The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-08-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
SEPTEMBER 4.
Lesson TOXt: "David and Goliath,
4 Sam. xvii, 3251-GOIdcn Text:
Isom. will, 31-Commcntary
OH tho Lesson.


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 tchnp:: xvi, ll; and that evil spirit is
mentioned five times in tho closing verses Of
the chapter, aswell 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 preferred
DAVID, after bis amounting, returned to the
! care OF his fathers sheep: Saul, having
learned that he was skillful PLAYER ON the
harp, sent for him that he might thus quiet
him when troubled with the evil spirit and
SO he became Saurs armor bearer, but seems
TO have at times returned to feed his fathers
sheep ut Bethlehem xvii, 15).
32. And David said to Saul, Let no mans
heart tsil because of him" The armies of
Israel and Of the Philistines were i'm battle
array upon two mountains facing each other
and between them lay a valley; for forty
days, morning and evening, Goliath, the
giant. the champion Of the Philistincs stood
and cried Tor some man Of Israel to come and
light with him. saying, III he kill me we will
be yout servants and II kill him you will
be our servants. Thus he defied or reprOached
the armies of Israel, and inasmuch as he was
man over nine feet high, his coat uf mail
weighing over $50 pounds, and tho head of
his spenr about twenty pounds. no man in
s.ss I %aus s" to try hntsa the with him
among nll the thousands of Israel there was
NJ one, from the King down, who had faith
enough I'm God to contend with this proud. de-
liant and wicked adversary. At this time
David arrives in camp, bringing from home
some food for his brethren and a present for
the captain of their thousand, and. seeing
how matters stood, expressed surprise that
the armies of the living God should be defied
by man, and he an uncircumcised Philis-
tine He is brought before Saul end says to
him the words of this verse.
80 And Saul said to David Thou art
not able" Saul, like all his soldiers, saw only
with his natural eyes. and looking upon
Davids youth and apparent inexperieuce i'm
! matters Of war, said: Thou art but n youth,
while this FhiliStnc is man of war from his
youth, and therefore thou art not able to go
against him to fight with him. In Saurs
eyes 1t was simply question of man against
man, and SO it seemed to be i'm the eyes Of all
| Israel and the God of Israel, the Lord God
| uf Hosts. wnS not thought of, much less relied
upon How could 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 Him.
%3G. ale hath defied the armies of the
Living God" The Living God was to David
n far greater reality than this mass of defiant
| md disappearing flesh and blood. If David
was but a youth and unskilled in the art OF
war, he knew the Living God aud had per-
sonal dealings with Him.
81. 'The Lord that delivered me,
will deliver mo" This sounds like the great
| apostle to the Gentics when he said: / was
|
th" Lord shall deliver me from every evil
work, aud will preserve me unto His heavenly
kingdom" II Tim. iy., II, Is. What simple
contidcncc in God what grand assurance;
| md yet SO many Christians cannot get be-
, yond 81 hope it is well with ms." 81 trust
nm n child Of God"
81, 30 "And David snid. 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
| thpa.n ha mn1 IN vi Wit 4,
armor and David assaycd to go, but lie wos
| glad to put 1t Off for he WAS not accustomed
To rely upon such helps. He had no armor
but the presence Of God when he slew the
lion aud the bear, and he would go now with
the same.
40 And he drew near to the Phlistine."
| Putting OF the armor which he had not
proved. hc took his staff, and with his sling
in his hand, which he had proved, he chose
five smooth stones out Of the brook, and put
| ting them into his shepherds bag he went
| forth. We can only use in the service Of
God the truths which we have proved in our
own daily life; what we have not eaten for
| our own benefit wo cannot wei! give TO
others. The Bible brooks are full Of stones,
| each of which, told forth in the power of the
Spirit, is capable Of killing any giant of un-
belief or fear or proud dafiance. How many
III your Bibo have you already marked
tried and proved.
4l4+ "When the Philistine looked about
and saw David he disdained him" so the
flesh always deSpises tho Spirit. just as Ish-
macl mockcd Isaac, but the flesh shall be con-
quered and the Spirit will prevail.
45. Thou com"st with sword, spear and
shield; but como in the name of the Lord
of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom thou hast dcfled" Goliath repre-
sented simply himself and his own power
and skill; but David thought nothing Of him.
self: he represented the Lord of Hosts, tho
God of Israel, and the question was not what
ppnl1 in,
whose name David went forth.
40. That all the earth may know that
there is a God in Israel" David says Whist
God will do, and that through him as the I'm
strumcnt, but the object will be to honor
God and not David. Had there been i'm
Davids heart any desire for his own fame he
could not have gone forward so confidently.
a. "All this assembly shall know that the
Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for
the battle is the Lords aud He will give you
into our hands, Sec how David is nothing
and God is everything; it is Paurs cry, Not
l. but Christi" mot |, but the Grace of God"
(Gal. H., 20; Cor. XIV, lM
~, 80. David hasted, and ran toward tho
army to meet the Philistine" What n
moment of intensest interest it is as David
now runs To meet his enemy. and rs he does
so sends with deadly aim and more than
human power, stone from his we'll tried
sling. In an instant the giant falls upon his
face to the earth, the stone having sunk into
his forehead Where is now his strength OF
the power of his gods in whose name he had
cursed David? Ills has ceased to rcproach the
| God Of Israel, his tongue is silent in death.
God could have done it as easily without
| David's help. but He chose thus to honor His
servant who delighted to honor Him.
80. so David prevailed over the Philis-
tine with n sling and with stone" Tho
| giants great stature, helmet of brass, coat of
mail greaves. and spear and sword were in
| q moment rendered worthless by the God di
rected stone from the shepherds sling
| Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.
and makcth flesh his arm, and whose heart
| departcth from the Lord" "All flesh is
/ grass, and all the g0OdncsS thereof is as tho
, flower of the field. but the word of our God
! shall stand forever"
81. "Dayid ran, AMI stood upon the Philis-
| tine. and took his sword dhc giants, :
and cnt otr his head Herewith Thus the great
! defer of Gnl lost his head 10y his own sword
| Death seems To u" Saton's mChticSt weapon
hnt cur David mas through death destroyed
| him that had tn" power Of Death that is tho
devil ll"h ii. ~, thus staying him with his
| own weapon; and although hr is still a roar
ing lion going about seeking whom he may
dcvuur, h" iSa conUu red lion. and the God
! of PraC" Will most cifr 'tualy and forever
! brui>. him under our feet shortly. As faithful
followers of th' Lord Jesus Christ let us seek