In The Master's Service

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THE FIVE STONES

Elder T. L. Webb, Sr. (deceased) "From the book "Little Things"

"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stomes out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine." - 1 Samuel xvii. 40.

Someone has requested that Igive my views on the five stones mentioned in the above Scripture. I suppose the one making this request thinks these stones represent something in the gospel age - something spiritual - and no doubt they do; but the Bible does not positively say what they represent or that they specially represent anything. If the spiritual siginficance and meaning of all the statements in the Bible, of old time occurrences, were already fully brought out and explained, I do not suppose there would be any necessity for further instruction or teaching. God did not see fit to reveal by His Holy Spirit in regeneration everything that He intended for His people to know. Really we cannot understand the deep spiritual meaning of the least lesson in the Bible until our eharts are opened up and we are divinely prepared to understand. While I am frank to confess that I do not possess much originality, except in unprofitable things, and about all I know is what I have learned from somebody else, yet I consider this a wonderful blessing, if indeed I have even the least conception of divine things and can love the truth. So I am willing to freely give my little ideas to the Lord's dear children, feeling that they are so kind and charitable they will not throw me away, even though we do not perfectly agree on all minor points. In attempting to write about the five sommth stones I am wishing for time and space to divide it into about two articles, so I am merely introducing the subject in this article. Will you read the Bible concerning the cause of the occurrence under consideration and why the use of these stones, and go along with me in silent prayers as I try to investigate this subject? Let us study the life of David, the outstanding character under consideration, who said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" Indeed theere was a cause for him leaving behind him the care of his father's sheep and appearing in the presence of his brethren on that notable occasion, and if David and his wonderful life is a figure of anything under the gospel dispensation, there is a cause for that thing too. If Davis is a type, can we not find the antitype in the New Testament? If the occurrence under consideration in meeting the champion of the Philistine armies demanded the collecting of the five smooth stones from the brook, putting them in the shepherd's bag, taking the staff and sling in his hand - if all this is figurative of something under the gospel dispensation, then we are apt to find that likeness in connection with the thing that David represents.

David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. His vocation in early life was to see after his father's sheep. Though often alone and exposed to the wild beasts of the winderness, he was a bold and fearless little shepherd and often experienced divine protection and deliverance for himself and the harmless lambs, his only equipment for defense being his staff and sling. He was finally called to leave the care of the sheep with others in order to see after and defend the flock of God. The same mighty God that protected him from childhood and delivered him and the innocent sheep from the paws of the lion and bear was with him in defending the Israel of God. In order for anyone to appreciate the fearless, courageous, yet humble and unassuming life of David, in the miraculous victories that crowned his eventful life and lifted him to honor and fame and made room for him in the hearts of the true and noble of earth, he must understand, not only that David was one of God's chosen vessels, but that he triumphed through the power of Him who called him to be a soldier and in whom he ever trusted. It was his strong confidence and faith in God that kept him from being afraid of Goliath. So it is today with the true soldier of the cross, who goes forth in the strength of Israel's God without the assurance of anything except the sweet promise of Him who says, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." So I think of Davis as a figure of God's humble and brave soldiers of the cross in the gospel age. He was an object of God's love and choice. Samuel would have anointed either of his seven brothers in preference to him. Men judge from outward appearance, but God knows the heart and puts men in the ministry who love the cause well enough to risk their lives in its defense. One reason that David was not afraid of Goliath was because Goliath had defied the armies of the living God. He was not afraid of a man that would try to fight against God. No man will make a good soldier in Christ's kingdom today who does not love the cause he represents. During the World War a poor wounded soldier, far away from home and loved ones, was seemingly dying for lack of blood. The captain of his company asked if the poor perishing man had a friend among his comrades who would volunteer to give a part of his blood for a transfusion, when, all at once, it is said, every man in the company rushed forward and said, "Take my blood." It was this kind of love that held David and Jonathan together, even against the cruel and undermining schemes of Saul, and it is that kind of love that binds the poor suffering soldiers of the cross together today as they struggle on in trials, poverty and hardships for one common faith.

Now if, in the lesson under consideration, David represents the gospel minister, then the five stones which he had gathered up from the brook surely represent the five fundamental principles of the gospel, as expressed throughout the Bible, but especially summed up and classified in the eighth chapter of Romans as follows: Foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification and glorification. Either one of these stones, if properly used by one that knows how to rightly divide the word of truth, will not only stop the mouths of proud talkers and gainsayers, but will afford consolation and quietude to the inoffensive sheep of the Master's fold. If foreknowledge and predestination mean the same thing and cannot be separated, as some claim, then we would have only four stones to use in defending the church of Christ, and who would be able to account for the little word 'also' that is unchangeably stamped by inspiration between the two words? David used but one stone to defeat the champion of the Philistine army, but he had four more ready for use.

Now if I had time and space I would like to take up these five principles separately and give some thoughts on each one, also on some other things regarding the life of David, as it seems that I have only hinted at the subject.