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June 1927
those;, who honor Him and please Him. Our Lord will give us victory over all our giants just as He gave David victory over Goliath, Prayer.
God was, and David had found this out when alone with his sheep and the wild animals came to kill the sheep. David trusted in God and God gave him strength to kill the lion and bear. God will always help us if we truly trust Him. Let us see who some of the. giants are'for us to conquer in our lives. Here are some very ugly, harmful giants : Selfishness, disobedience, falsehood, hatred, temper, alcohol, cigarettes. ' David knew the Lord was his helper, and so God gave him this great victory. The giant came to David with a big sword, and David went to the giant with a little sling and a stone, AND GOD. God always honors
These men of faith have always relied upon the weapons of warfare which “are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into cap tivity, into obedience to Christ.” What is needed in times of crisis, as well as at all times, is not more armour, new methods and more equipment, but real, genuine faith, with a love in the heart of those who are God’s children, and whose hearts are perfect toward Him, in order that the hosts of Satan may be turned back. A Boy Overcomes a Giant I Samuel 17 Memory Verse: “The Lord is thy keeper.” Psalm 121:5. Approach: One time, over in Scotland, the country was very dry and crops were dying for want of water, so they set aside a special day to go to the church don’t you expect the Lord to answer?” As they went home from the church there came a heavy rain, and the little girl was the only one who was protected. This little girl truly believed in the Lord, and He answered her prayer. Arnold’s Prac. Com. Lesson Story: Now I am going to repeat the memory verse of our story for last week and see who can remember the beautiful story. Listen! (Review.) When boys and girls .let Jesus come into their hearts and they obey Him, they are the kind of boys and girls who will be ready to fill any place God has for them now, and when they grow up to be men and women. David was a brave, noble shep herd boy and took splendid care o f: his father’s sheep. One day his father sent him with some gifts to his brothers, who were soldiers in Saul’s army, and when David got to the place he found the people of Israel gathered on one side of a valley, very much afraid of the enemy army on the other side. Saul, the king of Israel, had disobeyed God, and was not willing to let God have his way in his life, and so he could not gain the victory over the enemy. A great giant by the name of Goliath was at the head of the other army and he was so big and carried a big sword, that all the people were afraid of him. ? When David saw him, he said he would fight him. Goliath was about twice as large as ordi nary men and wore a metal suit so noth ing could hurt him. King Saul wanted David to wear his armour and take his sword, but David knew they were too heavy and big for him, so he only took his sling and five smooth stones from the brook, arid went toward the giant. (De scribe this wonderful scene and make it live again, emphasizing David’s dependence upon God.) David, in his own strength, was no match for this great giant, but and pray for rain. Among those who went to the church to pray for rain was a little girl who brought an umbrella, and some people laughed at her because there was no sign of rain. The lit tle girl said, “Aren’-t you going to church to pray.yfor rain, and
Fred S. Shepard’s Blackboard Outline
C OURAGE ONFIDENCE ONSECRATION “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.”
l è m Éè J uly 31, 1927 David and Jona than Lesson Text—1 Sam. 18:1-4; 19:1-7
of the combat, Saul had taken David into his?; palace. In due time Saul “set him over the men of war.” He proved a fav orite alike between the courtiers and the people among whom he was sent. We see in David one case of high advancement, great popularity, and yet an utter absence of elation of spirit or change of behav ior. How refreshing to find men in high places whose heads have not developed a bump. But David was altogether too popular to suit Saul. He needed only to hear the women singing: “Saul hath slain his thousands and Demid his ten thousands" (18:7), and Saul “eyed David from that day forwardm (v. 9). Although Saul could see that David’s head had not been turned by women’s flattery, he continued to dwell upon his own humiliation in the comparison set forth by the women’s song, until an evil spirit got control of him. The text tells us that this evil -spirit was “from God" (v. 10). Dr. Torrey points out that this messenger of Satan was permitted of God for Saul’s disci pline (2 Cor. 12 :7). Thus the devil him self is sometimes made to do God’s work. Under this demon control, Saul saw everything falsely because of the false ness of his own heart. He thought evil of David continually because his heart was evil. He became lost to truth, honor and manliness. Envy and jealousy, the worst of all passions, are ever fed by demons from the pit, until they flame into rage and murder. While David’s hand played the harp, Saul’s hand carried a javelin (v. 10), with which he resolved to pin David to the wall. At the same time “Saul was afraid o f .David because the Lord was with him" (v. 12). A man in Satan’s power is ever a prey to fear. The failure of Saul’s attempts upon David’s life served to remind him that it was useless to try to thwart the will of Jehovah. He changed his tactics, exiling him to the camp and keeping him constantly in mil itary expeditions. All the time Saul was unwittingly coun teracting his own selfish purposes. He was giving David the opportunity to be come even more popular, for his wise, up right and valiant behavior secured him the “love of all Israel and Judah” (v, 16). God is ever turning stumbling blocks
A THIRD character is now introduced 1 into the story—one of s i n g u l a r beauty. Jonathan, Saul’s eldest son, about David’s age, stands forth in marked con
trast of spirit and conduct with the fa ther. “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of Demid" (18:1). The occasion of t h i s love was David’s whole bear ing and b e h a v i o r
w i t h r e f e r e n c e to Go l i a t h , David’s conduct after his great victory is most remarkable. Though carrying in his countenance the bloom of youth, he revealed maturity of wisdom and self- control and a fervid faith in God. His shepherd years had evidently afforded him abundant opportunity for devout musing upon the works of God, as well as training in courageous defense of his flock. Jonathan found in David one with whom his hungry heart could have fel lowship. How thankful we should be when we find friends with whom we may have a soul bond! The beauty of the comradeship of David and Jonathan has .been transmitted as a type and example of that which may exist between the Christian soul and Jesus Christ, “the friend who sticketh closer than a bro ther." It is \frell to remember at the outset that it was Jonathan who had least to gain and most to lose in this friendship. In him, therefore, we have the most per fect pattern of a friend, although there is no disparagement of David. Human souls are longing for such friends. May the reader’s prayer be—“Lord, make me a friend to man—true as steel, devoid of selfishness, overflowing with kindness, trusting as I desire to be trusted.” ■ Jonathan and David entered into a cov enant. To David he gave his own robe, sword, bow and girdle. Thus he would set aside -the barrier,which his rank and position would raise between them. “The gift of one’s own garment, especially by a prince to a subject,” says Philippson, “is, in the East, still the highest mark of honor.” David continued to go out “whitherso ever Saul sent him” (v. 5). From the day
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