The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-21
SABBATH SCHOOL. o. /.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
AUGUST 1S.
Lesson Text: "sauI Rejected by tho
Lord" I Sam. w, 1O-2S-
Golden Text: I Sam. xv,
s Commentary. -


Golden Text: Sam. xv.,
Is Commentary.
The intervening chapters between this les
son and the last oneare chiefly occupied with
SauPs first victories over the Philistines, and
also over the Moabites, Ammonites and Edo3
mites; but there is sad statement concern-
ing Saul, and precious one concerning Jona5
than, his son, to each Of which we ought To-
give good heed for our own profit The first
refers to Saurs foolish conduct and disobedt5
ence in the matter, of the sacrifice chapter
xiii, S+14, which brought from Samuel the
message: CHOW thy kingdom shall not con-,
tinue; the Lord hath sought Him man aftAr
His own heart" The second is the noble
conduct Of Jonathan and his armor bearer
and the good words: There is no restraint TO-
the Lord to save by many or by few. We
Gods own heart, and daily profit the good
word Of Jonathan. The lesson to-day Is the
story of SauIs disobedience in the matter OF
the Amalekites x IS ~: !
10. sThen came the word Of the Lord unto
Samuel Sauls orders were: ssao and m1ite
Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they
have" ": 81; but he saved Agag the hn&
alive, and spared the best Of the sheep and
oxen ". 81. Thus, as in the matter. Of the
sacrifice already referred to, he did what
seemed right to himself, acting upon his own
Judgment rather than the express command
Of God. q
II. SIT repenteth me that I have set up
Saul to be king" So In verse IS ..the Lord
repented that He had made Saul king over
Israeli" and yet in verse 20 it is written:
''The strength Of Israel viii not lie or re!
pent, for He is NOT q man that BE should re!
pent." Compare also Mum. xiii, 10; PacLJ
4. Now the question is how to reconcile
these apparent contradictions for the conf
tradiction Is only seeming, not real We
must first get firm ground ON which
to stand, and we have 1T in the fect
that q God of, Truth qsa. XIV, 16
cannot lie; and a God to whom all Bis works
lActs xv., s1s) scannot possibly make q
mistake or be sorry for anything he ha4
done. Even the treatment by Herod, PLATA
the Gentiles and Israel was only what God
had determined before to be done facts iv.i
27,2S). but that did not lessen the guilt ,of
Herod and the others God certainly knew be-
fore hand Just how Saul would turn out, how
long He would have to bear with him, and
Just when He would set him aside and put
David in his place. When God, In Bis infinite
wisdom, doing what he alwa,ls knew that He
would do seems to us to chanl,e His mind and
do new thing, He Is said IN Scripture to re-
pent: man, on the other hand repents when ha
actually does change his mind and does whaA
he had not intended before 10 do. Il
10. "Saul camet to Carmel. and, behold, ha
set him up place. The Eeyised Version
says he set up monument. Itseems to have
been, Hke Absalom's place III Sam. XVIII. ,19S
pillar rather for bis own glory than IN
glory Of God, rather to commemorate h1l
own name than the narnesof Jehovah.
Is. 'tBIessed be thou Of the Lord: ] have
performed the commandment OF the LordN
This was Saurs greeting when Samuel came
to him; II In the previous verse we see h1t
vanity, surely here we see hypocrisy. /
IA. .What meaneth then this bleating Of th4
sheep, . = = and the lowing Of the oxenT
All things are naked and open to the eyes oS
Him with whom we have to do; and from Hind
who searcheth heart and veins no secrets can
be hid.
is. 1.-THE people spared the best Of the sheep
and Of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord
thy God" Being cornered, as we say, henow
puts the blame on the people, yet seeks %
Justify them by saying it was for the Lord.
but his heart Is somewhat shown in his sayn
inc. the Lord thy God, instead Of sethe Lord
our Godn It is evident that Saul did not
know the Lord; he did not understand thai,
the Lord wants nothing that belongs 20 H6
enemies. 52i' :
is. sstay, and will tell thee what the
Lord hath said to me this night.p Blessed
Samuel who talked with God and WITH
whom God talked, who sought only to know
the mind Of God and do it; when he came "
die It would not be a very great change foa
him. for he had from bis youth lived With
Goo and served Him. Why should we NOT
in our daily Life thus walk with God, careful
above all things to know what he hath SAID
that we may believe it and do 1t.
IL. ssWhen little in thine own sight
. the Lord anointed thee hng over Israel
Had Saul only continued little in his own
sight and sought to be great IN the eyes q
have been well, but he forgot the Lord and
Thought more Of Saul and his deeds.
1s. 1.-THE Lord sent thee on Journey ana
said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the
Amalekftes." Saul was not required TO gye
his opinion, or make any suggestions Dun
only to do as he was told. !
Is. soThou ddst not obey the voice OF the
Lord, = = but didst evil in the sight OF the
Lord.n It seems hard for some people 70
even the motives for their actions, and noi
tices all things; yet 1t Is written that the
ways of man are before the eyes Of the Lord, ,
and he pondereth all his goings;" and agains
ssThe eyes of the Lord are In every place Do.
holding the evil and the good" tProv. ".
30. s7Yea have obeyed the voice Of the
Lord and have gone the way which the LORD
sent me-" Still justifying himself, and ne.
fusing to humble himself bsfore God; making
out that Samuel was wrong and that goo
was mistaken, and that he alone Yves r1ghti
Insisting that his view Of the case was the
correct one, and that in doing as he did he
had indeed obeyed God. The time has NOS
gone by when people pervert the words OF the.
Lord Jer. xiii, 39 and yet insist that thsS
are right Saul had to learn that God means
Just what He said.
81. 1.-THE people took Of the spoil, -
things which should have been utterly de-
stroyed.n It is sometimes easier to see the
sins Of others than to see our own. DE had
previously said that it was the people who
SPARED the best of the sheep and oxen, but
that they had spared them for good end,
making the end to justify the deed; now ne
confesses that the deed on the peoples part
was wrong and that sheep and oxen should
have been utterly destroyed. His eyes are
opening out very slowly; he sees now the
peoples sin, but not his own. After the
piercing words Of the next two verses Whlcn
close our lesson, he sees his own SIN ana con-
fesses it, but sti1l pleading, an an eItenuanon
| of his guilt, that he did 1t because he feared
| the people and obeyed their voice. That ne
was @ NOT a truly hiimbled and penitent man
ayen then Is evident from verse SO, where he
| bees Samuel to turn and honor him before
| the people. Where there Is true brokenness
Of spirit there is no honoring but rather 9
Ioathins Of self Job xiii, o, and the eyes
and heart are directed to God and not to the
people, ,.++o. +,.r s.,,,.
| face and to hearkeu than the Tat OF rams" IN
Jar' vii, N-23. it is written that when God
brought them out Of Egypt BE did not taiE
to them Of burnt offerings or sacrifices nus
| - and IN fha nrnnheCv