Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-08-06
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.


ARRANGED from Pelou5et's NGtes-1
GOLDEN TEXT.-The Lord is my light
and my salvation. whom shall feare-
Psa- T:1-
THE SECTION includes the whole range
of David's wars, Sam. 5:1S-25; Chaps
and 10; and 12:26-S1; Chron-. Chaps is.
IS and 20. Psalms Is and 60 throw light on
Dayid's experiences and motives all this
time. Compare also the spiritual conflicts
OF Romans &, the warfare and armor or
Ephesians 6:10-1S; and the promises to those
Who overcome. in Revelations and 5
TIME-The earlier years of the second
part Of David's reign, B. C. 1040-1oS5-
LESSON NOTES.
]. The Story of David's Victories
VS. S-David's army consisted of 600 Glib
borim or heroes led by band of 80
promoted for special valor. all of whom
had been proved during David's exile,
and the general force, known as The
Host, consisting of 900 men in IL
divisions of $4,000, who each served
ordinarily one month in the year, ex-
cept in time of war. Each corps was
divided into regiments OF 1000 and
companies of 100, with their respective
officers. David's general in chief was
his nephew, Joab, a sort of Hebrew
duke of Alva, skilled, brave, almost in
vincible, but willy, inscriptions, and
cruel. a. -.,s .. SSe
David's first act of war was his con-
fiict with Goliath in his youth, IS. c.
1868. Later, B. c. 1855, David pursued
the Amelepites, who had raided Ziklag,
near Goth, and recovered the spoil.
When David became king of Israel (B.C.
| 104Sl the PhiliStines made two des-
| perate and vain efforts to put down his
growing power. David's next victory
was over Moab. These people by their
| incursions and depredations seriously
impeded the prosperity of Israel, rem
dering life and property insecure
David was successful, and laid the
whole country under yearly tribute.
The next campaign was against the
Ammonites, north of Moab and east Of
the Jordan, and their allies, the Syrians,
on the north as far as Damascus, and
thence to the Euphrates. Hearing of
the death of the king of Ammon, David
sent friendly embassy of coincidence
and sympathy with his son Hanun.
the new king. But he, conscious of
power and jealous of the growing king
dom of David, treated the ambassadors
as spies, and sent them away with half
their boards shaved off. Immediately
Hanun began to prepare for war. He
came out from his capital into tho
|
diers. The scene of battle was the
city of Medeba, in the mountains OF
Moab, east of the northern end CT the
Dead sea. The Ammonites placed
themselves at the entering in the gate
of the city, while their Assyrian allies
were in the plain, and the Israelites
| were between them. Joab took of the
drawer men, and faced the Syrians as
the more dangerous enemy. The rest
| of the army he gave into charge of
Abishai, his brother. In case of need
each should help the other. The
brothers with their armies were thus
back to back. The battle against the
Assyrians was victory. quickly fol-
lowed by the defeat of the Ammonites
under Abishai.
This defeat was not final, but the
Syrians made one more effort to recover
from their losses. Hadarezer was king
| OF Zobah, northeast of Damascus and
south of Klamath between the Arontes
and the Euphrates. He came to Helam,
town west of the Euphrates. David
met him here and gained a great victory.
The vassals and tributaries of Hadarezer
transferred their allegiance to David.
While David was thus employed in
the north, the Edomites, seeing the
south denuded of troops, invaded Judah.
Joab and Abishai were dispatched with
portion of the army. AT the southern
extremity of the Dead sea, in the val
ley of Salt, the Edomites were defeated,
and in six months the Edomites in the
mountains and defiles of Idumea were re-
duced to submission and garrisons
| placed in the conquered district.
Now for the first time was completely
fulfilled the promise made to Abraham
| Gen. 1919 that his seed should hold
the land from the river of Egypt to the
River Euphrates. The Israelites held
this land as long as they obeyed.
II. Moral Battles and Victories-The
| chief lesson to be learned from the
story of David's victories are those
| which pertain to the warfare against
sin and evil. These enemies are wildly
| pictured by ST. Paul in Ephesians GIL:
| For we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the dark
ness of the world. against spiritual
wickedness in high places"
First, there are outward, visible enc
| mics which we must overcome-intem-
| Derance ODDreSsiOn "traDS for the