The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-25
THE suNDAY-sCHooL LESSON
L Samuel Nv, 13-25-July %, 1903
Saul Rejected as King.

saul Rejected as King.
| The splendid military genius of Saul adds an
other victory to a long and brilliant role. The
ancient and inveterate enemy of Israel who dis
puted his first approach to Canaan is now ami
| hilated. Moses victory Rephidim has its
plement in the long battle line which reaches
from Havilah to Shur. The conquering hero re-
turns. The Amalekite King in chains graces his
| triumph Spoils and booty are In the train. Ar
irving at historic Gilgal, monumental trophy
is erected there. Two hundred thousand victors
chant the pean. 1t is happy hour in the ma
tion's history There The vine
may now be cultivated and the sheep folded
without the apprehension of invasions of Amale-
| kite banditti.
| But a dead fly causes the ointment Of victory
| TO stink. Saul. the conqueror. has himself
| in view than the Lord. He has fairly brok-
| en- with the theocratic idea OF Israel. He is
sorting his will against that of Jehovah. whose
vice regent he is. By this well planned and spec
| tacular triumph he hoped to settle his totter-
| ing throne and in spite of the explicit prediction
| of the prophet, secure 1T to the heir apparent.
The ruling passion of the sovereign asserts itself;
he will preserve his dynasty all hazards.
Nemesis in the person of the prophet stands d.
rectly in the path of the Kings triumph. SAM
uers career prophet began the bearer of
such evil tidngs made the ears of those who
|
| gretfully revealed TO his foster father Eli the
dsgraceful end Of his priestly line. Now al the
close of his long. honorable, useful course she is
| the messenger of such evil portents as have
burned in him and made him an earnest, though
| unsuccessful intercessor for whole night.
| Sadly. but fearlessly, he stands in the Kings
way. to deliver his terrible message with
swerving fidelity. He calls a halt to the triumph.
| At the sound of his voice the jubiate dies. The
| ovation the victor is suddenly metamorphosed
| into funeral train. For that moment Saul dies
| tc God and to his better self. How is the mighty
| fallen. Conscience has made him a coward. There
| is need of an accuser 1t is ptiful sight. A
| fulsome greeting is telescoped. with extrava-
| CANT asseveration, to which even dumb brutes
| give the lie The man of valor like an arrant
| coward, shifts the responsibility. He makes a
| scapegoat Of his army.
| Right valiantly does prophet confront King
| flushed with victory IL the presence of an army
| laden with spoils He cites him to his humble
| origin. and TO the providential character of his
| exaltation. He calls him to witness the we'll
known and exact terms of his commission against
d the Amalekites. He drives and cnches the
charge of disobedience. Saul makes more
pitiful effort at evasion. The spoil reserved
for sacrifice. The prophet shivers to atoms this
| refuge of lies His ethical discrimination falls
like triphammer upon the recreant Kings last
shelter. Offerings tainted with insincerity and
disobedience offense to Jehoya ah. Nor can
| the tint elude his omnscience. The witch hunter
is detected in a greater sin--the assertion of his
own will against that of God. The crusade
against idoatry is. in view of his better advan-
tages, convicted of a more heinous offense, name
ly. the stubborn assertion of his own selfhood
against the word and person of Jehovah.
All the brave banners trail in the dust. The
pean changes to the dead march; and Saul begins
his descent hell. There a moment of strong
compunction. 1t is judicial repentance in view
of the pain and penalties impending. In a par
oxysm of grief the King grasps the prophet S
mantle with such desperate clutch that it is
torn The makes the rent robe the emblem
of the kingdom torn from Sauls grasp The last
piteous appeal of the humbled monarch is
pitched to the key of his ruling passion, when
ne cries. Honor me before the elders of my peo-
pie and before Israeli Sauls doom was sealed
He was rejected. There was no second probation
for him. All generous. humane, patriotic i'm
| pulses left him. He possessed of a murder
Gus jealousy. Having further access to God,
he resorted to those base creatures whom in his
better days he had sought to rid the nation of.
so desperate was his desire to know the particu-
lars of his fate. The bloody denouenent came at
length in the irretrievable defeat at Mount Gill
boa, when the spectral words uttered In the cave
at Endor had their fulfillment
And the fa1chion by thy side
To thy heart they hand shall guide
Crownless. breathless, headess fall
Son and sire, the house of Saul,''
THE TEACHERS LANTERN
splendid career was possible to Saul. He wa
every inch king, physically. His majestic form
and stature awed his enemies, gave courage To
his adherents. He modest at the start
showed self-control and tact; had some generous
impulses. undoubted courage. and genius for tao
tics.
What ruined him his lack Of conservation
to God. He never rose to any adequate apprecia-
ton of his high calling He could never bring his
will into alignment with Gods will. He never
learned obedience. His self-will ended in making
him hypocrite, traitor to God, an insane foe
to his fellows and to himself.
The rejection of Saul not an arbitrary
matter or piece of caprice the part of Provi-
dence 1t was just necessary as the expulsion
from the orchestra Of the musician who will no,
observe the directors baton. Saul malignantly
persisted in striking false notes, and spelling the