Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-07-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

tArranged from reloubet's NotcSl

David's kiadne<s-2 Samuel 0,l-ia
ARRANGED from Peloubets Notes.l
GOLDEN TExT.-Be kindly afrec,ioned
one to another with brotheriy love-Ro-
mans 1910
THE SECTION includes Chap. and
Chap. l6:i-i. Also Acts IL :s7-ss. which gives
incidents concerning the relation of DaN Id
to Mephibosheth.
TIME.-unknown. but probably after
David's earlier wars. and I'm the quieter
times before the second half OF his reign.
Perhaps II. c. 1000 David was about ~
years old.
PLACE-Jerusaiem and Lo-debar. near
Mahanaim. In Gilead. east OF the Jordan.
LESSON NOTES.
L. David Busy Organizing His King
acm.-Since.' In this lesson, we come TO
the close of the first part of David's
reign. il is well to glance over the work
which he accomplished. He found the
kingdom chaos, and made IL an order
v, well-arrangcd government. He found
il small, and made il large. He found il
divided, and made il unity. He found
il sorely pressed by enemies. and he
made IL victorious over them. He found
religion at low ebb. and brought N
To u fun and flowing tide. During this
time, too, the capital was enlarged and
adorned. and n splendid palace built for
the royal house. Then added to all this
was "A greatly extended commerce.
though the Jews, ut that time, were not
commercial people.
III. David Takes Time TO Look After
Neglected Individuality. 2. IL can be
seen that in David's efforts to bring
order out of chaos he must have been
exceedingly burdcned by cares and la
bors. Yet he took time TO think of his
duties TO individuals and TO seek
whether any had been neglected. "The
kindness of God" is Kindness like Gods.
large, and free and forgiving. or kind
ness for Gods sake, according to Gods
example. David inquired il there were
not any of the house of Saul that he
might show this kindness to. David
could not have done this in the early
part of his reign, because his kingdom
was not then so firmly established that
II would ~ safe.
III. The Unfortunate Prince.-Vs. .
3. And Ziba answered the king. Ziba
was an cid and trusted servant of Saul.
who had cared for Mcphibosheth in his
need. Jonathan hath vet SOM"
This factwas unknown to David. because
the friends of Mcphibosheth would fear
that he might be regarded us rival.
When The news came OF the death of
Jonathan and Saul on Mount Gibboa the
nurse took Jonathan's little boy, then
five years old, and fled from Jczreel.
In her hHste, she let him fall and he
became lame in both feet. &.
~. David's Care for Unfortunate
Neighbor.-Ns. 5-13. David not only
summoned Mephibosheth, but also had
him brought TO him. 1t is quite prob
able that Mephiboshcth was afnlid of
becoming known Ia David. Kitto well
describes the incidents: 'One day mes
scnger arrives ut Lo-debar. 1t is mes
scnger from the king. Mephibosheth is
alarmed when he finds the king has sent
or him. The messenger was probably
charged not TO disclose the kings oh
jcct, for when the lame youth appeared
before ;he king, and prostratcd himself
in humble reverence, some trep:dation
seems TO have been visible in his man
ner, as we may gather from the kind
and assuring words of David addressed
70 one in whose countenance he prob
nbly found some traces of the friends he
loved so WE'LL
SnuTs family estate, which he'd fallen
"a David in right Of his wife (Num. %:
s.. or been forfeited 20 the crown by
Ish-boshcth's rebellion (chapter 12:S),
was provided ". II, p chapter 1929
for enabling him u nta.n IN eatab-
lishment suitable wills rank, and Ziba
appointed steward TO manage IT. on the
condition of receiving one-half Of the
produee in remuneration OF his labor
and expense. while the other moicty
was to he paid rs rent to the owner of the
land (chnpter 19:20).-J. +. and Il. The
estate must have been considerable.
much larger than the patrimcnial inner
itance of Saul, perhaps increased by
coniiscation during his possession OF
royal authority. Henceforth was 10 till
the land ofMephibosheth, "and bring in
the fruits, that thy masters son may
have food TO eat:" Though Mcphi-
bcsheth himself was 10 be a quest at the
royal table, he would rcq&re the rev.
cEues OF this estate for the gIpport OF
bis family and household. "Rut MeDbi-
bcsheth shall eat bread NJ nv
table,"
V. Eighteen Years Affcr.-2 &m. f6.
10. There are two incidents in after
years which bear upon the present
story. They occurred during Absolom's
rebellion, u. c. 1922 or 1923; II or IS
years after the events Of to-day's les
son.
First, during this rebellion Ziba be.
trayed his master and falsely accused
him Of treachery 10 David. The king
believing him, rs was quite natural I'm.
Ger the circumstances, took away
Mephiboshctb's property and gave it 10
Iiba. Later on. when Mcphiboshctli
seemed to tell him the truth. explain
ing his position and action. David re.
stored half OF IL. The story Is YER,
touching. (Sec 2 Sam. 1914; 1924.
SO)
Secord, David reaped harvest oil
good from his kindness TO the lame
prince. For when David fed from
Jerusalem from his ungrafcful son, and
had reached Mahanaim, the friend oil
Mcphibosheth, Machhr of Lo-debai
brought him beds. and utensils, and
food, and luxuTies, because his people
''were hungry and weary and THIRSTY
in the Wilderness g. Sam. 17:27-2o).
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
The most innocent persons IRE some
times so placed that circumstances arc
A