The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-10-13
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5Sa7oosl-5 School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR OCTOBER is.


Text, Eph. 4 81 Commit Verse 4
Read Sam. 10 ia; 10:24-3O.
PLACE. ~ Jerusalem. TIME
1910 B. G.
EXPOSITION. - I. Mephibosheth
In Lodebar, 1-6. Now that David is
securely settled on the throne, he be-
gins to think of his dearest friend of
the days of his trial-Jonathan The
house of Saul as a whole had been his
bitterest enemies, but he will show
them kindness for Jonathan's sake.
The sinner is bitter enemy to God
(Rom. ST.. Jas. 4:4), but God loves
the sinner and will search him out
and show him kindness for Jesus
sake. The house of Saul had suHken
from its former greatness into such
obscurity that it took some time OF
searching to find one of the house
hold A former servant of the house
Of Saul was better known than his
children or grandchildren. The kind
ness that David desired to show to
some of the house of Saul was 'the
kindness of God" unmerited kindness
and great kindness. AS God had
shown kindness to David. so David
would show kindness to his enemies.
sinner; he was lame on his feet
and so is the sinner, unable to walk
uprightly in the paths of righteous
ness, constantly stumbling and fall
ing; and he lived in Lodebar (which
means, mo pasture"), and the sinner
Is without pasture, starving God has
made the human soul on so large a
plan that nothing can satisfy it but
God Himself. We may fiatter our
selves that il we have much goods
laid up for many years, our souls can
take their ease, eat, drink and be
merry" duke 12:19), but the human
soul that drinks of any other welf
than that to which Jesus invites him
will thirst again John ABB 1t is
only when he drinks of the water that
Jesus gives that he never thirsts, but
whosoever drinks of the water that
Jesus gives shall never thirst and It
will be in him well of water spring
ing mp into everlasting life John
4:F4) Away from God there is no
pasture, but when we return to God
and He becomes our Shepherd He
makes us to lie down in green pas
lures and leads us beside the waters
Of rest and redemption Cps. 1872,
R. ", margin). Our David not
merely sends for US. He comes
for us (Luke 19;10), and when
He finds us He reioices over us,
lays us on His shoulder and brings
us safely home (Luke 15:5-0 How
foolish Mephibosheth would have
been if when the king sent for him,
ne had refused to go with the messen-
gers, and how foolish the sinner is
when the King of kings sends for him
through His messenger, the Holy
Shirt, if he refuses to leave the land
Of mo pasture" and the house Of
bondage. to go to the King and re-
ceive the reward of the faithful
TT. Mephibosheth at the Kings
Fable. 7-13. When Mephibosheth
came into the presence of the king he
was full of fear in spite of the pur-
poses of love that the king had ex-
pressed ". 81. So the sinner is full
Of fear when he draws nigh to God,
though Gods purposes, revealed over
and over again, are purposes of in
finite love. To trembling Mephibo-
sheth David said, "Fear not" and TO
the trembling sinner God saws, "Fear
not" Gs Al: 1913: 43:1,2,51 There
Is scarcely anything God says more
frequently in His Word than Fear
not" David gave Mephibosneti good
reason for not fearing, namely IT will
surely show thee kindness for Jona-
than's, thy fathers, sake" God gives
us even better reason for putting
fear from us, because He will show
us kindness for His only begotten
Sons sake from. 1892; John 1413,
IA; 2 Cor. sgd David not only
promised to restore all the land to
Saul. his father, but Furthermore that
Mephibosheth should eat at his own
table continually, and this is what
God invites us to do. No earthly
kings table was ever so bountifully
spread as the table of the great King
to which He invites every sinner to
sit down and to eat there continually.
David's kindness filled Mephibosheth
with sense of his own utter un-
worthiness ". 81. He regarded HIM
self as only dead dog. When we
see ourselves in the light of Gods In
finite grace, we too will see that we
are no better than dead dogs in our
selves, but by the grace of God we
become children of God John 1:12l.
David sought to relieve Mephibosheth
Of all care by laying all responsibility
for looking after his large property
upon Ziba, the servant. Ziba himself
had fifteen sons and twenty servants,
but he in turn whs to be servant to
Mephibosheth. God provides us with
mightier servants yet, servants of no
less dignity than the angels (Heb.
1918, 14). Mephibosheth was not
only to eat at the kings table, but he
was to eat there as one of the kings
sons. We sic down at Gods table
not as guests, but as a child (Rom.
S:15, 17(. The lesson closes with