The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-08-16
SAUL REJEcrEp.



Especially arranged from s. s. Quarterly1
LESSON TExT-~I Sam. 15:l023
GOLDEN 1ExT Because thou hast jcctco
IN word Of the Lord. He hath also rejected
shpe from being King. Sam. Is 23.
CrS TRIAL Truth God proves and tests 10
~Lrsh~ we we will obey him or no.
T,rx- Probably B. G., 1865; ten years
after sam began 70 reign. according 70
Others, B losV.
PrAcx-(;A gal, near Jericho. Samuel
about eighty years old, living at Ramah.
4 pror.n~t u | priest. Saul about fifty
wears Old. Rcls ming at Gibeah four miles
north OF yerussA m. For his family, see
"a 40
Ixrsoprcrrox-fA years have passed
awav. SAM has dora much a. King, gained
many victories. An this time God was
testing him a. 70 what kind Of King be
would make.
Hairs OVER HAKp place. Saul had been
sent TO destroy the Anal, kites. = wild
heather nation south Of r. uestinc, who
were injuring Gods people n. 'tning could
make them good. Therefore thu y were 40
stroyed. II. u re~ntsfh me- That -. GOD
changed His actions toward Saul, because
Saul had changed. God was mot sorry 1cr
| what He had done, but He acted IS q man
| who had rcpcnlcd. ~. Carmel not the
! mountain, but town seven mics south OF
/ Hebron. Set him np . place: "a hand."a
| monument. CHg1i: see Place. l.. And SdM
said. 1hsy haze, etc: Saul laid the blamo on
4 the people. IL seemed q pity to destroy 50
| much wealth. To sacrifice; one motive, but
I they had the sacrifices to eat. Doubtless
| they wanted the cattle o. Hah the Lord
1 as great delight, ETC.. no gifts or sacrifices
| could take the place OF obedience. The
object OF the sacrifices was TO help the peo-
pie to obey. Fat o. rams; the richest part
Of the sacrifices. o. AZ The Sin Of frteh-
cratY; seeking TO find out the future means
OF bad spirits. II was rejection OF Jehovah
Idoiatry. teraphim, household idols.
LESSON FACTS Ten years have passed
away since Saurs inauguration. His reign
had not been altogether promising, Tor no
had more than once shown wilful and
rash disposition. In the course Of time he
was commanded to go up against the Anal
ekites, and utterly destroy all the people and
Their substance. II was on his return from
this expedition that the events Of the lesson
Of tod took place. BY special revelation
God informed Samuel that Saul had not
obeycd in the matter OF the Amalekites.
Samuel therefore goes forth TO meet the
SHINING monarch. He finds that he has pre-
served much Of the spoil taken from the
enemy. contrary to Gods command. Also
that Saul had set up monument n his
own glory, thing that no other
Israelite had dared to do. On their
meeting, Saul grects the prophet as though
all had gone on well, but is At once rebufIed
by the question. s.What mcaneth this bleat-
ing OF the sheep in mine earsW Con-
victed at the start, Saul offers an excuse 70
the effect that the sheep were spared for
the purpose Of sacrifice. On Samucls re-
fusing 10 accept this excuse as valid, Saul
takes less arrogant ground, and acixnowl-
edges that the deed was contrary OF God :
command. Still the stern denunciation OF
the grand old prophet rolls on, and he n
one stroke lays bare the hypocrisy oil
Saul's argument, saying, "Behold. to obey
is better than sacrifice" Once more Saul
tries to avert from himself the rcsponsi
biity, and says, stBecause i feared the
people, did this.v And at last the lessor
closed with the solemn words Of Samuel
Thou hast rejected the work Of the Lord
! and the Lord hath rejected thee from being
king over Israeli These are main facts o
the lesson, and should be drawn out from
, the class by appropriate questions.
CoMMESTs-Jible principles are eterna
! principles, and human temptations rema;r
pretty much the same as the centuries roi
! around. How many are there today, who
! having done wrong, begin to hunt arount
for excuses, or for some scapegoat upoF
whom to roll the responsibility Of theiI
mlsdeeds. The truant from school urges
tho temptations laid in his way by his com
! rade. The profane boy excuses himself
| by saying that the men in the shop ''mads
him mad" The vituperative girl, wher
demonstrated with. answers: "Vell, she
abused me first" Further along in life ths
business man who indulges in tricks Of ths
trade says: ssWcll, we must live, you know
all men do these things. The Sabbath
breaker who opens his store on Sunday
says: sWell, have 70, because ! fear ths
competition Of my neighbour" Thus II II
apt TO be al along tho line OF human action
| What Saul ought TO have done was to stanc
By Gods command through thick and thin
. ! II might have cost him = struggle, but II
would have ended better than did thu
course he actually pursued. And what we
As teachers. want to Impress upon our schol
ars is the duty Of standing by duty ct al
hazards. He who does his duty only whcr
tits perfectly safe and pleasant, but whs
iinches when opposition arises, Is but I
poor servant Rev. A. +. Schauffier.
: PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
! /. God has prepared q Kingdom for rs.
: 2. Hcproves and tests US whether w
, are fitted TO use and enjoy it.
3. The great question Of life Il whether
we will obey God or not
: 4 Sin IS sure TO be revealed. "Bc SUR
your sin will find you out"
s. Sin leads men to be mean a. well .
wicked.
d. Obcying . portion OF Gods command
? Is no excuse for disobeying in other things
q NJ sncrifieca mr. forma aro sub@titufp