The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-07-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


LArranged from Peloubets Notes.l
GOLDEN TExT.-The Lord reigneth let
the earth rejoice.-Psa. T:1.
The SECTION includes q review Of the
life of David from his childhood to the
death of SAUL and the story of his seven
years reign at Hebron.
TrME.-David was king over judah for
seven and a,half years, b. c.. 1055t-1O4s, be-
fore he received the full kingdom.
PLAcE.-FIis capital was at Hebron, Is
miles south, of Jerusalem.
NoTE.-Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul,
was nomnally king of the northern tribes,
with his capital at Mahairn, east Of the
Jordan. Civil war existed all this time In
q mild form, with only one great battle.
LESSON NOTES.
1. David's Early Life and Training
He had good Inheritance. The kind
ly and fatherly disposition of Boaz and
the holy devotion and warm attach
ment of Ruth were very apparent in
| their great-grandson. just what
| his education was we cannot tell,
but he certainly had an education,
especially in religion and in the
Scriptures then known. His duties
| led him to spend much time alone
| with nature and natures God.
| David was trained to work. His
| daily duties with the sheep gave
him an opportunity for training in
business, skill, attention, courage, gov
ernment. He gained great skill with
the sling. There was also full oppor-
tunity to develop his musical talent.
| When David was Is or 20 years old
he was anointed by the prophet Sam
uel to be the future king of Israel.
After the victory over Goliath, David
came to Saul's court. Here he learned
to do right amid great temptations to
wrong doing; he learned to act wisely
amid great difficulties, and he gained
some of that courtly manner which
adds luster and power and attractive
ness to his stern sense of justice and
| duty. Every one should gain "the
beauty of holiness" Here, too, he
gained knowledge of the men of the
court, their strength and their weak
ness, and here he formed the friend
ship and love of Prince Jonathan.
| Seven years, B. c. 1062-1055, David
was an exile; part of the time among
Philistines and partly among the,
| Businesses of his native land. One
of these was the cave of Adullam, 13
|
gathered about him a large band of dis
contented people, mostly victims of
Saul's oppression. They numbered 400
at first, and, later on, 600. Hard as
these seven years of exile were for
| David to bear, yet they were most fruit
! full years to him, as his apprenticeship
for the kingdom, as his school, and
| schoolmasters
The death of Saul and Jonathan oc-
Cured, B. c. 1865. In a battle with the
! Philistine invaders on the plain of
/, Esdraelon and the slopes of Mt. Gilboa
they fell while defending their country.
II. David Becomes King of Judah
Verses IA. At the time of the death of
/ Saul on Mt. Gilboa David was at Ziklag.
| He and his band had gone north with
the invading Philistines in their march
against Saul. But the Philistine lead
| ers feared that he might attack their
rear, instead of fighting against Saul.
and sent him back to Ziklag. This
| town had been ravaged by Amalekite
marauders. David Immediately pur-
sued and overcame them. 1t was at
this juncture that news came TO David
! Of the death of Saul and Jonathan.
, Then we are told shat David inquired
, of the Lord" Herein David acted WISE
, ly. The kingdom was from God, and
God would guide him into the best way
of reaching it.
III. David's Reign at Hebron.-Vs.
Ali. David took several wise meas
ures. First, he had already, before
coming to Hebron, sent presents from
the spoils he had recovered from the
Amalekites near Ziklag, to the local
chiefs of the various districts of Judea
u Sam. 30:26-31).
Second, he sent messengers to tha
men of Jabesh-gilead that buried Saul.
The Philistines, in glorying over the
death of Saul, had put his armor in an
idol temple and hanged his body and
those of his three sons upon the wall of
the city of Bethshan, four miles from
the Jordan, that all who passed by
might exult in his defeat. But the men
of Jabesh-gilead, a town east of the
Jordan, whom Saul had once helped
when in great straits Il Sam. 11:1-11),
most valiantly entered the lines of the
victorious enemy, took down the bodies
and burned them, SO that they could
suffer no further indignity. We note
here that though Saul was an enemy
to David, David was not an enemy to
Saul. David assures these men that he
esteems them for what they have done.
Third, Abner was cousin to Saul and
great general. So he desired to see
Ish-bosheth king. He would thus re-
tain his position a. chief, and his pow
er would be almost supreme, for Ish-
bosheth, Saul's eldest surviving son,
was a weak man, with no kingly spirit
Ish-bosheth reigned two years. Five
years and a half were occupied with
the reconquest of the land from the
Philistines, and these two years syn.
chronize with the last two of Dayid's
reign at Hebron. All this time there