The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-09-12
DAVID sPARlNo 0AUi-

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1stsrnsaasnsi s.aday.sehesl Essssa ~
sspssnbsr 10, looo.
Especially arranged from 8. 9 ouazsssiy.t
L1ssoN TExr-I Sam. A:41z.
0olp1x .Txxr--bs mot ovarpome Of svil.
but ovsrcoele evil nth good Rom. 1874.
CIxrRAi 4Rurn+The only way 70 over.
comeevil Dswith god. M ,e
TI,Gp-B.Q looQ Two or thEee yeaFs aftsr
'ns ssl.cs. l.cs .ei% i,d.ru.s. Of rn sfounssin
Of she kid,s on the cliffs nft0eh hundred or
two thousand feet high on the west side Of
the Dead ses. It 10 very difacult Of access,
but charming spot when reached. Many
caves are in the vicinity.
, eSAxuEL-Died about this Hme q Ramsh,
DAvrD-About twenty-five years old, an
exile. .-..s-..-.. ..... - 7. z
SEVEN YEARS OF ExILB--From b. g 1862
10 1858. ~ To Mob, close 70 Jerusalem,
only few hours (chs. 81, 22; Ps. 60. (2)
To Gath, brief stay (21 :10-15; Pc. 84). (3)
In the cave Of Adullam, five or six miles
southwest Of Bethlehem (ch. %; Ps. 81 and
142). az The wilderness Of Judah, includ-
ing Ziph, Maon, Adullam t22:5; 9e:1-89; Ps.
Sl). (6) Experience ct Engedi (ch. ~, TO-
days iesson). C6) Experience at Carmel in
the south Of Judah, with Nabal (ch. 2H. ~
At Hachilah, IN the wilderness Of Judah.
David spares Saul second time, unless
this IL another version OF today's lesson
(ch. o6). (s)' Al Gath, sixteen miles among
the Philistines (ch. q; Ps. 66).
DAvID's BAND-Assembled at Adullam;
four hundred at first (22:2), afterwsrd six
hundred (27:2). Among them were the
prophet Cad; Abiathar, the son Of tho high
priest; Abishai, David's nephew, after
wards great general; thirty-four valiant
men Of war, ''whose faces were % lions,
and were a. swift a. roes upon the mount
ains'' Il Chron. 12I-14). The others were
discontented men, many OF them fleeing
from the expressions Of Saul.
VALUE OF DAvID's EXILE ExPERIENCE-
Q) It kept him from the dangers Of sudden
prosperity. ~ It taught him to put trust
In God. (D II made him acquainted with
the needs Of the people, () II gave him
practice in dealing with men. (hl II pre-
pared . large number Of persons TO hail him
a. King. () II gave him skin in war. "a
Il gave strength to his character.
HlLPs ovIR HAND PLACIs-Saul, with
three thousand chosen men, was pursuing
after David. He came into the entraDce Of
the cave Of EngedL where David was hidden
with his men; while he was asleep, David,
refusing 10 kill him, merely cut OF part Of
his royal robe. 1. Shirt tho hem, perhaps the
golden fringe. 8. Dautd's heart smote htn: for
treating with indignity his King. z. Stayed
hs scrpdntG who wished to kill Saul. This
opportunity was 2 great temptation TO
David. By killing Saul he would save his
own life, escape persecution, become King.
He had to resist not only his own feelings,
hut <bo 40 hta covovoo ;aua
Bo,ped himself: In reverence to his King. 10.
Tntns eyss haus seen: David sparing Saul re-
futed the ISLANDERS spoken against him by
such a. Doeg (22: 911,, and Cush. (See title
to Pa. ~ IS. Wckedness procetdeth from the
spteIed: as bad fruit from bad tree. From
David came good to Saul; therefore Saul
could see that he was not wicked.
INTRoDucToRY-Call the attention Of the
class to the fact that we have had concrete
illustrations Of opposite principles working
out their legitimate fruitage in two differ.
ent men. In Saul we had envy, culminat.
ing in practical murder. In Jonathan we
had love, ending In self-sacrifce. To-day
we have another virtue exemplified In &C.
tual life. In order rightly to understand it,
we need to remember that for two or three
years David had been hunted exile. Saul
had driven him from post to pillar, leaving
his soul no rest. (As mirror Of his feel.
ings at this time, read Psalm 57.) In his
wanderings David had gathered around
him o band Of discontented and somewhat
lawless men, 600 in number. Saul, who for
some time had been busy with the Philis-
tines, now gathered 5000 men, and put all
his energies into hunting down his enemy.
With David his falling into Saul's hands
was sure death. Under these circumstances
the events Of the lesson took place.
CoMMENTs-The golden text this week 10
well chosen. Here we have It's practical
exemplifcation In the life Of David. In
order fully to understand the grandeur OF
David's conduct, let Us look at 1t carefully.
II Is said that to return evil for good Is
devilish; to return good for good is human;
but to return good for evil Is divine. II 90,
David's conduct showed that he was guided
by the Divine Spirit. For Saul was seeking
his life without any cause. Nay, David had
been Saul's benefactor, and yet he had to
fee from before his face II was rank In.
justice and wanton bloodthirstiness that led
Saul to act a. he was doing. Yet David was
ready to forgive him, and bore him no
malice. But notice that 1t was not for lack
OF opportunity that David did his foe no
harm. Never had man better chance, for
both at this time and subsequently with
Abishai he had free scope to act as he
pleased. Saul was absolutely in David's
power. Note again that 1t was not because
others dissuaded him that he spared
Saul On both occasions the attendants
urged David to take vengeance on his foe. On
both occasions David had to stem the tide
Of public opinion and stand alone on the
right side. Compare this with Saul's con.
duct as given In I Sam. 15:24.) Observe
finally that 1t was not because he could of.
fer no plausible excuse that David spared
Saul. He might easily have argued that
Samuel had anointed him as well as Saul,
and that by his disobedience Saul had for
feited the Divine favor and had been reject,
cd by God, and that under the circumstances
1t was only acting In self-defense for him TO
beavenged Of his adversary. Many poorer
arguments than this have suflced TO lead
Gods children into paths of sir All the
above considerations may well exalt the
character Of David's actions In our ewes.
1t was most magnificent piece of large
hearted forgiveness on David,s part. II
Jonathan, In our last weeks lesson, shone
Rs an evening star, David, in this lesson,
arises upon our vision as an equally brilliant
morning star.-Rev. A. F. Schaufiier.