The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-07-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Iv.-Third Quarter, For
JuIy rs. 1903.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson. Sam. XIV. 1928.
Memory Verse, 22-GoIden Text,
Josh. xiv, 24-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
copyright. 1908. by American Press Association
In many ways the Lord is ever prov
ing us to see if we are willing to he
whole heartedly His and to walk in
His ways. and He is also asking us to
prove Him and see If He will not do
lust as He says (Gen. xii. /: Deut viii.
Q. 16: John vi. &: Nal. Ill. l0,. that we
may know Him and glorify Him in the
| ewes of others. In Jesus Of Nazareth
God found one who Was perfectly His
own in thought. word and deed. one
who could say. Il delight to do Thy
will. O my God: yea. Thy law is with
in my heart FPS. xl. 81 All others
have failed in greater or less degree.
but some have desired to live thus.
and where God sees that desire He ac-
cepts it and makes much Of it. for "if
there he first willing mind 1t Is ac-
cepted according to that man hath
and not according to that ehe hath not
QI Cor. viii l2I Saul soon proved him.
self wilful and disobedient. and Sam
uel had to say to him: THY kingdom
shall not continue. The Lord hath
sought Him man after His own heart
who shall fulfill all His will (chapter
xiii, II: Acts xiii. 22l. The Lord tried
Saul repeatedly. for He is long suffering.
but again and again he failed. After the
night at Samnel's house Samuel sent
him TO t:iigal. saying Seven da"s
shalt thor tarry till | come to thee and
shew thee what thou shalt do" (chapter
<. 81. We read in chapter Kill. S-l4. that
he tarried seven days. but evidently
not quite the full time. and himself Of
fered the offerings. and as soon as be
had made an end of offering Samuel
came and reprovcd him and said the
words quoted above. Thus we see
Saul taking upon himself to do what
he had no right to and so impatient
that he could not wal the full time.
BY little things God tests US. as when
He tested Gideon's ten thousand
In the lesson chapter today God
again tries Saul by sending him to
smite and utterly destroy the Amale-
kites, who were the first to fight with
Israel after they left Egypt and con-
cerning whom God said that he would
put out the remembrance Of them from
under heaven (Ex. xvii, S-16). Saul
went forth and smote them as he had
been commanded. but not fully. for it
is written. But Saul and the people
spared Agag and the5best Of the sheep
and of the oxen and Of the fatlin@s
and the lambs" etc. verse %. Yet
Saul met Samuel with this, greeting:
blessed be thou Of the Lord. have
performed the commandment Of the
Lord" (verse l3,. This. however. swas
not the Lords view Of it. for He said
to Samuel. 1T repenteth Me that |
have set up Saul to he king. for ne Is
turned back from following Ne and
hath not performed My commands
ments" (verSe 11l. a word IS in order
here about this repenting Of the Lord
spoken Of in this verse and IN verse 20
and the seeming contradiction in vers"
90. with which compare Mum. Sxill. 10,
It is impossible that God should
change His mind or be sorry for any
thing He had dore. as If things had
turned out differently from what He
had expected: but. foreseeing all events
and knowing that at a certain point He
would have to change. His mode OF
procedure. when these turning points
in the unfolding of His purpose come
these are called His repentings. We
change our mind and do otherwise:
but, while God does otherwise than
He had been doing He never changes
His mind. See in verses 20. 81. how
Saul persists in saying that he had
obeyed the voice Of the Lord. but ad:
mitting that he had saved the best or
the sheep and oxen to sacrifice unto
the Lord. Then follows Samuels sting,
ing rebuke: Behold. to obey is better
than sacrifice. Because thou hast
rejected the word OF the Lord He hath
also rejected thee from being king
(verses 90, 23l. See also In verse 26 the
emphasis upon the fact that his partial
obedience was a rejection Of the word
of the Lord. There is even lne these
days much partial belief Of the Lords
messr ges. but few consi ider that a sin.
Hc"" Is something to consider serious
ly hat a partial belief or obedience is
a virtual rejection of His word. 1t is
to 10 feared that many preacher who
l.: ,'aiing to declare the whole truth
r:..: no better excuse than that Of Saul
II feared the people and obeyed their
voice" verse 24). That man has sure
~ missed his calling who while pos
IN. as a minister of Jesus Christ gives
llnre thought to his congregation and
how to please them than to pleasing
Him whose messenger he processes to
be. Such 4 one had better give heed
to Gal. l. 10. "lf yet pleased men |
should not he the servant OF Christi
also Thess. ii. 4. Not as pleasing
men, but God. who trieth our hearts.
1T is sadly true that there are preach
ers who. knowing that If they preach
ed the whole counsel Of God they could
not keep their situation. prefer to be
faise TO God for the sake of their liv-
ing. There are also many in the pulpit
and out of it who. while protesting
hearty obedience to God. allow their
hearts to carry them away and their
cves to wink 1T certain things dob XIV.
ii. 12) lest by being wholly conformed
to God they shculd incur the dispeas-
Tho ,.hoI, T..