The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-09-01

/
Battle, Sam. S1-Golden Text,
Amos 4:12-Commit Verse c.
Read 4 Sam. ~; 2 Sam. 1.
TIME 1O5s B. 6. PLACE.
Gilboa
EXPOSITION.-I. The Death of
Saul and His Sons, 1-6. With this
| lesson we come to the end of SauPs
career, so promising in its beginning,
so gloomy in its ending. 1t is sadly
and solemnly, instructive, as showing
how much man may have and yet
| his life prove an utter failure after.
all He was goodly young man
| there was not among the children of
! Israel a goodlier person than he" L
! Sam. 9:2l. His father was a
mighty man of valor" q Sam.
/ 9:1). He was humble q Sam.
! 10:22), and considerate of others
| (ch. 9:5). But we find him later in
life a monster of pride, arrogance
/ and self-will Och. 18TH: 19:10;i4
| 20:30-33; 22:9-19). Here we have
| lesson of how little real worth there
| Is in merely natural virtue and how
easily it is transformed into devilish
sin. But there was promise in the
life of Saul for other reasons. Gods
grace was manifested to him (ch.,
/ 10:7-9), the Spirit of God came upon
him (ch. 1910; 11:6), he undertook
valiant battle against the enemies of
/ the Lord, and won great victory
| Och. III. So we see that man may
know something of the power of the
| Spirit, can war to certain extent ini
| the energy of the Spirit, and win vic-'
| tories for God, and yet after all, be-;
! come an apostate and his earthly lifel
| close in hopeless gloom (Matt. 7:22,l
! 23) Saul seems to have been strik-'
ing illustration of such an one. His,
| decline was step by step (ch. 1875
| IA; CT. 14:18-20). His loss OF the
kingdom was foretold at this first.
step away from God. He takes a long
step further downward by positive
| disobedience (ch. 15:19-23). With
| this false step his rejection from the
| kingdom is declared in no uncertain
| terms. Finally, failing to get any;
answer from the Lord about the bat
! tie with the Philistines, he turns to!
| the devil (ch. 1876, ~, and this
GROWING act of apostasy leads to the,
| awful Judgment and ruin of our les
son q Oh. 10:13, 14). No matter
| how often or how completely Israel
| routs the Philistines, the Philistines,
are always sure to gather strength
and renew the attack (v. -. The
! Philistines had been effectually sub
dued in the days of Samuel Och.
7:1S). There was great victory
under Jonathan (ch. LAD. David wins
great victory Och. 1852, but in our
lesson the Philistines renew the war.
"And the men of Israel fed" Here
we see change from the days OF
Samuel and Sauls early days. Then
the enemies of the Lord fed ten.
7:10; Held. There is a return to
the days of Hophni and Phinehas (ch.
/ 4:10). The explanation is simple.
/ Saul had disobeyed the Lord; and the
Lord had forsaken Saul Och. 1912;
! 2S:15-19). However nightly the
Lord might have helped us in times.
past, if we disobey Him and He for
sake us, our power will be gone and
defeat and shame certain. 1t seems
very sad to think of the noble hearted
Jonathan as involved in the over
throw of his father But parents all
ways involve their children in the.
consequences of their transgressions.
/ The question arises whether Jonathan
for all his generous friendship for
David and all his faith (ch. 14:6)
was faultless in the matter. He knew
that his father was rejected and
! David chosen of the Lord (ch. 23:17).
Ought he not to have broken with
Saul and gone to David without the.
camp bearing his reproach?" Heb.
i 1919. He came to David as Nico-
demus to Jesus, under the cover of
secrecy (ch. 23:16). So he lost his
! place of service, as the secret disciple,
however loyal he maybe at heart,
always does e Cor. 6:15-1S). What
an inglorious ending to what might
have been a glorious life (v. A..
III. The Triumph of the Philistines,
7-1O. This is what came of asking q
visible king instead of God (ch.-
1870. 1t was all very joyful at first
(ch. 11:14, 15), but the arm of flesh
soon failed them. 1t will always be
thus. Those who look to man rather
than God for help, will always end by
being cursed (Jer. 17:5, g.. God let
them have their king that they might
learn their folly by bitter experiences.
They cut off his head, and stripped
OF his armor, and they fastened his
body to the wall of Beth-shan.' From
Chron. 1910 we learn further that
they fastened his head in the house
of Dagon." Indignity was added to
lndignity. The world rejoices In moth
ing so much as in the downfall of
one who has been a servant of God
(cf, Ju. 16:21-25).
III. Ine OraUItude and VaIOr of
the Men of Jabesh-gilead, Ills.
Saul had rescued the men of Jabesh-
gilead from terrible suffering and
shame (ch. 1l:1-11), and they had
not forgotten it, There is this one
bright spot in the dark record of his
death. The one act to which the
Spirit of the Lord had inspired him
lch. 1850 brought its reward even
In his downfall, but that reward was
simply honor from man. That was
all he sought. That was all he got
Matt. 6:2). But the most touching
and lasting tribute to the memory Of
Saul was that of David, whom he had
pursued with such relentless hate (2
Sam. F:17-27). David has nothing \
but good to say of his fallen foe.
Melons Unset Verdict -