The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-25
LESSON STORY.

L. David Learns that a Son
of Jonathan is Living,-vs. IA.
Jonathan had now been dead fifteen
years. These had been with David
busy, crowded. restless years. During
the first half of the period he had been
the king of Judah; warfare was his con-
slant employment. The second half OF
the period had been spent as king of all
Israel, with besetting enemies on every
side to repel, government to organize
and a national worship to establish.
David had never completely forgotten
Jonathan. With hurried thoughts he
often recalled him. But as the sky
cannot clearly picture itself in moving
water, SO David's tumultuous life left
him no calm in which he could plainly
picture the past.
But now, in his prosperity he gave
himself fully to the memory of Jona-
than.
He thought of the prince who could
give throne to his friend. He re-
membered how Jonathan had for years
stood between him and Saul,-a faithful
son, a faithful friend. He remembered
his agonized separation from Jonathan
by the stoneheap at Shiloh, on the day
when he was forced to flee from Saul's
anger. He remembered Jonathan's
single visit to him in his place of hiding.
and his assurance that the throne would
~ J,,a 70 him
And he remembered had it
been latent in his memory 80 long?-
that he had repeatedly promised Jona-
than to care for his children in case he
survived him. Was it possible that he
had been negligent in fulfilling prom
Use to such friend?
Acting on the spur of generous i'm
pulse he began systematic inquiry
whether there was any one left of Saul's
house to whom he could show kindness
for Jonathan's sake.
His agents in due time learned that
there was son of Jonathan left at the
time of Jonathan's death, and that Ziba.
Saul's bondman and steward, was pro-
badly possessed of the information for
which the king was seeking.
Ziba was summoned to the royal pres
ence 1t was summons no subject
could resist. David had known of SauPs
steward in the days when he dwelt in
Sauls court. Art thou Zibd? he now
asked. With the submission of sub
;aof vubo aoiypomla1rYao hio roocfar ha
replied, Thy servant is he. Ziba had
feared that David would extort his Sc
cret from him in enmity to the son OF
Jonathan of whose existence he was
aware. But when he heard David de-
clare that he sincerely desired to know
of any one remaining of the house of
Saul, that mag shotv the kindness of
God unto him, there was such mani
fest purpose in David to fulfil a religi-
GUS duty toward the fallen and friend
less that Ziba could not doubt that it
was his duty to reveal to David his life
secret. 1t disarmed suspicion to hear
the clear eyed king declare it to be his
desire to become the exponent and agent
or the ElnQneSS or Goa.
The story Ziba had to tell the king
was this: At the time of the defeat of
Israel at Gilboa. fifteen years before.
when Saul and Jonathan were slain,
and the royal palace was about to be
sacked by the Philistines. nurse hav.
ing charge Of a weakly son of Jonathan
five years old fled with her charge to the
wilderness. In clambering over the
rocks the child had fallen and the bones
of both his legs were broken. There
being no security for the child, the
broken bones had not been set; and the
child was left to pitiful and remsdiless
lameness. But Machir, loyal friend of
Saul. having an ample estate. had made
this helpless boy his protege. The child
had lived in obs;urity; he had married
while yet boy of eighteen; he was now
with his wife and young child still
guarded and maintained by Machir.
2. David Kindly Receives
JOnathan's Son in the Royal
Palace, VS.. 5-S.
To send guard of soldiers to the
house of Machir in Lo-debar, on the
east side of the Jordan, required only
word of command. The surprised Ma
CHR. on receiving the royal demand for
the son Of Jonathan, could make no re-
sistance. He might suspect treachery,
and dread the result to the poor boy
whom he had befriended; but he was
powerless to deny the royal summons.