Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-07-02


career Of David at a point slightly beyond
last lesson was on the frieRdship Of David
and Jonathan, as displayed In the cove
nant they made In parting. Il Sam. 70;
82-42) The one-sided conflict between
Saul and David dragged YEARLY on for
many months. during which time Samuel
died Il Sam. %: H.. Finally David, de-
spairing Of any peaceful end to the per-
secution, went into the land Of the PILLS
tines with his family and retainers, and
became a subject of Achish, king Of Gath.
Like knight under the medieval feudal
system, he received a grant Of land In re-
turn for military service in the army OF
Achish. Ziklag, a. town in the extreme
south, perhaps In the vicinity Of Beer
aheba (exact site not known became the
residence of David, and he remained there
a year and four months Il Sam. ~: q, y.
BY waging a fierce warfare against the
desert tribes on the southern borders Of
Judah, he gained the confidence Of Achish,
who was naturally led to think that David
had given up all hope Of returning to his
people. (Sam. %: 8-12). Therefore
when the Philistines laid their plans for
campaign against Israel, Achish as
matter Of course counted on David and his
men as part of the contingent from
Gath. David acquiesced for the moment.
as the safest policy he could adopt; in
tending no doubt to find means of es-
Gaping from his difficult position before
the first battle. Il Sam. %: /, p. The
Philistine army marched north through
the maritime plain and entered the great
plain Of Esdraelon, which extends in q
southeasterly direction from Mount Car
mel to the Jordan Valley, forming nat
ural division between Samaria and Cali
lee, and also one of the battlefelds Of the
world. When the two armies lay almost
in sight of one another. complaint was
made by some of the allied kings Of the
Philistines at the presence Of David, who
they feared would turn against
them in battle. On account of
these objections, Achish allowed
David and his men to return to
Ziklag Il Sam. 20: LID. He reached
there just in time to find the city laid
waste and its inhabitants taken captive
by a rowing band Of Amalekites from the
desert. Starting in hot pursuit, he over
took them and executed summary ven
geance. returning to Ilklag with all the
captives and stolen property, as well as
with heavy spoils Il Sam. 30: 1-25). From
the latter he sent gifts to the various
cities Of Judah-a stroke of policy to
smooth the way for his return to his own
people Il Sam. 30: 26-31). Meanwhile,
the Philistines and Saurs army had met
in deadly conflict on the slopes of Mount
Gilboa overlooking the Plain of Esdraelon
and the Valley of Jezreel. The dire pro-
phecies Of the clairvoyant whom Saul had
consulted at En-dOr were fulfilled; Saurs
three elder sons were slain, the army
was completely vanquished, and the king
himself, when brought to bay by his pur-
suers, committed suicide. His body, treat
ed with contempt by the Philistines, was
rescued, and the bones decently buried
by warriors from Jabesh Gilead, the cap
ital Of Gilead, the region extending east
Of Jordan from the Dead Sea north near
ly to the sea of Galilee Il Sam. 81: 1-13).
The news Of the disaster was brought
to David mt Ziklag by messenger who
pretended to have slain Saul, thinking
thereby to gain favor; but his false story
was rewarded by death e Sam. L: 1-16).
David mourned Saul and Jonathan in a
beautiful elegy q Sam. 1: 1920. This
brings US down to the lesson.
Suggestions for Study.
l. Read if possible chapters 21-31 of 1
SAM, which is the passage covered in the
above summary. II time will not permit
the whole to be read, begin with Chap.
~ and read through the book. 1t will
be impossible to study the lessons Of the
quarter to advantage unless you are ia
| miliar with David's relations to Saul, to
! the Pbjlistines, and to the people Of his
own tribe, judah, during the period of his
persecution and residence in Ziklag. !
2. Read Chaps. IA Of Sam. Since
but one lesson is given to the whole p9.
riod of seven years and q half In Hebron.
the events Of those Years are best studied
| and presented in connection with this les
son rather than with the following.
3. Make sure that you know just where
Hebron Mahanaim, and Jabesh-Giiead
are. You may not find ZikIag on the map,
but it is safe to place it somewhere within
a few miles Of Beersheba, near the Phil
istine border. Learn what you can from
your reference books about Hebron, its
antiquity, its appropriateness for a cap
ital Of Judah, its present state. See Gen.
ID: IS; %: q 80: 81; Mum. Is: %; Josh.
10: 3; 10: 80; IL; 81; II: 10; IA: 10; IA: Is;
21: ID; Judg. L: 10.
Teaching Hints.
/. II you will decide at the outset to
treat this history as the life of a man,
rather than of being incapable of human
infirmities, you will be saved much diff
Guilty. Not merely the one sin with Bath
sheba, but many events in David's life
cannot be honestly defended. When an
act is related Of him which in any other
nf hat L. n
cruel, teachers do their pupils wrong if
they attempt to invent for the occasion
a special moral code. Common sense Is
the best guide In this matter. There is
nothing in the present lesson which calls
for explanation in this respect.
2. On the other hand, give David credit
for his lovable qualities and his virtues,
as those Of man who had to contend with
a sinful character. Make the most of his
affection for Sail and Jonathan. No rSupiI
Is prepared to understand David as king
who does not remember the years of for
bearance and the matchless lament over
the fallen Saul II
: 3. Every mans life plan of God"
Ever since the red-cheeked boy was called
in from the pastures to receive the bene-
diction and amounting Of the aged Samuel,
David had been waiting. He had waited
patiently, knowing that some great thing
was in store for him. He had not at
tempted to hurry things up unduly, yet he
had used the opportunities that occurred
to prepare for his future. He had been
true to his friend Jonathan, and unfailing
in honor to his prosecutor, Saul. Now a
new and larger work opens before him,
and with divine approval he enters upon IL.
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