The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-07-10
SAUL CHOSEN
KING
Sunday School Lesson for July IL. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper


men must be just ruling in the fear of
- Sam. 1913.
TIME.-Immediately following the last
lesson, B. C. about 1884 Ussher).
COUNTRY. Southern Ephraim and
Benjamin. 1 Sam. ga; 9:1.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
pr, Newman, one Of the subtlest and
acutest OF preachers, latter attempting
three times to preach on Saul, is com
PEELED to confess that Sauls character
continues to be obscure to him, and
he warns us that we must be exceed
ingly cautious while considering Saul's
so obscure character" And yet the
story is truer mirror of human ma
ture.
His Native Pride.-He belonged to
one of the smallest tribes, at one time
nearly extinct Judges 20), but sit
uated between the two greatest d.
visions, Ephraim and Judah, which
facts removed all grounds of jealousy.
His rejection by some, even after his
election Il Sam. 10:2O, shows how
great the danger was, especially from
Ephriam or Judah, the rival tribes.
His Personal Fitness.-Saul was
choice young man in the height of his
personal attractions for a leader.
There was not among the children OF
Israel goodier person than he; from
his shoulders upward he was higher
than any of the people. He had
IL tof al
the very sins of his soul had certain
lurid grandeur about them also.
exander Whyte. Before the invention
of firearms, personal strength was es-
sential in leader, as indeed it is still
among the Arabs."-Int Crit. Com.
We see the same need in some of our
sports. as, for instance, football. Saul
was every inch king"
Saul had the natural characteristics
which made 1t possible for him to be
a great and useful king. He possessed
self-restraint, he was master Of him
self, the first essential. He was mod
est, not conceited. He had the mill
tary instinct, a capacity for generalship,
shrewd mind, patience that could
wait, 1.-The unfinching nerves, the
quick eagle eye, the generosity to I'M
worthy opponents which makes sue
cess so graceful and imperial COM
mand so easy to endure.
force. And he had that indescribable
personal magnetism which made him
popular idol.
q rkSd nv
influences of Gods spirit. After Sam
uel had anointed Saul to the kingdom,
we come upon this very obscure Scrip
ture: "And 1t was so that when Saul
had turned his back to go from Sam
uel, God gave Saul another heart, and
he prophesied" Il Sam. 10:10). He
was turned into another man" Il
Sam. 1850. And he Immediately
Joined himself to the religious
guild of his people, and had the out
ward form at least of prophecy in its
as sometimes occurs now to certain
temperaments in times of great ex'
element.
The children of Belial." Belial is
not a proper name. 1t means worth
Iessness" or "wickedness" (Cheyue).
They were the rabble, the wicked, the
base. These treated Saul with con-
tempt, as an inexperienced young man
from the country, unframed in both
craftsmanship and war. He held his
peace" He was wise, self-controlled
and patient.
How to Treat Insults.-A young man
who had been badly insulted came to
Father Graham hot with anger and
bent on immediate revenge. Wait"
said Father Graham; IAN insult is like
mud; it will brush off much better
when it is dry" The young man
waited, and the very next day the in
suTtfng person came to beg his for
giveness.
The Coronation.-After his victory
over the Ammonites, Sauls popular
ity among the people was very great,
and Samuel saw that the time was
ripe for a hearty national confirma-
ton of the step taken at Mizpeh by
the national assembly. The prophet
therefore called the people together at
GiIgal, between Jericho and the Jor-
dan. This ancient center Of the He
brew religion was the most suitable
place for the coronation of Saul and
the ratification of the kingdom. Thus
Edward VII. was crowned more than
a year after he became king.
Here the previously divided and I'M
certain people, with one voice con-
firmed the new king in his authority.
and the New Era of the United King
dom was begun.
He still had the advice and counsel
of Samuel. He thus entered upon a
career that might have ended in I'M
told usefulness and blessedness. Won
derful and beautiful possibilities
we're spread out before him. like the
promised land before Moses on Pisgah.
he morning of his kingdom rose al.
most S.oUdless.
Practical Points.
God calls all men to his service in
much the same way as he called Saul.
There is a secret call, manifested in