The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-08-13


GOLDEN TEXT.-God IL our refuge
nni strength. n very present help In
,rO gble.-Ps. 48,1.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
David introduced to Saul. i Sam, II So IS.
iona ans I've for David. Il Sam, lS:l-4
Davi1 POPULARITY. ............l Sam. lh:5-I.
SauI -a!ousy. y................l Sam. ls:s-ll.
sauIS .car, ar,...................l Sam, ls:l2-lt
SauFs =. .t....................l Sam, s:i1-a0.
TIMEC-Proba1 about l162 b. c.
PLACE -Glbea.. where Saul had his
royal resid nee. about four miles north Of
Jerusalem.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Two different accounts are given
OF the Introduction of David to King
Saul, which ara somewhat confusing.
After his anoin..ng oy Samuel, David
was summoned - court to charm
away 1.-The evil .piri; that troubled
Saul by means o! his ;alent with the
harp. But the narrative studied last
Sunday introduce. David as stran-
ger to the king. OF course David.
visits at court may have been few.
and Saurs failure To recognize him
at Socoh may have been Tue to his
older and altered appearance, or to
the fact that Saul had seen him only
during his Ats Of madness. David's
appointment as armor-besrer. men,
toned in 1921, was doubtless subse-
quent to his victory over Goliath.
The slayer OF Goliath had been
promised the hand Of the kings
daughter. But he won instead the
hearts Of the kings son and all the
/ people. The adulation heaped upon
him by countless admirers and the
honors bestowed by the king were a
severer test Of his sturdy character
than was the conflict with Goliath.
But David was unspoiled by success.
Behaved himself wisely" This Is
emphasized three times in the narra-
tive. when David returned" Not
from killing Goliath, but some time
later. This celebration was later in
the same war with the Philistines,
which had continued. The immoder-
| ate hattery of the women was the
beginning Of David's trouble. "Woe
unto you, when all men shall speak
well of YOU" His excess of popular
ity proved his undoing. He would
have been far better of without Il,
for it aroused the kings jealousy.
And Saul eyed David from that
day." Anger, jealousy and suspicion
rankled in the kings heart because
of the praises of the popular hero.
Heretofore David had been but Q
shepherd youth in Sauls eyes. Now
he views him as a rival. He remem-
bers, with guilty uneasiness, the
keen words of Samuel warning him
that Jehovah would "rend the king
dom from him and give it to a neigh
Dor who was better than he" The
very thought brings on his old-time
madness, and when David, as before,
tries to comfort and calm him with
his music, the jealous king in a burst
of passion hurls his javelin at him.
David twice escapes.
Saul was superstitious (see 2S:Il,
and because David SO readily escaped
his iavelin. he believed him to bear
"a charmed life" Therefore he be-
gins to fear him. He feels con
strained, however, to assign him to
duty as an officer in the army, be.
cause of his popularity.
When fear is added to jealous sus.
picion, treachery soon follows. Fear
ing to oppose David publicly, Saul
secretly plots to cause his death. His
hope that he may die in battle is not
realized so he urges him to specia
deeds of boldness in order to win ir
marriage the kings daughter, Michal
The plot is u mean one, but Davic
Passes the ordeal unscathed anc
wins the prize, becoming the king''
Son-in-law. Constantly baffied in hi:
J Jealous plans, Saul nurses his wrath
/ and bides his time.
Raru's Norm Blasts.
J \ hard head may go with tender