The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-26
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 6.
Subject: Saul and Jonathan Slain i'm
Battle, 1 Sam. S1-Golden Text,
Amos 4:12|Commit Verse g.
Read Sam. Of. Q Sam, l..

bdlllc, i 0dlts "A"NoAeSA ~NHS
Amos 4:12-Commit Verse g.
Read 1 Sam. %; 2 Sam. 1.
TIME.-1056 B. C. PLACE
Gilboa.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Death Of
Saul and His Sons, 1-6. With this
lesson we come to the end of Sauls
career, so promising in it's beginning,
so gloomy in it's ending. 1t is sadly
and solemnly instructive, as showing
how much a man may have and yet
his life prove an utter failure after
all. He was a goodly young man
there was not among the children OF
Israel a goodlier person than he" Il
Sam. 9:2). His father was a
mighty man Of valor" Il Sam.
9:1). He vas humble Il Sam.
1929, and considerate OF others
(ch. $3.50. But we find him later in
life a monster of pride, arrogance
and self-will (ch. 1S:7-11; 1870;
2%0:30-33; 22:9-19). Here we have
a lesson of how little real worth there
Is in merely natural virtue and now
easily it is transformed into deviltsh
sin. But there was promise In the.
life of Saul for other reasons. Gods.
grace was manifested to- him (ch.
1O:7-9), the Spirit of God came upon
him (ch. 1910; 1850, he undertook
valiant battle against the enemies OF,
the Lord, and won a great victory
(ch. 11). So we see that a man may
know something Of the power OF thes
Spirit, can war to a certain extent in
the energy of the Spirit, and win VIC
tories for God, and yet after all, be-
come an apostate and his earthly life
close in hopeless gloom (Matt. 7:22,
23). Saul seems to have been a strik-
decline was step by step (ch. 1873
IA; CT. ~14:1S-2O). His loss Of the
kingdom was foretold at this first
step away from God. He takes a long
step further downward by positive.
di%sobedience (ch. 15:19-23). With
this false step his rejection from the.
kingdom ia declared in no uncertain
terms. Finally, falling to get any
answer from the Lord about the bat
tie with the Philistines, he turns to-
the devil Och. 2S:6, y, and, this
browning act Of ~apostasy leads to the.
awful judgment and ruin Of u les
son Il Oh. 1913, 14). No matter
how often or how completely Israel
routs the Philistines, the Philistines:
are always sure to gather strength
and renew the attack ". -. The.
Philistines had been effectually sub
dued in the days of Samuel Cen.
7:l3). There was a great victory
under Jonathan (ch. 14). David wins
a great victory (ch. 1889, but in our
lesson the Philistines renew the war;.
And the men of Israel fed" Here
we see a change from the days OF
Samuel and Saul's early days. Then
the enemies Of the Lord fed (ch.
ITO; HID. There Is a return tos
the days of Hophni and Phinehas (ch.
4:10). The explanation is simple.
! Saul had d~isobeyed the Lord; and the.
Lord had forsaken Saul (ch. 1925;
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. It seems.
very sad to think of the noble hearted
Jonathan as involved in the over
throw of his father. But parents al
ways involve their children in the
consequences of their transsressions..
The question arises whether Jonathan
for all his generous friendship for
David and all his faith (ch. 1850.
was faultless in the matter. He knew
that his father was rejected and
David chosen Of the Lord (ch. 23:1T..
Ought he not to have broken with
Saul and gone to David without the
camp bearing his reproach?" Heb
1919. He came to David as Nico-
demus to Jesus, under the cover Of
secrecy Zen. 23:16). So he lost his
place of service, as the secret DISCIPLE
however loyal he may be at heart
always does e Cor. 6:15-1S). What
an inglorious ending to what might
have been a glorious life ". ~.
Ii. The Triumph Of the Philistines.
40. This is what came OF asking a.
visible king instead of God (ch.
12:12). 1t was all very joyful at first.
(ch. lila, 15), but the arm Of flesh,
soon failed them. 1t will always be
thus. Those who look to mar rather
than God for help, will always end by
being cursed Ger. 17:5, g.. God let
them have their king that they might
learn their folly by bitter experience.
They cut off his head, and stripped
off his armor, and they fastened his.
body to the wall of B~eth-shan." From
l Chron. 1910 we learn further that,
they fastened his head in the house
of Dagon." Indignity was added to-
indignity. 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). s..
III. The Gratitude and Valor of
the Men Of Ja~besh-gilcad, lib
Saul had rescued the men Of Jabesh-
gilead from terrible suffering and
shame Och. 11:1-11), and they had
not forgotten it. There is this one
bright spot in the dark record CT his
death. The one act to which the
Spirit of the Lord had inspired him
(ch. 11:6) brought its reward even
in his downfall, but that reward was
simply honor from 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 Nd
pursued with such relentless hate q
Sam. 1:17-2G. David has nothing
but good to say of his fallen foe.
Gave Cup OF Coffee; Gets $4,000.