Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


~
A Scholarly Exposition OF tKe l,eshsa
Thoughts Worthy Of caisn Refec-
,tiSn-Half an Hour's study sdf the
scripturcs-rime Well Spent.
Lesson for Aug. q. ae'ax
Golden Tcxt.--"The Lord IL my light
and my salvation, whom shall I feary-
Ps. 81: l..
The lesson this week is found Ia 2 Snm-
10: $40. The last lesson was IN episode
In the personal history of David. Tho
preceding chapter, chapter =, gave a gem
eral summary Of the wars OF David dur
Ing part OF his reign preceding his great
sin. In =: II the Ammonites are men,
toned among those conquered by David
Tho present lesson describes in detail that
war. 1t arose through the insult offered
BY the king Of the Ammonites to Dayid's
messengers. Ammon and ISRAEL had al
why's been enemies. since tia days when
the Ammonites and the Monbites had re-
fused their aid to the Israelites on their
way into Canaan. Saul had punished
them severely some. thirty or fortysyears
before this time. but new king was now
"" 'ht shiohNs PChhoPS ~ ~so>~'ts
OF the Nabash whom Saul defeated. The
father OF this new king had showed some
courtesy to David the. exact nature OF
which is not stated. David scIt a con-
gratulatory message to Sanun, but the
Ammonite king. true to his own crafty
nature. was persuaded by his ,courtiers
that the motive Of the embassy was un-
friendly, and sent the messengers. back in
a ridiculous plight. which amounted TO an
open insult to their master. The AmmOn-
ties seemed to be aching for fight, and
accomplished their desire. When they
learned that David resented the insult,
they prepared to meet him by adding to
their own army a large force OF Syrian
mercenaries from several cities in the
Of Damascus. These troops
were concentrated in for the defense OF
Medcba, one Of the Ammonite cities Dn-
vh sent Joab with an army to avengs
the Insult and reduce Ammon to subjec-
ton. The lesson describes the campaign.
Suggestions for study.
Z 1. Read chapter 10.
?. Read the parallel account in Chron.
ID, noticing the points OF difference, viz!
Chronicles names the price Hanun paid
for his Syrian mercenaries; names the
city where the troops were assembled,
Medcba; the names of the countries from
which the mercenaries were obtained ars
given as Mcsopotamia, Maacah and To-
bah, instead OF Beth-rchob. Zoba, Maa-
cab and TOBIAS in Sam. (R. VI; Chroni-
cles puts the number Of charots alone at
81 900 Il Chron. 10: y which is probably
an error in the text.
Learn what you can about the AmmOn-
ties; their traditional origin Gen, 10: SS)
their close relation to the Moabites bird.
10: O; 2 Chron. %: 1; Zcph. 2:,S, etc).
their early history (Deut. .: 20; Mum. II!
"a; Deut. ): IL: Deut. %: A.. their char
acter Il Sam. IL: .; Am. /: IL; Jer, Al:
q, Z; .Jud. 7: IL, 12). or course the posi-.
ton of the country OF Ammon upon tina
map should be fixed in mind, though the
boundaries of their territory are some
what uncertain. To the east of the north
crn part of the Dead Sea, however, north
of Moab and extending eastward into the
desert. was their homo. Their capital,
Rabbah, lies on the eastern border OF
Giicad; and Mcdeba, referred to in the
lesson thoagh not by name. is within the
territory assigned to Reuben, some TWEEN
ty miles east of the Dead Sen.
Lesson Outiinc.
I /. Joab defeats the Ammonites at Me-
deoa, vs.. S-14.
.. A second victory at Heam, VS.. Is
10.
Explanatory. ~ =,
s. "The children Of Ammon:" or sons
Of Ammon.-"At the entering in of thu
gate:" Although the city is not here nam
10 ,I,;, ho Ia al
city In the territory Of Reuben. in plain
northeast Of the Dead Sea. Medeba was
twenty miles southwest from Rabbah
the Ammonite capital. 1t is named in the
parallel account in Chronicles as the as
scmbling place of the armies.
8. 1.-THE front of the battle was against
him before and behind" The Ammouits
army was divided, the native soldiers be-
ing posted in front OF Medeba the Syrian
Tin the field" at distance
prepared to attack Joab's rear. But JOah
met this strategem by dividing his own
army, sending part Of 1t under Abishai
against the Ammonites, and himself at
lacking Syrian forces t,
Il. BE of good courage. and let us
play the men," literally, be strong and Let
us show ourselves strong.-''FOr the
cities of our God;" Joab's pious express
sions would sound a little better il we did
not remember his cruel murder Of Abner,
and the curse which David had pronounc-
cd upon him for that act: but he was I'M
doubtcdly good general, whatever we
may say Of his personal character. Both
David and the Lord knew how to use
such men for good purposes.
IA. 1t appears that the Syrian contin-
gent was by far the strongest part Of the
Ammonite army and its defeat settled the
battle. n
10. The Syrians smarted under their
defeat, for the northern warriors were
for their valor. tt7..,tf-
IL. "Hadarezer;;" should be Hadade-
ger; he was king OF Zobah, one OF the
cities which sent mercenaries. See 8: &
the river that is, beyond
the Euphrates; to the northeast of Da-
This time there was to be sp-
premc effort to put, down this Israelits
general and cheek the growing power Of
the previously insignificant kingdom.-
.Helam;" Location not known.
II. when 1t was told David" This
second campaign was too important to la
eft to Joab. so David himself marched
to the seat Of war with his whole army.
~. ''Seven hundred chariots. .. and
forty thousand horsemcn:'' Chronicles
reads "seven thousand chariots and for
~ thousand footmen." Neither of these