Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-07-22
GOLDEN TENT.-TO obey L. better
than sacrince.-I sam. 1922.

GOLDEN TENT.-TO obey L. better
than sacrince.-I Sam. 1922.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION
s saTrs n Mt,s srsspass.'.....l Sam l3I-2S
Saurs disobedience. .........1 sam, i5:l-ia
Saurs eif-justification.. i Sam. l5l3-le.
Sauis intimidation sam Sa, IS5.'
TlME.-The exact date is uncertain nos
sibly about 1866 b. c.
PLACE.-Gilgal and Michmash.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
When Saul was made king he was
charged to implicitly obey the com
mands of Jehovah. For disobedience
he was twice re1ected; first, as to his
house 13:13. 40, and, second. as to
himself (l5). One will have to study
the whole story of Saul's reign in order
to ascertain all the reasons that led to
his rejection.
The news of the union of the scat
tered clans of Israel under King Saul.
and their victory in Gilead, soon
reached their longtime oppressors.
the Philistincs. They immediately
plan to invade the land. to reassert
their authority and again TO terrorize
the people into subjection The He
brews flee, some finding refuge in the
mountains. others leaving the coun-
try.
Saul bravely recruits the faithful
ones at Gilgal, where Samuel had in
structed him to wait before strik-
ing the first blow for independence
After waiting week, in impotence
at the non-arrival of the prophet. the
King prepares to begin the campaign.
and as the initial step, sacrifices burnt
offerings. At this iuncture Samuel
appears and severely rebukes Saul for
disobedience, threatening to wrest the
kingdom from him Saul's sin was not
the mere act of assuming priestly
functions, as has been traditionally
supposed. 1t was his impatient self
assertiveness In failing to wait for
Samuels advice as to Gods will i'm this
great national crisis.
Yet Saufs little army succeeds in re-
pulsing the Philis tines. through the
personal bravery of his son Jonathan
and the strange panic he causes among
the foe. Saul leads the trismphant
pursuit, with constantly growing
forces. This chapter shows plainly
that Saurs devotion was TO the forms
OF religion, rather than its spirit.
Some years after this first campaipn
WIN the Phiiistines, tho events of to-
days lesson occurred Samuel. still
supreme as the adviser of the king.
brought word TO Saul that TsraeI's
| ancient foe, the Amalekites. must he
destroyed. Such wholesale slaughter
could not be justified in Christian
times. The Cambridge Bible saws.
such commands were an accommoda-
ton to the moral and religious state
OF the nation 20 which they wore
given. Revelation is progressive. and
Gods dealings with the chosen peoplc
Whiic designed TO raise and educate
them, were necessarily conditioned nv
their moral state at the given period
Meeting Samuel awkwordly on his
return. Saul greets him with y piou.
expression OF welcome, lays upon the
soldiers the blame for his own dis
obedience. and untruthfully claims
That all the animals spared were in
tended for sacrifice.
Jehovah anointed thee" Saul :.
reminded that he IS answerable TO On.
higher than himself; vet he has dis.
obeycd Gods prophet "Didst ~ upon
the spoil:' Descriptive Of wilf
carnival Of eager, selfish greed Yc.
Samuel had intended the expedition :,
be religious one. 10 execute what h
believed 10 be the divine will "T,
obey Is better than sacrifice:" Mora
conduct is more than rltual-one O
the loftiest thoughts Of the Old Tcsta.
ment and the keynote Of all propbetl,
teaching. God rejects Saul from he
ing king over Israel. since he had r..
Iected God from being King over
Saul.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
God rejects one only after ones acts
show that he has the disobedient
| spirit.
BY disobeying God one misses the
highest career that's open TO him.
~ is not so much God who rejects
man as it is man who rejects God