The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-08-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. 20.
Text OF the Lesson. Sam. AZ. 1928.
Memory Verses, 14-1.-GoIden Text,
Prov. xviii, 2i-COmmentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.


lib. If IL please my father 10 do thee
evil, then / Will shew IL thee and send
thee away that thou mayest 80 in peace,
and the Lord be with thee.
In former years-1SS9 and 1S93-we
had studies in the opening and closing
verses of this chapter, and now we
have n central portion, but are recon-
mended to study the whole chapter,
which is the story of Jonathan's love
and faithfulness to David and their
separation because of Saurs persistent
effort to Kill David. As Sauls persecu-
tons of David increased David one
day said to Jonathan. AS the Lord liv-
eth and as thy soul liveth there is but
n step between me and death verse
-. Jonathan could not believe that his
father really meant TO kill David, and
SO he said he would sound his father
and let David know, and that is where
our lesson today begins. Jonathan sol
EMMY calls God TO witness that wheth-
er tie tidlngs from his father be good
or evil he will surely let David know.
"A, - And thou shalt not only while yet
l live shew me the kindness of the Lord
that / die not. but also thou shalt not cut
off thy kindness from my house forever.
Then he speaks of a time when the
Lord shall have cut off all the enemies
of David from the face of the earth.
At their last meeting Jonathan said.
Thou shalt be king over Israeli (xxiii,
IL. He evidently believed God and
loved ana honOred him whom the Lord
delighted to honor. 1t was not merely
kindness that Jonathan asked of Da-
vid, but the kindness of the Lord; so
after Jonathan's death we hear David
inquiring, lis there yet any that is left
of the house of Saul that | may shew
him kindness for Jonathan's sake = q
that | may shew the kindness of God
unto him." I'll Sam. tx, l, 81 When
we have learned TO know and enjoy
1.-The kindness and love Of God our Sa-
viour Tit. ill., A., it should be our
greatest desire to show or make known
that loving kindness to Others even to
our enemies if we have any.
16 Il. And Jonathan caused David to
swear again by his love toward him, for
he loved him as he loved his own soul.
l have quoted partly from the mar
gin. That iona than loved him as his
own soul is written again in xviii, l, 3,
where it is also said that the soul Of
Jonathan was knit with the soul of
David. In his lamentatiOn over him he
said. Thy love to me was wonderful,
no Of II
i, 2Gl. The conduct and words of jon
athan are all 50 suggestive of the
greater love of greater Kings Son,
who has knit His soul to ours and
stripped Himself of all His glory that
He might save us from wrath and ex-
alt us to His throne, and who also says
TO us. Whatsoever thy soul desireth |
will even do it for thee" xviii, 4 XX,
4 ii Cor. viii, .; Mark y, 81; John xiv,
-. Il; XIV, -. When these two men
parted, they kissed and wept until
David exceeded (XX, Al. There was
nothing that they would not do for
each other if it lay in the power Of
either to do it. Yet all was but the
faintest shadow of the love Of Christ
10 us.
1922. If l expressly say unto the lad
Behold the arrows are on this side OF
thee. take them; then come thou. for
there is peace TO thee and no hurt as the
Lord liveth. But If l say thus unto the
young man. Behold, the arrows are be-
You'd thee; go thy way, for the Lord hath
sent thee away.
These verses tell how Jonathan ar
ranged to give David the information
as to whether ,he was to return or flee
for his life. The rest of the chapter
tells of Jonathans interview with his
father and the discouraging tidings he
was compelled TO convey TO David.
Sauls words TO his own son and his at
tempt TO kill even him oversees 3O-33
told too plainly what David's lot would
be if Saul got him in his power. Jona-
than's leaving his fathers table and
his subsequent fasting showed how
deeply he felt the wrong done 10 Da-
vid. If we were as sensitive concern
ing wrong said or done TO our Lord
Jesus Christ and would refuse TO stay
in the company Of those who i'll treat
Him. it would be only doing right in
His sight In these days when so
much shame and contempt are being
heaped upon our Lord by preachers
and professors who pose as His friends
it is well to act as Jonathan did to his
own father and refuse to keep compa-
ny with such despisers of God and His
word
20. And an touching the matter which
thou and l have spoken of, behold. the
Lord be between thee and me forever.
Again as they parted after their much
weeping Jonathan used the same
words. adding And between my seed
and thy seed" So he relied on Da-
vid's faithfuness. And how much
more may we rely upon the faithful
ness of our Lord Jesus Christ and God
the Father! DO we fear the trials by
the way? =. God is faithful. who will
not suffer us TO be tempted above that
we are able DO we fear that sin shall
conquer us and cut us off from Him
If we confess our sins. He is faithful
and just TO forgive us our sins and TO
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.