The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-11-28
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
DECEMBER 4.
Lesson Text: "David Anoiuted," I
Samuel XVII, t-f3-Goldcn
Text I Samuel xvi, =
Commentary.

nc' ioV uhNN PROVIDED me king among
his sons" The last verse OF the previous
chapter shows that although Samuel came
not near Saul any more. vet he clung 60 him
In his heart. II Is searching question, Am
wholly with God in everything. or do in
any sense cling to that which He has disap-
provedf Observe the words 81 will scnd,'
II have provided" an Saul's case IL was
God indulging the people. but now II is God
working aud choosing for Hts pleasure. See
Ps. xviii, 70; lxxxix., 10, 20.
2. Take an heifer with thee and say. am
come to sacrifice to the Lord II is not like
samuel to be afraid OF u man Qsa. H., 12).
but tho least lack of fellowship with God IL
apt to cause poor vision, end tremblings of
heart and fears and forebodings. When God
speaks, IL Is not ours to reason but simply
obey. willing and obedient' are the words
for us II we would eat the good of the land
and see the power Of the Lord lisa. L., i9).
He sees the end from the beginning always
knows what He will do Elsa. XVII, 10; John
vi, 81.
3. ''I will shew thee what thou shalt do"
Here Is sure guidance. Samuel had only TO
trust and obey. The Lord sends. provides,
shows and names. and samuel watches to
see His way. The same Lord will guide us
In all that which He requires Of us, and we
may In quietness and confidence dwell with
Him for His work (lsa. NNN., IS: [ Chron.
iv.. 23). As to His guidance see Pa xxNii.,
8, Isa. xxx., u; xlviii, IL. To enjoy Him
and he led by Him we must be IA clay in tho
hands ofthe potter, with no will Of our own
4. "And Samuel did that which the Lord
spake and came to Bethlehem, and the cld-
ers OF the town trembled mt his coming"
There was no occasion totremble II they had
been walking with God. The godv man
can say, "What time am afraid | will trust
In Thee" Or better still, "I will trust and
not be afraid" (Ps. lyi.. ,: lisa. xiii. %. The
Lords thoughts to His people arc always
thoughts OF peace DER. XxiS.. II; IA. lxxxv..
4; John xiv, 2O. To believe what lie says
and do whit he tells us Is always pleasing
unto Him.
8. 81 am come to sacrince unto the Lord:
sanctify yourselves and come with me- To the
sacrifice He uses the very words Of the
Lord (verse ~ and In this he was very safe
and right. The Lords messenger should say
exactly what the Lord tells him. Thus did
Jeremiah and Ezekiel and our Lord Jesus
Christ also der. t.. q Eek. H.. Z; ill.,, 4. II;
John Kill, in. We aro never. under any cir
cumstances. To lie. but we arc not supposed
always 10 tell all we know To- everybody
g. surely the Lords auoiutcl l. before
Him. This said Samuel rs he looked upon
Elab, Jesse's oldest son, but had he been
looking to the Lord and watching for His
message he would not have spoken thus.
II seems SO onsy for us To- look away from the
Lord and use our own eyes or our own
Judgment. But all this wa must contend
against, and praycrfully and patiently seek
and wait His guidance.
Z. MAN loOketh on the outward appear
nuce, but tho Lord looketh on the heart"
Not until the heart Il right arc we I'm any
sense right before God. The natural heart,
or carnal mind, is cnmity against God anu
never can be made better (Rom. viii, ~. but
when we receive Jesus Christ we are said To
be born anew, or from above. and then we
have new heart, which cannot sin, whilo
the old can do nothing but sin. This il tho
work OF the Spirit through the Word. per-
son may be outwardly all that can be de-
sired, even to moral character, but it tho
heart Is not n new heart II Christ is not
there, all else goes for naught. Ponder |
John ", ~. The whole world Is wrong, and
WILDE till the heart gets right, which Is Is
rael and Jerusalem, and the throne OF David.
$40. "Neither hath the Lord chosen
this" "The Lord hath not chosen these"
As the seven sons OF Jesse passed before
Samuel the verdict for each was mot
chosen" Let us hGar in mind that this was
n question of service, not Of salvation. For
salvation the word ever stands, "Him that
comcth 20 Me | will in mo wiselcast out'
Oohn vi. 30. But for service 1t Is stjll true
that STEW are chosen" not because the Lord
does not want tbom, but because they do not
want Him; they ars not willing To submit
wholly TO Him, and His Word and His WAYS;
not willing to have Him think for them, and
act through them and live just TO please Him
In all things.
II. "There rcmaincth yet the youngest, and
behold he Reepeth the sheep" This was
Jesse's reply 10 Snmucls question as to
whether all his sons wcre present or not.
Jesse evidently was expected 90 bring all his
sons, but he supposed the lnl David would
not be wanted, and that was just where he
was mistaken. IL IL generally the unlikely
one that l. wanted and the unlikely and un-
expected thing that happens. Let rs keep
nothing back from God. but yield 10 Him
N.flat NlnV Ia
David was tho eighth son (vii,, l2), which Is
suggestive Of the resurrection Man. and
the resurrection day, the man who TO the
jews was so unacceptable that they killed
Him. II has made mo laugh In my heart
many time TO see all those big brothers
passed by and set aside, and the whole pro-
ceedings mt u standstlll until little David Is
sent for and arrives upon the scene. We do
not know how David took HIS beng left at
home that daY. Perhaps his mother com-
forted him II he needed any, but We may
learn this lesson, Where God wants you to
be there He will put you.
~. "And the Lord said, Arise anoint him.
for this is he" When at last the surprised
boy arrived. this was the Lords message 10
Samuel This is our first introduction to the
man after Gods own heart, who Is mentioned
about 1000 times In the Old Testament, and
fifty in the New. Even his outward appear
ance is fair To look upon, but his heart *
right with God, and he has already learned
TO trust Him for great things Chapter xviii,
3i-37).
10. ,"Then Samuel took the horn OF oil and
anointed MIN IN the midst or his brethren,
and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David
from that day forward" The revised yer-
sion says, "Came nightly upon DAVID"
which makes the meaning more plain, as the
'pirit must have been on him before. by
comparing III Sam. H., 4, and ", 3, with this
Serse we see that David was anolnted three
Slmes. The full significance Of this we shall
see some day In Christ, the true David or Be-
loved. David, though anointed, waited long
for the throne and suffered much. Our
David Is still waiting for His throne aud
kingdom, and we must rejoice to wait and
suffer with Him (lI Tim. H., II. Rom. Will,
l8).-Lesson Helper.
FAMOUS JUDGES OBSERVATION.
The famous Judge, Sir Matthew Hale, said
In his days "rhe places OF adjudication
have long held in this kingdom nave given
me an opportunity 10 observe the original
- a. HI