The true northerner., 1896-07-22
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ", THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES. JULY 26.

NAItONAl SENEos JOIv 90
Text OF the Lesson. III Sam. \. s-ie-Msm-
ory Verses. II. l2-Goidsn Text, Ps.
xvii. 1-Commsntary BY the Rev. ID. ~.
stsarns.
8. "And tho children of Ammon came
out and put the battle In array at the en-
terlng In of the gate" Previous to this
we read that the Lord had given David
rest from all his enemies; that the Lord
preserved David whithersoever he went
and that David rcigned over all Israel, ex-
ecuting Judgment and justice unto all his
people (chaptors vii, /; will, o, IA, 10y.
The Lord having shown His loving kind
ness to David in promising to make unto
him an everlasting kingdom, David rests
upon the word of the Lord, and living In
peace seeks to show kindness To all. We
saw I'm the last lesson his kindness to Jona-
than's son, and this chapter begins with
record of his kindness to Hanun, king OF
! Ammon, but the princes Of Ammon per-
suaded Hanun that David meant evil, and
not good, SO he took David's servants who
had come with comfort for him and treated
them shamefully David did not take
this ingratitude and humiliation as meekly
as he had done some others and started
Joab and the host Of his mighty men out
to punish Ammon. The Ammonites hired
helpers and gave David battle.
Oil. "If the Syrians be too strong for
me, then thou shalt help me, but * the
! children of Ammon be too strong for thee,
then l will come and help thee" Thus
said Joab, the captain of David's host, to
his brother Abishai, with whom he di-
vided the army, Joab taking the choice
men to contend with the Syrians, and
Abishai taking the rest TO fight with the
Ammontes. Joab and Abishai were sons
Of David's sister Zeruiah Q Chron. ILL., 10;
III Sam. H. 1S). There were three sons,
but Asahel had been slain by Abner, the
captain OF Saul's host.
12 BE of good courage and let US play
the men for our people and for the cities
of our God, and the Lord do that which
seemeth Him good" Thus Joab encour
aged the hearts of his soldiers by remind
ing them that they stood for God and for
His land and people. Compare l Chron.
xix, 13. There is no strength like the
knowledge that we are for God, standing
for Him as His witnesses. He gave this
encouragement TO Joshua, saying, "Be
strong and of good courage; be not
afraid; neither be thou dismayed, for the
Lord thy God Is with thee whithersoever
thou goest' (Joshua /, -. Nehemiah en-
couraged his people with these words: Be
not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord
which is great and terrible and fight for
your brethren, your sons and your daugh-
ters, your wives and your houses" (Neh.
iv, 14). With whole hearted trust in God,
reliance upon Him, surrender to Him, with
readiness to do His bidding. There must
also be the heart to say, Now let Him do
that which seometh Him good II He will
eth apparent defeat for us, it must be well; ;
If He willeth victory for Us, it will DO wcll.
Whether He willeth health or sickness, life
or death, all Is well that He willeth.
Ill that God blesses is our good,
And unblessed good is i'll,
And all is right that seems most wrong
If it be His sweet will.
Christ shall be magnified in my body
whether by life or by death" (Phil. l, 20).
l3, IA. "They fled before him." Thus
did both Syrians and Ammonites before
Joab and Abishai and Joab returned and
came to Jerusalem. 1t was written con-
cerning Israel that lone should chase
1000 and two put 10, 900 to flight. "The
Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise
up against thee to be smitten before thy
face; they shall come out against thee one
way and flee before thee seven ways"
(Deut xxxii, 80; xviii, y. When Israel
went forth as the people OF God, no armies
could stand before them, for God was with
them to fight their battles (Deut. l, 80; iii,
22). When they went in their own strength,
they were easily overcome. With as now
In this present life 1t must be whole
hearted reliance upon God either for saliva
ton or for victory over self and sin; other
wise our enemies will bc too strong for US
But, yielding to and relying upon Him, we
shall sing Thanks bsunto God, who CIV
eth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ" U Cor. XIV, So.
Is, 16 The Syrians, chatting under their
defeat, gather others with them and re-
turn to fight with Israel, for the spirit OF
rebellion against God Is not easily put
down. The spirit that was In Pharaoh and
Sennacherib Is the spirit of the devil, who
would, II possible, dethrone God Himself
1t shall be fully manifest In the last days
In the person OF the antichris., who shall
with his armies make war against the
Lamb Of God and His armies, but the
Lamb shall overcome them for He Is Lord
of Lords and King Of Kings Rev. xix, l9,
90; xvii, 11. The last phase Of it shall be
at the end Of the thousand years OF Christ 5
personal reign, when the devil, loosed
from the pit, shall make his last attack
upon the people Of God Grew. XIX, 7-10).
Every thought or act against God and His
word Is n phase Of this awful spirit which
must finally find It's home where 1t be-
longs, with the devil and his angels.
II, Is. David himself now takes the field
and at least 40 700 Syrians ara slain and
also the captain OF their host. This also Is
suggestive of our Lord Himself coming
with His armies to overthrow the enemies
of Israel, when tho slain shall be SO many
that the house of Israel shall be seven
months bufyipg the dead (Ezek. xxx,
12). This same Lord Jesus who has done
and who shall do such great and terrible
things for Israel Is our Saviour and Lord.
BY His finished work He gives us eternal
redemption; because He lives we shall live
who are In Him, and In due time we shall
come with Him when He comes to judge
the nations (Col. i'll, 4; Rev. xix, IA;
Math. XIV, 81. Let US only abide In His
love and we need fear no evil III God be
for us, who can be against usS''