The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
DAVID STAYS GOLIATH.

DAVID STAYS GOLIATH.
LESSON TX THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, SEPT. I.
Text Of the Lesson, Sam. xvii, 32-62.
Commit Verses 45. 4e-Go1den Text,
Rom. viii, s1-Commentary by the Rev.
ID. NJ. Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of q. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel'
phial
After the spirit Of the Lord came nightly
upon David, as we learned in last weeks Les
son, the spirit Of the Lord departed from
Saul, and an. evil spirit from the Lord
troubled him CHAP. xvi, 10; and that evil
spirit is mentioned five times in the closing
verses Of the chapter, as well as in chaps.
xviii, 10; xix, 9. Saul, having refused to
obey God and follow Him, is simply left by
God to the guidance Of the one whom he pre-
ferred. In II Thess. ii, S-12, it is written that
when people refuse to receive the truth God
will send them strong delusion; or, in other
words, leave them to the delusions and lies
which they have preferred to the truth. The
only safety is to hear His voice.
50. "And David said to Saul, Let no mans
heart fail because Of him." The armies OF
Israel and Of the Philistines were In battle
array upon two mountains facing each other,
and between them lay valley; for forty
days, morning and evening, Goliath the
giant, the champion of the Phihstines, stood
and cried for some man Of Israel to come and
fight with him, saying, If he kill me we will
be your servants, and If kill him you will be
our servants. Thus he defied or reproached
the armies Of Israel, and inasmuch as he was
a man over nine feet high, his coat Of mail
weighing over $50 pounds, and the head Of
his spear about twenty pounds, no man In
Israel was willing to try battle with him.
33. 'tAnd Saul said to David, Thou art not
able" Saul, like all his soldiers, saw only
with his natural eyes, and looking upon
David's youth and apparent inexperience in
matters Of war, said: Thou art but youth,
while this Philistine Is a man Of war from his
youth, and therefore thou art not able to 60
against him to fight with him. In sSauls
eyes it was simply question Of man against
man, and so it seemed to be in the eyes OF all
Israel, and the God Of Israel, the Lord God
of Hosts, was not thought of, much less relied
upon. How could a people whose history
from their very beginning was SO full of the
mighty power Of God on their behalf ever
forget Him or fail to trust In Hima
1886. ssHe hath defedI the armies Of the
Living God" The Living God was to David
far greater reality than this mass Of defiant
and blaspheming flesh and blood.
81. "The Lord that delivered me,
will deliver me-" This sounds like the great
apostle to the Gentiles when he said II was
delivered out Of the mouth Of the lion; and
the Lord shall deliver me from every evil
work, and will preserve unto His heavenly
kingdom" II Tim. ", II, IL. It was the
same spirit In each, and probably Paul learned
the secret from David. What simple con-
fdence in God, what grand assurance; and
yet so many Christians cannot get beyond
IT hope it is well with me" 81 trust am a
child Of God" Why not come out clearly
and say ''I believe God,""I know whom ]
have believed and am persuaded that He is
able to keep that which have committed
unto Him against that day."
38, 80. "And David said, I cannot go with
these; for have not proved them" When
Saul saw the grand confidence Of David in
the Living God, he said, "Go, and the Lord
be with thee;n then he armed David with his
armor and David assayed to 60, but he was
glad to put it OFF, for he had not been accus.
toned to rely upon such helps. BE knew
God, but he did not know the use Of mans
devices for safety and self defense. He had
no armor but the presence Of God when he
slew the lion and the bear, and he would 60
now with the same.
Al A. "When the Philistine looked about
and saw David he disdained him" So the
flesh always despises the Spirit, just as Ish.
mael Knocked Isaac, but the flesh shall be con-
quered and the Spirit will prevail.
45. "Thou comest with sword, spear and
shield; but come In the name of the Lord
of Hosts, the God Of the armies Of Israel,
whom thou hast defed." Goliath represent
ed simply himself and his own power and
skill; but David thought nothing Of himself;
he represented the Lord Of Hosts, the God OF
Israel, and the question was not what could
David do, but what could He do in whose
name David went forth.
46. 'sThat all the earth may know that
there is God in Israel" David says what
God will do, and that through him as the in
strument, but the object will be to honor
God and not David. Now the Lord .searcheth
all hearts and understandeth all theimagina-
tions of the thoughts; He weigheth our &C
tions, our spirits and our paths q Chron.
xviii, g.; I Sam. ii, 8; Prov. xvi, 2; Isa.
XVI, q; and He sees whether in our inmost
souls we are seeking to make Him known or
whether there Is also quite large desire to
make ourselves known. Had there been in
Dayids heart any desire for his own fame he
could not have gone forward SO confidently.
Al. GAN this assembly shall know that the
Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for
the battle is the Lords, and He will give you
into our hands" See how David is nothing
and God is everything; it is Pauls cry, mot
!, but Christ" "Not I, but the Grace Of God"
(Gal. il, 20; Cor. xv, 10). Notice also that
not only shall Israel know, but all the earth
shall know that Jehovah is the God and de-
iverer Of Israel When the true David. Is
raels Messiah. shall in the last days over
throw a greater Goliath, even the Antichrist,
then shall Israel know that jesus SO long
despised, is their own Messiah and Saviour;
and all the earth shall know that the God Of
Israel is tho only Living and True God. If we
as Christians would daily remember that the
battle Of our life is the Lords and let Him
fight for us, what victory over our enemies
we would have and what glory there would
be to God 1t is as true of every child of
God as it was Of Israel, concerning oil things
with which we have to contend that "the
battle is tho Lords"
As, 40. David hasted, and ran toward the
army to meet the Philistine." Many thou
sands of Israel and MANY thousands Of the