Sept. 14, 1952 DAVID'S RELIGIOUS CONTRIBUTION 2 Sam. 7:18, 19, 25-29; 23:1-4 Pointers on the Lesson
David’s Conception of Service 2 Sam. 24:24
With Christ Along the Old Back Road “ f * 0 out into the highways and hedges, and compel ^ them to come in!” During 1951. 165 full time missionaries of The American Sunday School Union obeyed, and reaped a harvest of 8.854 souls. Enrollment included 93.404 in 2,458 Rural Sunday Schools; 7,454 in 99 Youth Bible Conferences; and 46,418 in 1,576
David showed a worthy spirit in this instance. He would not be cheap or niggardly in his worship and service of God. No one should want to offer unto the Lord that which costs nothing. Too many there are who give to God only the fragments of their time, talents and gifts which are left over from a life of selfishness. What are you giving to God? Your best or just the little frag ments which are left over after your own desires have been fulfilled?
The title of today’s lesson suggests that David has blessed succeeding gen erations with a religious heritage. This can be easily understood when we con sider the experiences of his life in and out of the will of God. Those expe riences provide abundant encourage ments and warnings for the people of God in all generations. Then, too, when we think of the lovely Psalms he has written which have been sung, quoted, preached, and meditated upon con stantly through the long centuries since David’s time, it can readily be realized that this “man after God’s own heart” truly has made a contribution to the religious life of the world that is be yond estimation. David’s Worshipful Attitude 7: 18, 19 “ Then went king David in”—These words are full of meaning. In the words preceding them it had been revealed to David that his kingdom “ shall be estab lished for ever” (v. 16). It was shown him that God had plans for him and his house that would reach down through the centuries until a greater than David should appear upon the scene. Then, after this revelation, David went into the tent, where the ark, the symbol of God’s presence was, and worshiped. What he did upon this occasion was equivalent to his saying, “ Thy will be done.” David probably did not under stand the full significance of all that was told him, but he knew that God’s will could never be wrong. David “ sat before the Lord.” Sitting was in olden times an attitude for wor ship. Persons of high dignity in the east still sit in the presence of kings. It was the place of humility and devotion. The demoniac for whom Jesus had done so much was found “ sitting at the feet of Jesus” (Luke 8:35). Mary of Beth any also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word (Luke 10:39). So David “ sat before the Lord” and prayed. David’s Submissive Prayer 7 : 25-29 The same spirit is found in this sec tion as in the verses previously consid ered. David is still praying in a most earnest and submissive manner. He prays for the final fulfillment of the promise which the Lord had made (v. 25). He is anxious that through what God shall do for Israel, God’s name shall be magnified (v. 26). This is es pecially noteworthy in David’s prayer The glory of the Lord seems to be his burden. He is not selfish in his praying. For what do you pray—for that which will satisfy, first of all, your own de sires, or that which will bring the greatest glory to the Lord? Then David prays for a continued blessing upon his
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Helps for the Children A King Honors God 2 Sam. 24:18-25; 12:1-13
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Memory Verse: “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path” (Psa. 27:11). Although David was a godly man and ruled his people wisely for many years, David, like you and me, was a sinner. After he had done something which grieved God’s heart greatly, God told David through one of His prophets that David must be punished severely by having an unhappy home life and by having wars within his kingdom during the rest of his reign. David realized how he had sinned against God and prayed earnestly that he might be for given. Later David wanted to have a place where he might worship God. The Lord commanded David to go to the threshingfloor of Araunah and build there an altar. When Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out and bowed before the king. Araunah said, “Wherefore is my Lord the king come to his servant?” When David asked him to sell' his threshingfloor that an altar might be built there, Araunah wanted to give the threshingfloor, the animals for sacrifice, and the wood for the fire to his king. David said, “ Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” After David had paid for these things, he built an altar and offered sacrifices and prayed to God. David loved God so much that he wanted to honor Him with the best of his treasures. Most boys and girls are given their offering for Sunday school and church by their parents. All week long they spend their nickels and dimes for gum, candy, pop, etc., then their parents give them an offering for the Lord’s work. What would happen if this week you would give the offering to your Lord? What would happen if you saved enough of your spending money to do the giving yourself rather than giving the money that belongs to your par ents? Can you say with David, “ Neither will I offer . . . unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing” ?
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