Sermon 104: 1 Samuel 30:9-20

9. So David himself went, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came as far as the brook Besor; and certain weary men halted there. 10. But David himself pursued, and four hundred men; for two hundred had stopped, who being weary could not cross the brook Besor. 11. And they found an Egyptian man in the field, and they brought him to David; and they gave him bread to eat and water to drink. 12. And also a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of dried grapes; who when he had eaten, his spirit returned to him, and he was refreshed; for he had not eaten bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 13. And David said to him: Whose are you? Or from where? Who said: I am an Egyptian boy, the servant of an Amalekite man; and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago. 14. For we made a raid on the southern region of the Cherethites, and against Judah, and to the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15. And David said to him: Can you lead me down to that band? Who said: Swear to me by God that you will not kill me, and will not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will lead you down to that band. 16. Who when he had led him down, behold, they were lying scattered over the face of the whole earth, eating and drinking and as it were celebrating a festival day, on account of all the prey and spoils which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17. And David struck them from evening until the evening of the next day; and there did not escape any of them, except four hundred young men, who... ...had mounted camels and fled. 18. So David rescued all that the Amalekites had carried off, and he rescued his two wives. 19. Nor was anything missing from the small to the great, both of sons and of daughters, and of the spoils; whatever they had seized, all David brought back. 20. And he took all the flocks and herds, and drove them before his face; and they said: This is David's plunder.

There occurs to be considered by us the effect of that oracle made to David by the Lord about pursuing the enemies, which was by no means in vain, nor was David frustrated in his hope, when he obeyed the will of God. Having therefore advanced with those six hundred men who accompanied him, he is said to have come as far as the brook Besor, and there to have been compelled to leave behind two hundred men, a third part of the army. That small number, then, of four hundred soldiers remained to pursue so many enemies and to engage them in combat. For that the army of the Amalekites was huge appears sufficiently. What then could those four hundred do against so great a multitude? David could therefore have been tempted with a certain distrust, having been ordered to pursue the enemies with so small a band of soldiers and to hope for victory, while the means of obtaining it were taken away. David could therefore have stepped back rather than advance, as anyone can experience in himself, since we are so frail that, unless the manner of deliverance and the means by which God has determined to help us strike our very eyes, we lose heart and somehow doubt of God's power. In fact, so great is the perversity of our nature that we bind God's strength to inferior means, and although God promises help, unless he satisfies our senses, God's promises not only grow cold but turn into smoke, and we judge that no effect can follow; and much more, when God, having promised something, seems to do the contrary and so to mock us, we are usually vehemently indignant and judge whatever he has promised to be empty. And it seemed possible that David should come into this opinion. For behold, he is ordered to pursue the Amalekites, who, since they were huge in number, could not be routed except by an equal or greater multitude; but David was accompanied only by six hundred men, who were quite unequal to the enemies, if strength be compared with strength and multitude with multitude. But besides this, he is forced to leave behind two hundred of them, exhausted on the road, at the brook. What then seemed to be left to him, except, having advanced against the enemies, to expose himself and his men to slaughter? Could he not have thought within himself: If God wishes me to be the victor and to triumph over the enemies, why does he not supply spirits and strength to my soldiers? Why does he permit them, exhausted, to halt in the middle of the road? It was therefore no slight temptation, which would not so easily be overcome. But when David undauntedly pursues the enemies with a few soldiers, he shows himself endowed not with some slight and momentary faith, but rather with the gift of perseverance and true faith, which, passing by what struck the eyes, fixed his confidence in God. Which the various temptations by which he was agitated, and by which he could be called away from his duty, sufficiently testify. But these he so overcame that with the highest readiness and alacrity of soul he proceeded in his duty. His faith, therefore, must have been remarkable, and the fear of God must have driven deep roots in his soul, since by no impediments could he be deterred from his duty; and remarkable was his constancy which kept him in obedience to God. From which it appears that he had not rashly grasped God's goodness, but had been altogether persuaded of it. So therefore it becomes us to grasp the divine promises, that we may constantly retain them, and not allow ourselves to be shaken by any temptations, or deterred from our duty; and although the devil oppose us in various ways and offer various occasions of recoiling from duty, yet may we never turn our backs, but constantly persevere in our calling, imitating David's example — who, although he did not expressly say that God can deliver no less by a small band than by great forces, yet believed no less than Jehoshaphat that good king, who, when he was pressed by such a great multitude of enemies that in the opinion of men it seemed all up with him and his safety despaired of, nevertheless placed his hope in the Lord, saying that it is not more difficult for God to save by a small and slender hand than by a great one. By which words he indicated that God can do all things by himself, and therefore has no need of the help of any created thing; although nevertheless, as we have said, our nature is prone to bind divine power to visible signs, when on the contrary, since God communicates himself to us, none of all the rest of creatures has any power, we ought to know that the hand of God alone suffices for us, who without any aid can help us and snatch us from all dangers. We see that David did this very thing, who, although he did not profess it in words, yet declares it in fact, when undauntedly with a small band of soldiers he pursues so numerous an army of enemies, placing all the hope of victory in God alone, and by this reasoning attributing due praise to him.

There follows that David's soldiers came upon a certain Egyptian man half-dead because of the disease with which he had been laboring three days before, and he had lain without food and drink. It is asked by whom he was found: for some say he was found by those who had remained at the brook, but others by those who had accompanied David, which is more probable and more in agreement with the words of the context. As to what is said about a three-day fast, this would seem new and unusual in these regions, in which no one can abstain from food and drink so long, since the constitution of the air is such that we need fuller food, which in those regions was otherwise. And this is to be observed because of many places of Scripture in which we see many having abstained... from food and drink for many days. For since the air is colder in these regions than in the eastern ones, we need more abundant food and drink. Moreover, this Egyptian man is said to have been so cast down by sickness and hunger that he could not speak until, after taking some food, his spirit was restored to him. And so when they had given him bread to eat, and two clusters of raisins, and water to drink, he answered David, who questioned him, that he was an Egyptian boy, the slave of an Amalekite man, abandoned by those troops who had broken into the region and that southern tract of Judah, and had burned the city of Ziklag with fire. But being asked by David where the Amalekites now were, and whether he could lead him to that band, he denied that he would point them out unless David should first affirm by oath that he would neither kill him nor hand him over into the hand of his master. When David had promised this to him, he led David and his soldiers to the band of enemies. Furthermore, David is said to have found the enemies scattered over the whole face of that land, eating and drinking and dancing for joy over all that great spoil which they had taken: for they were not at all afraid of being attacked by David, and as if victory had already been won they were triumphing in joy and indulging their appetites; so that it was easy for David to make an attack upon them, and to rout those whom he had unexpectedly assailed, and to destroy them all to a man in one slaughter, except for four hundred men who, mounted on camels, fled away. Therefore those Amalekites who fled equaled the number of those who followed David. From which it appears that the army of the Amalekites was huge, especially since the battle lasted from twilight until evening. Hence then it becomes more conspicuous that David, daring with four hundred men to attack so numerous an army in battle, had placed his hope in God, and had attempted nothing out of rashness, but in hope of the victory which God had promised him. Therefore, the Amalekites being overcome, he recovered his goods, and made great spoil. But here, in the first place, it is to be observed that not by chance or fortuitously did David fall in with that Egyptian, but it came about by the providence of God. From where we gather that whatever happens to us does not occur without God's will and counsel: for although we call whatever good or adverse happens either a fortuitous chance or an accident, yet it must be established that whatever seems to us fortuitous is governed by God's hidden goodness and counsel. For things are called fortuitous chances by men, because they do not comprehend God's providence, which is hidden from them. Nevertheless, although we say that something happens to us by chance, let us not be so stupid as to think that God sleeps in the heavens and has no care of earthly things. Therefore, whatever sinister or good thing happens, let us hold that God sends it, either as a sign of his favor and benevolence toward us, or as some chastisement, as if he had turned his face from us. Surely unless

that servant of Abraham had fixed this deeply in his mind, he would not have said, when he set out to seek a wife for Isaac the son of his master, 'God will send to me her whom he has destined for the son of my lord' (Genesis 24); but he was persuaded that God would direct to him that daughter for whose sake he had come into that region, in which he was as it were blind and a stranger, and without God's help could not find that daughter-in-law whom he needed and who would be pleasing to Abraham. Therefore, although God deals with us even when we are not thinking, or in extraordinary ways, yet we ought to rest on this principle, that whatever good fortune happens to us unexpectedly is a singular good which he leads to us by his hand; and on the other hand, even if some misfortune, as they call it, befalls, let it be a testimony of divine vengeance punishing us, namely as testimony of divine goodness toward us, as if we have not sought him, and he himself has been alienated from us and turned away his face. This therefore is to be considered in the case of this Egyptian, upon whom David's soldiers happened to come. For although some cause appears, namely the disease on account of which he had been abandoned by his master, and his three days' abstinence from all food and drink, so that he was very near death, yet God joined together these natural causes in order to make David more certain of the victory which had been promised him by divine oracle, namely that he would overtake and rout the enemies. God therefore brought it about that this boy fell into sickness, then suffered a fainting of spirit until he fell in with the soldiers, and his spirit was restored to him, that he might be a guide for David and serve the work which God had decreed: just as God is wont to use all created things for the salvation of his own, according as it pleases him to advance it. Finally, as often as God shall have helped us or our laboring people, let us know that he has had pity on us, and watches for our salvation while we sleep, and at the opportune time, beyond the expectation of all, brings help and succors our need.

But as to the fact that this Egyptian boy says he will neither lead David to the enemies nor indicate where the army was, until David has bound himself by an oath, from this it appears in what esteem the name of God was even among unbelievers and the profane. For behold, this wretched Egyptian, ignorant of the law and religion, a wretched slave who had been led there by robbers (for the Amalekites sought their living from spoils and rapine no differently than Arabs or pirates), in short, half-brutish, is nevertheless held by such reverence for the divine name that, an oath having been given by David, he commits to him his life and salvation. From which we can see that those who never had a true knowledge of God nevertheless had a certain principle implanted in their souls by nature concerning the divine majesty, so that they considered an oath given in his name to be as it were a pledge by which all matters between men are settled. Therefore, since this wretched man entrusts his life to David, who has sworn that he will neither kill him nor deliver him into the hand of his Amalekite master, let us learn indeed to swear when there is need, but in such a way that we render to God the honor due to him. Nevertheless let us know that the use of the divine name is to be reserved for necessity and not rashly assumed, as very often many are accustomed to swear rashly and unbidden, by that very thing showing great contempt of the divine name. But God will at length cause them to feel how sacrosanct his name is, which ought not to be assumed by them rashly and tossed about, as they say, like a ball, but soberly, and never used unless when a just reason demands. Then also it must be guarded against above all that we swear only in truth: for if we mix the name of God with our lies, we commit great sacrilege. For nothing is more befitting God than truth, the name of which he himself assumes. And if we make God a witness of our lie, of fraud, of deceit, of malice, do we not change his nature, and as it were transform him into a specter? Therefore let us know that every rash oath is sacrilege and blasphemy, and that God can be affected by us with no greater contumely and no more notable disgrace than if we rashly transform him to our own arbitrary will. Therefore, since oaths are so frequently in everyone's mouth, and consequently many perjuries, which alas! daily experience too much shows, let us know that God will employ no other judges to condemn us than the unbelievers, who had neither knowledge of the law nor of the gospel. Furthermore this is to be observed, that this wretched Egyptian asks David to swear to him by God. For from this we gather that those wretched blind pagans, although they worshipped many idols, nevertheless retained this principle, which could never be erased from their minds, that there is some highest deity, so that those wretched idolaters are not to be supposed to have invented for themselves such a multitude of gods unless they had always believed there was some highest god: but because they could not attain to such majesty, they invented for themselves lesser gods, in whom they acquiesced. Nor should we think otherwise about the papists today, when they shield themselves with this evasion, namely that they acknowledge one God, and although they pray to male and female saints, and invoke them as patrons and advocates, yet God retains the highest dignity and rank with them. We see indeed that those pagans felt the same way, so that vain is their excuse and empty is the evasion of the papists. And therefore this principle must be held: that it does not suffice for there to be in our minds some impression of some divine highest majesty which administers all things; but it is also necessary that we so worship the God we know that we rest in him alone, and not be carried rashly by our own sense, and invent for him new forms of worship, and call upon patrons and advocates as if they were lesser gods: but let us know that God wills to be worshipped and adored by us with all our senses, and to walk in that way alone which he has prescribed for us in our Lord Jesus Christ. For if we acquiesce in him alone, we shall never be drawn aside into this or that direction; and so although we know that angels watch for us, and are ministers of our salvation, and ready to bring us aid in straitened circumstances, yet we shall never turn to them but seek God alone, and rest in him alone perfectly, that is, without dissimulation. And concerning the religion of this wretched Egyptian, thus far.

But as for his master, it is probable that he received a reward worthy of his cruelty. For he had dragged the wretched man and the cheap slave to war, but when he had fallen ill, he cast aside all care of him; whom at least he ought to have taken with him to some hedge or other after the battle and the overthrow of the city of Ziklag. For what shame would it have been to pity that slave, when the Amalekites were withdrawing laden with spoil and victory won? Why then did this master not succor the wretched slave, why did he hold him in less esteem than a dog? Surely he was ungrateful and inhuman: but yet here the counsel of God is to be admired, by whose providence this happened, not by any chance or fortune. And it is probable that this master was killed in the battle, as he deserved, and that, returning home expecting joy, he suffered death worthy of his cruelty. Surely we ought to pity those men whom we see laboring, who, although we may experience them as ungrateful, yet let us not doubt that God will give us our reward in his own time, which he has promised. On the contrary, let us fear lest, despising the wretched and the needy, God reduce us to like want and necessity, and deprive us of all aids, so that no one will pity us, just as God has said it shall be, that with what measure we have measured, the same shall be measured to us again. But above all let us know that we shall be punished more severely if we are cruel toward those to whom God had bound us more closely, and that such cruelty will never go unpunished. Let us therefore learn to be wise by the example of this Amalekite, whom we see thus punished by God, that God willed the abandoned slave to fall in with David, that with him as guide he might pursue those fleeing enemies and recover the spoil. Furthermore this also is to be observed, that God, having become propitious to us, will give victory over our enemies, and will blind them, and will bring it about that even unsuspecting they themselves furnish us occasion of victory. For God is wont thus either to frustrate the counsels of enemies, or even to snatch away their mind, so that they themselves, off their guard, supply us with means useful against themselves and suited to our salvation. Therefore in all difficulties let us flee to God, and from him let us await whatever shall be necessary; for it is certain that, besides the fact that as often as it pleases him he can help us without any aid of created things, yet if he wills to use them for our advantage, he will find a way to help us beyond the expectation of all men.

Let us pass on to what follows, in which we hear that David, having been led by that man to the camp of the Amalekites, found the enemies who were reclining over the face of the whole land, eating and drinking, and as it were celebrating a feast day for all the spoil and plunder which they had taken from the land. Hence it is to be observed that those who rejoice beyond measure are often caught off their guard and unawares, just as the Lord also threatens that the wicked, indulging in the drunkenness of wine, and delighting themselves in evils, will be like a woman in labor, who on the first day of birth is suddenly intercepted by the pains of childbirth. Surely it is permitted to eat and drink, it is permitted even to rejoice and be cheerful: but in all these things moderation must be applied. But these of whom is here treated sinned in two ways: first, in that they gorged themselves on goods wickedly acquired from others, and it was not their doing that they did not pollute themselves with human blood: for although they had killed no one of the inhabitants of Ziklag, the will was not lacking, although God took away the power. For they had gone out from home with this design. Therefore, feeding on their spoils and plunderings, and cheering themselves on what belonged to others, they sinned by cruelty, to which was added immense joy. For when they are said to have eaten and drunk and danced for joy over all the spoil, it is certain that the Spirit of God wished to mark their highest gluttony and intemperance with unbridled joy, and therefore to have crushed them as they reveled with so sudden a storm. Hence we are taught not to rejoice in others' losses and misfortunes, nor to break out in laughter on account of the groaning of the afflicted and innocent. I confess indeed that God sometimes furnishes us with occasion of laughter from the tears of enemies, provided it be not too unbridled, but moderate and temperate, and in that manner holy and approved by God; and so that we know we ought not to rejoice in the losses of wretched men. Yet that this is done too often, daily experience teaches. So we see merchants making delights for themselves, rejoicing vehemently, and even giving thanks to God when they have been enriched by scraping wealth together from all sides; but they do not notice that they have reduced many wretched men to extreme poverty, and that their houses have been pillaged, and many widows, many orphans reduced to extreme straits, namely hunger, thirst, and other such hardships. So also we see many others always gaping for such spoil, especially courtiers always coveting confiscation of goods, and devising death for this man or that, that they may pounce upon the goods of the wretched. Let such joy be far from us, which extorts groans and tears from the wretched and innocent, to be heard at length by God: for it is certain that their cry will penetrate the very heavens, and that God will not allow that, while we indulge our appetite and revel as drunkards do amid their cups, we should perpetually languish, reduced to those straits which we make for ourselves, but that he will at length show himself a just judge and avenger. Therefore care must be taken that our joy be lawful, that is, that it proceed from a good and just cause, and that we truly and without paint and dissimulation bless the name of God, as often as we rejoice over his benefits. Add to a just cause also moderation, that we may not, as drunkards are wont, become insolent amid our cups, but live soberly and temperately, that we may always be able to praise God, and be more and more enkindled into love of him: and use greater diligence in our duty toward our neighbors, and apply faithfulness in our calling. Such therefore ought the joy of Christians to be, by which more and more love toward neighbor and toward God is excited. On the contrary, it is to be feared lest, if our joy be immoderate, those penalties which God threatens against the immoderate and intemperate, and against those who turn the losses of their neighbors upon them, be derived upon our own heads. Why is this so? Surely God wishes us to consider how transitory and fragile life is, and how subject to miseries, that we may keep ourselves under the shadow of his wings, and not make delights for ourselves, and promise ourselves the highest and perpetual tranquility, as if we no longer needed his help, or were superior to him.

Further, from this it is to be noted that God, when he is about to destroy our enemies, takes away their senses and mind. For example, it is true indeed that the Amalekites had inferred by a certain prudence that David, having gone out to war with the Philistines, would not make an attack upon them, and seized the occasion from David's absence to invade his goods, hoping that with David and his soldiers absent they would assault the city, and would plunder the houses full of wealth, and drive off many herds and many flocks; in short, with no great force they would make notable spoil, since the bravest had set out to war with David. That such were their plans is probable: and therefore, the spoil being won, and as they thought, with fortune as their leader and favoring them, they thought themselves now placed beyond every cast of the dice, and able to relax their minds, and to eat and drink more freely. And human reason dictates such counsels: but yet it is certain that God cast a veil before their eyes, so that they did not think of so sudden a fall, and therefore promising themselves all prosperous things, as though their affairs were placed in safety, they relaxed their minds. Let us hence learn, when enemies prevail in multitude and strength, to place our trust in God alone, certainly persuaded that he has various means, incomprehensible to us, of routing them, and indeed in such a way that even if we apply no hand, or if he wishes to use us as instruments to lay low the enemies, he will so easily accomplish the business that we shall obtain a great victory rather while jesting than while doing anything in earnest. For although David labored for the space of twenty-four hours, namely from evening to evening, in pursuing the enemies, yet it seemed a jest, as God himself prepared the table, and granted so easy a victory over the enemies who were triumphing and indulging their appetite, that the soldiers were occupied only in slaying them, who had prepared themselves not for battle but for feasting.

Moreover, from this we are also admonished that we must always be on guard, and as it were stand on watch, even if we enjoy the deepest peace and the most prosperous circumstances. For although we are pressed by no necessity, and could live a little more freely with no one giving us trouble, yet we ought to bridle our appetites, and pull in the reins lest we imitate untamed horses. Many examples occur in the sacred writings of those who, enjoying prosperous circumstances and indulging their appetite, drew down upon themselves the gravest punishments. For God wills that we lead our life with some care and solicitude, not indeed distrusting his providence and special care: but lest we abuse leisure and tranquility, placing the happiness of life in food and drink. Therefore that solicitude of which we speak is joined with highest peace and tranquility. But from where comes tranquility, except from that persuasion which the faithful have, that God has received them into his protection, and watches perpetually for their salvation, and therefore that he will never desert them? Yet this persuasion does not hinder the prayers which at all hours we ought to pour forth to him, just as David teaches by his example, when he says, 'Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit.' Hence then comes that solicitude of the faithful, in that they sense the infirmity and inconstancy of their life, and know that it hangs as it were by a slender thread, and recognize the dangers surrounding them, from which no place of escape would be given, unless God himself should bring help to those laboring. Which surely does not impel them to despair, but rather excites in them a more vehement zeal to flee in prayer to God and to seek the shadow of his wings. But what, on the contrary, do unbelievers do? They rashly cast themselves into any dangers, as though utterly blinded and stupid: as if indeed they were provoking God himself, and with blinded eyes, without apprehension of dangers, were challenging God himself. This is the spiritual drunkenness of which mention is often made in the sacred writings. And yet they do not enjoy that peace and tranquility which the faithful enjoy, which God takes away from them, and harasses them with various goads: so that they are terrified without cause, and tremble at the sight of their own shadow, as the Scripture says. Finally, let us so use prosperous things that we do not become insolent, and yet let us be cheered in God, persuaded that God will accomplish what he professes in the Psalms, namely that he will most kindly bestow on his beloved all things necessary. Let us therefore flee that stupor which afterwards causes us terror without cause, and let us so use prosperity and leisure and tranquility, that we may perpetually watch and commit ourselves to God's keeping. Moreover, if God wills that we be exposed to many dangers and exercised, let us know that this is done for our good: for if, when we are surrounded on all sides by enemies, and various rumors are heard from every quarter, and many threaten dire things against us, we yet use our affairs insolently, and become drunk with leisure, what would happen to us if we had attained some earthly paradise, and the world on every side were to smile upon us without any suspicion of danger? Truly it would be greatly to be feared lest, casting aside all care, we should hand over even God to oblivion. Therefore it is for our own benefit that we are surrounded on every side by enemies, that many tumults are raised, that we are terrified by many threats: namely that by this reasoning we may learn to feel our own poverty, and rise to God with more ardent vows, and be safe under his protection. Furthermore, from this victory of David that saying which we said before appears to be true, that it is not difficult for God to grant victory with a small band against an infinite multitude of enemies: as it is conspicuous in David, who, accompanied by only four hundred soldiers, routed so many thousands of Amalekites, that only four hundred survivors saved themselves by flight, and in the space of 24 hours obtained victory over so many enemies, and made so great a slaughter of enemies. Indeed God himself seems to have exposed the routed enemies as spoil, and to have spread a table for David and his soldiers, and to have invited them to food and drink, so that in a wholly admirable manner God accomplished that business. Hence let us again learn that, although we are unequal in men's opinion to resisting the strength of enemies, we ought yet not to lose heart and despair of God's help, who, it is certain, can lay low infinite enemies by his power alone or by his mere breath, when we shall seem destitute of all strength. For God wills us to be so weak and infirm, that, stripped of all arrogance, and terrified by the magnitude of the dangers surrounding us, we may learn to flee to him with ardent vows, that there may be fulfilled in us what the Lord says through the prophet, that victory is not gained by chariots or horses, but by the power of God who so governs his church, and makes her superior to her enemies. Now then go forward, etc.

## HOMILIA CV.

9. David went, along with the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some who were exhausted stayed behind. 10. But David went on with the pursuit, with four hundred men, since two hundred had stayed behind who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. 11. They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink. 12. They also gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his strength returned, for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13. David said to him: To whom do you belong? And where are you from? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite. My master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14. We had made a raid against the Negev of the Cherethites, against that which belongs to Judah, and against the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15. David said to him: Will you take me down to this raiding party? He said: Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party. 16. And when he had taken him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and celebrating because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17. David struck them from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who... ...mounted camels and fled. 18. David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken. David also rescued his two wives. 19. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back everything. 20. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him and said: This is David's spoil.

Here we have the fulfillment of the oracle the Lord gave David about pursuing the enemies — it was not made in vain, and David was not disappointed in his hope when he obeyed God's will. Having set out with the six hundred men who accompanied him, he is said to have come as far as the brook Besor, where he was forced to leave two hundred men behind — a third of the army. So only four hundred soldiers remained to pursue such a large enemy force and engage them in battle. That the Amalekite army was immense is clear enough. What could those four hundred do against so great a multitude? David could therefore have been tempted toward a kind of doubt — ordered to pursue the enemies with so small a band while the means of winning seemed to be slipping away. David could reasonably have stepped back rather than pressing forward. Anyone can understand this from their own experience: we are so weak that unless we can see with our own eyes the means of deliverance and the specific way God intends to help us, we lose heart and begin to question God's power. In fact, our nature is so perverse that we tend to tie God's strength to outward means. Even when God promises help, unless He satisfies our senses, His promises not only go cold but evaporate entirely — we conclude that nothing will come of them. And when God, having promised something, seems to do the opposite and appear to mock us, we are usually deeply indignant and judge everything He promised to be empty. David might well have fallen into this kind of thinking. He was ordered to pursue the Amalekites — a force so large it could only be beaten by an equal or superior army — and yet he had only six hundred men, already no match for the enemy if sheer strength and numbers were compared. And on top of that, he was forced to leave two hundred of those behind, worn out on the road. What seemed to be left to him, except to march against the enemies and expose himself and his men to slaughter? Could he not have reasoned: If God wants me to be victorious over these enemies, why doesn't He restore strength to my soldiers? Why does He let them collapse exhausted in the middle of the road? This was no small temptation — and not one easily overcome. But when David presses on undaunted with only a handful of soldiers, he shows himself not merely touched by some passing or momentary faith, but endowed with the gift of true, persevering faith — one that looked past what struck the eyes and fixed its confidence in God. The various temptations that assailed him, any one of which could have pulled him off course, bear witness to this. Yet he overcame them all, moving forward in his duty with remarkable readiness and eagerness of spirit. His faith must therefore have been strong, and the fear of God must have struck deep roots in his soul — since no obstacle could stop him from his duty. Remarkable also was the constancy that kept him in obedience to God. From this it appears that he had not grasped God's goodness casually, but had been thoroughly persuaded of it. This is how we must grasp God's promises — holding them firmly, refusing to be shaken by any temptation or turned aside from our duty. Though the devil opposes us in various ways and presents various reasons to draw back, we must never turn our backs, but persist steadily in our calling — imitating David's example. He did not state it in so many words, but he believed no less than did the good king Jehoshaphat, who, when pressed by such an immense enemy force that salvation seemed hopeless by any human calculation, still placed his hope in the Lord, saying that it is no harder for God to save through a small and weak force than through a great one. By those words Jehoshaphat declared that God can do everything by Himself and therefore has no need of any created means. And yet, as we have said, our nature tends to tie God's power to visible means — when in reality, since God communicates Himself to us, none of the creatures around us has any power of its own. We must understand that God's hand alone is sufficient for us — without any help, He can help us and snatch us from every danger. This is exactly what David demonstrated — not in words but in action — when he pressed on undaunted with a small band of soldiers against so large an army, placing all hope of victory in God alone, and by doing so giving Him the praise that was due.

We read next that David's soldiers came upon a certain Egyptian man who was half-dead from an illness he had been fighting for three days, having had no food or water during that time. There is a question about who found him — some say it was those who had stayed behind at the brook, others say it was those who had gone on with David, which seems more probable and more consistent with the text. As for the three-day fast — this would seem unusual in colder climates, where no one could go without food and drink so long. But in those eastern regions the climate made this possible, and this should be kept in mind because of many other passages in Scripture where people fasted from food and drink for many days. In those warmer regions, people required less food and drink than we do in colder climates. This Egyptian man is said to have been so weakened by sickness and hunger that he could not speak until he had eaten and his strength returned. Once they had given him bread, two clusters of raisins, and water to drink, he was able to answer David's questions: he was a young Egyptian, a slave of an Amalekite man, abandoned by the raiding party that had broken into the region, raided the southern area of Judah, and burned Ziklag. When David asked where the Amalekites were now and whether he could lead him to the raiding party, the man said he would show them only if David would first swear an oath not to kill him or hand him over to his master. When David swore this to him, the man led David and his soldiers to the enemy band. David found the enemies scattered across the whole region, eating and drinking and dancing for joy over the great plunder they had taken. They had no fear of being attacked — they were celebrating as if victory were already theirs, indulging themselves freely. This made it easy for David to launch a surprise attack, routing them in a slaughter that wiped them all out except for four hundred men who escaped on camels. Notably, the number who fled equaled the number who followed David. This shows how enormous the Amalekite army was — especially since the battle lasted from twilight until the following evening. This makes it all the more clear that David, daring to attack so large an army with only four hundred men, had placed his hope in God and had attempted nothing out of rashness — but in confident expectation of the victory God had promised him. So the Amalekites were defeated, he recovered his goods, and took great plunder. Now, first of all, we must observe that David did not stumble upon that Egyptian by chance or accident — it happened by God's providence. From this we see that nothing that happens to us occurs apart from God's will and counsel. Though we tend to call both good and bad events 'chance' or 'accidents,' it must be settled in our minds that whatever appears to us as accidental is governed by God's hidden goodness and wisdom. Things are called accidents by people because they do not comprehend God's providence, which is hidden from them. Nevertheless, even if we say something happened by chance, let us not be so foolish as to think God is asleep in heaven and has no concern for earthly affairs. Whatever befalls us — good or bad — let us hold that God sends it: either as a sign of His favor and kindness toward us, or as some form of discipline, as if He had turned His face away. Surely, unless...

...Abraham's servant had fixed this deeply in his heart, he would not have said when setting out to find a wife for Isaac: 'God will send to me the one He has destined for my master's son' (Genesis 24). He was persuaded that God would direct him to the right daughter in a region where he was as a blind stranger — unable, without God's help, to find the daughter-in-law he needed and who would be pleasing to Abraham. Therefore, even when God works in ways we were not expecting, or through extraordinary means, we must rest on this principle: whatever good fortune comes to us unexpectedly is a singular gift that God leads to us by His own hand. And on the other hand, even when some misfortune befalls us — as they call it — let it serve as testimony of God's discipline: a sign that we have not sought Him, or that He has been estranged from us and turned His face away. This is what we should recognize in the case of this Egyptian, whom David's soldiers happened to find. Although natural causes are visible — the illness that caused his master to abandon him, the three days without food or drink that brought him near death — God wove together these natural causes in order to make David more certain of the victory He had promised in the divine oracle: that he would overtake and rout the enemies. God therefore arranged that this young man fell ill, then lay in a faint until he was found by the soldiers and his strength was restored — so that he could serve as a guide for David and further the work God had decreed. This is how God uses all created things for the salvation of His own, as it pleases Him to advance it. Finally, as often as God helps us or our struggling people, let us know that He has had compassion on us — that He watches over our salvation while we sleep, and at the right moment, beyond everyone's expectation, brings help and meets our need.

As for this Egyptian's refusal to guide David or reveal the army's location until David had bound himself by an oath — this shows how much reverence for God's name existed even among unbelievers and the ungodly. Here is a wretched Egyptian, ignorant of the law and of religion, a miserable slave who had been dragged along by robbers — for the Amalekites made their living from plunder no differently than bandits or pirates. In short, he was barely a step above an animal. And yet he held such reverence for the divine name that when David swore an oath by it, he entrusted his very life and safety to him. From this we can see that even those who never had a true knowledge of God still had a certain principle implanted in their souls by nature concerning divine majesty — regarding an oath taken in God's name as a kind of binding pledge that settles all matters between people. Since this wretched man trusted his life to David on the strength of David's oath not to kill him or hand him over to his Amalekite master — let us learn to swear when genuine need demands it, but in a way that renders God the honor due to Him. At the same time, let us understand that the divine name is to be reserved for necessity and not taken up carelessly. Many people are in the habit of swearing rashly and without cause — and by this very habit they show deep contempt for the divine name. God will ultimately make them feel how sacred His name is, and how it must not be snatched up carelessly and tossed about like a ball, but used with gravity, and only when a genuine reason demands it. We must also guard above all that we swear only in truth — for if we mix God's name with lies, we commit a serious act of sacrilege. Nothing is more fitting to God than truth — it is the very name He takes for Himself. And if we make God a witness of our lies, fraud, deceit, and malice, are we not changing His nature — transforming Him into a phantom? Let us therefore understand that every reckless oath is sacrilege and blasphemy, and that we can show God no greater contempt or more notable disgrace than by recklessly bending Him to our own arbitrary will. Since oaths are constantly on everyone's lips, and as a result perjury is rampant — as daily experience unfortunately shows all too clearly — let us recognize that God will use no other judges to condemn us than the unbelievers themselves, who had neither knowledge of the law nor of the Gospel. There is another thing worth noting: this wretched Egyptian asks David to swear by God. From this we see that even those blind pagans, though they worshiped many idols, still retained this principle — which could never be erased from their minds — that there is some supreme deity. We should not suppose that those miserable idolaters invented such a multitude of gods without always believing there was one highest God above them all. Because they could not attain to such majesty, they invented lesser gods and settled for them. We should think no differently about the Roman Catholics today, when they use this defense: they acknowledge one God, they say, and even though they pray to male and female saints and invoke them as patrons and advocates, God retains the highest place with them. We see that the pagans felt exactly the same way — so the Catholic defense is equally empty. Therefore this principle must be held: it is not enough to have some vague impression in our minds of a supreme divine majesty who governs all things. We must also worship the God we know in such a way that we rest in Him alone — not carried away by our own imagination, not inventing new forms of worship for Him, not invoking patrons and advocates as if they were lesser gods. God wills to be worshiped and adored with all our faculties, and He wills that we walk in the one way He has prescribed for us in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we rest in Christ alone, we will never be pulled off in one direction or another. And so even though we know that angels watch over us and are servants of our salvation, ready to bring help in times of difficulty, we will never turn to them — we will seek God alone and rest in Him alone, completely and without any pretense. That is enough about the religion of this wretched Egyptian.

As for the Egyptian's master, he probably received the punishment his cruelty deserved. He had dragged this poor, disposable slave along to war — and when the man fell ill, he simply abandoned him without a thought. At the very least, after the battle and the sacking of Ziklag, he could have put the slave on a cart or carried him somewhere safe. What shame would it have cost him to show a little pity for his slave, when the Amalekites were leaving loaded with plunder and flushed with victory? Why then did this master not take care of his wretched slave? Why did he value him less than a dog? He was ungrateful and cruel. But here God's counsel must be admired — for what happened was not by chance or accident but by His providence. It is probable that this master was killed in the battle, as he deserved — returning home expecting joy, he met the death that his cruelty had earned. We ought to show compassion toward those we see struggling — and even when those people turn out to be ungrateful, let us not doubt that God will give us our reward in His own time, which He has promised. On the contrary, let us fear that if we despise the poor and the needy, God will reduce us to the same need and want, stripping us of every support so that no one will pity us — for God has said that with the measure we use, it will be measured back to us. Above all, let us know that our punishment will be all the more severe if we are cruel toward those to whom God has bound us more closely — and that such cruelty will never go unpunished. Let us therefore be made wise by the example of this Amalekite, whom we see punished by God in this way: God allowed the abandoned slave to fall in with David's soldiers, so that he could serve as their guide to pursue the fleeing enemies and recover all the plunder. Furthermore, we must also observe this: when God is favorable to us, He will give us victory over our enemies — He will blind them and arrange things so that they unknowingly provide us with the very occasion of their own defeat. God is accustomed to work this way — either frustrating the plans of enemies outright, or seizing their minds so that they themselves, caught off guard, provide us with the means useful against themselves and suited to our salvation. Therefore in every difficulty let us flee to God and await from Him whatever is necessary. For it is certain that He can help us at any time without any created means whatsoever — and when He does choose to use such means for our benefit, He will find a way to help us that exceeds everyone's expectation.

Let us move on to what follows: David, led by the Egyptian to the Amalekite camp, found the enemies spread across the whole land — eating, drinking, and feasting over all the plunder and spoil they had taken. From this we observe that those who celebrate without restraint are often caught off their guard, just as the Lord threatens that the wicked, wallowing in drunkenness and reveling in their gains, will be surprised like a woman suddenly seized by labor pains. It is perfectly fine to eat, drink, and be cheerful — but moderation must be applied to all of these. But these men sinned in two ways. First, they were gorging themselves on goods they had wickedly stolen from others. And it was not for lack of desire that they had not also shed human blood — though they had killed no one in Ziklag, the will was there. God had only removed the opportunity. They had set out with exactly that intention. So in feasting on their plunder and delighting in what belonged to others, they sinned through cruelty — and to that cruelty was added unrestrained joy. When Scripture says they ate, drank, and danced for joy over all the spoil, the Spirit of God clearly intends to mark their extreme gluttony and intemperance with out-of-control celebration — and therefore to have crushed them in the middle of their revelry with a sudden storm. From this we are taught not to rejoice in the losses and misfortunes of others, and not to laugh at the groans of the afflicted and innocent. I grant that God sometimes gives us cause for rejoicing out of the downfall of enemies — provided it is not excessive, but moderate, temperate, and of the kind that is holy and approved by God, never rejoicing in the suffering of wretched people. Yet how often this excess occurs, daily experience shows. We see merchants making merry and celebrating vigorously — even thanking God — when they have enriched themselves by scraping wealth together from every direction. But they do not notice that they have reduced many poor people to extreme poverty, pillaged households, and driven many widows and orphans to the brink — to hunger, thirst, and other hardships. Similarly, we see many others always hunting for such windfalls — especially courtiers who constantly hunger for the confiscation of others' goods, scheming the ruin of this person or that so they can pounce on the property of the wretched. Let us keep far from us any joy that wrings groans and tears from the innocent — for it is certain that their cry will pierce the very heavens, and God will not allow us to keep indulging and reveling while they languish in misery we created for them. He will ultimately show Himself a just judge and avenger. Therefore let us take care that our joy is lawful — that it flows from a good and just cause, and that we truly and sincerely bless God's name whenever we rejoice in His benefits. To a just cause add moderation as well — so that we do not, like drunkards, become arrogant in the midst of our ease, but live soberly and with restraint, always able to praise God and grow more and more in love for Him, more diligent in our duty toward our neighbors, and more faithful in our calling. This is what the joy of Christians should look like — joy that stirs up greater love for neighbor and for God. On the contrary, we must fear that if our joy is immoderate, the penalties God threatens against the intemperate and those who profit from their neighbors' ruin will fall on our own heads. Why is this? Because God wants us to reflect on how fleeting and fragile life is, how full of misery, so that we may keep ourselves under the shadow of His wings and not make luxury for ourselves — promising ourselves perpetual peace, as if we no longer needed His help, or were above Him.

We should also observe that when God is about to destroy our enemies, He takes away their senses and judgment. The Amalekites had reasoned, with a certain cleverness, that David — having marched out to war with the Philistines — would not come back to attack them. They seized this opportunity to invade while David was away, confident they could plunder his city and drive off the herds and flocks, since the best soldiers had gone to war with David. This is probably just what they planned — and when they won the plunder, with fortune seeming to favor them, they thought themselves beyond any further danger. They felt free to relax, eat, and drink as much as they liked. Human reason points to just such conclusions. But it is certain that God cast a veil over their eyes, so they never considered how suddenly everything might turn. Promising themselves nothing but success, as if their position were secure, they let themselves go. From this let us learn: when enemies are powerful in numbers and strength, let us place our trust in God alone, firmly persuaded that He has many means — beyond our comprehension — of routing them. Indeed, even if we do nothing at all, or if He chooses to use us as instruments to bring the enemies down, He can accomplish it so easily that we obtain a great victory almost as if in play rather than in hard fighting. Though David labored for a full twenty-four hours — from evening to the following evening — pursuing the enemies, it was almost effortless. God had set the table for him, granting so easy a victory over enemies who were feasting and reveling instead of preparing for battle, that David's soldiers were occupied only in cutting them down.

From this we are also reminded that we must always be on guard — standing watch, so to speak — even when we enjoy deep peace and favorable circumstances. Even when no immediate pressure forces our hand, and we could live a little more freely with no one bothering us, we must still bridle our appetites and keep a tight rein — otherwise we are no better than untamed horses. Scripture is full of examples of people who, enjoying prosperity and indulging themselves, brought down on themselves the most severe punishments. God wills that we live with a measure of care and watchfulness — not distrusting His providence and special care, but so that we do not abuse leisure and tranquility by making food and drink the goal of life. The watchfulness we are speaking of, therefore, coexists with the deepest peace and tranquility. But where does that tranquility come from? From the conviction that the faithful have that God has taken them under His protection, that He watches perpetually over their salvation, and will never abandon them. Yet this conviction does not remove the need for prayer at every hour — just as David teaches by his example when he says, 'Lord, into Your hands I commit my spirit.' The watchfulness of the faithful comes from sensing the weakness and instability of their life — knowing it hangs by a thin thread, recognizing the dangers surrounding them from which there would be no escape unless God Himself came to their aid. This awareness does not drive them to despair. Instead it stirs in them a more intense zeal to flee to God in prayer and seek the shelter of His wings. What do unbelievers do, by contrast? They throw themselves recklessly into any danger, as if completely blind and senseless — provoking God Himself, charging forward with closed eyes, with no thought of the dangers ahead. This is the spiritual drunkenness Scripture often describes. And yet they do not enjoy the peace and tranquility that the faithful have. God takes that peace from them, harassing them with various stings — so that they are terrified without cause, trembling at the sight of their own shadow, as Scripture says. In the end, let us use prosperity in such a way that we do not become arrogant — and yet let us find joy in God, persuaded that He will faithfully provide all things necessary for His beloved, as He says in the Psalms. Let us therefore flee the kind of numbness that brings on groundless terror later, and let us use times of prosperity and leisure and peace in such a way that we perpetually watch and commit ourselves to God's keeping. Moreover, if God wills us to be exposed to many dangers and tried, let us know that He does this for our good. For if, when surrounded on every side by enemies with threatening news coming from every direction, we still handle our affairs arrogantly and grow drunk with leisure — what would happen to us if we ever attained some earthly paradise, with the world smiling on us from every side without a hint of danger? We would have serious reason to fear that, casting all care aside, we would forget God entirely. Therefore it is for our own benefit that enemies surround us on every side, that many conflicts arise, that we are threatened from many directions. By this means we learn to feel our own poverty and rise to God with more earnest prayer — kept safe under His protection. Furthermore, this victory of David confirms what we said before: it is not difficult for God to grant victory through a small band against an overwhelming multitude of enemies. This is exactly what we see in David, who with only four hundred soldiers routed thousands of Amalekites — only four hundred survivors escaped by flight — and within twenty-four hours had gained the victory and cut down so great an enemy force. God Himself seems to have spread out the defeated enemies like a feast laid on a table, inviting David and his soldiers to come and take what was theirs. In a truly remarkable way, God accomplished the whole business. From this let us again learn that even when we appear in human eyes to be no match for the strength of our enemies, we must not lose heart or despair of God's help. He can lay low countless enemies by His power alone — by a single breath — precisely when we seem to be completely without strength. God wills us to be so weak and frail that — stripped of all arrogance and sobered by the magnitude of the dangers surrounding us — we learn to flee to Him with earnest prayer. In this way there is fulfilled in us what the Lord says through the prophet: victory is not won by chariots or horses, but by God's power — He who governs His church and makes her superior to all her enemies. Now then go forward, etc.

## HOMILIA CV.