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hibition o f mercy did not deter him in his evil purpose. Saul knew God had made choice o f David, but he was not ready to bow to God’s will, and he even attempted to thwart that will. The success of David’s plan to take away Saul’s spear and water cruse is at tributed to the mysterious sleep under which Saul and his host had fallen. It was of the Lord that the whole army was un disturbed by the visit of David and Abi shai (v. 12). Thus God protects the man who chooses to walk in His way and who refuses to go without or beyond the God- given directions. III. D avid ’ s L am en t (2 S a m . 1 :23-27). Only the closing words of David’s la ment are included in this lesson, but all of the section should be read carefully, be cause it shows how wholly unselfish David was and how magnanimous he could be toward a fallen foe. Even though the beauty, power, and greatness of his enemy lay in the dust, David could remind him self of what Saul once was (v. 19). With David, there was no exultation over Saul’s deaths no personal resentment manifested on account- o f all the bitter persecution that Saul had caused him. David seemed to have understood that truth of which he later w rote: “My times are in thy hand” (Psa. 3l :15). Underneath the actual words of this la ment can be discerned the honor that David paid to the one who was “first”— Israel’s first king. Honor was shown be cause of that man’s great possibilities, and sorrow was.expressed over his failure to realize those possibilities. After voicing his sorrow concerning Saul, David turned to an expression of his deep grief because of the separation from Jonathan. There are some who think that Jonathan erred at an earlier time, when he did not wholly cast his lot with David. But however that may be, the matter did not enter into David’s bitter and genuine distress at the loss of this friend who had loved him with a love sur passing that of women. It would be well if the teacher could get all the pupils to commit to memory these verses (2 Sam. 1 :23-27), which form one of the classic passages of the Bible. Points and Problems 1. The word “pitched” of verse 5 is better rendered “ encamped," as in the American Revised Version. 2. The phrase “in the trench" which occurs in verses 5 and 7, should probably be “within the barricade." The soldiers of Saul did not make a trench, but con structed a barricade of the wagons, within which the king slept surrounded by sol diers. 3. The phrase “at his bolster," which oc curs in verses 7, 11, and 12, should be rendered “at his head." The Hebrew word means literally “the place of his head.” The meaning is simply that, as a good sol dier, Saul had stuck his spear into the ground near his head where it could be grasped quickly. 4. In verse 10 there seem to be three dif ferent alternatives suggested in the Au thorized Version: “The Lord shall smite him ; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.” By changing the first “ or" to “ either” which is allowable, the alternatives are reduced to two, and both are placed under the con trol o f Divine Providence. That is, the Lord shall smite him : either by natural death, or by violent death in battle. This accords better with the Biblical viewpoint,
so much of some people who are men tioned in the Bible that I am going to give them names. I am going to call the mag net Naomi. The straight nail I shall call Ruth, and the crooked one, Orpah. As long as Naomi was living in the heathen land o f Moab, she had little or no influence over her daughters-in-law. The reason for this was that she was headed the wrong direction. As soon as Naomi decided to go back to the land of God’s people, her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, began to feel her drawing power. Watch the magnet now ! When I turn it around, the nails jump and follow it. It is this way today—the person who is headed the wrong way cannot help others to come nearer*to God. Did you ever notice that it is much eas ier to get a crooked nail to break loose from a magnet than it is to loosen a straight one? There are many crooked people who will go part way with a Chris tian, but if they do not get straightened out, they soon turn back, just as Orpah did. I do not know that Orpah was a woman who would lie and steal, but she was crooked in that she loved her false gods and her people more than she loved the one true God and His people. Remember Naomi Magnet and the les son she has taught us—that if we want to count for Christ, we must be headed the right way. Then and only then will we have a drawing power for Christ. sonal foe, Saul was God’s enemy. It was because God had chosen David that Saul’s anger was aroused against him. Satan was really the instigator o f Saul’s murderous hatred. Failing to reach, with their wicked devices, the God whom they hate, the peo ple actuated by Satan vent their wrath up on God’s children (cf. John 15:16-20). David refused to take advantage o f the seeming opportunity for revenge, because it was not for him to execute vengeance which belonged to God (cf. Rom. 12:17-20). II. D avid ’ s F a ith (1 S a m . 26:9-12), ■ David trusted in God’s purpose and awaited His time (v. 10). He believed that Saul would die by some direct visita tion of God—through some natural cause, or that he would meet his death in battle. David was satisfied to leave the whole mat ter—the manner as well as the time of Saul’s death—in God’s hands. He would not deliberately touch the “Lord’s anoint ed” (v. 11). But in the power o f this faith, he would take Saul’s spear and water cruse (vs. 11, 12). This second time, Saul at least should know that David had spared his life; hence Saul would be forever guilty if he continued to seek to slay David. But Saul was so far from God and so com pletely under Satan’s control that this ex- BLACKBOARD LESSON
lodges!, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” What more could Naomi say? Surely she could not turn Ruth away from fol lowing after God I So together in faith in God they went back to Bethlehem. The rest o f die story tells how God answered their faith.
Objects: A magnet and two nails, one bent and one straight. Lesson: What is the matter with this magnet? (T ry to lift the nails with the arch o f the magnet.) It doesn’t seem to be able to lift these little nails. Oh, you say, ‘‘The magnet is headed the wrong way to draw.” You are right. When the mag net is turned around, it has a drawing power which it did not have before. This magnet and these nails remind me Lesson T ext: 1 Sam. 26:5-12; 2 Sam. 1:23-27. Golden T ext: “ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:4), Outline and Exposition I. D avid ’ s T est (1 S a m . 26:5-8). T he man who is to rule others must first learn to rule himself. By the things which he suffered, that taught him victory over himself, David was be ing prepared to assume the throne o f Is rael. The Lord’s order is always suf fering first, glory afterwards. David en dured unjust treatment from Saul, and on two occasions David faced the question o f whether he would have revenge. Once before the time of our lesson, David had spared Saul’s life (cf. 1 Sam. 24:1-8). But the enmity of Saul was being used to strengthen David’s full dependence up on the Lord. In today’s lesson, Saul had come forth with his army to seek David’s life. It was told David where his enemy had camped. To this place- came David with Abishai (vs. 5-7). With the enemy thus in his power, the temptation that David faced was to act without having a word from the Lord. But although the providences appeared propitious, there was no reason to suppose that immediate advantage of them should be taken. How David met this test is clearly seen in his reply to the suggestion of Abishai (vs. 8, 9). It seemed to Abishai that this was the time to get rid o f Saul and his persecutions. Saul was asleep before them, although in seeming security, surrounded by his guards. It appeared that Abishai spoke truly when he said: “ God hath de livered thine enemy into thine hand.” But David could see more than Abishai could; David realized that, instead of being a per
JULY 21, 1935 DAVID (The Great-Hearted) 1 S am u el 26:5-12; 2 S am u el 1 :23-27 ; 23:14-17
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