The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-07-28
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson W Third Quarter, For
Aug. z, 1903.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text es The Lesson, ! Sam. xvi, 1-fs.
-semory Verses. II, 12-eolden Text,
| Sam. xvi, 7-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.

Sam. xvi, documentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. stearns.
lCopyright, 1908, by American Press Association
When the Lord told Samuel that Saul
could no longer be king it grieTed him
so that he cried unto the Lord all
night, and. although he went to see
him no more, she continued to mourn
for him tchapter XIV. II, 35); hence the
opening words of our lesson chapter.
&3.How long wilt thou mourn for Saul
seeing / have rejected him from reign
ing over Israeli" It is we'll to remind
ourselves that the cause Of Saui's be
ing rejected by the Lord was his re-
lection of the word Of the Lord txv,
o, 26), for in these days the word OF
the. Lord Is being rejected by many
: who still profess to be His friends. but
Il cannot be. for those who reject OF
even question the word Of God are in
the service of Him whose first record
ed utterance was. "Yea. hath God
said" (Gen. Iii, u. There are many
also who, like Samuel. seem to side
more with the Sauls than with the
Lord. Matt. xii, 80. is a searching
word. He that Is not with me Is
against me-" and we must stand whole
heartedly with Him for every word
the Spirit has written. receiving it,
holding it fast. rightly dividing 1t and
holding It forth (Jas. i: Tit. /: II Tim.
II; Phil. III. To be on the Lords side
means to stand with Him against even
the nearest and dearest as Levi did.
for only thus can we turn people away
from iniQuity ok. xxi, 26-29; NAL
ii, 4-6l
'sFiIl thine horn with oil and go;
will send thee, . for i have provid-
ed me king" These words carry US
back to that great name Jehovah
jireh" (Gen. xii. ~. The Lord will
see or provide. and he who provided
the lamb has also provided king who
shall sit on the throne of David and
reign over the house Of Jacob forever.
The Lamb and the King shall be seen
to be one andrthe same, for when John
was told that the Lion Of Judah had
prevailed to break the seals and open
the book he looked and beheld lamb
as It had been slain (Rev. v. 5. 81.
Thinking of the Lord seeing and pro-
viding leads me to say that ! find a
lot of comfort in the name Of that
well by which the Lord comforted
Hagar (Gen. xvi. IA. margin). 1.-THE
well of Him that liyeth and seeth me-"
We are reminded also of our Lords
word. Your Heavenly Father know
eth what things ye have need OF"
(Matt. vi. 32l.
Samuel seems to be little out OF
fellowship. for his "How can | go?
Saul will kill me" tverse p. does not
sound like prompt and hearty obedi-
ence. Possibly his continued mourn
ing for the rejected Saul was the
cause of it. The Lord graciously and
patiently gave him commission which
included the former and dispelled his
fears. Doubtless this was the Lords
original intention, but Samuel got In
his question of fear before the Lord
had finished His commission. Now It
is all plain. and Samuel has only to
do that which the Lord spake tverse 4).
and he did 1t. Jesse and seven Of his
sons came to meet Samuel. who had
been looking SO long at tall, fine look!
ing man. Saul. that when he set eyes
upon Eliab. whose countensnce and
height made him conspicuous, he said,
Surely the Lords anointed Is before:
Him" (yersss 9. y. But note the Lords
message. ~ have refused him, for the
Lord seeth not as man seeth. for man
looketh on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looketh on the heart"
What a wore for us to keep In mind
In connection with Cor. /, 26-29! We
will need 1t as long as we continue In
these mortal bedies-not the outward
Of form or figure. of height or coun-
tenance. Of eloquence or oratory. or
anything that the merely natural man
Is apt 70 consider, but the attitude OF
the heart toward God They said Of
the great apostle Paul that while his
letters were weighty and powerful.
his bodily presence was weak and his
speech contempible III Cor. x. lOl
As the seven sons passed before Sam
uel the word came again and again.
1.-THE Lord hath not chosen this" What
a great and comforting truth it is that
when a sinner comes to Christ for sal
vation no one is ever refused. reject
ed or cast out! John vi, 37.)
Samuel is perplexed. for the Lord
had said that He had provided a king
from among the sons Of Jesse. SO he
asks if all are here and Is informed
that the youngest keepeth the sheep
at home. Everything stopped till he
was sent for. and as he came the Lord
said to Samuel. Arise, anoint him.
for this is he" (verse 12). He. too, had
a beautiful countenance, so that need
not be hindrance. but he had heart
that was right with God back OF It,
lily heart rejoices in this story Of the
boy who was left at bcme when all
the rest went to meet the prophet be-
ing the one whom God had chosen.
Rest assured, o young man or young
woman, that if your heart is right with
God the one thing to do is just what
you are now doing, whether 1t be help
ing mother In the home or father on
the farm or in the store or Office or
workshop. and when the Lord wants
you elsewhere He Will n:Iistakably
COLL Won Rnn not before Him He