Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-10-15
David's Kindness to
Jonathan's Son
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. Is, 1908
Spaciallv Arranged for This papey
Specially Arranged for This Paper

one nOthcr.'-Ep 49,.
TIME.-Not far from tho middle OF
David's reign. about the time OF ia" close
Of his wars. frof. Willis J. B"cchcr
thinks that 1T was subsequent to Invid's
great sin and was probably one of the
earliest Of tho fruits ~ his repentance"
ILACE-Divid was ut Jerusalem. Me-
piiboshcth lived near Mahanaim. where
Saul's son fshboshcth. by the aid OF his
general. Abncr. had undertaken to hold
the kingdom during Dnyid'R reign Mt IIe-
bron. II was east OF Ia" Jordan, about
hair way between the Dead Sea and tho
Sea Of GHlilcc.
Comment and %suogcstive Thought.
David's Mind Rcverts to Forgotten
Dutles.-OvcrlOokcd in tn" great pres.
sure Of the duties OF defending and or
ganizing his kingdom and building
them up into material and religious
prosperity.
David had made a league Of friend
ship with Jonathan, Saul's son, which
was to extend to their children. All
the affection his prince had laviShcd
upon David now came back in full tide
TO prompt him to express his apprcciH
ton OF It by kind deeds to SOrn" OF the
Family. lI" had also loved Saul him
self. AS far as Saul was concerned II
was Il noble example of doing good to
enemies, according to the pr"ccpt of
Prov. 1921. 22 and Rom IL: 1921
saul had several times tried to XIII
David; he had driven him into exile,
and hunted him from place to place.
Thcr" was u long. black chapter OF
wrongs in the past.
He Finds Mrphibosh"th, Son of
Jonathan Iiba, AN officer of the
house of Saul. reported to David that
n son of Jonathan was living in Ia"
home Of Machir In Lod"har, "A place
not far from Mahanaim.
M"phibOShcth, who's" name was or.
i~ginally M"rib baal. "Lord M"ri"
II Chron. S:3i; 9:iOJ. was five years
old g. Sam. 10. when his father Jon
athan and his grandfather Saul wcr"
slain on Mount Gilboa. when III" news
came of their death the buy'H nurH"
took him aud ncd toward ,I"Hr""l, aud
In her haste let him fail. He was 80
injured that he was all his lifc lame In
both feet. Being Ave years old at
Sanls death he must have been ~
or Is years old when David became
king ovcr all Israel. When. therefore,
he came 10 court he must hav" been
80 years old. was married. and had n
little son ". l2). Mcphibpshrih, as
the repr"Scntativ" Of Saul's eldest son,
hUd he p~i"c"d"uc" over Glul'p r'h'
EraudHnns. and Wn3 Sua'n hsil.
Uenev A !cOunts Of N~,phihcpaeG T. 4.
Zee ] ChrOn S:H 10; G:i0iI; 2 Sab.
80; 21:7, lG:li; 9:@l.3O.
Mcphibushrth's Property Restored,
and Himself Brought to the Palace. -
The oriental idea was that all the fam
lily Of II rival claimant to the throne
should be put to death, or removed
from all possibility Of melting AN in.
SlrrcctiOn.
His inheritance from Saul was re-.
stored TO Mcphibush"th. II must have
been considerable. II was placed un.
der Iiba. "A steward, and the revenues
were to be sent 10 his master AT the
court Of David.
Mcphlboshcth was invited To sit AT
III" royal tabl" nH Il part OF Davld's
household. The Syrian missionary.
Rev. William Ewing, says In tho Sun.
day School Times. when two men
eat bread together. this is the desert
sacrament, In" sign and seal Of u Gov
enant Of friendship. n league for nut
tlal protection. This IL so If they cat
but once. Had David only on one Oc-
caslon invited M~cphiboshrth to SIT and
cat with him, h" would ihrnrcfprth
have been known ~ the Kings friend,
to injurc whom would be to provoke
the mOnarch'B vengeance. Iiut n
place continually at the royal table
declared a relationship OF Il deeper
and stronger kind. he who eats con.
%tinually' at an Arabs board has
passed the conditions of mere guest
or FRIEND and IL acknowledged IA
Identified with Ia" family In all lts
manifold interests. David thus devised
right liberal things for rhc unforiu,
nate son OF the beloved comrade OF
other days"
Like David, We ar" not TO walt til
the needy come To ~, but we are to
search for any "" can help; canvass
on field, and find out who can he IN.
vited TO eat the bread Of life cOntini.
ally with us In our class.
We should organize and train our
class TO go into the highway AMI
hedges II need be. and bring others m
to enjoy the good things of the Bible
with them.
No m should be- too busy 10 do
acts Of kindness to individuals, and
to pay by kindnesS the debts OF love.