The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-11-28
SUNDAY MEDITATION,

A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Dec.
8, 1895.
Subject: David and Goliath. SAM, IL So 81.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy scriptures as
indicated aboye.i -
INTRODUCTION.
Longfellow appreciated Gods Word. and thus
refers to it:
Humanity with an its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on thy fate.
| Our hearts, our hopes all with thee.
Our hearts. our hopes our prayers. our tears,
Our faith triumphant DER our fears,
Are all with thee-are all with theel
| Patrick Henry declared Of the Bible:
| "Hcre is Book worth more than all others
| ever printed. yet it is my misfortune never TO
| have read it with proper care and attention
| until recently"
| While saying these words, he kept his hand
| on the Sacred Volume. Once he said:
| =
| feet save the lamp of experience"
Later in life he learned to say with David:
"Thy Word is q lamp unto my feet and
| light unto my PATH
John Newton wrote:
LET endeavor to make our people ac-
quainted with the Scriptures. aud to impress
| them with high sense of its authority, excel
lence and sufficiency Satan seldom remark
ably imposes on ministers, people, except
where the Word of God is too little consulted
or regarded"
DAVID STAYS GOLIATH.
Data.
I Sam, II: 1851. We shonld mention, as
data Psalm added to the 150 Psalms of our
received version. The 15lst Psalm is found in
tho Syriac, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic.
IL is not in the Hebrew text. or the Chaldee,
or the Vulgate. Since readers in general may
not be able to get this Psalm, we add it here.
1t is composed of eight verses aud is as follows:
/. 81 was the least among my brethren
(brothers) and the youngest Of my fathers
house (family); and / kept also my fathers
sheep.
"My hands made the organ, and my
fingers joined the psaltery.
B. And who told it to my Lord2 The Lord
himself he is my Master, and the Hearer of all
that call upon him.
A. He sent his angel (messenger), and took
me from my fathers sheep, and anOinted me
| with the oil of his amounting.
| 5. My brethren (brothers) were taller and
| more beautiful than /; nevertheless the Lord
| delighted not in them.
| g. Il went out to meet Pbiistine, and he
| cursed me by his idols.
| z. "And drew out his own sword from its
| sheath, and cut off his head and took away
| the reproacf from the children of Israel"
Between verses and above the Arabic
| introduces verse which describes the method
by which David killed Goliath. 1t reads:
| lin the strength of the Lord | cast three
stones at him. | smote him in the forehead,
and felled him TO the EARTH"
Read. also, Ecclesiasticus. AZ: 1T.
| The l5lst psalm Is reckoned with the Apoc-
| ryphal writings and not regarded as authority.
Preliminary
Though Canaan was the Promised Land Of
| the I5raelites, yet it,w not handed to them
| freed from enemies. 1t was beautiful terri.
| tory. worth getting and keeping. The first
| work of Gods people was to rid it of the hea-
! then. They were promised Gods assists nee.
Had they had enough faith aud energy they
m ght at the very start have driven out their
foes But they loved ease too much had too
| little faith in God As consequence, the
neighboring nations kept annoying them. The
Philistines were very troublesome. At the
time of our lesson the Israeltes were sOrely
threatened by that people. Led By Saul they
went forth to battle The Philistines and the
lsraelites were ranged in opposite war-like
| lines. The sons of Jesse, brothers of David,
had enlisted and were in arms. Among the
Philstnes was giant. Day after day he went
forth, insolent, threatening, and challenging
the Israelites to match him. He proposed that
the troubles between the two sides be settled in
a sort of duel. As he stalked forth fear fell on
the lsraclites No man dared to volunteer to
meet the defiant giant. One day David went
| to the army to visit his brothers. While there
lie saw and heard Goliath. His whole soul was
stirred up with Indignation. Though not a SOL
dier, he was eager to meet the staggering
braggart. aud asked the privilege of so doing.
1t seemed insane, suicidal, for youth, unused
to war Of small stature, to accept the challenge
of man stalking, large, cleaning FORM"
But David insisted, argued. told OF some of his
exploits (verses $780, and begged the privilege
of meeting the Boosting antagonist.
We give special attention in these notes to
verses 1851.
SAULs ARsoR.
Data.
SAM, II: 80, 80.
References
Verse 80. Armor. Eph., g.: 10. Helmet
Eph., 6: II. Coat of mail. Compare breast
plate" Eph., 6: IA.
Verse SO. Sword. Epb.. 6: II. Proved.
Ex, 1874; ST. John, Csc; Heb, 3: Q.
We date A. d. 29i1, or B. c. 1903.
Place.
Saul was with the army. We find from V.
10. the scene of the lesson Elah, a valley
now known as Wady Sumpt. Is miles south
west from JerusaIem also called Wady Es-
Stunt. 1t is OF the road from Jerusalem to
Ascalon. DIR. Robinson visited that valley and
wrote: We now pursued our way down this
| valley, rejoicing in having thus been able to
discover and visit the spot where the youthful
warrior and poet, in firm reliance the God
of Israel, made his first glorious essay as the
champion of his people" Researches. VOL 9,
page 25o.)
Explanations
]. Helmet. 80. 1t was a defensive armor
for the head. 1t was a sort of cap. and at times,
made throughout of brass. Above, was a crest,
having figure of a lion. or some representa-
ton, intended TO strike foe with fear.
9. Coat of mail. &c. 1t was designed to pro.
tect the heart lungs and other vital organs.
OF course, in those times, they had no such
missiles as we now have in war. Fighting,
however, as they then did, breastplate was
often very serviceable. 1t was of two parts
the front and back, connected by clasps at the
side.
3. Sword. 80. Compare Eph., g. IL. 1t was
an offensive weapon.
4. Girdle. 80. The grdle was ancently
used in ordinary life. being demanded by the
style of dress then worn by men. One could
hardly get about without it. 1t is yet used in
Cyprus and some parts of Asia Minor We can