Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-09-20
THE LAST DAYS OF SAUL.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. %.

Text of the Lesson. I Sam. xxi, 1-13-Com-
NIT Verses 4, 6--Golden Text, Ps. xxxiv,
16-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission of H Hoffman, publisher Philadel-
phia
When David again had Saul in his power,
after the time recorded in the last lesson, and
Abishai wanted to STAY him, David refused
again to touch the Lords anointed, and said:
1.-THE Lord shall smite him, or his day shall
come to die, or he shall descend into battle
and perish" The last Of these predictions is
fulfilled in the lesson of today The events
between the last lesson and this are: The
death of Samuel; the death of Nabal upon
whom David was restrained from taking ven
geance; David marries Abigail and Ahinoam
he spares Saul a second time; he goes to the
Philistines and lives at Zklag; Saul again
disobeys God by consulting the witch of En-
dor, David's town of Zilllag is smitten dur
ing his absence with his six hundred, and
women, children and aocks all carried cap
tive, but David pursues and RECEIVERS all
|. snow the Philistnes fought against
Israel and the men of Israel fed from before
the Phlistines" This was the battle to which
David and his men had started, when they
were sent back by the lords of the Pk;listines
only to find Zilklag desoate and burned with
fire; God again hindered David from having
anything to do with the death of Saul
g The Philistines slew Jonathan and
Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons" 1t
makes ones heart ache to read this, especially
concerning Jonathan the loving, the brave,
the noble. How David amented for him is
recorded in the next chapter, and we do not
wonder at the depth of his lamentations over
one whose soul was knit with his own. but we
do wonder when we read that it was lam
entaton over Saul as well as Jonathan. QI
Sam |, III The secret of it is that David
saw not the man Saul. his enemy, but he
saw the king Saul, the anointed of the Lord.
3. The battle went sore against Saul, and
the archers hit him" He was not any longer
in merciful hands, but in the hands of those
who knew no mercy. Long suffering and
mercy had followed him many years; he had
been spared many time and warned often;
but "he that being often reproved, hardeneth
his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and
hat without remedy" and now mercy is
past for him and judgment has reached him
4. Therefore Saul took sword and fell
upon it" Saul being sore wounded asked
MS armor bearer to slay him, but notice the
-eason, "est these uncircumcised come and
thrust me through and abuse me-" What a
fear he has of being dishonored by these I'M
circumcised, what keen sense of honor, but
1t is the old story as when he pleaded with
Samuel, Honor me now before the elders of
my people and before Israel" tchap. XIV, 3d.
| g. His armor bearer fell like
wise upon his sword and died with him. "
This looks heroic and like spirit of devotion
to- bis master, but had he been devoted to
God instead of to Saul, or more devoted to
God than to Saul, he would not have done so.
No man who fears God will take his own life,
and any one who believes God concerning
the awful future of the ungodly as revealed
in Scripture could not think of rushing mad
ly into it.
80 Saul died. and his three sons, and
his armor bearer, and all his men, that same
day together" What them The words of
the Lord Jesus In Luke xvi, and other words
of the Spirit plainly recorded in Scripture
teach us that if we believe God and are re-
deemed by the precious blood of His dear
Son, ito die is GAIN ito depart and be with
Christ Is far BETTER and when the spirit
leaves the body, our conscious personal life
continues and the angels guide or carry us
to perfect bliss in His presence. But if we
die in our sins and disobedient it is equally
sonally conscious, is darkness, torment, gnash-
ing Of teeth and fearful looking for of judg-
ment
I. Israel forsook the cities and
fed, and the Philistines came and dwelt in
them" Here is not only the defeat and
slaughter of the Lords people Israel but
their possessions, which they ought to have
kept and enjoyed, are possessed by their enc
mics. This Is sad indeed, and the only reason
is that the people of God had turned their
backs upon Him.
s. The PhiliStines came to strip the slain. "
The detters of God cannot DO enough to show
their hatred of Him and His professed fol-
lowers 1t Is the devil who possesses them
and who is called truly destroyer.
.. They cut off his head and stripped off
his armor, and sent to publish it
among the people" Thus what Saul
feared came upon him, and these uncircum-
cised Philistines abused his body. But worst
of all it was published abroad among these
idolatrous deiers of the Living and True
God When one who bears the name of Je-
J sus is In any way overcome by the world, the
flesh, or the devil, that Holy Name is bias
phemed and thus dishonored by the sins thus
committed, and not only are such Christians
Of they are Christians laughed at and de-
spised by the world, but the precious name
they bear, instead of being exalted, is despised
also on their account. Our great business in
this world is to magnify that beautiful name
by which we are called. and to shew forth
the praises of Him who hath called US from
darkness into His marvellous light, not seek
, ing our Will or our glory, but, denying self,
follow Jesus and 80 about doing good.
10 They put his arnor in the house OF
Ashtaroth and they fastened his body TO the
wall of Bethshan.r What victory for the
idolateIs, but it will not continue. Blessed be
} God that all the victories of His enemies art
only for little time, but the victory of Hi
} dear Son Is for eternity. This is probably the
/ same armor with which Saul armed David
that day when he was about to go forth
against Goliath; David put it of, for ht
had not proved 1t, and Saul might as vel
have had It off, for 1t did him no good There
is an armOr which viii never get into any
7 idolaters hands; 1t is the shield Of faith anc
! sword of the Spirit, and helmet of salvation
| Eph. VII May we each wear 1t and use il
constantly Let us put on the whole armoI
, of God, for il is an evil day and many ar,
falling Never for q moment in our OWL