August, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
277
COMMENTARY Children’s Division In Holy Places B y H elen G ailey B y H erbert H . T ay
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations B y A lan S. P earce
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
Blackboard Outlines B y B essie B. B urch
SEPTEMBER 3, 1933 D AV ID 1 S amuel 16:1-13; P salm 78:70-72
none of them was the right man. Finally, when they had all passed in review before him, Samuel asked if there was not an other son. Jesse had thought so little o f David that he had not bothered to call him, but he now remembered the lad out with the sheep, and David was called into Samuel’s presence. As soon as he appeared, the Lord gave Samuel the word that now at last the future king, God’s own choice, stood before him, and Samuel proceeded at once to anoint him. III. C onsecrated by the L ord (1 S am . 16:13). First, there was the formal appointment to the office by the anointing with oil. Whatever might be the difficulties in the path before David would finally ascend the throne, he had from this time forth the realization that he was the anointed o f the Lord and as such was peculiarly the ser vant o f the Lord. Second, there was the formal accept ance o f the office on David’s part. This is implied in his manner and his actions. He accepted the high place as though it were the only thing he could do, as indeed it was. Third, there was the formal bestowal of ability for the office by the coming of the Holy Spirit. In himself, David was un equal to the tasks that lay ahead of him; but by the Holy Spirit, he was endued with the power to carry him through. All David would have to do was to obey, and the Holy Spirit would do all the rest. The mere possession of the Holy Spirit does not certify that the work for which one has been chosen shall be done. Saul also had the Holy Spirit, but he failed. Obe dience is the one imperative need which al lows the Holy Spirit to work. IV. W hat it , M eant for D avid . David was not to ascend the throne at once. There was to be a long season of severe discipline before he actually would be king. This discipline was necessary, if David was to be the king he should be. Every position o f trust is preceded by dis cipline, if one is to fill that position suc cessfully. He was to know the hatred of Saul whom he loved. He was to experience banishment from the home which he loved. He was to be the object of the suspicions o f his brethren whom he loved. The very persons and things which were near to his heart were to be the instruments for his sufferings. In the life o f one given up to the service o f the Lord, such trials may be expected. They are permitted because of the discipline necessary to bring one to the place where God can trust with large things. David was to know years o f waiting, of persecution, of trial, during which the thought sometimes came to him that it was all a mistake, and he had not been chosen for the office at all. He was to pass through perils from friend and foe before he would be ready to mount the throne and receive from the Lord the unconditional
Lesson T ext: 1 Sam. 16:4-13; Psa. 78: 70-72. Golden T ext: “Man looketh on the out-l ward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). The Shepherd Lad heep raising is an important occupa tion in Palestine. The hills and dales of Judaea are particularly suited for sheep raising. In the winter months, there is an abundance of rainfall. Early in the spring, the grass shoots forth in abundance.
better than David’s own father knew. The Lord never wants for a man when He has a position to be filled, and the Lord’s eye was upon David even though David was unaware o f that fact. There is a place for each in God’s plan, and when the time is ripe, that man and that place are brought together by the providence of the Lord. The Lord also knew who David was (v. 3). Samuel would not be allowed to make any mistake in anointing David; God would plainly indicate which of Jesse’s sons was to be chosen as the king. Furthermore, the Lord knew just what David was. Man judges from the outward appearances, but the Lord judges by the heart. Man judges what we are by what we d o ; God j udges what we do by what we are. David was not a perfect man, but he was a man whose heart was toward the Lord. The difference between David and Saul might be stated something like this: David sometimes had a relapse and turned from G od; Saul sometimes had a relapse and turned to God. The general trend of David’s whole life “was toward the Lord; the general trend of Saul’s whole life was away from the Lord. II. C alled by the L ord (1 S am . 16:8-12). The perfection o f nature is represented by the seven sons of Jesse (vs. 8-10). The perfection of nature has nothing profitable for God or man, because nature is essen tially selfish. Hence, David’s call was over nature’s perfection. David was an eighth one, or the beginning o f a new thing. God would teach us that however promising na ture may be, it can never fill the place. He has for a proper man to rule over His peo ple. This truth appears in the New Testa ment where we learn that God chooses for His work the weak things and the de spised things and even the things that are not, in order that no flesh should glory in His presence. David’s call was also over nature’s choice. As far as man could discern, each of David’s brethren was better fitted for the office than was David. Even Samuel thought so when he saw Jesse’s sons. To Samuel, each of these seven men appeared suitable, but as one by one they came be fore him, the Lord let him. know that BLACKBOARD LESSON
Even rocky hills are s o fte n e d by the green grass. This provides e x ce lle n t grazing f o r sheep. Wherever one goes in the spring and summ er, he sees flocks of sheep on hill or on plain be ing tended by the
shepherd. W e have seen it many times. Strangely enough, most of the shepherds are small boys. Near Bethlehem, we saw two boys taking care of a flock o f sheep. The elder of the two could not have been over twelve years of age, while the younger must have been about ten. Evidently the work of tending the sheep is" not considered to be a very important job, since it is dele gated so often to the youngest boys. Yet David, who was given the work of watching the sheep while his older brothers did more important things, learned lessons therefrom which fitted him most capably to govern the children of Israel. Just as he had known the responsibility to his father in caring for the sheep, so he realized his responsibility to God to guide His people aright. C hosen by the L ord (1 S am . 16:4-7). Samuel did not choose David to be king. Indeed, when Samuel was told to anoint David, he feared that Saul would take his life for so doing. And he had reason for such fear, because what he did would look like an act of treason while Saul was still the king. David did not choose himself to be king. He was going about his daily duties, tend ing his father’s sheep, and without thought o f such an exalted position. He was the youngest of eight brothers, any one of whom would expect to be chosen before David would be even thought of. Neither Jesse, his father, nor any o f David’s brethren, nor even Samuel h im s e lf thought of David as the one to be chosen king. Here was a case where certainly the office sought the man (vs. 4, 5). David was wholly the Lord’s choice. The Lord knew where David was even Outline and Exposition I.
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