July 1927
T h e K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
447
him”—David and Abishai walked into the camp and upon their finding Saul peace fully reposing among the wagons, Abishai said to David, “God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine hand this day: therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with a spear to the earth with one stroke and I will not smite him the second time.” Again circumstances are interpreted as an indication of the will of God to slay Saul but, as stated above, circumstantial • oc currences could not render the final de cision for it stood written, “Thou shalt not kill,” and “Vengeance is mine, and recompense.” David immediately in the fear of God and in the nobleness of his soul replied, “Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against God’s anointed, and be guiltless?” The treat ment which one accords to even the least of God’s children is done unto Christ (Matt. 10:42; 25:31-46). David replied, “As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will ¡¡smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down into battle and perish.” He realized that man is not master of his own fate but that our “times are in Thy hands” (Psa. 31:15) ; and that God is in His holy temple; that His throne is in the heavens; and that He tries the chil dren of men (Psa. 11:4, 5). Thereupon David took Saul’s spear and the cruse of water which was near his head as proof to convince Saul that again he had magnanimously spared his life when “a deep sleep from Jehovah was fallen upon them.” If necessary, God will use all means, even to the performing of a mir acle, to deliver His faithful child from the testings through which he must pass as He purges out the dross and prepares him for the many mansions in eternity. Again, David with his spear and cruse of water in his hand convinced Saul that he bore him no ill-will and that he (David) was more righteous than Saul. Again, temporarily, at least, Saul was convicted of his sin and in a sad refrain confessedSjrBehold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.” " : 84» §4» David’s Kindness to His Enemy 1 Samuel 26:7-14, 17-21. Memory Verse: “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.” Luke 6 :27. Approach: A little boy moved into a new neighborhood and started into school. He was a stranger and did not know any of the boys at school; his clothes were quite simple and plain, ther for his mo- was a widow
happened, for one of the boys fell into the lake and cried for help, for he could not swim, and the boys were all fright ened for they could not swim. The drowning boy was one who had treated Willie most rudely. What happened? Willie tried to reach him with a pole, but he was too far out; then he threw off his clothes, and swam with the pole until the boy could reach the end, and Willie swam to shore and the boy was saved. So Willie proved a friend to his enemy in time of need. Would you? Lesson Story: In our story last week we saw how Saul and his army were in trouble because of the great giant, and how brave David slew him, because he trusted in God for strength. Then peo ple began to praise and give honor to David, because of his great victory. King Saul became jealous when he saw the people were praising David more than himself, and his heart became so wicked that he tried several times to kill David. At last it became necessary for David to flee away from Saul. Jonathan, who was Saul’s son, loved David and David loved Jonathan, and these two dear friends were sad to part, but Jonathan told David he knew his father would really kill David, so he helped him to get away. As they bade each other goodbye they prom ised to always be friends and stand by each other. Several times David was close enough to Saul to touch him and David’s servants wanted to kill him, but David refused, for he said God had made him king and although he was not a good king any more, it was God’s work to re move him when the right time came.
Fred S. Shepard’s Blackboard Outline
K l N D L Y NIGHTLY EYSTONE TO C ONSIDERATION O N D U C T HARACTER Love vs. hate. Luke 6 :27.
King Saul and his army were all asleep one night, and David and his servant came into the camp and King Saul’s spear was sticking in the ground near his head, and5a; bottle of water was near him. The servant begged David to let him kill King Saul who was such an enemy to David. David refused again to harm Saul, saying that God would remove Saul at the right time. Then David told his servant to take the spear and bottle of water and leave the camp. So they got away and no man knew they were in the camp, because the Lord had caused a deep sleep to fall upon all the men. Then David went over to the other side of the hill, a great space being between him and King Saul. Then David called to the soldier whose duty it was to guard King Saul, and showed him the spear and water bottle. (Finish this interesting story, emphasizing the pos sibility of loving our enemies when God’s love is in our hearts.)
life 14» §4»
. A ugust 14, 1927 David Brings th e Ark to Jerusalem Lesson Text—2 Samuel 2:3-4; 5:1-3; 6:1-15
r PHE first book of Samuel records David’s life to the close of the period of special discipline, by which he was di vinely educated for his higher destiny.
he was now entitled to possession. First inquiring of the_ Lord what move he should make, David was divinely directed to go to Hebron. To this point his fam ily and his men were moved, bag and bag gage (2 Samuel 2:1-3). It is noteworthy that although David had God’s warrant for the kingdom, he would not move from Ziklag without get ting his marching orders from the Lord. "Whither shall I go?” (v. 1) is the sim ple prayer of any trusting and submissive spirit. Note also that those who had stood by David in his days of humiliation were now to be with him in his days of exal tation. Thus will all who have associated themselves with Christ in these days of cross-bearing be “established: unblame- able in holiness before God, even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thess. 3 • 13). The men of Judah came and officially recognized David as their king (2:4). With the Philistines restless and threat ening, it presently became obvious that it was for the interest of the whole Is- raelitish nation to get together under the banner of this valiant and virtuous son of Jesse. 2 Sam. 5 :l-3 records David’s third anointing, in which all the elders of Israel
We have seen that as he was led for ward step by step, he had constantly re fused to take the shaping of his career into his own hands by deeds of violence. He had learned to
woman and had to work hard e v e r y day, but she was very anxious for her boy Willie to go to school. It was a trying lime for Willie for the other
commit his way unto the Lord in full as surance that he would have a greater victory in the end. The second book of Samuel, upon which we are now entering, gives us the history of David’s coming into power, Saul’s death having opened the way to the throne. Tremendous tasks were be fore him, for there was general disorgan ization as a result of the misrule of Saul’s . later years. The country was overrun by enemies. The ark of God which for centuries had been the central point of Israel’s representative worship, had been neglected for seventy years, stored in the house of Abinadab. Saul and his three eldest sons had met their end in the battle of Gilboa. David already had been anointed by God, and
boys did not invite him to join in their games, and some even made rude remarks about his clothes. Willie was a brave lit tle Christian and when he came home he told his mother how hard it was to be left out of all the fun. Then she and Willie told the Lord Jesus all about it in prayer, and they asked for strength to be brave, no matter how others treated them. A few weeks later, a farmer invited some of the boys out for a day of fishing in a lake on his farm, and Willie was among the number, for the farmer’s boy had taken a liking to Willie. Then something
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker