The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-09-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON xl, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 10.

Text Of the Lesson, III Sam. a, lilo.
Memory Verses. I-3-Golden Text,
Ps. cxxxiii, 1-COmmentary Prepar-
ed by Rev. ID. vi. stearns.
copyright. 1903, by American Press Association.
l. And II came TO pass after this that
David inquired of the Lord. saying Shall
i go up into any or the cities of Judah?
The title Of our lesson Is David Be
comes King" and IL would seem as If
the fifth chapter should have been cho-
sen instead of this one, as there David
is anointed king of all Israel. while in
this lesson he is only anointed king of
Judah; but as chapter V is suggested as
a study in connection with this the
ground is thus covered. Some have
wondered how David with such rec
ord as he has i'm Scripture could ever
be called "a man after Gods own
heart" Il Sam. xiii, ID; Acts xiii, DO,
but there are at least two rays of light
on this. One is that the evil in Da-
vid's life was the exception, not the
rule, and the other is that ii was in
the matter of the kingdom and his re-
lance upon and obedience TO God that
he was a man after Gods heart See
how here and almost invariably he
takes no step without inQuring of the
Lord Il Sam. xiii, ., 4, 1912; xxx, s;
ii Sam. V, -. 23). 1t would be well
for us if we all lived according TO
Prov. iii. >, 6.
2 g. So David went up thither $50 and
his men that were with him did David
bring up. every man with his household,
and they dwet in the cities of Hebron.
Not only his own household but all
his faithful followers and their house
holds, share with him his rest and his
kingdom; so shall it be when the Son
of David Matt i, y shall have come
to His kingdom. All His faithful fol
lowers shall reign with Him (Rev. iii,
81; V, 8, 10; Xxx. g.. Davids 600 were
not always faithful to him Il Sam.
xxx, O., and who is there among the
disciples Of Christ who can truly say,
Surely the Captain may depend on
me?' No one who knows anything of
himself will ever talk of his faithful
ness, but will rather rejoice in | Cor.
i, 8; y. 10; l Thess. V, 24.
T. And the men Of Judah came and
there they anointed David king over the
house of Judah
In chapter V, 3, we read that all the
elders of Israel anointed him king over
Israel. In | Sam. xvi, Is, Samuel
anointed him king in the midst of his
brethren. so that he was three times
anointed For the full light upon this
we must wait till He of whom David
was a type shall have come to His
kingdom. While David was king at
Hebron over Judah one Of Saurs sons
was king of Israel and resisted him,
but the house of Saul waXed weaker
and weaker and David waXed stron-
ger and stronger. So David went on
and grew great going and growing,
and the Lord God of Hosts was with
him verses $40; chapter V, 3, 1O).
Though our Lord is still rejected and
by the world disowned, He will surely
come to His kingdom and His throne,
for God has said, Il will overturn,
overturn, overturn 1t, and it shall be
no more until He come whose right ii
is, and | will give it Him (Ezek. xxi,
%. He is now waiting on His Fa-
Tiers throne tRev. iii, 21; rs. cX, II,
but He will as truly come to His own
throne as David did DER. iii, IL.
g. 6. And now the Lord shew kindness
and truth unto you, and / VIII also re-
quite you this Kindness because We have
done this thing
These ara some Of the words of Da-
vid concerning the men of Jabesh
Gilead who kindly buried the bodies of
Saul and his sons Il Sam. XXI, lib.
Our Lord has Himself assured us that
not even cup of water given in His
name shall lose its reward and that in
the time of recompenseS the resufrec-
ton of the just, He will reward every
one according to his work Mark tx,
IL; Luke xiv. II; Rev. xxi. ~. Since
these men are so kindly spoken OF be-
cause Of their kindness to these dead
bodies. rescuing them from further dis
honor, what shall be said of Joseph
and Nicodemus. who rescued the body
Of our Lord from a grave with the
wicked and gave it place of honor
able burial? lisa. ill., o.
Z Therefore now let your hands be
strengthened and be ye valiant.
Kings die. circumstances change,
friends, health and wealth may all fail,
but one has said that He will never
fail us nor forsake us. so that we can
always say. Thou. O Lord remainest
forever" 0Ieb. xiii. >; !. IL; Lam. V, 10.
Only as we see Him. the King who
never dies. can we be strong and OF
good courage. Let us lay TO heart the
following among many of the encour-
aging words of Scripture for all believ-
ers: Josh. /. Z. 8; III Chron. XIV. {; Hag.
ii. 4; | Cor. XIV. IS. Since ii is written
that "He shall not fail nor be discour-
aged" Qsa. xiii. Il. there is no good
reason why any of His redeemed
should ever be east down ops xiii, .,
IL; Kill. -.
$40. Saul. Ish-bosheth and all other