Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson II.-Fourth Quarter, For
Oct. II, 1908.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, ] chron. xvii, LA.
i Memory Verses, IS, 1+GoIden Text,
Kings viii, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. q. M. Stearns.

copyright. 1905, by American Press Association
Our lesson today has for its topic
the covenant with David concerning
the kingdom, the third unconditional
covenant in Scripture. A covenant
generally has two parties to it, and if
either party fails the matter falls
through. But on three different occa-
sions God promised for His own sake
to do certain things without binding
man TO anything on his part, and be-
cause of His faithfulness these cove
nantS stand. and lisa. xiv, "a, will ap-
ply to each of them, 1.-The Lord Of
Hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as
have thought so shall it come to pass,
and as have purpose so shall it stand"
The first was with Noah concerning
the earth, the second with Abraham
concerning the land and his seed and
this third one with David concerning
the throne and the kingdom, to be es-
tablished forever. That we may look
beyond David and Solomon to the
everlasting kingdom of which God
spake notice Acts IT, 80, where we
learn that David knew that God spake
to Him of the Messiah, who, raised
from the dead, would sit on his throne.
Although our lessons will continue
for a few weeks yet in Samuel, we are
asked to turn to Chronicles for this
lesson. 1t matters little, as III Sam.
vii and Chron. xvii are almost word
for word identical. The two chap
tiers should be carefully compared. A
sentence at the beginning of the Sam
uel chapter should be given special at
tention, 1.-The Lord had given him
rest round about from all his enc
miles," Compare / Chron. xxi, 9, IS;
xiii, %; 1 Kings V, 4; Matt. xi, %, %,
and other verses on the rest and peace
and quietness which the Lord alone
can give, but which He loves to give
to all who truly come to Him. Ps.
xviii should be read carefully, for see
its title. Neither prophets nor apos-
ties have always the mind of the Lord,
but sometimes speak from themselves
their own thoughts, as when the discf-
pies found fault with Mary OF Beth
any. See also Jer. xiii, 10, IL, 81,
%, etc. Preachers are often tempted
to agree with those to whom they are
indebted for favors or position. Ma
than's do all that is in thine heart,
for God is with thee" was not of God,
for that same night a different mes
sage came from God to Nathan for Da-
vid, and that message is our lesson
portion. Both David and Nathan were
truly the Lords servants, but even
such need to remember lisa. ". 8, 8.
The thought of habitation on earth
for God is seen in Elk. XIV, 2, and is
Endorsed by God in Elk. XIV, 8, but He
had been content to dwell in a tent
among them and had not yet spoken
OF any more permanent dwelling. The
time for such had not fully come, but
later we shall see that He gave to
David by His Spirit the plans for the
temple and permitted him to provide
very largely for it q Chron. xviii, IL,
u, 10; xxx, 1-S). In the Lords service
all must be of Him-time. place. cir
cumstances, provision, ALL We need
to remember in what condition He
found us and to what He had raised
US and His purpose concerning us in
order that we may walk worthy Of
Him (veTSes 10; see also Ps. xl, 1-3;
Eph. ii, 40; V, /, 2; Rom. xii, 1, p.
The words in verse of our lesson
concerning the place and the planting
point us onward to the one thing that
God says He will do with all His heart
and soul at the time of the kingdom
Ger. xxxii, ~. See also the quietness
and assurance that shall be forever
when He doeth this Qsa. xxxii, II, 49,.
We have seen at the beginning of our
lesson that the seed of David here
spoken of was not Solomon, but Jesus
Christ raised from the dead, for only
an immortal man could reign forever.
See Rom. i, IA; Rev. V, 3. 6; xxi. 16.
The saying in III Sam. vii, IA, IF he
commit iniquity," is perplexing as it
reads in our version for we know that
Jesus knew no sin and did no sin and
there was no sin in Him, but there
is good authority for this reading of
that sentence, when iniquity shall
be laid upon Him." and that makes
all clear, for we know that our iniqui-
ties were laid upon Him, and He bare
our sins in His own body on the tree.
But, while receiving all possible COM
fort concerning our own individual sal
walton from the great truths concern
ing Him and His suffering in our
stead. we must never forget that He
suffered also as Israel's Messiah and
that through Israel as 4 nation when
converted it is the purpose Of the Lord
to bless III nations. Read Ps. xvii in
that light AMI alI is clear.
We can take individual comfort from
much Of Isa. uii ana xii and similar
portions. and yet the former viii be
peculiarly Israers national confession
and the latter their national anthem
when the Kingdom comes. As David
hears of the kingdom ana his seed to
sit on his throne forever he is inn