The Yale expositor., 1908-09-04
Saul and Jonathan
Slain in Battle
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 6. 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT Samuel chapter 81.
Memory verse g.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Prepare &c meet thy
God. Amos Alp.
THE ERA.-The close of .he first
reign of United Israel. The dawn of
new era.
TIME-B. C. 1866 Ussher. in margin
of our Bibles). b. c. 1927 in Revised Chro-
nology
PLACE.-On the northern slopes OF
Mount Gilboa were encamped the army
of Saul: tue Philistne army at Shunem
The valley of Jezreel lay between them
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Saul and the Witch of Endor.-Saul,
brave as he was. felt a deep depres-
sion of spirit Why? 1t was not so
much the numbers and battle array OF
the invading army, as his feeling OF
guilt and of loss OF the favor OF God.
There is nothing so weakening and
depressing as guilty conscience.
Saul made every effort to obtain the
favor and aid of Jehovah, except the
only one that could have been sue
cessful; complete repentance OF sin
and turning with his whole heart to
God Like the king In Hamlet, he
could not try what repentance could
do because he would not repent
His last resort was to find sorcer-
ess or WITCH the whole tribe of which
he had driven from his kingdom, be-
cause they led men away from God.
Saul learned that eight or ten miles
away TO the north in some of the re-
mote gorges of Little Hermon, near
Endor, a sorceress had built herself
a cabin, and there in gloom and OBJ
security piled her unholy arts
There are two possible interpreta-
lions:
First. That the woman was inter
rupted and frightened by the unex-
pected actual appearance OF Samuel,
whose voice Saul heard. but whom he
did not see; and that Samuel uttered
the terrible words OF condemnation
against Saul.
Second. That the whole scene was
a deception on the part Of the woman.
She recognized Saul, and was glad of
an opportunity to revenge upon him
the evil he had done TO her race. She
acted astonished, and made Saul think
the prophets mouth only the doom
which seemed probable, and. as Mil
man says, excepting the event OF the
approaching battle. the spirit said
nothing which the living prophet had
not said before repeatedly and pub
licly"
V. /. "And the men of Israel fed
sons, including Jonathan, were slain.
The Philistines drove the people out
of their town and occupied the terri
tory ". y.
"Gibeah, Sauls own city, was
thrown into terror. The royal family
fed for their lives. In the fight the
nurse let fall Mephibosheth, the son
of Jonathan, then child of five
years of age. He was famed for life
q Sam. 4:4. James Sine.
The Death of Saul.-In the general
rout, Saul realized that there was no
way OF escape. He was in despair
His army was gone, his son slain, he
himself was wounded and weak, and
God was not with him. He had
"supped full of horrors.
Finding he could not escape, Saul
took a sword and fell upon it, 90,
the hilt on the ground and the point
az his heart. Thus father and son lay
dead together on the field of battle.
9. and they cut of his head" TIC
send as a trophy and proof of their
victory It was hung in the temple
of Dagon at Ashdod q Chron. 1910.
Stripped off his armor, and sent into
the land . to publish it in the
house of their idols"
A Heroic and Loving Deed.-V. IL.
THE inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead
heard" Jabesh-gilead was a city of
Manasseh, east of the Jordan, about
ten miles across the Jordan valley
from Bethshan. The inhabitants re-
membered the splendid feat of arms
by which King Saul at the very begin
ming of his reign delivered them from
the Ammonites under Nahash, who
agreed to spare them only on condi-
ton of the loss of their right eyes.
The men in grateful memory res
cued these trophies, burned the decay
ing bodies, and gave their bones an
honored burial
What Aids Did Saul Have Toward
a Blessed Life?-Q) He had long pc
riod of home preparation and testing
in little things till his powers were
matured before he was called to sus-
tain the strain OF the court and the
battlefield. CD Saul as king was re-
quired (see Deut. 17:1S-20) to write
out a copy of the law, thus becoming
thoroughly acquainted with II, better
than by almost any other means; and
then he must read therein all the
days of his life" (3) Saul received
special influences of the Holy Spirit
Il Sam. 1850. fitting him for his
great duties. (4) He had the ability
to become warrior and statesman, a
great benefactor of his nation, edu-
eating them in religion, defending
them against enemies, building them
up in prosperity and true success.
What Was the Central Source of
His Failure?-It was a wrong choice.
He would not WELD himself heart and