The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-06
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR,
NOVEMBER 10.
Lesson Text: "David's Grief for Alb
salon." III Samuel xviii, 1885,
Golden Text: Prov. Xviii,
26 - Commentary.


Golden Text: Prov. Xviii,
25 - Commentary.
David, hearing Of Absalom's rebellion.
took his servants, and followed by six hm-
dred faithful Philistines under Ittai the 9Th
tite, fed from Jerusalem. Zadok and Abia!
thar also, with the Levites bearing the arr.
went with him, but David sent back the ark
saying that il God delighted in him Hewould
bring him back to his city and thrones
Hushai, the archite, David's friend, was also
sent back, in order that, perchance, he might
be used Of God to defeat the counsel Of
Ahithophel, who had turned traitor to David
and become Absalom's counselor It turned
out as David had trusted it would; Absalom
accepted the advice Of Hushai rather than
that Of Ahithophel, and Hushai sent word to Z
David which led him and all who were with
him to cross over Jordan to the other sidal
and they came to Mahanaim, Levitical5
city Of God, where long before the angels Of
God met Jacob (Gen. E1ii, q. AbsaIom
and his army also crossed the Jordan, and
then follows the record Of the conflicts
and the death Of Absalom at tho hands ok
Joab as he hung by his head in an oak. The
verse Immediately preceding the one which
begins our lesson says: ''They took Abealom
and cast him into a great pit In the woods
and.laid very great heap Of stones upou
him" Thus persisted beautiful Absalom. 4
IS. "Absalom's monument" This Is the
r. v. translation instead Of "AbsalomS
place" Here is the record Of something
this wicked, willtul, wayward son has done
in bis lifetime that his name might be pGpet
uated. ...' 80. ....-.- I
In Absalom's life everything was for Absa-'
lom, and his name, and his
pleasure; it might be said of him
as of Belshazzar, 1.-THE God In whose hand
thy breath is, and whose are all thy waSxl
hast thou not glorifled." DAN. ", 23.) The
life Of Christian is to deny self and please
God, magnifying His name; unto such HS
says: II will give in Mine house, and within
My walls, place and name better than %
sons and Of daughters; will give them AZ,
everlasting name that shall not be cut off,
10, 90. "Then said Ahimaaz the son Of ,Zaj
dok: Let me now run and bear the King tidS
ings" This was the son Of Zadok thepriest,I
and he had, already endangered his Life for
David when he and Jonathan, SON
of Abiathar, brought word from Hushai to-
David that he should fee. across the Jordan
(chap. xvii); now he is anxious to convey to-
David what he Thought would be glad tdinas
for him, but Joab will not consent.
Then said Joab to Cushi: Go tell the King
what thou hast seem" Wedo not know any
thing more about this man than Is here re1s
corded, nor why Joab sent him instead OF
Ahimaaz, unless the reason Is found In tbs
words ''what thou hast SEEM His name ag.s
nifes sblack," and he may have been per!
sonal attendant upon Joab, and seems to have
witnessed the killing of Absalom. g.
%, %. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way oh
the plain and overran Cushi" This power
full brother" for such is the significance OF
his name, was so eager to bear tidings that
I1<1 ID. = -, 1,kl y
after Cushi and Joab finally consented. he
was so swift of foot that he outran Cushi and
got to David first. This reminds us Of that
other disciple who outran Peter and came
first to the sepulcher John Xxx. a.
"a. "And David sat between the two gateAj
and the watchman went up to the roof over
the gate" We now pass from the battle feld
with its twenty thousand slain tverse q, and
the monument which Absalom did not build!
for himself (the heap Of stones, to behold
David as he receives the tidings from the mes
sengers Ahimaaz and Cushi.
25. 26. "And the watchmen cried and told
the King" He sees first the one and then the!
other running alone, and he reports each t0
the King as he comes in sight, and now we
may fancy the anxiety Of the Kings trem5
bling heart till he hears the tidings We areres
minded somewhat Of Eli as he sat in the gats
waiting to hear tidings Of the battle, his heart
trembling for the Ark Of God q Sam. iv., ISL
but Eli seems to have been nearer to God
than David, for Eli trembled for the ArHsi
not for his SONS, while David's only an1iA0T
was his son.
q, 2S. "All is we'll" This was the shout OF
Ahimaaz as he drew near to the King with
the tidings that the Kings enemies were
overcome The watchman recognized AhtS
maaz by his running, before he came near
enough to be seen as to his features. Some
of us want to do things just like other peoy
pie, but Scripture teaches us that God takes
a man as he is, and works through one In one
way and another in another way and alts
and Welding fully to Him, let Him work In
and through US by His spirit as BE pleases. 3,
90, 80. "And the King said: Is the young
man Absalom safer" Ahimaaz had cried3
"It is we'll" but the King replies: 1t Is
well with Absalomg' He seemed to have no I
heart for any but this wicked son. 1t is Q
wonderful picture of human love. g
81. "And Cushi said: Hdipgs, my Lord
the King; for the Lord have avenged thee
this day Of all them that rose up against
thee" Thus from the mouth of two witnesses
the fact is established that the enemies OF tne
King are defeated. 3
80. 1.-THE enemies of my Lord the King be Z
as that young man is" Still unaffected by
the good tidings of the defeat Of the enemy
the King again asks: rs the young man ABB
SALON. safer" and receives his reply in these
not doubtful words, which declare that AbsaI
lom is dead The thing which he feared has
come upon him, and now in his heart shown
forth, and it is proved that wicked Absaiom
is more to him than his faithful soldiers OF
captains or all his people.
Absalom! would God had died for thea, u
Absalom my son, my SON." Perhaps there
are no more pathetic words in all Scripture
than these, but there are various ways or
looking at them. Absalom appears to be nj
deed lost soul, passing out into the blacki
ness of darkness forever, and well might
David wish to have died In his stead, for ne
was ready to meet God and Absalom was
not; but then God was overruling all this
xvii, ~, and BE is infinitely wise and
good. David was in this grief for Absaioms
6onoring him more than God q Sam. IL, @;
and while his great love is commendabiAi
his idolatry is not. Let those who foolishiy
say, ~ do not want to 60 to Heaven II myt
wife, my husband, my son, my daughter
nv brother or my sister is not there, con-
slider we'll these words Of our Lord Jesus
Christ: "If any man come to Me, and hath
not his father and mother, and wife and
children, and brethren and sisters, yea.
his own life also he cannot be My, diseiiPPfe: =
Guke xiv, 9o.)-Lesson Helper:
In tho memoir Of T. r. stoddart,
the angler poet, his daughter recounts
some anecdotesSof his literary friends.
De Quincy was one of them; and
Miss Stoddart gives some curious in
stances of his passion for reading.
yIvLo,, ,+or,;ro or Cbr;stonher North's