The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-29
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR AUGUST 2.
Subject: David Amounted at Bethle.
hem. I Samuel 16:1-13-Golden
Text, 1 Sam. 16:7-Commit
Verses II, 12-Read CHAPTER 16.

oucJSSt. 1Jdtlu hloIltCu at IStliS'
hem. I Samuel 16:1-13-Golden
Text, 1 Sam. 16:7-Commi!
Verses II, 12-Read Chapter 16.
TNIE.-1063 E. C. PLACE.
Bethlehem.
EXPOSITION.-I. The LORD hail,
not chosen these, 10. 1t speaks
we'll for the generosity Of Samuel that
he mourned over the fall of Saul ".
-. If he had been like the majority
of men he would have taken a secret
if not an outspoken delight in the
fact that the man for whom they had
in some measure at least rejected
himself turned out so poorly. There;
I told you So" he would have said.
But Samuel was of a nobler mold,
and grief, not exultation, filled his
heart at the folly and ruin of his
rival. But while it was c~ommendable
that he should be grieved at the sin
and consequent rejection Of Saul, 1t
was not right that he should spend
his time in idle mourning. God had
rejected him from being king over
Israeli" another king must be sought
out and consecrated to fill his place.
God does not wish us to be crushed
by the sins of the world and so to
spend our time in morbid and useless
lamentations over them, but to rise
and go forward to the duties, however
d~isagreeable, that these sins entail
upon us. Saul was a king that God
had provided for the people (ch.
9:16)-a king according to their
choice Il Sam. 1919; David was a
king whom God had provided for
(ch. 1919. Little by little God dis
closes His purposes to His servant
Samuel. In chapter 1914 He shows
him that He has sought out and ap-
pointed this king. In the first verse
of this chapter He tells Samuel that
this king is a son of Jesse, but not
until the twelfth verse does He point
out which son of Jesse. Hundreds Of
years before it had been prophesied
that the sceptre should fall to judah
(Gen. 49:10). Samuel, for all his ex-
%cellencies of character, was human
and fallible. Like so many others in
the Bible eek. 3:11; ALTO; Jer.
LIS, g. and out of the Bible, to whom
God has said Co.. he hesit Il to
undertake the work for whicL. God
had commissioned him for fear of
the consequences ". p. When God
says, Co." we ought not to reply,
How can -" but to start and go,
and leave God to settle the how"
IF Saul hear it, he will kill me-"
The fear of man" brought "a snare"
TO Samuel in this instance prov.
29:25). And how foolish that fear
was. How could Saul OF anybof lse
kill a man who had a work to w for
God? Did the Lord bid Samuel to-
tell a lie to secure his safety? Tvs. 2,
81. Not at all; the Lord is never put
10 such straits as that; and it augurs
4 lack Of faith in God when we resort
to falsehood or indirection to secure
our ends. God simply refused to
argue with Samuel the question of
his going, and again bids him go, and
tells him what to say and that at the
proper time He will show him what
to do. What Samuel was hidden to
tell was the exact truth as far as it
went. We are under obligations to
tell the exact truth, ever to our enc
mics, if We tell anything, but we are
not under obligation to tell all we
know. This is the way in which God
frequently guides His SERVANTS
step at a time. Notice how each step
is marked out by the phrase, the
Lord said" oversees 1, 2, 7, 12). Are
we also taking each step according to
the word Of the Lord? 1t is blessed
to walk this way. We, too, can go
on knowing that the Lord will show
us what we shall do day by day, hour
by hour, and moment by moment.
Samuel was allowed no discretion
whatever in the matter ". 81. He
was simply to listen to the voice OF
named. David was wholly Gods
choice. Note the difference in the
language about the amounting from
that about the amounting of Saul (ch.
$3.50. "Anoint, unto Me-" God says
about David. "Anoint to be a prince
ove My people," He says about Saul.
Samuel's hesitation about doing the
Lords will was not of long duration.
He lays aside his fears and his regrets
owe Saul's disposal and goes and does
as he Is hidden. Did not Samuel's
readiness to obey God, so often exhib-
tied. comp. verse 49,, have some
thing to do with that power in prayer
for which he became famous IL John
3:22)? He looked on E,liab, and
said, surely the Lords anointed is be-
fore him" But he did not act upon
his natural judgment, but waited for
the voice of the Lord and that soon
set him right. 1t matters little how
men see us, it matters everything how
God sees us. A pure heart is all that
counts with God. That wins His
favor Matt. $50. Dress counts for
nothing Il Pet. 3:3, ~. Learning,
worldly wisdom, power, count fol
nothing IL Cor. ~1:26-2S), profession
counts for nothing Matt. 7:21).
ii. Arise, anoint him, lib.
David, like so many others God
called, was attending faithfully to his
humble work when God called him
(cf. Matt. 1929. One by one the
sons of Jesse had passed by until the
seven had passed, and Samuel waits
patiently for Gods voice and says OF
each, Neither hath the Lord chosen
this" and at last his patience is re.
warded. The voice comes, arise.
aniont him: for this is he." David
was not qualified FOR the kingshir
until the Spirit actually came. Neither
are we qualified for service until we
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