Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-09-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 6.


XIV, 1@-Memory Verses, 6, ICON.
mentary on the Days Lesson.
1. MEN of Israel Fled" 1t is supposed
that the battle was being fought in the
pain of Esdraelon and that the Israelites
Mount iGlboa, whittier The Phlistines fol.
lowed. Fell down slain" 1t was impos.
sible for them to rally. Saul and his sons
fought like heroes and no doubt threw
themselves into the. forefront of the battle.
but all in vain; God was against them; =,
Phlistines was directed mainly against that
quarter S where Saul and his sons were fight
than falls with the rest. /. God would
hereby complete the judgment that was to
be executed upon Saul's house. 2. He
would make David's way to the crown
Gear and open. 3. God would also show
us that the difference between good and
bad is to be made in the other world, not
in this. Whatever may have been. the
character of the others who fell, iona.
sonal transgression but of his fathers SIM
and says to US in plain language that no
siner harms only himself, and that the
good often in this world suffer be-
cause of the bad. All relationships of lifo
have some influence upon our earthly es'
tiny, but no other is so potent for good OF
i'll as that which a parent holds to his
child. But if Jonathan is sad illustration
Of this truth, he is also a cheering proof
that If son must suffer, for his fathers
character he need not walk in that fathers
footsteps"
H. The death of Saul Tvs. 3.6). g.
"The archers." The men who. shot arrows
with the bow. "Hit-overworked." After
the death of Saul's sons the archers singled
Saul out and pursued him. Their missiles
were aimed at him and some of them
may have hit him. "Sore wounded-great'
ly distressed" The Revised Version gives
the correct meaning. The word nowhere
means to be wounded as our version has it
here. He saw that he was the mark Of
the Philistine sharpshooters, and he there.
fore writhed and qualed with terror at
the thought of falling by such hands.
a. "Would not" The armorbearer, who
according to Jewish writers was Doeg,
would not yield to Saul's entreaty. 1t
was his duty to protect the King. and ne
was responsible for Sauls life. He dared
not stretch forth his hand against the
Lords anointed the very thought of such
Thrust it through himself by falling over
upon it. 1t is believed by many, from the
construction of the original. that. Saul
ended his life with the sword of the ar.
morbearer. If this be true then Saul and
! Doeg both fell by that weapon with which
| they had before massacred the priests OF
God q Sam. 22:lS). This account of Sauls
death is every way consistent with itself
and with Saul's character, and is to be
regarded as the true and authentic record
of the sacred historian himself. The story
of the Amalekite, who stole the kings
crown and bracelet and brought them to
David - Sam. l:4-l0), is to be treated as
u fabrication.
5, 6. "Saw that Saul etc. He probably
drew the sword from the kings body and
did what he could to save him, but it was
too late. "He fell" Being answerable for
the kings life he feared punishment; or
fused to survive his master. $50 Saul died.
The real ground Of Saups last dark act Of
self-destruction was not the extremity OF
the moment for fear of insult from the
enemy, but the decay Of his inner life and
the complete severance of his heart from
God. He who would not leave the ordering
of his life to God would neither permit
Him to order the manner Of his death
Suicide is great sin. l., Note the causes:
but long-continued wrong-doing. (2) Cow
ardly fear of suffering. 60 Caring more
for disgrace than for sin (4l Abandon.
ment of trust in God as to this life and
the future life Q. Note the effects: Oh
Others led by the example into the same
sin. (2) Personal dishonor not prevented
(3) A browning and lasting reprroach to the
mans memory. (i) The eternal loss Of the
lois. Some think this refers to his body
guards and means that they were all slain;
others think the reference is to all his
household Who went with him to the wal
and on whom his hopes for the future
AI III. The ? bilistines victorious Tvs. 7;lo)
7. "Othcr side of the valley" The inhab
itants on the opposite side OF the great
valley Of Jezreeil.. The district to the north
is meant, in which the tribes Of Issachar
Zebulun and Naphtal dwelt. "Other side
Jordan" The panic spread even to the
eastern side of the Jordan. But possibly
the uhrase here means ION the side of the
Jordan" that IS, in the district between
the battlefield and the river. 'Fled. II
was very natural for the people in the
towns aud villages there to take fright anC
fee, for had they awaited the. arrival o.
the Tictors, they must; according, to tht
war usages OF the time, have been deprived
either 81 their liberty or their lives.
$40 "Thc Philistines :. found
On discovering the bodies of the king ant
his soma on the battlefield, they RESERVED
them for special iadgnities. "Cut off.
The anointed OF Jehovah fares no better
than the uneircumcised Goliath, now thai
God has forsaken him. "To punish it.
"T'hat the daughters OF the heather nigh
rejoice and triumph" q Sam. l:20l. Saul
hoad and armor were the signs OF victory
"Of their idols" Their idols were re
earded as the givers of the victory. Th'
Philstines divided the honors among thei
deities "Ashtoroth." A heatheh goddess
whose rites were filthy and abomipable
The temple referred TO here was doubles
the famous temple of Venus in Asketo!
mentioned by Ierodotus as the most an
Gent of all her temples. "Beth.shan.
The modern Besian. between the noun
tains of (ilboa and the River Jordan.
". The burial Of Saul and his sons Tvs
lib. Glib. Inhabitants Of" Mindful
OF the debt Of gratitude they owed to Sau
for rescuing them from Nahash tchap. III
event all night" They made journe
Of about twelve miles, secured the bodies
and returned to their own side OF tn
Jordan in a single night. This exp1oit,wa
l. A brave deed. Q. A patriotic deed.
A grateful decd. But the bravery, patriot
ism and gratitude bad been better show
before Saups death BY helping him. Hor
ors after death fDake poor amends TO
neglect and unfaithfulhess during life
Burnt them" This was not Hebrey
custom. and wac either resorted to proven
any further insult from the Philistines, OF
more likely, seeing that only the flesh wa
burned. because Of the mangled conditio
of the bodies. Pasted" This was sig
Of general mourning.