The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-13
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
NOVEMBER II.
Lesson Text: "David's Last Words,1
II Sam. xiii, 1-7-Golden
Text: III Sam. xiii,
documentary.

/. ssNow these be the last words of David. p
Things are apt to look very different when1
one comes to the last hours Of life in the morJ
tai body; earthly things fade, their import
ance vanishes trials seem no longer greata
and eternal things become intensely reaf;
! there is nothing worth considering but thei
King of Righteousness and His righteous
kingdom. David, the man after Gods own
heart q Sam. xiii, IA; Acts xiii, 22, Is inl
this lesson brought before us with eyes d.
rected afar of to the highest mountain peak
dom referred to in chap. vii, 16. Jacob secs,
and speaks of the same things when in his|
dying moments he calls his sons around him,
and tells them what shall befal them in the;
last days. (Gen. Xix, /, 10)
2. 'The Spirit Of the Lord spake by me,
and His word was in my tongue" Here is a.
definition OF inspiration. The Spirit speaks, !
tongue; so Jesus testified that David himself
said by the Holy Ghost Mark Xii, 39 and
Peter testified that the Holy Ghost by tho
mouth of David spake; so Paul testified that
the holy Ghost spake by Isaiah (Acts j., 1871
xviii. 25 and in II Pet. l., 81, we havethei
comprehensive statement that ''Holy men oil
God spake as they were moved by the Holyi
Ghost" The Fifth Article Of Religion in
our Book of Prayer emphatically states thsti
'.Holy Scripture is therefore the Word Of
God; not only does it contain the oracles OF
God, but it is itself the very Oracles Of God. "a
Let us yield our, too often unruly, tongues
to this same Spirit, who dwelleth in us II we1
are true believers, that He may use them
only for the glory Of God.
8. "The God Of Israel said, the Rock Of Is
rael spake to Me-" In the first verse it wasl
the God Of Jacob, perhaps with the thought
of the Great Creator and Restorer (Elohim),l
who could make something out Of and use
for His glory such crooked ones as Jacob and
David and all of us are by nature; here it isl
the God and Rock Of Israel, the same create
ing and restoring and covenant keepingi
Elohirn, but now in reference to the broken,d
helpless, clinging, earnestly seeking one, who1
had power with God and man, and receivedi
the new name of Israel (Gen. xxxii., 26-29.l
as their Rock Ueut xxxii., 4, Is, Is, 81: Psi
xviii, 2, 81, 4s, etc., but it is from the mar-
gin Of Isa xvi, 4, that we get the title
Crock of Ages" In this verse and the
last we seem to have very clearly the
Three Persons Of the Trinity, the Rock
pointing us to Him who was snitten for uA, /
from whom alone comes living water, I'M
whom We hide, on whom we stand, and who
shall soon break in pieces the governments OF
earth and establish His own kingdom. He
that ruleth over men must be just, ruling fn
the fear of God" We now for time lose
sight Of David as we fix our eyes upon that
Just One (Acts vii, Sc; xii, 14, the King who
shall reign in Righteousness lisa. xxi, Ut
of whom it is written: Behold, the days
come saith the Lord, that will raise unto;
David righteous branch, ard king shall
reign and prosper, end shall execute judg-
ment and justice in the earth. In his days
Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell
safely; and this is His name whereby He
shall'be called, the Lord our Righteousness
(Jer. xii, 5, O.. Whatever He does shall be
done in the fear Of the Lord, faithfully, and
with a perfect heart QI Chron. xix, 81. .
4. ''And He shall be as the light Of the
morning when the sun riseth, even q morn
ing without clouds" One Of His last names
in Scripture is in Rev. xii, 16, ''The root
and the offspring Of David, the bright and
Of Righteousness" The time of His appearing
in glory to build up Zion (Ps. CHI, 16) is pre-
emfnently called ''the morning." as in Ps.
Xvi, (Inargin), where the whole subject Is
the safety of Israel when He judges the ma
tions and makes wars to cease and where it
is written God shall help her when the
morning appeareth," or R. W '.at the dawn
of the morning" and again in Ps. Xix, ~
1.-THE upright shall have dominion over them
in the morning"
5. HE hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure"
This is our golden text and it IS in some re-
spects the center of the lesson, for it brings
before us God and His faithful covenant and
assurance Of complete fulfillment, inaSmuch
as there can be no failure on His part. The
two 'salthoughs' which begin and end this
verse point to possible failure on the part OF
David and his house, for man is only and al
ways when left to himself failure; but the
terms of the covenant indicated that while
iniouity might have to be chastened Davids
house and kingdom should be established for.
ever (chap. vii, 1915; SO that It might
truly be called an Everlasting covenant, or
dered Tor furnished) in all things and sure"
or, as it is in lisa. w., 3-5 1.-THE sure mercies
of David" pointing to the time when other
nations shall run to Israel because Of their
glorious king. Gaze on the full consumrnac
ton of the things included in this covenant
as revealed to the prophets: "Of the In
crease of His government and peace there
shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to order it and to es-
tablish it with judgement and with justice,
henceforth even forever" "At that tune
they shall call Jerusalem the throne OF the
Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered
unto it, to the name Of the Lord, to Jerusalem,
neither shall they walk any more after the
Imagination Of their evil heart." And I
will make them one nation in the land upon
the mountains of Israel; and David, Ny ser
want, shall be king over them; and the ma
tions shall know that I, the Lord, do sanctlfy
Israel when My sanctuary shall be In the
midst of them for evermore." lisa. tx; Jer.
iii :, II; Eek. xxxvii., E-2S.l
With such a kingdom before him, and, IKE
Abraham, believing what God has promised
He is also able to perform, David is able to
say: This is all my salvation and all my
desire"
81. "But the sons of Belial (R. '. the un-
rodly) shall be ell of them as thorns thrust
away: x " 4 they shall be utterly
burned with fire" Thcrns and thistles are
the manifest evidence that the earth Is stlu
under the curse Of sin Gen. iii. 1S); Jesus
uses them es symbol Of the natural, unre-
neved heart when ne says: "Do men gather
grapes of thorns OF fss of thistles% Matt:
Viii 1G0. And the ungodly are thus described
in Eek. ii, 6: Though briers and thorns be
with thee, and thou dost dwell among scor-
pjons be not afraid of their words" We are
all of us such by nature and by practice; sin
dwelleth in us and all have sinrcd and come
short of the glory Of God. These wao will
not repent, but persist in their Y,sSdEnesssy
have nothing to expect but ey.r!asting de-
struction from the presence Ytle Lord, and
from the glory of His powef when He shall
come to be glorified in HiSSarlts III Thess.
i. 10; they will not be drawn by love, there
fore they must perish by judgment. May we
be among the mighty ones OF the true DAVID
while we wait for the Lord more than they
that watch for the morning. (Ps. cIxS, ., o.
Il eSSon Hclper.
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