning of the chapter, where [p. 245] Adonijah was acting in his pride and self exultation, and David saying nothing! Now Solomon is anointed and David is exulting over it. I think the wonderful range of truth in 1 Chronicles 22 to 29, comes in after this. David has come back to the counsel of God in Solomon.
GWW That is very interesting.
WN In what character is the Spirit manifested here in the prophet?
JT The Spirit of God works in all these different characters, whether in Abishag, Nathan, Zadok, Benaiah or Bath-sheba, the Spirit works in all these characters.
AFM We have not to combat evil. We are to judge the character of the moment, of course.
JT We are to go on with the good, the positive. Nathan in going on with it displaced the antichristian system. The Lord will deal with antichrist in judgment. Of course we contend for the truth, but that is positive. The time is coming when the Lord shall deal with evil in a retributive way; we have not to do with that. Even Adonijah is not put to death until after David dies; that is, until this dispensation ends we do not have definite judgment.
WCR They brought in Solomon, that is the point.
HG I had an exercise as to how we would locate amongst us today the elements found in the prophet, and the priest, and Benaiah. I understand in Nathan there is more the exposure of evil and indicating the Man that is to come in. Is the thought in the priest one who would build that Man into the hearts of the saints?
JT I would agree with that. The priest has a true apprehension of Christ. Here he anoints Solomon. Of course here that is literal, but it means, that you commit yourself so completely to that Man that all see it; your ministry, your [p. 246] demeanour, your words, all indicate that you are committed to that Man.
RSS Is it like Mary at Bethany anointing the Lord?
JT That is a very beautiful illustration of it. She was committed to that Man.
RSS The only thing Zadok does here, I think, is to anoint Solomon. And so it is a priestly state to anoint the Lord as Mary did. We can all do that.
HG How about Benaiah. In what way does he come in now?
JT He represents the military side. There is that which is to be defended and preserved; in that way you come on to Ephesian ground, to military service.
WCR All these men represent elements found amongst the saints now.
GWW In connection with Benaiah, is it not interesting to see here a man who met things single handed? He faces an Egyptian with a great spear, plucks the spear from his hands and slays him with it; and goes down in the midst of the pit in time of snow, to slay a lion. In him we have one who single handed met the power of the enemy and overthrew it, 2 Samuel 23:20, 21. That sort of spirit comes in to actuate us in a time when things opposed to God have to be met single handed.
EJW I was thinking as to Benaiah that what we get in 2 Timothy would answer to it. Timothy is to remember not only to labour like a good husbandman, to be a good workman, and to wrestle lawfully, but he is also to be a good soldier, and the power of God was to come out in suffering evil along with the testimony.
WB The power of endurance is what marks a soldier.
GWW Our exercise must be that all these things we have been looking at should really have their [p. 247] place in our own souls, so that there may be a fulfilment of responsibility in connection with Christ.
EJW One could hardly think of anything more to be desired than to have part in that which is being carried on by the Spirit of God here for the maintenance of Christ, when, so to speak, the responsible side, as represented in David, has grown old and feeble. God would have the testimony maintained until Solomon comes in, and one could hardly think of anything more to be desired than to have part in that.
WB I was struck with the rapidity with which things go on: the king is anointed and sits on the throne. He reaches the throne quickly. There is generally a good deal of delay in seating a king on a throne, but things seem to have gone on very rapidly here.
JT The king’s business required haste. You feel there is no delay to be made when His things are in question.
RSS It was a critical moment.
JT The opposing element was in its strength, there was no time to lose. John says it is the “last hour”, and there are “many antichrists”, 1 John 2:18.