Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-10-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


found In sam. b: l-lx.
INTRODUCTORY.
We have seen David as the shepherd bard
and the favored youth ofSaufs royal court.
We have followed him through seven OF
more troublous years as the exile prince.
Now we behold him as the reigning king.
There were three things which the people
urged as David's kingly credentials. ~
He was true Israelite. though his martial
exploits had been for so long time on for
eign soil and for an alien power. Knowing
the doughty David. already renowned
among nations, TO be a veritable Jew. they
are glad to hail him, the chiefest and most
deserving among them. as king. 90 He
was In Saul's early day the Kings own
general In chief. and the disposition 70
make the military chieftain the peoples king
thus early found voice. tS) Above all. the
call Of God was upon him. as was plain in
the days when Saul's anger burned against
him. but Samuel. the prophet. stood and
spoke, we know not how often. In his be-
half. At last David is king. and Israel's
| golden days are begun. May these DO also
| golden days for us.
WHAT THE LESSON SAYS
Then. After the death OF Ishbosheth
the pretender to the THRONE the
tribes. The tribe OF Judah had already ac.
cepted OF David ms king (2:l0.-Unto
Hebron. Where David had made his head.
quarters after the death OF Saul (2:19 .----
| Spake, saying. Literally. Said, Saying, q
formal communication. I've are thy bone
and thy flesh. Accent on tho we. Thy
bone and thy flesh are we. That as we'll az
the men OF Hebron.
Also. Emphatic form. Equivalent to
ally. Yesterday and the day before third
day: Hebrew idiom for a long time
Leddest out. They were accustomed In
his leadership.-Feed. or be shepherd
to (EccL 2:1D.--Captain. TO have chief
tainshtp or rulershp.
ElnarQ Tho nl1 "a n haf
king was first asked Il Sam. 8: "a
league. Literally. cut covenant, referring
TO the sacrifice that usually accompanied
the solemn act.---They anointed David
God had already anointed him. q Sam,
10; III Now the people at last ratify II. Sc
also with Saul Compare / SAM 1Oi and
IL: Is.
Thirty years old. Hebrew idiom: Son
Of thirty years.--Began to reign. He had
been seven or moro years waiting for his
throne. before Judah came to him.
AT Hebron. Over seven moro years Of
waiting here.-And In Jerusalem. An an
ticipation in the arrative.
Jerusalem. Melchizedek dwelt here oil
old. Gen. IA: IL; Heb. z: 1.)-The Jebu-
sites. Joshua had some contention with
their king whom he slew Josh. 10; 81 But
the city itself was not taken, and till
D GoaS ss uay was heather s.rongh9ld.
similar to that in the first verse and. as
there, indicating formal communication.
-Excopt thou take is a confessedly diff
flcult passage. Its closest translation into
English seems to he, see whether he can
thrust aside tho LIND and the lame, as
much as to say, ("thinking") David cannot
come In here. A similar construction is
that at Ps. %: IL. literally. II they enter
into my rest. Taken there as q strong
negative assertion: They should not en-
ter into my rest" More. accurately still
see whether they will enter into my rest.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES.
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David,
Now David Is ready for great things He
has great people with him. All the tribes
OF Israel have resorted to him. When the
superintendent knows that be has all the
school with him how much he feels equal
unto! When the teacher feels that the class
have as one man given him their confidence
and esteem. in what lordly fashion he can
lead theml When the pastor is assured that
loyal people. not one halting or hindering
are within, .. what conquests in Jehovah s
name he sees before himl When young
Charles Hadden Spurgeon went to Newing-
ton some one suggested to one of the war
dens OF the church, What If he should fail.
We'll not let him faiii- was the prompt ana
earnest response. The campaign OF the fall
and winter is before us. DO the churches
and schools realize how much the success
OF their leaders depends upon strong and
hearty following? Only as the pastor feels
his people to DO his very bone and flesh.
has he the power God intended him to ex-
perience.
King David mado league with them.
That was the right sort Of u confederacy.
Covenant is the word. He bound the peo-
pie by pledge. There was something for
them TO agree to. and he would not under
take to lead them until they had sworn
| fealty to him and to the cause. That is
what every church does with its pastor. IL
| is the meaning OF the reiterated covenant.
Loyalty to God and his appointed leader OF
the hosts. Here do we find the secret OF
that success which has attended the
| christian Endeavor" movement 1t is a
pledged fraternity. They have made a
league for the truths uphoding. Alas.
how little OF the real covenant spirit In our
churchesl show US a successful church,
we will point you out a pastor and people
who have given each other their hand in
roverent service OF the Master. Are we not
| right about it2
Thou shalt feed my people and thou shalt
feed, It Is God gbf Mhh q The Shepherd spirit
is the approved spirit. Those who feed his
people best are his truest princes-for such
| is the woodland to them he gives laurel OF
victory and the throne OF rulership. Look
| back in history. The great leaders have
| been great feeders, as regards the people.
John Knox. what dispenser of the Word
was he!
John Calvin. how mighty in his exposi-
| tions-we sometimes doubt whether we
have ever found his equal Martin Luther.
He wrote the Table Talk" as well as the
Theses" He was teacher before he was
| a warrior. All these from finding the peo-
pie aad through finding the people. came to
| their captaincy. And nave we found any
| better plan to- day2
David cannot come in hither. 1t was. as
| IL were. n challenges; and contemptuous
one. This is probably the meaning OF that
somewhat dark message, except thou take
/ n, id a lar, L. -
say, our crippies and invalids are match
| for you. Come up and take them, II you
| can. David takes them at their word. and
names them all blind and lame" which.
indeed. they prove to be before his Prov
| ess. There is much Of this bold banter to-
day. The world has grown arrogant. con-
ceited in its strongholds of sin and unbe-
| lief. 1t assumes acontempt OF the church Is
| spiritual weapons. For women and chill
drenl they say, right scornfully. Very
| we'll, now, let us 90 against them. and, in
the name OF Davids God. let US prove them
all to be women and children. blind and
| lame and weak In the face OF the omnipo-
tence OF God. Rememl or that "neverthe-
less" of Holy Writ. Nevertheless David
| took the stronghold" "The heather rage,
the peopls imagine a vain tAing" never
theless the Lord reigneth."
| SO David dwet in the fort. and called II
| the city OF David. Fort" was what the
Jebusites esteemed it to be, a stronghold
safe and sure. But see, David takes IL and
lives In II. What an answer to the con-
temptuous filings OF its former inhabitants.
| Whom Saul fell. the Philistines celebrated
their victory by coming and occupying
IsrGels cities In the valley OF the Jordan
and Esdraelem. The Philistines came
and dwelt in them" Here David in turn
Eriumphs, and celebrates his victory by
changing the hostile fortress into q place
OF righteousness and truth, to be hence
forth called by his own name. as tho Lords
anointed. They bore n man to his Chris
tan burial In Chicago tho other day whose