The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1903-09-25
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson I'm the international Series
for September ~, 1908
Quarterly Review.

GOLDEN TExT.-The Lord liz nv
light and my salvntion.-Psa. 27u.
SUBJECTS AND GOLDEN TEXTS.
Lesson I.--Israel Asking for King.
Golden Text: Prepare your hearts unto
the Lord. and serve Him only Sam.
7:3.
Lesson II.-Saul Chosen King. Gold
en- Text: THE Lord is our King; He will
save us. lis. 1922.
Lesson III.-Samuel's Farewell Ad-
dress. Golden Text: "Only fear the
Lord, and serve Him in truth with all
your heart. IL Sam. 1924.
Lesson IV.-Saul Rejected as King.
Golden Text: ITO obey is better than
sacrifice. II Sam. 1922.
Lesson V.--Samuel Anoints David.
Golden Text: Man looketh on the out
ward appearance, but the Lord looketh
on the heart. II Sam 1877.
Lesson VI-David and Goliath.
Golden Text: IF God be for us. who can
be against us?"-Rom. 1871.
Lesson VII.-Saul Tries to Kill David.
Golden Text: God is our refuge and
strength, very present help in trouble"
-Ps. 46:1.
Lesson VIII.-David and Jonathan.
Golden Text: There is friend who
sticketh closer than a brother" PROV.
1924.
Lesson IX-David Spares Saul.
Golden Text: Love your enemies, do
good to them which hate you Luke
6:27.
Lesson X.-Death of Saul and iona
than. Golden Text: There is way
which seemeth right unto man; but the
end thereof are the ways of DEATH
Prov. 14:12
Lesson XI.-David Becomes King.
Golden Text: Behold, how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren todwell
together in unity"-Ps. 1891.
Lesson XII.-Abstinence from Evil.
Golden Text: BE not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess. "-Eph. SIS.
INDEFINITE CHRONOLOGY OF Pc
ROD.
In studying the period of the judges il
will be remembered that we were almost
entirely at sea so far as chronology was
concerned. From the time of David on
the difficulty grows steadily less, and
yet, as Algen says, 1t is necessary to
prefix the qualifying word about" to
every Biblical date down at least to the
beginning of the eighth century. OF the
dozen well-known schemes of Old Tesla
ment chronology none has won general
acceptance. The chronology derived from
Assyrian inscriptions is of very great
value, though it by no means removes
all difficulties. These inscriptions are
dated by the Assyrian calendar or
canon. This canon exists in several
copies, all of which agree closely, and
cover the period from about 900 B. c. &c
$50 B. c. Each year bears the name OF
an officer called an "eponym" The term
of Office of the eponym was one year.
Now this calendar mentions the fact that
during the term office of the eponym
Pur-Sagali, in the month of Swan May
June, the sun was eclipsed Astron-
omers tell us that there was a total
eclipse of the sun at Nineveh June Is
763 B. c., thus fixing with accuracy not
ohiy IiiiS udtC Jul oil luG TEST.
But we shall probably never have an
accurate chronology for early Biblical
history. The orientals laugh at us for be-
ing so anxious to get at exact dates and
accurate figures. These things were
matters of little account to them. as
most of their histories show. Prof
Park once illustrated the difference be-
tween the oriental point of view and
that of the European, by saying that II
you ask German general how many
men there are in his command he will
tell you to man, but ask the same ques-
tion Of Turkish general and he will
make profound bow and say: by the
grace of Allah. my people are as the
sand which is upon the seashore" We
may we'll remember this illustration ir
reading the historical parts of the Ole
Testament.
AS an illustration Of the Indebtedness
of our knowledge Of the dates of early
Biblical history we can notice two i'm
portant incidents. The year in which
Saul became king of Israel is variously
believed to be B. c. 1895, 1913, 1887 and
1920. Which date, or indeed if any is
correct, we have no means of making
certain. The date of the beginning of
David's reign is as far from being GER
tainly ascertained. USHER says it was
1856. According to Biblical synchron-
isms it was 1909. The Assyrian computa-
lion puts it at 1917 Patton puts it as
late as the year 1000 B. c.
Figs and Thfstles.
The most dangerous hypocrite is the
one who deceives himself.