Expositions of Holy Scripture Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and First Book of Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, and Second Kings chapters I to VII   By: Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

ALEXANDER MACLAREN, D. D., Litt. D.

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, AND FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL

SECOND SAMUEL, FIRST KINGS, AND SECOND KINGS CHAPTERS I to VII

CONTENTS

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS (Deut. vii. 9) THE LESSON OF MEMORY (Deut. viii. 2) THE EATING OF THE PEACE OFFERING (Deut. xii. 18) PROPHETS AND THE PROPHET (Deut. xviii. 9 22) A CHOICE OF MASTERS (Deut. xxviii. 47, 48) THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW (Deut. xxx. 11 20) GOD'S TRUE TREASURE IN MAN (Deut. xxxii. 9; TITUS ii. l4) THE EAGLE AND ITS BROOD (Deut. xxxii. 11) THEIR ROCK AND OUR ROCK (Deut. xxxii. 31) GOD AND HIS SAINTS (Deut. xxxiii. 3) ISRAEL THE BELOVED (Deut. xxxiii. 12) 'AT THE BUSH' (Deut. xxxiii. 16) SHOD FOR THE ROAD (Deut. xxxiii. 25) A DEATH IN THE DESERT (Deut. xxxiv. 5, 6)

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA

THE NEW LEADER'S COMMISSION (Joshua i. 1 11) THE CHARGE TO THE SOLDIER OF THE LORD (Joshua i. 7, 8) THE UNTRODDEN PATH AND THE GUIDING ARK (Joshua iii. 4) 'THE WATERS SAW THEE; THEY WERE AFRAID' (Joshua iii. 5 17) STONES CRYING OUT (Joshua iv. 10 24) THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST (Joshua v. 14) THE SIEGE OF JERICHO (Joshua vi. 10, 11) RAHAB (Joshua vi. 25) ACHAN'S SIN, ISRAEL'S DEFEAT (Joshua vii. 1 12) THE SUN STAYED (Joshua x. 12) UNWON BUT CLAIMED (Joshua xiii. 1 6) CALEB A GREEN OLD AGE (Joshua xiv. 6) THE CITIES OF REFUGE (Joshua xx. 1 9) THE END OF THE WAR (Joshua xxi. 43 45; xxii. 1 9) THE NATIONAL OATH AT SHECHEM (Joshua xxiv. 19 28)

THE BOOK OF JUDGES

A SUMMARY OF ISRAEL'S FAITHLESSNESS AND GOD'S PATIENCE (Judges ii. 1 10) ISRAEL'S OBSTINACY AND GOD'S PATIENCE (Judges ii. 11 23) RECREANT REUBEN (Judges v. 16, R.V.) 'ALL THINGS ARE YOURS' (Judges v. 20; Job v. 23) LOVE MAKES SUNS (Judges v. 31) GIDEON'S ALTAR (Judges vi. 24) GIDEON'S FLEECE (Judges vi. 37) 'FIT, THOUGH FEW'(Judges vii. 1 8) A BATTLE WITHOUT A SWORD (Judges vii. 13 23) STRENGTH PROFANED AND LOST (Judges xvi. 21 31)

THE BOOK OF RUTH

GENTLE HEROINE, A GENTILE CONVERT (Ruth i. 16 22)

THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL

THE CHILD PROPHET (1 Samuel iii. 1 14) FAITHLESSNESS AND DEFEAT (1 Samuel iv. 1 18) REPENTANCE AND VICTORY (1 Samuel vii, 1 12) 'MAKE US A KING' (1 Samuel viii. 4 20) THE OLD JUDGE AND THE YOUNG KING (1 Samuel ix. 16 27) THE KING AFTER MAN'S HEART (1 Samuel x. 17 27) SAMUEL'S CHALLENGE AND CHARGE (1 Samuel xii. 1 15) OLD TRUTH FOR A NEW EPOCH (1 Samuel xii. 13 25) SAUL REJECTED (1 Samuel xv. 10 23) THE SHEPHERD KING (1 Samuel xvi. 1 13) THE VICTORY OF UNARMED FAITH (1 Samuel xvii. 32 51) A SOUL'S TRAGEDY (1 Samuel xviii. 5 16) JONATHAN, THE PATTERN OF FRIENDSHIP (1 Samuel xx.1 13) LOVE FOR HATE, THE TRUE QUID PRO QUO (1 Samuel xxiv.4 17) LOVE AND REMORSE (1 Samuel xxvi. 5 12; 21 25) SAUL (1 Samuel xxviii. 15) 'WHAT DOEST THOU HERE?' (1 Samuel xxix. 3; I Kings xix. 9) THE SECRET OF COURAGE (1 Samuel xxx. 6) AT THE FRONT OR THE BASE (1 Samuel xxx. 24) THE END OF SELF WILL (1 Samuel xxxi. 1 13)

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

'Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him.' DEUT. vii. 9.

'Faithful,' like most Hebrew words, has a picture in it. It means something that can be (1) leant on, or (2) builded on.

This leads to a double signification (1) trustworthy, and that because (2) rigidly observant of obligations. So the word applies to a steward, a friend, or a witness. Its most wonderful and sublime application is to God. It presents to our adoring love

I. God as coming under obligations to us.

A marvellous and blessed idea. He limits His action, regards Himself as bound to a certain line of conduct.

1. Obligations from His act of creation.

'A faithful Creator,' bound to take care of those whom He has made. To supply their necessities. To satisfy their desires. To give to each the possibility of discharging its ideal.

2. Obligations from His past self.