June 1927
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that these Philistines were uncircumcised! people and that “it may be that Jehovah will work for us; there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.” With this conviction in his heart Jona than with -his armor-bearer climbed the craggy slopes and rushed upon the sleep ing Philistine host, slaying men on the right hand and on the left. This sudden attack threw the entire camp into con fusion and in the darkness caused each man to consider his comrade in arms as an enemy. Thus they fought one another and by daybreak the Philistines were in flight. The result of this battle justified the faith of these young men. This ex ploit of faith is an example of, what God can do with one man whose heart is right toward Him. “The eyes of the Lord are running to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the be half of them whose heart is perfect to ward him.” Thus God gave great deliv erance to Israel. After this great deliverance Saul war- red against Moab, the Children of Am mon;;Edom, the kings of Zpbah and the Philistines. Furthermore, he delivered. Israel out of the hands of the Amalekites.. In chapter fifteen God recounts Saul’s, second fatal mistake; which was the oc casion of his final rejection. To Saul God gave the command that he should “go- and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” Armed with this command Saul gathered, his army in Telaim. From thence he marched against the Amalekites. He car ried out the orders of the Lord to exter minate the nation but not implicitly, sav ing Agag the king, and the best of the sheep, oxen, failings and lambs. After the battle, on the march homeward he set up a memorial tablet of the victory at Car mel, and then returned to his capital at Gilgal. God, who sees and knows every thing, revealed Saul’s failure to Samuel, who prayed all night long. The next day Samuel visited Saul at his camp. As he approached, Saul came out to meet Samuel and informed him that he had obeyed the voice of the Lord. At this moment the sheep began bleating and the cows lowing; thereupon Samuel asked him what was the meaning of this, •Immediately Saul explained that he had saved the best in order to make an.offer ing to God. To this, excuse Samuel re plied that he would inquire of the Lord. The Lord’s:, response was; “Behold, to ■’obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For re bellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word o f Jehovah, he has also rejected thee from being king.” . This fatal mistake of Saul sealed his doom. < Saul being rejected, God sent Samuel to the hpuse of JesSe to anoint his successor. Samuel, realizing the dispositions of Saul, feared to go to anoint the son of Jesse for he said, “How shall I go, for if Saul hear it he will kill me." Thereupon God told him to offer sacrifice to Jehovah and to invite Jesse and his sons to the ser vice saying, “I am going to sacrifice to Jehovah.” This passage has erroneously been understood in some instances to be justification for misrepresenting a situa tion, the principle being that the end jus tifies the means. To the writer this oc-
TN- last Lord’s day lesson we studied the wonderful address of Samuel which he made toward the close of his active min istry. (1 Sam. 12). Between that event
P ith and P oint God’s cure for sorrow is a call to ser vice (v. 1 ). If God calls us, we need not stop to take inventory of our own resources (v. 2). Human insight and foresight are poor substitutes for divine guidance (vs. 6,7)- Men look “on.” God looks “in.” God does not call to a larger work the man who thinks his present job is too humble for him (v. 11 ). Saul was seeking asses when anointed king (type of worthlessness—Ex. 34:20). David was tending sheep (the Bible sym bol for God’s people). Whom God appoints He anoints. He alone can qualify one for enduring ser vice. —o— S uggestive Q uestions Is it always cowardice to see difficulty in the way? ’ (V, 2; cf. Matt. 10:16-18). What is required of a Christian, if he would never lack for divine guidance ? (V. 4; cf. 1 Jno. 3:22-24). Bethlehem (v. 4) means “House of Bread.” What is the first mention of it in Scripture? (Gen. 35:19). The last? (Jno. 7:42): Why is it not always safe to select men by their countenances ? (V. 7; cf. Matt. 23:27). How do God’s choices often differ from those we would make? (V. 7: cf. 1 ' Cor. 1:26-28). Does God judge what we are by what we do or vice versa? (V. 7; cf. Jer. 17: 10; Prov. 4:23). What is the first human name men tioned in the New Testament? The last? —o- - G olden T ext I llustration “Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”—1 Tim. 4:12. Dr. Spencer said that when he was a lad, his father gave him a little tree that had just been grafted. One day, in his father’s absence, he let the colt into the garden, and the young animal broke off the graft. It was mended, however, on the following day, and continued to grow. Years passed, and young Spencer became a minister. He was one day visiting the old home, and found the little sapling a large tree loaded with apples. There was a peculiar crook in the tree where the graft had been mended years before. The night after his arrival there was a violent storm, and the free was brought to the ground. It had twisted off right where the colt had broken it when it was a sap ling. So Dr. Spencer got a sermon illus tration which was often used to warn youth that the life withheld from God and broken by sin in the morning is al most sure to break in the afternoon of life right where it was weakened earlier. The time of youth is the choicest and fittest time for service. The senses are fresh and nature is vigorous. Let God have the first fruits of life. “The fairest flower in the garden of creation,” says J. E. Smith, “is a young mind offering and unfolding itself to the influence of divine wisdom, as the heliotrope turns its' sweet blossoms to the sun.”
and th e anointing of David (1 Sam. 16:1-13), we h a v e the sad stories of Saul’s f a i l u r e s , which were the oc casion of his rejec tion as King over Israel. In chapter thirteen t h e r e ap pears an account of
the revolt of Israel against their masters, the Philistines. The Philistines were a race of people probably of Greek origin, who lived in the maritime plain due west and southwest of Judah. At the time of the conquest Israel was under orders to drive out all of the Canaanites, but doubt less^ on account of sin and disobedience, Israel never was successful in extermin ating these heathen. They were always thorns in their flesh, the occasion of trouble throughout their checkered his tory. In Saul’s day Israel was reduced to a state of servitude. Saul’s capital was at Gilgal near Jer icho. -Here Saul tried to gather all of his forces in order to throw off the Phil-' istine yoke. He did this, not realizing that all efforts made in the energy of the flesh, and apart from the strength which God supplies, are futile. The Philistines, learning of the intended revolt, marched their well disciplined forces into the boundaries of Israel and encamped near Michmash^jsomething like ten miles from Gilgal, where Saul had gathered his un disciplined hosts. ... Samuel had left the capital and in structed Saul not to join battle with the Philistines until his return. Daily the danger seemed to be more impending, and for six. days Saul nervously awaited Sam uel’s return. On the seventh day, just before Samuel arrived, Saul’s faith failed him. Thereupon he forced, himself into the priestly office and offered sacrifice and burnt offerings to the Lord, hoping by so doing to obtain,God’s favor and re sponse as to what he should do in the crisis. When he finished the sacrifice, Samuel came up and asked what had he been doing? To this question Saul re plied that on account of the emergency he had entreated the favor of God. Sam uel replied: “Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept,the commandment of Jehovah thy God . . . for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever. But now thy king dom shall not continue: Jehovah hath sought him a man after his own heart.” It was Saul’s examination day and he ut terly failed. He was weighed in the bal ance and found wanting. By faith one stands- or falls. “He that believeth shall not be in haste." Notwithstanding Saul’s miserable fail ure God wrought a victory for Israel through Jonathan, Saul’s brilliant and honorable son. At this time the Philis tines had their camp at Michmash. Saul on the other hand was in the uttermost part of Gibeah, under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron, with about six hundred men. Jonathan with his young armor bearer left the camp and came through the passes between the rocky crags which led to the Philistine camp. The thought which spurred him on was
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