Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-08-26
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson IX.-Third Quarter, For
Aug. 80, 1908.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, ! Sam. xvi, 17-25.
Memory Verse, 2f-GoIden Text, Luke
vi, 27-oommentary Prepared by Rev.
d. M Staarns

D. M. Stearrs.
Copyright, 1908, by American Press Association.
David is still fleeing for his Life
from SAUL for Saul sought him every
day and said, "If he be in the land
will search him out throughout all the
thousands Of Judah" (xxiii, a. 23), but
God delivered him not into his hand
On one occasion Saul and his men
compassed David and his men round
about to take them, but just then a
messenger came to Saul saying, Haste
thee and come, for the Philistines have
invaded the land" so Saul returned
from pursuing David (xxiii, 20, 20.
After the parting of David and iona
than, as recorded in last weeks lesson,
there followed that incident to which
our Lord referred in Matt. xii, 3, when
He said, "Have ye not read what
David did when he was an hungered,
and they that were with him" These
lessons were therefore a familiar por-
ton to our Lord, as were all the Scrip
lures, which He loved to unfold to His
disciples. That day at Mob the devil
| was on hand In the person of Doeg the
Edomite, Saul's chief herdman, and he
became the murderer of eighty-five
priests, besides other men and women
and children, by the command Of Saul
xxi, Is, 19. Abiathar, one of the
priests, escaped and fed to David and
told him the sad tale, leading David
to feel that he was guilty Of the death
of all those people. 1t was then that
David uttered those memorable words
to Abiathar, "Abide thou with me;
fear not, for he that seeketh my life
seeketh thy life, but with me thou
shalt be in safeguard (xIii, 23).
When we think Of the slaughter Of
these priests Of the Lord the massacre
Of the babes at Bethlehem and the
martyrs in all ages, we are simply
dumb, yet tempted to ask, Where is
the love Of God in all this? Then we
remember that He said to his dis
ciples, Fear not them which kill the
body, but are not able to kill the soul"
Matt <, 2Sl, and He has also taught
us that Ito die is gain" so that some
day we shall see that all this work Of
the devil brought no real harm to these
martyred ones, but only gain. We
cannot see it now, but we can believe
it, and believing is seeing-faith is the |
eye of the soul. The story of today's |
lesson does not tell us Of the first time |
that David had Saul In his power See
In chapter xiv how completely David
had him and how easily he might have
disposed of him, but he refrained, say
ing, II will not put forth my hand
against my lord, for He is the Lords
anOinted" (xxiv, 10. He simply cut
off the skirt Of Saul's robe privily that
he might afterward show him how he
had him in his power and if possible
make him ashamed Of himself and Of
his folly. He succeeded for time and
in some measure, as we learn from
ter. But, as we said In a previous les
son, no reliance can be placed upon
such a man possessed with such an
evil spirit, and now he is again pur-
suing him with 1900 chosen men
(xxvi, l. p. and again God puts Saul
in David's power and causes a deep
sleep to come upon Saul and his men
while David and Abishai David's SIS
ters SOM came by night and took the
spear and the cruise of water from
Sauls bolster, and none of Saurs men
saw 1t nor knew 1t nor awaked be-
cause Of that deep sleep from the Lord.
1t must have been a sleep from the
Lord which held the guard TO whom
Peter was chained that night of his
deliverance by the angel (Acts xii, g..
When Abishai urged David to take ad-
vantage Of his opportunity and let him
smite Saul to the earth, promising that
one thrust would do the work. David
again refused to stretch forth his
hand against the Lords anointed, say
Ing, "As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall
smite him, or his day shall come to
die, or he shall descend into battle and
perish" Verse 10). He would leave
his enemy wholly to God and keep his
hands off. 1t is possible for us to COM
NIT our way and our works and all
people and things so wholly to God
and so leave them there that we can
dwell In God and see Him only.
When David had put good distance
between Saul and himself he cried
out to Abner, the captain Of Saul's
host, and told him what q valiant man
he was and how well he had cared for
his master Saul recognized David's
voice. David replied to him, asking If !
It was God or man who had so stirred .
him against him, comparing himself to
flea and partridge, as he had for o
nerly to dead dog and a flea (verse
)enitent again, confessed that he had q
erred and played the fool and sinned
Ind asked David to return, assuring
him that he would no more do him
larm. David asked him to send for
lis spear, reminded him again how he
lad spared his life and appealed to the o
Iord to render to every man His q
righteousness and faithfulness. Note e
)avid's habit Of continually inquiring
# the Lord (xxiii, 2. 4, 9-12) and see y
Prov. iii, 8, 8; in chapter XIV the U
leath Of Samuel, and the story Of Abb D
;ail, good and beautiful, and her fool .
sh, drunken husband. See her kind d
words Of encouragement to David
verses 28-3D and note particularly d
hese: THE soul Of my Lord shall be G
'ound in the bundle of life with the
ord thy God" Appropriate this to
ourself.