August 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
520
ELEMENTARY Mrs. S. W . Barrett Scripture: II Sam. 15: 13-23, 30; II Sam. 16:1-2; II Sam. 18:2. Memory verses: Psalm 23; Matthew 28:19, 20. Are you afraid to go out in the dark? Would you like to stay out in the dark all night all alone? But suppose Daddy was with you— would you feel safe then? Oh, you just know that he wouldn’t let anything hurt you!
(1 5 :1 -1 2 ). The rebellion of Absalom. Absalom was a bold, valiant, revengeful, haughty, enterprising, magnifi cent, eloquent and popular prince; he was also rich, ambi tious and vain of his personal accomplishments; and, after the death of Amnon and his reconcilia- COMMENTS tion with his father, he saw no hind- FR0M THE ranee in his way to the throne. He COMMENTARIES despised Solomon because of the mean- V. V. Morgan ness of his birth and his tender years. He was himself of the blood-royal, not only by his father, but also by his mother. He seemed to stand nearest to the throne; but his sin was that he sought it during his father’s lifetime, and endeavored to dethrone him in order to sit in his stead.— Calmet. “And the conspiracy was strong.’.’ Its'success was (1) Great, swift, surprising. A few hours later, Jerusalem was in the hands of Absalom. (2) Temporary. The prosperity of the wicked is but for a moment. (3) Followed by signal retribution, whilst itself employed as an instrument thereof, by Divine providence, whose ways, though mysterious, are always just and right:— Pulpit Commentary. (1 5 :19 -22 ). “As Jehovah liveth.” Our foremost friends are sometimes raised up among persons from whom we had the least expectations.— Scott. This unexpected meeting with Ittai appeared to the' royal fugitive almost like a friendly greeting of his God, and dropped the first soothing balsam drops into the painful wounds of his deeply lacer ated heart.— Krummacher. (1 6 :1 7 ). “ Is this thy kindness to thy friend?” A deserved reproach. “As many as I love I. rebuke and chasten” (Rev. 3:10) but He rebukes that He may restore. “When thou hast driven Him away and lost Him, to whom wilt thou then fly? and where wilt thou find a friend? Without a friend, life is unenjoyed; and unless Jesus be thy chosen Friend, infinitely loved and preferred above all others, life will be to thee a scene of desolation and dis tress. Of all that are dear to thee, then, let Jesus be the peculiar and supreme object of thy love” . (A Kempis, ‘Thé Friendship of Jesus’ ). (1 8 :1 4 -1 8 ). The end of Absalom. When the battle went against him he sought to escape. Possibly he met with some of David’s soldiers who durst not “ touch” him (v. 12) but though they let him go. yet God met him and put a stop to his flight.— Patrick. His eagerness and impetuosity, his tall form, his long hair, “ the king’s mule” on which he rode, all contributed to the result. Entangled by the tresses, of his hair, and fas tened by his neck in a forked bough, he was left hanging “ between heaven and earth” (Deut. 21:23) “rejected as a traitor by both.” None o f his companions in crime remained with him, but all left him alone to his fate. A man whom the Divine vengeance is pursuing does not escape.— Schmid. Insensate trees, dumb animals, apparently trivial and accidental circumstances, the devices and efforts of the transgressor, are so ordered that he shall not go unpun ished.— Pulpit Com. 19:1-8. “ And Joab came into the house of the king.” His reproof was (1 ) Unfeeling, hard-hearted, pitiless. He had no respect whatever for the natural feelings of the father; no sympathy with David’s intense and peculiar emotion. (2) Unscrupulous and reckless; whilst declaring the truth in part (v. 5) and as it-appeared on the surface, he Cast unjust reproaches on the king for his heartless self fishness, ingratitude and hatred, (v. 6). (3) Unbecoming the relation of a subject to his sovereign, in language and manner, as well as in substance. (4) United, nevertheless, with wise counsel and solemn warning, (v. 7 ).— Stanley. V. 9. It is here said of David, “ The king saved us,” etc. Our Lord has saved us in a more marvelous way from ene mies more to be dreaded than the heathen that harassed Israel. He has conquered, in personal conflict and through suffering unto death,— Satan, the world, sin and death. True, the deliverance is not yet completely accomplished in actual experience; but it is assured, and as really ours, if we are Christ’s, as if we were already perfectly freed from all evil.— Pulpit Com. Vs. 24-80. Mephibosheth was enabled to bear meekly what he had to endure, because he was humble, thankful, sincerely and disinterestedly devoted to the King, and ready to submit without murmuring to his will. Similiar qual ities are of great value to those servants of our Lord who are deficient in some endowments or possessions by which others are equipped for Christian service.— G. W .
Do you know what the Lord Jesus said to His disciples? He said, “Lo, I am with you alway.” Do you belong to the Lord Jesus? If you do, He means that for you, too. He will always protect you, be cause He came down from Heaven and died and rose again that this might be true. Let us say softly together the 23rd Psalm. Which verse shall we choose for a special memory verse? the 4th? “ Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;’ for THOU ART WITH ME !” Our story from the Bible today is one in which God .tells us about
The Man Who Walked Through The Valley With The King: One day news came to Jerusalem to King David that some of the people had made Absalom king and that his son was coming to thè city to flight for the throne of his father. Quickly King David called together all the people who were loyal to him and told them he was going to leave Jerusalem at once, and these people decided to go with him. Without waiting to get food, or even a mule for the king to ride upon, they left the city. After about a half hour’s walk from, the outer gate of Jerusalem they came to the valley of Kidron, which was like a deep ravine— sometimes after the winter rains a small brook ran through it. It was a dark, gloomy place at best, and in the lower part of the valley were many old graves, so the very shadow of death hung over it. To get to a place of safety King David with his followers had to cross this valley of Kidron. The King stood to watch the people pass into the valley so that he would be the last to go. Friends, servants and a few soldiers who were loyal to him filed past; men, women and children, too! As he watched their faces, sud denly he saw a man marching and leading 600 men from the Philistine city of Gath. King David was surprised to see Ittai, for that was the man’s name, who perhaps had been a boy when David killed the great giant of Gath, and now had come to live in Jerusalem. King David stopped Ittai and spoke to him. Ittai did not belong to his kingdom, so King David said, “Wherefore goest thou with us? Should I this day make thee go with us, seeing I have not a place to go? Return thou, and take back thy brethren.” But Ittai loved King David and he replied, “ Surely in what place my lord, the King, shall be, whether in .death or lifè, even there also will thy servant be.” King David must have been glad , that Ittai .wanted to go with him, because the king said, “ ‘Pass on.” And Ittai and his little band with their wives and children walked through the dark valley with the King. Do you think some of those children might have been afraid? Well, if Ittai had taught them the beautiful 23rd Psalm which King David wrote, what verse do you think they would have whispered to themselves? “ Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” Their King would protect them and Ittai, too, wouldn’t he?
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