The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-29
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. 4, 1903.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Tex. of the Lesson, II Sam. vi, 1-12.
Memory Verse, 12-Golden Text, Pc.
c, 4commentary Prepared by Rcv.
D. M. Stearns.
Copyright. 1905, BY American Press Association.l
Throughout the whCle, of the scrip
lures there is no way Of reconciliation
to God revealed but by the great sacr-
fee on Golgotha. preGgured in every
true sacrifice from Eden onward. This
redemption is to the end that the
redeemed may serve Him, the only liv-
ing and true Cod in truth with all the
heart, proving in the daily life the
good and acceptable and perfect will.
of God q Sam. xii. "a; Thess, i, 9. 10;
Rom. xii, /, - 1t is for God and for
Him alone to appoint to each one his
place and his service. ito every man
his work." and it is the privilege Of
each one to dwell with the King for
His work" (Eph. ii, 10: Mark Kill. 81;
/ Chron. iv, 23). The redemption is
wholly His own; so are also the works
for us to walk in and the way i'll
which the work is to be done The
work of the Lord can be done only
by the redeemed Of the Lord, and in
His own appointed way. There never
lived on this earth but one who al
ways thought Gods thoughts and did
Gods work in Gods way without
fail, and He who was truly Son or
God and Son of man is wondrously
typified in the ark Of the covenant OF
the Lord Of all the earth, which is
mentioned fourteen times in this les
son chapter.
When God redeemed Israel from the
bondage of Egypt that they might
serve Him. He gave them His holy
law from Sinai, which they promised
to keep. but while Moses was up in
the mount with God receiving the law
written on tables Of stone. absent
scarcely six weeks, they broke the
whole law t.Jas. II. 10) ny breaking the
first commandment Then Moses. re.
turning from God. seeing their sin. as
q striking object lesson threw down
the tables and broke them. God re-
called Moses. ard, having written the
same words on tables which Moses
had made. He commanded him TO
make an ark according to the exact
pattern which He showed him and i'll
it put the law and keep it there.
So the ark of the covenant made or
incorruptible wood and pure gold. typi-
flying the pure humanity and the real
divinity of Christ. kept the holy law
which sinful Israel could not keep.
Christ alone could say. Il delight to
do Thy will. O my God--yea, thy law
is within my heart" (Ps. xl. 8: Heb.
x, 7-10y. AS the ark was made TO keep
the holy law, the tabernacle was made
with the holy Of holies specially for
the ark. and there in the holicst OF all
God dwclt in the midst Of His people
over the mercy seat or lid OF the ark,
between the cherubim (Ex. XIV. s, :2,2'.
The tabernacle. after all its wilder
ness journeyinys. found Il resting place
when Israel entered the promised
land and in the days Of Samuel was
eocated at Shiloh q Sam. |, S;-iv. y.
But when Israel, relying upon the ark
rather than the Lord, took 1t to battle
with them il was taken captive by
them and never seems to have been re-
turned to the tabernacle. The Philis-
tines, being plagued by the Lord be-
cause Of the >ark. for a sinful people
cannot tolerate the Lords presence
apart from sacrifice. returned the ARK
to Israel on new cart drawn by two
milk COWS. the Lord guiding the COWS
to Bethshcmesh where over 10000 died
because they looked into the ark. for
the law apart from The mercy seat
can bring only death. The ark then
passed OH TO kirjath-jglrim where
for long years it continued in the house
Of Abinadab on the hill q Sam. VII,
/. q. Now that David was established
in his kingdom QI Sam. V, 12) one OF
his first thoughts was place for the
ark of the covenant at Jerusalem, and
this was well and as it ought 10 be.
but now we have a sample OF thing
that is very common in the church to-
day, the Lords work, or what pro-
fesses to be the Lords work. carried
on in worldly ways. David knew that
the ark should be carried only on the
shoulders of the LerlteS. holy men
set apart for that purpose; yet, instead
of inquiring Of the Lord. as was his
usual custom, be consulted with his
captains and leaders and, adopting the
Philistine method. had n new cart
made. on which they started to bring
up the ark q Chron. XIV. 2; Kill. -.
Then came trouble. The oxen Stun
bed; Uzzah. attempting to steady the
ark, died; David was dlspleased with
God. aud the ark was placed in the
house Of Obed-edom. where 1t contin-
ued three months. bringing blessing
to his household oversees IL, l2,. Then
David, realizing that the fault was
his and that on the previous occasion
they had not sought the Lord after
the due order. had the priests and
Levifes sancttied to bring up the ark
of the Lord God Of Israel, and they
bore It on their shoulders. rs Moses
commanded, according to the word OF