Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-07-02
ThF SUNDAY school.
international Lesson for July Ie. 1895
David King over All IsraeI-2 sam,
6:I-I2

David King over An Israel-e sam.
6;I-Is.
Arranged from Peloubet's Notes
/ GOLDEN TEXT.-David went on and grew
great, and the Lord God OF Hosts wasyvith
him.--II Sam. 5:l0
/ THE SECTION includes ID the steps by
which David became king of all Israel.
! (9 his inauguration, 80 his new capital. and
/ % the development of his kingdom and its
| greatness. The parallel passage with ad-
ditions) is in Chronicles II. - and Il
TIME.-B G. lV4S. IA years after SauI's
death and David's becoming king o. Judah.
PLAcE.-Hebron first, and then Jeruss.-
lem.
LESSON NOTES.
| l. Steps to the Larger Kingdom
The man David was now prepared for
the great work of his life. While
David's power was increasing the
house of Saul waxed weaker and
weaker. The new king made no adj
yances to a permanent ands powerful
organization. The country was still
largely subject to the Philistine in
saders. 1t was plain that some change
must soon be made.
Ish-bosheth complained of Abner.
his chief captain and mainstay, for
marrying his father Saurs secondary
wife, Rizpah. This act was regarded
! in the east as step towards the throne
This view was favored by the fact that
Abner was cousin Of Saul Whether
Abner had any designs upon the throne
is unknown. but he now Immediately
turned against Ish-bosheth and made
overtures to David.
David first insisted on the restora-
/ ton to himself Of his first wife, Michal.
SauIs daughter, who had been taken
from him by Saul. This tested Abner's
sincerity and power. and gave David
hoid upon the northern people as an
heir of Saul.
/ Both Abner and Ish-bosheth We're
foully murdered David had not
] wished for or connived at any such
deed: out it nevertheless opened the
way to his becoming king of all Israel.
for there was now only one heir to
Saul, a boy lame in both feet. who
could not well perform the kingly du-
4 ties of that time.
IL. David Chosen King of All Israel
Verses 1-5.-''Then came all the tribes
of Israel to David" He did not
seek them, but they had sought him.
He had proved himeslf worthy of
the position. lie had been Divinely
1 appointed. He had the right ideas con
corning the duties of a king.
He was to be constitutional king,
for we are told he made league with
the people. The Israelite monarchy
was an absolute and irresponsible des-
potism. Then occurred his public cor
onation, with great feast lasting three
days.
III. The New Capital-Verses 60.
Hebron was too far south to be the
capital of the united kingdom. there
fore 1.-THE king and his men went to
Jerusalem" then called Jebus. Polit-
ical, civil and military considerations
pointed to Jerusalem as the most suit
able capital for the united kingdom 1t
stood on rocky plateau surrounded on
three sides by deep ravines, forming a
natural fortress of almost impregnable
strength. The Jebusites even made
the boast (according to the reading in
the margin of the revised version, verse
| o.: Thou shalt not come in hither, but
the blind and the lame shall turn thee
away" But David had quietly noticed
that there was one way of reaching the
citadel where few defenders would be
watching, since no one expected an at
! tack in that direction, and that was by
the way of the gutter" or water
course. By this means Joab with few
men captured the fortress. After that
IL became proverb that 1.-The blind and
lame shall not conc into the house. 4"
meaning that those so very confident of
their position that they believe it to be
as impregnable as the Jebusites
thought Zion to be may well look out.
Tor some one will find way of con-
quering them. $50 David dwelt in the
fort, and called it the city of David"
". The Development of the King
dom.-Vs. 1912. And David went
on, and grew great, and the Lord God of
Hosts was with him" The kingdom
bursts upon the world in a splendid de-
velopment of material prosperity and
religious progress. There was an OUT
ward development in territory; in the
compass of a single reign the bound
aries OF Israel were extended twenty
fold. This was, however. one OF the
least important of the lines of develop
ment.
There was great progress in the re-
ligious culture of the people. The ark
was taken to Zion. Religious worship
was organized with choirs and orches-
tras. Psalms were written and sung.
David recognized that all he had was
from GOD. This kept him humble. and
enabled him to steer clear of the rocks
of seif-conceit, on which so mary have
been wrecked.
David inaugurated commerce with
the seaboard people. Hiram was king
Of Tyre, on the Mediterranean coast,
the capital Of the commercial and en-
terprlsing Phoenicians. Tyre depend
ed upon Palestine for its supplies Of
wheat and oil, and would like a marlet
for its manufactures. TO open up this
friendly commerce Hiram built David