The National tribune., 1895-12-05
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Dec.
I5, 1895.
Subject; Jonathan Warming David to Flee
/ Sam, 20: 35-40.

|
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures a:
; | indicated above!
INTRODUCTORY.
Margaret Bottome, in Ladies' Home Journal
wrote: II am not like friend of mine whC
says he enjoys reading the Book of Revelation
every Sunday morning before breakfast il
sounds so grand though he has no idea what
it means. And yet when he comes to the word
There shall be moro pain he must stop,
think, just there. and be so glad that the time
will come when that will be fulfilled. ! am
not educated in classical music so wben heard
Christine Nilsson sing Way down upon the
Swanee River or Patti sing Home, Sweet
Home ah l understood those songs aud they
were more to me than all the rest And so
do not understand as yet much of the Bible
but as | read and hear read Let not your
heart be troubled The Lord is my She ph erd, ]
shall not want / know this is inst what |
need md love the book that holds the music
of my heart. And do you if you stop long
enough to think of IT, ] have found in the
Bible an 'all-suficient rule for faith and prac-
tce,' and the more you practice what it teaches
the more you will enjoy it,
We are studying the Bible. and it is we'll we
be deeply conscious of the value of our text
book
Rev. Charles Sturgeon wrote: "The Word OF
God is pre.emnently hook for direct reading,
and is never seen in its glory If we persist in
wearing the colored spectacles Of another man 8
comment. Pure aud cool are its streams if We
drink Immediately from the well-head, but
| when the precious crystal has long stood in
earthen vessels, its freshness is gone; the
truth is there, perhaps, but not the life We
should let texts lie OH our hearts till they melt
into them like snowfakes dissolving into the
| soil"
1t was a rule of Henry Martyr to lay aside
| any book when he found it was gaining a pref
| erence to the Bible.
Preliminary.
We remember that Saul was elected King Of
| the Israelites; that he proved unworthy of the
Office; that God rejected him; that in quiet
| way, David anointed to be his successor.
| Jonathan was son of Saul. Between JOna-
| than and David sprung up a very tender friend
| ship. David was popular man of his day.
| David's defeat of Goliath made Saul very jeal-
| ous, and even led him 10 such extremes of ma
| levolence that he wanted David gotten out of
| the way. He was so bitter in hatred Of David
that he tried 10 kill him with javein. D,-
vid fled and found refuge with Samuel at Ra-
NAH. But his life was in danger there, and
| hence he tied and sought an interview with
Jonathan. Jonathan suggested that lie, as son,
sound go 12) his father (Saul aud see whether
! there were any hope of reconciliation between
| the King and David. Then he hit on plan
by which to let David know the result Of his
| interview with his father (SauI). See 20 90
| %. He was to 90 into field, taking with him
servant and shoot with arrows at a target.
David was hidden within hearing distance
Jonathan was to cry out in a loud voice to the
| servant who was iii advance TO pick up the
| arrows, either The arrows are on this side"
or THE arrows are beyond thee" II he cry
to the servant, " The arrows are beyond" then
David was to understand that his life depended
on his making escape at once Unr lesson gives
the sequel OF this arrangement. See verses 30
40. fr,At
Archery.
COMMERCIALLY an arch is any part of a circle
or curve Any curtaturve resembling an arch
was named an arch 1liitarily we often read
of triumphal arches. bow is curve, and it
became common to speak of bowmen-users of
bows and arrows-as archers. The art of prac-
ticing with bows and arrows was called arch
cry.
The use of bows and arrows was vcry ancient.
There are proofs Of this in arrowheads of cave
deposits and river drift CuriOusly in those
days, when animals were much larger. more
numerous and fercer, the weapons were less
effective. Rifles and explosive bullets would
have been very handy in contests with the
mammoth, rhinoccrOs, etc. The Indians of
America were experts in archery. Many Afri-
can tribes excel in this weapon.
Archery was introduced into England under
the Saxon Egbert. When Edward !. reignei
martial use made ot bows and arrows. The
archers of Henry V. completely routed the entire
French cavalry with yard-long arrows, and
this though the French were protected in steel
armor. Henry VIII. was fond of archery as "a
recreation. The method of fighting by the
English with bows and arrows was entirely
given up after the siege of Devices.
The use OF bows aud arrows in battle reached |
the climax at the battle of Flodden Field, 1913, |
when the Scots were obliged to give up resist
ing the shower of shafts poured into their ranks
by the enemy.
The earliest mention we have of archery is |
in Gen., 81 20 tB. e., 1s9p, where we read that |
1shmael became an archer.
We remember Virgil in the i7aeid tells the |
story OF four archers shooting for prize at
pigeon tied to the mast of ship. Robin (
Hoods stories are based somewhat on archery
We recall the skilled performances Of Locksley
in Scotts Iranhoe. The story of William Tell |
is entertaining
Many persons in early days were able to
shoot an arrow 500 to GOO feet with great accu-
racy. Hence Jonathan was not able to locate
the spot where his arrows lodged. See V. 81
Tho distance was too great. Also, we notice It
would DO necessary for Jonathan to shoot to
the servant; to cry out aloud. See vs. 81 3S
All this could occur without exciting any sus-
plcion on the part of the servant. The conduct
OF Jonathan seemed natural.
JoSATHAN's WARNIsG TO DAVID.
Data.
Sam, 90: 35-i0
References
Verse 30. Jonathan went into the field, s.
ii, -, "a. Lad. II. At time appointed. 5,
IL, Is, I9.
Verse ~. Is the arrow beyond? %.
Verse 38. Make speed. haste. stay not. A
case Of emphatic repetition. CT. Gen, 49, %.
Cant. 8: IA; Acts, %; Is.
Verse 80. lad knew not. 2 Sam, 1911
We dato A. NJ, 29i2, or b. c., 1862. The field
scene is placed in the morning. " 30 1t was
1t the time of the new moon. vs. s. 81, 81, 80.
IL was the second day OF the month.
How long was il between the covenant iva
Ia, 15) and our lesson :? See verses ;. IL. 1s. 10
The interval brings US to 'the time appoi uted,"
and referred to in V. 35. The covenant was
made on the last day of the month; the lesson
s located on the third day of the succeeding
month. "a, 30.
Where.
The home of Saul. and hence of Jonathan.
was Gibeah 10: %: 14:2. 1t was city: in
tribe OF Benjamin; same as Jeba; i've miles
northeast of Jerusalem; birthplace OF Saul
Tho place of the covenant, noticed in verses
ll-l7, was the field" V. H. 1t was prob
lbly very near the place where David hid. 5
49, 2i. 1t was near where Jonathan shot the
arrows. That was also the locality of the scene
MOI n nnH In L.,