Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-09-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for August so, 1896
AbsoIom's Defeat and Death-2 Sam.
Is; 9-Is. 80, SO.
lArranged from Peloubet'

ARRANGED from 1eiOubetS Notes.
Golden Text.-The Lord knoweth the way
of the righteous. but the way of the un-
cody shall perish.-Psa. IS.
The Section includes Chapters 16 TO IS.
Time.-B. c. 1925 short time after the
last lesson.
Place.-C9 Mahanaim 6the two hosts or
csInpsl. Davids temporary capital.
strongly-fortified town east of the Jordan
and near the Jabbok. 20 The battlefield
was the Wood Of Ephraim. not the high
lands u The tribe of Ephraim, west OF the
jordan. but some part OF the great forests
of Gilead. east Of the Jordan, ind within
one day of Mahanaim Chap. 1920
LESSON NOTES.
The Story Of David's Flight.-It was
apparently early on the morning of the
day after he had received the news OF
the rebellion that the king left the city
of Jerusalem.
The sad procession moved frcm the
city down into the deep rayine of the
Kidron, then a stream. The king stood
/ by the brook while his followers We're
crossing over. They passed on a little
| further and rested by an olive tree at the
/ branching of the roads beneath the
Mount Of Olives. At this point another
| procession jCtred the first one. The
| high priest brought the ark of the COW
enant to take it with David, but the
| king sent it back to it's place on Mt.
| Zion, because that was the place for it.
He was not superstitious and would not
use the sacred ark as a charm. The
long procession now began the ascent
| of the Mount of Olives, the turn in the
road soon bringing the last view of
Jerusalem. News of the detection of
| Ahithophel now reached him; a calam-
| ity so great that it evoked prayer that
his counsel might be defeated. But
| David had another counselor, Hushai
| the Archite, clan on the southern Dor
ders of Ephraim SIX miles west of
| Bethel. He met David, offered his serv-
ices, and was sent to Jerusalem to de-
feat the political wisdom of Ahithophel,
which he succeeded in doing.
David and his company, weary with
| the march and the exciting scenes,
camped toward night in the plain of the
Jordan, not far from tlse fords of Jeri-
cho, and awaited news from the capital
AS soon as Ahithophel had given his
/ counsel a messenger was dispatched to
| David, telling him what might take
! place. That same night he broke camp
and crossed the Jordan. out of immedi-
ate danger.
Ahsalom's Brief Reign bsalom and
his army, marching from Hebron, took
| possession of Jerusalem and the pa lace
| that same day. council of war was
called, and Ahithophel, whose counsel
was las if a man had inquired at the
oracle of Cod" advised an immed ate
/ ~.
and unprepared. But IIushai, secretly
David's friend. argued against this
course and advised Absalom to wait TIL
he could gather great army. The lat
| ter advice was taken. Absalom was
anointed king, and spent number of
weeks in gathering an army.
The Defeat and Death of Absalom.-
VS.. 9-17. 9. And Absalom met the
servants of DAVID" in battle array; and
his troops were defeated. "Absalom
rode upon a mule" in his flight. The
mule which he rode perhaps David S
own-was a mark of royalty Il. King
1:33-3sl ."-Cambridg Bible. His
head caught hold of the oak His
head was caught in the forketl boughs
| of the tree, and he hung there, stunned
and helpless.
| ii. why didst thou not smite him
there?" But the man knew too much to
be tempted even by a girdle. the mark
of friendship, and by money, for he well
| knew that it would be known, and Joab
himself would have Castillo blame upon
him before David For David was in
| tensely anxious that rs hayward son
should be saved.
/ IA. "Joab : took three dar.
/ and thrust them through the
heart of Absalom:" He alone felt strong
enough to disobey the king. He did the
act for David's own sake. Absalom
dead, great though the kings distress
/ for the time might be, would be the very
: salvation of the country.
TO- 'Joab held back the people: /" from
! further slaughter In this way the ma
der David.
II. They took Ahsalom and cast him
4 into great pit in the wood" etc The
peopl. Of the east indicate their detes-
tation of the memory Of an Infamous
+ person by throwing stones at the place
i where he is buried.
/ Dayid's Lament for His Son-ys. 80,
/ 50. Swift runners brought the news
from the battlefield to the king sitting
( in the gate Of Mahanaim, anNiously
waiting to hear.
90. "Cushi:" one Of the couriers as
1 the young man Absolom safe?' Dayid's
first thought, after he knew that the
/ Kingdom was safe, was for the fate Of
/ lis hayward son.
SO. went up to the chambers" to be
1 alone in his sorrow. The deepest sorrow
treads the wine-press alone. And
/ wept:" "Oh, my son Absalom!' .
4 There is not in the whole OF
the Old Testament passage of
deeper pathos than this. Would God
had died for thee" So oses (Ex. 50.
! 32) and so St. Paul (Rom. 9:3) would