The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-08-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON II, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. SEPT. 10.
Text OF the Lesson. III Sam. xii. 40-5f.
Memory Verses. 47-50-Golden Text. III
Sam. xii, s-Commentary by the Rev. ID.
M. stearns.


M. stearns.
40. "For thou hast girded me with
strength TO battle. Them that rose up
against me hast thou subdued under me. "
The whole of this chapter is repeated In
the book of Psalms as number Is, the Holy
Spirit thus calling special attention TO this
portion of His writings through David.
In chapter xiii, 1-3, IL Is written that
whatever the sweet psalmist of Israel spake
it was the Spirit of the Lord speaking by
him 1t is we'll for us when we recognize
the whole Bible AS written by the Spirit of
God for our benefit Verse l of this chap
ter says that David spake these words unto
the Lord when delivered from Saul and all
his enemies. In this first verse of our les
son and throughout the psalm he ac-
knowledges that God had done everything
for him.
Al. Thou hast also given mo the necks
of mine enemies that / might destroy
them that hate me. There are many
things in the Psalms which the church can
not appropriate or apply to herself. 1t is
not for us To have the necks of our enc
mics or destroy those that hate us. These
things are peculiar TO Israel and to the
shall come in His glory TO destroy Israel's
enemies and establish the kingdom. Our
mission as members of the body of Christ
Is TO suffer meekly even for we'll doing;
TO be cast out, hated and killed for His
sake, and yet to take IL all patiently.
AZ. They looked, but there was none TO
save, even, unto the Lord, but He answer
cd them not" AS 1t is written in Mic. ill.,
4, "Then shall they cry unto the Lord but
He will not hear them as they have be-
haved themselves i'll in their dOings. And
in Prov. 1, 20, Then shall they call upon
Me, but will not answer; they shall seek
Me early, but they shall not find Me-"
Those who seek simply from fear and only
because they dread His judgments may
not expect to "a, heal I. But see the con-
trast in Jer. XIX, ID.
43. Then did I Is ~ them as small as
the dust of the earth. " See similar fig
ure in III Kings xiii z, .hd Mic. vii, 10.
To be thoroughly subduCd is very humili-
ating, but everything or person that Is
exalted against God must be brought low
lisa. ii, IL, ~. To be cheerfully subject
and willing to be subdued for Gods glory
is very blessed, and it is the privilege of
every believer TO be as clay in the hands OF
the potter for Gods glory and for our
highest ROOu lisa. XIV, %.
Az "Thou hast also delivered me from
the strivings of my people. Some of these
strivings are included in the long wars be-
tween the houses of Saul and David and
the later strifes throughout all the tribes
of Israel Chapters iii, /; xix, %. Trouble
from enemies without is bad enough but
trouble within nation or church or fam
lily Is much worse. Yet from all He is able
70 No Ks pf
of the nations and people whom he
knows not serving him, we think of the
sure mercies of David of Isa ", 3d.
40. Strangers shall submit themselves
unto me. As soon as they hear they shall
be obedient unto me-" This also makes us
think of Messiahs reign when they that
dwell in the wilderness shall bow before
him, and his enemies shall lick the dust"
Cps. xxi, %. Sons of strangers shall build
up Zion's walls, and their kings shall
minister unto Israel Elsa. TX, 100. The
word Submit is in the margin rendered
lie or yield feigned obedience. 1t is the
same in Ps Xvi, B. and margin, and
points 70 those who in the millennial
reign of Christ will only be nominally sub
ject and will follow the devil when he is
loosed from the pit (Rev. Xxx, 7-1O).
46. Strangers shall fade away, and they
shall be afraid out of their close places "
They shall move out Of their holes like
worms of the earth. They shall be afraid
of the Lord our God and shall fear because
Of thee mic vii, ~. 1t shall be "a firm
rule, AS with a rod of iron, and those who
have evil in their hearts shall fear to do it
because of the swift judgments that shall
be sent on evildoers. The awful judg-
ments Of the triDulation period shall not
soon be forgotten.
a.. 1.-THE Lord liveth, and blessed be
my rock, and exalted be the God of the
rock OF my salvation" In the Lord .Jeho-
yah is the Rock of Ages strength lisa.
XVI, 4, margin) He is the God Of truth,
the living God, the King of eternity. At
His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the
nations shall not be able ito abide His in
dignation (Jer. x, 10, margin).
as. 1T is God that avengeth me and
that bringeth down the people under me"
1t was one of the blessed habits of David's
life TO see and acknowledge God in every
thing. When he had Saul in his power and
might easily have slain him, he preferred
TO leave him to God When Absalom drove
him from his throne, ne said seeing Gods
hand in it, Let Him do TO me as seemeth
good unto Him." When Sinner cursed
and stoned him, instead of letting Abishai
kill him, he said that if the Lord wanted
him to endure this he would not even ask
why q Sam. XVI, 10; III Sam. XIV, 90;
xvi, 10).
40. Thou also hast lifted me up on
high above them that rose up against me.
Thou hast delivered me from the violent
man." In the morning of the resurrection,
the morning without clouds (chapter xiii,
A., the morning when God shall help Is.
rael (Ps. XVI, 8, margin), when the up
right shall have dominion over the wicked
FPS. xix, l4), when our Lord shall come
in His glory and by the brightness of His
coming destroy that wicked one, the man
of sin Oh Thess. H. 3, S. then shall we
see the complete fulfillment of these things
OF which David sang and Of which he in
his own experience had remarkable but
only partial fulfillment.
90. Therefore / will give thanks unto
thee, o Lord, among the heather, and 1
will sing praises unto Thy name" Gods
purpose with Israel in the past and In the
future is the same, and that is to make
Himself such name through them In the
eyes OF all nations that all nations may
turn to and submit Co the one living and
true God for their good (Josh. iv, "a; III