The Tupelo journal., 1908-07-24
SAUL REJECTED
BY THE LORD
Sunday School Lesson Tor July rs. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper


LESSON TEXT. - 1 Samuel 15:13-2s.
Memory Verse, %.
GOLDEN TEXT.-''The Lord our God
will we serve. and his voice will We obey
Joshua PAPA.
TIME-About 1919 B. c. CUssher), about
rs years after Saul began to reign. The
Revised Chronologies place 1t later.
PLACE.-Gilgal in the Jordan valley.
Both reflections We're at this place. Sauls
capital was Gibeah of Benjamin, five or
six miles north of Jerusalem. The re-
iigious center was at Shiloh, Is miles
north of Jerusalem.
PERSONS.-Samuel at Ramah, over so
years of age. Saul holding court at Gil,
beah, about so years old. Jonathan
SauFs son, a young prince, able to go to
war.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
In our last lesson we left Saul we'll
established OF his throne, with a wise
counsellor in Samuel. Several years
were spent in organizing the army, ar
ranging the government, in resisting
the Entertainments of the Philistines,
and in various victorious campaigns in
s~elf-defense against the surrounding
nations. Saul showed himself to be a
skillful general, and proved that he
had in him the possibilities of a great
king. Only the warlike Philistines
were able to resist him and his peo-
pie, and these were very troublesome
and oppressive. There are hints of a
royal court, and those kingly %exactions
of which Samuel had forewarned the
people compare 1 Sam. S:11 with /
Sam. 1852.
The Long Waiting.-In their des-
perate circumstances neither king nor
people dared make a move without the
sanction of God. Samuel had agreed
to come within seven days and offer
sacrifices and make known the will of
God. Six days had gone, and the sew
enth day was passing. yet no Samuel
appeared. To a commander like Saul,
who saw his army melting away like
snow in spring, and knew that the
enemy might swoop down upon them
at any hour. like the eagle from his
eyrie, or the wolf upon the fold; that
every moments delay weakened his
W forces and strengthened the en-
emy-such a delay was almost intoler-
able. The temptation was very strong
to be his own priest, to offer the offer
ings, contrary to Gods law and his
agreement with Samuel, and press in
to action. He yielded to the temptation
at the last moment, and offered the
burnt offerings.
The Sudden Appearance of Samuel.
The prophet had delayed his ON
ing probably On purpose to test Saul,
or he may have been unavoidably de-
tanned.
Suddenly he appeared on the scene.
Saul had failed in the hour of trial.
He did not trust God. He openly be-
fore all the people disobeyed a clear
commandment of God. Samuel IN
nounced the consequences to the king.
The kingdom could not continue in his
family, nor reach its highest success
under him. A portion of his posi-
bilities was lost; only 1.-The second
best" remained to him. But he was
not deposed; other opportunities were
open to him. Possibly he might re-
trieve what was lost if he would.
A powerful nomadic tribe roaming
over southern Palestine and the desert
beyond, even as far as Sinai and the
Egyptian frontier-the A~malekites-
were a continual danger to Israel and
to all that Israel stood for in the
progress of the world. Descended. from
Esau's grandson, Amalek, a fierce, In
tamable race of wanderers, Israel's
most harassing and uncomfortable
enemies, these fierce marauders con
stantly lowered on the borders,
swelled the Philistine armies, or fol-
lowed in the rear, like Tartar hordes,
~pillaging and massacring, and as the
Israelites had no cavalry, retreated
without loss to the security of their
deserts"
The Communicates Saul, for the
first time, the nation was strong
enough to assume the aggressive.
Samuel brought a commandment of
the Lord to Saul that he should utter
Iy destroy them and all their posses
SlOuS, DIS OHc "Oulu dCSlloy WIN DCdStS
and poisonous serpents, or any rob-
bers hat were running homes, ravish-
ing wives and daughters, corrupting
morals and religion,
Why was this right?
For the same reason that it Is right
to punish criminals. In all wars, in
all punishments of criminals, their
wives and their children suffer great
ly. 1t is not the fault of the executors
of the law, but the fault of those who
break the law, and bring. all these sor-
rows upon their families.
An Ancient Testimony.-"Such of
the wicked as escape immediate pun
ishment receive, not after a long time,
but during a long time, not a slower,
but a longer punishment. Such an one
is kept in life as in a prison that has
no outlet or mode of escape; yet he
may enjoy frequent feasts, may tran
sact business, may receive presents
and k~indnesses, like the men who play
with. dice, Or at draughts in prison,
with the rope hanging over their
heads."-Plutarch, in The Delay of
Divine Justice"
Practical Points.
Personal Thought.-"The battle of
life is the battle between self-will and
Gods will, and that man is placed
under serious, and oftentimes hopeless.