Divine and Human Agency
W. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 10:14 And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse. In the last verse of this chapter that event is ascribed to the hand of God which, in the fourth verse, is accounted for by the act of Saul. "He [the Lord] slew him" (ver. 14). "So Saul took a sword," etc. (ver. 4). As both statements are true, there must be a consistency between them. Evidently the one result was due to more than one agency. The Lord had something to do with Saul's death; Saul also had much to do with it himself. We may see - I. SAUL'S AGENCY IN BRINGING ABOUT HIS END. He contributed to the final result by: 1. Acting in such wise as to make his death due to his folly. 2. Taking, generally, those steps which led to the final catastrophe. 3. Putting into play the physical causes which immediately effected it. He would not have died at the time and in the way he did, had he not been personally responsible in these three ways. II. GOD'S DIVINE AGENCY IN DETERMINING THE ISSUE. 1. It was in accordance with his Divine desire. He desires that righteousness should be fully vindicated, sin attended with its penalty as well as integrity with its reward, by the events which happen on the earth. Saul's death was desirable from the standpoint of the supreme Judge. 2. He permitted it to occur. He saw no reason to interpose so that it should not be the last link in the chain of circumstances then being forged. 3. He so ordered events that this should be the issue. So far as he did touch the chain of human affairs with his intervening hand, he so touched it that this occurrence would take place. In some measure it was due, positively, to the outworking of his Divine hand. In regard to the great subject of Divine and human agency co-operating, as they do, to produce one result, we conclude: 1. That God might work out his designs by direct volition, but does use human instrumentality. 2. That what may seem to us, at the time, to he solely due to our agency may be the accomplishment of his purpose. His permitting, controlling, directing hand may be found to be much nearer than we think, to have had a much larger share in the issue than we imagine. 3. That if the hand of God is in such events as this, we may be sure that it is present in things of another and higher order. If it could be said concerning a suicide, "the Lord slew him," how much more may it be said concerning desirable, admirable, useful achievements, that God brings them about? If the evil which happens to the city come of him (Amos 3:6), much more shall we say that he who builds all things is God (Hebrews 3:4)? Therefore: (1) Let the perverse and impenitent beware. The observant eye of the Holy and the Just One is on them and upon their lives, and his retributive hand may show itself at any point in their career. (2) Let the righteous take heart and hope. God is with them; he is working for them and in them and through them. He will sanctify and use their efforts for the outworking of his own gracious end, for the establishment of his holy kingdom. - C. Parallel Verses KJV: And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. WEB: and didn't inquire of Yahweh: therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.