Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-05
Sunday School Lesson for September Discussed
by Rev. ]. E. Gilbert, D. D., Secretary
American Society of Religious Education.
SAUL AND JONATHAN SLAIN. I Samuel xxi LA.

CONNECTION.-Leav the wilder
ness of Ziph after his deliverance from
Saul. David retired to Gath, where he
found favor with the king and his people
Saul. although true to his pledge with
David. declined more and more from the
service Of God and resorted to various eX-
pedients to prevent his utter downfall.
Among these was a visit to the witch of
E.ndor. from whom he learned of his fate.
Thereafter the .ima.ek!:es and the Philis-
tines learning the deplOrab!e condition of
the land. broke forth into war and over
ran large sections. Then came oppor-
tunity for the service OF David. who at
tackled aud routed the former of these
tribes and brought deliveranca TO dis
tressed people. While these splendid sue
cesses were achieved Saul attacked the
marauding Philistines, who appeared in
force and who had long been the chief en-
envy Of Israel These warlike people. re-
siding in the southwest of Canaan. adj
vanced in a northeasterly direction 10
meet Saul and his army. The sequel APP
pears in the lesson Of the day.
DEFEAT Verse n.-Saurs army
could not resist the progress Of the Phil
istines. The ancient valor that had shed
such luster on Joshua and Gideon was
gone. The heroic and God-fearing leader
ship of Other days was wanting. Routed
from one position, they retreAted to an
other. Thus they crossed the territory of
Benjamin. OF Dan. of Ephraim. and pene-
trated into the land of Manasseh, the vic
torious foe pressing constantly upon their
rear. 1t seemed ii Israel would be ut
terly subjugated. its military power
broken and the land returned to its orig
inal owners At last near Gilboa. in the
famed for many exploits in war, stand
was made. The purpose was TO check the
invaders and by one desperate struggle to
turn them backward from their onward
march. But the battle, a fierce engage
ment. went against the Israelites. many
of whom were slain and others of them
fed, a scattered and demoralized force,
not to be rallied again.
SLAUGHTER tVerses 2-3).-There
was terrible loss of life that Gay. The
Gead and the wounded left on the field
told how great mad been the sanguinary
struggle Israel had staked all and lost
all. Not only the rank and file. the COM
mon sohiery. but the officers and the
king himself had fallen. There was JON
athan. the true friend Of David Il Sam.
xviii:n, slain, dead, sacrificed by his
fathers folly. There were also his two
brothers. Abindab and Milchishua, strick-
en- down by the foe. Thus In one day all
the heirs Of the throne. the objects of a
fathers love. upon whom his hopes were
fixed. were gone. And the bereaved king
himself was mortally wounded. The arch
ers had singled him out and had sent
their death-dealing arrows with sure aim
to do their work. Few cases have been
recorded in history when an army has
been routed. its commander attacked and
those near to him have fallen. The bat
tie Of Gilboa must be remembered as an
Incompatible defeat.
that his condition was hopeless. His
army was defeated, many of the soldiers
dead. the remainder scattered. His sons
were no more. He was unable to defend
himself in his enfeebled state. The ap-
preaching Philistines, according to the
cruel method Of war practiced in those
days, would proceed with acts Of torture,
and he must suffer not only the pain but
the indignities that would be heaped upon
him. He resolved to put an end to his
miserable existence. and called his armor
bearer to thrust him through with his
sword AS that officer refused. the king
fell upon his own sword and expired by
his own hand. Seeing the fate of his
master and beholding the approach of the
Philistines. the armor bearer took his own
life by the same method. In those days
1t was considered more honorable to COM
nit suicide than to be killed by an en-
envy. There was a popular superstition
that invested the latter's act with ter
ror that did not belong to the former.
Self-destruction was held to be manly
way of ending the earthly life in times Of
peril.
POSSESSION Verse .. Sauls
army was in two parts-those who be-
longed to tribes west Of the Jordan and
those of the tribes east of the Jordan, a
division observed in the time Of the con-
quest Josh. i:15), In the battle Of Giiboa
probably the fighting had been done chief
~ by the western men, the others being
held as a reserve force. When 1t was
observed that the Philistines were victo-
rious and that Saul and his sons were
dead the eastern men fled, crossed the
Jordan and returned home. That left the
country in full and undisturbed possession
of the Philistines, the army having been
annihilated and no one remaining to dis
pute their occupation. Even some of the
people who had not been in the conflict
Joined the fugitives and crossed the Jor-
dan with them. Thus by this decisive
engagement the monarchy of Saul was
overthrown, the government OF Israel lay
in ruins, the old enemy had come up into
the cities in the very heart of the land.
Never was a conquest more complete. 1t
was from such a depth that David came
forward shortly after to deliver his peo-
pie and re-establish the kingdom.
TROPHIES Oversees S-10.-It was be-
lieved by the ancients that every nation
was under the protection of some deity.
and that in all wars the deities measured
their strength; that accordingly victory