The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-11-06
DEATH OF ABSALOM.
International Sunday School Lesson Sss
November TO-, 1859.


November 10. 1859. g.
Especially arranged from S. S. ouarterty.l
LESSON TExT--2 Sam. lS:1S33 |
GOLDEN TExr-A foolish son is grief to
his father, and bitterness to her that bare
him.-Prov. 1928. tN 4,
CENTRAL TRuTH-The way of transgress-
ora Is hard.
TMs-B. c. 1923 Soon after the last les
son.
PLAcE-tD Mahanaim, fortified town in
the mountains Of Gilead, east Of the Jordan
and near the Jabbok.; The same place was
lshb0sheth's capital when he resisted |
David's becoming king. (2) The forest Of
Ephrain, not very far from Mahanaim, 50
called from the defeat of the Ephraimites
there In the time of Jephthah Judg. 12:4).
fsALMs-lt is supposed that Ps. S:was COM
posed in the morning, and Ps. in the |
afternoon, OF the day David crossed the |
Jordan in his retreat from Jerusalem. Ps,
AZ and 4S belong to David's exile; and IS,
" and 1O9 seem to be against Ahithophel,
David's bosom friend and counsellor, who
deserted him in this hour of trouble,
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcKs-Absalom was
hasting to Jerusalem with an army. David
was Nnprepared and, knew not whom to |
trust. He, his family, and his personal
guard of 600 soldiers retreated across the
kedron, over the Mount of Olives, to the
fords OF Jordan. Soon after they crossed
the Jordan, and made stand at Mahanaim.
Absalom followed. A battle was fought.
Absalom's army was defeated, and be was
caught IN forked branch of an oak and
slain by Joab. This was against David's
command, but necessary for the kingdom.
H. Zddok: the high priest Let me noso run; so
that he could tell the good news, and break
the bad news gently to David. 81. Cushi:
the Cushite or Ethiopian. 49, By the oay of
the plain: longer, circuitous, but level
route, while Cushi ran over the hills. "a
Between the tpo gates: the inner and outer
gates. %. If he be alone, etc.: this would
show that he was o trained runner; while
If many were running, it would prove that
there had been defeat 80. Aad Ahimaas
arlswered: he did not tell the truth ". 20),
but tried to prepare David for the sad news.
83. Would God had died for thee: so Moses
| (Ex. 1882 and so st. Paul Rom. 9:3)
would have sacrificed themselves, had it
been possible, to save others. His wish to
die in Absalom's stead was no mere extrav-
agance of grief. David knew his own
peace was made. with God; he could die at
any time If Absaiom were spared in life
he might yet repent. But such an exchange
could not be- One Of the bitterest ingre-
dents in the cup Of David's sorrow was the
consciousness that his own sin was partly
the cause Of Absalom's fate. 1t was part d
the doom uttered by the prophet: "The
sword shall never depart from thy house,
Twice now had the sword slain his sons.
All his efforts to prevent it had been in
vain. Had David not failed in his example
and in his training, perhaps Absalom would
have been different young man.
81 INTERVENING EvENTs-Absalom's rebel
lion gathered force rapidly. David, how.
ever, was an old warrior, and shrewd, and
began to organize his forces for successful
resistance. Fortunately for him he had
three good Generals-Joab, Abishai ant
Ittai. He divided his forces into three
armies and encountered the hosts of Absa
lom in Mount Gilead. In giving instruc
lions to his Generals David babe them, un
der all circumstances, spare his sons life
He himself abstained from taking part II
the battle. The fortunes of war leanec
towards Davld's army, and Absalom wal
Riding IN hot haste through the forest ht
became entangled in the boughs Of {
spreading terebinth tree, where Joab found
him and slew him. The battle over, swift
runners were dispatched to carry the news
Of the victory to the waiting King. Now
comes the lesson text. au.
Absalom's harvest-death. How little hi
thought that the seed-sowing of ambition
would yield harvest of death, and that
too, such DEATH In all his plans the only
horizon he saw was glorious with all thu
pomp and pageantry of throne. But hi
air-castles proved bubbles; his gold, tinsel
his diamonds, glass. And, even had h,
reached the throne, he would not have beer
happy, much less blessed. What lessons
are here! Are Kings happy to-day, or art
rich men contentedl And how many Their,
are in State prison, or in exile, who saw 81
the end of their populations and dishones
ambitions nothing but brown-stone houses
and superb horses and carriages! How
many clerks to-day, trusted and honored
have already begun practices which the.
think will end in wealth, but which will
really end in convict's cell How many
too, will reap the same harvest that Absa
lom reaped, namely, death!
David's harvest-sorrow. In all this dis
aster that came upon him David was by nj
means blameless. His bringing-up Of Alb
SALON was far from perfect, and much Of hi!
family life would not bear inspection. Still
compared with other sovereigns of thai
time, Davids was peculiarly pure court
We must not Judge the men Of three thou
sand years ago by the code of morals Of th'
nineteenth Christian century. The lessor
we may derive from the sad sight Of thu
Kings overwhelming sorrow is one which
every child may we'll ponder. Our par
ents may not be perfect or blameless ii
their training of their children, but that II
no way relieves children Of their responsi
billty. Absalom knew that rebellion
! against his father was wicked, in spite o
. his bad bringing-up. So many children to
day might know that the courses they ar
pursuing are wrong. II they will stop Il
think a moment, they will perceive tina
they are merely sowing harvest of sorrow
for their parents to reap. The boy who be
, gins to indulge too freely in Intoxicating
drinks, the clerk who begins his nefariou
speculations in fancy stocks, the young maj
, who dsbbles in skeptical books-all thes
may be preparing woe for themselves; bu
| they are also preparing woe for their pal
, ents and dear ones. No man bears his owl
! sin alone, Just IS no man enjoys his owl
blessings alone Each is bound to other
/ by ten thousand ties; and, il he goes sstray
many hearts bleed.-Rev. A. F. Schaufael
! PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
l. One Of the saddest Of all sights is on
who misuses great advantages and power
for the ruin Of himself and the injury Q
others.
E g. The good news Of the Gospels fttingl